The Freed S*aves Became Obsessed

The six slaves gathered in the room, sitting in a circle.

Not a "meat" slave, but a "six" slave.
Without the need for an explanation, they were the six who had always followed Karami.
Though more and more slaves had gathered around Karami, these six were the only ones who met to hold a conference.

There were many things they didn’t like about each other, and conflicts of opinion occurred often.
But there was one thing they all came to a unanimous, unspoken agreement on, without a single conversation.
That the right to decide the major and minor matters concerning Karami was theirs alone. They would not allow any other slaves to interfere.

Even if it were their mothers. Even if it were the queen.
Only they had received the complete salvation known as true liberation.
The first one to open the meeting was Narsha.

“Thank you all for gathering. My name is Narsha Brian. I come from the Brian family of count rank, and I currently run the Reaper’s Guild. From the looks of it, I was the first among us to meet our Master.”
A simple self-introduction.
It was also a remark aimed at those who were trying to assert dominance, saying, “Since I’m the senior here, don’t try to control things in front of me.”

“The reason I called this meeting today is simple. While we are all slaves serving the same Master, apart from that, we have no connection to each other.”
“What are you trying to say, Narsha?”
At Arpia’s question, Narsha placed her hands together.

“How about using this opportunity to get to know each other a little better? It will help us understand each other’s actions and motivations, even if only a little.”
They were gathered here only because they followed Karami as their Master, but apart from that, they were as good as strangers.
Competitors chasing the same goal: winning the Master’s favor. Naturally, conflicts were unavoidable.

To avoid arguing and find common ground, there was no other choice but to have many discussions.
No one objected.
Everyone shared similar thoughts.
“Since I brought up the topic, I’ll go first.”

“Lady Narsha, I have something I’d like to propose.”
“What is it, Miss Mirabel? Would you like to go first?”
“It’s not that, but rather, I think it might be easier to convey my feelings by showing the memory directly rather than speaking about it.”

“Is that possible?”
Mirabel nodded.
A heavenly vow in the shape of a broom appeared among the slaves.

“If you hold this broom and recall the memory, you can replay it. Like this.”
A scene appeared ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) over the staff. It was an image of Mirabel, Naredi, and her father Harold living in a small hut.
“You can only replay the memories you desire.”

“I see. It’s a wonderful magic.”
Narsha grabbed the broom and recalled her memories, starting to speak.
“As I mentioned earlier, my name is Narsha. I was kidnapped by thieves and became a slave. I was destined to become a prostitute, selling my body, but my Master saved me.”

She was sold to a brothel and became a prostitute.
Born into the count’s family, she was destined to sell her body and be degraded by men she didn’t even know.
On the day she met her first customer, a tragic day, it was Karami who came to find her.

Karami covered Narsha, who was nearly naked, with his outer garment and dragged her out of the brothel.
Narsha, who didn’t understand what was happening, heard Karami say:
"I just bought your life. Your talent, serve me forever."
The words she heard at that time. The emotions she felt at that time.

She would never forget them. When her time to die came, she was sure those words would appear in her mind.
Then, memories of traveling with Karami flashed by, like a panorama. Until just before Karami left her side.
The image slowly faded away.

“That’s all for my introduction. Who’s next?”
 
****

The slaves took turns recalling their memories and introducing themselves.
They shared how they had been shackled and how Karami brought them salvation.
Even those who frequently picked fights were quiet now.

They knew better than anyone how precious this was. Because they knew, they neither argued nor belittled.
It was now understandable why they were so obsessed with Karami. After receiving something like that, they couldn’t just let it go.
What they felt was a sense of kinship and, ironically, anxiety.

‘It seems like you get along better with Master than I do? What if Master likes you more than me?’
Everyone had that thought briefly cross their minds.
Indeed, a woman’s intuition was never wrong. These were definitely rivals that had to be cut down.

“I think I understand who all of you are now. But is it just me, or does anyone else feel strangely repelled?”
“That’s just a coincidence. I was thinking the same thing.”
Elise and Arpia exchanged smiles that seemed to be laced with artificial additives.

“More importantly, how could the Master put us through such a horrible experience? Is that not disqualifying as a slave?”
Elise, speaking with a sly grin, cast a glance at Lin and Asies.
Both of them had previously made rash judgments and hurt Karami.

With no rebuttal, Lin avoided her gaze, while Asies furrowed his brow and stared at Elise.
Asies' gaze didn’t faze Elise at all. She sneered, as if mocking him.
“Let’s put the quarrels aside for later. I have something else I want to say.”

Narsha, mediating the sharp atmosphere, brought up the next issue.
“Today, Master told us not to enter the room without permission. He wouldn’t have said that for no reason… Who went in?”
Narsha swept her gaze over them. Mirabel, who couldn’t lie, flinched her shoulders, and Arpia subtly rolled her eyes.

“Miss Mirabel and Arpia.”
“Lin did it too.”
“Where’s the honor in tattling?”

“I already knew without being told.”
“Pfft.”
When an incident happened, Lin was the one who was almost always the culprit.

“So it’s the three of you.”
“Wait a minute. That nun seems a bit strange.”
“If you hadn’t made a scene, we could have calmly watched Master’s figure illuminated by the moonlight.”

“…There were four of you. Why did you go in?”
“I’ll ask the opposite. Why didn’t you go in?”
“Huh?”

Narsha, who had instinctively retorted at Lin’s aggressive tone, asked back.
Lin, setting the atmosphere, spoke as if reciting a famous quote.
“Zzuin is in there. Then there’s no reason not to go. Unless you’re the landlord. Have you never slept with Zzuin?”

“Of course I have…”
Narsha trailed off, the words catching in her throat.
Didn’t she just glance at the other slaves' memories?

Mirabel was in Karami’s arms. Lin was on Karami’s chest. Arpia and Asies were in the same room.
Elise had stayed at the convent, and Narsha had kicked herself out.
Even when they had to stay at an inn because they couldn’t sleep with strange men, they’d still slept in separate rooms.

Why?
She wanted to kick her past self and shove her into Karami’s room.
“The important thing is not that. Don’t bother Master anymore.”

“Bother him? You mean interactions between Master and slaves?”
“I don’t know about that, but Lin can’t sleep without Zzuin.”
“I’m embarrassed, but even I…”

“Some things just aren’t allowed. It’s an interference with Master’s peaceful rest. If that’s not it, are you planning to defy Master’s orders?”
The absolute command of the Master over the slave.
Once that was mentioned, there was no way to respond arrogantly.

However, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
“Narsha~ How about we decide on a shift schedule instead?”
It was simple. If she could bring Narsha to her side, it would be enough.

“A shift schedule?”
“Yes. Putting Master’s orders aside, tell me your honest thoughts. Don’t you want to sleep in the same bed with Master?”
“That’s shameless.”

“You didn’t say you didn’t want to, though?”
“……”
A gap.

The supporters of sleeping together gleamed with light in their eyes.
“A shift schedule! I don’t think that’s a bad idea.”
“I don’t like it.”

“Why?”
“Lin wants to monopolize Zzuin. Lin wants to sleep with Zzuin every day. Why should I do something like a shift schedule?”
Lin had slept with Karami all this time. Now, telling her she could only sleep together on designated days was out of the question.

“Really? Then we can all sleep together.”
Arpia, just saying it casually, was immediately grabbed by Mirabel.
“I think that sounds good! It would be so much fun to talk until we fall asleep all together!”

“Right?”
“When should we go?”
Arpia grinned.

“Right when we brought it up.”
“Arpia.”
“Those who don’t like it can stay here. We’ll just get scolded. Got it?”

 
****
‘Another day has passed safely.’

I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering if there might be a bat hanging from it.
It seemed even more chaotic than when I was out freeing people.
It’s probably just an adjustment period.

Once this phase passes, things should stabilize.
Time will solve everything.
Just as I was thinking that and about to sleep, I heard a knock.

For some reason, an ominous feeling arose.
“Come in.”
Peeking through the open crack in the door was Lin, dressed in cute pink pajamas.

“Zzuin… I can’t sleep because Zzuin isn’t here. I won’t do anything, so could you let me sleep next to you?”
Her voice was weak, her eyes full of pity.
She looked like a puppy anxiously waiting for her owner in the rain.

Though Lin was a troublemaker, it was hard to refuse when she asked so politely.
“Come here.”
Lin quickly ran to my side and curled up next to me.

Just like before, she wrapped her tail around me.
The familiar softness and warmth.
Tonight, it felt like I would sleep well.

Just as I was about to drift off, my hand resting on her tail…
Knock knock.
Another knock.

“Come in.”
This time, it was Mirabel.
She wore blue pajamas and carried a pillow.

She looked somewhat unstable, similar to Lin.
“Miss Mirabel, what’s the matter?”
“I can’t sleep… Could I sleep with Master?”

“What about Naredi?”
“Mom… mom… oh, mom snores. A lot.”
Just how loud does she snore to come all the way here?

There’s nothing worse than someone snoring next to you.
“Miss Mirabel, come over here too.”
Mirabel hopped over with bunny-like steps and sat next to me as well.

On my left was Mirabel, and on my right was Lin.
With a fluffy blanket and a comforting pillow.
Tonight, I thought I’d sleep even better.

Now, I really needed to sleep.
Knock knock.
It seemed the world had no intention of letting me sleep.

“…Come in.”
It was Arpia.
“My dear, I can’t sleep because of withdrawal symptoms. My hands keep trembling, and my heart hurts.”

“I see. But how many more people are behind that door?”
Arpia looked back.
“Three?”

It was everyone.
Elise, Asies, and Narsha also peeked their heads out. They were all in sleepwear.
“Are you all unable to sleep?”

“I had nightmares from when I was little.”
“I’m cold…”
When I told them not to come without permission, they clearly intended to ask for permission.

“But why Narsha too?”
Narsha had never agreed to sleep in the same room with me, even if I asked.
She had scolded me, saying it was absurd for men and women who weren’t married to sleep together.

“That’s…”
Narsha fidgeted, nervously chewing on her lips.
“Narsha, didn’t you practice just now? ‘Zzuin, I’m so shy. Won’t you do it?’”

“When did I practice such a thing, Arpia! Don’t slander me!”
As Narsha shouted, Arpia, with her keen hearing, grabbed her ears in pain.
Realizing that she had acted embarrassingly, Narsha looked at me and flinched.

“F-Fine, it’s okay. Whether I sleep with Master or not, you can all do what you want.”
Narsha turned to leave, but I called her back.
“Narsha, come here.”

“But…”
“Are you planning to disobey Master’s orders?”
At the mention of the command, Narsha reluctantly came into the room. She hesitated for a moment before climbing onto the bed.

The remaining three waited for their turn.
I let out a small sigh.
“Everyone, come.”

It seemed they had been waiting for that line to be said, as they rushed to the bed.
Even though the bed was large enough for everyone to roll around, it felt cramped with seven people.
“Someone’s going to fall off while sleeping.”

“If that happens, it’ll be me.”
Mirabel used magic to enlarge the bed. It was as huge as an emperor’s bed, surrounded by dozens of concubines.
I leaned back, and the slaves all pressed up against me, each claiming a part of my body.

The scent of perfumes and body odors mixed together.
No matter where I turned, the slaves were all looking at me with moist eyes.
The soft sensations I felt everywhere made it hard to even move a finger.

It was a scene so overwhelming, it felt almost violent.
In every sense, it was dangerous—there was no way I was getting any sleep tonight.