Dark Fantasy: Super Coward Mode

As I picked up the lock hanging loosely on the Slave Trader’s pocket and opened the door, the kids inside bolted out, wrapping their arms around my legs and crying as they followed the orders of a girl who looked like a leader.

While watching the girl who was still frozen in place, I recalled a post I’d seen in the community.

The reactions to the strategy guide were pretty wild, but since it was an official notice, I had to trust it.

Could there really be any lies in a post that explicitly said it was a must-read for newcomers?

Come on, did I seriously think the admins were plotting to mess with newbies?

So, before starting the game, I had searched for the name Asti to remember her appearance.

With half-closed eyes, brown hair, and a gaze that seemed out of this world—so doll-like—it matched the image in my mind perfectly. This girl had to be Asti.

Moving closer to the completely motionless Asti, she looked up at me with an expressionless face.

“What’s your name?”

“…Asti.”

I knew it.

That simple guess just transformed into a solid confirmation.

“Why aren’t you going?”

“I have nowhere to go.”

Of course, I had to approach slowly.

Although I wanted to take her away immediately, what would a kid who got captured think if I told her to just follow me?

In times like this, you gotta ease them into it.

Life is all about the build-up.

You gotta let it slowly seep in; rushing things never works out.

“Or why don’t you go ask the knights for help? They’d definitely assist you. And while you’re at it, you can figure out what you want to do.”

Especially with a kid who might be suspicious like this, using the quite dashing looks of Leydan Tanton would only help.

But Asti only tilted her head in confusion.

“If I find a knight, what kind of help should I ask for?”

“Um?”

“I’ve only been taught how to satisfy my master since I was little. What kind of help should I ask for to be ‘good’ enough?”

…Oh.

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks, leaving me speechless.

Asti looked down as if she understood her own situation.

Her movements seemed careless, but all I could feel was pity for her throughout this ordeal.

No place to go, no hope.

Humans are creatures who can hold hope only because they have somewhere to go, and they can move only if there’s hope.

Meaning this kid had zero motivation to act.

If I left her like this, the so-called build-up wouldn’t even matter; I’d be the bad guy for just walking away.

“I think it’s better to leave her behind.”

At that moment, I heard the Gardener’s voice.

“That girl… even though she’s human, she doesn’t feel quite human.”

Yet, the passersby’s reactions were completely normal.

Though I was slightly bothered by the Gardener’s words, I figured I was better at judging people than them.

It’s like distinguishing 101 different kinds of grasshoppers for me.

“To be precise, she is human. But…”

“But?”

“…No. Jumping to conclusions can provoke disaster. Just stick to your own thoughts.”

No, why was she being so vague?

It made me nervous.

But this time, I couldn’t agree with the Gardener.

This was information straight out of a game strategy tip.

It’d be weird to ignore it, right?

Any means necessary—I had to take her with me.

Yeah, this could actually work in my favor.

“Alright then, how about you follow me for now?”

“…Master?”

“No, that’s not it…”

“…Oh, I see. So, you’re going to take me for disposal.”

Wait, what?!

Her extreme declaration made my eyes widen in shock.

Yet, Asti continued to speak as if it were the most normal thing ever.

“Well… if you’re not my master, then I have no worth as a maid. So I would be no different from scrap.”

“No, wait, that’s not it!”

“Still, it feels such a waste to end it like this. Could you possibly recycle me in any way?”

Asti’s dry, horrifying words made my head ache.

But since she was dead serious, it only amplified my confusion.

“Do I really have to be your master to take you with me?”

“Or else, I’d be worthless.”

“That’s way too extreme!”

I tried my best to counter, but Asti showed no sign of backing down. Now, she just looked like she’d given up on everything.

Great. Just great.

I already had all these accusations trailing behind me—psychopath, attempted outsider assault… was this really what I needed on my plate?

But if I didn’t take her now, it felt like she’d be found dead sooner rather than later, and that terrified me!

After thinking for a while, there was only one way to bring Asti with me.

Yeah, just close my eyes and say it.

After that, all I had to do was ask her to call me something else. No big deal, right?

“Alright, Asti! From now on, I’m your master!”

Thud!

I pumped myself up and shouted, only to suddenly hear the sound of plastic falling behind me.

A chill ran down my spine as I turned around, surprised to see the White Mask and Muyun just chilling there, as if they’d been there the whole time.

Muyun had a vacant look in her eyes, even dropping her toy axe.

“…Pedophile.”

“No, it’s not like that! I mean, this is… Oh, right! This girl is the…”

“Then, Master. Why don’t you put this around my neck?”

I was still scrambling for excuses when Asti shoved something at me.

It was a necklace with a chain.

“W-what’s this…?”

“It symbolizes that I’m your slave.”

Aaaagh.

What the heck! Such provocative word choice, just begging for trouble…!

In that moment, my head started spinning, and I glanced at the White Mask and Muyun.

Muyun’s mouth was agape in shock, while the White Mask just stood there with her arms crossed.

“Sorry to interrupt your fun, but it’s illegal for a knight to have a slave, Pedophile.”

“That’s not what it is!”

…Convincing them took forever.

—

I was trying to take her without the necklace, but she seemed like she was about to speak again saying, “I guess I really am…,” so I just swallowed my tears and walked away.

Because of that, I thought Muyun and the White Mask would keep looking at me with strange eyes, but the White Mask surprisingly just chuckled lightly.

“I can’t believe we traveled all this way just to stumble into something like this. At this rate, it feels like we’re creating incidents just to solve them.”

“Haha, yeah, right…”

It was definitely something I couldn’t afford to let slip away, but hey, at least I left a good impression with my boss, so I guess that’s a win.

The world was already dim, but the shadows seemed to grow deeper with time.

If only I had a camera to capture the moment when light disappeared from the clouds.

“Hmph, as always, you see beauty in things that are nothing but gloomy.”

Right.

Just like when we escaped the underground prison, the White Mask had been there.

“Here we are. This will be our lodging for today.”

Listening to the White Mask, I passed through the rather cozy-looking inn’s door.

Probably due to the reservation being done already, no one was there to greet us.

We headed up to the second floor, and the White Mask pointed to another room and said.

“That’s your room. It’s rather spacious for just one person.”

“Ah, yes. Understood.”

After saying that, the White Mask glanced at Asti before looking back at me.

What’s the deal now?

“This girl can sleep with us. Don’t be stingy about it.”

“…I’m not disappointed at all!”

Yeah, I was surprisingly easy to persuade!

Thinking about how I’d be teased for that same content again made me feel miserable as I stepped inside, taking one last look at Asti.

As Asti was entering the room following the White Mask’s lead, she suddenly shot me a glance, her eyes sparkling.

…Those overly interested types usually turn on you in the end.

…That guide post better be legit, right?

—

A few hours after I lay on the bed and dozed off, Lia burst in, shaking me violently.

She had a worried look, and not just her; I was also spreading my arms out in resistance, frantically panicking.

The person standing in front of me was Asti.

And she was wielding a knife in both hands, getting ready to swing it at me.

“…Asti, what in the world are you doing?!”

It was only now that I realized it.

I had fallen prey to yet another lame community scam!

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