Chapter 4

Takami no Kago – 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 embarra.s.sment .

　　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 rus.h.i.+ng, 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 fl.u.s.tered 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 s.h.i.+eld .

　　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 bulls.h.i.+t .

　　As though still feeling a little nervous, Ayla sometimes jerked as she covered her face in embarra.s.sment .

　　“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 fl.u.s.tered 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 st.u.r.dier 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 .