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"Mirabelle's master? What do you mean by that?"
Naredi's gaze turned cold as she glared at me.
Though not as much as Mirabelle, Naredi's aura as a witch was far from ordinary. If I were my original self, my legs would be shaking like a newborn fawn.
But who was I?
Even considering the soul synchronization, I was someone who had survived for over a year in a world where death could come at a moment's notice.
I maintained a relaxed attitude without being intimidated.
"What is there to explain? It's exactly what it sounds like. Mirabelle is a slave, and I am her master."
"Are you the slave trader he entrusted Mirabelle to?"
"That's not entirely incorrect. However, I did receive a request from Mr. Harold to take good care of Mirabelle."
"Him…?"
Naredi's eyes showed disbelief.
I'd be the same in her position. Her daughter, whose fate was uncertain, had returned as a slave. And the slave trader was apparently approved by her husband. It must sound absurd.
But what could you do? It was the truth.
"More importantly, climbing that mountain has made me hungry. It seems you were preparing a meal. I don't suppose you would mind allowing me to join?"
"…"
Naredi still looked at me suspiciously, but Mirabelle, having composed herself, intervened with perfect timing.
"M-Mom. I'm hungry too. I want to eat the stew you made."
"Oh my, I almost forgot. You must be tired Mirabelle, and here I am distracted. Just wait a bit. Mom will make you a delicious meal."
Naredi smiled sweetly at Mirabelle, but when her eyes fell on me, her expression instantly vanished.
"You may sit down as well."
"I will gladly accept your offer."
We sat down on wooden chairs.
But a problem arose.
"Mirabelle…? Why… why are you sitting there?"
"…Ah."
As expected, Mirabelle had sat on my lap. She'd done it so naturally, forgetting her mother was right in front of her.
Naredi was still wary of me. Her precious daughter had finally reunited with her after so long, yet she was sitting on the lap of an unknown man. As a mother, she must be incredibly troubled.
Look at that.
Her eyes were filled with disbelief.
It must feel like having your childhood friend stolen by some buzz-cut baseball player.
I needed to quickly defend myself.
"Haha, being alone in a foreign place seems to have made Mirabelle quite dependent. She's like this even when sleeping, never wanting to leave my side. She's quite the spoiled child."
"Even when sleeping…? You didn't!"
"Please don't misunderstand. I swear upon the god of slave traders that I didn't do anything."
I wasn't sure if there was a god of slave traders, or if they would be respectable enough for me to swear by even if they existed, but I swear by them nonetheless.
At most, I just hugged her like a body pillow and maybe sniffed her a bit. I was innocent.
"Anyways, there's no need for that anymore! Come on, Mirabelle. Don't you want Mommy to hold you?"
"Oh…"
Mirabelle hesitated, conflicted as she clung to me. This came as a tremendous shock to Naredi, her expression crumpling as if she had been struck by a stone.
Naredi shot me a hostile glare.
I felt wronged, but it didn't matter. The look in the loser's eyes only makes victory all the sweeter. I let a small smirk curl at the corner of my mouth.
Of course, only for a moment.
Overdoing it could backfire. I've had my fill of the loser's despair, thank you very much.
"Miss Mirabelle, you've finally reunited with your mother. Why don't you go to her?"
"Umm…"
Mirabelle hesitated for a moment.
Soon, seeming to realize this was the right thing to do, she scurried over to Naredi and hugged her.
This was another big shock for Naredi. The fact that Mirabelle ignored her words but immediately obeyed mine. Even while hugging Mirabelle, she didn't seem happy.
***
"Then the priestess lady…"
Mirabelle recounted everything she had been through, not even glancing at the cooling stew in front of her.
With an excitement that startlingly contrasted her usually timid nature, her face lit up as if recalling fond memories from a delightful journey.
Naredi listened to her daughter's stories with a warm smile.
As the story progressed, her gaze towards me changed as well. From a thief who stole her daughter to something like her daughter's half-friend? It was quite an upgrade.
But damn, this is fucking delicious.
I kept eating the stew, not wanting to interrupt the reunited mother and daughter. This was incredibly good.
Naredi's Stew.
It was an item that appeared in the game too.
While the item had no actual effect, it carried an immense symbolic value that could only be unlocked by achieving Mirabelle's true ending.
I had never used it in the game. It was an unwritten rule to keep one-time consumable items as mementos after all.
Though I never thought I'd actually get to eat it myself.
"My, you certainly eat well. Unnecessarily so."
"It's quite delicious. You're an excellent cook, Mother."
"I appreciate the compliment, but who exactly are you calling Mother?"
"Well since Father entrusted me to take good care of Mirabelle, that makes you Mother by extension, doesn't it?"
Naredi looked at me with displeasure but didn't say anything out loud. It was because I was the benefactor who had saved her daughter and brought her all the way here.
Even if the rest of the world cursed me, she couldn't say anything against me.
"Mommy, are you listening?"
"Yes, yes. Of course I am."
Naredi turned back to Mirabelle with a motherly smile.
***
Night came early in the mountains.
Though the sun had set long ago, Mirabelle's story showed no signs of ending. She recited so many tales that I couldn't help but wonder, 'How can so many words come out of such a small mouth?'
Even Naredi, who had been listening attentively, was starting to tire. Finally, unable to hold out any longer, she began to coax Mirabelle.
"Sweetie, why don't we continue the rest of the story tomorrow? It's about time to sleep. Being early to bed helps you grow taller."
"Huh? Um… okay."
It had been a very long time since she'd heard those words.
She used to think it was nagging, but now Mirabelle understood how precious such everyday moments were. She didn't argue. Of course, that wouldn't last long.
"Where do I sleep?"
"Come sleep together with Mom in the bed."
"Can Master sleep with us too?"
"Don't be ridiculous. That man will be sleeping in the living room."
Mirabelle looked at Karami with a troubled expression. She had become unable to sleep without Karami nearby.
Karami smiled gently.
"Sleep with your mother tonight."
"Mm… Okay."
Mirabelle nodded obediently.
After all, it had been a long time since she slept with her mom. She could sleep with Karami from tomorrow.
The mother and daughter went into the room. But a moment later, Mirabelle poked her head out.
"Goodnight Master. See you tomorrow."
Karami remained quiet.
He looked at Mirabelle with somewhat wistful eyes.
"Master?"
"You must be tired, Miss Mirabelle. Sleep well."
"Yes, hehe."
Mirabelle flashed a cute smile and waved before going back into the room.
Naredi tucked Mirabelle in and pulled up the blanket. She lay down next to her and gently patted her with a soft rhythm.
Mirabelle, holding the blanket up to her neck, looked up at the ceiling with a beaming smile.
"Mom, I'm so happy right now."
"Really?"
"Yes. Master is here, and I got to see Mommy too."
"Do you like that master person that much? He's a slave trader, you know."
Mirabelle answered with a bright smile.
"Master isn't like the other slave traders. He's a bit strange and does silly things sometimes, but… he hugs me when I cry and always takes my side when people say things about me. He doesn't even care that I'm a witch. Besides Mommy and Daddy, he's the first person who's ever treated me that way."
He was there for her during the darkest moments of her life.
He held up her when she felt like she was falling apart.
"He sounds like quite the unusual slave trader."
"He is. He knows many mysterious things, and he even helped me meet you, Mom. He let me meet Dad too…"
That was something Naredi was curious about too.
How did he know?
That she was in this remote mountain?
Mirabelle said he had kept promising to let her meet her mother. Which meant he had known all long. That she was alive.
It's suspicious, but…
The fact remained that because of him, she met Mirabelle in good health. For that alone, she owed Karami a debt she could never repay in her lifetime.
"Tomorrow… I'll show you… the magic I learned…"
"Yes you will, now go to sleep."
Mirabelle, mumbling in a half-asleep state, finally fell into a deep sleep with Naredi's lullaby. So deep that she wouldn't wake even if someone carried her away.
Pat, pat.
After patting her at a steady rhythm, she carefully got up when she thought, 'This should be enough.'
The old bed creaked, but fortunately, the deeply sleeping Mirabelle didn't wake up.
Naredi stepped out.
Karami wasn't in the space too small to be called a living room. He must have opened and closed the door, as the chilly mountain air circulated throughout the cabin.
When she went outside the cabin, she saw Karami descending the mountain.
She quickly caught up to him.
"Where are you going in the middle of the night?"
"My business here is done, so it's time for me to take my leave. I'm a busy man, you see. Ah, and don't worry, I'll remove the spell binding Miss Mirabelle."
Karami kept walking without stopping, saying only what he wanted to say. Only when Naredi blocked his path did he finally halt.
Naredi looked up at him with a glare.
"You're going to let Mirabelle go? A slave trader releasing a slave without any compensation? You expect me to believe that?"
"I will return her exactly as I said. I am a slave trader. I never do anything that doesn't benefit me. And I assure you, this is very much in my interest."
"How in the world does this benefit you?"
"In many ways. And… I've seen what I wanted to see."
Karami recalled the scene of Mirabelle and Naredi hugging each other while crying. It was something he had seen dozens of times before, yet it was also something he was seeing for the first time.
There were things you couldn't feel through a screen. The wave of emotions that had resonated through his soul left a deep impression.
"So you don't need to be suspicious."
"But if you leave like this, Mirabelle will be upset…"
"You're all strange people, that family of yours. From a man that entrusts his daughter to a slave trader, to you, trying to stop said slave trader from leaving."
"What choice do I have? Mirabelle has grown to depend on you so much."
"That's why I have to go now. If I leave during the day, won't Mirabelle try to follow me? This is better for you too."
"For me, maybe, but…"
Karami slipped past the hesitating Naredi and waved his hand casually without looking back.
"Choose your words carefully when telling Mirabelle. I'll leave that part to you."
Naredi stared blankly at Karami, who was leaving while acting like a guardian.
"It's about time for demonic beasts and wild animals to come out."
At those words, Karami stopped abruptly. He turned his head with a creak.
"By any chance, do you happen to have a spell? A spell to ward off wild beasts?"
***
I descended the mountain again, cloaked in Naredi's mana.
With the scent of a witch on me, weak demonic beasts wouldn't dare approach out of fear. The amount wasn't much, so it would dissipate into the air by the time I reached the bottom. Even if I encountered clergy, it wouldn't raise any suspicions.
I looked back at the path I had traveled.
Many things had happened. Some went as expected, some didn't. The result was okay, but there were many areas that needed improvement.
It was painful watching the struggles, but knowing what awaited at the end comforted me.
Seeing them smile at the end washed away all the frustrations.
Once more, I glanced back at the winding trail behind me.
The cabin where Mirabelle was staying was no longer in sight. Even if she woke up now, she wouldn't be able to chase after me from this far.
I won't have to worry about revenge for treating her as a slave. The current Mirabelle probably wouldn't do that, but you never know with these things.
"From now on, don't get caught by any more bad people, and live happily with your mom."
Snap!
I snapped my fingers.
A crisp sound echoed through the mountains.
The shackles binding Mirabelle's soul shattered and were reclaimed.
When they finally disappeared completely, a status screen popped up.
[Liberation of Mirabelle, the Abandoned Witch, Complete]
────────────
Mirabelle, the Abandoned Witch.
Born in a small, nameless village, Mirabelle was a cute girl like any other in the world. But when the clergy visited one fateful day, her life plummeted into an abyss where no light could reach.
Her beloved mother died, and abandoned by her father, Mirabelle was sold into slavery. She was destined to be sold to a pedophilic nobleman at the Slave Carnival. To this girl, you threw a lifeline without hesitation.
You forced your way into her closed-off heart and pulled Mirabelle out of the darkness she had curled up in. You acknowledged the girl who denied her own existence, and Mirabelle decided to trust someone, one more time.
You raised Mirabelle to become a proper witch, resolved her trauma, uncovered hidden secrets, and safely returned her to her family's embrace.
Mirabelle realized that she, who thought she had been abandoned, was actually a cherished daughter loved by her parents and a witch destined to bring miracles.
Mirabelle, the Abandoned Witch.
The girl was not abandoned.
Because she was chosen by you.
────────────
Mirabelle's [Liberation Rate] is 100%.
Reward : 50,000 points has been awarded.
The [Soul Shackles] skill has been strengthened.
You have acquired the new skill [Generous Master].
[Fully Liberate the Main Slaves. Progress: 1/5]