Chapter 38

"You're saying you'll get rid of the pain... What do you mean by that?"

It was a very unexpected statement.

Arpia knew the cause of her pain because she was the one experiencing it. The chaotic clash of spirits inside her body caused it.

But Karamir couldn’t have known the specifics. After all, she’d never talked about it. Claiming to heal her without knowing the cause didn’t seem logical.

Did he happen to find some kind of cure-all?

"Those unruly troublemakers. I’m saying I’ll take care of them for you."

But it wasn’t that at all.

Troublemakers. That word could only mean the spirits. Karamir had correctly identified the problem with Arpia.

Arpia’s expression darkened as her mood sank.

"How do you know that? I don’t remember telling you."

"You said it several times in your sleep. How you wanted to get rid of the spirits."

"What’s the solution? Even after combing through ancient texts, I couldn’t find it. Not even the high elf elders, who've lived for a thousand years, know the answer. But you do? Don’t lie."

Her voice was icy, her gaze sharp.

This was the most sensitive issue in Arpia’s life. She had suffered for hundreds of years. If anyone joked about it, she wouldn’t forgive them.

Especially Karamir, whose behavior often lacked sincerity, making her react even more harshly.

"You still don’t trust me, do you? I thought I’d earned your trust by now."

"That’s not it, but…."

"Then I’ll take it as you not wanting to be healed. Well, since you’re used to the pain, I guess it was needless concern on my part."

Karamir clicked his tongue in disappointment, folding the scroll. Arpia’s hand instinctively shot out to stop him.

"What? Is there something you want?"

"I… I…"

Arpia, wanting to say something, hesitated but couldn’t bring herself to speak and closed her mouth.

But Karamir wouldn’t let her run away. In a calm, unwavering voice, he said,

"It seems you’re mistaken. You are my slave, and I am your master. I have the right to know what you’re thinking."

"But…."

"Don’t hide it. If you have something to say, then say it. That’s an order."

An order.

That high-handed word, which she would have despised, now sounded like a gentle temptation to Arpia.

It gave her an excuse—she didn’t want to speak, but she had no choice because it was an order. Even if things went wrong, she could justify it by saying it was because of the command.

"I… I…."

"Speak. All of it. Don’t leave anything out."

Karamir gave her a nudge, pushing Arpia to the edge.

Arpia began to speak the words she had suppressed for so long, her voice cracking, as if peeling away the layers of a fruit’s skin.

"In truth… I was scared."

Her voice trembled.

"I was terrified that it would never end. Afraid that I would live with this pain forever…."

As she spoke, Arpia felt a slight lightening of her heart. At the same time, more words rose up, pushing to escape.

"I don’t want to be in pain. I never wanted to get used to it. I hate drinking, I hate getting drunk, and I hate the pain…!"

Arpia poured out her feelings, the raw emotion she had buried deep within, seeping into her voice.

The words she had repeated like a mantra for hundreds of years had originally been a comfort to help her endure the pain, but over time, they had transformed into a spell.

A spell that blurred the line between truth and deception in her mind, making it impossible for her to distinguish whether it was genuine reality or a self-deception to ease her suffering.

The pain she had grown accustomed to believing was just a part of her life had, like thorny vines, wrapped around her so deeply that she could no longer reach it herself.

The fear that someone might disturb those vines.

The dread of facing the reality she had tried so hard to ignore and finding no way back.

Arpia, as a reflex, always said she was fine, worried that confronting the truth might bring even more pain.

"I’m not okay. It’s too hard. Please… save me."

But not anymore.

She had her master now. Someone who believed in her, even when her own kind had abandoned her. The bond between master and slave, tied by their souls, would not easily be broken.

She unconsciously trusted that Karamir would somehow resolve this.

A brief silence filled the air. Her breath came in tense, irregular gasps.

The spirits still rebelled within her, but at this moment, they felt insignificant. Let them rampage. If worse comes to worst, she could always die.

"You’re asking me to save you. When a slave makes such a request, how could I refuse?"

Karamir smiled gently and unfolded the scroll once again. Arpia’s eyes followed it closely.

"C-can this really take away my pain?"

"Of course."

For a moment, Arpia seemed lost in thought, her gaze unfocused, but she quickly snapped back.

"…Okay. I trust you. What do I need to do?"

"First, let me explain the scroll. This is the Scroll of Spirit Usurpation."

The Scroll of Spirit Usurpation.

It’s an item obtained during Arpia’s story progression at the Slave Festival, a key item required for Arpia’s complete liberation.

The scroll expands the connection between Arpia and the spirits, allowing for direct intervention with them.

Through Arpia’s will, she can suppress the rampaging spirits and forcibly wield their power.

But it’s not an all-powerful item. In the process of wrestling control from the spirits, one wrong move could result in being consumed by them. Here, the slave’s willpower stat becomes crucial.

Arpia’s will to heal.

The determination to overcome this.

In the game, these values were visible on the stats screen, but now they weren’t. Karamir had to gauge them roughly, and the hint he could rely on was Arpia’s catchphrase.

"I don’t want to be in pain."

"I never wanted to get used to it."

These were signs that Arpia was revealing her true feelings, taking a monumental step forward to face the reality she had avoided for centuries.

Karamir had been carefully guiding her to this point, and finally, those words came from Arpia’s mouth.

Karamir only explained the necessary parts to Arpia. She nodded heavily.

"…I think I get it. So, if the spirits go wild, I beat them down, right?"

"That’s the general idea."

"That’s exactly what I wanted. I’ve been waiting to smack them down someday. Let’s do it. What do I need to do?"

"When the scroll is activated, a brand will be etched onto your body."

"A brand…?"

Arpia looked slightly flustered. A brand that couldn’t be erased once applied. Even men would hesitate, so it was no surprise she did too.

But there was no other option. Karamir had done everything for her. This was something she would have to endure.

"Where will it be placed?"

"Where the spirits are gathered."

"……."

Arpia glanced down subtly. The place where the spirits were concentrated was near her heart.

If the brand were etched near her heart, it would be on her chest. Not even women working in the brothels would want it there.

"We don’t have much time. We must do this quickly."

Arpia hesitated for a moment, staring at the ceiling before sighing in resignation. A look of determination crossed her face. Well, this brand was nothing compared to a lifetime of pain.

Having made up her mind, Arpia started to take off her top.

"…Turn around."

Karamir shrugged and turned his back.

Arpia slowly moved her hands to untie the strings of her top. The soft rustling of fabric falling against her shoulders filled the air as her thin clothes slid down and dropped onto the bed.

Removing the fabric that covered her chest, Arpia instinctively crossed her arms, pressing her flushed skin gently against her slender limbs.

"…You can look now."

Karamir turned around, his pupils dilating slightly in surprise when he faced Arpia. Blushing, she twisted her body nervously.

"W-why are you staring like that?"

"Uh, well… what are you doing?"

"What do you mean? You said the brand needs to be placed where the spirits are gathered. That’s near my heart, so… I’m like this."

Despite her explanation, Karamir blinked in confusion before tilting his head.

"Wouldn’t it be better to put it on your back?"

"Huh…?"

"Branding a woman’s chest? That’s just asking for trouble. Just to be sure… you’re not interested in that, are you? Because, as your master, I’d find that a little troubling…."

The light blush on Arpia’s cheeks deepened, spreading down to her collarbone.

"T-that’s not it! I-I just thought it had to go on the front…!"

Flustered, Arpia quickly turned around, exposing her back to him. Her pale, pink-tinged skin was equally suggestive, but she wasn’t focused on that at the moment.

"Hurry up! Didn’t you say we don’t have time?"

"Yes, of course…."

Karamir replied casually as he opened the scroll, while Arpia, unable to overcome her embarrassment, shut her eyes tight, pouting in dissatisfaction.

A bit too indifferent, isn’t he? He could’ve been a little more flustered.

Could there really be something wrong with him?

‘That would be a problem.’

As Arpia worried with a serious expression about the future,

‘Oh god, what the hell.’

Karamir was having an internal meltdown. Even though he had restrained himself from any sexual thoughts during the game, the sight of the half-naked elf had an overwhelming impact.

If his soul hadn’t been synchronized with hers, he might have forgotten all about the scroll and acted rashly. No wonder people lost their minds trying to kidnap elves.

‘Deep breath, relax.’

His slave was putting her full trust in him. He couldn’t betray that. Karamir took a deep breath to regain his composure and placed the scroll over the area where her heart was located.

"Let’s begin. This might hurt a bit."

Arpia nodded, bracing herself as Karamir activated the scroll. A glow of multicolored light seeped from the scroll and touched her skin.@@novelbin@@

"Ah…."

The pain from the branding was bearable, but the forced expansion of the connection with the spirits was excruciating. Arpia clenched her teeth, suppressing a sharp groan.

"Does it hurt? If it’s too much, you can always scream, ‘Aaah, master!’"

Arpia involuntarily let out a laugh.

"Cut it out. This pain doesn’t even register."

Though she didn’t fully trust him, his joking lightened her mood enough to make the pain more bearable. Arpia relaxed a little more.

The light began to fade.

When Karamir removed the scroll, a fist-sized green brand in the shape of a coiled vine surrounding four leaves appeared on Arpia’s back. It looked almost like a piece of art.

"All done."

"That was quicker than I expected."

Arpia glanced over her shoulder, touching the brand.

"Is anything wrong? Does it hurt?"

"Hmm? No, I don’t really feel anything yet."

It felt strange to have something new on her skin, and knowing it could never be removed left her feeling restless.

‘It feels a bit… erotic.’

A slight tingling ran through her body.

This really was like stamping a sign on her that said, ‘I belong to him.’ It was like she was advertising that she was Karamir’s slave. And did she mind? Not really.

Arpia quickly dressed, and the brand was hidden beneath her clothes. Meanwhile, Karamir used the key he’d purchased with points to unlock her shackles and handed her the bow and quiver he’d snuck in.

Arpia efficiently strapped the quiver to her waist and gripped the bow, finding comfort in the familiar weight.

"So, how do we get out? Break the door?"

"Just wait. They’ll open it for us soon enough. Until then, let’s relax."

Without asking more questions, Arpia nodded.

She had already become accustomed to Karamir's way.