The Slave: Pride

***

My vision started to feel blurry; even so, I felt my head was so dizzy. The darkness began to turn into a skyscape somewhere.

However, there is a warmth that I feel.

After I forced my eyes open, I could finally see clearly.

When I realized, some parts of my body had been bandaged by someone.

Then, I heard the voice of a woman humming.

When I looked towards the source of the voice, he was pretty far from me. Even so, she seemed to be up to something.

I see; it's possible that she took care of me when I fainted earlier. When I look to the left. There was a bonfire not far from me. I was at her place of residence.

Even so, my body still aches. Forcing yourself to walk is a bad idea. But, at least I can avoid being chased by the other party.

I also heard the sound of footsteps from her direction; it seemed he was trying to approach me.

"You finally realized I have prepared some medicinal plants that can relieve the internal injuries you are experiencing. "

Then, she took off my bandage again and applied the herbs she had pounded earlier.

" Yes, thank you. "

"Don't worry; I'm just helping you as much as I can. Seeing your surviving condition when you met me made me think that you are a strong woman. "

She just kept talking about it.

"Yes, I had to do it. "

"At least, please endure the pain. "

Right after she said that I felt excruciating pain.

Unknowingly, I screamed pretty loudly.

"ahhh...."

However, she again pressed the bandage tightly so that it fits perfectly on my right thigh.

"Yes, now I will change the bandage on your stomach and hands. Please endure the same as before. "

I can only nod because she is my savior right now.

I felt the same pain again, but I tried to accept it while closing my eyes this time.

It didn't take long; she had tightly tied my bandage.

"Now that it's done, I will prepare dinner. "

After that, she went the other way to throw away my bandages.

At least I don't want to bother her anymore. I had to force myself to stand up.

But, it seems the only thing I can do is sit down; my legs don't have enough strength to allow me to stand up.

Especially when I look at the state of my body, my clothes are being dried, so I'm only wearing a robe that a woman might have.

A few moments later, the woman came back to see me.

"Don't push yourself like that; your body still can't handle it. "

She tried to keep me lying down.

"No, I've been sleeping for a long time. At least I have to change my position so that the healing can be faster. "

"You will recover faster if you rest a lot; doing things like this will only drain your energy. "

I can't refute her words.

She went back to her words.

"You must be hungry, right; I have cooked soup. Wait a minute; I'll get it. "

She also prepared food for me.

As I watched her, she didn't seem to be a suspicious woman. That means there's no mistaking that she's an adventurer or someone who lives around here.

Then, she came back here.

"Here, eat it while it's still warm. Can you eat well?"

"Just put it down; I can eat myself."

"Okay. "

After she put the wooden bowl in front of me, she also took part for herself.

When I try to hold the spoon, it seems that my right hand can be used properly.

When I tasted the taste, it was delicious. Although the shape is ordinary, my tongue can be made to like by simple dishes like this.

"How does it feel ?."

"I have to admit; it's delicious. "

I say what I feel.

"Thank you; there's still a lot. You can add whatever you want. "

At least, I don't want to bother her any further. So, I decided to eat in moderation.

"No, I've had enough. "

I eat it voraciously so that my strength can return.

"Too bad, even though I've made quite a lot. "

She seemed disappointed with me.

"We can eat it for tomorrow; I don't want to burden you any longer. "

"It seems I can understand your nature; at least let's enjoy it. "

She also ate with me.

After we finished our food, she spoke to me again.

"Is your condition getting better? "

"At least I have enough energy. Resting for a while might make me recover. "

"Even though I can't help you much, at least this is all I can do. "

"This is precisely what confuses me, even though you don't know who I am. But, why did you decide to help me? "

I'm still suspicious of her kindness.

"Of course you would think so, but you need to know. I'm not one to sacrifice others just to let myself survive. So, what's wrong with me helping you when you need help. "

I can't believe that there are people like her in this world.

"Even though you don't know me? "

"For me who has lived an adventurous life for a long time, saving other people who need my help is a must. After all, you're a fellow woman like me. "

She smiled as she said that.

"Oh, I see. "

"I know you must have a hard time believing me. However, you can only leave for two more days. Because according to my prediction, only in that time, your body can be completely healed. "

"Are you a healer? "

"No, I'm just an adventurer. Even so, I have little knowledge to treat wounds. Especially when you say that what you are experiencing is a deep wound, it will take a little longer to heal. "

"You greatly helped me; one day, I will repay your kindness."

"Don't be in such a rush; what I did was something that any good adventurer would do. It looks like I forgot to introduce myself; my name is Lenora. "

"my name...."

For a moment, I need to think about what I should do if she gets involved in my problem. Then, I decided on a new name to keep her safe.

"Did you also forget your memory? "

"No, my name is Samejima Maiko. "

"From your clothes and your face, you must be from an island across the continent. Nice to meet you, Maiko. "

She could just call out the pseudonym I made up.

"Do I look conspicuous in this place?."

"Of course, only the people who live there wear clothes like you. Although I think some people decide to look the same as you because they like this kind of clothes. "

"I think so..."

"I don't know if you're noble or not. But, at least from now on, you should be able to take care of yourself. Because this world is not friendly to ordinary people. "

When I heard that sentence, I again recalled the tragic fate of everyone close to me.

"Yes, I understand that. Hence, I try to survive no matter what. "

"At least, you have pretty good luck. I'm not going to ask further about why you got here; it's just that I want to confirm something. Do you intend to open a new war front? "

I was pretty surprised by what she said.

"What do you mean by opening a new war? My people do not intend to interfere in the affairs of this land. "

"So you don't know anything, but a few months ago. Several kingdoms on this continent have united to fight the invasion carried out by the eastern country. This is a confusing problem. "

"That's impossible; the Dazaifu Empire shouldn't have enough power to do it. "

"From the rumors I heard, there was an envoy from your country where you came from coming here. There had been a civil war that made them run away. Therefore, the alliance was created to withstand the attacks of someone in power. "

"So, do you know who led the rebellion? "

"I don't have any information so far; what I do know is that a combined army of adventurers and regular soldiers is gathering on the east side to hold off the eastern army. "

It looks like it's too late. I'm foolish.

"Everyone has died in vain. "

"The war hasn't happened yet; it's just because of the sudden movement of the eastern countries. There are so many gaps left that it's a problem, as you saw earlier. "

Lenora said essential information to me.

"You're right; I'm sorry. "

"I don't blame you; it's just that I feel angry at myself and this country for not being able to do anything to stop them. "

"means, the place I saw before?. "

"Everything has been destroyed; the troops chasing us are bandits. They simply plunder and destroy and enslave everyone they deem to be of value. "

This happens quite often; it's just that there are other factors, such as my country, that cause it.

"So you can't fight them either. "

"Of course, even though I'm an adventurer. Still, I have to look for a higher chance of survival. Even though I care about them, if I don't have enough power, it's the same I will act as the kingdom decides. "

"I can only hope, what I do will be helpful. "

Then she smiled back at me.

"At least, I can feel less guilty by saving you. Even if it's just one person, it's better than not doing it at all. "

"So, that's your goal..."

For some reason, I started to believe in her.

"Although it sounds like a start, this is only one form of my escape. "

"I see; I thought you were one of them. "

"If I was one of them, I wouldn't have bothered to treat you well. Selling you to them would probably take me off work for a few months. "

"Am I that valuable?"

"From my point of view, your price might be around 1000 to 2000 gold coins. You have a good body; it's just a matter of training you that will cost you more.. "

"Now, you sound like a slave trader. "

I became suspicious of her again.

"Hahaha, I'm just trying to imitate one of the slave sellers in several cities. At the very least, be careful not to end up there. "

"Okay, I'll do it. "

"I will stay here until waiting for you to recover; after that, you can go wherever you want. "

"Yes, I am very grateful. "

"Now, rest again. The bandits won't be able to find it in this cave. "

"is it true like that?."

"Of course, I've installed illusion magic in front of the entrance. So people who see it are just like an impassable cliff. On top of that, I also set a trap to have time to respond if someone else manages to sneak in. "

"It seems your preparations are ripe, huh?."

"Of course, it has to be like this because I'm a professional adventurer. Every day, I have to face life-threatening challenges. So, I have to stay alert with all the things I have. "

"I see; it must be difficult. "

This is very different from what I've experienced so far.

"So don't worry, get some rest. I'll be on guard tonight. "

"Yeah, I'm going to sleep. "

I lay back down on the fleece carpet before.