Ringland Village

Starting from the royal capital located in the center of the continent, at the end of our journey to the southern part of the continent.

At last we arrived at our final destination, Ringland Village.

No—strictly speaking, I should call it the former Ringland Village.

“Goodness, goodness—who would’ve thought it’d become a deserted village, eh.”

Since there was no one around besides us, Ekarraat emerged from the shadows and looked the village over.

The houses had collapsed walls and ceilings and had been exposed to wind and rain for a long time.

The places that had once been fields were overgrown with weeds reaching up to waist height.

The proprietress of a restaurant in Rondario, a city of the Ragiu Tribe, introduced herself as Rourou Ringland.

As you can tell from her surname—she was from the same hometown as Rin.
According to Ms. Rourou—Ringland Village was annihilated by monsters that poured out when the dungeon collapsed.

There are no professional adventurers in the southern continent.

Farmers who normally worked the fields would, during the off-season, hunt monsters from the upper levels of dungeons for some extra pocket money—there was no one willing to risk their lives to take down a dungeon boss.

However, if a dungeon isn’t cleared for a long period, it will undergo a dungeon collapse.

When the southern branch of the Adventurer’s Guild detects signs of a dungeon collapse, it’s customary to request reinforcements from the Adventurer’s Guild headquarters in the royal capital, but—

“By the time reinforcements arrived… Rin’s hometown had already been ravaged by monsters… or so.”

That, in essence, was the tale told by Ms. Rourou.

There were very few survivors like Ms. Rourou.

Among them, Ms. Rourou was remarkable for running a restaurant alone after losing her hometown.

“How ironic. They sold their children for the sake of their livelihood—and the abandoned child survived while the family that stayed behind was wiped out, eh.”

“……..”

Rin was currently offering prayers at a communal cemetery built in the back of the village.

The gravestones had nothing carved on them, and the communal cemetery felt almost token-like, leaving one to wonder if anyone was truly buried beneath.

Still, if she were to mourn her family, there really was no other choice but this place.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Master.”

“Is it all right now?”

“…Yes.”

If that’s the case—then there is no further use for this village.

I remembered the words Ms. Rourou had said to me.

“Traveler, if it’s all right with you, could you please transfer little Rinrin to me?”

Ms. Rourou’s offer was to buy the slave, “Rin.”

It was permitted to buy and sell a slave without going through a slave trader, and she had offered enough money to purchase one slave.

“(My wish… is not to be with Rin, but for Rin to live happily.)”

Therefore—if Rin wished it, I intended to accept that offer.

I am a great criminal—a killer of a royal.

A wanted man with a ten-million G bounty on my head.

The Palace Knights, the Holy Church, and bounty-hunting adventurers were all after my head.

Simply being near me put Rin in danger as well.

In fact, there had already been two instances where Rin was taken hostage by the Palace Knights and the Holy Church.

“(Rin’s Level is 30—at worst she has the stats to earn her keep as an adventurer on her own. So Rin no longer needs me…)”

I told myself that and slowly spoke aloud.

“Rin.”

“Y-yes.”

Rin, perhaps sensing it, replied in a nervous voice.

Ekarraat also read the mood and quietly watched over us.

“You know Ms. Rourou said she wants to buy Rin’s ownership, right? If you want it, I’ll accept that offer—”

“……..”

“—You choose. Live as you wish.”

“Master.”

Rin clutched at the front of her maid outfit with a tight grip.

For about ten seconds her gaze darted here and there, her eyes full of inner conflict.

Eventually Rin seemed to make up her mind—she filled her very beautiful purple eyes with resolve and stared into my dark eyes.

“I understand—I’ll live as I please.”