CH 4

――Evening, Glen’s General Store. 

As soon as she entered the store, Stella fell into a chair while dripping with cold sweat. The drops trickling down her back were very unpleasant. Taking a towel from the merchandise, she immediately wiped her body down. 

「I’m not as strong as I expected. At this rate, I’ll probably die before I reach 30.」

『Ukeke, that’s sad but good news! Then I’d be free! Long Live Freedom!1』

「When that happens, I’ll take you to the void with me」

『Since you became a human, why don’t you learn a little better way of speaking』

「Let’s enter the grave together」

『Of course!』

Even though she only had a small conversation and walked around town, she was fatigued. Stella decided to begin building her strength right away from tomorrow on. Meanwhile, Mary who was still gawking at the prospect of a talking bird, turned to face Liar. Behind them, Stella quenched her thirst with a jug of water. The water that came out was warm and tasted bad. 

「Fuu. I finally calmed down. You all are free to relax if you want」

「…………」

Liar and Mary stood in stunned silence. 

「Here is the Glenn General Store, which will be your home from today on. It’s sudden, but Marie will handle general housework & shopkeeping, Liar will do some shopkeeping & be my conversation partner and Beck will handle all of the manual labor, miscellaneous chores & be my meat shield. That’s it for work assignments. Please make a list of things you need for living by the end of the day. I’ll hand you money tomorrow, so each of you prepare on your own. For today, eat and then go to bed when you want. Well, transmission over」

She clapped her hands right as she finished saying what she wanted to say. Stella sluggishly stood up and tried to go get a water jug to bathe. Nevertheless, drawing out water one jug at a time was really troublesome. Although she may have said it is troublesome, Stella had almost never done this before. If she made a round trip with this body, she would collapse and become incapable of going home. Past experience seems to have already confirmed this. 

Having done that, Liar stood up and raised a yell that echoed inside the store. 

「Wa, wait! I don’t understand this situation all of a sudden! First and foremost, who said I was going to become your slave!」

「You were sold in the slave market weren’t you. I bought you because you looked interesting. Therefore, you are mine. You will obey me even if you don’t like it」

「You, are you fucking kidding me!」

Liar was furious and tried to grab at her, so she swiftly tried to raise the magic crystal. But before that, Clever pounced and suppressed Liar. With a physique one size larger than a parrot, claws & a beak that could easily tear things like a human and wings that could produce blades capable of cutting steel, being called a holy beast was not just for show. 

――That’s how she remembered it. That might have been how it was, but she wasn’t so confident. 

『If you lay a hand on Master, I’ll tear you to pieces. She only has 50 years left. I want her to live her life to the fullest like she hopes she will』

「O, ow, it hurts! S, stop」

『What happened to all that energy from before? Alright, should we cut out an eyeball? There are 2 so it should be fine right?』

Clever, whose tone had changed, threatened while cawing. Stella clapped her hands and signaled that was enough. 

「I went through the trouble of buying him, so please stop wounding him without warning. It would be a waste of money. Also, that choice of words was scary no?」

『……Ukeke, I understand. I’ll only harass him a little bit. I’m sorry Liar! Ukeke!!』

With a way of speaking that seemed to show Clever did not understand, he released Liar. While out of breath, Liar crawled away.

「Wh, what the hell! This bird, is crazy!」

『So cold, Liar』

「I said stop, do, don’t come closer! I said don’t!」

Clever circled around Liar to harass him. Stella spoke up because the conversation wasn’t going to advance. 

「It’s dirty here, but I think it’s better than that other place. You can also eat proper meals, and I’ll give you breaks. Besides, I’ll even give you a wage. That should be more than satisfactory」

She would pay for their labor. There should be no problems if she could motivate her possessions. The important thing was that they work for themselves. 

「…………Wage」

「Please work hard and save your money. If you do this, then in about 10 years I will release you. At that time, if you don’t have any money, you’ll immediately be returned to a cage. You’re fortunate to be blessed with such a magnanimous Master」

Liar probably understood his situation. He could stay or leave. Stella was well acquainted with the suffering of being bound for eternity. She intended to give her possessions that level of mercy. 

「Really, someday, I, no, I2 will be released? You’ll even pay me?」

「I see, were you pretending to be a man despite being a woman Liar? I’m really glad you didn’t get caught there」

「Wha!!」

「You can’t fool my eyes. Fufuu, you’re really interesting」

「Sh, shut up!」

「I wonder what kind of past you have. I’m looking forward to it you know?」

As a result of Stella’s teasing, Liar’s face turned red. Although it was hard to imagine because of her beggar-like appearance, Stella figured out her real identity. That’s why she bought her. Because she seemed kind of interesting. That’s it. 

Liar was not exposed at that place because she did not show any feminine characteristics and her clothes were terribly dirty. She was lucky too. The merchants spend money to prepare merchandise that seem likely to sell, but things that seem unlikely to sell are simply stuffed in a cage and given some fodder to eat. If they still aren’t sold, they are taken to an even harsher place or disposed of. 

「Ehm, Ms. Stella. Maybe I can also be released? That, if I work with all my might」

Beck gently raised his hand. He was a special case. Stella snickered and declared. 

「Fufuu, there’s no reason to. You are special, Beck. Use your head and think about what you did」

「Th, that is」

He tried to threaten Stella and sell her to the slave market. If her memories hadn’t returned, it would have been over before anything began. She had no desire to show mercy. If he didn’t like it, he would just have to deal with it. 

「But, if that’s what you really want, it’s not impossible for me to release you. Hey, do you want that?」

「You say that……」

「Is that what you want?」

Stella took out the magic crystal. Beck’s face paled. 

「N, no, don’t be silly! It’s nothing!」

At Stella’s reminder, Beck shook his head in a hurry. She did not lie. It would certainly release him from Stella. And incidentally, from his physical body too. She was free to handle possessions however she wanted. All the more because this man had already tried to hurt himself once. 

(But, it doesn’t feel like he actually hates it. ……though I have heard that such people exist)

But somehow, Beck seemed to be getting some satisfaction from the terrible treatment he received. Otherwise, running away would not have been unusual. It was also a possibility that acting high and mighty as a thug was actually the opposite of his true nature. The type that takes pleasure in being oppressed. It was a difficult type of person. 

「By the way, Mary, I wonder if you’re okay. You haven’t made a peep for some time now」

「Y, yes. But, how could a child like you be a slave…… And, with all due respect, this store does not look so wealthy either. Can you afford to place us here?」

Mary looked over the inside of the store. The display shelves were mostly empty and the remaining items were gathering dust. It was embarrassing to insist it was a general store. Instead of trying to recover from the store’s sales, her father took on a high risk trade deal at the invitation of his best friend and utterly failed at it. That meant this store was her absolute last remaining asset. It sounds good to say you followed your dreams, but there is a penalty for doing something beyond your means. 

The pitiable one was her mother, who was only obeying her father. Stella’s weak body was inherited from her mother. Being submissive in nature, the result of her mother holding anxieties, was at long last placing the rope around Stella’s neck. Stella survived thanks to her mother’s strength being that much weaker. It was truly serendipitous. 

「Fufuu. Indeed, I was in debt hell until this morning. You’re quite sharp」

Mary looked even more dubious as Stella praised her. 

「What you’re saying is, you are also?」

「It really is like that. You thought I was some noble idiot in in disguise．It’s funny how a mere town girl can buy slaves」

「Until this age, I was far from being a noble. Because I was 100 gold coins in debt. A fantastic amount you know」 

「O, one hundred gold coins!? How could a little girl, from a family in debt hell like yours, have the money to buy us! First of all, this man is a grunt for the Stock Trading Firm. I’ve seen him before. They’re not a group that would obediently listen to you. They’re just a bunch of scum that like to bully the weak!」

『Liar is sharp. Beck is exactly as you say』

「……Do whatever you want: I’m already used to it」

Clever got on top of Beck’s head. For Clever it would be a kindness if he did not poop. 

「I’ll answer one by one. The debt was canceled with a transaction. Beck was indeed a minion of the Stock Trading Firm. But, now Beck is mine. This morning, he came to my house to collect a debt where he hit a fork in the road of destiny. Now he’s my possession. Of course, you all are too」

「I, I haven’t admitted that yet!」

「Whether you admit it or not, you are my property. I gave them money and took you out of that place. If you don’t like it, should I return you to the cage? I think you should properly consider how things would have ended if I hadn’t bought you. You are at a fork in the road of destiny」

It didn’t seem that bad, but that was from Stella’s point of view. There was also a way to choose the road to death and resist everything until the bitter end . If they could persist through the suffering, then that might have been commendable. Stella, who still had countless things she wanted to do, could not comprehend the reason behind choosing that road. 

「Shit」

「I think you are lucky enough, but… ……ah, hold on, sorry」

Stella drank water because she was talking too much. She was a bit feverish. Insufficient physical strength is serious. She had to get nourishment. She took out some black bread from a paper bag and began chewing. It was too chewy. Her jaw ached. 

「Well, if we are going to eat a meal then I will start preparations. Just, I’m not used to being here yet, so please give me a moment」

When Mary began to move she was restrained by a hand. Today must have been rough on her, so there was no need to push herself. 

「My bad, but for today I’m good. Since I bought bread. I look forward to working with you from tomorrow on」

「Y, yes. I understand」

「By the way, breakfast will be light. Brew some coffee as well. I’ll prepare the money for it later」

「Ms. Stella, is this really okay? These guys might run away without a second thought」

Beck said something uncalled for, blind to his own shortcoming. This man is the one most likely to run away. But she had threats hanging over him, furthermore Clever was keeping an eye on him. Even if he returned to the Stock Trading Firm, he would once again be dispatched here. Leroy himself had said as much There was no other place but here for this man to return to. 

「I don’t mind. I’ve got quite a bit of money from the company. I will hand it out as I see fit. Afterwards, I’ll put the rest in the store safe. I’ll keep an account of the expenditures in the store’s ledger so I can check it regularly」

「Y, Yes」

「Beck, squandering money is bad. You look like the number one risk」

「I, I won’t! I said I won’t!」

「Why’re you in a rush? Were you thinking something like ‘just a little would be okay’? Since I’m a naive little girl, there’s no way I’d find out about your embezzlement」

「Hie, I would never think that!」

It seems he had considered it a bit. It’s Beck so it couldn’t be helped. 

Beck ferries the remedy and receives money in return. As long as she checked on him occasionally there wouldn’t be problems. In the case he takes the store money and runs, she only had to give him a punishment. She didn’t think the company would let him escape, and before then, she didn’t think he could escape Clever’s eyes. 

「So, wait a minute. Why is a grunt for the Stock Trading Firm obediently listening to a little girl like you? It doesn’t make sense」

Liar glared at Beck. Beck trembled with fear and did not respond. His dignity as a thug had been completely broken. He was nothing more than a docile dog now. 

「Because I ended up making a deal with Leroy & the Stock Trading Firm. I told you this earlier didn’t I」

「With the Stock Trading Firm? H, how!」

「I wonder if I need to tell you that. It’s very troublesome. You’ll see before long」

She chewed the bread she bought. The outside was hard, but the inside was dry and clung to the mouth. Being cheap was its only redeeming quality. 

「Hey, tell me. That way, I might be able to help somehow. If you make a lot of money, I’ll be released faster」

「Fufuu, it’s a good thing that you’re motivated but. Unfortunately, it’s impossible because no one but me can do it. From tomorrow on, it’s fine for you to tend the store and be my conversation partner. I get bored when on break. I want to have a conversation and learn more about your lives. Knowing your experiences and ways of thinking will broaden my perspective」

She forced down the bread with warm water, enduring the overflowing sense of nausea. Her stomach seemed weak too. She had done well living like this. No, that’s precisely why both parents chose a double suicide. Even if one of them survived it wouldn’t have mattered. 

「……Pardon me」

「What is it I wonder. Ah, you all are free to eat as you please, even though I said it late. If it’s not enough, please take what you need from the store. Although it probably won’t be good stuff」

「Thank you very much」

After Mary expressed her gratitude, she brought out the questions. 

「……Pardon me, where might your parents be? If it pleases you, I can give them a proper greeting」

「No where」

「That is, they are currently traveling somewhere? Or are in a separate locale?」

「’A separate locale’ is quite a profound expression」

「Ah, well, I have to give a greeting too. Hehe, greetings are the basis of social interaction」

Liar stood up and straightened her clothes. That said, it was still dirty so not much had changed. 

「That way of thinking is admirable, but it’s best if you stopped now」

「What does that mean? Are they sleeping or something?」

「They died this morning. They both were hanging by their necks」

「――eh?」

Mary and Liar stiffen with their mouths gaping wide open. 

「The back bedroom. They’re dead, with tongues hanging loosely and feces & urine scattered all about. It’s a comical scene. Beck fully cleaned it up, but it still stinks so we sealed it off. It stinks, and above all, the remnants are terrible」

「Umm……」

Mary’s voice was diffident. 

「I was almost taken along as well, but luckily I survived. ……Ah, it was a really eventful day. It was a big drain on my stamina」

She had ordered Beck to completely seal off the room where her parents’ corpses were. Dozens of wooden planks were nailed in place so that it would never be opened again. Aside from the bloodstains, the inside of the room was clean and tidy the last time it was seen. However, she felt like the smell faintly lingered on. She felt like she could see the visage of a rope hanging from a beam. She felt like she could see the scene of her mother winding the rope around herself in vivid detail. What was that face like? The scenery was so distorted that she couldn’t remember if she was laughing or crying. 

She didn’t think much of it because she wasn’t actually hurt, but when she would go to that place she felt terribly depressed. Her feet would suddenly get heavy and her head would start to hurt. It was an extreme eyesore, so she sealed it off. It made perfect sense. Her living space shrank, but it couldn’t be helped. She just had to think about expanding outwards. Fortunately, she had the funds. It wasn’t a problem. 

「……That is heart-breaking, I’m really sorry」

「……A, ah. I’m sorry too. I don’t understand the details, but, all that’s been said, that, I’m sorry」

Mary & Liar apologized after staring at her for a while. That even Liar apologized was surprising. They’d only been acquainted for a few hours, but this girl was strong-willed. She was the embodiment of a rebellious spirit. It was truly astonishing that she would come and meekly apologize. Humans were truly a mystery. 

『Master』

「What’s up?」

『Do you want to use this?』

Clever handed her a colorful handkerchief. The blotchy hues were jumbled together, becoming a chaotic blur of colors. 

「Ah, so that’s how it is」

That’s right, she understood. She wiped her eyes with the provided handkerchief. She wiped over and over again. She also understood why the meal from earlier tasted bad. That’s because her sense of taste and sense of smell were disturbed. By these so-called ‘tears’. Things that seem to come flooding out whenever emotions are out of control. 

Even though her own emotions weren’t running particularly high, there was no indication they would be settling down. She couldn’t understand it at all, but this was human. 

「――Humans are mysterious. I’m not sad at all, and yet tears keep coming out. Ah, why won’t they stop?」

『That’s human』

「Yes. If so, I’m glad」

Stella smiled while she cried.