"So Master, what should we do?" Roxanne asked after handing Setsuna a glass of water and a cloth to wipe her face.
"Hmm… we need more information," I muttered, sinking into thought.
"I agree," Sherry said, folding her arms. "Right now we know too little. The Slave Merchant might even be lying to Setsuna."
Setsuna's eyes widened at her words, clearly shaken.
"When you were at the Slave Merchant's place, did you hear anything else? And… are you certain there weren't any other villagers there?" I asked, careful with my wording.
What I really wanted to ask was whether she was sure any of them were even alive, but that felt too cruel to say outright.
"Setsuna… didn't see anyone from the village. I—I can't remember anything else," she whispered, her eyes closing in pain.
"Take your time," Roxanne said gently from beside her. "Maybe there's something you overheard, even by accident."
Setsuna nodded, taking deep breaths as she tried to recall. The room went silent, all of us waiting patiently.
"Wh-when we came down from the auction stage… Setsuna heard him mutter, disappointed, that the selling price was much lower than he wanted," she said at last.
"And he had mentioned that he would use that money to buy the other villagers, right?" Sherry asked, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
"Hehe, but Master ruined his plan anyway!" Anastasia grinned smugly. "Since Master paid even less than that thanks to the discount skill!"
"As expected of Master," Roxanne said with a thumbs up.
I gave a wry smile. It wasn't just me—Anastasia's aggressive bidding and even the Slave Merchant's own incompetence had helped drive the price down. Still, the biggest factor was no doubt my discount skill.
"So that means he probably doesn't have enough funds to buy the rest of the villagers," I reasoned aloud. "Which means that although the Auction was concluded hours ago her people might still be in the village."
I glanced at Setsuna, hesitant. "Can you… remember roughly how many bandits were there?"
The guilt gnawed at me—I was forcing her to relive horrors she would rather forget. But knowing their numbers was crucial.
"Th-there were definitely more than ten… maybe even t-twenty. S-sorry, Master, Setsuna can't remember clearly," she said hesitantly.
"It's fine," I reassured her with a smile. "That's more than enough to give us a rough idea of their strength."
Setsuna nodded, her shoulders easing slightly.
Honestly, twenty wasn't an intimidating number. I had already cut down almost that many thieves on my very first day in this world. Of course, back then they had been distracted by the villagers' desperate attacks, and I had Durandal in my hands. That had made things far easier.
"Before we go any further," I said, letting my gaze sweep over all the girls, "I want to ask something important."
The room grew quiet.
"If any of you have troubles—family, thieves, bandits, debts, or anything else you need help with—then speak up now. Don't hold it in."
The girls exchanged confused glances.
"I meant it when I said you are all part of my family now. Your burdens are my burdens. I would feel guilty if one day I found out you were suffering, when I could have helped easily—if only you had told me." My voice was firm but gentle. "So don't hesitate. Don't be shy. Trust me—trust your Master… or at the very least, trust this Hero Job of mine—and share your troubles with me."
I had read too many stories where the protagonist's life was thrown into chaos because someone close to him had kept a painful secret. I had no intention of letting that happen here.
My eyes drifted across Roxanne, Anastasia, and Erina—three girls whose pasts I already knew held shadows. Yet, none of them spoke.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Jasmine fidgeting as if she wanted to say something but held back. And Nyx… she kept her head lowered, silent. Did they also carry burdens they couldn't bring themselves to voice in front of everyone?
"Thank you, Master," Roxanne said at last with a bright smile. "You are very kind to think of us, but I am already happy. My amazing life right now, it is all because of you Master, it is all I could ever wish for. So I have no troubles at all."
The other girls echoed her, each in their own way.
I smiled warmly in return. So they're not ready yet… I'll just have to be patient, and little by little, let them open their hearts to me.
"Alright," I said finally, "but remember what I told you. If you ever have a problem, come to me right away. We're family now, and family looks out for each other."
That earned me a wave of smiles and grateful nods.
"Now, back to the matter at hand," I said, cracking my knuckles. "Instead of heading straight to the village, I think we should first pay a little visit to that Slave Merchant, Mardel."
It was already past evening, but this wasn't something we could delay until tomorrow. If Setsuna's villagers were being sold off—or worse, killed—tonight, then any hesitation would make saving them impossible. Of course, that was assuming they were even still alive in the first place.
"That's a good idea," Sherry said with a firm nod. "He's one of the key people holding information, and it's far less risky than confronting all the bandits head-on."
"But… wouldn't he be staying inside his trading establishment?" Anastasia asked, worry in her voice. "Those kinds of buildings are usually near the Knight Guild."
"Umm shouldn't we still try contacting someone from the Knight Guild first?" Viviana suggested with a strained smile.
"It's too risky," Remu replied quietly, eyes downcast. "At the first sight of Knights, the bandits will scatter. And before they run, they will likely silence anyone who could identify them. That would put Setsuna's fellow villagers in even greater danger."
Shera tilted her head. "How do you know so much about bandits?" she asked, suspicious.
Remu didn't answer, falling silent.
"Well," I said, breaking the tension, "complications are bound to happen, but we will deal with them as they come."
"Whatever you decide Master, I will be joining you," Roxanne declared, her eyes fixed on me with determination.
"Setsuna will go as well," Setsuna said, standing with her face stoic. "If it's to save my people, then Setsuna must do her part."
I raised a hand, stopping the others before they could argue. "I have already decided who will be coming with me."
The room went quiet, every pair of eyes turning toward me.
"Setsuna is essential," I said, nodding at her. "She is the only one who knows the village and has seen the Slave Merchant's establishment."
She nodded back firmly, her expression resolute.
"And since it's already dark outside, we will need someone who can see better at night. So Remu will come along, and Miria too—once she finally wakes up." I glanced at the catkin still curled up, sleeping soundly, and couldn't help but smile wryly.
"Thank you for choosing me, Master," Remu said, bowing deeply.
Shera, sitting beside her, puffed her cheeks in a pout.
Of course, there was another reason I wanted Remu with me—her apparent past ties to a bandit group. If things came down to it, her knowledge could prove invaluable.
"I'll wake Miria," Lillia said as she quickly went over and gently shook the sleeping catkin.
"And the last person joining me will obviously be you, Roxanne," I said with a smile.
"Yes, Master," Roxanne replied, nodding with determination.
"Master, why not take one more person? That way you would have a full party of six," Sherry suggested.
"I will be keeping you in my party, Sherry, but you will stay here," I explained. "This way I can stay in touch with you through Party Link."
"Alright, Master," Sherry said with a small sigh, nodding reluctantly.
"Master… can't you take me instead?" Shea asked softly, her rabbit ears drooping as she gave me a sad look.
"We can't bring too many people," I said, shaking my head. "No matter what happens, I don't want to draw too much attention."
Shea nodded slowly, understanding, though her face was still downcast.
The truth was, if fighting broke out, I trusted Roxanne and Miria to handle themselves. Beyond them, I wasn't confident the others could avoid injury. But there was no need to tell them that.
While we were talking, Lillia had managed to wake Miria up and quickly briefed her on the situation. The catkin rubbed her eyes, then stood and walked over to Setsuna.
"Onee-san will help-desu," Miria said with a determined look, patting Setsuna's shoulder.
I couldn't help but chuckle—she was clearly trying to act like the older sister between them.
"Thank you," Setsuna said, nodding at her gratefully.
"Alright, let's get geared up," I said, gesturing for the four girls to follow me. I made sure to grab the explorer bag before heading upstairs.
In the bedroom, Roxanne and Miria lit the oil lamps, filling the room with a soft glow.
"You will need proper armor and weapons in case a fight breaks out," I said, looking at them. "Let me upgrade some of your gear right now."
I handed Roxanne the Dragon Leather Jacket, Boots and gloves. Honestly, I doubted any enemy could even land a hit on her, but I still felt better knowing her armor was upgraded.
"Thank you, Master," Roxanne said happily, hugging the jacket close.
"That's not all—you will be using this sword too. Flame Rapier," I said, handing it to Roxanne.
"Master… shouldn't you be the one using such a powerful weapon?" Roxanne asked hesitantly.
"I will most likely be relying on Durandal tonight. Besides, you already fight with a rapier, so this suits you perfectly," I explained, pressing it into her hands.
"…I'm grateful, Master," she said softly, a bright smile blooming as she accepted the sword.
"So, did the flame spell came to your mind?" I asked with a grin.
The Flame Rapier came with a unique spell—by chanting the incantation, the wielder could make their next strike erupt with fire.
"Yes, Master, but… my Brahim isn't very good. I doubt I could activate the spell correctly," Roxanne admitted with a sigh. "Even the slightest mistake in nuance or pronunciation, and the skill won't trigger."
"Don't worry," I reassured her, "I will teach you the chant for the Flame Rapier, just like I taught you the chant for Beast Attack."
Her ears perked up instantly. Beast Attack was one of the core skills of her Beast Warrior job. I had taught her the chant when she had reached level 9; although she hadn't gotten a chance to use that skill yet.
"Really? Thank you so much, Master!" Roxanne's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Next, I handed Miria her usual gear before presenting her with something new.
"This is the Estoc of Petrification," I explained, showing her the blade's slender, needle-like edge. "Strikes from it carry a high chance of petrifying the target—especially if you land several hits in succession."
Roxanne translated my words.
"Thank you-desu!" Miria said with a determined nod, gripping the weapon tightly.
Finally, I turned to Setsuna and Remu. I equipped them with spare gear that originally belonged to Anastasia and Lillia. It wasn't ideal, but it would serve for now. Tomorrow, I would have to purchase proper equipment for them.
Roxanne and Miria helped strap the armor into place, checking buckles and adjustments. They both replied that they were more comfortable with swords, so I gave them my last two steel swords. One of them was Lilia's.
Lastly, Roxanne helped me put on my equipment. The only change this time was that I wore the Boots of Swift Acceleration instead of my regular steel boots. I didn't feel any different wearing them, but I figured their magic would show its worth once combat began.
Afterward, I packed various supplies into the explorer's backpack and handed it to Roxanne for safekeeping. I also distributed health and mana potions to everyone, sealed neatly inside metal canisters.
"I hope you all remember—your safety comes before everything else tonight," I said as I personally tied the Sacrificial Misangas around the girls' ankles.
Remu and Setsuna looked especially shy, but the gravity of the mission weighed heavier than their embarrassment, keeping them quiet.
I had six pairs of Misangas, and after equipping five of us, we couldn't wear the Earrings of Fortitude as any person can only equip one accessory. Anyway they only reduced incoming damage, while the Misangas could sacrifice themselves to block a fatal attack—far more practical.
"Roxanne, Miria, Remu, Setsuna… are you ready?" I asked, standing.
"I am ready, Master," Roxanne answered tying her hairband.
"Ready-desu," Miria said with a small nod.
"Yes, Master," Remu replied, her face serious.
"Setsuna is ready to save her village," Setsuna declared with conviction.
I smiled. I hadn't even asked them if they wanted to back out, but deep down, I knew none of these girls would have chosen that path anyway.
Roxanne, in particular, wore an eager smile that bordered on excitement. Was she already craving battle? Perhaps.
But who was I to judge—when I realized that my own grin was just as bloodthirsty!
***
I give a heartfelt thanks to my new Patreon Supporters! :)
lilbigj12
You are Omega level on Patreon and Tier 5 on Discord now!!
Mohvmud
You are Beyond Omega level on Patreon and Tier 10 on Discord now!!