He Who Is The Warm Light
When I was little, my mother often stroked my head and said.
ーーBecome a strong girl, one who can protect somebody.
I thought these words meant that she wanted me to grow up into a strong girl who can protect my two younger sisters.
So, I lived my life making sure that I protect my two younger sisters as per my mother’s wish.
While helping out my home that’s an animal husbandry farm family, I looked after the fields, looked after the livestock, and also looked after my younger sisters to help out my busy parents.
I do manual labour outside day after day, on hot days and as well as cold days.
But it wasn’t unpleasant at all. I don’t dislike it, devotedly working hard for somebody.
ーーThat’s why I was also looking after my two younger sisters on that day that that village was attacked.
Under the calm blue sky, all of a sudden, the neighbourhood houses burned fiercely.
By the time I thought ‘Fire?’, strangers had already invaded the village.
They hold deadly weapons in their hands and chase after the villagers.
As I’m looking at the villagers who run away in fear, I couldn’t move at all.
I was scared, hot, and pained……but my two younger sisters, they held my hands tightly.
The two of them who are little said softly.
ーーLet’s quickly escape.
In order to encourage my own body that trembles slightly, I said in a voice louder than the two of them.
ーーUn, we’re escaping!
However, this was what I was thinking in my heart.
ーーThere’s nowhere to escape to.
I mean, this is a small village inside the mountains.
Even if we try to escape to another village or town, it takes about an hour to walk and we’ll have to descend the mountain.
However, contrary to my thoughts, I ran desperately.
I ran, and ranーーand got caught.
Same goes for my two younger sisters as well.
And then those guysーーthe slave traders, they selected us.
What I could softly hear was a vulgar conversation.
The value of a child who is still very young is low.
It’s a big risk to rear a slave that you can’t sell.
A young and beautiful woman is better.
And then, they looked down on me.
At that time, I was scared and about to cry.
All along, I have a cowardly personality.
So I couldn’t help being very very scared of this slave trader.
But I acted bullishly.
I thought that it’ll surely be difficult to lay hands on me if I behave as a strong person.
And my prediction, it luckily hit the mark.
Well, I think the slave trader had taken into consideration things like not wanting to damage the merchandise, and so forth.
So I was just watched and wasn’t tied by a rope.
And then after some time, inside the carriage that we were being transported on, I let my two younger sisters escape.
Both of them who were still not even 1〇years old and said to be valueless were only being tied with ropes and not watched.
So it was easy to let the two of them escape if I did it behind the back of the fellow who’s watching me.
ーーWe don’t wanna. Onee-chan as well, let’s escape together.
I was told that, but I knew that they’d chase after us if I escaped.
I’m sure that the slave trader won’t give chase if it’s just the two of them.
So I let the two of them escape.
After that, I encountered her in a certain town.
Eleanor・Cafon・Lunde・Cornelia.
She’s the third daughter of the Cornelia Kingdom.
I thought ‘Why is a girl like that in this plight?’, but I heard that it’s a slightly complicated course of events.
She was crying the whole time.
She, who was betrayed by her childhood friends whom she had been working together as Adventurers and her biological elder sisters, was keeping some distance away from people, regardless of whether it’s a man or a woman.
It seems she’s afraidーーof the existence that’s known as a human.
I looked that frightened appearance of hers and, although it’s rude, I thought it resembled my younger sisters.
That’s why, I ended up wanting to look after her.
The slave trader lays his hands on weak women. I’ve seen that sight numerous times.
On the contrary, he doesn’t lay his hands on strong women. He treats them as mere merchandises.
So she who had been an Adventurer and I were lucky that he didn’t lay hands on us.
That’s why I, talked to her numerous times.
Initially, even her responses were curt, but as I patiently talked to her, she opened her heart up to me.
At that time, I self-deprecatingly talked about my lewd memories of the past.
And when I did, it seems she also has similar fetishes and I started having lewd conversations with her ever since that day.
It was at a certain time in the midst of all this.
Eleanor said determinedly.
ーーSerina, you know, I. Will definitely marry the person whom I gave my first time!
She smiled and said.
However, I couldn’t cheer such her on.
I mean, we’re slaves……someone like that, we won’t find them anymore.
By any chance, our first times might be with a man we don’t know, it might be with a man we hate.
ーーUn, then I guess I’ll also marry the person whom I gave my first time.
But I wasn’t able to tell the dreamy her, the reality.
And then I parted with Eleanor and was sold to a certain man.
ーーFrom today onwards, I’m your Goshujin-sama1.
A kind and bright face.
And he’s a rich noble.
I wonder if I got lucky with my owner?
I remember that I thought something like that during our first meeting.
But such an optimistic thinking, instantly crumbled.
He, who bought me, suddenly changed completely.
I was beaten even though I didn’t do anything, I was kicked even though I didn’t do anything.
Why? Why is it?
I was just asking the questions in my head that I can’t say out over and over again while enduring it.
And then there were other slaves besides me as well so I secretly asked.
‘Why did he suddenly get violent?’. Then,
ーーA sexual excitement arises for that person whenever he punches and kicks, whenever he torments women. So there’s no worry of being violatedーーthere are a lot of people who were beaten to death though.
I heard those words and was determined to escape.
In the middle of the night when everybody was fast asleep, I seduced the man who’s keeping watch and stole the key.
And then I escaped together with the other slaves.
However, it was impossible to escape.
One after another, they were caught by the butler man.
However, I……it’s hard to say whether I’m lucky or not, but I met the slave trader who I was being taken care of by until recently again.
I handed the Slave Tool’s ownership over to him, and once again, I became the slave trader’s merchandise.
And then my former owner and the slave trader were arguing at some street.
Am I, no longer a human?
Who’s next.
I wonder if it’s going be someone who beats and kicks again.
I don’t want to be beaten anymore. I’m already sick of painful things.
Something like men, I hate them.
Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate!
I loathe something like men!
ーーSerina?
I reunited with Eleanor at the time I decided to reject men.
She, who carried a shopping bag, talked to the slave trader about something and embraced me tightly.
It’s a completely opposite situation as before.
Me who’s crying and Eleanor who’s consoling.
However, it’s already impossible to pretend to be strong.
I asked Eleanor for help.
She’s still wearing the Slave Tool on her neck so the fact that we’re equally slaves didn’t change.
But her appearance and the clothes she’s wearing were way more well-off than someone like me.
I think, that she surely happened across a good owner.
ーーI will definitely save you.
Eleanor said that to me.
I was happy about that, I believed in those words, and I waited for the day that I’m being sold.
And then Eleanor was at the venue when the slave auction started.
A sorrowful-looking expression, but her eyes were as though they’re declaring to me that she will save me.
And then my eyes met with the large build man beside Eleanor.
Unlike my former owner, it’s the figure of a man who battles.
Eleanor was snuggling up to the man who has a scarier appearance than my former owner.
Aah, I wonder if it’s a person who I have to give my body to and curry favour with.
I wonder if Eleanor had already forgotten the vow we made when we were together.
Although I got a little bit sad, if it’s for the sake of surviving then it can’t be helped huh.
That’s what I thought. However…….
Eleanor’s owner wasn’t there when I was knocked down.
So, I told Eleanor to let’s escape together.
When I did, she got seriously angry.
Looking at that sight, I understood that she seriously likes her owner.
I don’t know how she can come to like her owner that much…….
An owner with such a stern look and ferocious body. It won’t end with just being painful if you’re to be beaten by that.
But my impression of Egil-san changed at our very first meeting.
I greet him and, for some reason, like a child who’s feeling embarrassed, he won’t make eye contact with me.
And when I see him talking to Eleanor, I could tell that they were seriously blissful.
I wonder if this person is going to become my owner forever.
But I’m reminded of the slave trader and my former owner’s face whenever I’m talked to by Egil-san.
And then, I wasn’t able to hold a conversation with Egil-san.
I wonder if even so, this person will save me, who came to hate men, one day?
I might be slightly happy about it if I can come to like the same person as Eleanor.
That’s, what I thought.
♢
“My, I’ve been looking for you, my slave-chan”
“N, no, let g……please”
Sevreschaff who grabbed my arm is looking fixedly at me while making an uncanny smirk.
I take one step, two steps, back while leaking an incomprehensible voice, but the hand that grabs my arm is strong and I can’t get away.
Moreover, the old man who stands behind me is standing in a way so he doesn’t let me escape.
“What’s the matter, slave-chan? It’s me, did you forget? Your very first owner”
Even though there is a large number of people around, there’s not a single person who tries to help me.
Even when our eyes meet, they immediately turn away.
He’s a noble so nobody goes against him.
Something like a person who will save me, there’s none here.
It’s always like this. However…….
“Eleanor……help”
Even though I can just shout, I can’t let out a loud voice due to the terror.
What I can let out, was a husky, soft, and pathetic voice that asks my friend for help.
Even though I can just beat him since he’s my former owner, I’m unable to do even that.
My legs tremble, my hands tremble, my eyes tremble.
I’m powerless.
If I have the strength, someone like this…….
“Now then, shall we go back. Let’s play at my house again. I’ll break your legs this time so that you can’t escape, alright?”
I, can’t do it anymore.
“I wonder how much your face when your legs get broken will arouse me”
If only I hadn’t leave because of something like a dizziness.
“Now then, we’re going. My slave”
If only I had stayed together with the two of them the whole time.
“No……help……”
My regrets assault me.
Even though they went through the trouble to save me. I’m, such an idiotーー.
“Excuse me, won’t you get away from her?”
My hand that was pulled stopped.
And the warm light that protected me, was standing beside me and grabbing my former owner’s hand.
“Egil, san……?”
“Um……sorry……for making you experience something scary”
The expression of Egil-san who scratches his head embarrassingly, felt like an expression that’s even gentler than usual.
