The Freed Slaves Are Obsessed

“And then, on my way to the Holy Kingdom, I stopped by here and ran into you!”

Arpia’s long story finally came to an end.

Although he had learned the details, his thoughts remained tangled. It only left him more confused.

Let’s break it down step by step.

Not long after I left Noctar, Narsha came looking for me.

Considering the timing, it meant she had followed me almost immediately after I left House Brian.

Without even informing her family. That’s why Count Brian pointed to me as the culprit.

‘The Reaper’s Merchant Guild was being run under my name?’

He knew of the guild’s existence. A sudden upstart guild that had appeared out of nowhere and rapidly expanded its influence using elves.

He never imagined it was a collaboration between Narsha and Arpia.

More than that—

‘While the master was working his ass off, they were out there playing tycoon on their own?’

I held myself back from doing what I wanted, too!

Ungrateful slaves, the lot of them.

No, that’s not right.

They’re not my slaves.

Don’t get confused.

“You. What on earth possessed you to call yourself the queen’s consort? Do you have any idea how chaotic the elven society became because of that?”

“Haha. It just... happened somehow.”

“...Don’t tell me you actually like the queen?”

“No way. I’ve never even seen her face. I only lied to keep the conversation friendly. No ulterior motives.”

“Then it’s fine.”

So, Arpia had set out on this journey—because of him.

Though he felt wronged—seriously, that snowfield elf had only been joking. Why would she take it seriously?

Some jokes just shouldn’t be believed.

“Sometimes, elves are even more melodramatic than dwarves.”

“What?”

“Joking.”

Arpia’s eyes flashed with a sudden, chilling glare.

Right. She’s an elf too.

Of course, she’d hate being compared to dwarves.

Better tread carefully.

‘Next is Asie...’

Just thinking about it gave him a headache.

She had refused to follow him when he offered, only to freeze herself solid.

‘They call it hibernation, but it’s practically a permanent slumber.’

He had no choice but to return to Isengard.

The job had to be finished first.

Leave her like that, and she might never wake up.

“Sigh...”

These troublesome former slaves—he couldn’t let his guard down for a second.

If the freed ones were this bad, what about Elise?

He had to straighten things out—before it was too late.

“How about it? Aren’t you glad I came? You’d be in serious trouble without me, right?”

Arpia lowered her head slightly, glancing up at him with expectant eyes.

“Yes, Miss Arpia. Without you, I’d probably be headless and hanging in the plaza by now.”

“Heehee. You can praise me more if you want. I’ll even let you touch my ears—just for you.”

Arpia’s face bloomed with a bright smile.

Looking at her felt like spring had arrived—

But, unfortunately, there was no time for idle chatter.

“Miss Arpia, didn’t you say the spirits were trembling?”

Hearing his reminder, Arpia clicked her tongue in mild disappointment at being denied her reward.

“Yeah. They came fleeing from the direction we were headed. I smelled blood. Even without that, something’s definitely happening.”

Her gaze turned to the distant sky.

The sky above where the Holy Kingdom lay—

It was drenched in a deep, bloody red, and that crimson hue was slowly spreading outward.

“This is about you, isn’t it? You said you’d been to the Holy Kingdom.”

“Yes. I was there until a few days ago, but an incident occurred. I need to make a stop somewhere before returning.”

“Where are you going?”

“Bestia.”

The temperature around them seemed to drop.

No, it wasn’t just a feeling—

The ice spirits, responding to Arpia’s emotions, exhaled a frigid chill.

Arpia’s eyes sharpened as she spoke in a low, cold voice.

“Bestia? Again?”

“Yes. There’s someone I must meet.”

“That fox?”

“No, not her. But if I go, I’ll probably run into her. ...Why? Is something wrong?”

Did I slip up somewhere?

Was there something in that conversation that warranted this reaction?

The exchange hadn’t been that complicated.

But he couldn’t fathom what had triggered her.

Suddenly—

Arpia seized his wrist.

Her grip was tight, almost bruising.

“Bestia? No. You’re not going.”

****

For Arpia, meeting Karami again was like rain falling on parched earth.

A withering flower suddenly blooming after a drought—that was exactly how she felt.

They had been apart for nearly a year.

For Arpia, it felt like a thousand.

It had been a time of agony.

She had carved wounds into her pale, flawless skin—

A desperate act to create reasons for him to stay.

She had even taken up smoking—an addiction born from a whim but chained by necessity.

When loneliness clawed at her, there was nothing else to ease it.

Now, she couldn’t get through a day without it. Even her aim with a bow—once flawless—had begun to falter.

‘And now he says he’s going to Bestia?’

Bestia—

The source of every misery.

Had Karami never gone to Bestia, none of this would have happened.

She had often scolded her past self in bitter regret—

If she could return to that day, she’d never fall asleep. She’d grab him and never let him go.

But fortune had brought the chance not to her past self—

But to the Arpia of today.

“You are not going.”

They say reunions make partings even sweeter—

But to hell with that.

Sure, it was nice to see him again after so long—

But one reckless mistake was enough. She wasn’t about to let it happen twice.

“Um... Did I say something wrong?”

“You told me you were going to Bestia, but instead, you wandered off somewhere else without coming back.”

“I was in Bestia. I finished my business there and then handled something else.”

“Oh, playing word games now? You should’ve returned first and asked for permission before running off again.”

“What master asks a slave for permission before going anywhere?”

Arpia clamped her lips shut.

He had a point—

But logic meant nothing to her now. Her lips curled into a crooked smirk.

“You do realize, right? The contract’s gone. There’s no bond between us anymore. What can you do if I decide you’re not going anywhere?”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

“And you’re still going?”

“There’s a slave waiting for my help.”

Arpia bit her lip hard.

A bitter tide of emotions surged—resentment, sorrow—because he hadn’t even asked how she was doing.

Because he was willing to leave her behind, broken and hurting, to go help someone else.

Without a word, Arpia began unwrapping the bandages tightly wound around her arms.

“Look.”

Her voice was hollow.

Cuts, scratches, and deep gashes—

Her pale skin was marred by the unmistakable traces of self-inflicted wounds.

Wounds she had never shown anyone before.

The scars of her own making.

She could have healed those wounds with a water spirit. But she never did. Whenever her wounds began to heal, she would carve into herself again.

“You said you’d free me from this pain. I’m hurting. It’s unbearable. So please... stay with me. Don’t leave, okay?”

“Miss Arpia...”

“You’ll stay by my side, right? You’ll keep your promise?”

At some point, an unhinged smile had crept onto Arpia’s lips—a smile even she wasn’t aware of, twisted with madness.

Faced with Arpia’s desperate plea, Karami’s expression hardened.

He hadn’t expected this. Others had followed him, sure, but self-harm—he never saw that coming.

What kind of slave was Arpia to begin with?

A girl doomed to eternal torment.

She had been abducted, abused, and discarded into the slave market when deemed worthless. Before that tragic fate could fully unfold, Karami had attacked the mercenaries and saved her.

Yet, as if fate itself mocked them, Arpia had become covered in wounds anyway.

This time, by her own hand.

Where did everything go so terribly wrong?

‘Ignoring this isn’t an option.’

No, it never was. Arpia was right—Karami had no means to push her away now.

“Can’t I come with you to Bestia?”

“......”

“Fine. Then let’s put off Bestia for /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ later. Let’s just... have fun together.”

At last, Arpia’s expression brightened. Her reaction was instant, as if she had been waiting for those words.

“Really? You mean it?”

Karami sighed inwardly.

Whether they traveled by carriage or rode on Arpia’s spirits, the time spent would be about the same.

Might as well humor her.

If she was satisfied, she’d let him go.

Or so he thought.

“By the way, did you know the master had some expensive stuff stashed away? So, Narsha and I sold it all off. You should’ve seen the look on your face!”

A tranquil forest clearing.

They had purchased supplies from a nearby town and, for some reason, chosen to camp rather than stay at an inn.

The fire crackled softly, casting a warm glow.

The two of them lay side by side in a cramped tent, their sleeping bags so close their arms touched.

Why did he have to suffer through this discomfort?

Karami had wanted to stay at an inn, but Arpia had insisted otherwise. Apparently, camping in the forest felt “refreshing” to her.

Well, of course it did.

She was an elf.

For Karami, it was a foreign and itchy experience.

The faint rustling of insects made his skin crawl every now and then.

At least there was no need for night watches.

The spirits guarded them from the shadows.

The real problem was Arpia’s endless chatter, buzzing relentlessly in his ears.

“This reminds me of when I used to sleep at your place. Don’t you miss it?”

“I was terrified, honestly. I kept wondering if I’d wake up with an arrow through my throat.”

“...You seriously thought that?”

“Of course. Even now, I’m half-worried I’ll wake up with a bolt sticking out of my neck.”

“...I’m going to sleep.”

Arpia turned her back to him, clearly sulking.

“Aw, are you pouting?”

“I’m not pouting.”

She totally was.

Well, at least his ears got a break.

But then, watching her, a thought struck him.

“Hey... Doesn’t your ear get squished when you sleep on your side?”

It was one of those idle curiosities.

Like how broad-shouldered people couldn’t rest their heads comfortably on pillows—

Would an elf’s long ears fold up when they lay down?

Unfortunately, Arpia didn’t answer.

So he never found out.

****

The tent fell into silence, broken only by the soft sound of breathing.

Then, there was a faint rustling.

Arpia sat up.

“Master... you asleep?”

No answer.

His breathing was steady, rhythmic—

He was definitely asleep.

Confirming this, Arpia carefully slipped out of the tent.

She staggered as she emerged, nearly losing her balance.

The fire spirits crackled and gossiped within the campfire, ensuring the flames never went out.

Arpia reached into the fire without hesitation, plucked one of the spirits from within, and wandered deeper into the woods.

Her hands trembled uncontrollably—

So violently that she bit down on her own fingers, hard enough to break the skin.

Withdrawal.

The symptoms were familiar—

She should’ve had her dose long ago. But staying glued to Karami’s side had thrown her off schedule.

Leaning against a tree, she dug into her pouch, pulling out her supplies. With practiced hands, she began rolling a cigarette.

The moment it was complete, a wave of relief washed over her—

As if just seeing it had soothed the ache.

She brought it to her lips.

One spark from the fire spirit, and she’d be—

“What do you think you’re doing?”

The voice cut through the darkness.

Her entire body froze.

Karami—awake.

She hadn’t heard him approach. Normally, her elven hearing would have caught him a mile away—

But she had been too consumed by her craving.

His black eyes gleamed coldly in the night.

“Miss Arpia,” he said, his voice low and sharp.

“Are you seriously about to smoke that?”