Chapter 5
Shhhhhhh-
Rain was falling. The cart had no roof, but the two of them weren't getting wet.
“Aren't you tired?”
“I'm fine. It's just a simple barrier spell.”
Aris was worried, but Claude was fine.
He wasn't such a weak wizard that a minor spell could exhaust him.
It was gradually growing dark, but they continued onward because they would soon reach a village.
Claude said,
“Once we reach the village, we need to repair the cart, change horses, and find Aris a weapon.”
“I can fight just fine with my bare hands.”
“I thought you liked greatswords, Aris?”
“Something long and heavy does feel good in my hands.”
At that moment, Aris's ears perked up.
Fiyooo- Fiyooo-
A strange sound had been coming from far away for a while. Her ears turned toward it.
“Grrrr….”
The girl became wary each time she heard it. Claude didn't particularly react, but he was holding his staff.
“There, I can see the village.”
Rumble-rumble-
They arrived at the village entrance, where a guard blocked the cart's path.
“Where are you coming from?”
“We're coming from the Trilli District.”
The guard began checking the goods in the cart. He examined the straw bales, camping bags, and cooking utensils.
After finishing the inspection of their other belongings, the guard said,
“The toll is 15 credits. Is that Wolpi a slave?”
“Well, yes. She is.”
“Slaves are property, so there is no toll for them.”
A wizard with few belongings and a single slave in tow.
The guard asked what they intended to do in the village.
“Lodging. Replacing a weapon and a horse, and repairing the cart. That's about it.”
“Understood. Have a pleasant stay in Obern.”
The gate leading into the village opened, and the two of them entered without incident.
The first place they headed was a blacksmith's shop. They could repair the cart's wheels and frame and find Aris a weapon at the same time.
Bang- Bang- Bang- Clang-
The sound of hammers striking iron rang out. Although night had fallen, the shop was still bright from the red sparks.
“Hello.”
Clang! Clang!
The blacksmith, engrossed in his work, didn't hear Claude's voice over the hammering.
“Master! Hello!”
“Hm? Oh… A customer, is it? Come on in. And wait just a moment.”
Having finished his work, the blacksmith came over to Claude.
“What can I do for you?”
“I'd like to repair the cart outside. And I'd like to find a weapon for this friend of mine.”
“I see. Let's look at the cart first.”
While the two of them went to inspect the cart, Aris looked around the blacksmith's shop.
Her tail swayed gently as she admired the sparkling items.
Sniff, sniff. Sniff, sniff.
There were many different objects, and each one gave off a slightly different scent from the iron.
She couldn't really tell which ones were good, but they made different sounds when she tapped them with her nails, and it felt nice.
“Aris. Is there a weapon you like?”
Aris, who had merely been playing, jumped in surprise and looked around.
“Ah, yes. I was choosing one.”
As the blacksmith came inside, he spoke to Aris as well.
“Even if she's female, a Wolpi ought to have some strength.”
He saw the mark on her wrist and realized that the girl was a slave.
He wanted to recommend a good weapon for the poor girl.
“How about this sword?“
He took out a very ordinary, standard longsword. It was a fine sword, sturdy and well finished.
But Aris preferred to choose one herself.
Maybe she got intimidated when a shop employee spoke to her out of the blue? She had been that way in her previous life, too, and she was much the same now.
She subtly slipped away and picked up another item.
Two sharp, ornate daggers that looked like a matched set.
“They're masterpieces—light and fast, with air resistance reduced to a minimum.”
She glanced at the blacksmith, nodded, and set the daggers down.
The next item she picked up was a long, two-handed sword.
“Its long, weighty blade can cut through enemies. If you hold it farther up, it can serve as a longsword, too.”
She nodded again and set it down.
What she found next was a massive hammer.
“Its heft is its finest quality. But can you lift it?”
As if asking what he meant, Aris picked up the hammer. It was certainly heavy, but she could use it.
“Oh, no matter how tough your opponent is, you can deal with them using sheer mass. I paid attention to the grip, and the center of gravity is properly balanced, too.”
The girl nodded and set it down again. This time, she found a massive two-handed greatsword with a thick blade.
“That one is the biggest piece in our entire forge.”
Startled by those words, Aris turned around. The person standing there wasn't the blacksmith, but Claude.
He pointed at himself, looking puzzled by the girl's sudden turn toward him.
The girl's gaze dropped slightly below his face.
The girl blushed faintly.
“Will you go with that sword? It's been made with attention to its center of gravity, grip, and handle length, too.”
Perhaps she liked the sword, because Aris gripped it and held it out to Claude.
“All right. Boss, we'll take this one.”
“Even if she's a Wolpi, are you sure, miss?”
“There is no problem.”
The silent girl answered firmly. For a slave, her eyes held an unusual amount of force.
“I see. I hope you live a long time.”
With that, the blacksmith walked toward the cart.
Anyone passing by would know what it meant for a Wolpi slave girl to be looking for a weapon.
Claude heard that, too. He wore a bitter expression, but he didn't make excuses.
“Aris. Then let's find a room.”
“Yes, Master.”
The blacksmith agreed to hold the belongings from the cart for a while. Since they didn't own much anyway, it wasn't an unreasonable favor to ask.
They found a nearby inn.
“Two adults.”
“Will one room be enough?”
The clerk said that and looked at the two of them.
A slightly blushing girl and a man watching her reaction.
She thought it was a lovely scene to see while working at an inn.
She often saw couples who clearly had feelings for each other but ultimately wanted two rooms.
These two would probably end up like that for no reason, too.
The clerk subtly asked the man,
“One room, right?”
“Huh? Ah. Yes… One.”
“Heehee, understood. I'll add our morning bed-care service, too.”
“Service? Thank you.”
The clerk quickly handed the two of them the key to a room suited to them.
“There are shower facilities inside the room, too. Have a comfortable night. Enjoy yourselves.”
After bowing politely, the man and woman both lowered their heads and went upstairs.
The clerk felt proud, as though she had done another excellent job today.
◇
Apparently, the inn clerk hadn't realized that Aris was a slave.
Slaves normally weren't given private rooms.
Even so, I had wanted to give her a room of her own in the first place.
“I'll get our luggage. Master.”
After checking the room, Aris said that to me. The blacksmith's shop was right in front of us, so nothing should happen.
“All right. Just take the bags and come straight back.”
“Yes. Master, please wash now. Your body odor is…problematic.”
As we went up to the room, she seemed genuinely troubled by the fact that we would be sleeping in the same room.
She bowed politely and went outside. Her gently swaying tail lingered in my mind.
“Does it really smell that bad?”
I smelled myself, and although it was a little pungent, I wondered if it was really that bad.
Rattle- The inn had surprisingly good facilities.
The shower's water pressure was a little weak, but it was within the range that magic could make up for.
I turned on the water and washed myself with the soap the inn had prepared.
Scrub, scrub. I felt squeaky clean.
Rattle- At the sound from behind me, my body went stiff.
“I'm back. Master.”
“Hm? Ah, Aris? Why are you here…?”
Her footsteps sounded as though she was barefoot. She came closer and stood behind me.
“I've come to scrub your back. You only washed the front, right?”
I didn't know how she had found out, but it was true. I hadn't really gotten around to washing my back.
“Please sit here. And hand me the shower puff and soap.”
I glanced back. Then her hand came toward my face.
“Please don't look. I'm sorry.”
“Ah, I understand, so let go of me….”
I sat down on a small chair. The girl knelt behind me.
Scrub, scrub- The girl began vigorously scrubbing my back. I hadn't intended to make her go this far.
“Though I'm your master, you don't need to go this far.”
“You're…right. I'm sorry, but this is something I need to do for myself.”
Her answer was firm this time, too.
It gave me a jolt, just like when she had said she didn't ‘dwell on it’ last time.
“Your scent turns me into a beast.”
“H-huh? A... beast….”
It sounded as though she was putting up a sharp, resolute wall, yet her choice of words was strange.
I had no idea what Aris really thought of me.
“That's right. I'm half a beast, so you need to be careful. I might hurt you one day….”
“It's all right. I'll definitely subdue you, Aris.”
The girl's hand stopped.
Had I said something wrong? She had kept bringing it up, so I thought it was all right to say.
I watched her through the mirror in front of me.
She remained still with a flushed face, then suddenly began scrubbing my back hard.
“Why would you say that! Right now! Why?!”
“Ah, ah. I'm sorry! Wait! Ouch!”
The sharp pain made me lean forward involuntarily. Her hand slipped, making her pitch forward and crash into me.
Squoosh- A strange sensation pressed against my back as she collided with me.
Something large and springy, with a protrusion in the middle that felt soft yet firm.
Thump, thump. Then the girl's hand came around my leg from behind and moved between my legs.
Tap- Her hand touched my own.
It couldn't be helped. What man wouldn't get hard in a situation like this?
Twitch.
Her arm reacted, but unexpectedly, she didn't pull it away. Instead, I could feel an incredible heartbeat from behind.
Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
“Aris?”
Her hand moved, then simply grabbed hold of mine.
“I'll do it this way. Please don't move.”