Great. I get a second chance at life. The first thing that happens? I get enslaved by a strange power from a pretty girl. And from the looks of it, I don’t think I can talk my way out of this situation.

Worst-case scenario is that I run away from her and die at the hands of a wild animal.

Then there’s the case that I have no idea where to run.

For now, playing nice might be my best bet.

Once again, the same transparent window floated in front of Kael.

<Reward: Freedom>

Okay, so whatever this system is, it wants me to help her.

Kael turned his eyes to Miria, flicking her fingers in the air.

Wait a minute…

Perhaps she has a system too. This could make things more difficult; she likely has some extra information about me.

At least now I know I have an escape chance. Any immediate plan of running away from her should be out of my mind.

I can help her with the legendary quest; then I should be a free man, right? Although she might not be aware of these conditions, I have to keep it a secret.

-“Hey, so. Is there any way I can get out of your control?” Kael spoke with his head down clenching his fists.

“No, you are mine for life.” Miria replied without even taking a look at him; he frowned upon realizing how nonchalant she was. But her finger motion into the air kept going.

“That’s very romantic of you, but taking someone against their own will is pitiful. I’m sure you wouldn’t like the same happening to you.” He inquired further, trying to verify how screwed he was by each of her answers.

“I would honestly hate it. But I’m just saving you from the experience you would get anyways.” She finally looked back at him after a few seconds of just moving her hands to nothing.

“I don’t think enslaving someone counts as saving them.”

“Yes, in your situation it is, what you will do for me is light work. Of course, you will have obligations. But you will sleep well, eat well, and be safe from any predators.”

At least I confirmed something. That she isn’t aware of the option of getting free by fulfilling my quest. The right course of action is discovering her “Legendary Quest”. If I ask something like that so bluntly, she might take precautions.

And I don’t want her to be on alert. In time, I could gather enough intel before finishing her quest and running away. But first, I should gain her trust.

“Whatever you say. I guess I’m left with no options for now. Since you said I have obligations, what are these obligations you speak of?” Her face turned red with his question, as if she was boiling, only letting an awkward smile escape her lips.

“Don’t worry about the obligations. I will explain them later.” Kael’s eyes widened with disbelief of her indifferent attitude.

Eventually he broke the silence between them.“We should get going then, if we have settled everything. There’s no reason to wait here any longer.” I said, staring at her lips for a few seconds.

Miria agreed. “The girls are expecting us to return in an hour or two,” she said, turning her gaze back to where she had come from.

Right after it, she began walking towards that path. And accompanied her right after. -“You mentioned you have other people with you; how are they?”

“Ah, yes. I had two tricky girls before you, quite unusual ones.” After her reply, the only sound was the crunch of our footsteps on the grassy field.

“So they are like you, then?”

Without looking back at me, she replied in a playful tone, “Am I really that bad?”

Then I thought, “Is she senseless?” – she didn’t even notice how outrageous her claims of me being her slave were.

She spoke up again before I had a chance to confront her about it. “Look, I need all the help I can get. This mark is really useful because it helps me find allies I can trust, who won’t turn on me no matter what.”

There it is—my golden chance to probe without raising eyebrows. “It’s not that they’re trustworthy; it’s about keeping betrayal at bay. So, what’s this secretive goal you’re chasing?”

“It’s too soon to share the details, but trust me, I’ll fill you in when the time is right. For now, just enjoy your new life.” Kale’s mind slowly processed what she had just said. His heart raced as he grasped the importance of that crucial sentence. New life.

How does she know? Her then voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Relax; it’s a pattern I noticed with the others. From what I’ve gathered they all had just passed away before being summoned.” She remarked with a shrug.

“Can you select who you bring here?” Kael stepped a little closer to her and questioned with interest

“I wish I did. It would make my life so much easier. I’d never pick those girls from back home, not in a million years.” They must be really complicated if that’s how she describes them. “You’ll understand when you meet them. And who knows, they might even behave themselves around you.”

“Hope so.” Maybe they resent being bossed around. If things go well, they might even become allies against Miria someday.

… … …

… …

…

Time passed as we kept talking to each other.

And Miria told me about her experiences here.

She’s a mercenary with direct ties to the Empire on this continent, and they’re the ones she answers to. That’s how she got her hands on the inn she mentioned earlier.

After completing a royal request, she was given the choice between gold and another reward. She decided against taking the gold, thinking that owning an inn would provide a more stable income in the long run. Additionally, it would spare her the cost of rent.

She said, “Living under the empire’s gaze is suffocating.” But she didn’t explain why.

Our chat came to a freeze once the ribbon of grass slowly exposed marks of small rocks that appeared like improvised route.

“Finally, we can see it.” Miria paused a few meters from me. The thick forest cleared, revealing a fortified inn in the distance. The inn was surrounded by stone walls, with a sign that read “Flying Duck’s Inn”. Below the sign, a large gate stood, wide enough for a massive carriage to pass through – likely its purpose.

“I didn’t expect it to be so big,” I noted. “It looks like a small castle.” Pretty impressive, I guess I’m not doing that bad here. It’s probably better than my 30m² studio too.

“It really does. I’m so proud of it.” She turned her head, not quite looking at me, but rather at something above my head. “Don’t you think, Elin?” As soon as she finished speaking, a voice came from behind me.

A sultry voice wrapped around me, making my heart race. “You never cease to amaze me, Miria,” it said. I turned to see who was speaking, and to my surprise, a stunning 6’2″ woman stood before me. Her pale skin glowed with a soft light, and her golden hair cascaded down like sunlight. An air of indifference lingered on her features, drawing me in. Her piercing blue eyes sparkled like ice, fixed on mine. With her delicate, pointed ears, she was truly unforgettable.

-“AN ELF?!” Kael retreated until he felt the tree at his back. He was surprised to see the tall woman.

How did she sneak up behind me? I didn’t hear a thing for a while. I turn to Miria, expecting a reaction, but all I see is a smirk.

“Kael, this is Elin, one of the girls I mentioned – she has some strange habits, as you can see.” She doesn’t seem surprised at all. She gives Elin a glance, as if she already knew she was there. How did she know? She stood so close to me that I couldn’t hear a sound from her. Even when we talked, there were long pauses.

“I didn’t think you’d mind if I followed you for a bit.” She stares back at Miria, her sharp eyes locked on hers. Elin’s face remains still, like a stone mask, without a flicker of reaction.

“Ha, it’s fine. I didn’t think you’d do anything bad to him.”

“Him?” I saw her eyes widen for a split second before reverting to that blank face.

She turned to me with the same blunt expression, but I couldn’t tell if she was surprised.

To claim it was disturbing would be an understatement.

“I told you we’d get a man in our group eventually,” Miria said, taking a few steps closer and putting a hand on the elf’s shoulder. “Just calm down; you can do whatever you want to him later. You’ll have your chance to play with him soon enough.”

Play with me? That’s a strange way to describe the situation. I feel like a dog, Am I some sort of entertainment for them?

“Good.” She took another look at me before walking behind a nearby tree. I wasn’t about to let her out of my sight that easily, so I rushed to see if she was behind the tree. But I didn’t see anything. I looked everywhere—up, down, and back to Miria. It felt like she had disappeared into thin air.

“How?”

“Impressive, isn’t it? Even now, depending on how far she’s from us, I can’t tell where she is; the only thing I can say is that she’s still stalking us.” That’s a disturbing thing to know. What the hell are those people?

I walked back to Miria’s side, then asked, “Is it safe at all to stay with you?”

She replied, “Trust me, I’ll keep you safe and give you peace of mind. If you stop at the wrong place, bad things can happen to you. At least here, you’ll be okay and still have all your limbs.”

Limbs? How bad are those places that she is talking about? I thought they would treat me like the hottest chick in the school.

“Let’s continue. You still have another one to meet,” Miria stated, making her way to the inn; Kael tagged along right afterward.

Kael and Miria walked through the open gates. Then, they crossed a large yard with buildings on both ends. As dusk began to fall, a small light slipped out from the open door of the inn. As both approached closer, the door opened as a figure stood on its doorstep.

“You sure are a miracle worker, Miria. I was starting to lose faith in you.” The voice came from the figure standing in front of us, a woman. She was stunning, 5’6″ (168 cm) and pale, with a blue dress that featured elegant gold details. Her pitch-black hair was styled in a hime cut, which suited her. Her most striking feature, however, was her violet eyes… and impressive hips.

Miria smirked, her usual expression, and replied, “You don’t have any faith in me, do you?”

“Can’t say I have. Now, did you get him from your summoning thingy?” she asked Miria, glancing at me.

Kael offered a hesitant smile to the violet-eyed woman. She thought his gaze was sweet. His clumsy attitude showed a clear naiveté.

Miria asks, “Like what you see, Vyra?”

After a few seconds with that question lingering in the air, she replied, “He isn’t from here, is he?”

Kael’s eyes widened, and his eyebrows shot up as he asked, “How do you know?”

“You lack the manners a man should have. If you gawk at my body or stare at me straight in the eye in certain cities, you could get into trouble.” Those social conventions sound horrible; I mean, I know I shouldn’t stare at her body. But I can’t look into her eyes?!

I thought that with so few men I’d have an easier time.

Vyra stepped closer to Kael. “Don’t worry, sweetie,” she said. She rested her left forearm on his right shoulder. Then she leaned in to whisper, “But if you misbehave, there will be consequences.”

I feel a tingle run through my body, and my hands start to shake a bit as she speaks. She places her right hand on my chin, holding my head still. Although I want to enjoy this deep down, something doesn’t feel right. The way these women talk about me makes me uneasy.

“Stop scaring the boy, Vyra.” The brunette shot a side-eye but stayed still. Then, the touchy woman on my left walked off and went back to the doorstep. The tingling sensation vanished at the moment her touch left me.

“Of course, Miria, I have divine patience when working with you. I can wait a bit longer now that one of my requests is close. And it’s a good quality too. If you were to buy someone like him, I’m sure it would be impossible.”

I asked, confused, “What makes me so special, aside from being a man?” They’re not ordinary; I’m sure they could eventually find someone like me, given time. Just look at this inn.

She replied, noticing a bit of my confusion. “Because you are still untainted by the hands of rich, filthy ladies down in the capital.”

Before I could fully collect my thoughts, the piercing blare of a trumpet rang out beyond the walls. I couldn’t determine whether it signaled good or bad news, but the discontent etched on Miria’s and Vyra’s faces left little doubt—it likely wasn’t a good sign.

“Speaking of inconvenient arrivals, here she comes,” Vyra muttered, her frown deepening.