Master and Slaves

"Ah, I understand. I understand, so. More importantly, Helene, is it okay to turn back from the ruins now?"

"Huu, yes... Time is already late, and I want to report to Master as well. Also, there are people I want to greet. Let’s stay in Lübeck tonight."

"Ah, I understand."

I nodded at Helene’s suggestion.

But who was the person Helene wanted to greet?

Was it the person named Freit she mentioned at the checkpoint?

......

We stayed at the luxurious inn "Golden Axe Pavilion" in Lübeck.

There were several inns in Lübeck, but this one was said to be the closest to the highest class.

We rented one four-person room and one two-person room, and the four people gathered in the four-person room.

"I think I want to do proper self-introductions. We’re going to be together for several days."

Cathy proposed that.

Helene agreed because she wanted to decide on the schedule, and we gathered.

Helene and I sat on chairs, Muriel and the elf woman sat on separate beds, and Tiria and Cathy sat on the floor in a perfect circle.

"Then, I’ll start with my self-introduction. My name is Hiroyuki Asahi. I’m 21. For some reason I’m staying as a guest in the Kingdom of Torres. And because of a request from Master Helene, I’m currently in the middle of investigating the ruins."

"So you were going to the ruins."

The elf woman nodded with understanding.

"That’s right. Then next is you. Since I don’t know your name yet."

I prompted the elf to introduce herself.

I hadn’t heard her name yet either, because Helene and she had been arguing during the journey here.

"Right, I am..."

"Elf, that’s all."

"You there!"

When the elf woman tried to introduce herself, Helene cut her off.

The elf woman put her hands on her hips and confronted Helene.

"Stop! Stop! Helene, please stop. You too."

I raised my voice to calm the situation.

The two surprised people looked at me.

Haa....

"Anyway, Helene, don’t cut in. Please. Got it?"

"...Yes."

Helene answered with a grumpy face.

She must really hate her.

No, maybe she hates elves.

"Then, next, please."

"I understand. I am Sophia Hero-Scorpio. I am an elf from the wandering elf forest to the north. I hate humans, but because I owe Hiroyuki two favors, I will follow Hiroyuki. Also, about the curse in the ruins, actually that was something I cast."

"What!?"

The fact that the elf woman, Sophia, had confessed caused Helene’s voice to echo throughout the room.

"You cast the curse on Master!!"

Immediately after, Cathy and Tiria shouted and pounced on Sophia at the same time.

Yeah, Cathy and Tiria really hit it off perfectly.

Moreover, even though Cathy was a civilian, to be pounced on by both Tiria and Sophia at the same time.

It was not the time to be impressed.

Tiria had already drawn Laila’s Tear, the short dagger.

We had to stop them before something happened.

"Both of you stop!"

At my voice, the two stopped instantly.

"I’m fine, okay."

I approached the two, hugged their heads, and returned them to where they were sitting, sitting on the floor together with them.

"M-Master...."

"You can’t do that. Please go back to your chairs."

"No, I want to do it this way, so I’m staying here."

I hugged the heads of the two who were confused.

They let me do it, but they didn’t seem to dislike it.

"...Huu. It’s impossible for me to sit here when Master Hiroyuki is sitting on the floor."

Helene muttered to herself and sat on the floor.

"...I, the Master Hiroyuki-dono, is sitting on the floor. Let’s sit on the floor too."

"Right."

Muriel and Sophia also sat on the floor.

"No, it’s not like we have to all sit on the floor."

"That won’t do, Hiroyuki-sama."

Helene answered my mutter with exasperation.

In the end, we all sat in a circle on the floor.

Well, this way the conversation was easier.

"Now, then, let’s continue from what we were talking about. Sophia, how exactly did you cast the curse?"

I wanted to know the background of the curse, so I prompted Sophia to explain.

"That ruins had a trap set at the entrance originally. There was a trap that would curse you with a drastic drop in ability if you passed through. But someone seemed to have removed it, so it wasn’t active at the time. I was upset at being captured by humans, so when I left the ruins I activated the trap. To punish the humans who captured me."

"Didn’t you consider us?"

Helene interjected with a question.

"I did think about it. We elves don’t repay kindness with hatred. You two seemed to have come from another entrance, and I didn’t think you would come out from where I left. But, Hiroyuki-sama was cursed."

"Right. That was where I made my mistake. I never imagined both traps on the two entrances would activate. I know it was my fault. That’s why I’m coming with you now."

"So, in other words, the reason I came with you this time is not to repay kindness, but to take care of my own butt."

"That... um...."

Sophia got tongue-tied.

"Also, to be captured again. Elves must be easy to capture, huh."

"No! I was tricked! I was tricked by dark elves! Because I was wearing elf clothes, they thought I was a fellow elf..."

"Dark elves aren’t the elves’ enemies. Even so, mistaking friends for enemies, you’re surprisingly dull."

"...Ugh...."

At Helene’s sharp words, Sophia bit her lip, bowed her head, and trembled.

"That’s enough, Helene. Sophia too. Regardless of the reason, I’m glad you’re cooperating with me."

I stopped Helene and smiled at Sophia.

"U-Um, I-I-um... auuu...."

Sophia’s long ears twitched and her face turned red.

The confused Sophia looked somehow cute.

"Ah, one question. I’m cursed, but Helene and Tiria weren’t cursed. Why?"

"Right... Everyone who came out from the exit should be cursed... but probably, there wasn’t enough magic to activate the trap. The first one out was Hiroyuki-sama, right?"

"Ah, yes."

"Then the possibility is high. It’s impossible to know without investigating."

I see.

"Eh? Then, does this curse have a chance to spread to those around?"

Helene stepped back and asked Sophia.

"It’s fine. It doesn’t spread."

"Really, good."

Helene breathed a sigh of relief at Sophia’s certain answer.

That’s right.

If it was a curse that spread, I would have to be isolated.