Volume 4 Chapter 3 Promise
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
After healing the Beastman child, we stayed put for a while. However, we couldn’t exactly spend the night in a place where Wolves prowled, so we decided to move to a Safe Zone¹. Since the child was still clutching my hand, Liese carried her while Rin stayed on high alert to handle any Wolf ambushes.
We were attacked sporadically, but Rin’s high level made short work of them. I intended to join in with my own magic, but I never even got the chance to step in.
Once we reached the Safe Zone, the first thing I did was wash the child using Water Magic infused with Fire Magic. Poor hygiene leads to illness, after all. I couldn’t exactly strip her, so it was a quick wash-down, but it was enough to turn her matted hair soft and fluffy again and rinse away the visible grime. I made sure to clean her clothes, too. I’ll let her wash herself properly once she’s fully awake.
I tucked the Beastman child into a sleeping bag and sat by her side. Rin sat opposite me with the girl between us, while Liese practiced her spearwork nearby.
”…Why are you two together?” Rin asked.
”Are you talking about us not being split up by the Forced Teleportation²? It’s just a guess, but it seems that if you’re in physical contact, you get sent to the same place.”
”…I see.”
It seemed Rin found it strange that Liese and I were still together while her own party had been scattered. Rin explained that she’d been sent to the twelfth floor by the first Forced Teleportation, then warped here to the fourth floor by the second one.
Immediately after arriving on the fourth floor, she heard a scream. She rushed toward the sound and found this girl being mauled by Wolves. She wiped out the pack and performed emergency first aid, but she could only do so much to seal the wounds with ice. She could do nothing but watch the girl groan in pain, and she was on the verge of total despair right when we arrived. I’d guess the second teleportation hit her about ten or twenty minutes before it hit us.
* * *
A few hours later, the Beastman child regained consciousness. The shock hadn’t quite worn off; she stared blankly at her surroundings with a dazed expression.
”…Big brother,” she whispered.
Our eyes met, and she let out a small gasp as reality set in.
”Are you awake?” I asked.
”A-Ah!”
She quickly let go of my hand and tried to sit up, but she didn’t need to be pushing herself.
”Don’t force it yet. Just stay lying down.”
”Y-Yes. Um… thank you so much.”
She was surprisingly coherent. It seemed the injuries hadn’t left any lasting trauma on her mind.
”We can talk more later. I’m Daisuke. This is Rin and Liese. Can you tell us your name?”
”Master calls me… Fox.”
(Hmm. I guess that just refers to her being a fox-type Beastman. That’s not a name.)
”No, not that. I mean your name.”
”……”
(Huh? Is there a reason to hesitate? Has she not been called by her name for so long she forgot it? Or was she ordered never to say it?)
”…It’s Camilla.”
”Camilla, huh? That’s a lovely name.”
When I stroked her head, she narrowed her eyes contentedly. She really is a cute kid.
”Can you tell us what happened?”
”Yes. I was on the seventeenth floor with Master’s party, but…”
It sounds like Scary-Face and his crew are B-Rank adventurers who frequent the seventeenth floor. They sound pretty tough. Stat-wise, the leader is likely a bit stronger than Rin, and if we ended up in a formal Duel where the “Conditions” forced a handicap on me, I’d probably lose. If it ever came down to a fight, I’d have to be the one to do it.
I couldn’t get any more intel on the guys themselves. It seems a Contract Magic³ seal is preventing her from talking about them. Camilla herself was warped to the fourth floor during the first Forced Teleportation. She’d been wandering around, unable to endure the hunger, when the Wolves found her.
”Since we’re talking about food, let’s have dinner.”
”Ah…!”
As I started to stand up, Camilla gripped my hand for a split second. She let go immediately, but she’s certainly taken a shine to me. It’s unusual, considering I have my Ordeal active. Maybe it’s because she called me “Big brother” earlier; she’s probably seeing a shadow of her real brother in me.
”It’s okay. I won’t leave you alone, Camilla.”
”…Yes.”
I stroked her head again, and she gave me a small, albeit anxious, nod.
”Rin, can you stay with her?” I asked.
”…Got it,” Rin replied.
”Camilla, Rin is the one who saved you from the Wolves.”
”Thank you very much, Rin-sama.”
”…Just Rin is fine.”
”Eh? But…”
”…Rin is fine.”
(Rin clearly didn’t like the -sama honorific, but for a slave like Camilla, dropping titles entirely is a tall order.)
”Rin, you’re putting her on the spot. Camilla, it’s probably hard for you to just use her name, so how about ‘Rin-oneechan’?”
”…Okay. Rin-oneechan.”
”! …Glad to meet you, Camilla.”
”Mmph!”
That clearly hit Rin right in the feels. She pulled Camilla into a sudden, tight embrace, burying the girl’s face in her chest. Rin is seriously busty; I’m actually jealous of you right now, Camilla. Still, the poor girl looked like she was about to turn blue, so I had to step in before Rin accidentally smothered her.
”Rin, she can’t breathe. That’s enough,” I said.
”…Ah. …Sorry,” Rin replied.
”Pah! Haa… haa… No, I’m… I’m okay.”
She didn’t look “okay” at all, but it would have been tactless to press the issue. Well, if Rin likes her this much, I can feel safe leaving Camilla in her hands.
* * *
Since we were in a Safe Zone, I decided to grill some Orc meat for dinner again. It’s a bit of a one-trick pony, but I don’t have the luxury of making anything fancy. I hadn’t even shopped for real ingredients.
Liese helped me out with a composed look on her face, but her tail was wagging like crazy and her eyes were glued to the meat. It was adorable how obvious her excitement was.
”Alright, let’s eat.”
”What is… this?” Camilla asked.
”Orc meat. Liese is a slave too, but I make it a point for her to eat the same things I do. You should eat up, too.”
”Y-Yes!”
”Oh, or are you still not feeling up to a heavy meal? I’ve only got jerky or travel rations otherwise.”
”No! I can eat! Please, let me eat!”
Camilla was still hesitating, but seeing Liese eating the same food seemed to convince her. As a slave, she probably almost never got to touch meat. Looking at how thin she is, there’s no doubt about it.
Nom… munch, munch…
”Is it good, Camilla?” I asked.
”Yes, it’s so good… hic…”
Suddenly, Camilla burst into tears. Maybe it’s just been too long since she had a real meal.
”Camilla, are you okay? Here, wipe your eyes.”
”Yes… I’m fine…”
I wiped her tears away, but they just kept coming. Even while sobbing, she didn’t stop eating. Just like Liese, this girl loves her meat. They say crying is a good stress reliever, so I decided to just let her let it all out.
Rin watched her with a silent, content look, while Liese just focused on her food. Her tail was thumping the ground happily, so she was clearly satisfied. She’d glance over at us occasionally, so she was keeping an eye on things.
* * *
Once she stopped crying, I talked with Camilla again. From our point of view, she’s been abused, but I wanted to confirm her own wishes. If I just charged ahead on my own assumptions and it turned out to be unwanted meddling, I’d feel terrible for her—and incredibly embarrassed. I had plenty of failures in my past life because I acted without asking, after all.
Rin simply said, “…I’ll leave it to you,” and sat back to watch. She’s likely self-conscious about her lack of social skills. Liese stayed back too; a slave can’t own property, and she’s still just a rookie adventurer herself.
”I’m sorry about earlier…” Camilla said, blushing as she apologized.
”Don’t worry about it. If anything, do you want to cry a bit more?”
”…Yes.”
I pointed to my chest as a joke, but Camilla actually leaned in. I was a bit surprised, but I wasn’t about to push her away. Rin looked a little envious. (Honestly, I’m the one who wants to bury my face in Rin’s chest.)
”…You’re so warm.”
Camilla must have been starving for human warmth. She sat on my lap, her arms wrapped around my back and her head pressed against my chest. I held her lightly and stroked her hair. I took the chance to feel her fluffy Beast ears a bit, and she didn’t seem to mind.
”Camilla, do you like your current Master?”
”……”
Camilla didn’t answer. It’s hard for a slave to say they hate their owner, but her silence made it crystal clear she didn’t like him.
”Do you want to come with me?”
”!!! Are you serious?”
She snapped her head up, her eyes a chaotic mix of fear and hope.
”If that’s what you want, I’ll make it happen. Tell me how you really feel.”
”……”
Camilla looked down, falling silent again. Her current Master is a B-Rank adventurer—a real powerhouse. She’s probably worried that if she says the wrong thing, I’ll end up getting killed.
”It’s okay. Even if I have to fight your Master, I’ll win.”
”You can… win?”
”Yeah. I promise you. I’ll definitely win.”
After I gave her my word, her desires started to spill out, one by one.
”…I want to eat meat again.”
”From now on, you can eat it whenever you want.”
”…I don’t want to be in pain anymore.”
”I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again.”
”…I don’t want to be cold anymore.”
”We’ll stay together in a warm room.”
”…I don’t want to be lonely anymore.”
”Liese and I will both be right there with you.”
Camilla looked up, her eyes brimming with tears as she whispered her final wish.
”…I want… to go… with you…!”
As the tears flowed, she finally let me see what was in her heart. She’s had those dead eyes for a year now; she’s been through so much.
”I’ve got you. We’re going together. It’s a promise.”
”Ugh… waaaah…”
I pulled her into a tight hug, and she squeezed back with everything she had. She squeezed out every ounce of courage she had to tell me her true feelings. There was no way I was going to let her down now.
* * *
Camilla eventually cried herself to sleep, so the rest of us decided to take turns on watch. I stayed awake with Camilla in my arms. Since Liese had the last shift, I let her sleep first. I took the first watch.
I talked with Rin for a bit about what to do once we actually rescued Camilla.
”It depends on what Camilla wants to do, but what about you, Rin? You’re the one who saved her from the Wolves, so I wanted to know your thoughts. I know I kind of just made it sound like I was taking her in, but…”
”…Daisuke is the one who saved her. I couldn’t do anything,” Rin replied.
”I wouldn’t have made it in time if you hadn’t been here.”
”…Camilla is attached to you, anyway.”
”Well, I guess so.”
”…I’m leaving her to you.”
”Got it. I’ll take good care of her.”
Rin seemed satisfied with that. She crawled into her sleeping bag and conked out. She really does things at her own pace; she has such a unique vibe. She acts cold, but her heart is actually full of fire. Rin is a good girl, too.
Now then. A fight is definitely coming. I wonder how I should play this…
—
Summary:
Daisuke’s party moves to a safe zone to recover after rescuing Camilla, a fox-type beastman slave. Camilla slowly opens up to Daisuke, revealing her name and the abuse she suffered under a B-Rank adventurer party. Daisuke promises to rescue her from her current master, leading to an emotional bond and setting the stage for an inevitable confrontation.
—
Trivia:
- Camilla refers to Daisuke as ‘Big Brother’ when semi-conscious, suggesting a lost sibling in her past.
- The mention of ‘Contract Magic’ suggests that defeating the master might not be enough; the contract itself must be broken or transferred.
- Daisuke’s ‘Ordeal’ usually repels people, making Camilla’s immediate attachment to him highly unusual and significant.
- Liese’s tail-wagging during dinner contrasts with her ‘composed’ face, highlighting her suppressed animalistic joy
—
Character Insight:
The dynamic between Rin and Camilla shifts from rescuer-victim to a more familial ‘Big Sister’ bond, evidenced by Rin’s crushing hug and Camilla calling her ‘Rin-oneechan’. Daisuke solidifies his role as a protector, moving from a stranger to a ‘Big Brother’ figure through his gentle treatment and food.
—
Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
Introduction of Forced Teleportation mechanics (physical contact keeps people together) and the existence of Contract Magic which can silence slaves. Safe Zones are established as vital rest points in the dungeon tiers.
—
TL Notes:
The choice to use ‘Rin-oneechan’ instead of ‘Big Sister Rin’ in the dialogue preserves the specific flavor of the character’s struggle to find an appropriate level of intimacy between ‘Stranger’ and ‘Master’.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Liese – Dragonewt girl, 16, grey‑blue hair, thick horns, grey scales on neck and limbs, 170 cm tall, thin chest, tail that thumps when excited. Loyal disciple and Daisuke’s first slave, she wields a spear, trains on dungeon floors 3 and 11, Level 14, titled “Two Conflicting Dragons” sealing fire/water magic, loves meat and reading, and helps care for Camilla, especially bathing.
• Rin – Tall, large‑breasted high‑school‑type B‑rank adventurer with long shaggy hair and thick chest armor, projecting a cool‑beauty façade. Quiet and blunt, she wields ice magic for first aid, protects Camilla, and feels a debt to a rescued beast‑man child, dominating Daisuke’s group.
• Daisuke – Mid‑40s Japanese man, reincarnated adventurer, wears a ten‑year‑old watch and Radiant Iron gear. B‑Rank with high AGI/DEX, he uses Healing, Fire magic, Ground Shrink and Flash Move. Mentor to Liese, Rin and Camilla, he runs a growing household, cares for slaves, and gains fame after defeating Gerta.
• Camilla – A beast-kin slave rescued by Daisuke. She is emaciated, traumatized, and currently clings to Daisuke as a surrogate for her lost brother. A former slave recently acquired by Daisuke. Has a fluffy tail and a timid but affectionate personality. A fox-type Beastman with twitching ears and a fluffy tail. Formerly Gerta’s slave, she was rescued and healed by Daisuke after being mauled by wolves. The slave girl whose ownership was at stake in the duel. Previously mistreated by Gerta’s party. A fox-type Beastman child. Thin and malnourished from abuse. Formerly a slave to a B-Rank party.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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