“This is a last resort.”
She’s been in that state under a kind of curse, and that curse can only be broken if she enters into a contract as a slave.
“You mean this girl…?”
“She is not a girl.”
Not only in the sense that she’s an elf who has lived for at least several hundred years, but also in the sense that she is far from what one could call an ordinary girl.
Therefore, if we absolutely had to awaken her here—if a full-scale battle broke out or something—we would have no choice but to form a contract.
“In any case, let’s hope we never have to use it.”
But still, it would be reserved as the absolute last resort.
I wiped the blood from the finger I had bitten, rolled up the ‘Eastwood Contract’ I had signed, and tucked it inside my clothes.
The others also took their contracts and hid them somewhere inside their garments as best they could.
Honestly, I wanted to rip them all to pieces, but it was impossible to physically destroy these contracts at the moment.
Even though they weren’t yet sealed with blood and bound to the contractors, the moment the brand tied to the contract touched someone, it became valid.
Therefore, if the contract was torn or burned or otherwise damaged before the bond was officially made, the brand would automatically activate under the assumption that the “product” had attempted to escape.
Which meant being burned alive.
To stop something like that from happening, we’d need a skilled mage capable of breaking the spell—and that was only possible from the outside.
Still, at least we had achieved the goal of retrieving the contracts.
Now, all that was left was to really get out of here.
The problem was, this brewery only had one exit.
The office in the basement was tucked away in a far-off corner of the brewery, so we’d been safe there.
But to reach the only exit, we would have to pass right through the middle of the auction floor.
Perhaps that was why everyone, having realized this, looked even more tense than before.
“Don’t worry too much. Everything will go smoothly.”
With that, I looked at each person one by one to reassure them.
More precisely,
[You’re all going to earn your true freedom.]
[You encouraged them. Your inspirational encouragement gives your party members courage. The core support skill of a textbook bard, “Encouragement,” gives bonuses to various dice rolls in both combat and non-combat situations.]
In other words, if someone were to question one of us suspiciously, it could even help with [Deception].
“…Yes! You’re right, sir!”
“Let’s not get too scared, everyone. We’re almost there now, aren’t we?”
“Just a few dozen minutes ago, we couldn’t even imagine getting out of here.”
Right now, the skill level was still low, and “Encouragement” didn’t scale especially well with charisma stats, so I wasn’t expecting much of an effect.
But still,
“Let’s go.”
It was better than doing nothing.
“Yes!”
We left the office and, as we had been doing all along, formed up in formation and began walking toward the auction hall.
“1700 gold!”
As the supposed buyer, I walked in front.
Next to me was the muscular woman disguised as a guard, and behind her came the line of slaves.
All of them followed in a single file, with the man carrying the “companion” taking the rear.
To any onlooker, it would appear as if I had bought all these slaves and was now being escorted by guards to take them away.
“1800 gold! We have 1800!”
And sure enough, within this space at least, it wasn’t an unusual sight.
Everyone’s eyes were glued to the stage where the auction was taking place.
No one was paying us much attention.
Sometimes, people nearby did flinch in surprise, but their reaction was clearly directed not at the line of slaves but at the sack covering my face.
They didn’t seem at all interested in the slave procession following behind me.
I suppose the thought that these might be slaves who hadn’t even gone up for auction yet never crossed their minds.
And it wasn’t just the buyers.
Given how many slaves were constantly passing through, most of the guards working here didn’t bother to memorize each face.
Even the guards we passed showed no real suspicion.
But they would recognize the face of that “companion.”
She was a Northern Elf, a rare sight in these parts—and her appearance was unforgettable.
So we had disguised her.
It was simple: just an overcoat we found in the office and a hood pulled down low over her face.
Of course, there were guys like the “Head Guard,” who remembered the face of every “product” brought into this place.
Naturally, he was the biggest obstacle to getting out of here.
The best course of action was simply not to run into him.
We continued walking silently, trying to look as natural as possible, and before we knew it, we had crossed more than half of the auction hall.
We were confident we could handle the doorkeeper—whether through [Persuasion], [Deception], or [Intimidation].
So if we could just make it the rest of the way and reach that door, we could escape without a hitch—
“Hey.”
“…!”
Even if I tried to ignore him and keep walking, I couldn’t.
“Hold it right there.”
He’d already grabbed my shoulder.
I carefully turned to look back and thought—
‘…Shit.’
As expected—
“I’ve been watching you for a while now…”
It was the “Head Guard.”
Of all people, he was the one we absolutely could not afford to run into here.
The level 6 boss of this hidden dungeon.
He looked at the faces of the slaves who had stopped behind me and then walked up to the man carrying our tense “companion.”
He reached out and pulled back the hood slightly.
“…Thought so.”
Then he gave a crooked grin.
“Looks to me like all these people you’re dragging around are our merchandise.”
It was a mocking tone, full of certainty.
“Merchandise that hasn’t even gone up for auction yet.”
With those words, every eye in the area turned toward us, sensing that something was happening.
By the time we realized it, the auction had already come to a halt, and a heavy silence filled the brewery.
“Why don’t you explain to me why unsold merchandise is wandering around outside the basement?”
Gulp—somewhere, someone audibly swallowed.
The “Head Guard” who had approached me again already had one hand on the sword at his waist.
Judging by the look in his eyes, he was ready to draw it and cut me down at any moment depending on my answer.
“…Sigh.”
This guy clearly wasn’t someone I could talk my way out of trouble with.
If it had been anyone else, maybe I could’ve at least tried to explain or bluff my way through, but not with him.
He didn’t give even the slightest window for [Persuasion] or [Deception].
So yeah—fighting was the only option.
“Mind if I take this off first before I explain?”
“What?”
Maybe he didn’t expect me to actually try and explain—he looked a little caught off guard.
He hesitated for a second, then gave me a nod with a face that said, “Go ahead and try.”
Of course, I had no intention of actually explaining anything.
I just needed to buy a little time.
“…!”
As expected, the slaves understood my signal and turned their heads away from me.
The moment I saw that, I tore the sack off my head.
“-!?”
As my face was revealed to everyone, the crowd collectively gasped.
The same went for the “Head Guard.”
Even the hand he had on his sword slowly dropped, and he stared at my face like he was in a trance.
“Ah…”
He was completely enchanted.
“So beautiful…”
Someone murmured the words, and it proved the spell was working.
“…Sorry.”
“What?”
I turned my head slightly, suddenly feeling a twinge of guilt—but she still looked like an empty shell, unmoved by the chaos around her.
I really, really didn’t want to use this method.
But I had no other choice.
I gripped the contract hidden inside my clothes.
[Contract established.]
The moment I whispered those words, the necklace around her neck began to glow with magical light.
“You… you made the contract…!”
The “Head Guard” noticed the glow from the contract inside my clothes and snapped back to his senses, reaching again for his sword—
“Gale!”
WHOOSH!
A violent gust of wind exploded outward like a blast.
CRASH!
The “Head Guard” went flying and smashed into one of the large barrels stacked against the wall, which shattered into pieces, splashing alcohol in all directions.
“What the—”
Another guard who saw the scene rushed at me, drawing his sword in panic.
[You’re slow as hell but quick to die, huh?!]
“Guh!?”
My tongue moved faster than his legs.
The guard foamed at the mouth and collapsed from my [Mockery].
Another guard running alongside him froze in shock.
The muscular woman took the chance and rushed in, swinging her sword.
SLASH!
Blood sprayed from the blade.
“Uwaaah!?”
A nearby customer who got splashed with blood screamed belatedly.
And then—
“T-The slaves are escaping!!”
All hell broke loose.
“Kyaaaa!”
“Somebody help!”
Merchants and guests began fleeing in panic, shoving and tripping over each other in a frantic attempt to escape.
Glass shattered with a crash, chairs were overturned with loud bangs, and screams and the clashing of sharp metal rang out in every direction, plunging the auction hall into utter chaos.
“It’s them! Get them!”
Through the mess, one of the guards came charging toward us.
“Out of the way!”
I needed a bit more time before I could use [Mockery] again.
But—
“Fireball!”
It wasn’t my magic.
BOOM!
Almost at the same moment I shouted, a fireball flew in from behind and struck the guard square in the back, erupting in flames.
Some of the sparks hit a broken wooden chair on the floor, instantly igniting it.
Even as the flames threatened to catch her long robe, she didn’t react at all.
She simply walked forward, unfazed, and came to stand beside me.
“Master.”
She looked up at me with the same vacant eyes she had the first time we met.
“Awaiting orders.”
Her tone was as emotionless as her gaze.
[You feel a magical connection between yourself and the girl.]
[As long as that thread exists, she will obey any command you give her.]
“D-Damn slave bitch—”
[A pathetic coward who only stabs backs!]
“Gah!”
Another guard lunged at her, swinging an axe.
But [Mockery] was ready again, and I shot it straight at him.
THUD!
His large body toppled forward.
I quickly grabbed my companion by the shoulder and pulled her slightly, so she wouldn’t be crushed.
The guard’s head landed right at her feet.
Anyone else would’ve at least glanced down at the sound.
But she never took her eyes off me.
“First, we’re wiping this whole place out.”
Cliche Novel 