Chapter 4
After I’ve returned to the usual inn, I asked them to change to a double room . Since I barely have anything with me, the changing went smoothly .
Now then, since I bought Ayla on impulse, there are not a single personal stuff of her in this room .
For now, realizing I know nothing about Ayla, I started talking with her .
“I’m Hibiki . I work as adventurer . Hope we’ll get along well . ”
“Y-Yes . I hope we will get along well, too . ”
Ayla bended her body, bowed to me faithfully .
“Ah, um, I have [Curse] on me, and aren’t Master an adventurer?”
Ayla looked at me anxiously .
Well, that’s a given; since normally there won’t be any adventurers, who sometimes have to face live death situation,
who would invite a slave with [Curse] only God knows what kind of misfortune it’d brought .
In short, she was worried whether or not I would sent her to do exploration in forest or dungeon alone .
“Ah, yeah . You’ll be helping me doing exploration .
Of course, exploration isn’t always safe, but I’m not going to ask you to explore alone, so be at ease . ”
“Y-Yes! Thank you very much!”
And yet again, she bowed exaggeratedly . As she bowed vigorously, I happen to see a tail on her waist .
“Well, should I try it . ”
When I first saw her, I thought of something I want to try .
“Ayla, come here . ”
When I summon her, she come closer fearfully . Umm, she’s too cautious to me .
“Don’t worry . I won’t do anything . I just wanna try something . ”
“A-Alright . ”
I place my hand on her shoulder and concentrating on [Divine Protection of Light] .
And then, the room was engulfed in light before it went back to normal .
After I feel some reaction, I check her status .
Ayla Lv . 4
Warrior
15 years old
HP 750 (+250)
Atk 240 (+80)
Agi 465 (+155)
Int 120 (+40)
Luk 120 (+40)
[Divine Protection of God of War (follower)]
Effect : Raise combat-related status (Large)
Target : Self
Oh, the [Curse] is gone, furthermore her status has rise thanks to [Divine Protection of God of War (follower)] .
Rather, isn’t this girl too OP .
“Er, what was that just now?”
Ayla inquires me so curiously .
“Just now, I lifted your [Curse]”
I tried my best answering her as though it was nothing .
“Huh?! Is that kind of feat is possible?”
Though it was said that innate [Curse] couldn’t be dispelled,
it seems for [Divine Protection of Light], [Curse] is counted as abnormal status; hence it’s possible to remove it .
“Well, I was gifted with [Divine Protection] you see . ”
In this world, having [Divine Protection] is valueable . Moreover, no one but the person itself who know well about the [Divine Protection] .
In short, if someone does something of impossible feat, as long as he said it was thanks to the power of [Divine Protection], anyone would consent .
For example, even if you create a stir by subjugated dozens of monster the same day you register in the guild;
or create a stir by accepting mission to collect herbs, and collected huge amounts of herbs in a short time with [Divine Protection of God of Appraisal];
as long as you said so, everyone would consent .
“I was gifted with [Divine Protection] . ”
“Th-That is amazing! It is my first time meeting person who has [Divine Protection]!”
“Since I don’t want my [Divine Protection] to be known, could you please keep the dispel a secret?”
“I understand! Um, then, is my [Curse] really lifted?”
“Yeah, if you don’t believe it, you’ll see it for yourself once we get your Guild Card in the Adventurer Guild tomorrow . ”
Just like [Divine Protection], curse-holders would have [Curse] inscribed on their Guild Card .
It’s a given since it might be causing some effects to the surrounding just like [Divine Protection], unless it worked in a bad way .
“N-Nonsense, I would never dare to doubt Master, still…”
“Even if someone were to say your [Curse] is lifted out of the blue, it’s hard to believe, right . Yup, don’t mind it . We’ll know it tomorrow . ”
“Y-Yes!”
“That aside, we need to get equipments and daily needs for you, huh . Since I don’t have any intention to keep a slave . ”
“Huh?! Master, aren’t you need a slave so you bought myself?”
Looks like normally we wouldn’t buy a slave on impulse .
“Right, you were just so cute that I can’t helped it but bought you . ”
I tell her honestly . I’m not being a liar . Though it’s also true that I feel I could lift her [Curse] .
“No way, I am far from cute~”
Ayla place her hand on her cheek as her face flushed red from embarrassment .
Yup, that gesture’s cute too .
I embraced her instinctively as we sat together on the bed .
I seated Ayla between my legs and hugged her from behind .
I’m not going to make a move right now . No rushing, carefully .
Looks like Ayla has reserved personality .
Is it because she has been oppressed these past years since she’s a [Curse] holder .
Seems like she barely had any interaction with other after she lost her parents .
“I am very glad, that I was bought by a very kind Master . ”
I was flustered as she said so with a tears swelled up in her eyes .
Well, it looks as if I, a mere adventurer, just wanted to buy a slave for a bargain .
So she might worried that I would tossed her like a used-up shield .
Couldn’t bear to watch that cuteness, I put some strengths on my hand that hugged Ayla .
“Is it clothes and the like that you need? Though I don’t know much about tiger-beast, is there anything you need?”
I asked her while petting Ayla’s tiger-ear from behind .
It seems tiger-beast only eat raw meat is just bullshit .
As though still feeling a little nervous, Ayla sometimes jerked as she covered her face in embarrassment .
“Um, could I have a collar?”
She whispered so with a flushed face . Is it her interest?
I asked her back reflexively .
“Collar?”
“Yes, there is a obligation for a therianthrope-slave to wear a collar . ”
“Hmm, if it’s an obligation, then there’s no helping it . Anything else?”
I see . So that’s a obligation, I was kinda flustered since I thought that’s her self-interest .
“There is none in particular, everything else is the same as human . ”
“Then, we should check Tailor’s Shop, huh . Do they also sell collar?”
While listening, now I’m stroking Ayla’s tail . As I continuously stroking her tail from the root to the tip full of care,
I can feel Ayla relaxed her body slowly but surely .
I keep stroking her like when I do the cat I keep at home .
“Yes, I think they sell it . However, Equipment Shop also sell collar . ”
“Collar from Equipments Shop, huh . Is that means it’s counted as [Equipment]?”
“Yes, it is counted as Head Equipment . ”
“Then, let’s buy collar in the Equipment Shop, tomorrow . ”
“Yes! Thank you very much!”
While having that conversation, I don’t stop petting her tiger-ear and stroking her tail .
Ayla’s eyes are a little moist as she entrusts her body to me .
It seems Equipment is something you could make using material from monsters .
Because of the magic at work, it could fit any size .
Also, it has a sturdier and sharper than that of normal armours and weapons .
But because of that, each part of the body could only equip no more than one Equipment .
For accessories, as long as it’s not of the same kind, we could equip several of them .
In other words, if you’ve equip a ring, you can’t equip another one; but it’s alright to equip earrings and bracelet .
Whether it is too fantasy or too real, even I don’t know .
As long as she keep wearing collar daily, she can’t wear Headpiece Equipment, so it’s no good if she equip collar with weak status .
Today, I ate dinner with Ayla, washed ourselves with water, and slept on the same bed with Ayla .
Ayla was cute even on bed . Looks like it’s a good shopping .