Takami no Kago – Chapter 13

Amy was born as the second daughter in a merchant family.
She was already skilful since she was little, so she made her own accessories which surprised her family.
And since then, Amy aspired to be an [alchemist].
Her reason sure is trivial. Since the [alchemist] that could make anything also appeared in the picture book she liked back then, the coincidences were just piling up. Also, when Amy had having interest in [alchemist], her parents also had an [alchemist] guest staying in.
That person showed Amy various techniques.
Like how to refine potion and how to make accessories with many kinds of special effect. Amy who watch it closely was even more entranced by [alchemist].
And the chance showed up when she was 12. A temporary sub-branch of [Alchemist Guild] was built in Amy’s hometown.
She who had been studying [alchemist] on her own made a judgement that she couldn’t expecting more progresses.
Unlike [Adventurer Guild], [Alchemist Guild] was exclusive.
Even the missions are mostly fixed, there’s no change for the better. [Alchemist] whose skill are up to some extent can earn some money enough to eat.
However, if you can be the guild executive, the missions are different from that of the lower positions’.
You’ll always obligated to develop new things, and you’ll received the appropriate research funds.
At the time, Amy negotiated directly with the guild executive. The guild executive who surprised at her action even though she was still 12, hired her as his assistant to test her [alchemist] skill.
The guild executive valued the excellence Amy. Since she was participating in various researches as an assistant, she was conspicuously standing out.
2 years after, she progressed to the point she was appointed as the executive head assistant.
However, just as how many-researchers ignorant to her, Amy also trying to be as ignorant with them either outside of [alchemy].
And Amy who was disliked by the other head assistants around her, involved in a test’s accident.
It was a performance test on item to enhance fire magic’s power.
The test that originally weren’t dangerous at all was causing huge accident.
The item that should be transmitting the power of the spirit of fire indirectly to the tester was imprisoning the mad spirit of fire directly.
The item that was filled with the fire’s magical power released the spirit inside and after causing enormous damage to the research room, it rubbed off its curse on the tester, Amy, before it self-destructed.
All that was left were the [curse]d Amy and the unfunctioning laboratory that was reduced to nothing.
Amy was left in a situation where she had to take responsibility of the test’s failure and had to pay for the urgent indemnities.
Although Amy couldn’t make head or tail of what happened, realizing she was in a position where ‘if she can’t pay the indemnities until the deadline, she will ended up as a slave,’ she immediately processed her cherished materials. However, the [alchemy] that should be ended without any mistake even if she closed her eyes, was ended in a mess. With her skill, she wassupposed to be able earning money to pay the indemnities until the deadline.
Yet, with her skill obstructed by the [curse], she messed everything up.
And finally, she run out of materials; leaving her with no way to earn money to pay up the compensations.
What made her came to halt when she wandered around the city aimlessly and dumbfoundedly was the [Adventurer Guild]’s building.
[Adventurer Guild] and [Alchemist Guild] aren’t particularly hostile to each other. In fact, for Adventurer Guild, Alchemist Guild is a good customer who would buy materials in a huge amounts; and for Alchemist Guild, Adventurer Guild is must-exist-distributor that can immediately collect materials they need.

“I’ll be an adventurer and aim to get rich!”

Amy who was impatient quickly entered the Adventurer Guild.
The guild isn’t that noisy inside. And maybe because it was still early in the morning, it was not crowded.

“First thing first, I need to get a mission.”

Saying so, Amy headed towards the mission board, however, she regrettably didn’t know how to earn money with mission.
While going to and fro between the mission board and reception desk, thinking whether she should asked the receptionist, she noticed someone was looking at her.
The one who was looking at her was a young man adventurer. He was looking at her curiously.

“Was there something strange in me?”

Although she didn’t understand herself, Amy who suddenly felt uneasy that she might have done something improper for an adventurer, resolved herself and asked the man. This was, her first time meeting with him.

He, not only saw through that she was a beginner, he also gave her some advises.
To take a mission, one had to register;
To register, money is needed;
Subjugation-type mission was quite rewarding since one could received subjugation reward and sold the materials;
Even so, that might not reached the target 15 gold coins.

“Just don’t exert yourself. Although I’ll be away for around 10 days, I could help you after.”

Lastly, he concerned about my safely and said that he would helped.
But, 10 days are too long. The deadline to pay the compensations are 7 days.
Even if he come back safely, my problem will either too-late-for-help or already settled.

“Maybe I’m a little lucky being treated kindly by a kind person.”

Although I’ve given up already, still it’s better than doing nothing; finishing the registration, I took the relative weak mission, [Goblin] subjugation.

Early morning the day after, I who hurried myself to go to the forest near the town, saw adventurer-san who treat me kindly yesterday in the eastern gate’s plaza.
As I tried to go to thanks him again, I stopped myself when I noticed the cute girl near him.

“Is she his girlfriend…”

Although I feel like something pricked my heart, I ignore it and advance to the forest.
The subjugation in the forest went well. Uh, at least I thought so.
The goblins that should be the prey was continuously showing themselves in front of me.
However, I fought the goblins, not going to lose.
When I, when I advanced forward I was already surrounded by 5 goblins by the time I realized.
Even after faced with that situation, I still optimistic. 5 goblins aren’t a problem if I fight carefully.

“Ei!”

I swing the short sword I aim at the goblin. However, the goblin dodge it easily.

“Eh?!”

I realized that it was a trap they set up. Up until now, the goblins were luring me to this place.
When I try to escape by running, trying to break through, 2 goblins block the passage. They read my movement.
This might be the end. The moment that thought float across my mind, the goblin in front of me collapses.
And at the same time, I felt something went past by me.
When I turned to check, the 2nd goblin was annihilated.
The remaining goblins surround the intruder, and attack him from behind.

“Look out!!”

However, that person didn’t remain in the same place, he ran and avoided the goblins’ attacks; and when the goblins broke their stance, he slew the 3rd goblin.

“Amazing, 3 goblins are down in a moment.”

While he knocked the 3rd goblin down, the other two rebuild their posture and glaring at him.
And as though he paid no heed, he grasped the sword with both hands and suddenly separated his eyes from the goblins.

“Ayla! Now!”

Reacting to that voice, the goblins turn back. I also fooled and look behind the goblins, but there is no one.
Thinking what was all that about, I return my sight, only to find that the goblins’ necks cut off, annihilated.

“You alright?”

He asked me kindly.
I immediately said my gratitude and looked at his face.

“Y-Yes. Thank you for saving me from danger. Huh! You’re?!”

He was the kind adventurer yesterday.

“Hmm? Ah, yesterday’s alche—, uh, yesterday’s girl I met in the Adventurer Guild, right.”

Although he mumbled something, it seems he remembers me.
I felt happy, then I replied.

“Y-Yes. So you remembered me.”

“Well, since you’re a cute girl. And I thought I warned you not to exert yourself, though?”

“C-Cute isn’t—?! Ah, I-I’m sorry. Since I need the money no matter what…”

Him saying cute all of a sudden was causing my mind that just received warning from him in a mess; and when I was about to explain, I was interrupted by him.

“Anyway, we shall return to the horse-drawn carriage first.”

As though estimating him saying so, a horse-drawn carriage was coming. And the cute girl I saw this morning also there.
Seeing both of them talk so intimately, I felt another pricked in my heart.
After that, they returned to the road they came from and said that they would escort me back to the town, but as expected I can’t ask to be spoiled. After I said my gratitude to him for saving me and was about to return to town, he handed me his spare sword.

“As expected I can’t accept this.”

“Then, think it like you owe me one. Since the sword’s a consumable item, I don’t mind if you didn’t return it.
You could just return anything different to me. I’m Hibiki, an adventurer. Normally, I’d show myself in the guild every day. Just contact me if you want to return the debt.”

He was, Hibiki-san was very kind.

“I understand. I will definitely return the debt.”

I absolutely have to pay this debt.
It’s so I can meet Hibiki-san again, too.
I finally arrived at the town safely. For the time being, let’s go to the Adventurer Guild and give reporting about the subjugation.
Though it ended up like that, the number of goblins I’ve defeated before I was being surrounded was exceeding the required number of the subjugation mission.
With this, I can saved up a little money.

In the remaining time I had, I pick all missions inside the town. After that event, I scared to go outside the town.
Since the next time I get attacked, Hibiki-san won’t be there to help.
Although the reward is small, it’s better than doing nothing.
15 gold coins is the amount of the compensations, as well as my selling price.
Slaves who has more debt than their selling prices will be sent to magic ore’s excavation site, to pay up the remaining debt, when they become a slave.
Even if normal slave is sold with high price, there’s no way it’d sell. And so, if their labour-to-pay-the-remaining-debt and their selling price exceeding the debt, they can finally be sold as normal slave.
However, because I have [curse] on me, my worth as a slave is little to nothing.
So, if I were to degrade into a slave with the amount of compensations as my selling price, I won’t be able to come out from the excavation site.
The amount of money I’ve saved until now is 4 gold coins. That’s all my money after I sold everything I have.
I’m in a state where I don’t have a place to sleep tonight nor food to eat tomorrow.
However, I don’t have to worry about that. Since I’ll be working until I dead in the excavation site from tomorrow. Debt is better as little as possible.
Though only a little, at least it’ll quicken my release a little as it may be.

“Nonetheless, there’s no more thing I can do…”

Afternoon this day, I’ll degrade into a slave. Once degraded as a slave, you’ll lost all your social credibility. At last, the time has come, the slave dealer man showed up on the meeting place.

“Did you managed to collect the money?”

The man who should have known already the answer, asks so.
Since this also his job. Not feeling angry about it, I hand him a pouch with 4 gold coins and several silver coins inside.

“…unsufficient, huh. Then, get on the horse-drawn carriage.”

The man wrote the condition on how I’d to pay my compensations, took out a parchment, and muttering one, two words.
After that, a round pattern was engraved on the back of my right hand. It’s a [carved seal].
This is a magic contract that is most solid among all contract, that’ll directly carved inside the body and will automatically punish upon a breaching.
This round pattern is something that will appears when someone degrade into a slave.
When bought by a master and an official contract was formed, the master’s sign will appear inside the pattern.
Though it’s irrelevant to me since I won’t have a master as I have to continue working in the excavation site until I dead.
When I’ve given up, and headed towards the horse-drawn carriage; that time,

“Wait up!!”