Full Clearing Another World under a Goddess with Zero Believers (LN) - Volume 7 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Makoto Takatsuki Learns of a Disastrous Future

◇ Furiae Naya Laphroaig’s Perspective ◇

This was the first time I had visited Great Keith, and I walked around the city feeling relaxed. The sun was harsh and a hot breeze caressed my cheeks. My clothes clung to me with sweat, but despite the uncomfortable feeling of being out of place, I was having fun. People wore bright smiles, and the streets were filled with noise. It was a different atmosphere than either Roses or Springrogue.

Everyone’s...so carefree.

Once, back in the underground ruins of Laphroaig, I’d been told about what the other countries were like. How they weren’t shrouded in perpetual darkness like our home—how they were bright and constantly covered with brilliant sunshine.

I couldn’t help but compare this place to the memories of my own experiences in Laphroaig.

Back then, we’d sat in the gloom, eating whatever we could scrounge together. I recalled fleeing the Temple Knights over and over, time after time.

The world isn’t fair.

I knew that all too well.

It doesn’t matter. I’ll live on alone...

I brushed the dark feelings aside. This was the first time I’d been in Great Keith, so I figured I should enjoy my visit more. The people around me certainly were.

“H-Hey, look.”

“Man, she’s hot.”

“Maybe she’s a foreign noble?”

“She’s only got one guard though.”

“Maybe he’s stupid-strong?”

“He...doesn’t seem like it. Looks as if a stiff breeze’d do him in.”

Those were the conversations I could hear around me. I was used to the men’s gazes, so I turned to look behind me instead.

My knight was peering with interest at the various wares on offer. Though he was supposed to be a hero, normal people thought he looked weak. He didn’t even seem bothered after getting beaten to a pulp by that other hero out of nowhere.

Doesn’t he care?

That brought back memories of Springrogue and the high-rank demon who’d attacked us—Sciulli. Makoto Takatsuki had commanded angels to eat her just as one might squash a bug...with no care at all. Just remembering it made me shudder.

It’s difficult to tell what he’s thinking...

Even now, he seemed to be training practically without sleep, so maybe his loss did bother him. Although, according to him, there weren’t any water elementals in the country. Would he be okay?

I was drawn from my pondering when I realized that my stomach was empty.

“Let’s go there,” I suggested. We entered the fairly empty establishment and had a meal together. In the beginning, I was slightly taken aback by the taste of the food, but it was good. Once I’d finished the sweet dessert, I let out a soft sigh.

What were the mage and warrior doing now? I was glad Aya had managed to evolve. Hunting those lizards every day had been a chore. Maybe the daily attempts had worn on me because before I knew it, I found myself asleep.

Dreaming.

People were screaming. The tang of blood caught in my nose. Dust hung in the air, darkening the area. Vexingly enough, this felt almost nostalgic—it was just like Laphroaig.

I realized I was standing amidst rubble.

Gamelan, the city I’d just been walking through, was utterly destroyed. Arms and legs poked from the rubble, all of them twisted unnaturally, crushed, and stained red. They were all dead...corpses as far as I could see.

The place I’d been shopping and eating was a charnel ground.

“Guh!” I gasped, waking up.

Damn it.

My Future Sight had activated again. The vision I’d just received was a premonition of the near future. Plus, being a necromancer, I could see death. I lifted my head off the table and scanned my surroundings, from the seat on the terrace to the people walking by.

Ugh...I feel sick...

They’d been enjoying themselves moments ago, but now...all I could see was pain and resentment. One person’s arm was bent unnaturally, another had lost a leg, and worse still was the one missing their head entirely. I just couldn’t enjoy the town anymore.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It was all an illusion.

“Argh! This is the worst!” I complained. I couldn’t discern whether the people walking the town were alive or dead. The mixture of Future Sight and Necromancy meant that all I could see was corpse after corpse.

“Princess?” called out a nearby voice.

I hadn’t even dared to look his way. After all, I worried I might see my knight’s cadaver, and I didn’t want to see an acquaintance dead.

Slowly, ever so slowly, I peeked.

He’s the same as ever...

My knight, Makoto Takatsuki, was completely unchanged. He was just staring at me worriedly from amidst the death, his face as dull as ever.

◇ Makoto Takatsuki’s Perspective ◇

“My knight, we need to get out of the country!”

“What?”

“Just do it! Back to the inn—we can take the mage and warrior and get out of here.”

“Wh-Whoa, hold up. What’s going on?”

Furiae had lost her cool out of nowhere. She wanted to leave Great Keith. As I calmed her down, she told me the context.

It boiled down to four things:

She’d seen the people of Great Keith dying in the near future.

The cause was unknown.

Whether I’d get caught up in it was also unknown.

Staying in Great Keith was still dangerous.

“Princess, let’s talk it through with Sophia first.”

There was a long pause.

“Fine. But we need to leave soon.”

“Okay.”

After that, we headed back to the inn where Princess Sophia was waiting. Fortunately, the fire priestess had already left, so Furiae was able to explain what she’d seen. After hearing about the vision, Sophia’s expression was conflicted, but she soon seemed to come to a decision.

“There are people in Great Keith who possess Future Sight, so I find it hard to believe that they have made no preparations... Still, I shall inform them, just to be sure.”

“Through the priestess?” I asked. If that was the case, we couldn’t go after her.

“No, I believe the military would be a better avenue. You should come with me. I will introduce you to the general.”

“Got it.”

All this time, Sasa still hadn’t woken up. I could hear her breathing softly. Lucy was supposed to be looking after her, but she was sharing the bed and also sleeping. They sure were getting along.

I noticed that Twi was with them too, curled up in a ball. She was the same as ever, huh?

With a course of action decided, I followed the princess to the castle.

It was the first time I’d seen a palace quite like this—unlike the grand beauty of Highland’s castle, and the reserved elegance of Roses’s, it was, in a word, a stronghold. The walls towered above us and were made out of a thick material similar to concrete. As we entered, everyone around us was clad in armor. They were all tall and walking in formation. When they looked at us—or more accurately, at Princess Sophia—they’d always salute.

I can’t settle down here...

The two of us, plus Princess Sophia’s guards, were guided farther inside to a big room—not the audience chamber that we’d been initially greeted in. Right in the middle of the room was a bearded man. As we approached and he saw the princess, the man rose from his chair.

“Princess Sophia. It is an honor you would come all this way.”

“General Talisker. Thank you for accommodating us on such short notice.”

This man—General Talisker—was the one responsible for the country’s army as a whole.

“It is good to meet you, Hero of Roses. I am Talisker, and I command the army of Great Keith.”

“Likewise. I am Makoto Takatsuki,” I replied, giving a bow like Princess Sophia had taught me.

I’d heard several things about this man before. Notably, he was the father of the Hero of Incandescence, Olga Sól Talisker. He was also the person most likely to have spurred her on.

“What is your business here today?” he asked. “Urgent information, I presume?”

“Indeed. One of our group reported an instance of Future Sight warning of a risk to the country.”

“Hmm...” The only change to his expression was a slight movement of his eyebrows. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

“Am I to presume that this warning comes from the moon priestess in the Hero of Roses’s party?”

The princess’s breath caught slightly. She’d been found out. Well, he was in charge of the army—he’d surely have intel operatives.

“Is there a need to answer that?” the princess asked after a pause.

“Not at all. Your response is sufficient.”

Sophia, that was essentially a “yes.”

The other men in the room didn’t say a word; they probably wouldn’t until the general told them to. Still, the moment Furiae’s title left the general’s lips, some of them began looking slightly hostile.

We...might not be very welcome here.

“My thanks for your report, Princess Sophia. The upcoming tournament means we have more people in the capital than is normal. The alert level will be raised.”

The princess paused again. “I see. Then we shall take our leave,” she said, cutting the conversation short. She didn’t seem to want to stick around.

I went to follow as she left, only to be stopped by a voice behind me.

“Hero Makoto. I should apologize for my daughter.”

“Not at all,” I replied. “She was as strong as I’d expect from Great Keith’s hero.”

“Truly, she never listens or rests.”

Should I disagree? Was he trying to imply that the attack hadn’t been his idea?

I can’t tell.

There was no point worrying about it, so the princess and I left the castle.

Once we were back and had eaten, I spent the night training in my room. Furiae had said she wasn’t feeling well—she’d shut herself away. I’d gone to check on her, but she’d told me to leave. I also hadn’t seen Sasa or Lucy since I’d returned.

So, I conjured a little mouse with water magic and spent the time playing with Twi.

Suddenly, there was a knock at my door, and Sasa called out, “Takatsuki.”

What the...?

As she stepped into my room, it felt like I’d been blasted by a gust of wind.

“Are you free?” she asked.

“Y-Yeah...sure,” I answered, awed by her presence. She hadn’t changed at all in looks and still seemed to be the same human girl. According to Fujiyan, she was back at level one. Despite that, being near her felt like standing in front of a demon lord or ancient dragon. It was weird...like she was just...more. Was this the result of her evolution?

“What’s with that look, Takatsuki?”

“Doesn’t matter. Where’s Lucy?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Well, Fuu seems down, so she went to go check on her.”

“Right... Furiae has been a bit off since lunch.” She’d said that Future Sight used a lot of mental strength, so she was tired. I’d notice how pale she was, so I felt pretty worried.

Sasa then grabbed my hand, and I felt a chill.

“Hey, let’s go out,” she said with a teasing grin.

All of a sudden, she yanked on my arm...and pulled me out of the window.

Hey! This is the third floor!!!

The two of us whistled through the air.

“Wooow,” Sasa gushed. “So this is what it looks like from up here.”

“There are a lot of buildings,” I commented. “Well, it is like the continent’s second most important city.”

The two of us were currently flying through the air above Gamelan, and Sasa...had transformed into a harpy.

“I thought you hated harpies?” I asked. The lamiae and harpies had been bitter enemies in Labyrinthos, so it felt odd to see her in that form.

“Yeah...but I fought them so much that it’s easy to transform into one,” she replied with a bitter grin.

Maybe the memories had faded a little... That could only be a good thing.

“So, where are we going?” I asked.

“What? On a date, obviously. You went on one with Fuu earlier, so let’s take a walk.”

A date...

I looked at my old school friend’s face—her expression was serious. It looked like she was searching for something...and aiming for a goal.

“What’s that big building?” Sasa asked, the question pulling me back to earth.

“Um, the Colosseum. It’s where they’re holding the tournament.”

“Hmm, so it’s like a big stadium...”

“Want to go look?” I asked. Sasa was entering the tournament, so it wouldn’t hurt to check the place out first.

“Nah, not today,” she replied.

So that wasn’t her goal. In which case...

“Is that what you’re looking for?” I pointed, and she looked in that direction.

“What’s with all the tents?” she asked.

The area was a big empty space containing several large tents. They were about the same size as the circus tent we’d seen in Roses, but there were dozens of them, making for a rather strange sight. Fujiyan had once told me what was within them.

“That’s the slave market, Sasa. The biggest place for trading in slaves in the country.”

“The slave market...” Her eyes took on a dangerous glint.

So...she is after Kawakita.

According to Fujiyan, he had not managed to find out anything useful about Kawakita’s would-be buyer. And now, there were only a few days left until the auction.

Sasa turned to me with a serious expression. “Say, Takatsuki. Shall we make a detour?”

Will you head for the slave market?

▶ Yes

No

So here comes the choice.

There was something here. We might’ve been stepping into a lion’s den, but Sasa was the person asking.

“Let’s go say hi to Kawakita,” I decided.

“Thanks!” Sasa was suddenly overjoyed.

“We should do it cleverly though,” I added.

She looked puzzled for a moment, and I explained my idea.

◇

“Hey, does this work?” Sasa asked, shifting her large frame uncomfortably. “I kinda don’t like it.”

“Well, you’ll fit right in at the slave market,” I told her.

Sasa was disguised as a rotund, rich-looking woman with a showy dress and massively jeweled accessories—the very image of someone who’d married into money.

I was playing the role of her attendant with a Transformation of my own. Well, actually, all I’d done was let my hair grow longer at the front—faceless protagonist style.

Though we were disguised, it bears mentioning that Transformation functioned differently for us both. Sasa was a lamia, a race proficient with Transformation. They’d morph into humans, deceive other humans, and then eat them...which was a rather scary use of the skill. Sasa’s unique skill set allowed her to keep Transformation up 24/7.

On the other hand, I had acquired the skill through training, so I could only use it for an hour. I couldn’t change into just anything either. For example, I couldn’t turn into a harpy and fly like Sasa. And since today I would be keeping up Transformation for a long time, I’d just changed the front of my hair.

“Did we really need to disguise ourselves?” Sasa asked.

“Yup. The military has investigated us, so they would hear about it if we came as ourselves.” The general even knew about Furiae being the moon priestess. There were a lot of soldiers here as guards, so I didn’t want to be recognized.

“It’ll make it harder if we have to kidnap Kawakita as a last resort,” I murmured.

She looked surprised for a moment then leered at me. “You’re a bad man, Takatsuki.”

“It’s the last resort. I’d like to avoid it if we can.” It was a crime, after all.

“Then let’s go!”

We exchanged nods and passed through the entrance. We were stopped before heading into the market, but handing over a pile of chips got us in.

Fujiyan had already explained the way things worked here. Inside, the area was unexpectedly clean and lively. The main product was, obviously, slaves, but there were also places to gamble and such. The most popular kind of slave in the country were the fighters.

With Great Keith being a military country, it was sometimes called the “martial country,” so strong individuals garnered respect. A skilled warrior—even if they were a slave—was treated fairly well here. There were people without any skills besides fighting who would find themselves a master that would pay well, and then sell themselves off. It meant that strong slaves were both prized and expensive.

As for how to tell which slaves were strong... Well, the Soul Book listed their skills and stats, but the quickest way to find out was to get them to fight. There were several simple rings around the market where the slaves could battle one another.

Taking wagers on the fights was just capitalism at its finest.

There were clerics on hand for healing, so some safety procedures had been implemented...despite the general lack of civility that this concept had in the first place. And though the phrase “slave market” brought something dark to mind, this area was actually full of excitement.

“Wow, Takatsuki. Those slave girls are fighting.”

“It looks like there’re different divisions depending on gender and build.”

Was it to make sure things were fair? These fights seemed more like a sport at this point. At the same time, only the warriors were fighting, not the mages. Apparently, mages were judged solely by their Soul Books. That was for a simple reason—mages fighting in town could cause far too much damage.

“Who do you think will win?” Sasa wondered.

“Hmm, an amazoness and a beastgirl. They’re both pretty strong.”

I guess while we’re here, we’re spectating... The first fighter was a tanned, lean woman, and the other looked like she had tiger ears. They seemed pretty evenly matched, so I couldn’t discern anything except for the fact that they were strong.

Maybe as strong as Nina...?

“I wonder if I could join in...” Sasa murmured ominously. “If they’re that strong...”

Whoa there, Sasa. We can’t stand out like that.

I turned to say just that, but there was a sudden ringing in the air. A moment later, I realized it was coming from Sasa. The two fighters suddenly stopped and looked at us—Sasa specifically—in shock.

And it wasn’t just those two—all of the fighters had looked. Fortunately, the spectators hadn’t noticed.

“Sasa, we need to get out of here,” I hissed.

“Whuh? Uh, right.”

We hurried away and ended up at a spring in the middle of the area. It was almost like an oasis. Trader carts were lined up, and their horses were drinking from the water. I caught some glimpses of water elementals as well.

“Ugh, that was bad...”

“S-Sorry, Takatsuki,” Sasa apologized as we caught our breath. She was in her normal human form now.

“Be more careful next time. Did you accidentally use your Menace skill?” The shock on those fighters’ faces had definitely been weird. They’d looked like deer frozen in the headlights.

She grumbled. “I didn’t mean to...”

Maybe it was because she wasn’t yet used to the evolution. She’d just have to take it steady.

So, with that crisis averted, I decided to cheer her up. “Sasa, look over there! Our goal’s in sight.”

“What?”

There was a much bigger tent on the other side of the spring. Many people were standing guard at the entrance.

“I used Listen to check it out,” I said. “That’s where the big earners are being sold.”

“So that’s where Keiko is...”

“Hold up, Sasa,” I panicked as she started to emit even more waves of hostility than earlier. “Right...why don’t we just head back...”

“What?! After we came this far?!” she demanded, whirling to look at me.

“We’ll come back in the middle of the night. We now have an idea of how the guards are situated, so we need to get ready to sneak in.”

We could ask Furiae to help as well. There was a lot to do.

Sasa stared back at me, her expression perplexed. “You seem like you’re having fun.”

“Hey, Sasa, look me in the eye. I’m dead serious.”

“Whatever.” She laughed.

Why?

“I want to nap in your room then,” she added.

Hold on! You’ve got a room of your own.

And so, we headed back to the inn and started our preparations.

◇ Later That Night ◇

The bustle of the slave market had completely died out. There were, however, still plenty of guards, so we couldn’t be careless.

Sasa had transformed into a harpy—she was flying through the sky, taking us toward the big tent.

We’re exposed like this though. We’ll be spotted.

“Water Magic: Mist.”

I borrowed some mana from the meager water elementals in the area and covered our vicinity in fog. I would’ve preferred to cloak the whole slave market, but there weren’t enough elementals, so not enough mana for that much magic. While Great Keith was a desert, it did get bouts of rolling fog from the distant sea. This weather pattern was called a rolling mist, and it occurred about once a week.

“We can’t take it easy. Let’s go, Sasa.”

“Right. Stealth is perfect.”

Sasa and I quietly landed near the tent.

Then, I took out a special item I’d had Furiae make. It looked like a perfume bottle and just contained water. However, the moon priestess’s curse had transformed it into something really nasty.

It had been imbued with Slumber and Forgetfulness.

I used water magic to spread the cursed water throughout the fog. Before long, the guards were all asleep. And, even if they did wake up, they wouldn’t remember the last few hours.

Once we arrived at the large enchanted tent, I took out my dagger, sliced through the fabric, and we slipped inside.

There were guards inside as well, but they’d all been put to sleep by the fog. Sasa and I crept farther in using Stealth. In the center of the space, we found a girl in a lavish cell. All the furniture was luxurious...especially considering the fact that she was a slave. If it weren’t for the cell itself, the area would just look like an expensive hotel room.

Because of the late hour, the girl inside was sleeping, but I recognized her face. The last time we’d met was at the Water Temple. She was one of my classmates from high school.

“Keiko!” Sasa cried quietly.

The girl rubbed sleepily at her eyes and stretched. She’d been blonde when we’d spoken at the temple, but her hair was now back to its natural black color. The strong-willed impression searing from her now open eyes hadn’t changed at all.

“Huh...Aya? No way... I’ve got to be dreaming.”

“No, it’s me, Keiko! It’s really me! I came to see you.”

“Wha? No way! Really?!” Her eyes flew fully open as she ran over toward us. There was an intricate and complicated collar fastened around her neck.

So that’s the slave collar...

Slavers were the only ones who could remove them, and the method was fiercely guarded. These collars were ridiculously expensive as well, so they were only used on valuable slaves.

Well, Fujiyan did say she was the most expensive slave in the auction.

She was an otherworlder who had the High Wizard skill. She was also a former classmate of the Hero of Light. On top of that, she was attractive, so the nobles would probably be drooling over her.

“You’re okay, Aya? You weren’t at the Water Temple when we all arrived.”

“Uh...” Sasa fumbled for a second. “Well, I got blown off course. Takatsuki found me.”

That prompted Kawakita to look my way.

“Oh, you’re Takatsuki? Hmmm. You’ve changed.” She grinned.

“H-Hey. It’s been a while, Kawakita.” I tried to play it cool...but tripped over my tongue.

“Nice, Aya. At least in this world, you managed to snag the guy you like.”

“Hey! Keiko!” Sasa protested.

“G-Guys, keep it down.” This definitely wasn’t the time for catching up.

They both apologized in unison and fell quiet.

“We’ll rescue you soon, Keiko,” Sasa said. She’d grown quiet, and her fist was clenched tight.

Kawakita’s reaction wasn’t particularly enthused. “Ah, right. Michio came and said the same...”

Michio Fujiwara was Fujiyan’s full name. He’d said that Kawakita was a childhood friend of his, so it made sense that she’d call him by his first name.

“Honestly, it’s my own fault I ended up as a slave.” Her tone seemed indifferent. “Plus, the guy who’s going to buy me is pretty influential...so you don’t need to push yourselves too hard.”

“N-No! I can’t leave you like this!”

“Well, I never would have considered it in Japan. But we were all treated pretty well once we got to this world, so we got carried away. Then, before I knew it, I fell into gambling and racked up a huge debt. That’s how I ended up like this.” She gave a small derisive snort.

Ah, so she had to sell herself because of gambling... Fujiyan had talked around that detail.

“What about your boyfriend Okada? He didn’t try to help?!”

“Him? No, we broke up ages ago. He just kept cheating since being an otherworlder attracts tons of women. They were all over him! The hell kinda harem was he trying to pull?! All the guys that go for that should be shot!”

Kawakita, quiet!

“Takatsuki seems all right, so you probably don’t need to worry...but make sure you pay attention,” Kawakita advised seriously, putting her hand on Sasa’s shoulder.

“U-Uhh, right...yeah...”

We’d come because Sasa was worried about Kawakita, but the roles had been reversed now, and Sasa was looking awkwardly away. So was I...

Kawakita frowned in puzzlement at our reactions. “No way... Takatsuki, you’re only dating Aya, right?”

Sasa and I let out noises of confusion.

Man, Kawakita looks scary!

“Well, he has two other girlfriends,” Sasa explained. “Oh, Mary might count too, so...three?”

Why would you tell her?!

Kawakita looked utterly disbelieving. “You’re just like them?! I was wrong about you! I thought you were a stand-up guy!”

Really?! We’d never talked though.

“Well, he’s doing his best as the Hero of Roses,” Sasa countered, defending me with a rueful smile.

“And that means he can have lots of girls?”

Yup, that’s the right reaction. Sakurai and the others had gone overboard.

“Actually, weren’t his stats and skills so trash he stayed behind?” Kawakita sneered. “He’s seriously a hero?”

“Well, a lot’s happened,” Sasa said. She then launched into a simple explanation of recent events.

After Sasa finished, Kawakita gave an impressed sigh. “Takatsuki, you went through all that...?”

“See? He’s had it rough.”

Apparently, finding out how I’d gotten covered in burns, used suicide magic, and been petrified had changed how Kawakita viewed me. Sasa had been all too happy to explain.

“I thought Ryousuke Sakurai was the only one of our class actually trying to fight properly against the demon lords.”

“Well, he’s a diligent guy,” I said. Her disbelief made sense—after all, just showing up in a new world didn’t mean you’d save it. However, our classmates who’d gone with Sakurai had changed as well.

“Well, okay then. Takatsuki, look after Aya. Tell Michio not to work too hard at it. This is all my own fault.” Kawakita smiled, and she didn’t seem to be putting on a front either. She sure was something.

However, Sasa wasn’t happy. I also didn’t want to leave empty-handed.

“Kawakita, there’s a disaster coming for Great Keith soon. It might spill over to this place.” I then explained exactly what Furiae had seen.

“So many people dying in the capital... Really?” Even she couldn’t remain unmoved in the face of that.

“The princess’s predictions have never been wrong.”

“I see... So is this princess one of your girlfriends too?”

“What?”

We’ve gotten off track again.

“It’s okay, Keiko. She isn’t yet.”

“I see...so it’s just a matter of time. Good luck, Aya.”

“Yeah,” replied Sasa. “Still, all the girls around him are so cute.”

“Don’t worry! You’re cute too.”

“Uh, guys?!” I interjected. Can we get off this topic already?! “A-Anyway. It could be dangerous to stay here.”

“It’s not like I can run away,” Kawakita said, gesturing to the collar.

“As long as you’ve got that collar on, you physically won’t be able to run, right?” I asked. “And they can find you with it too?” I hadn’t heard about it in detail, but that should be about right. The collar was the thing stopping us from just breaking her out.

“Ugh... We can’t do anything!” exclaimed Sasa. “If we knew what would happen concerning Fuu’s vision, then we might be able to manage something... Have you got any ideas?”

“I can ask the princess to take a look again when she’s feeling better,” I suggested. “But other than that...”

I trailed off. There might be a better way.

Noah! Eir! I called mentally. Do you know what’ll happen in Great Keith?

No reply. Maybe they were busy?

It’s not like they reply right away every time. I’ll try asking later.

“We’ll look into it later,” I said. “We can’t stay here though, so we need to move.” We’d actually been talking for about an hour.

“Yeah. We’ll be back, Keiko,” Sasa said, regretfully holding onto Kawakita’s hand.

Just as we moved to leave, Kawakita spoke up once more. “Oh, right! I don’t know if it’s related...but the slavers were talking about something weird. There’ve been a lot of people buying up cheap slaves. Well, they might be cheap for slaves, but it’s still a lot of money to toss around—noble buyers who try to hide their names get found out sooner or later...but these people haven’t. Some think the buyers are rich people from another continent, but I saw—” Her voice started shaking. “—there have been cambions mixed in with them. Daemon believers at that. Since I’m a mage, I can read a person’s mana and tell whether they believe in the goddesses or the Daemons.”

“That’s amazing, Keiko!”

“Cambions that follow daemons...” I mused. “So it’s them again...”

They’d been in Roses, Highland, Springrogue, and now Great Keith. Something was fishy.

“What you mentioned earlier made me think about it,” said Kawakita. “The Snake Sect is always behind the scenes, right? They believe in the daemons, and they also have a lot of cambions in their ranks. Was that helpful?”

“Thanks, Kawakita. It really was,” I said.

In the end, I had to tug Sasa along to get her to leave.

It wasn’t quite dawn yet. Sasa (in harpy form) was holding onto me as we flew through the air.

“What Keiko said... Well, what did you think of it?” Sasa asked.

“Snake Sect members are buying up a load of slaves. I guess they’re going to use them for a rebellion.”

“Like they did in Highland?” Sasa asked. They’d used the class divide in Highland to incite a rebellion. Would they use slaves here? “But fighters are expensive, right? Even if they’re slaves.”

“Plus, it looks like they’re treated well here,” I added.

The time we’d spent in Gamelan had helped us understand how the country worked. The strong were respected. Even a slave was treated more like a live-in employee if they could fight. Well...that is, with a few more restrictions on their freedom.

A lot of slaves were musclebrains who thought more along the lines of “I can eat until I’m full and just fight,” so it was a bit of a win-win situation for them. The nobles also earned money by using their slaves. For example, they could send their forces off to places with lots of monsters or bandits to restore order.

Roses was apparently a big customer on that front. Our soldiers weren’t strong enough... Including our hero...

“I don’t think the Snake Sect benefits from buying a bunch of weak slaves,” Sasa concluded.

“Yeah.” Still, it was bothering me, so I’d make sure we told Princess Sophia and Fujiyan just in case. “Shall we head back?” I asked.

“Hmm, maybe we can stay out a bit longer?” She headed away from the inn, toward the city walls in the opposite direction. We soared above the wilderness for a while before Sasa found somewhere she liked and landed. The sky was starting to lighten.

“Sasa?” I asked as she turned back to human form.

“We’re finishing our date.” She looped her arms around my neck, sending my heart racing. “See, we’re alone. As far as the eye can see.”

“Right, it does kinda feel like we’re the only people in the world here—”

I was cut off by a blaring alarm in my head.

Sense Danger.

Sasa’s eyes sharpened immediately, and we both turned around.

There were about a hundred massive gray lizards with lolling tongues staring at us.

“Wh-What are they?!”

“S-Sand Dragons!”

Their scales allowed them to camouflage with the sand, so they were hard to spot from a distance. Despite the way they hid, they were unusually strong. They were one of many carnivorous dragons that called Great Keith home.

Are we in a nest of them?!

Suddenly, the closest leaped at us with a hiss.

“You keep getting in the way!” Sasa shouted angrily, launching her fist forward.

“Sasa!” That was a dragon! All of them were calamities, so she was in danger...

At least, that’s what I wanted to say.

Her fist impacted the dragon’s jaw and it went flying, spinning through the air for over a hundred meters. The way all the others’ gazes followed it was kinda cute.

No way?!

That dragon should have been about the same strength as the one we fought in Labyrinthos. The rest of the dragons started hissing and advancing on us, angry that we’d taken out their friend.

“Sasa! We should ge—”

“Get behind me, Takatsuki!”

“R-Right...”

She seemed so dependable. I, on the other hand, was a damsel in distress in the desert since there weren’t any water elementals.

Several hours later...they were all taken care of!