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Chapter 3
An oppressive silence filled the room.
Struggling through the pain, Aria Scarlet slowly pushed herself upright on the bed.
She didn’t stop cursing me for even a second.
Letting out a small sigh, I spoke as calmly as I could.
“Would you be willing to talk?”
“…Ha.”
Her thin lips twisted into a sneer.
“Go to hell.”
Ptui!
She spat a mouthful of bloody phlegm onto the floor before lunging straight at me.
I quietly watched her.
The murderous look in her emerald eyes hadn’t changed.
Neither had the hatred in her screams.
But now that I’d calmed down…
I noticed something different.
…Sigh.
Both of her arms trembled as she forced herself forward.
The light in her eyes was slowly fading.
Rather than frightening…
She simply looked pitiful.
I let out a long breath.
Then raised my right hand.
“Stop.”
“…Gh!”
To anyone else, it would have looked ridiculous.
But here…
My words carried absolute authority.
Because of the crimson crest floating above the back of my hand.
The Slave Brand.
“You… bastard…!”
Aria froze in place.
Her body shook with rage as she desperately tried to resist the command.
But in her current condition…
She couldn’t overcome it.
“Sit.”
“…Ngh!”
Her body gently lowered itself back onto the bed.
I’d only done it because standing was clearly painful for her.
Apparently, though…
Everything I did only made me more hateful in her eyes.
Can’t be helped.
I walked toward her.
As I approached, those emerald eyes glared up at me with humiliation.
They were breathtakingly beautiful.
So this is what people mean by “fatal beauty.”
Terrifying.
Feeling like I’d start developing strange tastes if I kept staring, I quickly grabbed a blanket and covered her naked body.
Naturally…
Even that gesture earned nothing but scorn.
“Disgusting.”
“I don’t know what game you’re playing now, but stop pretending to be decent, you piece of trash.”
“What?”
“You can’t even get it up after seeing my body, can you?”
“You damn eunuch!”
“W-What?”
“E-Eunuch?!”
“Wow… nobody’s ever called me that before…”
My voice quickly died away.
I couldn’t finish the sentence.
Because…
Even now…
The little guy between my legs hung limply like a fried seaweed roll that had been left out for ten hours.
How was I supposed to sound confident?
…Life.
A crushing sense of defeat washed over me.
Never had I imagined I’d personally experience the sorrow of a man looking down in shame.
Doctor…
You’re telling me I’m impotent…?
Sigh…
I ground my teeth.
I had to earn enough Status Points and get rid of that trait as soon as possible.
At this rate, all I could do was cry.
“…”
Aria quietly watched me.
For just an instant…
Confusion flashed across her face.
It was gone almost immediately.
But I hadn’t missed it.
People can’t hide their true nature forever.
After fifteen years surviving in a toxic company…
I’d become pretty good at reading people.
That fleeting emotion wasn’t guilt.
It was something softer.
Almost…
Sympathy.
People’s instincts always leak out.
Judging by that…
She’s actually kind-hearted.
Or… kind-eared?
No… kind-hearted elf.
Whatever.
This wasn’t who she truly was.
Her circumstances had made her this way.
Realizing that…
I decided to change my plan.
I couldn’t keep someone with the Avenger trait by my side forever.
But killing her?
That was out of the question.
Which left only one option.
“…Phew.”
I looked her directly in the eyes.
She stared back at me with utter disgust.
Ignoring it, I continued.
“Fine.”
“Let’s say you’re right.”
“Whether I’m impotent or not… I’ll prove myself someday.”
“But that’s not what I wanted to talk about.”
“Shut up!”
“No matter what you say…”
“No matter what you do…”
“My resolve will never change!”
“You mean avenging your people?”
The instant I spoke the words your people and revenge…
Her expression twisted violently.
“How dare you say those words!”
“Do you even know what your family did to us?!”
“What exactly did they do?”
“…What?”
“I asked.”
“What did they do?”
Her teeth clenched.
“If that’s supposed to be an act, then congratulations.”
“But I’m tired of hearing your lies.”
“You committed so many atrocities that you’ve already forgotten them?”
“You monster!”
“Sorry.”
“But vague accusations don’t really help me.”
“So tell me plainly.”
“Did I kill your people?”
“You?”
“Kill them?”
“You?”
She laughed bitterly.
“Our warriors aren’t pathetic enough to die to a useless pig like you.”
“So don’t insult my people.”
“I see…”
“So I wasn’t directly responsible for their deaths?”
“What?”
“You think separating yourself from your father changes anything?”
“You’re just as guilty!”
“You sold my people into slavery!”
“I knew it…”
I sighed inwardly.
At least…
The original Ian hadn’t personally massacred the High Elves.
That wasn’t exactly comforting.
Selling them into slavery was horrific enough.
Still…
From my perspective…
It was slightly less hopeless.
He managed to stop just before striking out completely.
There was still room to salvage something.
That alone was a relief.
Aria smiled coldly.
“You and your father are both demons.”
“Demons wearing human skin.”
“…Fair enough.”
“I won’t argue with that.”
“But first…”
“I should at least tell you I’ve already made your revenge easier.”
Her expression froze.
“What are you talking about?”
She’d clearly misunderstood.
Probably thought I’d done something to the remaining members of her clan.
So I explained.
“My father.”
“Ven… Vernon?”
“No.”
“Venon Blake.”
“I killed him.”
“What…?”
“I said I killed him.”
“…Impossible.”
The moment I calmly repeated myself…
Conflicting emotions flooded across her face.
The strongest one was anger.
She probably assumed I was mocking her.
Fortunately…
I didn’t need to explain further.
So that’s magic.
A strange light flickered briefly inside her eyes.
Before I could wonder what she was doing…
My ability answered for me.
[The hidden racial trait of the High Elves, “Eyes That Pierce Truth,” is observing you.]
“Eyes That Pierce Truth?”
If she’d had such a convenient ability all along…
We could’ve skipped this entire argument.
One game of truth or lie would’ve settled everything.
“…Ah.”
Her face turned pale.
Shock.
Pure shock.
“Impossible…”
“You really killed your own father…”
“Apparently I poisoned him.”
“…”
She couldn’t respond.
After opening and closing her mouth several times…
The only words she managed were—
“You’re insane.”
I shrugged.
“Sure.”
“Let’s go with that.”
“Ian Blake went insane and became a completely different person overnight.”
“Works for me.”
“Anyway.”
“Venon Blake is dead.”
“So wouldn’t you say your revenge is mostly complete?”
“Don’t give me that nonsense!”
“My revenge ends only when I tear your head off that fat body!”
“I still have to repay you for every member of my clan you sold!”
“Hm…”
“But wouldn’t it actually be easier for me to make amends while I’m alive?”
“What you really want…”
“Is to save the rest of your people, isn’t it?”
Her brow twitched.
Then I said it.
“I’ll help you rescue them.”
She gritted her teeth.
“You’ve completely lost your mind.”
“Sure.”
“Believe that if it makes things easier.”
“But I’m serious.”
“So think about it carefully.”
“Hah!”
“There’s nothing to think about!”
“Our surviving warriors are already carrying out a rescue operation!”
“Oh?”
“You’re really telling me that?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“A fool like you knowing won’t make them fail.”
“…Ouch.”
That evaluation was brutally honest.
Hard to argue with it.
Shot down before I even got started.
So…
What now?
At the very least…
I’d hoped to remove one of the countless reasons she hated me.
There’s only so much I can do right now.
Maybe…
Is there another way?
Then…
Ah.
That might work.
“Wait here.”
I stood and walked toward the far side of the room.
Bookshelves packed from top to bottom covered the walls.
The study looked more like a private library.
I wonder how many books this idiot actually read.
Probably not even one page.
Tch.
I stopped before an ornate desk covered in gold leaf.
Opening the drawers one by one…
I found exactly what I’d expected.
Clink.
Instead of writing supplies…
The drawers were stuffed with heavy bags of coins.
Each one weighed a ton.
Four should be enough for one person to carry.
Out of more than ten bags…
I picked up four.
Then carried them back to Aria.
Setting them beside her, I said,
“Here.”
“This should help.”
She frowned.
“What are you plotting?”
“Nothing.”
“If I had to call it something…”
“An apology.”
“Your rescue operation will need money.”
“Won’t it?”
“Are you joking?”
“Have you actually gone insane?”
“Maybe.”
“Think whatever you want.”
“I know you can’t suddenly trust me.”
Then…
I released the Slave Brand’s authority.
The invisible restraint vanished.
Her stiff body relaxed.
She was free to move again.
But unlike before…
She didn’t immediately attack me.
Instead…
She simply watched me warily.
Like a frightened stray cat.
So I deliberately smiled.
“What?”
“Want me to escort you to the front gate?”
“…”
“No?”
“Then should we just live together?”
“Ngh!”
She instantly jumped to her feet.
Wrapping the blanket around herself, she hurriedly grabbed the bags of money and ran toward the door.
Without looking back.
She reached the handle—
Then suddenly stopped.
For several silent seconds…
Aria looked back at me.
Her expression was impossibly complicated.
Should I wave goodbye?
Just as that ridiculous thought crossed my mind—
Click.
The door closed.
She was gone.
“…”
I walked to the window.
From there…
I watched Aria cross the mansion gardens and disappear into the distance.
I’d worried the guards might stop her.
Apparently…
There was no need.
Seriously…
How did this idiot survive until now?
If someone could escape in that condition without anyone interfering…
That alone explained how rotten this mansion’s security really was.
Everything here was a disaster.
“…Sigh.”
My strength left me.
I collapsed backward onto the bed.
At least the mattress was ridiculously comfortable.
Comfortable enough that my belly and double chin bounced like waves.
“…That joke hit harder than I expected.”
I pinched the folds of fat around my stomach and laughed bitterly.
I’d made one harmless joke about living together…
And she’d looked absolutely terrified.
Honestly…
That hurt a little.
I’ve really got to fix this cursed body first.
Otherwise everyone will react exactly the same way.
At the very least…
I wanted to look like a human being.
“Up we go.”
Dragging my heavy body upright again…
I returned to the desk.
Enough time should’ve passed.
From the drawer that had contained the money bags…
I pulled out a sheet of expensive parchment.
I’d briefly worried I wouldn’t be able to read it.
Fortunately…
The words came naturally.
Slave Contract — Aria Scarlet
Without hesitation…
I held it over a burning candle.
Crackle…
Blue flames spread across the parchment.
Within seconds…
The contract had turned completely to ash.
I hope that at least conveys my sincerity.
Just then—
[A slave has been freed.]
The familiar notification appeared.
[Sub Quest No. 7 Complete]
[Free a Slave (1/1)]
Reward: 5 Status Points
Five points for freeing one slave.
Not bad.
Especially for doing what should’ve been the obvious thing.
But that wasn’t all.
“Huh?”
[Hidden Quest No. 11 Complete]
[Freed a Four-Star Slave]
Additional Reward: 50 Status Points
“…Now that’s amazing.”
Current Status Points: 56
Maybe fate hadn’t completely abandoned me after all.
Even a rat hole eventually sees sunlight.
[Opening Detailed Status Window…]
First things first…
Let’s get rid of this mountain of fat.
