“Let me in!! I only wished to check on her; you didn’t touch her or dirty her body, did you?! Because if you did, I’m not gonna stay silent! I will complain in high places, got it?! She’s mine!… well she’s not, not any time soon, not even in a dream. But still! She’s under my protection. I vowed to her mother to bring her back at the cost of my own sanity.”

  What bullshit am I spouting here? I don’t even know her mother’s name…. But I couldn’t resolve myself to openly state my worries about her well-being… This was too much and, above all, way too early since the last time with the troll.

  “Calm down, buddy. Ya didn’t think we’re crazy enough to go against the boss's order? And I can’t let you approach any more than that. Your cages are already near enough for you to ogle, and that didn’t stop you from peeping at her all night, didn’t it?” The watchdog, our good friend Joe, brother of countless twins, especially dead ones, stayed faithful to the task until the end and was on guard duty.

  When he was not resting, he took a mischievous pleasure in torturing my mind since we arrived. Serving no purpose other than contradicting me or refusing my requests, everything while pretending to take great care of us. Surprisingly, he no longer longed after Lily’s body and kept his hand and eyes at bay, like a professional warden.

  “That was only to ensure she was fine and nobody would move on her behind my back!! Absolutely, totally, completely not cuz I couldn’t help but enjoy the view and was worried!”

  Fuaaaaaa!!… “Hero? Is that you? What happened? Why are you making so much noise so early in the morning?” Lily, who was awakened by my commotion, was wearing a rare smile of satisfaction, stretching her arms like she had woken up from a good night's sleep in a 5-star hotel.

  “Told ya, she’s okay.” Joe, which was

  “Thank god, I’m at ease now. Don’t worry Lily! I will bring us back home whole and chaste!… well, for you in the least. I had a little discussion with their boss, and we are currently on hold, but I managed to ensure our safety. It’s just that these monkeys didn’t agree to let us stay together.”

  I had more than a chat with him, however. We spoke a lot, like any wise and manly male would do with someone of the same caliber.

  After Lily’s proof of idiocy… I mean, after her fiasco… no, after her flop, nobody will say I’m mean, okay?! I did have some responsibility in the current situation, after all. Why I’d supposed she could go with the flow when she’s a rookie who finished with both legs crippled because she didn’t want to fail me...

  Anyway, after this unfortunate event, the bandits escorted us to their hideout. And by us, I mean me, carrying Lily, who got to sleep from exhaustion all the way until now, along with a small group of freshly bought enslaved people.

  How’d I know? Because they all bore all-new official slave’s marks, magical seals, that have yet to completely settle into their skin.

  Upon our arrival, we were split. The slaves’ fate was unknown while they put Lily in jail. Their boss strictly ordered them not to touch or do her any harm, and we then had a talk about our situation.

  To sum it up, I’m screwed… therefore nothing changes.

  Joke aside, now that the hero’s name was known, possibilities were lessened. Further, it was reduced because they understood well that I had at least some attachment to Lily and vice versa.

  Putting on a false front, I explained that I was forced to complete second-rate work to repay my creditors desperately. Showing them that I was at the end of my rope due to my trial after my well-known predicaments allowed me to secure our lives while appearing somewhat weak-minded and helpless.

  The evil for the greater good was that I barely pretended. Considering how poor I was, it wasn't so far from the truth. Moreover, thanks to Lily's burdensome and stressful existence, I could add the pressure weighting on my spirit caused by the dangerous temptation that resulted from it. I was indeed not far from a mental breakdown.

  Without insisting too much not to put them on alert, I told their leader I hated my current situation and wouldn’t mind an alternative. I introduced myself as an honest pervert in search of a future free of obligations. Well, I didn’t specifically emphasize the first part; it was already a worldwide fact, after all.

  I then answered all of his questions about Lily, me, and the situation.

  To gain his trust, I even revealed that I was cursed with a tracker, which was very accurate. Against all odds, they had a magical jammer anyway, so it was useless, and I couldn’t count on the curse to help the guild find us quickly.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  After developing a bit, I proposed a means to fix this issue entirely, as well as the one he already had on hand. Since the trolls were dead, it was now harder to use them as a cover for their evil act. But he could still use them to provide a valid reason for my disappearance from the radars.

  No one would believe I would fall to two mere trolls, but there were other ways to make their deaths profitable.

  If the bandits' boss announced in my name that I fought with two trolls at once and found traces of more, he could then pretext that I had to go deeper into the forest to investigate. Any potential monitoring parties after me would easily confirm the fight, and the forest was known to have a magical disturbance effect in its deepest part. Altogether, this would provide a legitimate reason to explain my disappearance from the radars.

  It could be seen as a questionable decision. After all, I could still have chosen to wait for the guild or any kingdom anxious about losing my track to send a professional search team. Even without the curse, I don’t think it would have taken long before they found out what occurred here, and I could’ve stalled for time rather than make them think everything was fine.

  But I didn’t want to let incertitude guide my steps. It was better not to stay idle and act as long as I could assert my position. Not only was this the safest option in the short term, but it was also the most profitable. I had suspicions about the bandits' true motives and what was going on, and my hero instinct told me that there was money in it—or at least, I should be able to gain something from it.

  Moreover, I didn’t want to risk an army showing up and screwing up the situation even more. We might as well count on Lily's lucky star… Or mine; it remained to be determined which one was the cause of our misfortune…

  Thankfully, the boss accepted my explanation and put us on hold to give him time to consider the situation and weigh the pros and cons of each choice he had.

  When he first heard of my identity, he seemed skeptical. He laughed for a while before understanding that Lily was serious. But now, as much as he is still doubtful about my motives and the reasons for my presence around this part of the world, he seems to believe me.

  He knew Lily was at his mercy until she fully recovered, which may take time. Magic was forbidden, and it’s not like we could bypass their unfair equipment. In addition to their jammer, they had magic blockers, too. How did they put their hands on it first of all? Well, I had a rough idea, but it remains to be confirmed.

  In short, Lily was their insurance, while I was a potential co-worker with talent but low reliability. He didn’t have to dispose of us urgently.

  …

  We were not entirely out of danger, but hey! Weren’t we alive? Lily was still unable to move, but she got actual medical aid and was now fully bandaged, with clothes on. I was even told that a girl, a slave, would be provided to take care of her every need.

  After this exchange, we were clearly on the winning side!... Even if I had not expected to lose all our hard-earned gains so far in return…

  Our items were taken away, and because I was so poor, almost everything was stored in simple magic storage pouches with no protection whatsoever. The bandits didn’t hesitate an instant to take what they cast their eyes on and that effort.

  Off-topic, note that Lily's cutlery set was welcomed with open arms since they were apparently short on them…

  Anyway, we lost most of our belongings at that moment. As for the essential stuff, it was well kept safe in Lily's secret storage ring. A ring that she successfully hid… well, somewhere, in a place that only a girl could have, I guess? I didn't dare to ask.

  A chance was that my attire collection, which was confiscated after the inn event, was kept out of my reach in this very same ring. I’d have really despaired of losing them. Much more than the little that our economy represented, and that wasn’t in this secret ring…

  I know I would have done the same, but… Lily… why?? Even the letters we previously found in the poet’s package were successfully stored in it. SO WHY DID YOU KEEP ALL OUR GOLD OUT OF THIS RING???!

  … … Bah, there was no point in regretting things now. All that was left to do was to wait.

  It did not bother me. It’s not like I had a wife or kids waiting at home… Well, strictly speaking, they were not waiting, and may god spare me, but the later I meet them, the better.

  “Are you worried, Hero? Don’t worry about the view. If we are given a little privacy, I don’t mind showing you a little when night comes.”

  Whereas I was in the process of complaining internally, Lily’s voice brought me out of my thoughts. As always, her concerns were genuine but totally off the chart. “Thanks, but that wasn’t what bothered me.”

  “... Are you sure? You’re drooling.”

  “I’m hungry, that’s it.” I hope the slave they’re sending is good. I wouldn't say no to a bit of soft Yuri circumstance when she would attend to Lily and take care of her injuries. he he

  ***

  Meanwhile, in a dark and messy room, with its only occupant in the center, standing before an intriguing orb. A secret conversation was taking place, well kept from any curious eavesdropper, and whose purpose served a dark motive.

  A mysterious figure’s projection could be distinguished inside the orb. “Kill the hero, and send me his wife along with the next shipment. If she is as pretty and cute as you said, I will put her to good use and let you keep the archaeologist who picked your interest in return.”