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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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“…Master.”
That was the first thing she said to me.
What the hell?
I saved her, expecting her to go on with her life, and now she’s calling me “Master.”
“Master, will you take me with you?”
How did she even know where I was going?
Just go live your life. Please.
“Luke… is that your… kink…?”
Adela’s voice was hesitant, but her eyes were filled with disdain, like she was looking at something disgusting.
Slavery was illegal in this world, so she probably thought it was some kind of roleplay.
Why was I getting judged for something I didn’t even do?
Explaining was pointless and tiresome, so…
“Yep.”
I just agreed.
Who knows, maybe I did have that kind of kink.
“I thought you were just weird, but you’re actually depraved…”
“Isn’t this perfectly normal?”
I provided entertainment with a dissection show, gave a free acupressure treatment to someone who tried to kill me…
I was the epitome of normalcy.
I didn’t understand why they thought I was weird.
“Luke, do you even have a conscience…?”
“Of course I do.”
Did they think I was a psychopath?
I had a heart, even if it was a little… pointy.
I was working on smoothing it out, though.
*Growl.*
This wasn’t the time for this.
I was starving after all that monster hunting, and this “Master” situation was delaying my meal.
“I’ll be going now.”
I pocketed my nineteen copper coins, ignoring Adela’s judgmental stare, and left the guild.
The beastfolk woman followed me.
I tried to ignore her, but she was attracting attention, which, in turn, drew attention to me.
Why am I such an attention magnet?
First, the fight at the academy, then the confrontation at the guild…
It was always someone else starting trouble.
It’s not my fault.
The world was always unfair to nice people.
I couldn’t keep dragging her around like this.
I felt like a monkey escaped from a zoo.
“Excuse me. I saved you. Why are you following me?”
“I… have nowhere to go.”
If you have nowhere to go, then go home.
“Can I… stay with you, Master…?”
There it was again, that “Master” thing. A woman calling you “Master” and following you around? It might seem like a green light, but…
This was gaslighting.
She was trying to brainwash me, slowly but surely, into accepting her as my… subordinate, or whatever.
“Don’t you want to go home?”
“My home… was burned down when I was kidnapped…”
That’s unfortunate.
Then find someone else to help you.
Someone who isn’t me.
“But how do you know where I’m going?”
“Aren’t you going hunting?”
“Do you even know how to hunt?”
“Yes. I’m proficient in Wind Magic and daggers…”
If she could use magic and daggers, how did she get kidnapped in the first place?
“If you can fight, how did you get kidnapped?”
“My family was taken hostage.”
That was such a classic villain tactic.
And since she had nowhere to go even after being freed, her family was probably dead.
“Just to be clear, you’re not going to leave even if I tell you to, right?”
“No.”
She called me Master, but she wasn’t very obedient.
“Sigh… fine, let’s go, slave.”
Having a girl in the party was good for morale.
And she was pretty.
A harem was every man’s dream, after all.
“I don’t even know your name. What is it?”
“Luna. I’m twenty years old.”
“I’m Luke, also twenty.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Master.”
She emphasized the “Master” part, as if to make sure I heard it.
It was starting to grow on me. The brainwashing must be working.
“Do you have to call me ‘Master’?”
“Does it bother you?”
Yes, very much so.
Slavery was illegal, and Adela was giving me the stink eye.
Was Luna a spy sent by the mercenaries’ employer to ruin me?
“I don’t care what you call me, just not ‘Master.’”
“Understood, Luke.”
Even though Luke was a commoner, with a girl following him around, he looked like some kind of noble.
We arrived at the restaurant district.
It was almost dinner time, and the air was filled with delicious aromas, unlike the Korean food I was used to.
Everything smelled so good that I couldn’t decide what to eat.
“Hey, Luna.”
“Yes?”
“Pick something for us to eat.”
“…Yes?”
Passing the buck. The best solution for indecisiveness.
Luna looked flustered, but I wasn’t taking it back.
“H-how about that place?”
She pointed at a building.
I had no idea what it was, but if it tasted bad, I could just blame her.
We entered the building. It was bustling with adventurers and other patrons.
“Oh, good choice.”
How did she know to pick a steakhouse just by smelling the air?
Maybe beastfolk had enhanced senses.
“Excuse me~”
We sat at an empty table and called for a server.
“Yes, can I take your order?”
The server was pretty, as all servers should be.
Pretty servers meant more customers.
This place was going to be successful.
“Two of your recommendations, please.”
“Certainly.”
“L-Luke, I don’t have any money…”
“I’ll pay.”
I had nineteen copper coins from the goblins and two silver coins from the mercenary.
Besides, she needed to eat to be useful for tomorrow’s hunt.
“I’m fine with skipping a meal. You eat…”
“A slave… talking back?!”
“…Thank you for the meal.”
She was so assertive before, and now she was acting all subservient?
People were only honest when it benefited them.
“You said you could use Wind Magic, right?”
“Yes.”
“Show me.”
Luna placed her hand on the table and conjured a small gust of wind.
“Ooh…”
My first time seeing magic since arriving in this world.
With zero Intelligence and no magic power, I couldn’t sense anything.
In the novel, there were descriptions of seeing magic being gathered, or feeling overwhelming magical power, but…
From my perspective, the wind just… appeared.
If she had this kind of power, why did she get captured?
I would have taken the enemy commander hostage.
Your own life should always come first.
Why risk your life for some random slaves? Reading about people getting captured and used as hostages was always so frustrating.
“What kind of magic do you use, Luke?”
“Me? I can’t use magic.”
“…What?”
“I have no magic power.”
If I had magic power, I would have used it already.
Maybe even burned down the dorm.
“You’re an adventurer with no magic power…?”
“What’s wrong with that? Can’t I be an adventurer without magic?”
I had skills and a status window, which were more than most people had.
There were no high-ranking adventurers without magic power in the novel, but that’s because they weren’t reincarnators.
I was different.
“You’re… amazing, Luke.”
“I know, right?”
“Here’s your order.”
Our food arrived.
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Luna stared at the food before her.
A real meal… after so long…
She hadn’t had a proper meal since being captured.
Her captors had only given them enough food to survive: hardtack or gruel.
She couldn’t contain her hunger.
A juicy tomahawk steak with a bone handle, surrounded by colorful vegetables…
It looked so delicious. She wanted to devour it immediately, but she didn’t want to seem unrefined, so she glanced at Luke.
He was eating like a pig.
“Yummy!”
Chomp chomp.
“Yummy!”
…Never mind.
Strangely, Luke was only eating the vegetables, not touching the meat. Maybe he was a vegetarian?
I should just eat.
She picked up her fork and knife.
Crash!
“You damn scammer!”
“Serves you right for being so gullible.”
Two adventurers at a nearby table started arguing.
“Sirs, you can’t fight here!”
A server tried to intervene, but it was futile.
Arrogant people existed everywhere, regardless of social status.
And hotheaded people were always looking for a fight.
She looked around.
“Fight already!”
“Liven things up!”
No one was trying to stop them. They were all eager for a show.
Guess I’m not eating tonight…
She was about to suggest they leave when…
Thud!
The two brawlers stumbled towards their table.
And then…
“Itadakimasu~”
Thwack.
Splat.
The steak in Luke’s hand fell to the floor.
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