This world is beautiful.
Now I truly feel like I've been reincarnated.
I saw people casting low level spells in their daily lives. The foods here looked weird. The people have unique appearances. There are some animals I don't recognize. The best part is, I have my friend, Geld, who kindly explained to me.
All this is observed from within this moving cage.
"How many days has it been?,"
Geld sighed at my question. He's tired of hearing the same thing too. "The Archduke's domain is pretty far after all. But it's been 3 days, I think we will reach there soon,".
I looked far ahead in front of me, feeling slightly dazed.
This world is so beautiful. But I wish to pick the flowers and touch those trees. And yet again, I am trapped in another cage.
And when released, to die again.
But, I feel like I accepted this whole situation. It's because Geld is here. If I am destined to always live horribly and die in the end, I would be depressed at this situation. But Geld quickly ruined that thought for me.
"You're a really weird girl you know,"
I pointed to myself. "Me?,"
"Well...you aren't scared. The moment you were thrown here you fainted. After you woke up days after you fainted you even ask the knights. Then, you calmly have conversations with me,"
I smiled. "I think you're weirder for being so calm at first and even told me to accept my own fate,".
Geld stopped smiling and he inched towards me a little closer. I felt my face a little heated. "W-What's wrong?,". He pulled my bangs behind and his face blushed a little.
"I imagined you're a beauty but...you really are,"
I quickly swat his hand away. "H-how can you be so forward? And in front of the others too,"
Geld laughed as he looked behind us. All the other slaves were crouching in the corner. "Everyone went insane except us," he said.
"I wonder why?,"
"Isn't it because we accepted our fate?," Geld answered.
I do accept this fate of mine. But deep in my heart, I wish I could go outside. Travel and see all sorts of things. It'll be nice to do it with Geld. "H-hey. If both of us meet again in the next life, I really want to see you with your hair cut," Geld flustered.
Now I am curious of how I really looked like.
Do I look like the daughter of that abusive, alcoholic man or...do I look different?
All of a sudden, the cart rattled and the cage shook fiercely. Geld quickly hugged as if to protect me. "Oi! We're under attack!!," I heard yelling outside.
An attack?
But before I could process, I saw a group of men attacking the knights. Some knights ran away, and some even fight. However, the men attacking the knights looked different.
"It's...it's the demons!!," the knights exclaimed.
Their dark purple skin and ashy eyes. Those are demons?
Geld clicked his tongue. "This is terrible. If the demons are here it means the Archduke is already dead," he said.
"Does that mean since the person with the most mana is dead, the demon king decided to send his demons to attack?,"
Geld's silence answered my question. He yelled while rattling the iron bars, "Hey! Let us out you bastards!," but no one bothered.
No one cares about us.
"Geld, let's save ourselves instead," I tugged his sleeve.
But Geld doesn't sound as optimistic. "The keys are with them and if we stay here, the demons will notice and kill us,".
I glanced at the padlock. It's rusty, so a little force wouldn't hurt. But both me and Geld have eaten nothing but rotten bread and water. We don't have the energy to break it forcefully. "Attract one of the demons here and let him attack the padlock!,".
"The demons don't even understand our language!,"
"Just make a loud noise and attract them!,"
But even I slowly falter at my optimism because the situation is so hectic outside. If we want to yell, it would probably be drowned by the sounds of screaming and clanking of the swords.
Geld glanced at the padlock and knocked it with his fists. "Stop! You don't have any energy and that padlock is rusty! What if you get hurt?,"
He grinned childishly. "I am a man. It would hurt my pride if I don't try to save my woman,"
"Y-Your woman??!!," I exclaimed.
I was so distracted by what he said that he already punched the padlock till' it breaks. "Geld!,".
He gave me a thumbs up, but my heart hurts with the bloodied hand he got from punching that padlock. We were so weak that just one punch isn't enough to break a rusty padlock.
Geld held my hand and amidst the chaos, quickly found an opening for us to escape.
"You're good at running away!," I yelled from behind me, smiling.
"Heh, I am not a criminal for nothing, Geld grinned as he tightened his grip around my hand.
Freedom, I can taste it!