The Freed Slaves Are Obsessed

Ashies was under a curse that made deep thought difficult, but even before that, she was never someone known for quick thinking.

By nature, Ashies had a leisurely disposition—not just in personality, but in mind as well. Understanding things always took her time.

Now was no exception.

"Shall we wrap things up here?"

Karami’s words were utterly incomprehensible to her.

Wrap up what?

Ashies tilted her head, weighed down by confusion.

Karami began to explain in simpler terms, ensuring Ashies could understand.

"You’ve regained your emotions, haven’t you?"

Nod.

"And your memories too?"

Another nod.

"You defeated Skadia and even regained warmth."

Once again, Ashies nodded.

Karami smiled, a proud expression on his face.

"All the shackles that were holding you down have been broken. It means all the conditions for your complete liberation have been fulfilled."

"...?"

"To put it simply, you no longer need to remain my slave."

Even then, Ashies couldn’t understand. Being a slave or not wasn’t something she considered particularly important.

However, a creeping sense of unease began to rise, like smoke curling upward. What had seemed natural might no longer be so.

"There’s no need to be too afraid, Frostbite. Reaching complete liberation means you can now move forward on your own, even without me."

"Rami...?"

Despite his words, Karami was also inwardly anxious.

He examined Ashies’s state carefully.

‘She’s not freezing up, right?’

For now, there were no signs, but since her emotional expressions were faint, it was hard to gauge what she was thinking.

She was compliant now, but without the shackles, she might act out unpredictably, just like Lin had.

Just in case.

With a cautious heart, Karami gently asked, "Under the absolute condition that I won’t interfere, I’m considering having you come along...."

If she ended up doing something odd, keeping her close for monitoring might be the best option.

Besides, traveling with someone as overwhelmingly powerful as Ashies ensured safety.

It significantly reduced the risks of emergencies like the Zakaryll ambush. Karami’s own safety was his top priority.

However, progressing the story meant facing dangerous situations, and there might be obstacles that the next character needed to overcome.

Just like the recent battle with Skadia.

It wasn’t about brute force. It was about collaborating with the dwarves so Ashies could land the decisive blow. If Lin showed up and took her down with foxfire, it would’ve been meaningless.

‘But would she wait patiently if told to? Without the shackles, there’s no compulsion anymore.’

The moment of liberation would place them as equals—Karami and Ashies, not master and slave. If she disobeyed and ran off, that would be the end.

That was why Karami didn’t take any sub-slaves with him. Even characters not part of the original story were irregularities just by existing in those roles.

It meant leaving no room for variables.

Even so, Karami had two reasons for making this suggestion.

The first was concern over Ashies’s potential unpredictability.

The second was...

‘She feels uniquely unstable.’

Mirabel had her mother, Naredi.

Arphia had Victor and the elves.

Lin had Seira and the yokai.

Even without Karami, they all had people to rely on. Sure, Ashies had the dwarves too, but she was so peculiar that she stood out more than the others.

"If you’d rather kill this bastard than be left alone, then let’s stick together."

Ashies gazed steadily into Karami’s eyes with a calm expression.

"Rami... what do you want to do?"

"If I’m being honest, I’d like to go with you, Ashies. Truly. But the world doesn’t seem to allow it. Once everything’s over, I might take it easy for a while before leaving...."

Ashies wasn’t quick to grasp thoughts or intentions, but that only meant her other senses were sharper.

She could easily pick up on even the faintest emotions from others. Having regained her emotions, this ability had only grown stronger.

"Hm... It’s fine. I’ll wait here."

What Ashies sensed in Karami’s overly verbose words was concern, worry, and unease.

He was uncomfortable with the idea of traveling with her. She realized through her emotions that she was a burden to him.

Even though she had been cured, just looking at Karami’s arm still caused her chest to ache.

To Ashies, being with Karami felt natural. But she didn’t want to insist on it if it meant causing him trouble.

She didn’t want to be the person who hurt him.

She didn’t want him to harbor negative feelings toward her.

Because if he did, her heart would hurt too much.

As expected, when those words left Ashies’s mouth, Karami’s face lit up.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"You’re not going to freeze me or anything, right?"

"Yeah."

"You’ve made the right decision. It’s not like we’re parting forever. There’s only one person left, so I’ll swing by once it’s all over."

Karami grinned brightly, and only then did Ashies follow with a faint smile of her own.

"Then it seems everything is settled. You’ve done a great job so far, Ashies. You are now free."

Karami released the contract. The chains retracted, and the shackles binding Ashies’s soul disappeared.

"Ah...."

Ashies let out a soft sigh as she became truly free.

Karami’s vision filled with lines of text.

[Princess Who Didn’t Know Spring, Ashies Priana: Liberation Complete]

Ashies Priana.

Snow White of the fairytale-like Priscian Kingdom. A master of both swordsmanship and magic, the strongest magic swordsman, and the undisputed treasure of the kingdom.

She was nearly silent, far removed from a compassionate royal figure. Yet, by her beauty alone, she was adored by all her people.

But excess of anything breeds poison. Ashies’s excessive beauty was the starting point of her tragedy.

The greedy ice dragon Skadia attacked, wiping the kingdom from history, and Ashies became a doll.

Snow White was trapped in ice, doomed to an eternal winter sleep.

At least, that’s how the story should’ve ended.

But then you appeared and twisted the tale’s ending.

You awakened the sleeping Ashies, reminded her of countless experiences, filled her empty gaze with the colors of emotion, and melted her frozen heart with warmth.

The doll, incapable of doing anything on her own, began to desire, to reach out for what she wanted.

The once-untouched snowy field became filled with your traces, and Ashies’s life became yours.

The endless winter passed, and spring arrived. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The spring that is you.

_____________________

Ashies Priana’s liberation level is 100%.

Reward: 50,000 points granted.

[Master Negotiator Lv.MAX]

– Some people regard your words as absolute truth. Persuasiveness greatly increases.

[Shackles of the Soul Lv.MAX]

– Establish a contract with a slave’s soul. They obey your commands absolutely, and their overall abilities increase significantly.

[The Giving Slave Lv.4]

– The chances of a slave’s favorability rising upon receiving your gift increase significantly.

– The likelihood of rolling high numbers on the dice of fate slightly increases.

_____________________

[Main Slaves: Complete Full Liberation. Current Progress: 3/5]

The explanation and rewards weren’t particularly dynamic. Everything was just an enhancement of existing features. Karami dismissed the window.

Liberation was complete.

Now, it was time to part ways.

"You can do whatever you like, return to Doomheim, or even head to Bestia if need be. Just mention my name, and they’ll welcome you."

"Okay..."

"If you ever miss me, just imagine the Karami within your mind. He’ll guide you. Or, how about rebuilding your kingdom?"

"My kingdom?"

Karami’s tone lifted, as if struck by a brilliant idea.

"Decorate this empty kingdom with your ice magic, Ashies. For example, fill the streets with ice sculptures of people."

"Hmm?"

"Show me the Priscian Kingdom from your memories when I return. That way, you won’t be bored while you wait."

Ashies, who had been tilting her head in thought, finally understood and nodded.

"Well then, I’ll be off. But before we part, how about a handshake?"

Karami extended his hand.

It was a gesture of gratitude. And, after all, Ashies had always liked holding hands.

Ashies stared at Karami’s hand for quite some time before shaking her head.

"No, it’s fine."

"...Excuse me? Oh... okay."

So, the moment she’s no longer a slave, she doesn’t even want to touch me?

Karami hadn’t anticipated being refused, and he awkwardly withdrew his hand.

He climbed into the carriage.

"I’m really leaving now. Take care."

"Okay."

He directed the horses forward. The carriage began to move, growing smaller and smaller in the distance.

Ashies waved gently after the departing Karami.

Until the carriage disappeared from view.

At last, the carriage left the borders of the Priscian Kingdom.

Karami, guiding the reins, reflected to himself.

"Finally, the last one."

Though Mirabel posed a potential wildcard, the fact remained that the next slave would be the final one.

He had almost reached the endpoint of this long, long journey.

"But I already don’t feel like going."

As the last slave, the difficulty was higher than ever. Even with a strategy memorized, her unique traits often led to failure.

Not ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) to mention, her personality and behavior were eccentric compared to the other slaves.

But what choice did he have?

She, too, carried a pitiful story, and liberating these unfortunate slaves was his role.

"Guess I’ll have to go get her."

The man-eating bat.

*****

The Priscian Kingdom after Karami’s departure.

Left alone, Ashies turned her gaze away as the carriage disappeared. She stared at her hands.

When Karami had asked for a handshake, she’d almost taken it. The impulse to hold his hand had surged.

But Ashies had suppressed it with near-miraculous restraint.

The moment she felt his warmth, she knew she’d never let go.

She could almost understand how Skadia must have felt when she froze her—such desperate longing.

But she knew she shouldn’t, so she resisted.

Still, it was okay.

He promised he’d come back soon.

In the meantime, she would prepare what he wanted to see.

Ashies turned toward the kingdom.

The wind that had felt warm just moments ago now carried a faint chill of loneliness.

*****

The ruins of what once might have been a village—now devoid of life.

The half-collapsed cathedral stood under the light of a full moon.

Moonlight streamed into the monastery’s prayer room, illuminating a kneeling woman.

Her silver bob cut shimmered faintly, lending her an air of sanctity. Her skin was pale, completely devoid of color.

She wore a black nun’s habit, tight-fitting and revealing, outlining her curves and exposing her thighs to her ankles.

The nun held a rosary necklace and kept her eyes closed, waiting for something.

Time passed, and her eyelids slowly opened.

Blood-red pupils glimmered.

"As expected..."

No matter how many times she prayed, no matter how much she begged, no voice answered her.

God’s voice never reached her blood-soaked ears.

She wasn’t disappointed.

She hadn’t expected anything.

If God had any intention of helping, He would have done so long ago.

As she rose to leave the cathedral, she staggered, catching herself against the wall.

"Ugh, anemia..."

With trembling hands, she took a milk flask and drank from it. Her expression relaxed as she let out a deep sigh.

"This is God..."

God, my ass.

The cow in the neighboring village was more of a god than anything else.