episode_0015

“Ugh! Agh!” “Hahaha! Isn’t that guy’s scream hilarious?” “Right? Then how about this?!” “Aaaaaaaagh!!”

Oh… Is that fun…? As I was being dragged to the prison, I saw Robdom’s members torturing slaves in an open room. The members were chuckling, holding torture devices in their hands, seemingly enjoying the slaves’ screams and expressions of terror.

“You could end up like that too. So it’s better if you just give the Captain the information about that man, willingly.” “If I knew anything…” “Hahaha! Stop talking nonsense, and get ready to become a slave in an hour!” “Honestly, you guys have no intention of letting me go, do you?” “The Captain was right. You’re quick-witted.”

Damn it. Just as I thought… These guys plan to enslave me whether I give them information or not. They’re probably saying they won’t torture me if I give them information. But becoming a slave is out of the question… With my body tied up like this, there’s nothing I can do. When we arrived at a cage, a member opened the door and threw me inside. Ugh… If someone has important information for you, you should treat them carefully…

“My comrades died because of that man. So, like the Captain, I want you to tell me information about him. But if you don’t…!!!” “Oh, come on… I really don’t know…” “You saw that torture earlier, didn’t you? Aren’t you scared of that? You really have guts! Hahahahaha!!”

Thinking my words were a lie, like that damned Artyun, the member locked the cage, mocked me, and leisurely left. No, I really don’t know! All I know is that man’s alias is ‘Twenty Mana,’ and I don’t know anything else, so how would I know his current location?! Besides, if he’s really a dimension traveler, these guys can’t even chase him! And if I told them he was a dimension traveler, would these guys even believe it?!!

“Your heart is greatly wavering. Did the tortures you saw instill great fear in you?” “Huh? Who…” “It would be a great misconception to think you’re the only one in this cage.”

At the sudden voice, I looked to my right. There was a Beastman man leaning against the wall and a human man. Both men had shackles on their arms, and their faces were covered in scars. They must be other slaves.

“Who are you?” “I’m Tess. As you can see, I’m a Cat Beastman. And this silent one next to me is Rascal. He became mute due to the after-effects of past torture.” “A Cat Beastman… Why are you…”

“As you can see, the humans overpowered me by force while I was scouting the forest and made me a slave. And the human next to me came after I did. How did you get caught by these ruffians?” “Ah… well, it’s a bit of a complicated story…” “…I see. You can speak after you compose yourself. Phew… I don’t understand why humans would even enslave their own kind. At first, I was full of anger towards humans… but at some point, seeing them enslave their own kind, I started to feel pity rather than anger. Am I strange?”

“Well… I don’t think so. And… it’s said that many other races also enslave their own kind, not just humans. The habit of treating one’s own kind as slaves… that is, as objects, I believe is the biggest blemish on that race’s society.” “You… aren’t you slandering your own kind right now?” “Yes, I am.”

“…..Hahahaha!! That human was right earlier! You really have guts, human! I’m curious about your name!” “Zeke. Zeke Luprian. I’m an explorer.” “I see. Let me reintroduce myself! I am Tess. I was one of Kartun’s vanguard!”

…?! Ka… Kartun’s vanguard?! I was greatly shocked, as if struck hard by a blunt weapon, at Tess’s completely unexpected identity. I thought he had a very developed physique for some reason… The scars on his face proved that he was a vanguard who had endured all sorts of hardships.

“And the human next to me used to be a hunter. A hunter who caught runaway slaves, but now that he’s a slave himself, he says he regrets those actions.” Tess’s words made Rascal nod his head. Someone who used to be a slave hunter… It makes sense that his mind changed once he became the hunted. But is it okay for Tess to laugh so loudly? Considering how the members treated the slaves earlier, it might be dangerous…

“But, is it okay to laugh so loudly?” “Ah, the humans here are very afraid of us. So, them even imprisoning you here shows they put a little thought into it. It’s like giving you a little freedom, then to get what they want from you, perhaps?”

No wonder the member who dragged me earlier didn’t kick me like Artyun did… Even though they’re stuck in this cage now, these two must have been famous in the Magrion region. Hmm… With these two, I might be able to get out even without Aria’s help.

“But if you have that much strength, why aren’t you escaping?” “Ah… it’s because of these shackles. Our power is almost sealed by these shackles. Still, we can overpower low-ranking members with one hand, excluding the Captain.” “I see… By the way, you said you were Kartun’s vanguard, Tess?”

“Huh? Yes. Is there a problem, Zeke?” “My next destination was Kartun. By any chance, what is the perception of humans like in Kartun right now?” “Oh, my…! It might actually be fortunate for you that you haven’t gone yet. Although it’s been a year since I was captured here, the Beastmen’s perception of humans in Kartun is, quite literally, the worst. I also thought that way at first, but as I said earlier, I ended up pitying them instead. Humans have been capturing Beastmen for a long time. I’m 41, and even at this age, the Beastmen’s anger towards humans shows no sign of subsiding. That’s why Rascal wants to apologize to my kind once he gets out of here.”

Rascal nodded again at Tess’s words. Phew… The thought that Kartun would reject me and Aria made my future feel bleak for a moment. Even if I brought Karina, it was clear they would never lower their guard against me and Aria…

“Hmm… Tess. Could you grant me a favor?” “A favor?” “As I said, I’m an explorer. I want to record everything in the world. And… I’m a human who particularly dislikes slavery.”

“I see. But why are you suddenly saying that?” “I’ll help you get out of here…!”

I said in a low voice to the two of them. Hearing my words, Rascal bowed his head, and Tess started laughing loudly. It was understandable for Tess and Rascal to react that way.

“Hahahaha!! That’s absurd! What are you going to do? Hahahaha! Is that even possible right now!?” “I have a way, so I ask for your help.” “Hahaha…. Hmm?”

Tess, who had been laughing loudly at my words, saw my expression and his laughter began to fade. As Tess’s laughter quietened, Rascal also lifted his head and looked at my face. Then Tess spoke to me.

“Really?” “Yes, it’s possible.” “….What do you want?”

“Please allow me to go to Kartun. My companion has a young Cat Beastman with brown hair, just like you. I was asked to take that child to Kartun. And since I also need to record things about Kartun anyway…” “Wait. A Beastman child? What’s the child’s name?” “Um… Karina…”

“Karina?! You mean even she was captured as a slave by humans!!” “Ah, yes… We rescued her from the ruined Bosca earlier…” “Bosca was destroyed…?!”

Rascal opened his mouth after hearing my words. Tess was surprised when Rascal suddenly spoke, and I was greatly surprised as well. Then Rascal approached me and asked again.

“Was Bosca really destroyed…!!” “Yes… a certain man greatly helped in its destruction. And that man rescued Karina from the ruined Bosca and entrusted her to us. That’s why Artyun is frantically searching for that man, his eyes burning with determination.” “I can’t believe it… Bosca destroyed… As long as that place existed, this cycle was clearly going to continue…”

“How much power did Bosca actually hold in the slave society…?” “The slave manufacturing city. That’s what we hunters called Bosca. That place was overflowing with tools for making slaves. From tools that suppress life’s thoughts to tools that can brand… Among us hunters, Bosca was an infamous city.”

….Wow… If ‘Twenty Mana’ hadn’t destroyed that place, there would have been many terrible things… Rascal’s explanation alone is terrifying… I can’t even imagine how much scarier it originally was. But Tess, who was astonished by something even more surprising than Rascal’s explanation of Bosca, spoke to Rascal.

“You could speak, Rascal!” “Yes, Tess.” “Why haven’t you until now…” “…I’ve been blaming myself for my actions of capturing slaves. A huge sense of guilt sealed my mouth. But… Zeke, hearing about Bosca’s current situation from you, I feel somewhat relieved… However, that doesn’t mean my sins are washed away. Tess, I want to deeply apologize to your race. For the slave hunting I conducted for 23 years, starting from when I was 17…”

“…What circumstances did you have, Rascal?” “I had family members who were sick. For my family, I continued to capture slaves. At first, I had resistance… but focusing solely on my family dulled that feeling. And… during my last slave hunt, I heard the news that all my family members had died.” “…You must have realized to your core what you’ve been doing all this time.”

“….I also realized through torture. I will get out of here and definitely apologize to your race. Zeke, how are you going to help us escape from here?” “Yes. Since you also have my niece, Karina.” “…Huh?”

In the sad atmosphere, I was greatly flustered when Tess suddenly said Karina was his niece. Wait… Is that why their hair color was the same?! How many more shocking pieces of news am I going to hear here?!

“Oh, your niece? You mean that girl?” “Yeah. Wow… I vividly remember her secretly taking and eating the fish I caught…” “….Wait. What else? Karina is a girl?”

“That’s right. The one with… brown tail and hair, and yellow eyes…” …I couldn’t speak. This time, it was the shocking news that Karina was a girl. No wonder she refused when I offered to go to the restroom with her… While I was in shock, Tess continued to tell stories about his memories with Karina. Meanwhile, Rascal, seemingly bored with the stories, turned his head away.

“So that’s what happened… So, since you have my precious niece, I will definitely let Kartun know about you, Zeke. So please, help us escape from here.” “Yes. Oh, but could you say that the Black Saintess rescued you?” “Huh? Why that?” “Because I don’t like becoming famous… Hahaha….”

“Hmm… I don’t know what a Black Saintess is, but… Alright. I’ll do as you say.” “Yes, then…”

I wiggled my fingers and began to untie the ropes. If they were going to bind me, they should have tied my hands too… Was I that laughable, Robdom!! When I untied the ropes and stood up, Tess was greatly flustered.

“No, Zeke… how?” “….The bindings were tied really strangely, so I could untie them.” “…No wonder I thought the knot on Zeke’s ropes looked really shoddy earlier… It wasn’t just my imagination.”

“And…” The secret technique of Todrua, unknown to the people of the Magrion region! It’s the fact that I and my weapon are connected. That is, I can summon my greatsword to my current location! This is possible due to the power of Todrua’s magic stone refinement. I refined a large amount of slime magic stones and attached them to my clothes and greatsword. And the way to activate this is to clench the magic stone on my clothes! When the greatsword appeared before me, Tess and Rascal were greatly surprised.

“What is that…? It’s an ability I’ve never seen, even during my time as a hunter…” “Magic stone refinement is a specialty in my hometown. It’s a magic stone refined with summoning magic. Well… it’s single-use, but… I summoned my greatsword from afar to this place.” “But what are you going to do with a greatsword? Our shackles won’t be broken even with that sword…” “My greatsword has various pieces of equipment attached to it. For example… this liquid!”

I took out a bottle containing purple liquid from a small pouch attached to my greatsword. Then I poured the liquid from the bottle onto the chains of the shackles on Tess and Rascal’s arms. The chains immediately began to corrode and broke in less than five seconds. Seeing their arms freed, Tess and Rascal looked at me with trembling smiles.

“Thank you so much, Zeke! I’ll definitely grant your favor.” “It’s been a while since I’ve had to use my hunter skills. Wait. Picking locks like this is very easy for me.”

Rascal bent his legs and began to fiddle with the lock beyond the cage using two small metal picks he found on the ground. They heard this noise, but no one is coming here? How incompetent are these guys…

“Our Kartun vanguard would never be like this. No one dares to come here because they’re afraid of the captured ones. It’s truly absurd…” “That’s true, but their lack of interest in you and Rascal also played a part. Do you scream during torture, by any chance?” “They don’t even think of torturing us because they’re scared of us.”

“Then they probably can’t hear this noise because they’re enjoying torturing other slaves. If these guys are lunatics who gain pleasure from the slaves’ screams, they’ll only be thinking about tormenting slaves even while on guard duty.” “They can be distracted… but are they that pathetic?” “They’re probably absorbed in their sense of superiority. Just as humans who like alcohol look for alcohol even when working, these foolish guys are probably like that too.” “If that’s the case, then it’s truly pathetic….”

“It’s done. Tess, Zeke. Are you ready?” “Of course. I also have a reason to get out quickly.” “A reason? What kind of reason?”

I let out a hollow laugh and couldn’t answer Tess’s question. Because a very terrifying woman is coming here… While Tess, Rascal, and I were getting out of the prison, the Robdom members guarding the interior were chatting.

“Ugh… Why is the Captain keeping those scary guys in prison?” “Leave them alone… He said they’ll be gone from here in two days…” “Hehehe… I want to go torture slaves quickly!” “Right! I also want to…?”

“Oh my… You mean Sir Zeke is here…?” Someone was coming down the stairs at the entrance to the passage. Then one member hurriedly rang the bell on the corridor wall, and another member picked up a spear and began to guard against the black-clad woman emerging from the entrance.

“Wh-who are you?!” “Who could it be? I have no intention of telling you filthy people anything about myself.”

Many members, having heard the bell, rushed over and began to point their spears and swords at the black-clad woman. Despite the large number of members who arrived, the black-clad woman… no, Aria, continued to smile. While Aria confronted what looked like a hundred members… I encountered Artyun in the middle of my escape…!! And to make matters worse, I was alone, having separated from Tess and Rascal…

“Oh-ho… Blondie. Did you even break out of prison like this because you wanted to give me information quickly?” “Oh, what kind of luck is this, damn it!!” “Ha! Good, I don’t have to wait an hour!! Come on, tell me! Where is that man?! If you tell me his location willingly, I’ll give you a comfortable life as a slave! A slave’s life without torture, that is!”

Artyun stood firm with his sword pointed at me, his eyes sharp. No, but I really don’t know, you damned brown-haired bastard!!!

“Counting to three….” “Captain! A black-clad woman appeared at the entrance! It seems to be the Black Saintess who was with that guy!”

Hearing a subordinate, spear in hand, rush up behind Artyun and report, I was dumbfounded. Aria is here? Wow… this is really big trouble.

“Hahahaha!! It would be great to even make the Saintess a slave! If you don’t want that, then quickly…” “Wow…. You guys are in real trouble.” “What?” “You guys… Aria… I mean, you know nothing about the Black Saintess, do you?”

“I’ve heard rumors! That she goes around healing people…” “…That’s just the surface. You guys are in real trouble… Do you think Aria is weak?” “What did you say?”

While I was talking to Artyun about Aria, Aria was confronting numerous subordinates of Artyun. And Riera and Karina, watching from behind a wall, whispered softly to Aria.

“A-Aria-nim…! Will you be alright…?” “Yes. Honestly, I didn’t trust you, but… seeing as I sense Sir Zeke’s presence here, it’s right to express my gratitude to you. Thank you for making it possible for me to return to Sir Zeke’s side. So please, hide well behind there.” “What?! Are you really alright…?” “I’m alright~”

Aria turned her head and blinked at the trembling Riera and Karina, signaling that she was alright. Then, clutching her golden staff, she charged towards Artyun’s subordinates, who seemed to number a hundred.