Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume 18 - Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

The Other Slave (Part 2)

HALF OF JULIETTE’S LIFE had been stained with despair. She was born to a dwarven couple and literally given the name, “The child of Bazar of the Holy Steel and Lilitella of the Beautiful Snow Ridge.” In dwarven custom children were not given names until they reached seven years of age, so there was nothing strange about her not having one of her own. Back then, Juliette’s parents referred to her as “our baby” or “our beloved girl,” and she thought nothing strange of it.

But enough of that. Let’s talk about Bazar and Lilitella. They were a little different from other dwarves. Most dwarves lived on the Millis Continent, in the southern part of the Great Forest along the foot of the mountains. They spent their time mining ore and using it to craft weapons, which were used for hunting, or sold to buy food. They were a rather simple race in that way.

Julie’s parents, however, made their lot by traveling the world and crafting weapons and adornments in each region they visited using whatever materials they found there. Julie didn’t know the reason they decided to leave their homeland to become nomads. Perhaps they had a good reason, or perhaps it was merely youthful indulgence that led them to venture away from their country of origin.

Whatever the case, one thing was readily apparent: the life they had chosen wasn’t an easy one. Worse, they were already on the brink of bankruptcy when Julie was born. They’d dug themselves into further debt paying back debts they owed, and no matter how much they worked, they weren’t earning enough to keep up with the interest. Their debt only grew and grew.

It wasn’t that her parents’ craftsmanship was lacking, they just didn’t have the business acumen or foresight to make proper use of their talents. They thought that if they made a good quality product, people would be willing to buy it, which was why they took out loans for top-quality materials far beyond their means and tried to sell the products. The issue was, very few people would stop by a roadside shop to purchase something that exorbitant. It took the couple too long to sell their wares, and they sank deeper and deeper into the red in the meantime thanks to the interest on the debts. When they got lucky they would break even, until you figured in living expenses, and then it was back to being in the red.

It was honestly impressive how the two managed to live like that for so many years. They only managed because they’d figured out how to be self-sufficient. At times, they even resorted to cunning means to keep afloat, such as defaulting on smaller debts by skipping town to the next country. For several years the couple were desperate to scrape together a living, and there was definitely nothing enjoyable about it for them.

Julie’s earliest memory was of her lying in bed and watching her parents hunched over, their backs turned to her as they worked on crafting something. They had their foreheads nearly pressed together as they fiddled with something in their hands. A cool breeze came through a crack in the room and caressed Julie’s cheek. She cried out, and Lilitella smiled reluctantly as she hurried over and cradled her daughter in her arms, trying to comfort her.

The way they looked was engraved in Julie’s mind even now—the tears threatening to well in Lilitella’s eyes, and the dark, guilty look on Bazar’s face. Julie couldn’t recall ever seeing them smile, not truly.

A few years later her parents finally crumbled under their debts. They had skipped out on so many repayments that the loan sharks had all started putting them on blacklists, making it impossible for them to borrow any more. Without the means to buy the materials they needed, they had no way of eking out a living, as it was winter in the Northern Territories by that point.

Their only choices were to die as a family or find a way to live on as slaves. With no other options readily apparent, they chose the latter.

Despite their tough circumstances, Bazar and Lilitella were probably more fortunate than most. Dwarves had strong constitutions, and since Bazar was such a skilled smith, he found a buyer quickly. Lilitella did not have much of a longer wait; she was skilled with her hands, could create beautiful adornments and repair various objects and clothing, and she had experience looking after children. Neither of them would die, even if they were ripped apart from one another. There were still people out there who needed their skills. 

Except for Julie, of course, who was the most misfortunate of their family. She was too young to be of much use. She could hardly even speak at her age. She filled no one’s needs, and so there were no buyers to take her. Day after day she stood at the edge of the slave market, staring down at her feet. Even the slavers were growing troubled over what to do with her. Slaves were still people like anyone else, which meant the slavers had to feed them, give them a warm place to sleep, and make sure they stayed healthy.

The one lucky thing was that Bazar and his wife had managed to sell themselves to the slaver Febrito, who was one of the bigger slavers in the trade. He had secured himself a prominent spot in the market, and he had a reputation for quality merchandise. That was why they kept Julie and looked after her even though she had failed to attract any buyers, instead of abandoning her on the side of some road.

That was where her luck ended, though. Even Febrito didn’t have the luxury of caring about what he considered defective goods in his warehouse. His treatment of Julie gradually grew sloppier until he gave up on dragging her out to the sales floor altogether.

Despite how young she was, Julie knew no one needed her. She also knew that her parents had abandoned her. Worse, she knew that she would probably suffer from the cold and starvation in that cage until the sweet embrace of death finally took her.

Julie wasn’t particularly bothered by the idea of her life ending. None of her memories were of anything good. She was born into poverty and spent her whole life with an ache in her belly. Her meals consisted of soups with bitter grass and old meat on the verge of rotting. She’d tried her best not to get in her parents’ way, loitering in corners and spacing out the whole time. Every day was as bland and meaningless as the last. The only decent memory she had was of a time when her parents managed to sell one of their works for decent coin. Her father let her have a little sip of alcohol at the time. It was an atrocious grog, mixed with all sorts of things. But as a dwarf tasting liquor for the first time, Julie thought it was absolutely delicious.

Julie had no desire to live. She didn’t dream of finding happiness for herself. She had no idea how that might even happen. That was why, when those two men appeared before her, she couldn’t picture anything good coming from it. In fact, she was positive something new and awful was on the horizon.

“Do you not want to live anymore?” one of the men had asked her.

Yes, that’s exactly it, she’d thought at the time. I want to die.

“If it’s that bad, should I just end it for you?”

 A part of her felt relieved. Finally, it will be all over. No more cold, no more ravenous hunger. Her dark life would come to an end.

The man asking her this question had a blank expression. He was so utterly unreadable that she got the impression he really meant it—that if she nodded, he’d take her life as easily and quickly as he breathed. His eyes were far too serious for it to be a joke. But the more she studied them, the more something strange bubbled up inside her. It was almost like he was really trying to say, “You have enough life left in you to give this another shot, don’t you?”

Of course, if he actually said so, she would have probably shaken her head and insisted she couldn’t go on. But he spoke not a word, silently staring back at her.

It wasn’t like Julie didn’t consider it as an option. It was simply that the following words passed through her lips unbidden.

“I don’t want to die.”

Nothing in her memories made her actively want to live, but it wasn’t as though she truly wanted to die. 

That’s right… I don’t want to die.

After they washed her body of all the grime, put her in expensive clothes like she’d never worn before, and fed her the most delicious food she’d had in all her life, they finally said…

“From today onward your name will be Juliette.”

They had given her a name. Hearing it, she smiled. Julie didn’t even know why she’d done it, but she did.

It was only afterward, upon reflection, that she realized—at that moment, she finally felt like all the misery she’d experienced in her life was at an end. Her smile then must have been from relief…or so she thought.

***

Life as a slave was far different from what she’d imagined. Granted, her imagination was limited due to her narrow life experience, but she heard how the other slaves in the slave house lamented all that happened to them. She naturally expected her despair to continue.

She spent her days looking after Zanoba and learning earth magic so she could conjure and craft figurines. There were so many things she had to remember, so many orders rained upon her, and if she didn’t adhere to the rules and keep promises she’d made, they’d get angry with her. It was tough work for someone so young. It didn’t help that she was a slave at the university; the other students treated her poorly when Zanoba wasn’t watching.

Even so, she’d experienced worse before being sold into slavery. They kept her fed, let her use warm water for her baths, and gave her a cozy place to sleep. Most importantly, her master, Zanoba, was incredibly kind to her. He might get angry, but he would never yell at her. He was always extremely patient and made himself absolutely clear when communicating with her, despite not sharing a common tongue in the beginning.

“You don’t belong to me,” he would say. “You are my master’s slave.”

That was a phrase he repeated the first few months she lived with him. Honestly, he probably believed it. To him, Julie was simply on loan. That was why he was so polite to her, not as he would be with a guest perhaps, but more like he would be with a servant or maid. Julie was a hopeless mess on her own and couldn’t do anything, but Zanoba never looked down on her for it; he taught her every single thing she knew. How to clean, how to look after figurines and dolls, how to do laundry, how to keep dolls and figurines organized, how to fold clothes, proper table manners, how to wash figurines and dolls. Zanoba was pretty independent, despite being royalty. Thanks to that, Julie learned to look after him in no time at all. 

Then she had to learn the language and skills for her craft. Rudeus was the one primarily responsible for teaching her that, and he never lost his patience with her. Even when she struggled to retain vocabulary or grammar and shrunk in fear of his reproach, he kept his voice calm and kindly tried to figure out what was giving her difficulty. He was strict in his own way, however, making her repeat the same thing over and over for days until it finally stuck.

To be frank, Julie wasn’t too fond of Rudeus in the beginning. Partly because he resembled the villain in a fairy tale her parents had told her when she was younger, but partly because his words from when they first met left such a lasting impact. She knew he could end everything at the drop of a hat. If it suited him, he could rip her from the life she’d grown accustomed to. That thought made it difficult for her to relax around him. 

Fortunately, that feeling soon faded. Rudeus didn’t do anything to her even when she failed to meet his expectations. In fact, he actually showed her great consideration and smiled at her. Any anxiousness she felt gradually receded until she was fully comfortable around him. 

Zanoba was probably responsible for that as well. He always ate meals with her, slept nearby, and whenever she got sick or injured or even felt a little off, he would immediately rush to fetch a Rudeus or a healer. When she experienced her first period the other day, he tried his best to be there for her even though he had no idea what he was doing. Panicking and fretting, at a total loss, Zanoba had truly treated her as if she were his little sister. 

Julie actually had no idea if he actually had any siblings or, if he did, what kind of people they were. Zanoba never spoke to her about his family. On the other hand, Zanoba gushed daily about whatever figurines or dolls he’d spotted in the market, or about ones he had in his possession. He always looked genuinely happy when he did so. Perhaps he’d never had someone to share his hobby with before, but it was also natural for someone to enjoy talking about their passions. Julie guessed the reason he hadn’t spoken of his house or family was because it wasn’t an enjoyable conversation for him. She felt the same; she didn’t really want to remember what her life was like before she became a slave.

Zanoba spent each night—and sometimes the afternoons—babbling on and on about dolls and figures. He had a great breadth of knowledge across a variety of fields, all of it accurate and precise. Thanks to him, she gradually became more learned as well. Every time she showed off the skills or knowledge she had learned, Zanoba would be pleased and praise her, which made her even more eager to study.

Ginger was strict with Julie when she arrived, particularly when it came to etiquette, clothing, and manner of speech. Julie’s life didn’t really change that much despite this, especially since Ginger didn’t treat Julie like a slave; she regarded her as a colleague serving Zanoba.

As the days went on, Julie found something precious of her own—her work making figurines. It certainly wasn’t a job she had wished for. It was only something she’d started because, as a slave, her master had ordered her to do it. If she was honest with herself, however, it was pretty fun.

Zanoba was frankly terrible when it came to the craft aspect of figurines, but he taught her whatever he could and provided tools if she needed them. That was how she slowly built up her skillset, one new technique at a time. The more she improved, the better she could make things exactly as she envisioned in her head.

Zanoba was unerringly delighted whenever she completed a figure, but on occasions where she excelled he didn’t shower her with mere praise but allowed her to drink fine alcohol as well. As a dwarf, alcohol was like life’s nectar to her. It heated her whole body and made her heart feel light and airy. It made the dark memories from her early childhood grow dim enough that she could really bask in how enjoyable the present moment was. Those feelings transformed into the energy she needed to keep working hard each day, and provided the motivation to start on a new figurine.

It brought Julie a great deal of delight to feel her skills improve and to see her creations bring someone else such joy. It was the first time she’d ever experienced such a thing, and it helped her devote herself to figure-making. She poured all her effort into making figurines to show Zanoba. He was normally overjoyed, although he would offer strict criticism sometimes. When that happened, she would make the next one with greater care, devising ways to improve on her past failures. Sometimes the end product would be a little better and sometimes it would be a little worse. 

So passed the days thus, over and over. Julie’s life was peaceful and enjoyable, and she was grateful to Rudeus and Zanoba for providing her with that. She earnestly prayed she could continue being with them forever, making her figurines as she did. At some point, making those figurines had transformed into her very identity.

On an ordinary day among the many happy ones she’d spent in Sharia, Julie finished a figurine just as she always did. However, this one was a little different—nothing dramatic, of course, just a small difference. Naturally, since she’d made it using the same techniques she’d used on the others. She conjured the base of the figurine with earth magic and chiseled away the excess until it was of a uniform size. Then she used her knife to perfect the shape, while her magic took care of polishing the rest. That was her regular process.

This time, however, she noticed that something was off once it was finished. Or rather, there was nothing off about the figurine at all. That was exactly what bothered her. The figurine was practically perfect. Her skills were still only at the intermediate level, so ordinarily she’d flub something in the process. It was only natural; these figurines weren’t life-sized figures of people but miniatures that didn’t maintain the exact proportions or anatomy. And yet this one lacked any of those expected flaws. It was well-balanced—the arms and legs had natural curves, the surface was cleanly polished, and even the more intricate details were carefully tweaked to perfection.

Most importantly, you could tell with a single, cursory glance that the figurine was gorgeous. Julie had no idea what in particular caused it, but she remembered this peculiar sensation. When Zanoba showed her the figurines he kept carefully stowed in the very back of his dorm storage area, she had felt something similar. Simply put, they were masterpieces.

When Julie realized what she was feeling, something indescribable bubbled up from the pit of her stomach—an emotion she couldn’t put a name to. She never dreamed she would be able to create something like this. She thought it would take many more years before she ever crafted something equivalent to a masterpiece. No—truthfully, she wasn’t confident that she’d ever accomplish such a thing. For her to achieve that now, out of nowhere, was unbelievable.

It wasn’t like she’d made this with a few simple hours of work. She’d devoted a considerable amount of time to it. She should have finished it more quickly since she used the full extent of her magic while making it, but it had taken a whole month. She used every bit of knowledge and experience she’d accumulated in creating this one, but still: never in a million years would she expect it to turn out this well. She didn’t think herself capable of such a thing. If someone were to tell her to do it again, she doubted she could manage it. But there was no mistaking it: the figurine in her hands was something of her own creation.

Emotion washed over her, and soon enough, a face popped into her mind—an oval-shaped one with glasses, belonging to an altogether plain-looking mature boy—Zanoba.

I have to show this to Master, she thought.

No doubt Zanoba would screech at the top of his lungs and circle the room gushing when he saw it. She also knew he’d shower her with praise, too.

I have to let him see it immediately!

With that thought in mind, she picked up the figurine, intending to head right for Zanoba. The problem was that he was on the outskirts of Sharia working on adjusting Rudeus’s Magic Armor at the moment. If she made a dash for it, she would be able to reach him before he headed home. That would guarantee they wouldn’t miss each other.

Julie paused at the door, lips pinched in thought as she held the figurine in her hand. It was a top-quality piece. That much she was sure of. Every cell in her body screamed that this was a masterpiece. But could she really show it to Zanoba like this? He’d be delighted, sure, but upon consideration, all the other masterpieces he’d shown her were carefully tucked in wooden boxes lined with beautiful fabric.

Every few days, Zanoba would open the boxes of his most prized figurines to check in on them. He always wore a look of deep anticipation as he pulled free the lace holding the box shut. His face would light up when he saw the figurine inside, his touch ever so delicate as he lifted it up and placed it on his desk, admiring it with a breathy sigh.

Yes, a box. A necessary component in amplifying a masterpiece’s quality.

Julie glanced around her work area. She looked at all of the work tools and supplies she used for figurine making, but nothing there resembled a box. Since her magic supplied all the necessary materials for her craft, as per the style Rudeus had taught on her, she didn’t have supplies she could use to make a box with. She did, however, have a white linen bag. It jingled when she picked up. It wasn’t too heavy but it had a respectable weight. Tucked inside were some copper and silver Asuran coins.

Zanoba paid Julie a wage for all her work. She couldn’t quite remember when that had started, but he insisted she take it in case she ever needed something suddenly. Lately, he’d been paying her a particularly generous amount. Ginger was none too pleased, insisting, “I don’t see why it’s necessary for her to have money,” but Zanoba ignored her protests. His insistence on paying her made her suspect Grand Master Rudeus had said something to him.

Julie pondered this deeply. This was precisely the sort of situation where she needed something suddenly.

She grabbed the money and headed to the artisan quarter. The place she was headed was none other than Belfried’s shop. Zanoba had dragged her there numerous times before, so she knew just how much he respected the quality of Belfried’s work. It was why she decided on purchasing a bed that would suit her figurine so she could present it to Zanoba.

Alas, things did not turn out the way she had anticipated. The price was far steeper than she could pay. The products featured in his store were beyond her means with her current income. That was only natural since his pieces were made for nobility. Shocked as she was at the price tags, she refused to give up and tried to barter with Belfried.

Zanoba was one of Belfried’s valued clients. He didn’t purchase any dolls, but he did have enormous praise for the “beds” that Belfried made. He would bring his own figurines and have Belfried construct specially made beds for them. The better the quality of work he brought in, the cheaper Belfried was willing to go with his prices. That was why she’d hoped to get a deal she could afford by showing him the figurine she had.

Things didn’t go the way she’d hoped this time, either. Well, no, that wasn’t entirely correct: her plan was actually on point. The moment Belfried laid eyes on her figurine, his excitement skyrocketed. He screeched like an inhuman creature and scrambled back into the depths of his shop, coming back with an enormous sack of gold coins. He immediately used it to plead with her to sell to him.

“I would be more than happy to make a bed for her,” he said. “I’ll make one so grand that she can sleep in warmth and comfort at my side for the rest of her life! You’ll find no one more suited to keeping her than me, especially with my skills at bed-making. I’ll put that beautiful girl to rest and let her sleep peacefully on a one-of-a-kind cushion! Now, please! Be a dear and accept my offer!”

His eyes were unnaturally wide and drool dribbled from his mouth as he pressed in on her. Naturally, that scared her. Her entire body trembled. Julie instinctively shoved him away and made a break for the door. Belfried gave chase, but fear propelled her little legs as hard as they could go. She slammed into a shelf on her way to the door and sent the contents scattering to the floor, but she didn’t look as she made her escape. Unfortunately for her, Belfried also ignored that and continued charging after her, screaming something incomprehensible as he did so.

Somehow, Julie managed to shake him off her trail and made it back to the dorm room, huffing and puffing. Her body continued to tremble in fear for a while afterward. She feared he might kick the door down at any moment and come stomping in after her. Luckily, that didn’t happen, and Zanoba returned later, which helped her regain her composure.

Julie couldn’t go back to that shop now, not after what had transpired. So what else could she do? That night, she puzzled over the matter until she at last remembered something that Rudeus had told her. “If you need something and you don’t already have it, just make it.” She couldn’t remember when or why he’d said that, but regardless, they had purchased her for that very purpose: to craft things. And now, she had earth magic and the tools necessary to shape whatever she conjured and polish it to perfection.

The very next day, Julie began using her supplies to make a box. She conjured the basic shape with her earth magic, then used her mana and tools to trim it down. She’d done this hundreds and thousands of times before. It didn’t matter that it was a box instead of a figurine in the initial phases, at least. Completing the project was difficult, though, since the more intricate details required a different process and skill set. She was still not done after several days of work: maybe about seventy percent through. It was impressive progress considering she’d never done anything like it before, however.

As she crafted her box, a memory from her younger years came back to her. She saw her parents’ faces, dimly lit in their dreary, cramped little house. She honestly didn’t have many fond memories of them. They were often yelling at each other over money or otherwise looking forlorn. The only good thing she could say about them was that they did work hard. Night after night, with only a single candle for light, they slowly whittled away at something. Her father was normally boisterous during the daytime, but when night came, he was deathly silent as he wove metal together into a chain-like end product.

What stood out most in Julie’s memories were her mother’s ornaments, carved out of wood. She could whittle a block of wood into the most beautiful lily. Julie couldn’t remember what her mother had eventually put those lilies on, but she vividly remembered the flowers themselves. With those memories as a guide, she carved lilies into her own box. Seeing it gradually approach completion made each day more enjoyable than the last. Surely Zanoba would be pleased, wouldn’t he? She wondered how he would express his delight. Would he gleefully screech the way he normally did? Or would he squint so hard that his eyes vanished into his cheeks, showing more muted joy? The more she imagined it, the more her heart hammered in anticipation.

As has already been written many times, Julie was truly grateful to Zanoba and Rudeus. She was also satisfied with her current life. She wanted things to continue like this. That was her wish.

“Julie… Do you wish to stop being my slave?”

Those words cut deep into her heart.

She had a bad feeling the moment she saw him walk in with Belfried in tow. After all, the two were quite good friends, and she had shoved Belfried and fled his shop. When she knocked over one of his shelves in the process, she might have also damaged some of his merchandise. Only now did she realize how incredibly rude she’d been. She expected Zanoba to be angry with her. He never yelled at her, but he had been cross with her on some occasions. He was especially strict when she’d done something wrong. Sometimes he would even punish her, to make sure she understood what she did was wrong and to not make the same mistakes next time.

Whenever Zanoba got angry with her, Julie would frantically try to right the wrong. Usually that was enough to fix things. In fact, Zanoba and Rudeus were always quick to forgive her. Why, then, did she panic? The answer was simple. Oh, so utterly simple.

Julie pursed her lips and thought it through. She was convinced she’d upset Zanoba over her treatment of Belfried. If she had damaged his beautiful merchandise, of course Zanoba would be angry about it. Those were expensive goods produced for the nobility, which would mean a great personal loss to Belfried if they were broken. The cost would probably far overshadow any price she would fetch if they were to sell her.

This was much worse than she’d anticipated. Even Rudeus was involved now, and they were considering letting her go. That was her guess. 

Maybe it would have been different if it were just her and Zanoba. Maybe it wouldn’t have ended up like this if not for her run-in with Belfried. Maybe she wouldn’t have felt so much pressure if Rudeus hadn’t been present too. Perhaps, she could have calmly considered what he was saying and answer truthfully that no she still wanted to be at his side. 

Alas, that was not the case.

Julie’s vision went white, her mind spinning in circles as she tried to rack her brain for a response. What should she do in this situation? She had to do something, didn’t she? Her thoughts wandered to the way Belfried had acted at the shop and the price he’d offered her for her figurine.

In a desperate attempt to cling to her final hope of salvaging this, Julie ran back to her room. It felt like the world was closing in around her. Her legs were unsteady as they carried her and her hands kept trembling, but she somehow managed to reach under the bed and pull out the thing she’d hidden there—the figurine, the very masterpiece she’d made herself. The one thing Belfried desperately wanted.

Julie gripped her creation in her hands and hurried back to Zanoba and the others. She walked right past him and sank to her knees in front of Belfried.

“I’ll give this to you, so please, please forgive me!” Tears and snot started pouring down her face. The first thing she had to do was subdue his anger, which was why she’d brought out her figurine and offered it.

Rudeus and Zanoba were both flabbergasted by her actions. The former, in particular, never dreamed she would have such an exaggerated reaction to their query. He assumed they should gently broach the subject with Julie, since it would be difficult for her to admit she no longer wanted to be their slave. That’s why he was caught off guard when Zanoba waltzed up to her and outright blurted the whole question.

And now things had come to this. Of course he was utterly floored. The only person present who wasn’t was Belfried. He’d planned to negotiate a price with Julie after their other discussions were dealt with, but when the object of his desires was suddenly thrust in front of him, he joyfully reached for it.

“Hm? Oooh! You’ll allow me to have it? Ah, well, if you insist!” His fingers stretched toward it.

“Wait.” Someone grabbed his hand before he could snatch up his prize.

“What’s the meaning of this?”

Rudeus was the one who had stopped him. All traces of confusion and surprise had vanished from his face, and instead he looked both angry and on guard. “Why is Julie sobbing and begging for forgiveness?” he demanded.

“I-I’m afraid I haven’t the foggiest,” said Belfried.

“Well, nor do I, but would you really be satisfied getting your hands on a figurine you want for free? Don’t kid yourself. You know that’s way too good to be true.”

“True, when you put it like that,” Belfried admitted with a reluctant nod. “I would…hm? Um, Master Rudeus? The strength of your grip is…rather painful.”

Thanks to the Zaliff Gauntlet, Rudeus’ normal strength was amplified to an impressive degree. He held Belfried so tight that the latter couldn’t pull away even if he wanted. Worse, Rudeus’s grip was slowly tightening. A cold sweat beaded on Belfried’s forehead.

“No matter how chummy you are with Zanoba, that’s no excuse to rob an innocent little girl of her figurine. You got that?” Rudeus glared at him.

“I truly meant what I said, I haven’t the faintest idea why she’s doing this… Um, Master Zanoba, won’t you help me out?”

Both men glanced at Zanoba, who had been frozen in place for a whole minute now. His eyes were glued to the figurine in Julie’s hands, and he hadn’t moved so much as an inch. From the look on Rudeus’s face, he was probably thinking, Zanoba? Oh no, don’t tell me you somehow died standing up?! Or something along those lines.

Fortunately, Zanoba wasn’t dead. As proof of that, his body shifted very, very slowly, almost as if time itself was trickling by at a snail’s pace. He turned toward Julie and stared at her. Rudeus and Belfried were struck speechless as they watched him. They gulped as they waited for him to react. Zanoba’s expression was utterly ghastly. Terrifying, in a single word. Even Julie noticed the change in his demeanor. She turned to face him and mumbled, “I’m so sorry.”

In that instant, Zanoba jerked forward and slammed down onto his knees in front of her. He reached for her hands—or, more precisely, for the figurine cradled in her hands—and only stopped himself a hair’s breadth from touching it.

“Master,” she gasped.

“It’s incredible,” he said with a shaky breath. His praise didn’t stop there; it was almost as a dam had broken. “It’s…absolutely stunning. This is… It’s… Words fail to express its magnificence! From the very top of its head to the tips of its toes, it’s breathtakingly beautiful. I would be at a loss to pinpoint its precise strengths, but its posture, the fingertips, and the small wrinkles in the clothing… It raises the quality to a whole other level! And it all fits together perfectly! Oooh!”

The way he was gushing about it, he probably longed to take the figure in his hands and study it from every angle, but for whatever reason, his fingers refused to grasp it. They remained suspended in the air, trembling. He wanted so badly to touch it but couldn’t. It was almost as if the figurine was so divine that he feared touching it.

“So why then, Julie…” His words came out strangled. “Why?!”

“Huh?” she gasped back at him.

“Why did you try to give it to Belfried without even showing it to me first? Have I done something to offend you? I don’t understand—you have always shown me every project you have completed before!” Zanoba started sobbing, big, ugly tears streaking down his face. Were they tears of frustration that he couldn’t have this particular figurine? Or was he saddened by Julie’s betrayal? Rudeus rudely suspected it was at least sixty percent the former, but we’ll ignore his offensive thoughts for the moment.

“I suppose you really did want to raise the money to buy your own freedom? If that’s the case, why did you not speak with me first? I would happily pay three hundred golden coins for this figurine! No, perhaps I couldn’t pull together the funds immediately, but I swear I will find a way if necessary! I stake my honor on it! And you should be familiar enough with me by now to know how willing I would be to pay for it!”

“Um, uh… Master, um…”

“Or is it that you fear I might try to use my influence over you to steal it? I must admit, in retrospect, that you have crafted a number of figurines for me without proper compensation. I reasoned that it was fine since you’re a slave and you were still inexperienced at the time, and even though you have improved immensely recently, I still haven’t given you the pay you deserve!”

Zanoba continued to lament, holding his head in his hands as he gazed up at the ceiling. “I am so sorry, so terribly sorry, Julie. Allow me to apologize. I’ll bow in apology however many times it takes. I may not be able to offer you the same price that Belfried has, but in exchange, as your master, I will grant whatever wish you have! Thus, I must beg you, please…allow me to have it!”

The way he pleaded was similar to how Belfried had behaved before, but with Zanoba, she didn’t feel fearful at all. That was because she knew he was showing consideration not for the figurine but for her. He most certainly wasn’t angry with her, that much was clear. It wasn’t that he was trying to expel her.

The moment she understood that, some other emotion welled up inside her. Tears filled her eyes and soon left warm trails down her cheeks, but this time she wasn’t crying out of fear or desperation.

“Yes, I understand, Master,” Julie said. She never had any intention of rebuffing his request to begin with. Though she sniffled through her tears, she managed to smile at him.

“Ooh, thank you, Julie!” Zanoba grinned back.

The atmosphere between the two was slightly awkward but tempered by warmth.

“Can someone please explain to me how things even came to this?” Rudeus asked with a sigh.

Zanoba and Julie exchanged blank glances.

***

They managed to resolve the misunderstanding quickly. By the end of the conversation, Rudeus and Zanoba were immensely relieved, and even Julie looked more relaxed. Belfried apologized profusely, and in spite of his longing gazes at the figurine, he took his leave.

Fortunately, Rudeus was very tolerant when people made mistakes based on misunderstandings. He quickly forgave Belfried, apologized for gripping his arm so tightly, and offered Julie and Zanoba a troubled smile before leaving for his own home.

Ginger returned right as the other two were leaving. When she heard about what had happened, she scolded Zanoba, saying, “You treat her so well and have given her such good education, one would be hard-pressed to believe she was actually a slave. There’s simply no reason she would try to buy her freedom without saying a word to you first. It’s discourteous of you to doubt your subjects like that, Your Highness.”

Zanoba didn’t really listen to her lecture, though. He was too busy studying the figurine Julie had given to him. He’d set up a pedestal in the middle of the room, placed the figurine on it, and now walked around it in circles to scrutinize every angle. At times he would smile proudly, at others he would breathe a sigh, and then he was grinning like a fool again. He was having the best time of his life. Ginger may as well have been talking to herself for all the good her speech did her.

As for Julie, she kept watching Zanoba. She smiled with relief, cheeks colored slightly red.

“Julie,” Zanoba said after a while, turning toward her. “This is an incredible figurine. You have done well. I never dreamed you had this level of skill.”

“Yes! It’s really only a coincidence that I managed it. I doubt I could reproduce this level of quality again.”

Zanoba cocked his head. “What are you saying? This masterful craftsmanship is a product of your hard work. You made every inch of it carefully—beautifully, even. Perhaps some parts only turned out perfect by coincidence, but at least half of it is a product of your own abilities.”

“…Thank you. I’m going to continue honing my skills!”

“Very good.” Zanoba nodded, pleased. “And also, Julie, I meant what I said earlier. If there is anything you desire, you need only speak it. I will do whatever is in my power to grant your wish.”

“Um… Let me think on that a little bit longer,” she said awkwardly, feeling embarrassed by all of his praise.

Ginger glanced at them. “Your Highness, I understand how much you love your figurines, but it is nearly time to eat. Julie, help me with preparations.”

“Oh, of course!” Julie responded. She thought the moment might continue for eternity, but Ginger’s interjection brought her back to reality. Perhaps the other woman was a little cross about being left out. 

Julie did as she was told and began helping with meal preparation as usual. Zanoba watched the two, his eyes narrowed. His life right now was rather simple, far removed from the opulence of palace living. Yet he could spend all day fiddling with his figurines and no one would get mad at him. Plus, he had someone at his side that could make them for him, which provided him with the constant source of new figurines. Nothing could be more ideal. 

It would be wonderful if I could keep living like this forever.

“Hm?”

Suddenly, he noticed a sealed letter sitting nearby the door. Julie must have received it on his behalf while he was out. He casually strode over and picked it up, then checked who the sender was.

“Ah…”

The happy expression disappeared from his face. He slit the envelope open, pulled out the letter, and glanced over its contents.

“…I suppose there was no way it could ever last,” he muttered. The envelope slipped through his fingers and fluttered through the air before coming to rest on the floor The seal of the Shirone Kingdom seal was stamped upon it.