RIAD Ch 5

“Yes, yes.”

The employee responded casually, as if she had asked something perfectly ordinary. Eliah felt a sudden wave of helplessness. What was the point of arguing with this person? This was simply how the social hierarchy of this world worked.

She realized with renewed clarity just how revolutionary the abolition of slavery, something she had only ever considered an interesting historical fact, truly was. People like Kai, who became slaves, were not at fault. But neither was this person, born into this world and accepting it as common sense.

Vowing to return to this issue someday, she pushed the thought aside. She had more immediate concerns.

“No. We’ll leave now.”

She decided to depart now that she was up. She had no belongings to pack.

“Ah, I see, is that so? Then have a pleasant journey.”

I see what? She grumbled internally, stepping outside.

Kai silently followed her, which bothered her. Separate from her discomfort with the system of slavery, she felt uneasy around him, his intentions unclear.

She could have asked, “Aren’t we on intimate terms after spending the night together?” But that thought made her even more uncomfortable. Was this how it always was between strangers who had sex without establishing a connection? The fact that she couldn’t discern his intentions made it worse.

Glancing back as they walked, she found him wearing an unexpected expression. She still couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but it wasn’t apathy…it was something subtle and unreadable.

‘It’s like he doesn’t know what expression to wear himself.’

Eliah suddenly saw him not as a game character, but as a real person. An ordinary person carrying their own burdens.

Perhaps that was why she felt a pang of sympathy for him, with his breathtaking beauty and wary, guarded demeanor.

Countless questions sprang to mind: What did the innkeeper say to you? How long have you been at the slave market? Do you have any childhood memories? But the words she eventually spoke were utterly mundane.

“Now that I think about it, you must be hungry.”

“…I’m fine.”

After a moment of hesitation, he declined. Of course, having witnessed his condition at the slave market yesterday, Eliah didn’t believe him.

“Fine, my foot. Come on.”

They settled into a nearby restaurant and ordered a simple breakfast.

Eliah dipped a piece of baguette into her soup, taking a bite. The bread was hard, but softened somewhat in the soup.

Hunger is the best sauce, as the saying went. She now realized how hungry she truly was.

She then addressed Kai, who was sitting blankly in front of his soup bowl. He looked slightly surprised, as if seeing soup for the first time.

“Kai, eat up. Have plenty, since we have the chance.”

She felt a twinge of guilt saying this while offering such a meager meal, but she pressed on. Someone who buys you a meal is precious, after all.

“…Yes, I’ll eat gratefully.”

With a polite bow, he dipped his baguette into the soup. His strangely stiff expression still made it hard to read his thoughts.

A silent meal followed, the large, forearm-sized baguette gradually disappearing. Watching Kai devour the bread once he started eating, Eliah felt another surge of sympathy.

‘There’s no way those bastards fed him properly.’

It was highly likely that this was his first decent meal in a long time. As she finished eating first and watched him, he spoke mid-chew.

“Master…”

“Yes?”

His hesitant demeanor seemed out of character. It made her wonder if the man from last night was a different person altogether. The memory of his rough words and the dizzying sensations in bed…the heat of the moment flushed her face again.

Eliah shook her head, dispelling the unwelcome thoughts.

“…You’re kind.”

His softly whispered words, after a long pause, were unexpected. But she didn’t dwell on them. As the old saying went, a single meal could create a lifelong debt of gratitude.

She simply dismissed it, thinking he must have enjoyed the soup.

As they emerged into Noemi Square, a crowd had gathered, buzzing with excitement. They were clustered around the notice board, as if some astonishing news had been posted.

‘What’s going on?’

As she drew closer, she overheard snippets of their conversations.

“Should I start learning swordsmanship now…?”

“Is His Highness the Crown Prince really that handsome?”

“I heard that too. They say he’s like a prince from a fairy tale.”

“‘The Crown Prince?’”

Eliah overheard the whispers, her mind conjuring up the image of the second stud. A vision of a handsome man with perfectly sculpted features floated before her eyes. Pushing through the crowd to the notice board, she saw a large announcement posted.

[Seeking Brave Warriors to Uphold the Empire’s Glory

Darkness descends upon the Empire, and we are in need of the strength of valiant warriors.

Those with strength, dedicate yourselves to the Empire through meritorious deeds.

Those with courage, take up your swords and fight against evil.

Those who qualify will be personally commended by me, the Crown Prince.

Crown Prince Frederic de Riviere]

The announcement concluded with the Crown Prince’s elegantly written name and a magnificent seal. Poetic and concise, it captivated her. And as if sensing her thoughts, new notification windows appeared in succession.

Ding!

[Quest ‘Audience with the Crown Prince’

Formally meet Frederic, the Empire’s Finest Swordsman, the Crown Prince.

Location: The capital city, Rangrang]

[Quest ‘Slave Kai (2)’

You have entered into an intimate relationship with Kai, the first stud.

Travel with him and deepen your relationship.

Completion Requirements: Level 30 (Sword Expert), Kai’s Affection 40%

Time Limit: 15 days

Failure Penalty: ????]

Eliah’s eyes widened as she reviewed the new quests. She was surprised for two reasons.

First, the starting point of the Crown Prince’s ending was different.

In the original storyline, the Crown Prince’s route only became available after the character entered the capital. Moreover, encountering the second stud after already being intimate with Kai was extremely difficult.

Having quests related to two studs triggered simultaneously, like this, was practically impossible. Deus’s strategy was based on giving up one to gain the next.

‘How long do I have to keep him around?’

Having already obtained an OP, and with no intention of engaging in anything particularly dangerous, she didn’t need Kai. She was more concerned about developing unwanted attachments and becoming the object of his obsession. He was more likely to hinder than help her pursuit of the next stud, the Crown Prince.

Resolving to be careful not to let her relationship with Kai deepen, she considered the second reason for her surprise.

The opportunity to meet her favorite.

That’s right. Among Deus’s male leads, Eliah favored the Crown Prince the most. The epitome of a kind, blond, handsome man. The thought of meeting him in person made her heart flutter.

The excitement of pursuing the never-before-seen happy ending was rekindled.

‘But what’s with the question marks…?’

While the requirements for Kai’s quest weren’t particularly difficult, the failure penalty was ominous. Hidden penalties like this usually turned out to be unexpectedly severe.

Her heart pounded with conflicting emotions. She absolutely could not fail.

Just in case, she asked Kai, “Kai, I have to go to the capital now… what will you do?”

“I’ll follow you, Master.”

“Is that so? That’s a relief.”

It truly was. She had asked the question, but if he had actually said he was leaving, she would have been at a loss. Her feelings were complicated now that she needed him due to this unexpected quest.

“Is it a relief?”

“Well, yes. Have you been to the capital?”

Flustered by his question, she successfully changed the subject.

“No. I’ve never left the slave market since I was sold there as a child.”

Kai smiled softly, uttering chilling words. In the game, she had only focused on the setting where everyone was a slave; even the developers hadn’t delved into his backstory. She grew increasingly curious about Kai as a person.

‘I’ll have to learn more about him slowly.’

Nodding vaguely, she turned away from the square and began searching for a shop. She had been deliberately ignoring it until now, but both she and Kai were dressed in rags.

After purchasing new clothes and suitable weapons, Eliah realized a serious problem with her current situation.

She sat down in a corner of the town and turned her worn leather bag inside out, shaking it. A single silver coin and two copper coins clattered onto the cobblestones.

“100 rian… and 2 deva.”

Her entire fortune. The soup and baguette that morning had cost around 5 deva, meaning this wouldn’t even cover a week’s worth of food for the two of them.

And even that meager meal was wearing off, her stomach starting to rumble again. This was an unexpected obstacle.

In the game, the protagonist’s hunger wasn’t important. For the five years Eliah had played, she had only fed the protagonist enough to survive, focusing solely on pursuing the male leads.

There were even times when the protagonist starved to near-death. But since she automatically recovered after three days in game time, Eliah often used this as a strategy when funds were low.

‘Me starving is a different story!’

It would take about a week to reach the capital. With no immediate way to earn money, it meant they would have to travel while starving.

For the first time, she resented the setting assigned to her character:

A traveling noblewoman.

Eliah Denfier, the protagonist of Deus, was traveling alone for some reason. And, again for some reason, she awoke in Noemi and encountered the male leads. However, these “some reasons” were never explained.

‘What were you doing?’

She wanted to ask the “Eliah Denfier” before she possessed her. Why would a noblewoman born into a wealthy family be wandering the continent? What had happened to leave her lying around in such a ragged state?

‘What am I even saying?’

She chuckled self-deprecatingly. It was simply a part of the game’s setting that hadn’t been developed. She was already getting emotionally invested in the character, despite having only been here for a short time. This wasn’t a real person; she couldn’t possibly have a past.

Shaking off the strange thoughts, she assessed the situation rationally. Fortunately, her relationship with her parents was supposed to be good, so she could receive support from her family. And as luck would have it, they were in the right direction.

‘I can work on Kai’s quest along the way.’

Her family home was in the capital. She decided to stop by her home before meeting the Crown Prince.

Besides the money issue, a strong intuition told her that she needed to see her family.

She used the remaining money frugally to purchase various travel necessities. Then, shouldering her now-heavy backpack, she stepped out of town.

Towards her family home, the Denfier earldom.