The women I set free are obsessed with me

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"Freeing me from my pain… What do you mean by that?"

His statement was utterly unexpected.

Alfia knew better than anyone the source of her pain; within her body, a maelstrom of spirits raged unchecked.

But Karami shouldn't know any of this. She had never breathed a word of it to him. How could he offer to cure her pain without knowing its source? It made no sense.

Had he found some sort of miracle cure?

"I'm saying I will take care of those ill-mannered little troublemakers for you."

That wasn't all.

Little troublemakers. There was no doubt he was referring to the spirits. Somehow, Karami had accurately pinpointed her problem.

Alfia's mood plummeted.

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

"You've mentioned it several times in your sleep, saying that you wanted to drive out all the spirits."

"And what's the solution? I've scoured countless ancient texts and found nothing. Not even thousand-year-old high elf elders knew. Yet you claim to know? Don't lie to me."

Her voice was ice-cold, and gaze as sharp as steel.

For Alfia, this cut deeper than anything else. Her suffering had burned for hundreds of years. She would not forgive anyone who made light of it.

Karami's words and actions in particular lacked sincerity, heightening her already sensitive reaction.

"Do you have so little faith in me? I thought I had earned your trust by now."

"It's not that…"

"Then I suppose you do not wish to be cured. Well, you did say you were used to the pain. Silly me for sticking my nose where it doesn't belong."

Karami clicked his tongue as if disappointed, beginning to roll up the scroll, but Alfia's hand shot out instinctively, stopping him.

"What is it? Do you want something?"

"W-Well…"

Alfia mumbled, clearly wanting to say something, but ultimately closed her mouth without speaking.

However, Karami didn't let her escape. He spoke in a cold, emotionless voice.

"You seem to be misunderstanding something. You are my slave, and I am your master. I have the right to know what you are thinking."

"But…"

"Do not hide it. If you have something to say, then speak. This is an order."

Order.

That oppressive word she would have once despised now sounded like a gentle temptation to Alfia.

She could rationalize that she didn't want to speak, but no choice due to the command. If things went south, she could justify herself by claiming she was just following orders.

"I… I…"

"Speak. Every last bit of it."

Karami gave Alfia a slight push, nudging her over the line. She began to voice words long suppressed, her thin, cracking voice peeling away layers of truth like the skin of a fruit.

"The truth is… I was scared."

Her voice trembled.

"It felt endless. I was afraid… afraid that the pain would last forever."

As the words spilled out, Alfia felt a weight lifting from her shoulders. With that confession, more words became eager to be spoken.

"I don't want to hurt anymore. I never wanted to get used to it. I don't want to drink, I hate being drunk. I hate being in pain…!"

Alfia poured out her innermost feelings, the emotions she had suppressed deep in her heart came out unfiltered in her voice.

The words she had repeated like a mantra for hundreds of years were initially a comfort to endure the pain, but at some point, they had become a spell.

It cast a magic over her thoughts, blurring the line between truth and lies. She could no longer distinguish whether these words were her true reality or a false reassurance to deceive herself.

The pain she had merely believed she was used to had entwined around her like thorny vines, taking root so deeply that even she couldn't touch them.

For fear that someone might disturb those thorny vines, terrified that if she faced the reality she had been desperately trying to ignore, it might be irreversible.

Worried that acknowledging her pain might only make things worse, saying she was fine became a habit.

"I'm not okay. It's too much. Please… save me."

But not anymore.

Because she had a master now. A master who had infinite faith in her, even when her own kin ignored her. The master-slave relationship bound by their souls wasn't easily broken.

Alfia had unconsciously come to believe that someone like him would solve it somehow.

A moment of silence passed. Tense breaths rose and fell irregularly in her chest.

The spirits rebelled and rampaged, but for now, they felt insignificant. Let them rage. If worse comes to worst, I can just die.

"You're asking to be saved. When a slave begs like this, how can I possibly refuse?"

Karami smiled gently and unrolled the scroll he had begun to put away. Alfia's eyes followed it.

"C-Can that really free me from my pain?"

"Of course."

Alfia's focus blurred as if lost in thought, but quickly returned.

"…Alright. I'll believe you. What do I need to do?"

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

***

The Scroll of Spirit Usurpation.

An obtainable item from the Slave Festival, which could be participated in during Alfia's story progression, and an essential item for her complete liberation.

Using the scroll expanded the pathway between Alfia and the spirits, allowing for direct intervention with them.

It empowered Alfia to subdue the rampaging spirits with her will and forcibly harness their power.

However, the item wasn't a cure-all. There was a very real risk of being consumed by the spirits in the process of struggling with them, and this was where the slave's will stat became paramount.

Alfia's will to heal. Her determination to overcome. These were the essential elements she needed.

The problem was, unlike in the game where stats were clearly visible on the status screen, I now had no such luxury. I had to make rough estimates, and the only hint I could rely on was Alfia's habitual way of speaking.

I don't want to hurt anymore.

I never wanted to get used to it.

These words were a glimpse of her true feelings finally emerging. They marked a great step forward as she faced the reality she had long avoided for centuries and, at last, moved forward.

Karami had put his heart and soul into drawing this out, and finally, those words came from Alfia's mouth.

He explained only the necessary parts to her, and she nodded heavily.

"…I think I understand. So I use that to beat down the spirits when they act up?"

"Something like that."

"Just what I've been hoping for. I've always been itching to give them a good thrashing. Let's start right now. What do I need to do?"

"When I activate the scroll, a brand will be engraved on your body."

"A brand…?"

Alfia showed a slightly uneased expression. A brand that once engraved, can never be erased. If even men would hesitate, how much more so for a woman like her?

But there was no other alternative. Karami had done everything he could; this was a burden she had to bear.

"Where will it be branded?"

"Where the spirits gather."

"…"

Alfia lowered her head slightly. The place where the spirits gathered… was near her heart.

If the brand were to be placed near the heart, it would be on her chest. Even women working in brothels probably wouldn't get branded there.

"We don't have much time. We need to do this quickly."

Alfia, who had been hesitating, looked up at the ceiling and sighed. An air of resignation settled over her face. Right, to rid the pain she had endured her whole life, what's a mere brand?

Having made up her mind, Alfia was about to take off her top when—

"…Turn around."

Karami shrugged and turned his back.

Alfia slowly moved her hands to undo the strings holding her top together. After a few rustling sounds of fabric brushing against itself, the thin garment slid down her shoulders and fell onto the bed.

After removing even the cloth covering her chest, Alfia naturally raised her arms to cover herself. The flushed skin settled softly on her slender arms.

"…You can look now."

Karami turned back around, his eyes widening slightly in surprise as he faced Alfia. She blushed and squirmed.

"W-What are you staring at?"

"No, it's just… Why are you like that?"

"What do you mean? You said the brand needs to be placed where the spirits are gathered. That's near the heart, so th-that's why I'm like this."

Despite Alfia's explanation, Karami blinked in confusion before tilting his head.

"Could we not just do it on your back?"

"Huh…?"

"Branding a woman's chest? How absurd. I'm just asking to make sure, but… you're not into that, are you? As your master, that may be a bit troubling…"

The faint blush on Alfia's cheeks flared bright red, and the redness spread down to her collarbone.

"Th-That's not it! I-I just thought it had to be done on the front…!"

Alfia quickly turned around, showing her back. While her milky skin with a hint of pink was still quite sensual, Alfia was too flustered to worry about that.

"H-Hurry up! Didn't you say we don't have time?"

"Yes, right…"

Karami responded casually as he unrolled the scroll. Alfia squeezed her eyes shut, overwhelmed by embarrassment, but then pouted, unsatisfied with his bland reaction.

Isn't he being too nonchalant, even if the situation is urgent? He could be a little more surprised.

He doesn't have… issues down there, does he?

That would be a bit problematic…

As that was happening, Alfia worried about the future with a serious expression.

Whew, this is insane.

Karami might have looked composed on the outside, but inside, he was in turmoil. Even for him, who had desperately resisted anything sexual during his gaming days, the half-naked elf was overwhelmingly powerful.

If he hadn't been synchronized with Karami's soul, he might have pounced on her, liberation be damned. No wonder people went crazy trying to kidnap elves.

Hoo, relax.

I can't betray a slave who completely trusts her master. Taking a deep breath to barely regain his composure, Karami placed the scroll where her heart would be.

"Then I'll begin. It might hurt a bit."

As Alfia nodded her assent, he activated the scroll. A prismatic light seeped out from the scroll pressed against her back.

"Ngh…"

The branding itself was bearable, but the forced widening of the pathway was excruciating. Alfia couldn't suppress a sharp hiss of pain, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as she fought to maintain composure.

"Does it hurt? If it hurts, you can scream 'Kyaaah, Master!' you know?"

Alfia couldn't hold back from laughing at the joke.

"I'm fine. This barely even counts as pain."

Though his playful attitude in such a serious situation wasn't entirely reassuring, thanks to him, the pain seemed to have vanished momentarily. Alfia relaxed, entrusting herself to him with a lighter heart.

Shhh…

The light began to fade.

When Karami removed the scroll, there was a fist-sized brand drawn in green lines on Alfia's porcelain-like back.

It was in the shape of spiraling vines embracing four leaves, almost like a picture at first glance.

"It's done."

"That ended quicker than I expected."

Alfia reached back over her shoulder to touch the brand.

"Is there anything unusual? Any pain?"

"Hmm? I don't feel anything in particular right now."

It just felt a bit awkward having something new there, and knowing it could never be erased left her feeling a bit unsettled.

It feels kind of… sexy.

Like my body's tingling.

This is basically stamping 'I belong to him' on me. It was like advertising that she was Karami's slave. Not that I dislike it, though.

Alfia put her clothes back on, hiding the brand behind the fabric. Meanwhile, Karami used a key he'd bought with points to remove her shackles, and returned the bow and quiver he'd brought when infiltrating.

She skillfully attached the quiver to her waist and gripped the bow. The familiar weight brought a sense of security.

"How do we get out? Should we break through?"

"Just wait. They'll open up in due time. Until then, we might as well enjoy ourselves."

Alfia just nodded without asking further.

After all, Karami's influence had long since become a part of her.