Volume 13 Chapter 2 A Woman from Another World ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Thank you for coming… though I must say, you arrived ‘sooner than expected.’”
We were greeted by a Tree Spirit—dryad—whose sour mood was impossible to miss. Before us, Mikhail spoke with a voice heavy with things left unsaid. I met his eyes only briefly before deciding to look away, while Vera didn’t even bother to acknowledge him.
”Well, we hurried here in our own way,” I said. “So forgive us if it wasn’t fast enough for you. More importantly—what happened? Judging by the looks of it, this place has already been cleared out.”
I swept my eyes across the compound. The two-story stone building, with battlements crowning its roof, resembled a small fortress. Though buried deep within the forest, the trees surrounding it had been methodically cut down, proof of the builders’ discipline and organization. No doubt the very same group we’d been dealing with.
And yet—there was no trace of life.
Mikhail usually operated alone, so finding him here without allies wasn’t unusual. But not a single presence stirred within the building either. Had he really slaughtered every last one of them? I wasn’t exactly squeamish, but leaving at least one survivor would have been useful for information gathering.
Apparently, my thoughts showed plainly on my face.
”I purged nearly everyone here,” Mikhail said evenly. “But I left one alive. That single survivor is the reason I summoned you. Rather than explain, it will be faster if you see for yourself. Follow me.”
We obeyed and stepped into the fortress.
* * *
The air inside was rank with blood. Dried streaks painted the stone as we walked the corridors marked by battle.
”There is a survivor,” Mikhail continued, “but I do not know how to deal with her. Therefore, I’d like to entrust this to you—since you are, shall we say, more accustomed to such matters.”
He stopped before the innermost chamber. A quick glance confirmed what I already suspected: the building’s layout mirrored the Tortesia stronghold we’d once raided. Undeniably the same enemy. One room stood out, however—obliterated with such violence that it could only have been Mikhail’s handiwork.
”You said… ‘her’?” I asked.
”Indeed. I leave the rest to you. I’ll contact you if something else arises.”
Without another word, he strode away. His retreat radiated transparent relief—as though he had just offloaded a troublesome burden. Typical elf. They wore their pride and severity like armor, yet beneath it they were flighty, hedonistic, and possessed a nasty habit of shirking responsibility. It was no wonder their kind teetered on the brink of slow extinction.
But that was his problem. Mine stood waiting behind this door.
”What are your orders, Sir Soyuz?” one of my girls asked.
”No spirit presence inside,” another observed softly.
”What should we do, Master? Want me to check it out first?” the third offered.
I glanced at them—their gazes steady, hardened into those of seasoned adventurers. They truly had grown reliable. Still—
”It’s fine. Let’s just go in.”
If Mikhail had already subdued the place, there was little danger left. He had no reason to set us up, nor anything to gain from it. Which only meant… whatever lay ahead was something even he couldn’t be bothered to face.
Curiosity sharpened my steps as I pushed the door open.
* * *
She was there.
A human woman, growing out of a metal dais like some grotesque graft.
”…Ah. So that’s what this is,” I muttered.
She looked to be in her late twenties, medium build, nothing covering her bare body. Her breasts, full and proud, her carefully trimmed black hair—both above and below—were exposed without shame as she lay unconscious.
Her black hair framed a face neither sharply defined nor plain—attractive, in fact, in its quiet balance.
None of that was the problem.
The problem was her restraints. Both arms and legs were forced wide, wrists and ankles fused seamlessly with the metallic pedestal. Not tied, not shackled—but literally melded, flesh transitioning into metal.
The resemblance to that strange man from Verdaine was unmistakable, though this case was worse. Unlike him, she had been fixed here with a far darker purpose: sexual use, plain and revolting.
”…Could it be…” I began.
”How cruel,” whispered one of the girls.
”This is disgusting…” another said, her voice shaking.
Their faces twisted with anger and grief, eyes glistening with unshed tears. They needed no explanation to understand what the woman’s captors had done. Her fate was brutal, humiliating. And in turn, her abusers’ depravity stood exposed in full.
”Well,” I exhaled, “now I see why that bastard Mikhail dumped this on us.”
I finally understood his hasty exit. Next time we meet, I’ll make sure to repay him with some low-grade torment.
But for now—focus.
”Her pulse is steady. Breathing normal. No wounds. Looks like she’s just been drugged—or magically put to sleep.”
I examined her more closely. Aside from the fusion itself, her body seemed unharmed. But the connection… that was the nightmare.
”How the hell do you even make something like this?” I whispered.
At each limb’s end, skin and bone gradually gave way to metallic sheen, merging into the dais in a perfect junction. No stitching, no insertion, no crude grafts—just seamless transformation. Neither magic nor alchemy I knew could account for it.
And freeing her? The obvious method was amputation—but that would leave her without hands and feet, her life shattered even if she survived.
At least, that was the obvious answer.
Sure enough, I wasn’t the only one who thought of a “not-so-normal” solution.
”Sir Soyuz. I know it isn’t my place to say something like this, but…”
”This woman… I want to help her,” whispered one.
”Master… I, too, if I can, I want to help,” another added.
Their sad, pleading eyes lifted to meet mine. Of course. It was inevitable. Every one of them—Georgia especially, and even my own mother—owed their lives to the life-sharing magic I carried. To them, seeing someone in such a state and not thinking of saving her would be unthinkable.
But still, this was complicated. We knew nothing about her. If she had committed some terrible crime, if her suffering was punishment… could I justify helping her? Or if she bore clear hostility toward us, the answer would be the same. True, Mikhail had chosen not to kill her and instead left her to me, which suggested she wasn’t too wicked. But that didn’t mean I could judge her now.
First, I needed to know what sort of person she was. Only then could we decide. She couldn’t escape from here anyway—there was no reason to rush.
”Before we do anything, we need to hear her story. Vera, what do you think? Is she asleep because of spirit magic?” I asked.
Vera tilted her head, calm as always. “Yes. A sleep spirit has put her under.”
”So, spirit magic really can do just about anything, huh. Is it safe to just wake her up?” I pressed.
”I don’t feel any spiritual power on her now. She’s only sleeping naturally.”
”I see. Thanks.”
Of course, I hadn’t asked for nothing. I needed to be sure—was this ordinary sleep, or some magical curse? If the former, no problem. If the latter… well, waking her could be dangerous. She’d clearly been under since at least before we arrived, maybe days. Forcibly waking someone from spirit-induced sleep could damage their mind. Best to be cautious.
”All right. Lena, Vera, Georgia—why don’t you three wake her and ask her about her situation? I’ll step out for a bit,” I suggested.
”W-we will? Us?” Lena stammered.
”Yeah. Imagine her perspective: waking up half-naked to find a strange man hovering over her. I doubt she’d feel good about that.”
Lena’s face flushed as though the thought had only just struck her.
”Th-that’s true… If it were me, though, I’d be overjoyed to have Sir Soyuz see me bare. I’d feel so happy… I’d probably get so wet with shame I couldn’t stop myself…” she murmured, head lowering, voice trembling.
Vera and Georgia both shot her heavy, exasperated stares that practically said: Enough already.
Uh… right. Could I really trust Lena with this? I mean… yeah. Probably. Right? …Right?
Notes:
• Mikhail – Volodya’s brother and a guest of the guild, seeking to defeat Volodya for destroying his village.
• Verdaine – The largest local city in the region, ruled by the Margrave of Verdaine. It houses a branch of the Adventurers Guild and is the protagonist’s temporary base. Located within walking distance from the unnamed village where Lena was found.
• Lena – Female. A young slave girl in her early teens. Her appearance is emaciated with brown skin, long black hair, and grotesque scars across her face, including one that blinds her left eye. She wears a black collar and tattered clothing. Her relationship to the protagonist is that of a rescued victim. She is silent and appears to have endured severe physical and emotional abuse.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply