Arc 11: Desert’s incident

Chapter 81: The Emancipation, And The Third Time

There is something called a [Collar of Subordination]. Originally an artifact, it was apparently successfully mass produced sorcery by Sandora’s great wizards hundreds of years ago.

Originally it was made to enslave ferocious magic beasts that couldn’t be tamed, but eventually it reached a point where it was used on people. [TN: human and not beast kin?? Should this be changed to person]

They say it was for criminals at first. However, this collar eventually created the existence known as [Slaves] in this country.

Stripped off of all their rights, and treated as personal [Possessions].

In general it was legal (at least in this country, though) to make criminals or the ones selling themselves into slaves. But as expected, there will be some villains among them.

Bands of thieves and slave merchants would conspire, with the thieves raiding villages for money and goods. And then selling the young girls to slave merchants illegally on the black market.

No matter what the method, if [Collar of Subordination] was used, freedom is lost. Then they will be registered in the merchant’s guild, as private possessions, and treated as one.

The people who with Rebecca-san seems to have become slaves like that.

The slave merchant who took them, employed Rebecca-san, Logan-san (the axe-user), and Will (the boy) as the 3 escorts for the journey. Because the job did not pass through the guild, they did not think he would be a slave merchant.

The three who heard the circumstances from the slaves while traveling, succumbed to righteous indignation, and tried to revolt against the slave merchant. However just then, the merchant was attacked by thieves, and easily died.

The first arrow of the raid pierced his head, so you can say it was quite a disappointing death. The man who conspired with thieves, also got killed by thieves, that’s some karma right there.

As for Rebecca-san and the guys who defeated the thieves that attacked, they took advantage of the situation and tried to run away with the slaves in order to hide from the country. Because if they got caught by the guild, they would only be sold to a new master.

However, in the middle of escaping the country to avoid public eyes, they got dragged into a sandstorm, and met with a disaster…

[So that’s it? ]

[Well, that’s the reason. ]

I see~ However, that fellow was a bad guy too…… A slave trader. There is such a thing in this world as well. Apparently the Sandora Kingdom doesn’t have too much interaction with other countries, and it seems the country retains its original culture. Well, it is beyond the great forest of Misumido, and it might be difficult traveling here through the scorching desert.

[But a [Collar of Subordination]……]

If you try to take it off, intense pain runs through the person wearing it, apparently resulting in the worst possible death. That’s wicked. It becomes impossible to hurt the person who becomes their master, and it becomes impossible to resist orders. Their escape will come to an end if the master thinks [Come Back]. They will feel intense pain if they go against it.

Only the master can remove the collar. However, the merchant who was the master died. In other words, the collar can’t be removed anymore. For a moment they will be returned to the guild to get a new master, but as long as the master does not set the slave free, it is impossible to take it off. Speaking of another method to remove it… it would be that.

I’ll take it off by pulling it with [Aport]…… But, it’s a tricky size, right~ Though because it is a woman’s neck, I don’t think it would so thick. Would it fit into the palm?

I grab my neck with both hands to check the thickness. I think it should be thinner, almost the same as a CD. It should be alright. Nothing would happen if it’s no good, so why not try it.

[The collar, perhaps I can remove it. ]

[What? ]

[Is that true!? ]

Rather than Rebecca-san, the boy Will bit on my remark. He stares at me with eyes wide open.

[Well, I can’t say for sure unless I try. Nothing will happen if it doesn’t work, so let’s take a chance on it……]

[Yes please! Please give Wendy her freedom!]

Wendy? The boy Will, took the hand of one girl with a collar and came back here quickly.

Her age should be 13 or 14…… about the same age as Will? Tanned with darkish braided blonde hair, hanging left and right on her chest. She is the youngest among the seven slaves. Hiding herself behind Will’s back, nervously peeking this way. Being frightened, it’s like she’s little shocked. Well, I did do such a thing to a sandcrawler after all……

[Aport]

To avoid getting her more frightened, I pull the collar without explaining. I’m already grasping the black luster collar in my hand. Success, huh?

[Eh!? Are!? ]

After he sees the collar I’m grasping in my hand, Will looks back at Wendy who was hiding behind him. Of course, there’s no collar there.

[It came off! It really came off, Wendy! ]

[Eh…? ]

The girl called Wendy rubs her neck. When she realized that she was liberated from the collar, she held her mouth and her eyes started shedding tears like rain. Will hugs her tightly. Ah~ it was like that. That would cause the boy to be greatly desperate, right? That’s youth.

[….. Oi oi, what on earth did you do? ]

[No-attribute magic [Aport]. It’s a magic that attracts objects. ]

Ignoring Logan-san who froze with astonishment look on his face, I removed the other people’s collars one by one. Eventually, I am holding all seven collars in my hand, then I burn them completely with fire magic.

While staring at me burning the collars, Rebecca-san muttered in blank amazement.

[……Just who on earth are you? ]

[I’m also an adventurer. Here, this is my guild card]

[Red!?]

Because of the color of the card which I took out, the three adventurers got excited. Everyone looked at the card I handed over to verify it, then groaned in surprise even more.

[DRAGON SLAYER and GOLEM BUSTER!? Seriously!? ]

[No wonder you were able to defeat a sandcrawler so easily… ] [TL: it was different but I change it like this assuming he defeated it last chapter]

[Wow!….This is the first time I’ve seen this……! ]

Each of the three thank me in surprise. I accept the card back, and asked Rebecca-san what they will do from now on.

[Even if they are freed from slavery, it’s not like the registration was erased. It will probably be troublesome to stay in this country. I thought it would be better to take everyone to another country but…… ]

[Then, do you want to come to Belfast? It is a good country. You can also stay in my house for a while. ]

[No, wait a minute. How long will it take to get to Belfast from here…? ]

Interrupting Logan-san’s words, I open [Gate] before their eyes. I poke my head inside the gate of light, and call Yumina from the [Garden].

[W-who are you!? ]

[Nice to meet you. I am the daughter of King Torstein Ernes Belfast of the Kingdom of Belfast, Yumina Ernes Belfast.]

[[[Eh!?]]]

The three became completely stiff. Well, of course that would happen. At times like this, I realize that Yumina really is a princess after all. Even if she isn’t wearing a pretty dress, you can understand she is the real thing with her well-bred behavior and upbringing. In reality, the four people in front have been swallowed by Yumina’s presence.

[I have heard of the circumstances of everyone here. Our country can accept all of you, but what would you like to do? ]

While smiling, Yumina looks at them one by one. She is most likely using her magic eye. If there is a person with wicked thoughts among them, even if we take them to Belfast, they will be carefully monitored for a while.

After Yumina looks over all of them, she grins at me and gives me a smile. Apparently there seems to be no problem.

The stiff Rebecca-san suddenly gets on her knees, and does a dogeza in front of Yumina.

[Y-yes! T-that t-thank you very much!]

Following along, Logan-san, Will, Wendy, and the other women as well knelt on the ground one by one. What the heck? It’s like a scene from the historical drama [Hikae Oru!]. [TL: I believe it should be some series]

[Then everybody to Belfast. Touya-san, please.]

[Aight~]

Because it is troublesome to take them one by one through [Gate], I let everyone stand up and on the ground below them I open [Gate]. And with the exit being in the garden of my house in Belfast, I made them fall into the opening of the [Gate] which was 1 cm above the ground.

I tried doing the teleportation sequence from a foreign SF drama, but I failed. Perhaps I should give up on this. How disappointing.

It is that, like when you are done walking up using the staircase, but still feels that there is still one more step? Although the ground disappeared immediately, it turned to really terrible unpleasant feeling.

Well, the only one’s thought like that probably me and Yumina, for everyone else, they became speechless on the sudden change in scenery.

[T-this place is……?]

[This is the Royal Capital of the Belfast Kingdom. And this is my home. It’s fine for you to live here for a while. Lime-san. ]

I called for our Super Butler, and accompanied by the maid squad Lapis-san, Cecil-san, and Rene, they appeared immediately from the terrace.

[Please entertain these people until we return. ]

[Certainly, danna-sama. ]

Lime-san bows deeply and exchanged looks with the maid squad, then Lapis-san leads everyone into the house. While looking around restlessly, Rebecca-san and the others in accordance to the maid followed them one by one.

[For the time being we should consider our plans for the future. How about we go back to the [Garden]? ]

[You are right. ]

Because Rebecca-san and the others are adventures, they can manage guild work and find lodging in the royal capital. As for the others…… as expected we can’t employee 7 people in our home.

《Master》

[? Kohaku?]

I got startled by the sudden telepathy I received. What’s wrong?

《What’s wrong Kohaku, did something happen?》

《A strange monster suddenly appeared in the desert. Shining beautifully like a crystal…… 》

The one that replied wasn’t Kohaku, it was Kuroyou’s voice. A crystal monster…… Could it be!?

I open [Gate], and move in front of the [Garden] monolith. In the middle of the screen displayed by the monolith where everyone is looking, there was a huge crystal monster floating in the desert, and it was emitting a high-pitched sound like some resonance sound. [TN: not sure if it appeared on the desert surface or floating on the desert]

The one we met was in the form of a cricket, the one Rin met was a snake, and the third crystal monster body, the Fureizu is in the shape of a manta ray───a devil fish.