NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6 - Gathering Heroes (6)
“As I thought, my clothes are too big for you.”
As soon as I returned to the inn, I saw Iris wearing only my t-shirt, fashion-missing her lower garments. Her hair, ears, and tail were wet, as if she had just bathed.
When our eyes met, Iris’s ears and tail perked up like they had been electrified. It was cute, but I wish she hadn’t shown me her behind.
The t-shirt rode up because of her tail, almost revealing her buttocks.
“I’m, I’m sorry.”
“What are you apologizing for?”
“I, I did just grab any clothes to wear as you said, but what if I ended up wearing something you would wear, Master…”
‘That’s an unnecessary concern. She should just do as she pleases without worrying. But I suppose it’s a burden for a former slave to suddenly be told to act freely.’
“Instead of wasting time worrying about that, you should think about what you’ll do to live from now on. You’re a useless human right now.”
No, words that completely contradict my thoughts are coming out again.
At this point, it seemed it would benefit the world if I just kept my mouth shut. Despite being my own mouth, I was rendered unconscious by the hopeless way I spoke.
“Let me make a few things clear. Engrave them firmly in that brain of yours.”
“Yes?”
“First, only say ‘I’m sorry’ when you truly feel remorseful. From now on, every time you indiscriminately say ‘I’m sorry,’ I’ll make you truly regret it.”
Wasn’t I supposed to avoid burdening her? Damn this mouth.
“Second, I’m not your master. From now on, don’t call me ‘Master,’ but ‘Mr. Praus’ or just ‘Praus.'”
“Praus… Is that your name?”
“That’s right.”
“…Ah, I understand. Praus ‘nim’.”
She really doesn’t want to let go of the honorifics.
This was likely due to her long life as a slave, but it was probably also because of the Intimidation I was still subtly emitting.
“Third, I won’t say anything about what you do.”
“!”
Her already large eyes widened even more. Touching her ears repeatedly, she seemed to think she had misheard.
“Couldn’t hear me?”
“No, no, I heard you. I just… didn’t expect you to say something like that.”
What if I say something now, and she beats me up after awakening her hero’s powers? I’d die from a single hit.
“I keep my word. If you understand, come take some underwear and clothes. But don’t take everything. There are two others besides you.”
I spoke as I set down the bag of clothes I had bought on the bed.
“Two others, you say?”
She voiced her doubt.
It might shock her if I told her they were heroes I was trying to save, so it was better to keep it hidden for now.
“You don’t need to know the details. You’ll see their faces later, so don’t worry about it until then.”
“I see… Oh, but Praus nim.”
“What is it?”
“For the underwear, I can manage by lowering it a bit, but for the pants, my tail makes it difficult to wear them. I’m very sorry, but would it be okay if I make a hole in the pants?”
Iris carefully asked after examining the clothes I had brought.
“What I gave you is yours. Do as you please.”
“Thank you.”
“More importantly, aren’t you hungry?”
“I ate the jerky.”
“Stay here.”
Jerky wouldn’t be enough for a growing child.
Her arms were practically just bones at the moment. The bones did have some muscle attached, but it was thinner than an inactive commoner.
I immediately left the room.
I wanted to have her eat at the restaurant, but since she didn’t have proper clothes yet, I had no choice but to bring the food to her.
“Innkeeper.”
“You… Don’t keep looking at me like you’re picking a fight, you brat.”
‘Haha, I’m sorry. It’s all because of this skill.’
“Cut out the nonsense. More importantly, what kind of food do children like?”
There really was no way for me to speak as I intended.
“Heh. I don’t serve brats with no manners!”
“So this innkeeper is the kind of trash that would starve a child?”
“…What?”
“It’s for a child. Tell me what kind of food children like.”
“With that kind of foul language, that’s what the child will learn.”
“Mind your own business.”
He snorted. Since the topic of children came up, it seemed he couldn’t bring himself to refuse, as he sighed.
“How old?”
“Ten years old.”
“Then she’ll eat anything. Prepare a children’s meal. It’s made up of things kids like.”
“I’ll do that, but—”
“Yours is not an option.”
He glared at me with his arms crossed, clearly displeased.
‘Wow, he really got offended just because of my rude speech. What a narrow mind.’
“…Dimwit.”
“What?!”
“But since I said it, I’ll keep my word. Dimwit.”
I crossed my arms in the same manner, as if asking ‘What are you going to do about it?’
“You little…! You’d better bring that kid of yours out here right away. Otherwise, she’ll starve too.”
“Got it. How much?”
“Two copper coins.”
I took out three copper coins from my money pouch and placed them on the counter.
“Heh, admitting your mistake, are you?”
“Bring it out.”
Ignoring his words, I headed back to the room I was staying in. Then the innkeeper’s voice echoed from behind.
“Hey! One children’s meal!”
“Coming right up~!”
When I returned to the room, I saw Iris making a hole in her pants. Upon seeing me, she hurriedly got up from the bed.
“You’re, you’re back?”
“It seems we’ll have to eat outside. Get dressed and follow me.”
“Huh? Oh, yes!”
The innkeeper glared at me disapprovingly as I brought Iris along.
“A demi-human? Did you marry one?”
“Don’t ask unnecessary questions.”
“Ha, I guess. Prying into someone’s personal life never leads to anything good. Especially with a foul-mouthed guy like you.”
“Um, Innkeeper sir.”
“What?”
“Praus nim isn’t such a bad person. Hehehe…”
“…I guess he’s just kind to children?”
Was she defending me just now?
My way of speaking didn’t seem kind at all.
I looked at the innkeeper and shrugged. If that’s how the child saw it, so be it.
After a brief exchange, we sat at a table and waited.
Iris’s white tail swished around, as if she was looking forward to the food. It seemed she had managed to make a hole in the pants quite well.
“Um, Master… no, Praus nim, won’t you eat too?”
“I’m fine. The jerky is enough.”
Saying that, I took out a piece of jerky from my pocket and chewed on it noisily.
Iris gave me a strange look.
“What are you staring at?”
“Ah, no, um, Praus nim, why did you buy me?”
“I don’t know. You’ll find out when the time comes.”
I curtly replied to her with my chin raised.
A children’s meal.
Starting with fried rice, it was a balanced meal consisting of sausages, fried eggs, salad, soup, and bread – simple yet well-rounded.
“Woooow~!”
Iris’s mouth opened wide. Her eyes sparkled as she gulped down her saliva. She reached for the rice with her hands but pulled them back.
She glanced at me, as if asking for permission to eat.
“Eat.”
“Thank you for the meal!”
She scooped up a handful of rice and stuffed it into her mouth. In the process, some grains fell onto her clothes.
“Oops!”
Iris hurriedly brushed off the rice grains on her clothes. But the oil from the fried rice had stained her outfit.
“I’m sorry, Praus nim. I dirtied the clothes you just bought for me. I’ll accept any punishment—”
“Stop being so noisy. Eat slowly. And use this spoon.”
I cut her off and handed her a spoon. Iris shook her head vigorously.
“I, I’m a beast slave, so if I use a spoon…”
“Haah, what a bother.”
“I’m, I’m sorry!”
At my words, she stood up and repeatedly bent her waist in apology. The people around us noticed her actions. The innkeeper gave me a displeased look.
What? I didn’t do anything.
“Stop causing a ruckus and sit down.”
“Yes, yes.”
She sat back down. Her ears and tail drooped, as if she was berating herself for her mistake.
“Iris.”
“Yes, yes!”
“You’re a human.”
“……”
“If you can’t remember what I said, I’ll keep telling you until you do. I’ll say it again. You’re a human. Do everything with confidence.”
“…Yes.”
The more I told her she was human, the more her voice trembled with tears. Carefully holding the spoon I had handed her, she scooped up some rice and brought it to her mouth.
Iris began eating while crying.
As I watched her, I thought to myself, ‘Is it really that delicious to make her cry?’
Iris couldn’t believe it.
‘Someone who prioritized a slave over himself…’
Even though her slave brand had been removed, Iris still saw herself as a slave.
This was due to the perception that demi-humans were a discriminated race in the Empire, as well as her two years of living as a slave.
Yet this person was treating her like a human, which was incomprehensible from Iris’s perspective.
‘He really ordered just my food and is eating jerky himself. Who are you, Master? Why are you…’
Tears welled up.
Iris had tried to hold back her emotions, but the tears flowed endlessly.
In a way, it was only natural.
She was just a ten-year-old child. She couldn’t control her emotions like an adult.
Moreover, the difficult years she had endured to survive kept flashing before her eyes, making her overwhelmed with emotion.
‘He said he doesn’t like crying.’
But Praus simply watched her, as if understanding her feelings.
‘He seems indifferent, but he’s truly a considerate person.’
Iris’s thoughts were certainly not wrong. Praus was undoubtedly being considerate towards her.
However, the reason Praus couldn’t order food was because of his rude way of speaking, like calling the innkeeper a ‘dimwit.’
There was no intention behind it whatsoever. But Iris, who couldn’t see that scene, found it difficult to realize it.
While Iris shed tears of gratitude as she ate, Praus was thinking about something else.
‘I should start by finding the relics hidden in the Empire.’
As the slave trader had said, the slave auction at Wirang’s Indulgence involved amounts that commoners couldn’t participate in.
So much so that the starting bid was a hundred gold coins.
Praus’s current money pouch contained about two hundred gold coins.
It was the money his father Paroco had sent since becoming a Count’s butler.
However, that amount was woefully insufficient, so he planned to utilize his knowledge from the game.
‘In the game, I made up for the lack of funds by selling relics in the black market.’
Recalling the trials and errors from when he had cleared the game, Praus was formulating a plan.