*knock**knock*

  Eh? That’s the room door? Who’s bothering?

  “Marisa! I’m here”

  “Wha? Heather? I’m going...”

  I opened the door to see, you guessed it, Heather.

  “Didn’t you ask me to be early? Why are you still sleeping?”

  Good lord Heather! The sun hasn’t even come out yet, as I peek to the window, the sun has indeed come out, but barely! The morning sunshine isn’t even bright enough to be considered daytime!

  “Sigh... give me 5 minutes...”

  I closed the door and changed from the nightgown I usually slept in to normal clothes. It's quite a cold day, so I decided to wear the fming dress today.

  “M-Marisa!-”

  “It’s fine don’t let it bother you”

  “I-if you say so”

  “Your familiar is definitely in the basement, I found it weird that he didn’t leave even in the night, but there’s quite a few servants that do that, so I didn’t really pay it any heed however...”

  “I never heard the pace having a basement”

  “It’s weird right?,Doubly so since he’s the only presence in there...”

  “Then let’s go”

  “Of course, I’ll ask the piggy for the entrance”

  And so we walked both down the hall, to the guest room the piggy use to sleep in, I did keep the master bedroom after all, We approached the door and without knocking or anything I busted the door open.

  “Oi!”

  “Eh!? What is it!?”

  He was still sleeping, of course.

  “I’m headed to the basement, where’s the entrance?”

  “There is no basement...”

  “Then where did you keep those girls?”

  “Oh! The celr? Right, ask the butlers to take you”

  “Don’t py dumb with me piggy”

  “W-what do you mean?”

  “I know that someone is under this pace, if you don’t tell me, I’ll burst the floor open and enter myself”

  “W-wait! There’s nothing of interest in the basement!”

  “I’ll be the judge of that”

  “I-I mean it!”

  “Then take us there”

  I said with an irritated look, really, he should know by this point that he can’t lie to me even if he tries.

  “R-right...”

  And now the three of us went to the entrance of the basement.

  “Aren’t you coming?”

  “N-no... I...”

  Something smells fishy... whatever.

  “I’ll let you slip this time, but know that if anything happens, and I don’t see you in this pace, I’ll end your life immediately”

  “O-of course!”

  He then ran away, I really wonder what he’s plotting...

  “A-are you sure you should speak to the lord like that?”

  “I see no problems”

  “Just who are you?”

  “I wish I knew~”

  Heading down the stairs, it’s quite dark. I can tell that much, still see fine though.

  It’s just a gloomy basement, filled with shit, not literal, just a bunch of garbage, although way rge! More so than I imagined.

  “There!”

  I saw a girl tied up in chains inside a cage...

  “Harsh... I don’t feel her presence so she most likely-“

  She moved! How is that possible, even to me, it feels like she’s invisible! Not even the sound of her heartbeat can be heard, yet she’s clearly alive, she’s looking at us with her cold gaze...

  “Who are you?”

  I asked the chained girl, but she didn’t answer... she’s quite interesting, her eyes are quite mesmerizing, and she has a red tail, like that of a lizard. It's a bit different from mine, looking at her complexion she probably hasn’t eaten in days...

  “Can’t you speak?”

  Said Heather. Then the girl opened her mouth, she didn’t have a tongue, they cut her tongue so she couldn’t speak...

  “I feel bad for her...”

  I said, while forcing the cage open.

  “What are you doing!?”

  “Freeing her”

  “There’s a reason why she’s in this basement don’t you think!?”

  “Even if you say that...”

  I feel no malice coming from her, I don’t feel anything coming from her as a matter of fact, but my intuition tells me she’s not a bad person...

  “I’ll let you free, but if you cause trouble, I’ll lock you again myself”

  The weird girl nodded. Then I cut her shackles and she immediately ran off, and left this basement.

  “She’s just gonna get herself captured in the pace again...”

  “Doubt it, her ability to hide herself is quite high, even to fool me, so she’ll escape with ease probably”

  “If you say so...”

  We continued in the basement, when we encountered a grisly old man in a cage, this is definitely him...

  “D-Dad?”

  Heather said in a surprised voice...

  “So he is your dad”

  “Impossible! Dad died over 5 years ago! How can he be here!”

  Heather rushed to the cage while drawing her sword.

  “Dad!”

  I stopped her by grabbing her shoulder.

  “Let go of me!”

  “Think about what you’re gonna do”

  “You say that after freeing the other girl!? I’ll rescue my dad, get away from me!”

  “That is not your dad!”

  “What do you mean!?”

  Looking at him, I can sense something weird, since I came to this world I can sense the presence of everything that lives, along with their smell and presence, but despite this and feeling the guy's physical being, it feels off..., like, what I see physically and what my senses tell me about him are in complete disagreement.

  “You said your father died right?”

  “Well, That was the official report, but no one saw his corpse! So it must be him!”

  “Are you sure you want to release him?”

  “Of course! Now let go of me!”

  I did as instructed,and now she’s cutting the cage to free her dad, as for me, I feel goosebumps all over my body, call it fear, it’s the first time I’ve felt like this in my life, and looking at the clearly enchanted shackles that he’s wearing, a part of me wants to kill him while he’s shackled, maybe being Heather’s dad is the reason why she doesn’t feel wary, but I feel like my heart is gonna come out of my chest...

  “Ugh! I can’t cut these shackles! Help me Marisa!”

  “I... I don’t think this is a good idea...”

  “Eh!? I-is something wrong?”

  “Heather!”

  From the slight dent that Heather sword made in this guy’s shackles he managed to break free and attack Heather, I managed to pull her back by her shirt and save her life, she would have definitely died if that thing hit her.

  *RAAAAAAAAAAAA*

  The guy began to scream at the top of his lungs.

  “D-dad... it’s me Heather, w-what’s wrong?”

  “Don’t go any closer Heather!”

  Disregarding my words she actually dropped her sword on the ground and extended her hand to this monster.

  “L-let’s go back home daddy...”

  In the blink of an eye the guy closed the distance and was ready to turn Heather into mush, this is bad! I can push or pull her to save her, but the strength and speed I need to make it in time would be so much she’ll die from me regardless, so only one thing to do!

  “Hup!”

  I stopped his punch with my hand! The force is so strong! I can feel my whole body shaking and my arm screaming in pain! This asshole!

  I kicked him with all my might, sending him flying.

  “M-Marisa!”

  “What!?”

  I said in a stern voice, this isn’t fun anymore.

  “Why did you kill my dad!?”

  “Wouldn’t it be nice if he died by that”

  This monster got up from the rubble, he became so buffed and angry, it was almost like looking at Hu*k, minus the green color.

  “Do you really think that’s your father?”

  Obviously this would devolve into conflict, he got up and dashed to attack me, so I intercepted his punch again, but I was the one sent flying this time.

  “Marisa!”

  “I’m fine!”

  I yelled while getting up, ugh this bastard, that actually hurt...

  “My turn!”

  I quickly went to punch the guy, even with a lot of strength, he just backed down, no time like the present, I hit him with a barrage of punches, as fast and powerful as I can muster.

  *RRRAAAAAA*

  Shit! With another swipe from his arm I was sent flying again... getting up is difficult, I feel too hungry to be fighting...

  As I got up, my mouth tasted a bit of blood, my blood, this is the hardest time I’ve had in a fight since coming here, so i shouldn’t hold back!.

  I quickly used magic to freeze him in pce. Then I rushed to it and used a heavy punch, putting all my might into it, and said punch shattered the ice sculpture that was in front of me, but despite being torn to pieces, all of said pieces went back to form the original body.

  “Are you serious...”

  Dammit! I was sent flying again, but as I got up, I saw Heather rushing to him with his sword.

  “What are you doing!?”

  This is suicide! As soon as he noticed Heather jumping towards him, he immediately swatted his hand making ripples of violent wind and sending Heather and her sword flying.

  As she tried to get up, the monster was heading directly towards her.

  Dammit! Same conundrum as before, I have to stop his punch or Heather dies! I got in front of him, pnted my feet into the ground and covered myself with both my arms crossed in an X shape!

  *SPLAT*

  I didn’t move, but his punch was so strong both my arms flew off, and then it nded in my chest, pushing me back slightly but I managed to endure, this hurts like a bitch!

  “Heather...”

  I said then I coughed up a lot of blood.

  “If you’re just gonna get in the way, get lost!”

  “Marisa!”

  Ah... I’m losing consciousness... I can’t let this dream end here, how unsatisfactory would that be, but despite the pain and agony I’m feeling right now, I won’t wake up, maybe it’s not a dream after all…

  A feel of dread coursed through my body! If this wasn’t a dream! Then surely I will die, I don’t want that!

  The fear for my life made me shrink for a second, and my heart started racing so fast I felt my blood pumping through my veins...

  “You!”

  Rage. That’s all I can feel now for some reason, somehow, in a freakish manner, my arms regrew in an instant, I angrily shed out at this monster, sending him flying again. After that I picked Heather's sword, and proceeded to slice at this bastard.

  Even as he fights back, I would dodge his attacks and desperately swing the sword with no rhyme or reason, my body was cramping and my hands burning, but I didn’t stop, even after he was sliced into little pieces I didn’t stop, even when there was only a puddle of blood in the floor, I didn’t stop, banging the sword at really fast speeds to the ground, as the sound of the spshing blood I’m hitting echoes in the room, I didn’t stop, the sword is fully chipped, on the verge of breaking, yet I didn’t stop.

  It was then when I felt an arm around my waist.

  “Please stop!”

  It was Heather, I could feel the warmth of her body, but then I realized, it was me who was cold...

  “Please... please stop...”

  I dropped the sword in my hand cnking on the floor.

  “Heather...”

  All the strength left me in that moment... I fell to the ground.

  “Are you ok?”

  “No... I have a question to ask...”

  “What is it?”

  I pointed at the pool of blood on the floor.

  “Can I eat your dad?”

  And so we both looked at each other for a solid minute.

  “...sure...”

  I wouldn’t let this go to waste! Honestly my hunger struck like a bucket of cold water as soon as Heather stopped me. I then used all the strength I had left, and with magic I pulled all the blood I could find together into a blob, then started drinking it.

  *glug**glug*

  “Phew!~ That hit the spot”

  I started feeling better the moment I drank Heather’s dad.

  “Sorry Heather...”

  “No, I’m sorry, you got hurt because of me...”

  “Well, I guess we’re even”

  “Pff!, what’s with that!?”

  Heather ughed then started crying...

  “Dad...”

  “He wasn’t your dad Heather... he’s on a better pce now”

  “Ugh...”

  I consoled the crying Heather for a while in this dark and gloomy basement...

  We needed to talk to the piggy so after she calmed down, I headed upstairs with Heather on my shoulder.

  “Oi! Piggy!!”

  “Eh?”

  “What was that little surprise in the basement! I almost died, you prick!”

  “W-wait! You killed Frank! How-”

  “So it was my father!”

  “You have some expining to do piggy!”

  I’ll cut the talk short, essentially after Heather’s dad died, and he was such a skilled fighter, they used his body for experimentation, creating that monster, he was apparently used in some battles for war, but after I came along he brought it to the pace and buffed him even more in a ditch attempt to get rid of me.

  “I see...”

  I said nonchantly while Heather had such an ager filled expression, even I was getting scared from her.

  “You scum!”

  Heather used the sword in tatters and pointed it at the piggy.

  “P-please don’t do anything hasty”

  “Shut it piggy”

  “P-please! I beg you! Heather too! The pension! Right, I’ll approve the pension so please-“

  “I don’t want your dirty money, scum!”

  Said Heather while thrusting her sword towards the piggy, I stopped her.

  “Marisa! What the hell!”

  “I understand, I too want to kill him, but I need him for now”

  I still need to help those refugees, and everyone else, whether I like it or not, I need this piggy here.

  “However~”

  I said in a pyful tone while using magic to create wind that sliced his foot off.

  “It’s gonna be fun slicing you into pieces of ham, piggy”

  I sliced another small chunk of his leg, almost as I was cutting slices of ham.

  “That doesn’t mean we can’t have our fun~”

  ...

  ...

  After me and Heather finished slicing one of the piggy legs into pieces, he passed out with foam on his mouth...

  “Sigh... that’s enough, anymore of this and he’ll die of pain or something”

  “Yeah...”

  I called a butler to tend to the piggy’s wounds, and left the room with Heather.

  “Are you sure about this? You let the pension slip through your fingers”

  “Not at all, but it’s fine”

  “I can force the piggy if you want, then-“

  “I don’t want his money, however...”

  “Yes?”

  “I do happen to be disemployed, maybe I should start looking for a job”

  “What will you do?”

  “I’ll probably register as an adventurer, although I won’t make much, I’ll work myself to the bone!”

  She’s definitely worried I can tell that much...

  “Isn’t there a way for you to accept my job offer?”

  “Concubine is a bit...”

  “Sigh... think about it, is there anything I could do to motivate you to take this job offer?”

  “Make it 4 times the sary”

  “How much did you earn again?”

  ...that’s a lot of money for a concubine, even double it’s a lot, I could pay for her, but with the amount of money I would have to dish out, she’ll turn into a noble in the blink of an eye, I don’t think I should give away that much money for a concubine...

  “And why would you want that much money?”

  “Is that a no?”

  “4 times is a bit...”

  “Of course, I actually earn a lot, I know that”

  “Then how are you hurting for money?”

  “All of it was used in the medicine for my sister illness see, there’s nothing I could do about it, even if I have to hunt dragons like this to make the money, I’ll do my best to provide for my sister”

  “So you’ll kill yourself out there trying to get money, and leave your sister to die”

  “That’s!”

  “Did I lie?”

  “No... but, I don’t want to sell myself like that, I know it’s risky, but even like this I have confidence in my abilities see! So I’ll make do somehow”

  “Sigh... then how about this, 2 times the pay, and I heal your sisters disease”

  Heather’s eyes turned big as ptes.

  “Can you do that!?”

  “I can try, although I’m not 100% sure, I think I’ll make do, but I have to see your sister and her disease first”

  “O-of course! Let’s go!”

  She was gonna drag me by my hand, but she’s missing limbs to do that. So I simply followed her.

  “Are you sure you can do it!?”

  “Nope, I said I’ll try, but if I manage, will you truly turn into my concubine?”

  “A knight never backs its words”

  What a chivalric mindset~

  “We’re here!”

  She quickly opened the door to her house and yelled.

  “I’m back Ellie!”

  Her voice is a bit broken from running to here, so her sister yelled in a concerned voice.

  “Is everything ok big sister!?”

  “Yes!”

  “Why are you yelling at each other instead of her coming to see us?”

  “You’ll see!”

  She took me to see her sister upstairs.

  “Big sister? Who is she?”

  “A pleasure to meet you, I’m Marisa”

  “U-Umm... Ellie...”

  “What a beautiful name Ellie”

  “Ellie, Marisa is, you could call her an acquaintance, can you show her your legs?”

  “U-un...”

  Ellie lifted the bnket and lifted her dress up slightly, showing me her legs, covered in disgusting bck goo all over it, I couldn’t help but gag a bit...

  “It’s spreading slowly... if we don’t do something soon...”

  Don’t say that Heather, Ellie got scared as well...

  “This...”

  I touched her legs, but a very displeasing feeling shook me...

  “This isn’t a disease...”

  I don’t know why, I just don’t feel like it is.

  “But the pace doctor said-“

  “Do you trust a doctor of that piggy?”

  Heather got silent for a moment.

  “T-Then...”

  “It’s just a hunch but...”

  I used magic, and sure enough, I managed to grab all the viscous bck substance from her legs, and turned into a ball floating in my hand.

  “A curse... maybe”

  I said that st part with a very low voice, I had a hunch it was magical, it reminded me of those crystals in my body from back when I woke up, albeit different in its own way.

  I hurled it to the floor and crushed it with my feet, it dissipated into the air, vanishing into nothingness.

  “T-Then!”

  “B-big sister! I can move my legs again!”

  I held her hand and slowly got her up from the bed.

  “I can walk again!”

  As if, I’m carrying almost all her weight, she’s been in bed god knows how long, it’s obvious her legs suffered atrophy, but she’ll recover, probably.

  “She’ll take a bit of time to walk on her own, but she’ll surely be fine now”

  Heather had a face filled with joy, almost shedding a tear, then she looked at me and turned pale...

  She just realized what Ellie walking meant for her.

  “Well, I should head back now~, you two have a lot to talk about, and things to do I’m sure~”

  Let’s see, it’s Friday so...

  “See you for your first day of work on Monday Heather~”

  “R-right...”

  she said with a broken voice.

  “Sister Mari!”

  Eh? Me? Sister?

  “Big sister, can we invite Mari to have dinner with us?”

  “Eh?”

  “I don’t mind but, I’ll pass for now, maybe another time, right Heather”

  “U-Un...”

  Heather stopped working, she’s so cute when she’s like that, so different from her stoic knight face.

  And like that I bid farewell to the both of them, and headed to the pace, anxious for my first concubine.

  Joanne_carper