Master and Slaves

"Alright... then let’s start with self-introductions. I am Baldo von Otto, Vice-Commander of the Royal Guard Knight Order of the Tres Kingdom."

The man in armor stepped in front of us and spoke with a level of politeness that was completely different from before.

Still, for the Vice-Commander of the Royal Guard to come out personally on a business trip...

Isn’t that the kind of person who should be deep inside the castle?

"I’m... Hiroyuki Asahi. And this is Tilia."

"...Sir Hiroyuki. I’ll ask you directly. Did you defeat the Demon King Geizer?"

Baldo (the man in armor) glanced at Tilia after her introduction.

For a brief moment, a complicated expression—one that could be called anguish—crossed his face, but it quickly returned to normal.

Then he asked me impatiently.

"...Yes, that’s correct. Here’s the proof."

I hesitated for a moment on how to answer, but at this point I had no choice but to be honest.

I showed him the Demon King’s sword I was carrying on my back.

"Excuse me for a moment. Whoa!... Guh, Goro, hold this for me."

"Yes sir. ......Ugh."

Baldo took the Demon King’s sword.

Startled by its weight, he planted the tip on the ground and dragged it over to the soldier named Goro.

The soldier tried to lift it but couldn’t, so he simply held the hilt with the tip still touching the ground.

’Reveal your true form to me. Manifest the magic power dwelling within your body with light.’

"Detected a Mana."

Baldo placed his hand on the Demon King’s sword held by the soldier and chanted the spell.

In the evening glow that dyed the surroundings red, a dazzling light like the morning sun burst from the sword.

"Ugh."

The light was so blinding that I closed my eyes and hugged Tilia tighter with both arms, shielding her from the sword’s radiance.

But the light quickly subsided.

My vision was completely whited out.

After blinking several times, my sight gradually returned.

"Ah, thank you."

When I looked down at my chest, Tilia was looking up at me and thanking me.

She seemed to be looking at my face properly, so her eyes hadn’t been affected.

I looked around.

The other soldiers, Baldo, and even passersby had stopped in their tracks, blinking or rubbing their eyes.

"S-Sorry. I didn’t expect it to be this intense."

Baldo also blinked while apologizing to no one in particular.

"Such powerful magic... I see, this is undoubtedly the sword of the Demon King Geizer."

Now that he could see again, he turned to me and explained as if the matter was proven.

I took the sword back from the soldier, easily lifted it with one right hand, and returned it to my back.

The soldiers looked astonished.

"With those slender arms... No, first let me express my gratitude. Thank you very much for defeating the Demon King Geizer."

Baldo had been surprised that I could lift the sword with one hand, but he bowed his head in thanks first.

"And... thank you for accepting that girl."

That girl? What’s with the "that"?

"Tilia seems to know you... No, never mind. By the way, is there somewhere we can rest?"

I thought about asking since it seemed Baldo knew Tilia, but... I stopped myself.

Neither Baldo nor Tilia seemed to want it brought up.

Let sleeping dogs lie.

So I changed the subject.

I wanted to rest first.

We had been walking all day and were exhausted.

We were also hungry.

We hadn’t eaten anything while walking the whole day.

When I looked at Tilia, she seemed fine.

Is it normal in this world to eat only once a day?

"I see. The carriage should arrive soon, so please ride in it. Once we reach the castle, I believe a meal will be prepared."

Just hearing the word "meal" made my hunger feel even stronger.

Was my stomach about to start growling?

Then, a cute "kuu~" sound rang out.

Tilia was looking up at me shyly.

"I’m hungry too, so that’s very welcome."

"Hahaha, I’m glad to hear that. However, before that, may I inspect your belongings?"

Of course. It would be bad to bring dangerous items into the castle.

"Understood."

I took off the bag I was carrying and handed it to Baldo.

The soldiers set up a simple desk in front of the hut, and Baldo began taking the contents out onto the desk.

"This is women’s clothing and a skirt, this is...! ...This is a robe, is this a towel? And this is..."

He announced each item loud enough for me to hear.

He paused slightly when he reached the robe and Lloyd’s necklace, but quickly placed them on the desk and continued.

Then he cast the same spell as before on each item.

About half of them glowed, but none of the lights were particularly strong.

"Hmm, there don’t seem to be any dangerous items."

Baldo put the inspected items back into the bag.

"Then... next, please let me inspect that."

He pointed at Tilia.

That...?

Oh, right. Slaves are treated as property.

I see.

It was irritating, but causing problems now after coming this far wouldn’t help anything.

Since the other side was being accommodating, there was no need to deliberately anger them.

"That’s fine, but what exactly will you do?"

"It’s the standard procedure when inspecting a Dure."

His tone was reluctant.

It seemed Baldo wasn’t particularly enthusiastic either.

"First, from the master... Sir Hiroyuki. Please lend me your right hand."

"...Understood."

What was that pause?

Did he forget my name?

Well, it doesn’t matter.

I nodded and held out my right hand.

"Palm side up, if you would."

"Ah, yes."

I turned my hand over, showing the back.

Baldo held his hand over the back of my hand.

Immediately, I felt my hand enveloped in a strange atmosphere.

Then a pattern rose to the surface on the back of my hand.

It had a red circle in the center, with red rays spreading outward that gradually faded.

If I had to compare it, it resembled the Rising Sun Flag used by the old Imperial Japanese Navy or the current Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

"Hoh, what a beautiful crest."

Baldo removed his hand after saying that, and the pattern disappeared.

"Now, it’s your turn. Is that alright?"

"...Yes."

Baldo spoke to Tilia in the same polite tone he had used with me earlier.

Weren’t slaves supposed to be treated as objects?

...Was Tilia special?

I’d had a bad feeling about this for a while now.

Once Tilia consented, Baldo knelt on one knee and looked up at her face.

"Then we’ll start with the first crest."

"...Yes."

Tilia straightened her previously hunched posture and pushed out her chest.

Naturally, this emphasized her breasts.

Tilia turned her reddened, embarrassed face away.

When Baldo held his hand over Tilia’s left breast, the same pattern as on the back of my hand appeared.

At first I was ready to restrain him the moment he touched her breast, but seeing the pattern emerge made me understand what he was doing.

It was proof that Tilia was my Dure.

"...N..."

Baldo quickly lowered his hand, but while the pattern was visible, a small, moaning sound escaped from Tilia.

Was she nervous?

It must have been quite embarrassing.

"Next is the second crest."

"...Yes."

Responding to Baldo’s words again, Tilia turned around, stood with her legs apart, clasped her hands behind her back, and bent forward.

She was thrusting her ass toward Baldo.

"Tilia!"

I involuntarily shouted, but when Baldo silently pressured me, I decided to just watch.

It wasn’t that I was overawed.

His pressure was nothing compared to the Demon King’s intimidation.

I had simply come back to my senses and remembered the current situation.

Baldo awkwardly held his hand over her right buttock and examined the pattern.

As the Vice-Commander of the Royal Guard, he had said this was routine, so it shouldn’t have been his first time.

Now calmer, I found his awkward movements suspicious.

"...N...A..."

A small voice leaked from Tilia’s slightly parted lips.

"Done."

Baldo lowered his hand and told Tilia.

Tilia straightened her upper body and turned toward Baldo.

Even from the side, I could clearly see that the area around her chest was bright red.

"Finally, the third crest."

"...Yes."

After Tilia replied, she spread her legs again and thrust her hips forward.

Baldo held his hand over her slightly raised, hairless mound.

The same pattern appeared there too.

"Nnnn!"

Tilia groaned as if in pain.

"Haah, haah, haah, haah."

Once Baldo lowered his hand and the pattern on her mound disappeared, Tilia bent forward, breathing heavily, and looked at me with moist eyes.

"You did well."

I knelt down, wiped her tears with my finger, and stroked her head.

Tilia was still breathing heavily from her shoulders, but she turned to me with a happy smile.

"Is that all?"

I stood up and asked Baldo with a slightly displeased expression.

"Yes. There were no issues. The carriage has also arrived just in time. Let’s head to the castle."

The sound of horses’ hooves clacking on the cobblestones could be heard from the direction of the castle.

The sound overlapped as if echoing multiple times.

The clattering of wheels could also be heard.

What approached us was a two-horse carriage.

It was quite—no, very luxurious.

The black body was adorned with gold and silver workmanship.

It had no roof but was quite large, probably able to seat about six people front and back.

When the carriage stopped in front of us, the coachman seated at the very front pulled the reins with a shout and brought it to a perfect stop.

One of the soldiers opened the carriage door.

"Please board this."

I shouldered the bag, held Tilia’s rope and the sword at her waist in my left hand, and the Demon King’s sword on my back in my right, and tried to board.

"Please wait a moment. I will take custody of this."

What Baldo pointed at was not the Demon King’s sword... but Tilia.

"Tilia?"

I looked at Tilia’s face with a question mark, then at Baldo’s.

Both of them had serious expressions, as if they had made up their minds about something.

I didn’t know what they were going to do, but since Tilia nodded, I handed the rope to Baldo.

I boarded the carriage.

The carriage sank slightly, probably because of the sword’s weight.

But since it was built for six people and I was only one, it should be fine.

The seats had good cushioning and were comfortable.

I sat down deeply and enjoyed the feel.

However, I was worried about Tilia, so I quickly looked back toward Baldo.

Baldo was talking with the soldier he had called Goro.

Then he mounted a dapple-gray horse brought by another soldier.

Despite wearing armor, he did so lightly and gracefully.

He approached the carriage I was in.

"Then, let’s go."

"W-Wait a moment. What about Tilia?"

Since I couldn’t see Tilia, I asked Baldo.

With a pained expression, Baldo silently pointed behind the carriage.

There stood Tilia, her neck rope tied to the back of the carriage.

Her face was pale, but she still managed to send me a reassuring smile.

"Hya!"

While I was stunned, Baldo took the lead at the front of the procession.

"Hya!"

The coachman also flicked the reins and started the horses.

As the carriage began to move, Tilia—tied by the rope—started running with her hands clasped behind her back.

"...No... no, wait, please wait. Please stop the carriage!!"

I called out to the coachman to stop the carriage.

"I’m sorry. I only follow the knight ahead. If you want to stop, please tell the knight in front."

The coachman looked at me with a troubled face but did not stop the carriage.

"Baldo!"

I called out Baldo’s name without honorifics to the man riding ahead.

Baldo turned around with a frown, slowed down, and rode alongside the carriage.

"What is it, Sir Hiroyuki?"

"Stop the carriage."

I spoke strongly, irritated by Baldo’s composed face.

"Is that a request?"

A request? What the hell?

"I want Tilia to ride in the carriage."

"...That is not possible."

Baldo said painfully.

"Why not?"

"A Dure cannot ride in a carriage."

"Tch!... Then I’ll get off. I’ll walk too."

"That is also not possible. His Majesty has personally ordered us to bring you as quickly as possible."

"Then do something about Tilia!"

I pointed at Tilia, my voice nearly a scream.

Even while Baldo and I argued, Tilia continued running behind the carriage.

Completely naked, hands clasped behind her back, pulled along by the rope tied around her neck, she ran desperately.

Her breasts, ass, and private parts were completely exposed to the gazes of the many people walking along the street.

"Haah, haah, haah."

Whether from running or from embarrassment, she breathed heavily, yet still faced forward and ran with all her might.

"I can’t do anything! If I could, I would!"

Baldo raised his voice as well, matching mine.

His expression was filled with anguish.

"It can’t be helped. That is the rule of this world."

I sat down on the seat in a daze.

Then I looked behind.

When Tilia saw my face, she tried to smile despite her suffering.

She was probably telling me not to worry.

"Haha, ha, hahaha."

I let out a dry laugh as I watched Tilia.

The rules of this world, huh...

Tilia’s earlier words came back to me.

I continued watching over her to keep the promise I made with her.

How much time had passed?

Probably about thirty minutes?

But it felt much longer to me.

It probably did to Tilia as well.

"Haah! Haah! Haah! Haah!"

She was breathing roughly and painfully.

Her steps were unsteady.

It wouldn’t have been strange if she fell at any moment.

Even so, she couldn’t slow down.

Her neck rope was being forcibly pulled.

Was the destination still far?

I looked ahead.

The castle gate came into view.

It was a magnificent gate with a drawbridge.

The carriage stopped there.

I immediately got off and went to the back of the carriage.

"Haah, haah, haah, nngh, haah, haah, haah."

There stood Tilia, knees trembling, bent forward, breathing violently, yet still on her feet.

I embraced her and stroked her head.

"You did so well. You did so well."

Being forced to run for thirty minutes must have been excruciating.

Especially dressed like that, exposed to everyone’s eyes.

It was the height of humiliation.

What would have happened if she had fallen?

Would they have dragged her along?

She must have been terrified of that too.

Yet Tilia had run the whole way.

I praised her.

It was also my pathetic way of making up for the fact that I couldn’t do anything—self-satisfaction, really.

Tilia was still breathing heavily in my arms.

"Haah... haah... ugh... uuu... uuu..."

But those sounds gradually turned into sobs.

I rubbed her back and stroked her head over and over again.