Takami no Kago – Chapter 4

After I’ve returned to the usual inn, I asked them to change to a double room. Since I barely have anything with me, the changing went smoothly.
Now then, since I bought Ayla on impulse, there are not a single personal stuff of her in this room.
For now, realizing I know nothing about Ayla, I started talking with her.

“I’m Hibiki. I work as adventurer. Hope we’ll get along well.”

“Y-Yes. I hope we will get along well, too.”

Ayla bended her body, bowed to me faithfully.

“Ah, um, I have [Curse] on me, and aren’t Master an adventurer?”

Ayla looked at me anxiously.
Well, that’s a given; since normally there won’t be any adventurers, who sometimes have to face live death situation,
who would invite a slave with [Curse] only God knows what kind of misfortune it’d brought.
In short, she was worried whether or not I would sent her to do exploration in forest or dungeon alone.

“Ah, yeah. You’ll be helping me doing exploration.
Of course, exploration isn’t always safe, but I’m not going to ask you to explore alone, so be at ease.”

“Y-Yes! Thank you very much!”

And yet again, she bowed exaggeratedly. As she bowed vigorously, I happen to see a tail on her waist.

“Well, should I try it.”

When I first saw her, I thought of something I want to try.

“Ayla, come here.”

When I summon her, she come closer fearfully. Umm, she’s too cautious to me.

“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything. I just wanna try something.”

“A-Alright.”

I place my hand on her shoulder and concentrating on [Divine Protection of Light].

And then, the room was engulfed in light before it went back to normal.

After I feel some reaction, I check her status.
 

Ayla Lv. 4
Warrior
15 years old

HP 750 (+250)
Atk 240 (+80)
Agi 465 (+155)
Int 120 (+40)
Luk 120 (+40)

[Divine Protection of God of War (follower)]
Effect : Raise combat-related status (Large)
Target : Self

 
Oh, the [Curse] is gone, furthermore her status has rise thanks to [Divine Protection of God of War (follower)].
Rather, isn’t this girl too OP.

“Er, what was that just now?”

Ayla inquires me so curiously.

“Just now, I lifted your [Curse]”

I tried my best answering her as though it was nothing.

“Huh?! Is that kind of feat is possible?”

Though it was said that innate [Curse] couldn’t be dispelled,
it seems for [Divine Protection of Light], [Curse] is counted as abnormal status; hence it’s possible to remove it.

“Well, I was gifted with [Divine Protection] you see.”
In this world, having [Divine Protection] is valueable. Moreover, no one but the person itself who know well about the [Divine Protection].
In short, if someone does something of impossible feat, as long as he said it was thanks to the power of [Divine Protection], anyone would consent.

For example, even if you create a stir by subjugated dozens of monster the same day you register in the guild;
or create a stir by accepting mission to collect herbs, and collected huge amounts of herbs in a short time with [Divine Protection of God of Appraisal];
as long as you said so, everyone would consent.
“I was gifted with [Divine Protection].”

“Th-That is amazing! It is my first time meeting person who has [Divine Protection]!”

“Since I don’t want my [Divine Protection] to be known, could you please keep the dispel a secret?”

“I understand! Um, then, is my [Curse] really lifted?”

“Yeah, if you don’t believe it, you’ll see it for yourself once we get your Guild Card in the Adventurer Guild tomorrow.”

Just like [Divine Protection], curse-holders would have [Curse] inscribed on their Guild Card.
It’s a given since it might be causing some effects to the surrounding just like [Divine Protection], unless it worked in a bad way.

“N-Nonsense, I would never dare to doubt Master, still…”

“Even if someone were to say your [Curse] is lifted out of the blue, it’s hard to believe, right. Yup, don’t mind it. We’ll know it tomorrow.”

“Y-Yes!”

“That aside, we need to get equipments and daily needs for you, huh. Since I don’t have any intention to keep a slave.”

“Huh?! Master, aren’t you need a slave so you bought myself?”

Looks like normally we wouldn’t buy a slave on impulse.

“Right, you were just so cute that I can’t helped it but bought you.”

I tell her honestly. I’m not being a liar. Though it’s also true that I feel I could lift her [Curse].

“No way, I am far from cute~”

Ayla place her hand on her cheek as her face flushed red from embarrassment.
Yup, that gesture’s cute too.
I embraced her instinctively as we sat together on the bed.
I seated Ayla between my legs and hugged her from behind.
I’m not going to make a move right now. No rushing, carefully.

Looks like Ayla has reserved personality.
Is it because she has been oppressed these past years since she’s a [Curse] holder.
Seems like she barely had any interaction with other after she lost her parents.

“I am very glad, that I was bought by a very kind Master.”

I was flustered as she said so with a tears swelled up in her eyes.
Well, it looks as if I, a mere adventurer, just wanted to buy a slave for a bargain.
So she might worried that I would tossed her like a used-up shield.
Couldn’t bear to watch that cuteness, I put some strengths on my hand that hugged Ayla.

“Is it clothes and the like that you need? Though I don’t know much about tiger-beast, is there anything you need?”

I asked her while petting Ayla’s tiger-ear from behind.
It seems tiger-beast only eat raw meat is just bullshit.
As though still feeling a little nervous, Ayla sometimes jerked as she covered her face in embarrassment.

“Um, could I have a collar?”
She whispered so with a flushed face. Is it her interest?
I asked her back reflexively.

“Collar?”

“Yes, there is a obligation for a therianthrope-slave to wear a collar.”

“Hmm, if it’s an obligation, then there’s no helping it. Anything else?”

I see. So that’s a obligation, I was kinda flustered since I thought that’s her self-interest.

“There is none in particular, everything else is the same as human.”

“Then, we should check Tailor’s Shop, huh. Do they also sell collar?”

While listening, now I’m stroking Ayla’s tail. As I continuously stroking her tail from the root to the tip full of care,
I can feel Ayla relaxed her body slowly but surely.
I keep stroking her like when I do the cat I keep at home.

“Yes, I think they sell it. However, Equipment Shop also sell collar.”

“Collar from Equipments Shop, huh. Is that means it’s counted as [Equipment]?”

“Yes, it is counted as Head Equipment.”

“Then, let’s buy collar in the Equipment Shop, tomorrow.”

“Yes! Thank you very much!”

While having that conversation, I don’t stop petting her tiger-ear and stroking her tail.
Ayla’s eyes are a little moist as she entrusts her body to me.
It seems Equipment is something you could make using material from monsters.
Because of the magic at work, it could fit any size.
Also, it has a sturdier and sharper than that of normal armours and weapons.
But because of that, each part of the body could only equip no more than one Equipment.
For accessories, as long as it’s not of the same kind, we could equip several of them.
In other words, if you’ve equip a ring, you can’t equip another one; but it’s alright to equip earrings and bracelet.
Whether it is too fantasy or too real, even I don’t know.

As long as she keep wearing collar daily, she can’t wear Headpiece Equipment, so it’s no good if she equip collar with weak status.
Today, I ate dinner with Ayla, washed ourselves with water, and slept on the same bed with Ayla.
Ayla was cute even on bed. Looks like it’s a good shopping.