Back to the Surface

With Pochi and Tama each hanging on to one of my hands, I headed up the spiral staircase to the exit. I was the very last one of the civilians to exit. The battle-crazy warrior and a few of his subordinates were still below, standing guard at the door.

I thought there might be a bag check when we got to the surface, so I switched out my Garage Bag with the normal stand-in while nobody was looking. I also took about two-thirds of the cores that Pochi was carrying, putting the rest in Storage by way of the Garage Bag.

The real number of cores was way more than other people had, so I figured this was best in order to avoid any trouble.

“Once we get outside, we should find something good to eat. Is there any food you want in particular?”

“Meeeat?”

“Meat, please, sir! We saw some huuuge meat on a carriage earlier, sir!”

These kids really love meat, huh?

I had assumed it was because they were beastfolk, but I guess most kids do like it.

But the “huge meat” Pochi was talking about was probably wyvern, wasn’t it? If possible, I’d rather avoid that, so I did my best to guide her toward some other kind.

“Pochi, Tama. Meat certainly is a wonderful thing. But for slaves to demand it like that is reaching far beyond our means.”

“Our…means?”

“Liza uses hard words, sir.”

“Meat is a luxury.”

Liza had stepped in to rebuke them for me, but as long as we went to street stalls, I didn’t think it would be that expensive. Even the wild boar steak I had before was only a few coppers.

“Well, we should celebrate getting out of the labyrinth alive. Why don’t we get some meat?”

“Yaaay!”

“Thanks, sir!”

“If that is your will, master. I’ll be sure to savor every last bite!”

Still holding hands with me, Pochi and Tama jumped around for joy. When I looked back at Liza, she was wearing a grave expression and clenching her fist as if making a solemn vow.

You know you don’t have to get that serious about it, right?

The sunlight was blinding when we walked out of the labyrinth’s exit.

Pochi and Tama dragged me forward, bounding into the light of the outside world.

When we emerged, we were met by the anxious faces and loud clamoring of the people who’d come out before us.

Looking around, the reason became fairly evident.

The exit led into an empty lot about the size of a school yard. Rather than being perfectly level, the ground formed a spiral that centered on the dungeon’s mouth. Most likely, this was a remnant of the creation of the labyrinth, when it had sucked in the plaza and the buildings around it.

Surrounding the exit, as if to wall it in, was a makeshift fence supported by sandbags, with cannons like the sort I’d seen in the anti-dragon defense tower. Behind these cannons, archers stood with large crossbows at the ready.

Of course, all the weapons were all pointed at the opening—in other words, the very place we were standing.

Pochi, Tama, and even Liza looked nervous, so I asked somebody who looked like they had a better grasp on the situation.

“Well, they’re telling us we have to stay here until they figure out if any of us are monsters disguised as humans, or infected with a disease from demons, or anything like that.”

I see… So we have to be quarantined.

According to the checks I’d done earlier, there were no monsters in the group and nobody affected by disease or poison of any kind. Of course, I wasn’t about to announce that to anyone, but even if I did, it wasn’t as though anyone would believe me anyway.

I checked the soldiers around the barricade, but none of them had any judgment-based skills, so we would just have to wait until a person or machine that could determine these things arrived.

Luckily, we had the Oracle and her priestesses among us, so there was no cause for concern about anyone dying of their injuries. Those with minor wounds were left to their own devices for now, but people with broken bones or serious gashes had been healed with magic and were resting on cloaks spread out on the ground.

Oh, right—I still have three potions and one unused salve, so I should offer them to the wounded. I’ll just buy more souvenirs for Martha and the others later. They probably wouldn’t want to use medicine from a stranger, so I asked Zena to use them instead to heal the others.

The beastfolk kids must have been bored to tears with waiting, because Tama had sprawled out asleep on my lap while Pochi climbed on my shoulders.

I didn’t want them to draw the ire of the other survivors by making too much noise, so I let them lean against me and rest. Liza was still holding her spear and seemed to be standing on guard, so I had her sit across from me and take a break, too.

After we’d waited for an hour or so, some carriages arrived, and the quarantine operation began. Apparently, they’d be calling people over one at a time and checking them using a Yamato stone.

The captain and the Oracle priestess were called first, then the magic soldier Zena. It seemed like they’d be checking on military personnel first, so we’d be toward the end.

“Okay, I’m going next, but I’ll wait for you on the other side.”

“’kay!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Understood.”

The three of them looked nervous as I proceeded to the carriages. I left my bag with the civil-official lady and proceeded to the Yamato stone.

It would probably look weird for me to still be level 1 with no skills after escaping from a dungeon, right?

I opened the networking tab on my menu. The girls were level 13 now, so I figured level 10 would be about right. I picked a few skills that a trader would have: “Haggling” and “Estimation.” Is it weird if I don’t have any combat skills? I added “Throwing” and “Evasion,” just to be safe.

Following the official’s instructions, I placed my hands over the Yamato stone. My gaze was tempted toward the cleavage of the female official across from me, but I forcefully resisted. Instead I read the information displayed by the stone, making sure that it had updated with my changes.

“My goodness. For someone who’s not a soldier or an explorer to be at this level at such a young age, you must have gone through a lot of hardships.”

“Oh, it’s nothing so remarkable as that.”

The female knight in heavy makeup standing over the stone was impressed with my level, but I deflected it like a true Japanese person.

“I told you, hand over the spear!”

“My master made this for me—it’s as precious to me as my life. I cannot part with it, not even for a moment!”

“I told you, your feelings have nothing to do with it!”

Hearing arguing voices behind me, I turned around to see that Liza was putting up a fight about parting with her spear.

“Liza, go ahead and give it to them. I’ll make sure they return it later.”

“I-if that is your will, master…”

At my words, Liza reluctantly gave up her spear to the civil official.

I made a note of the woman’s name and affiliation in the memo pad of my networking screen. It’d be great if we could get it back right away, but judging by my map, it looked like everyone was getting loaded into carriages and brought to the castle.

I doubted we’d be imprisoned or put to death to keep us quiet or anything, but we might be under house arrest until the situation was under control.

I’d imagine a dungeon appearing in the middle of the city and a greater demon showing up makes for a pretty unusual case.

I heard a small outcry behind me.

Apparently, they were surprised that Liza, a slave, was level 13 and even had four skills.

I couldn’t read her expression, so it was hard to tell what she was thinking, but her tail was twitching ever so slightly. I think she might be a little proud of herself.

Pochi and Tama meekly handed over the bag of cores and rushed toward me. It looked like they’d been allowed through as a pair, probably because they were kids.

Neither of them could reach the Yamato stone, so Liza had to lift them up. Pochi seemed to enjoy being held aloft, letting her arms and legs swing back and forth.

Pochi placed her hands on the Yamato stone, as instructed by the civil official. This elicited even louder shouting than Liza’s had. They must have been amazed that a ten-year-old child was level 13. Pochi had three skills, too.

Tama was last. Liza had to hold her up, like Pochi. Tama must have been looking forward to this part, because she eagerly played dead, letting her limbs dangle in the air.

The officials didn’t raise as much of a fuss about Tama; her status was just as impressive, but seeing something surprising for the third time in the row tends to take the shock out of it. Tama looked a little disappointed.

“It must have been tough to raise demi-human slaves to be this strong, right?”

“No, not at all. They’re very talented.”

It was true that we’d gone through tough times, but the girls were talented, too. I probably wouldn’t have died without them, but I definitely would’ve fallen into traps and suffered much more than I had.

A soldier guided the four of us onto a carriage. There were a few people aboard who had already gotten through inspection, too. There was a canopy over the cart, and armed guards stood at both exits.

We didn’t know anybody aboard, so we rode in relative silence.

A few of our fellow passengers seemed to dislike beastfolk, too, so I warned Pochi and Tama to behave themselves. Fear brings out an aggressive side of people.

Finally, after a long ride in an oppressive atmosphere, we arrived at the count’s castle. There was a cloth over both openings blocking our view, so I didn’t even get to enjoy the scenery.

When we got out of the carriage, more soldiers surrounded us and began to escort us somewhere.

“Wh-where are you taking us?!”

“Yeah! We went through hell to get out of that labyrinth!”

A delinquent-looking boy and a middle-aged man with a scary face flared up at the soldiers. They’ve got some guts to do that with so many armed guards surrounding us.

“We’re going to have you lot stay in the dungeon for a few days. Orders from the count himself. Those who refuse to cooperate will be found guilty of treason. Now be quiet and follow orders! This is a matter of public security.”

Whoa, I thought we would just get house arrest or something! I must have underestimated the power of the aristocracy. I guess now I’m going to experience firsthand being in jail.

I had just saved Seiryuu City from the clutches of a greater hell demon, and this was the thanks I got: a personal invitation to the dungeon. Bummer. But if I wanted to keep my identity a secret, I’d have to go along without complaining.

The threat of being charged with treason must have worked, because from that point on, everyone followed along with the soldiers in silence. I found out later that if you’re convicted of treason, your family members are considered guilty as well.

The dungeon was dark and a little cold. The cells didn’t even have beds, so it looked like we’d have to sleep directly on the stone floor. We were told that we’d each be given a single cloth blanket, so the nights would probably be freezing. To make matters worse, the only toilet was a pot with nothing screening it whatsoever.

I wish they’d worry a little more about privacy around here.

Overall, it seemed pretty miserable, but in the end, we didn’t have to spend a single night there.

“Oi, which one of you is Satou?”

“That’s me.”

“Come with me. You’re in a different area.”

A prim civil official who seemed sorely out of place in the dungeon came to summon me.

Whoa, you want me to leave the girls in a place like this? Let’s see what my “Negotiation” skill has to say about that.

“These three kids are my slaves. If I’m being moved elsewhere, I’d like to bring them as well, please.”

“Hmm. I was ordered to come and get just you. I wasn’t told anything about slaves.”

Is this the part where I offer him a little something to sweeten the deal?

A gold coin would probably be too much, so I slipped a silver coin into the official’s hand. “Is there anything we can do about that?”

The silver seemed effective: The man’s attitude abruptly shifted.

“…But I wasn’t told not to bring them, either. Very well, they can come along for now. Don’t blame me if they’re turned away, though.”

“That’s fine with me.”

I can probably just persuade the person who asked for me, too. My new skills looked like they’d help with that, so I assigned skill points to each of them. Although if I overused them, I got the feeling I’d raise an event flag to turn into a crooked trader.

The person we were guided to was an elderly man I’d never seen before.

“A pleasure to meet you, Sir Satou. I am Deschamps, the humble butler of the house of Belton.”

…Aww, his name’s not Sebastian? Or Jeeves?

“Nice to meet you, Sir Deschamps.”

“Sir Satou, I implore you to simply call me Deschamps.”

Calling such a fine-looking old gentleman by his name like that would be a pretty tough hurdle.

“I am so terribly sorry about the delay in our arrangements. Imagine forcing the savior of the viscount to stay in a dungeon! Please accept our humblest apologies.”

“Not at all. I’m grateful enough to you that I won’t have to spend a night down there. It’s fairly difficult to see, anyway.”

Apologizing profusely all the while, Mr. Deschamps led me to one of the guesthouses. Man, this castle is huge. It’s at least as big as my old college’s campus.

“Please avail yourself of this room. There should be a maid assigned here as well.”

Mr. Deschamps rang a bell on a table near the door, and woman in her late twenties appeared from an adjoining room.

Despite being a maid, she wasn’t wearing the kind of uniform you’d see in Akiba or classic Victorian England. Instead, she was wearing an ordinary dress befitting a lady-in-waiting.

So they don’t have aprons or lace headpieces here yet, huh? I’d think a Japanese person should introduce that before miso or soy sauce. Okay, maybe not, but still. How disappointing.

“I’ll be taking my leave here, by your pardon, but if there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask the attending maid. This is only a trifling little thing, but it’s a token of appreciation from our master.”

Mr. Deschamps handed me a small pouch. There wasn’t money inside but some small pebble-like objects. Probably precious stones. Although if it was candy, that’d be pretty funny.

It would be rude to refuse, so I accepted it while giving my thanks to be relayed to the viscount. I would’ve preferred to thank him in person, but since he was sending his butler to give me this, he must be too busy to meet me. I think a viscount is one step down from a count, after all.

Still, if memory served me correctly, a ranked noble living in a different noble’s territory seemed pretty unusual. I guess even if the titles were similar, I shouldn’t just carelessly assume the system was exactly the same as in medieval Europe.

Leaving the rest to the maid, Mr. Deschamps left.

“Please, allow me to show you to your room.”

“Yes, please do.”

I followed behind the maid, listening to her explanation.

Pochi and Tama were under strict orders from Liza to stay quiet; she was carrying them in her arms like stuffed animals. With both their hands pressed over their mouths, their pose was pretty adorable.

The butler and the maid had both referred to this as a “room,” but the entrance hall alone was at least 130 square feet; the whole guesthouse was probably about 7,000 square feet of floor space. If this was a hotel suite, a single night’s stay would probably cost several months’ salary.

The floor of the living room was carpeted with something like felt and contained several comfy-looking leather sofas. There were cloth-covered pillows on the furniture, too; it looked like the kind of place where I could really veg out.

This room was about five hundred square feet, with what looked like a chimneyless fireplace against the far wall. My interest must have shown on my face, because the maid supplied an explanation.

“This is a magic tool that utilizes fire stones. One need only touch this sheet copper and let magic flow into it, and the stones inside the hearth will produce heat. If you wish to adjust the temperature, simply ring the bell, and I will come right away, so please don’t hesitate to call me at any time.”

Ooh! How very fantasy-esque.

The chandelier on the ceiling didn’t seem to have any candles, either, so it must be another magic tool. An AR pop-up identified it as a Light Shower Chandelier. I’m looking forward to nighttime, then.

Next we were guided to a 350-square-foot parlor.

The furniture here was just as high-class as in the previous room, but maybe because these objects had sharper angles, they seemed more formal.

Next was a dining room with a huge table that could probably seat a lot of people. It was made of a dark stone, possibly granite, which was smooth to the touch.

She didn’t show them to us, but the maid briefly mentioned there was also a linen room, the maid’s waiting room, and a kitchenette attached to the parlor.

Up the stairs by the entrance was the main bedroom, which was just as large as the living room. I practically heard trumpet fanfare as I laid eyes on the canopied king-size bed in the center. It looked like the softest thing ever.

Pochi and Tama immediately moved to leap onto it, but fortunately, Liza had a firm hold on both of them, so the maid was unperturbed. Nice one, Liza.

Apparently, the small room attached to this one was for servants and guards. It was really plain, with a hard-looking bed and a simple wooden chair. What an extreme contrast.

There were restrooms on each floor, but they were pit toilets like the one at the Gatefront Inn. The toilet-paper substitute was straw paper instead of a straw bundle, so I guess that was an improvement.

Unfortunately, it didn’t look like there was a bath.

“Is something the matter?”

“No, I was just thinking that I haven’t seen a bath anywhere…,” I said with the faintest hope that I might be corrected.

“Ah, would you like to bathe? In that case, we can have the manservants bring up a tub. I’ll have everything arranged by this evening.”

Bring up a bathtub?! Those manservants must be ripped.

“I’m sorry to ask for something so difficult.”

“Not at all! If you have any other requests, don’t hesitate to ask.”

I didn’t really have anything, but I heard a small growl from someone’s stomach behind me. I wasn’t sure whether it was Pochi or Tama, but it was probably about time to eat.

“Well then, I will go and make preparations for lunch. Is there any food that I ought to avoid? I’m happy to accommodate your tastes.”

“No, don’t worry. I’m not too picky.”

The maid bowed and left the room.

Pochi and Tama had fallen asleep in Liza’s arms. So…it was Liza’s stomach that growled before? Her face was a little red, so I pretended not to have noticed anything.

When I saw the food lined up on the table, I tilted my head in puzzlement.

There were seven plates of various sizes, all under silver lids to keep them from cooling. But why was there only enough for one person? Was this another instance of discrimination against demi-humans?

“Excuse me, but isn’t there any food for these children?”

“The food for your servants has been prepared in a separate room.”

“Would it be possible to have their portion brought here as well? Eating meals together is one of my house’s customs.”

What I couldn’t say, of course, was that I didn’t want to eat all by myself.

Fast food was one thing, but a feast like this should be a lively affair with as many people as possible, I think.

The beastfolk girls were given tureens of stew with rye bread. At my request, the maid brought us extra plates so that I could share my food with the other three.

“Mm! Food in a castle is just as delicious as I’d expect.”

“Yummy, yummy!”

“The meat in the stew is so big and tasty, sir!”

“Indeed… It truly melts in the mouth, doesn’t it?”

Uh…there’s no meat like that on my plate. Unlike my dishes, their stew had some kind of blackish chunks.

Checking the AR screen, I saw that the meat on my plate was lamb, while theirs was wyvern. So this is what Pochi was talking about when we left the labyrinth. The three of them seem to be enjoying it, so I won’t make a fuss.

After thanking the maid for a delicious meal, I politely requested that all four of us be given the same food for dinner, even if it meant lowering the overall quality of the spread.

It’d be a pain to split it all up from my plates every time, after all.

My long-awaited bath came in the form of a marble bathtub big enough for one person, carried in by four manservants.

On top of that, several more manservants, or maybe slaves, carried in water that had been heated elsewhere, each making multiple round-trips to deliver it. This is a pretty big process. I’d been sure that they’d just have someone use Everyday Magic to fill it up in a flash.

After more than an hour of preparation, the bath was finally ready.

I felt kind of bad for the people who’d had to go to all the trouble to set this up, but there was no use in holding back now. I’ll tip them later.

“Do you two want to take a bath, too?”

“Yeah!”

“Yes, sir!”

Pochi and Tama were staring at the tub with great interest, so I invited them to join me. They’re only elementary-school age, so I don’t think it’s a problem if I let them take a bath with me.

Apparently, they did have some short robes for bathing, but it didn’t make sense to soak with clothes on.

“First, before we sit in the bath, we have to clean ourselves off.”

I taught the kids how to use soap, which they responded to enthusiastically.

“Waaah! It’s making white bubbly stuff!”

“It’s slippery, sir!”

“But it seems to be removing the dirt effectively… Is something wrong, master?”

At some point, Liza had naturally joined in with Pochi and Tama. Her key areas were well hidden with soapsuds, but it still felt a little weird, since she was around high school age. Her chest was just as flat as the kids’, but I still couldn’t help noting the curve of her back.

“The water’s hot, sir!”

“It’s…weird? But it feels good!”

“How strange to use water to wash one’s body! It’s terribly luxurious, but it feels wonderful.”

Before we had even gotten into the tub, bath time was already a big hit. Liza looked particularly happy.

Possibly because of all the years they’d spent as slaves, it took a while to get all the grime off them. As a result, the bathwater had cooled. I asked the maid if she could bring more warm water.

“… Heat Kanetsu!”

After the maid brought some water to fill the tub again, she used Everyday Magic to heat it up for us.

So heating up a bath is cause for magic, but…?

Well, I guess it was probably more efficient than replacing all the water…

Wait, that’s not what’s important here.

What I really want to know is, why does she need to wear that to do magic? She wasn’t completely naked, but in the tiny robe she was wearing, she was at least halfway there. She had a great figure, and if that robe got wet, things would definitely show through that probably shouldn’t. Things could get steamy here in more ways than one.

Thanking her for warming the bath, I asked her about her outfit in the most roundabout way possible.

“Ah, yes. In order to be prepared to meet your needs at any moment, I have been waiting on standby in this.”

Ah…I see.

With no small reluctance, I politely declined her services.

Yeesh, that was close. If the beastfolk kids hadn’t been here, I might’ve gone down a road that would earn this game an adults-only rating.

The tub wasn’t big enough for all of us to use at once, so we went in to bathe and warm up one at a time.

Liza seemed to have taken a liking to the bath, because she meekly asked if she could soak in it again for a while longer, so I took Pochi and Tama to dry off first.

I wiped each of them dry with a soft towel. Now in her dress again, the maid offered to wipe me down, too, but again I politely refused.

I didn’t know how comfortable I was with that kind of service.

That evening, our dinner included such extravagant dishes as a huge roasted bird. It looked similar to a roast chicken to me, but apparently, it was a bird called a Shiga wiretail.

Cutting the whole roast seemed like it’d be pretty difficult, so instead of putting on airs and insisting on doing it myself, I asked the maid for help; she cut it with truly impressive skill.

The beastfolk kids were especially fond of the parts that were on a bone.

Belatedly, I felt a wave of gratitude toward the viscount. This kind of treatment was worlds away from what we would’ve faced in the dungeon.

Come to think of it, I wonder if Nidoren and his friends are down there? I couldn’t really get them out, but maybe I could see to it that they had a better time of it, at least?

I asked the maid about it after dinner; she said they should be able to get them better food and blankets, but she didn’t have the authority to send down things like furniture. That would require a budget from the viscount.

Is it just a matter of money? Because I can get that out of Storage.

“How much do you think they would need?”

“For just one person, one silver coin would be fine. However, since it’s apparently at least ten people, we would need two gold coins.”

What, is that all? I took the money out of my pocket and gave it to the maid, requesting that she see that the conditions were improved for the people in the dungeon.

“Yaaay!”

“It’s so fluffy, sir!”

Pochi and Tama jumped around on the bed.

I guess all kids see is a trampoline when they look at a bed this big.

Liza, too, sat down on the edge, enjoying its bounciness in her reserved way.

Each of us was supposed to sleep in our own beds, but Pochi and Tama turned their puppy-dog eyes on me, and before I knew it, I was agreeing to let them sleep in mine with me.

And, well, it seemed mean to make Liza sleep all by herself in the other room.

I practically sank into the mattress as I lay down. I had been awake the whole time we were in the labyrinth, in order to secure the kids’ safety. Sure, I’m used to pulling all-nighters anyway, but my high stamina also ensured that I felt fine even without sleep.

Still, exhaustion had been gradually piling up on me all this time, and I finally yielded to it in the soft bed, letting my mind relax.

With Pochi and Tama as warm as hot-water bottles by my side, I drifted off to a long-awaited quiet sleep.

Life under house arrest was surprisingly enriching.

I was often reading the introductory books on magic and alchemy that I’d found in the labyrinth, so the time passed in the blink of an eye.

I tried practicing some spells in my free time, too, but I couldn’t pull off those stupidly hard chants even once.

The beastfolk kids were really fidgety, clearly not accustomed to having time on their hands, so I had them let off steam by practicing their sword techniques and grappling in the courtyard.

I was running out of books, so I asked the maid to go out and buy more for me. It would look suspicious if I threw around too much money, so instead I gave her some of the stones I’d received from the viscount.

I also asked her to pick up some picture books for Pochi and Tama, but they couldn’t read, so I ended up reading out loud to them.

It kind of felt like I had kids of my own.

Although I was under house arrest, it wasn’t as though I didn’t get to see anyone. On two occasions, someone who seemed to be a civil official visited me.

The first time, she’d come to question me about what happened in the labyrinth and return my confiscated belongings.

During this visit, I was surprised to hear that “anything found in a dungeon belongs to the person who found it.” So if you killed someone in a dungeon and took their stuff, it would legally be yours? Hung up on this problem, I asked the official about it.

“Don’t worry about that. It would show up in the perpetrator’s ‘bounty’ information on the Yamato stone. In Labyrinth City, there are people gifted with the Eye of Judgment stationed at all dungeon exits to search for criminals. There are guards with the gift at each gate in Seiryuu City as well.”

Sounds like a convenient gift—which was a hereditary skill, by the way. But apparently, this one was found only in the family lines of devout followers of Urion. It appeared in one out of a few hundred people of the Urion faith, so each city had only a few individuals with it.

I wonder what gifts followers of other gods are granted?

It definitely seemed like all gods’ names end in -ion—except for the dragon god Aconcagua. Is there some reason why that’s the only name that doesn’t follow the rule?

My thoughts had wandered a little, but the civil official’s talk had only just begun.

Apparently, the count’s government was compulsorily purchasing the cores that had been confiscated with my belongings, so I was given a small bag of money in place of their return. This was apparently a standard law for any monster hunted throughout the county, so inside a dungeon was no exception, she informed me.

Well, the amount of money I was given matches the market price of the cores, so I have no complaints.

Judging by the civil official’s tone, it seemed like cores were a resource that was usually in short supply. I’ll have to be careful when I off-load the rest of them that are in Storage right now.

“We can’t ascertain the safety of this monster meat, so I’m afraid we can’t return it. This spear seems to be made from parts of a monster, too, so we can’t allow it to be taken into the city.”

Liza’s head whipped around at an alarming speed.

Wh-whoa! Is she actually mad?

Liza, stop. That expression is terrifying. See, even the civil official’s smile is cracking.

It made sense to me that the meat might be a problem in terms of disease control, but Liza seemed pretty attached to her weapon, so I tried to negotiate.

“That spear is actually quite strong, so is there any way I could ask you to have someone with a “Judgment” skill look at it to determine whether there’s any danger? I’ll take on any fees for the assessment, of course, so I’m hoping that you can return it if it’s determined to be safe…?”

“V-very well. I’ll make the arrangements. If it’s judged as safe, it’ll be returned to you with the rest of your weapons when you exit the castle.”

“Thank you very much.”

Oh, right—I should ask about the beastfolk girls.

“Um, I have another question…”

I asked her about the ownership rights of the girls.

“I see. So you found these slaves in the labyrinth after their owner passed away, took them in, and brought them out along with you?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Liza nodded, too. Pochi and Tama were hanging on her legs, dozing off. Are we boring you?

“In that case, they now belong to you.”

“Really?”

I mean, I was planning to buy them and set them free, anyway, but still…

“Unless they killed their master themselves, any slaves whose master dies in a dungeon are the same as objects found there. So both legally and customarily speaking, you are now their master.”

She wrote something on an official-looking piece of paper and handed it over.

“This is a temporary certificate to officially declare your ownership. It’ll work only inside the city, so you should go to the town hall or a slavery firm to get the official contract drawn up.”

I asked whether we could take care of it in the castle somehow, but it wasn’t within her jurisdiction, so it wouldn’t be possible. I guess bureaucracy was complicated even in a parallel world.

During this visit, I also gave her the names, locks of hair, and belongings of the deceased from the labyrinth, so her second visit was to inform me of the results.

A sign had been posted on the wall beside the temporary station by the dungeon exit listing the names of the deceased, so they had been able to deliver the locks of hair to the bereaved families. The families had wanted to buy back some of the other belongings, so she gave me the money they’d offered. Apparently, this was taxed, too.

I told the civil official that I didn’t need any money, but she told me, “Please accept it. If there’s no fee, people will show up claiming to be relatives of the deceased.”

I see. It’s a pretty tough world out there.

If accepting the reward pained me, she suggested that I could donate it to an orphanage or a temple.

Oh, that’s a good idea. I’ll have to ask Zena about where I should donate it.

On the fifth day of our house arrest, Zena came to visit me, along with Sister Ohna.

Sipping on the ludicrously named “blue-green tea” that the maid had prepared for us, we exchanged information.

“So, Zena, they released you two?”

“Yes. Since there’s a shortage of magic users, we were released almost immediately. However, we’ve been working at the temporary garrison by the dungeon exit ever since.”

“That sounds rough.”

Apparently, they’d been put to work right after escaping from the maze. I’ve never seen him, but this count seems pretty brutal.

“Well, my role is just to communicate with the team that’s investigating the labyrinth, so it’s not too bad. The sorcerers have the biggest job—they’re working until their magic dries up, trying to build a magic barrier so the labyrinth doesn’t expand under the city.”

“It’s not only the sorcerers who are busy. We servants of God are also working to consecrate the stone monument at the shrine that’s been built there. I haven’t had any time to sleep in these past three days.”

Sister, if you’re that overworked, you should have stayed at the temple to rest instead of coming along with Zena to visit me.

“The encampment by the entrance has a temporary wall around it, and they’ve been quelling rumors in town by paying the minstrels to restrict what information they release, so I’d imagine we can have you free in a few more days.”

That’s good. It’s really comfortable here, but I’m getting a little bored of it.

Apparently, some minstrels served as a sort of public relations team. In games, they usually provided valuable support magic, so this new take was sort of refreshing.

Three days after Zena came to visit, we were set free.

“Sir Satou!”

As we headed toward the main gate of the castle, Nidoren and company, who had also been released, met us.

“The prison guard told us you sent the warm food and cushions for us. We are all so incredibly grateful to you!”

Hearing who I was from Nidoren, the other men around him all thanked me at once. As we walked toward the gate, the topic turned to how delicious the food in the dungeon had been, so I was relieved that their treatment really had been improved.

“Thanks so much. It was even better than the food in the west quarter!”

“I wholeheartedly agree. There was no alcohol with it, of course, but I was happy enough just to be given stew with meat in a dungeon!”

“Yeah, it was so good, I coulda stayed there a few more days!”

“Nobody’s gonna believe us when we tell them about it back in the west quarter.”

“No kiddin’!”

With that, the men laughed heartily. They seemed to have taken imprisonment pretty well. I’d like to be as tough as them someday.

Nidoren said he’d take care of the paperwork for the girls’ ownership free of charge as thanks for my help, so we went to meet him in the slave market.

I had wanted to go along with him immediately, but the horse-drawn carriage he took refused to allow beastfolk on board, so we had to go on foot.

Apparently, demi-humans were treated a little better in the duchy to the south or Labyrinth City in the southwest, so maybe we should move there.

“Hey, you! With the dog ears!”

Ugh, don’t they have anything better to do? I turned around irritably to find the blond young man we’d rescued from the spider in the labyrinth.

Come to think of it, he looked like he wanted to say something when we were talking with Nidoren, too.

“Can I help you?”

“No, not you. I got something to say to the kid.”

He still wanted to insult her even after she’d saved his life? What a terrible ingrate.

I started glaring at him without thinking, but he wasn’t looking at me. Instead, I accidentally locked eyes with a well-built ruffian behind him, who panicked and ran off into an alley.

What was that about? You have the “Intimidation” skill, too, you know… I don’t get it.

While the other guy distracted me, the young man told Pochi what he’d wanted to say.

“Thanks for saving me. I’m sorry I kicked you.”

He said it in a low voice as he walked away, but all four of us heard it clearly.

I doubt he’d changed his anti-beastfolk ways entirely, but if we had improved his attitude even a little, that was still pretty good.

Pochi looked up at me triumphantly, and I ruffled her hair enthusiastically. Her tail looked like it was going to break off if it wagged any harder.

Tama ran over and clung to me, too, of course, so I patted her head as well. Liza stood nearby, looking down at them and nodding with a fond smile. What are you, their mom?

Later, at Nidoren’s place, I signed the contract to officially become the girls’ master.

I wanted to set them free right away, but the slave trader entreated me to take a look at a few slaves who hadn’t sold at the auction, so I followed him dutifully.

I know I technically just took on the girls, but I’m planning to set them free right away, so I’m not looking to buy any more. I’d rather just hire a sightseeing guide.

Since the girls he wanted to show me were left over from the auction, it was no surprise that they all had certain quirks.

I paid little attention to his explanation, until finally we were down to the last two he wanted to show me.

When I saw them, I quickly revised my opinion of Nidoren’s salesmanship skills. I see… So he showed me all those others with strange quirks so that these two would look better by comparison?!

The first was the Japanese-looking little girl I’d seen in a carriage on Center Street. She was only fourteen, though she was adorable with a very lovely face. Her long black hair shone with such purity that she could easily make a living in shampoo commercials. If she weren’t so young, I probably would’ve been tempted.

“M-my name is Lulu.” She introduced herself in a half whisper. Apparently the shy type, she immediately lowered her head after speaking, hiding her beautiful face in her hair.

Nidoren followed up with more information, but I could scarcely believe my ears.

“She might be difficult to look at, but she does possess the ‘Etiquette’ skill!”

You’re saying she’s ugly?

If this girl isn’t good-looking, then neither is 99 percent of all women, you know!

I thought maybe “difficult to look at” was some roundabout expression for complimenting a girl’s beauty, but as he went on, it seemed like that wasn’t the case.

Are the standards of beauty just different here?

With Nidoren’s permission, I lightly touched her hair and her cheek. No, I wasn’t giving in to her charms and changing my class to “child molester.” There was just something that I wanted to confirm.

I whispered a few words in her ear, but she just looked perplexed, as if she’d never heard them before.

I had thought that maybe she was a Japanese person, but I guess I was wrong.

The next and final slave Nidoren introduced me to was the lilac-haired girl who I’d seen with Lulu before—Arisa.

She was eleven years old, a beautiful little girl with flowing locks and Northern European features.

While she wasn’t quite on the same level as Lulu, it was still surprising that she hadn’t been sold, until I remembered her sinister titles.

Arisa’s round, wide eyes looked at me pleadingly.

Okay, please stop staring like that.

“I’m terribly sorry, Sir Satou. She’s normally so clever that even her ill-omened purple hair would seem like a trifling matter, but she appears to have been captivated by your charms…”

With this strange comment, Nidoren urged the girl to speak.

Uh, no. That’s definitely not the case, buddy. I couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Still, I was surprised it was her hair color and not her titles that had prevented her from being sold. Purple hair certainly was unusual, but I’d never heard of it being a bad omen.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you…Sir Satou.”

There was something strange about the way her childish voice had pronounced my name.

“My name is Arisa. I became a slave after losing my kingdom, but I could give you any information about this world that you’d like to hear. I’m most certain I would be of great use to you in various ways.”

Her brisk manner of speaking was highly unsuited to her extremely youthful voice. I was probably imagining it, but it seemed uncannily similar to a student interviewing for a job.

As her title implied, she was a former princess, which might explain why she could smile so elegantly while upselling herself so vigorously.

However, I did feel like there was some uncomfortable hidden meaning behind that last phrase. You don’t really think I’d ask a child for sexual favors, do you?

Purple hair aside, the phrase this world and the name Arisa definitely intrigued me.

Again, I got permission from Nidoren to lean in and attempt the same experiment I’d tried with Lulu.

“AAAAH! I hate spiders! Get it off! Ew! This is the worst!”

Her unruffled princess-like demeanor vanished immediately, and she reacted the way any normal girl would.

After all, I’d whispered, “There’s a spider in your hair” into her ear…in Japanese.

I don’t know what kanji Arisa is written with, but this girl is definitely like me.

Lulu and Arisa.

From the moment I saw them being jostled along in that horse-drawn carriage, I think I might have been fated to become their “master.”