'The Festival of the White Knot'?
The day after Cecil and I arrived at Metecal.
We were walking around the town and noticed a stone monument in the grounds of an old shop.
It looks very old.
The surface is covered in moss and the inscriptions are almost gone.
The ...... 'White Knot Festival' is a festival to honor the slaves. It is a confirmation of our bond with each other ...... Cecil, read more.
'Yes, there seems to be a festival like that every five years. The closest one is ...... Huh?
What's up, Cecil?
Today. "The Festival of the White Knot.
Tilting her head like a puppy, the slave girl Cecil said.
''Ah, there was a festival like that, too.
We returned to the inn and asked the innkeeper about the festival.
The White Knot Festival is a very old festival," she said. The White Knot Festival is a very old festival that has something to do with the God of Contracts, but I don't know if anyone does it anymore.
This is a festival to honor the slaves, isn't it?
Are you interested in ......?
The mistress looked at me as if she was priced out.
Then she looked at Cecil, shrugged her shoulders and sighed.
'I'm sure we have a record of that at our house. My ancestors knew a wizard who lived near the town.
The hostess raised her hand and called the clerk.
A festival to reward slaves, right?
In other words, it means that the employer is going to treat the people who always work so hard.
...... Is it like a company trip?
What's that?
No, no, I'm just talking.
We've traveled this far, and it's easy to understand if you think of it as a traveling event, like a company trip.
The "White Knot Festival", a festival to reward those who usually work for us.
In other words, a company trip as a reward. You mean the one with a banquet.
...... Actually, I've been longing for a company trip.
I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea. Trust me, I had a great time! Look at the pictures, listen to me! And I was so desperate to get out of there after the trip.
He looked really tired, though.
I'm sure that's how desperate he was to have fun.
The 'Festival of the White Knot' is a company trip to reward slaves ...... then I'd better do it.
I looked across the table at Cecil, who was eating bread.
A thin body. He was wearing a short length of cloth clothing. A leather collar over his shoulders.
He's tearing off a bit of hard bread, dipping it in the soup and munching on it.
Cecil follows me without complaining.
But I haven't done anything for him, have I?
...... Okay, if there's a slave praise festival, I'll repay him with that.
I'm not sure I'd be a black employer if I didn't.
'If you don't mind, can you tell me about that 'White Knot Festival'?
I asked the mistress.
The voluminous hostess shook her flabby jaw and said, "You're going to make a 'contract' first, aren't you?
"You'll have to 'contract' first,
'Contract'?
You make a 'contract' with your slave, 'I will not use the ring's binding power for a day. It's all up to the slave's free will. It's all up to the slave's free will.
One more thing. If the slaves don't like it, we stop the ritual. That's the point.
The proprietor held out a bundle of parchment that the clerk had brought to me.
It's written here in detail. Well, you'll have to try.
Hmmm, the mistress sniffed.
Then she looked at Cecil, gave me another glare, and then moved away.
I returned to my room and was reading the parchment I'd been given.
It seemed to be quite old and discolored in places.
That means it's historical. So there is a high probability that it is the real thing.
Even if the mistress thought it was a random idea, it would be all right if she could reward Cecil.
There are four pieces of parchment.
Each one has a ritual written on it to strengthen the bond between master and slave.
I've just finished the "covenant" not to use the ring for the rest of the day.
And the first ritual is...
"The First Ceremony.
While thanking him for his usual work, the master wipes every inch of the slave's back and cleans it,'
And in front of the door of the room, there is a tub of warm water.
I even have a cloth to wipe my body.
An innkeeper who had persuaded me to bring it back earlier.
That's right. I'm going to wipe Cecil's back clean with that.
It's true that we sometimes go to hot springs for company trips.
I see, so the employees get their backs washed by the president or managers on the trip. Or is it the other way around?
It is a high hurdle. No wonder they're so tired.
"You know what, Cecil?
I sit down on the bed and ask Cecil a question.
'Yes, Nagi-sama,'
Cecil is still sitting bolt upright on the floor, looking up at me.
"I want to be nice to Cecil.
'Yes, Nagi-sama. Thank you.
But I don't want to do anything that Cecil wouldn't like.
Of course I do.
That's why I think we're going to do away with the first and fourth rituals.
I understand. If you say so, Nagi-sama.
vermilion
Cecil turned his back to me and pulled his clothes down to his waist.
A brown, crisp back appeared.
Cecil just fell forward.
'Cecil?'
That's okay, Nagi-sama, I don't have a problem at all.
'Did the demons have places that were not allowed to be touched by others?
No, this is a very normal reaction for a girl.
hour by hour
buzz buzz
Cecil nodded frantically and then shook his head.
'I don't know what's going on,' she said.
''Just in case you wiped all your back, so that's good, right?
I don't want it to be okay.
But I wasn't very good at it, so you could be a little more careful.
Nagi-sama.
What is it, Cecil?
'Isn't Nagi mistaking my reason for infinity?
Why are you looking at me with teary eyes?
I left the room quietly.
I didn't.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that reason is infinite," is a line from ...... over here.
As I waited for Cecil to get ready in the hallway, the innkeeper passed by.
She looked at me standing outside the door and smiled, twitching her chin in satisfaction.
'The second ritual.
Slaves and masters share the same food on their own.
Yeah. I get this.
In short, it's like drinking at a banquet.
That's why Cecil and I went into town.
The main street is lined with food stalls. There are a lot of people on the streets of this commercial city.
I chose the one with the most people lined up.
Because you don't know what is good for you. Let's trust the locals here.
Sorry to keep you waiting, Cecil.
We sat down on a planting at the corner of the street.
The food sold at the stall was something called 'kelpana'.
Chopped meat was wrapped in dough and poured with sauce on top.
It looked like a not-so-sweet crepe or a soft spring roll.
We share the same food, don't we?
Yes, we're on our own.
Hand to hand?
It pains me very much to ask you to do this as a slave.
Cecil stood up and bowed deeply to me.
'But I would like to respond to Nagi-sama's will that you treat me well.
With that, Cecil knelt down in front of me.
I closed my eyes and opened my little mouth.
Like a baby bird waiting to be fed by its parent, like a baby bird.
...... So I have to feed this kelpana to Cecil with my own hands.
It's a difficult one, "The White Knot Festival".
The main street is full of people. People are too busy shopping to pay attention to us.
Good.
When you get a girl like Cecil on her knees in front of you, you get her to open her mouth and then you have to ask her a question, and in my world, you'd be able to get her to do that.
"Okay, let's go, Cecil.
I pick up a small piece of Kelpana and bring it to Cecil's mouth.
'What are you doing here?'
I heard a voice.
We turned to see a hooded man standing behind us.
The adventurer and the evil dark elf. What are you doing here?
...... Are you from the Iturna cult?
I've seen him before.
He was the one who had interceded for me and Cecil with Chief Priestess Rita on the street.
He must have been paralyzed by the Leviathan attack, but he recovered and came to Metecal.
'You're still carrying around dark elf slaves and the like?
It's none of your business.
I tell you, demons and dark elves are the only ones you can't trust.
As if to keep out of the way, the men come face to face with me.
"Demons and dark elves are quick to betray you. They may appear to be loyal to you, but their true intentions are incompatible with people.
It's a normal human being, right?
I'm from another world and I don't fall into that category.
'Cecil is helping me. I don't know what that means to you, but I trust Cecil.
'It's called being naive. These people look down on people!
Don't point at me. And don't talk too loud. We won't stand out.
There is a tradition in the cult of Iturna that Demi-humans were known to treat humans as an abomination to be touched.
Heh.
'Heh, no! These guys should always be bound by the power of the ring!
...... I can't wait for you to go away.
Otherwise, Cecil will remain in a sitting pose for a long time.
And yet the man from the Iturna cult keeps talking to me.
'You don't understand. Dark elves think humans are unclean. They would never pledge their allegiance to you from the bottom of their hearts. This girl doesn't even want to touch you...
chief engineer
It was out of the blue.
Cecil, who was kneeling, touched my otherworldly crepe, Kelpana.
Stretch your neck and pull your face closer.
With cherry red lips.
To be continued in part two.