“We’re back.”
The sun has already set by the time we get back to the inn.
We managed to get through the gate and into the town because we were with the knights.
Hikari and I have a late dinner, and go up to the room to report, but that’s when it happens.
“Let’s go take a bath, big sister Sera.”
“You’re in a good mood.”
“Yes. I became an adult.”
I feel stares that are practically stabbing me. That sharpness could kill someone. It doesn’t, of course.
Sera looks at me, and mouths ‘good luck’, before leaving with Hikari. That’s it?
And so, I’m left here sitting on my knees. And as I’m thinking that apparently ‘seiza’ exists in this world too, I remember that I mentioned it to Hikari before, and she knew what it meant. It checks out.
“C-can you explain what is going on?”
I almost laugh at how weirdly worked up Chris is, but I get the feeling that would be disastrous.
“Yes. What is the meaning of this?”
Mia leans forward and puts her face ever closer to mine, until Rurika pulls her back.
I feel like this is going to get worse the longer I prolong it, so I just come out and say it. I didn’t do anything wrong anyway.
After hearing my explanation, the two girls loosen up completely.
“I-I see… Is Hikari all right?”
“She should be if she takes it easy. But… Kiss…”
Chris sounds worried, and Mia’s face is bright red.
“I understand why it happened, but you shouldn’t carelessly do that sort of thing. Watch out for that.”
“I-I know. But what else could I do? I wouldn’t have done it if there wasn’t a life on the line.”
I say after nodding to Chris. If there was anyone else that could help her, I would have asked them. Well, it depends.
“Also, I think my Holy Magic is weak. Can you look after her, Mia?”
I don’t use it a lot to begin with, so its level is low. I mostly use potions to heal.
“Of course. Leave her to me.”
And with that, I’m finally released. My legs… Aren’t actually tired, even though they were on the floor. This body’s gotten pretty tough.
“So what’s the plan going forward?”
Asks Rurika, and I tell her someone should contact me tomorrow. I played a good part in that whole thing, so I doubt he’s going back on his promise.
Although when I remember Sadd’s high strung face, I start to get a little unsure about that.
“I want to go to the slaver tomorrow, but…”
I feel a dangerous mood filling the air around me again, and stop.
“What do you mean?”
“Do you want to buy another slave? Do you have a problem with me!? You can do whatever…”
“Can you tell me more about that too?”
Did I say something weird? Did I?
“Hum, I’m not going there to buy a slave.”
“Then why?”
Rurika, your eyes are kind of scary.
“I want to free Sera. The money isn’t an issue, but we couldn’t do it around the time when we left Majolica because of everything that was going on, right? So I want to go there tomorrow if we have the time.”
Ah. I guess they forgot all about it too. Not that I’m one to talk.
“Y-yes. Then let’s go there tomorrow.”
“I want to do something about Mia and Hikari too, but…”
Mia denies it, but that slave collar really does attract attention. Some strangers who have no idea of the circumstances behind it even look at her with scorn.
There’s no way being subjected to that feels good.
The problem is that it’s helpful when we travel, because it bypasses having to have identification. She died once already, but can we register her with the guild?
“Identification… Could we buy it…”
I don’t have an answer to that question.
Eventually, Sera and Hikari come back, and the other three go take a bath.
Hikari usually sits close to me, but she’s sitting next to Sera with a proper posture.
Anyway, I tell Sera that we were talking about freeing her as a slave, and she touches the collar.
“That’s great, isn’t it big sister Sera?”
Hikari tilts her head, because Sera looks more bewildered than happy.
Then she laughs awkwardly, probably because she noticed we’re looking at her.
“I mean… I never thought I’d actually live to see the day when I’d be freed.”
There’s probably something I can’t understand behind that mixed expression. And I can’t bring myself to ask what it is.
“Anyway, we were talking about going there tomorrow, unless they suddenly tell us we can go to the island right away.”
Sera silently nods, and I go take a bath too.
It’s nice how even relatively cheap inns in Marte have baths. There are even places that are like bathhouses that the townspeople can use.
I can’t deny that a large bath sounds appealing, but I’m not going to be able to relax with a lot of people around.
Soaking in a quiet bath really is the best.
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Ah mc is so oblivious to the girls feelings for him well this is what many mcs are like. What I think some of the girls aren’t aware of and mc is I don’t think they want there slave collar removed. They might see that as removing a connection with them and he’s leave and do his own thing.
One thing the author is backpedelling on is it’s supposed to cost a large amount of money to free a slave this was mentioned quite a bit in that last city they were in with dungeon no way they would have earned enough
The Alchemist guild paid the MC 5 platinum coins for the recipes for the full potion and the paralysis cure, so I doubt he is hurting for money…
And here it is: the MC being made to “seiza” by his girl companions. They’re not in relationships so why the heck would it matter what MC does? MC did great by saving Hikari’s life.