The Butterfly Effect.

This is now a well-known social phenomenon, but if you need an explanation, it says that a butterfly's small wing flap can cause a storm.

In short, it means that the butterfly is strong enough to cause a massive storm.

And that storm was headed my way.

“What’s the reason for such a question?”

“You, you might have heard, but a few days ago, I captured an elf.”

“Oh, catching an elf isn’t easy. That’s quite impressive.”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s not something common. It’s the greatest achievement of my life as a guild leader.”

After flattering him a little, Ropermahn puffed his chest with pride, but soon deflated like a balloon losing air.

“But there’s been a problem. Not only were all the mercenaries wiped out in an attack, but the elf was also kidnapped!”

Ropermahn, clearly enraged, spoke without his usual stutter.

Well, I was the one who did that, but let’s set the record straight. You’re the one who kidnapped her in the first place. You can’t be mad about that.

“So, you’re suggesting that your elf might be this elf here, and that I’m the culprit behind the incident?”

“K-Khum. Not exactly, but since you have an elf slave, I figured it was worth asking...”

What do you mean “not exactly”? Your broad face practically has “You stole my elf, didn’t you?” written all over it.

‘This seems more like certainty than suspicion...’

Still, there’s no need to play along in the fool’s game he set up. Putting on a serious face, I suddenly smiled brightly.

“So that’s the story. But I think you’re mistaken. This friend here is not a slave.”

“N-Not a slave? But those kids clearly said she was a slave!”

“Hmmm, I don’t want to get into too much detail...”

Just then, I saw his secretary make a small motion with his fingers. The rough-looking men put their hands on their weapons, glaring as if they were ready to draw swords at any moment.

“It’d be wise to tell the truth. This incident has caused significant losses, so tensions are high.”

“Hmmm...”

I dragged out my groan, contemplating. After letting the moment stretch out, just when it seemed a blade might come flying my way, I pretended to give in with reluctance.

“Well, since you insist on asking... This friend here isn’t a slave. To be precise, she’s a slave hunter.”

“A slave hunter?”

“She’s responsible for tracking down runaway slaves. Elves are exceptional trackers, you know.”

Arpia shot me a look that clearly said, ‘What nonsense are you talking about?’ Bear with me, it’s for your sake.

“But those kids insisted she was an elf slave...”

“If you tell the slaves the truth, they won’t run away. Do you think a slave would try to escape knowing there’s a slave hunter after them?”

“W-Wouldn’t it be better if they didn’t run away?”

“Where’s the fun in that? There’s nothing quite like the joy of capturing a slave who believes they’ve escaped.”

“Huh...”

Ropermahn let out a sigh. The way he looked at me now had a hint of admiration mixed in.

Meanwhile, the kids, who had just learned the ‘truth,’ were visibly shocked.

“S-So that’s how it was? Is that why we were allowed to roam free?”

“People raise chickens to eat them, just like they raise pigs for meat. Does that mean we’re... Gasp.”

No, damn it, my approval rating!

After all the nice things I’ve done for them, they’re going to doubt me over one sentence? Or maybe they’re just taking me too seriously?

Anyway, I wish they’d doubt me right now. Winning their trust back after losing it is a pain.

And it’s all your fault.

“Haa, I went through all the trouble of keeping this hidden. Now, I won’t be able to enjoy it anymore. You’ll have to take responsibility for this, guild leader.”

“R-Responsibility?”

“Isn’t that right? I was clearly trying not to say anything, but because of your pressure, I was forced to reveal the truth. Now that these slaves won’t run away, I’ll have to find new ones. You’ll cover the costs of acquiring and raising new slaves, won’t you?”

Pay up, you bastard. I need to restore my favorability with these kids.

“Wh-What kind of extortion is this...”

“Guild leader. A moment.”

His secretary whispered something in Ropermahn’s ear. They must be scheming something. But they weren’t the only ones.

Tick tick.

A tapping sound. The old man was signaling me by tapping his glass. The tense atmosphere felt like that of a hound ready to pounce on command.

But I subtly shook my head in denial. As much as I’d love to get rid of Ropermahn and take care of Arpia, it’s not the right time.

Ropermahn is the organizer of the upcoming ‘Slave Festival.’ I need the prize from that event to solve Arpia’s spirit problem.

“Hmmm...”

The old man crossed his arms, leaning against the barrier with a displeased expression. I understood how he felt, but I needed him to hold off for now.

As if their secret meeting had concluded, the secretary stepped away from Ropermahn.

“The guild leader has decided to compensate you for today’s incident.”

Oh?

I thought I’d be lucky just to leave quietly, but he’s actually offering compensation? As expected from the head of a guild; he’s quite generous.

“We’ll treat you, the ‘Slave Reaper,’ as an honored guest of the Desert Rose Merchant Guild. We also apologize to the elf for the misunderstanding. We hope both of you will join us.”

After Ropermahn and his crew left.

I sent the kids, who looked at me like puppies to their master, downstairs. Now it was just me, Arpia, and the old man left in the tavern.

“If it were up to me, I’d have chopped them all up and fed them to the pigs by now. Just cutting down that guild leader alone would have fed several pigs.”

The old man, having lost a day of business, was cleaning up the tavern while grumbling murderous threats. It was understandable; with his skills, he could have easily turned them into minced meat on the spot.

Despite his frustration, he followed my lead and held back, for which I was grateful.

“Why did you stop me? It’s better to remove troublesome pests early, you know.”

“Thanks to that, we’re getting compensated. If the guild leader is willing to invite us, he might even give us a grand gift. Haha.”

“You don’t seriously believe that, do you? It’s obvious.”

“It’s a trap.”

It couldn’t be clearer. The fact that they want Arpia to come along makes it easy to deduce.

They don’t have the strength to kidnap the elf right now, so they’re asking us to step into their fully prepared trap later.

The fact that they’re being so open about it is almost laughable.

“You’re not going, right?”

“Oh, I’m going.”

“What? Why would you knowingly walk into a trap like a moth to a flame?”

“It’s a golden opportunity to raid the guild. Of course I’m going. Do you think they’ll just back off if we refuse? Now that they’ve shown their teeth, they’re going to come for us.”

It’s better to take the fight to them than defend the kids in a bar.

Plus, I could argue, ‘We were invited, and they attacked us! Now hand over everything you own!’ And in the process, I’ll grab the items Arpia needs.

‘There are risks, though.’

I don’t know their full strength. Even if I acquire the items through force, will they be enough to fully free Arpia’s spirit?

But there’s no point dwelling on it. The original path has already been altered, and I can’t force it back.

The old man nodded, seemingly agreeing with my thoughts.

“Alright. Then let’s raid them. When do we go? Should we leave right now?”

“No. Only Arpia and I will go.”

“What? Why?”

“Because we’re the only ones invited.”

No matter how the story changes, the core is still Arpia. She remains the key to everything. This story’s main character is Arpia. I can’t hand over the spotlight to anyone else.

“But Arpia...”

“We still have time, so we’ll train her as much as possible. Can you help?”

“......”

No response. Arpia was staring off into space.

“Arpia?”

“Huh, what?”

“What were you thinking about so deeply? Were you thinking about me?”

“Yeah...”

She did the same thing earlier. What’s gotten into her? I’m a gentle guy, but I’m weak to sudden advances like this.

Well, it’s not a bad thing. If she likes me, I’m all for it. A higher favorability rating benefits me, after all.

Our eyes met for a moment. Arpia blinked a few times, her eyes widening as she realized what she had just said.

“T-That’s not what I meant! I was just thinking about something that the guild leader said...”

“What about it?”

“When he said they captured an elf. He was talking about me, wasn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“Wasn’t that you?”

She thought it was me all this time. Well, I suppose that’s a fair assumption, since I never explained anything.

“Why would I do something so monstrous? I’m a slave trader, not a kidnapper.”

“Then the attack...”

“Karamir and I did it. Karamir said we should go rescue you.”

Arpia’s eyes widened, processing this new information, but they quickly softened.

“I see...”

A faint smile.

Then, as if something strange occurred to her, she blinked a few more times.

“But why did I end up as a slave?”

“Well, I made you a slave, of course.”

“But you said you came to rescue me?”

“Our interests aligned. I saved you, and made you my slave in the process.”

“I was unconscious! Completely defenseless! I’m a weak girl!”

“Haha, thanks to that, it was easy to shackle you. It’s not simple when they resist. By the way, don’t you think ‘weak girl’ is a bit...?”

“......”

“Anyway, that’s not important now. Before we head to the Desert Rose Guild, it’s practice, practice, practice. Understood?”

Still looking at me with a blank expression, Arpia muttered, “Yeah, okay,” and nodded.

“Master, do you have an apple?”

Arpia called for Victor.

Though Arpia has lived far longer than Victor, it felt a bit off hearing her speak to him so casually, considering her appearance.

Even I thought it wasn’t quite right, so we decided to stick with calling him ‘Master’ and speaking casually to each other.

“There are apples. What do you need them for?”

“I want to use them for tomorrow’s training.”

Despite just practicing archery, she was already thinking about tomorrow’s training. Is this the same Arpia who was whining about hating archery? Your master’s heart swells with pride.

“You’ve got the right mindset, Arpia. Let’s work hard again tomorrow. I’ll be cheering for you.”

“Instead of cheering, there’s something you have to do.”

“No, thanks.”

...Wait, what just happened? I wasn’t even thinking, and I blurted that out.

My danger sensors were ringing.

“Who said you have a choice~? Trust in your slave, that’s a master’s duty, isn’t it?”

And the next day.

One apple sat on top of my head.

Arpia stood in front of me, aiming her bow.

“Uh, Arpia? Isn’t it a bit too early for this?”

“Don’t move. If you move, you’ll get hurt.”

“But your hands... your hands are shaking...”

“Ssshhh, maybe I still have a bit of a hangover. Don’t worry. This is fine. Just trust your sister.”