Chapter 4: Hometown

「Rimuru-sama, what on earth happened just now?」(Eir)

「Don’t go asking me what happened……」(Rimuru)

While I was holding the sword in a swung down position, Master spoke to me. If he hadn’t responded then I fear my mental stability might have fallen apart.

There was a slanted crevice running across the highway, only the handle of the sword was left in my hands, and small chunks no bigger than 1 centimeter of what once was a large creature known as a Vulture.

I firmly drove my right leg into the ground, and trying to preserve my stance I swing down my left arm with all my might. The result: the blade’s edge moved faster than the speed of sound, and it blew away the Vulture into little tiny pieces.

Furthermore the resulting shockwave tore up more than 20 meters of the road, and the blade which couldn’t handle the force crumbled and shattered apart.

「No way, I didn’t think that my strength was on such a nonsensical leve―― Ahh!?」(Eir)

When I tried to move my body, my left leg wouldn’t respond to me, and I ended up falling to the ground.

I tried to use my hands to raise the upper half of my body, but this time it was my left arm that was limp and dangling.

This is…… it’s dislocated?

「Ah, Aaa……Ah-GAAAAAAAAAAH!?」

Next I was attacked with sharp pain. This time it was the muscles on my back that cracking and making as sound as if they were being torn apart.

My internal organs were being twisted, the damage to them caused me to violently cough up large amounts of blood.

――What is this, Am I going to die?

The extreme pain caused my body to twitch and squirm, and those sharp movements made the pain grow even worse.

「E-Eir!? Hold on, I’ll heal you right away!」(Rimuru)

As I watched Master’s figure rus.h.i.+ng over to me, my vision started to black out.

30 minutes later, I woke up on the side of the road with my body lying on Master’s lap.

「A Master who gives his slaves a lap pillow, What’s up with that?」(Eir)

「There was no other way you know. You can’t walk by yourself either, Eir. And it would be problematic if I had to travel alone……」(Rimuru)

For Master who could only use healing magic, he certainly wouldn’t be able to deal with a situation like just now where we were attacked by a wild animal.

All things considered, even though he could’ve just rested me on the ground, from him to go out of his way to lend me his lap, Master is quite skilled at these types of gestures.

「I… What happened to me?」(Eir)

「Uwaa……」(Eir)

Since my body was still basic even after my limbs became monstrous strong, this is what happens if I use all my strength huh.

Next time let’s make the proper adjustments. This is a must.

「Eir, are you okay enough to stand up?」(Rimuru)

「The town of Focalor is just a bit further, so try your best. I’ll lend you a shoulder if you need it」(Rimuru)

「Muu…… Please do」(Eir)

Even though the wounds have been healed, the sensation of pain still lingered. Is it because of the dizzy feeling in my head?

On top of that, my various body parts were badly balanced, if this keeps up then I might end up repeatedly falling over and injuring myself even more.

I really have to get used to this body soon.

「Also, since Vultures are designated as harmful creatures, if you defeat one then you can claim a reward at the Adventurer’s Guild but…… The proof of subjugation would be a portion of the beak but that got destroyed into a million pieces. Too bad」(Rimuru)

「You protected me so it wasn’t for nothing. But next time you should try holding back a little more」

「I would like to take it easy, but if we keep going like this then the sun will set. Sorry, but we’re going to need to keep going on for a bit longer」

「No, it’s okay. I’m fine」

While thinking of my position as a slave, being healed and given a 30 minute break… even that could be considered a blessing.

If their owner was particularly heinous, then it wouldn’t be strange if a slave was thrown away and abandoned in a situation like mine.

While limping along, we somehow managed to reach the town of Focalor just before sunset.

I think we’ve been walking for around 4 hours?

「*Zeeh*…… *Zeh*[1]……」(Rimuru)

「I’m more of the “intelligence” type」(Rimuru)

「Even though you were so eager to lend me a shoulder……」(Eir)

Even though we were just attacked by a Vulture in the field a while back, there were no guards stationed at the town’s entrance gate.

「Somehow, it seems like quite the ‘peaceful’ town, doesn’t it?」(Eir)

While mixing in a bit of sarcastic irony, I started chatting with Master.

Perhaps he didn’t detect the sarcasm, but he replied while puffing out his chest a bit.

「Sure is. Well, I guess you could say that simplicity is our strong point」(Rimuru)

「W-whoa……」(Eir)

Since he suddenly threw out his chest, I was knocked off balance and started to fall.

Although it was by reflex, I ended up clinging on to Master――

「Whoops, Sorry」(Rimuru)

「No, it’s my fault too. I’m terribly sorry for grabbing on to you」(Eir)

This is… from this side, wouldn’t this look like we’re embracing each other?

As I was thinking that, sure enough, someone called out.

「Yo, Rimuru-bou[2], you came back? Ey, bringing back a woman in such a short time period, pretty impressive aren’t -cha」

「You’re mistaken! This girl is a sla…… I mean, she’s a patient. Her feet are weak so I was just helping her」(Rimuru)

The person who called out to us, he was a middle aged Oji-san who came from a vegetable store close to the entrance.

Although he was a bit intimidating, you could feel his good nature on the surface. He seems like a gentle and kind person…… He might give out some nice discounts.

「Ah-, so you succeeded your father’s position? Umm, it’s unfortunate what happened huh」

「I guess you’re right, but to think that a troll would suddenly show up out of nowhere. Even the soldiers on reserve couldn’t hold out」

I see, so the reason why no one was guarding the front gate was because they were short on labor. At least, I suppose that’s why?

Even in my own hometown, 10 years ago a troll appeared. It was an incident that left the village half destroyed.

「In any case, just as I thought that you up and disappeared while in mourning, to think that you went out to bring home a wife huh」

「Didn’t I say that she’s not like that!?」(Rimuru)

Master who was heated up from too much teasing began swinging his arms around. Since I had been clinging on to him, I lost my grip in and moment and swiftly fell on my b.u.m with a thud.

Since I was somewhat anemic at the time, I couldn’t put any strength into my legs. Also I think my vision was dimming a little bit……

「Ah, I’m sorry! Are you all right?」(Rimuru)

「It’s not like that! As you can see, her anemia is just acting up! Pardon me, but could you please carry her to my house for me?」(Rimuru)

Master casually pressured the Occhan even though he was in the middle of running his vegetable business. Asking so nicely like that, Master sure is sly.

「Wait, but, my store is――」

「O-okay」

As the grocer Occhan caved in to Master’s pressure, he picked me up in his arms. It was in what would commonly be referred to as a “princess carry”.

A ruckus came from within the store, and out came an Obachan[3] who I a.s.sume was his wife.

「Whoa, ya sure are light, Jou-chan[4]. You gotta eat meat, more meat」(husband)

「Sorry to trouble you」(Eir)

With a rough and st.u.r.dy body, the wife hardily spurred on her husband.

「It’s fine, my husband’s got a stupid amount of excess energy after all」(wife)

「As woman, to be compared to something like a potato… what a saddening image」(Eir)

「Ahaha! You look pretty much the same on the surface either way!」(husband)

That’s kinda true. The week of fasting after being buried alive, the fever and pain from my body’s shape changing, the three weeks with minimal food I spent at the slave dealers, and the psychological stress caused from the 『Training』. All those things caused my weight to decrease significantly.

As for my b.r.e.a.s.t.s…… Well, there wasn’t much to begin with, but as of now they are completely non-existent. So much so that the surface of my ribs awkwardly stuck out. Below my eyes were dark circles, and coupled with the fact that the left half of my face was covered in bandages, I should look like a terribly ill person.

「Rimuru-bou, can’t -cha heal this girl’s face?」(husband)

「Ye, that would be nice. If she got married while looking like this then…… You’re planning on that too, right?」(husband)

「Like I said, it’s not like that! Well, I did plan on having her work as a servant in exchange though」(Rimuru)

Somehow, if things keep going like this… Will it become an established fact that I am to be wedded? I hope we can just hurry up and get to the house soon…… Well, it’s not like I dislike the idea, but it’s a bit embarra.s.sing.

Upon arriving at the house, I found it to be surprisingly simplistic home.

Befitting of this town in the outskirts of nowhere, it was a small two-story house. Without a garden, it was constructed right alongside the neighboring homes not leaving any s.p.a.ce in-between.

I was carried up to a room on the second floor, and they laid me down on the bed.

「Alrighty then, enjoy yourselves~. I’ve still got work to do so I’ll be heading back to the store」(husband)

「Well~ I’ll leave you to it then, ahahaha!」(husband)

「Sh-shut up……」(Rimuru)

Master, your true thoughts are leaking out, you know.

After driving out the grocer Occhan, Master turned his attention to me.

「How are you feeling?」(Rimuru)

「Then it’s alright for you to drink some water and go to sleep. You probably aren’t hydrated enough from all the walking」(Rimuru)

Paying attention to the minor details like that, should I say it’s because he was from a family of healers?

As Master was about to leave the room I suddenly remembered how helpless I was, and I called out to him.

「A-Ano[5], Rimuru-sama?」(Eir)

「Umm…… Uhh…… Oh yes, what is this room?」

「Is that all right?」

「That’s not true at all!」

「Also there’s the clinic room that we use for patients, but that room is a bit too large. If it’s just you in there then it would get cold」

Certainly, it wouldn’t be strange for medical providers to have a room like that.

And the places I stayed at with the slave dealer were much colder than this.

「I wouldn’t really bother me, you know?」(Eir)

「But it would bother Me. It’s all right so go ahead and rest your body」(Rimuru)

As he once again turned his back to exit, I called out in a panic.

This was just a byproduct of my terrible condition, in other words my helplessness. Longing for company, even for a little bit I wanted to be together.

「Uhmm- uhm, all the same I’m not that sleepy yet. So, if we could talk for a bit long…… ah」(Eir)

Once I said it, I quickly noticed.

This wasn’t something a slave should ask for. Forcing your master to be a『Conversation Partner』, pressuring him like that…

「Umm…… On second thought, what I said before, ignore it……」(Eir)

「Well, I’m okay with it」(Rimuru)

Perhaps he could read my thoughts, Master took a chair that was by the bedside and sat down in it.

From the opening between the curtains, the evening sun was s.h.i.+mmering through. In this dim room, it s.h.i.+ned on both of us.

―― OH, this is…… A sickly girl and a bishounen, a tantalizing development between the two? Just maybe, will my status be elevated from Slave to Lover?

Somehow it sort of felt like I was the heroine in a novel. I think my spirits were a bit too high.

Master confirmed that I was in an okay enough condition to talk, and then……

「Alright, now then, shall we confirm what our plans are for here on out?」(Rimuru)

「E…… Eh? A-ah, yes」(Eir)

While deliberately speaking in a businesslike matter-of-fact kind of way, we started conversing.

―― Huh?

TL note: Oh Eir… You’re in for a treat next chapter.

1.

TL note: *Zeeh* is the sound effect for “Panting”/”Wheezing”.

2.

TL note: The -bou in Rimuru-bou is kind of like calling Rimuru “Laddy”/”Lad”.

3.

TL note: Obachan is the female equivalent of Occhan/Oji-san. As in, “middle aged woman” or “aunty”

4.

TL note: Jou-chan is the female equivalent of Bou-chan. As in, “La.s.sy” or “young lady”

5.

TL note: *Ano* is a verbal pause in j.a.panese. It’s like a Umm/ahh/uhh in English, but I don’t really feel it has the same connotation/sound so I went with the original.