It took less than 30 seconds for Narsha to clear the situation.

Narsha moved swiftly, her afterimages forming red constellations in the slum, and the residents standing in her path fell like reeds.

Narsha, who had only ever held a dagger for self-defense, had no time to learn swordsmanship as she was too busy managing the guild.

The reason she became such a formidable swordswoman was entirely thanks to the blessings bestowed upon her by her master. Confident she had used that power correctly, Narsha sheathed her rapier.

Narsha checked to see if there were any stragglers left. Concerned about the children's mental health, she had only struck vital points. Without the blood, it might even look like they were just sleeping.

She brought over Lara, who had been squeezing her eyes shut among the warm corpses, and then checked on Matthew's condition.

“Are you okay? Can you stand up?”

“Uh… even if I’m not okay, I think I can manage.”

“I appreciate your bravery in not wanting to worry others, but your injuries are severe. We need to get you treated quickly.”

With one hand holding Lara’s, and Matthew on her back, Narsha exited the slum.

“Where should we go? Is there a hospital? No, perhaps the temple would be better…”

“We can go to the Duke of the Night’s Tavern. If Arpia can treat me, I’ll be healed in no time.”

“…Alright.”

Narsha didn’t object to the idea of going to a tavern for medical treatment. As a seasoned merchant, she had a sense for these things. She could recognize it immediately.

Following the children’s directions, Narsha soon arrived at the Duke of the Night’s Tavern.

Ding~

The bell on the door rang.

“Grandpa, we’re back.”

“You’re late. What took you so—”

Victor's senses sharpened instantly.

There was Matthew, covered in injuries.

Then there was Narsha, wearing a rapier.

And the air around her was anything but ordinary.

Was she an enemy?

Victor prepared to draw his dagger from below, a shadow flickering.

In the tense atmosphere, Lara, who was oblivious to the tension, cheerfully intervened with a bright smile.

“This lady saved us!”

“Saved you?”

“Yes! Those scary men were bullying Matthew, and this lady came out of nowhere and moved super fast like swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!”

Lara mimicked stabbing motions, reenacting the earlier scene.

Fortunately, it seemed that this wasn’t what he had feared. Victor sighed in relief and withdrew his aura as an assassin.

“Matthew, I warned you not to go into the slums. It’s dangerous, didn’t I?”

“But I had no choice! There are kids there who still need help.”

“Even so, you shouldn’t have gone alone. Lara could’ve gotten hurt too. Next time, take Lenard with you. That guy has nothing but time on his hands.”

“Okay…”

“Arpia should be here soon. Hold on a bit longer. And…”

Victor stroked his beard thoughtfully.

“Thank you for saving the children, Miss. But who might you be? You seem to be of noble status.”

“My name is Narsha Brian. I just happened to be passing by.”

“Well, Miss Narsha, thank you. If it weren’t for you, things could have gotten much worse.”

“I only did what was necessary.”

“As gracious as you are beautiful. Oh, where are my manners? Please, have a seat. I’ll offer you a meal. Hey, Lenard, bring some water.”

Narsha took a seat, and soon a staff member in a waitress’s uniform emerged from the back. Her skin was dark, and her ears were unusually long.

A Dark Elf?

A tavern with a Dark Elf as staff? Even in large cities, it was a rare sight. Even from Narsha’s perspective as a noble, it was surprising.

Could this be the elf that Karamir had saved?

That thought crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. After all, someone who had received his salvation wouldn’t have such a rotten expression.

Lenard glared at Victor, looking as if he was about to curse.

“Why do I have to serve humans? What do you think I am? I’m Lenard of the Black Mist, not some tavern worker.”

“Cut it short?”

“…Nevermind.”

After the battle with Arpia that day, Lenard had cleaned up the corpses of what could barely be called his comrades, only to be dragged back once more.

“You can’t leave.”

“Why? …sir.”

“We’re short on hands. With all the new kids around, the old man can’t do it all alone. You can help too. There’s a right of refusal—if you think you can escape, that is.”

A right of refusal? How generous.

That thought crossed Lenard’s mind briefly, but it was a ridiculous notion. Over the past month, he had tried to escape many times, only to be caught each time.

Escape was impossible.

Every time he was caught, his workload increased.

In the end, Lenard revised his plan. He would wait until the old man, who didn’t have much time left, died.

For an elf, a long-lived species, waiting was nothing.

Tap.

Lenard placed the glass of water before Narsha and walked away. Narsha stared at his back.

What an interesting tavern…

That was her impression.

Narsha enjoyed the meal and drink that Victor provided, but soon the bell rang loudly as people entered. The smell of a fresh forest filled the air.

“Arpia-nim, the spirits keep causing trouble and won’t help me.”

“When that happens, you need to force them to submit. Then they’ll behave.”

“But the elders said we should live in harmony with them.”

“Well, the elders are wrong. Look, I won because I’m a slave of my master, right?”

The little elf nodded as if it made perfect sense.

“Do you think if I became his slave, I could be like you, Arpia-nim?”

“Of course. So, let’s keep practicing until Master returns.”

“Okay!”

It was a truly rare sight.

Even though there was a great forest nearby, elves were an incredibly closed-off race, so it was unusual to see them gathered in a human city like this. That meant one of them must be his slave.

Narsha’s gaze sharpened.

Finding the one she sought wasn’t difficult.

Only one of them wore the face of someone who had been saved.

“Huh?”

Arpia, who had been tending to the children, noticed the gaze and turned her head. When her eyes met Narsha’s, her pupils instantly dilated.

Arpia immediately recognized her. It was a sensation that only those who had experienced complete liberation could share.

“You…”

“To think I’d meet someone blessed by him in such a distant land. What a rare and meaningful encounter.”

Arpia was wary of Narsha. She knew that Karamir had been involved with many slaves before meeting her.

But Narsha was different.

There was a sense of camaraderie as fellow slaves.

And from that, a sense of repulsion.

There’s a saying that goes, I wanted to be happy, but not in this way. That was exactly how Arpia felt now.

She was teaching the young elves so they could grow and witness a “similar” view to hers, but she never wanted them to surpass her.

Narsha was someone who had experienced the same as Arpia. At the same time, she was someone aiming to surpass even the bond of master and slave.

“Oh my, how adorable.”

Arpia exuded hostility, but Narsha covered her mouth with her hand and smiled demurely.

“Since fate has brought us together, should we have a chat? I can’t tell you how excited I am to meet someone who shares the same feelings as I do.”

A formidable opponent had arrived.

Arpia made a silent resolution.

 

“Who’s that pretty lady?”

“She looks like one of Karamir’s slaves.”

“Another one? Karamir-oppa is amazing.”

Having been quickly healed by Arpia’s spirit, Matthew, along with Emily, Lili, Lara, Han, and the elves that Arpia had brought, hid in various corners of the tavern, watching intently.

Arpia and Narsha sat across from each other at a round table, and it was as if that table was Karamir himself.

Even the children, who didn’t know much about the world, found the scene intriguing. Lenard, though pretending to be disinterested, was cleaning the tables with his ears perked up, and Victor was eating a handful of peanuts.

Outwardly, Narsha appeared to have the upper hand.

Narsha sat with a poised posture, while Arpia had her arms crossed, nervously shaking her legs.

The atmosphere was tense, like blades floating in the air.

It was Narsha who first broke the silence, showing her seniority to the "junior."

“Allow me to introduce myself properly. Narsha Brian, only daughter of Count Brian of the Traul Kingdom.”

“Arpia Liliand.”

Though Arpia spoke, her entire demeanor screamed, “I don’t like you.”

“I’ve always heard that elves are beautiful, but you’re as lovely as the rumors say. And you’re quite adorable, too.”

Arpia’s eyebrow twitched. The word "adorable" didn’t feel like a compliment at all.

“You keep calling me cute. I’m actually older than you… probably.”

“Older than me?”

“Older than you…”

“Older than me?”

“……”

Arpia tried to say something but eventually closed her mouth.

She realized at the last moment that saying that would be a fatal blunder. It would have been the end of her.

Fortunately, she avoided the worst outcome, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“Hmm~ How cute.”

Narsha chuckled softly.

She had been so close. Just a step away from making Arpia fall into her trap. It was a shame to stop just short, but it was still a good result.

Emotional.

Lacking in verbal skills.

Narsha had figured out everything about Arpia with just one conversation. Playing with an opponent who had exposed their weaknesses was easy. The one-sided bullying was about to begin.

“It seems that you’ve also been blessed by our master, Arpia. Watching you reminds me of the advice I gave him that day.”

“A-Advice?”

“Yes. He didn’t want to leave my side, but I insisted. I told him he was meant to bring salvation to the world. I begged him to go out into the wider world and save more people.”

“W-What are you…”

“Thanks to that, you’re able to be this bright and happy. It seems my advice was right after all. It’s truly heartwarming.”

Summary: You were saved because of me. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have even met Karamir. Be grateful now that you know.

It might have been a bit of a stretch, but the core message was the same.

Of course, it was all a lie.

That conversation had never happened.

Karamir had left without a word.

But that’s the nature of arguments. Information asymmetry. Even if you lie, your opponent has no way to verify the truth. The line between truth and lies blurs.

Especially when the other person is emotional. It works wonders. As evidence, Arpia’s eyes were wavering wildly, unable to settle.

“Master must have guided you to freedom and then left. He probably had more important people to save.”

“Ugh…”

“I’m so honored that he took my advice so seriously. It’s the greatest glory a slave could ask for. I could die happy.”

Arpia’s lips trembled, but no words came out.

With every word Narsha spoke, Arpia’s precious memories with Karamir were being chipped away. Their cherished connection was being turned into someone else’s achievement.

It was unbearable.

“Don’t lie! I’m the one who’s going to form a thousand-year pact with him!”

“A thousand-year… pact?”

“That’s right!”

Arpia suddenly stood up and dashed downstairs, returning with a carefully wrapped leaf.

“Look!”

Narsha squinted as she read the words on the leaf. Words like reunion, trust, and pact stood out to her. Narsha’s pupils trembled, and her poker face cracked slightly.

“See? He didn’t leave. He’s just away for a bit.”

“Well, but this alone isn’t…”

“I have proof too.”

“Proof?”

“Exactly!”

Arpia suddenly began to take off her coat and shirt, revealing her bare skin.

Holding her clothes in place to prevent them from slipping, she proudly displayed the flawless, pale brand on her back.

“See? This is proof that I’m his eternal slave.”

This, too, was a lie.

The brand was merely a means to control spirits, engraved using the Spirit Seizure Book. It had nothing to do with being a slave.

But to Narsha, it looked like a slave’s brand.

Without the chain of soul binding, Narsha had no way to prove her own status as a slave. Upon seeing Arpia’s brand, she even felt a pang of jealousy.

“You don’t have one of these, do you? Are you really his slave?”

“Grr…”

With just one move, Arpia had flipped the situation.

Narsha bit her lip in frustration, while Arpia proudly raised her chin. A victorious smile tugged at her lips.

 

Meanwhile, in the corner of the tavern.

“Hey, master.”

“…What is it?”

Lenard, who had somehow ended up sitting next to Victor, chewing on peanuts, spoke up.

“Is being a slave something to brag about?”

“Don’t ask me…”

Victor felt dizzy from the scene.