Chapter 28: Something Has Changed

“Hmm, so you saved this person… this person’s life. And to repay that debt, you offered yourself as a slave?”

“To summarize, yes.”

I explained our relationship, mine and Hilde’s, that way.

Since the gacha was a secret from the start, there was no other way.

‘No other excuse really came to mind.’

Due to the nature of an uninhabited island, we had no choice but to stay close to each other.

In that situation, delaying it for days, or even weeks, was impossible.

This was the most comfortable way to explain the master-servant relationship between Hilde and me.

After all, didn’t Robinson Crusoe live with a native person somewhere?

Of course, since it’s Hilde, an S-class beauty, I’m the much bigger winner.

“But why a slave, of all things, in the 21st century?”

“It’s just a title, but if you really want to put it that way, it’s similar to a maid. Hilde said she’s a noble from a small country in Europe. It seems they still have old customs there.”

“Hmm, well, there are countries where nobles and chivalry still exist. Still, a beauty like this being a slave…”

Shin Seom-hwa scanned Hilde with a look of disbelief.

It’s hard to believe a beauty like Hilde would be a slave.

‘She really was a former princess, after all.’

But if the person involved says so, it’s hard to say it’s strange to her face.

More than anything, she’s probably overwhelmed just by the fact that she’s shipwrecked.

I decided to quickly move past the situation.

“More importantly, is there any clue?”

“A clue?”

“Like, memories from before you fell onto the island?”

“Hmm, nothing special. The ship tilted, I fell into the sea, and the next thing I knew, you were there.”

As expected, our timelines were completely mismatched.

‘If what she says is true, Shin Seom-hwa was in the sea for at least a few days. There’s no way someone could survive that long.’

It’s the same even for an A-class Ability User.

It doesn’t make sense logically.

“But… then that’s a bit strange.”

Shin Seom-hwa seemed to realize that fact too.

“You look like you’ve been on this island for quite some time.”

Shin Seom-hwa’s gaze turned towards our attire.

Especially since I was wearing completely different clothes than when I was on the ship.

“That’s right. I haven’t measured the exact time, but at least a few days have passed.”

“A few days?”

“So how many days was I adrift at sea?”

“About that. This island has many peculiar characteristics. Specifically, magic power is cut off, so abilities don’t activate at all.”

“N-no way…”

Shin Seom-hwa immediately reached out her hand.

But she couldn’t feel any power there.

Even Shin Seom-hwa, who was an A-class Ability User, was just an ordinary woman here.

“Ah…”

Perhaps the fact that her abilities wouldn’t manifest was quite shocking, as Shin Seom-hwa’s complexion turned pale.

‘Well, unlike mine, hers was a powerful and useful ability.’

The stronger an Ability User is, the greater their dependency on their abilities becomes.

Shin Seom-hwa must be feeling a discomfort similar to an ordinary person being unable to use one of their arms.

“Let’s move spots for now. Monsters appear here occasionally, though it’s rare.”

“Hmm, yeah. If we encounter a monster in our current state, we’re done for.”

“…”

Well, Hilde and I would be fine in our current state.

I decided to keep my mouth shut for now.

As I mentioned before, there’s no need to reveal my hand first.

‘More than anything, seeing Team Leader like this is quite refreshing.’

Perhaps it’s because she just regained consciousness.

I can feel that she’s exhausted both physically and mentally.

Of course, even in this situation, her beauty hasn’t faded.

At least, it’s different from the haughty demeanor I always saw at the company.

“Please get up. I have my own place, so you’ll be safe once we get there.”

“Ah, that…”

Hilde and I stood up first.

But for some reason, Shin Seom-hwa didn’t move at all.

“Is there a problem?”

“My legs feel weak… could you wait a moment?”

Looking closely, Shin Seom-hwa’s legs, sitting awkwardly, were trembling.

It’s understandable if she was swept away and collapsed by the waves.

At first, even I thought crawling to the beach was hell.

‘I don’t want to waste useless time here.’

I still need to prepare the food salvaged from the sea,

Now that there’s one more person, there are many things to do.

Even if I went back home right now, time would be a bit tight.

“I can’t help it. Get on my back.”

“What?”

Shin Seom-hwa looked up at me with a flustered expression.

No, is this something to be surprised about to this extent?

“We need to get back to the lodging before sunset. This is the fastest way to do that.”

“That might be true, but…”

For some reason, Shin Seom-hwa was flustered, her ears blushing red.

I was getting impatient and about to speak again when Hilde raised her hand.

“Ahem! Ahem! Master, wouldn’t it be alright if I carried her instead?”

“No, Hilde needs to guard us.”

“Hmm…”

Hilde’s main weapon is a spear.

If I’m carrying Shin Seom-hwa on my back, she can’t use that weapon.

On this island, there could be monster attacks.

At that time, Hilde, being the highest level, must take the lead.

In that case, it’s better if I take care of Shin Seom-hwa.

‘There’s a way to grant permission to use abilities… but I don’t want to give Shin Seom-hwa that kind of power right now.’

I don’t think Shin Seom-hwa is that kind of person, but…

She might try to put herself above me just because she has abilities.

In the worst case, I might be threatened and forced to give up my resources.

‘Well, ability permission can be turned On or Off anytime, so in that case, I can just revoke the permission immediately.’

Anyway, being able to use abilities is a huge merit on this uninhabited island.

I intend to keep this hidden as much as possible.

‘More than anything, I need Shin Seom-hwa to ‘depend’ on me as much as possible right now.’

As we were colleagues, I know Shin Seom-hwa’s personality well.

This is the result of making the choice that benefits me the most.

“Hurry up and get on my back. This isn’t the company, so no one’s watching.”

“Uh, okay. Then I’ll ask you to.”

Shin Seom-hwa climbed onto my back.

I was a little surprised because she was lighter than I expected.

‘It’s not just that I’m strong, but Team Leader doesn’t seem to weigh much to begin with.’

How on earth can she maintain such a weight with that kind of figure?

It was the same with Hilde, but women’s bodies are even a bit mysterious.

“Sorry, am I heavy?”

“No, you’re light.”

I answered honestly, but for some reason, the hands resting on my shoulders tightened their grip.

“Team Leader, don’t put your arms on my shoulders like that. Hook them around my neck, or you’ll fall off.”

“L-like this?”

“Yes, you did well.”

Carrying Shin Seom-hwa like that, I headed towards the forest.

Hilde’s smile, flying in from the side, stung slightly, but I pretended not to notice.

---

“What, what is this?”

Upon arriving at the hideout, Shin Seom-hwa couldn’t hide her surprise at the sight before her.

Making a cave their dwelling was understandable enough.

But a campfire, various tools, and even a fence set up at the entrance.

These are not things that can be accomplished overnight.

‘Kim Jinwoo… When did you even get to this point…’

Even if there was a time difference since arriving on the island with me, it was only a few days at most.

Without abilities, or even if she had them, could she do the same if asked?

Although she was always confident in society, she honestly wasn’t confident.

“Amazing. Honestly, I never expected such a nice lodging.”

“It was just good luck. Actually, I reawakened a new ability here.”

“Reawakening?”

The manifestation of a secondary ability, said to be seen only in extremely rare Ability Users.

Kim Jinwoo accomplished that, and on an island like this?

“What kind of ability did you gain, exactly?”

“It’s still an ability unrelated to combat. It’s the ability to create a storage space I can access at will.”

When Kim Jinwoo gestured, a dagger appeared out of thin air.

“With this, I found and stored items washed ashore on the beach. Team Leader also found it while looking for useful things.”

“Can that ability be used here too?”

“Since it’s an ability obtained on the island, I suppose so.”

“Hmm…”

Is it because Kim Jinwoo feels somehow changed?

His attitude seems much more confident than when he was in society.

‘He also seems to have grown bigger somehow.’

He lifted me effortlessly, and even while walking that distance, he showed no signs of fatigue.

Whatever he went through, his body must have grown too.

To the point where his firm muscles could be felt even through his clothes.

“I have a lot I want to say, but let’s rest for today. I’ll guide you inside.”

“Ahem! Ahem! Then I’ll be in your care.”

Entering inside, Shin Seom-hwa was even more impressed by the surprisingly clean interior.

Perhaps thanks to the ability Kim Jinwoo reawakened, there weren’t many large items inside.

However, it was cleaned so well it was hard to believe it was a natural cave.

“What’s this on the floor?”

“It’s animal hides laid out on the floor. I’ve hunted quite a lot of prey during this time.”

Seeing this much, I can guess how much hardship he must have gone through.

The more I looked inside, the more impressed I became.

Kim Jinwoo led me to another room in the back.

That room was also clean, no less than the other rooms.

“I’ll leave clothes for you to change into here.”

“There are clothes too? Surely you didn’t find these on the beach?”

“…Part of a shipwreck washed ashore here. I salvaged as many usable items as possible. They disappeared the next day, so I thought I did well.”

The clothes were as neat as if they were new.

Could the newly awakened storage ability do things like this?

“After you change, please rest comfortably.”

“Ah, is there anything I can help with?”

“Since it’s the first day, just focus on sleeping well today. I’ll explain various things tomorrow.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Leaving only those words, Kim Jinwoo turned away without hesitation.

Reliable.

Without realizing it, I thought that inwardly.

“Phew, I can finally change out of these sticky clothes.”

She took off everything: her blouse, skirt suit, and even her black underwear.

Her white skin was revealed, completely bare without even a thread.

She wanted to stay naked, but she couldn’t because Kim Jinwoo was there.

She worried about what if Kim Jinwoo came back in, but…

‘No, he wouldn’t do that, especially since he even gave me privacy to change.’

Indeed, Kim Jinwoo had changed somehow.

Even as colleagues, he used to seem hesitant around me.

Now, a clear sense of ease is felt.

Before, I thought it was because he was nervous being surrounded by women, but now it seems that wasn’t the case.

‘That person named Hilde next to him… she was incredibly beautiful.’

Even as a woman, she was such a stunning beauty that admiration flowed out the moment I saw her.

Skin like milk, silver hair reaching her waist, and furthermore, a perfect figure without any flaws.

As a woman, I’ve never thought of myself as inferior to anyone.

But with the person named Hilde, I felt overwhelmed the moment I saw her.

If she called someone ‘Master’ with that face, any man would feel confident.

‘……He used to be a subordinate who would always follow even unreasonable orders.’

With a sudden thought, Shin Seom-hwa quickly pulled herself together.

Regardless of the past, isn’t she now benefiting from what Kim Jinwoo has achieved?

If Kim Jinwoo hadn’t been there, she might be shivering and freezing to death right now.

Complaining was out of the question, let alone feeling grateful for saving her life.

“Phew, tomorrow I’ll ask if there’s anything I can do. And there’s also something I need to talk about regarding the previous incident…”

For that reason too, I need to recover my stamina quickly.

After changing clothes, she lay down on the spot.

She fiddled with her slightly recovered calves.

To be carried piggyback because she couldn’t even stand up.

It was a situation her pride wouldn’t allow, even if no one else saw it.

‘Right, let’s sleep quickly and wake up.’

So that I can return to being the confident self I was in society.

Thinking that, Shin Seom-hwa lay down on the floor.

“Aang! Haang!”

Lustful moans could be heard from the other room.