Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Hassan of the Different World Slave

002 – <Hassan of the Different World Slave>

I was staring anxiously at Elpride.

Elpride was going over the makeshift tent assigned to her and the sleeping bag laid inside with the palm of her hand.

“Hmm-, good. The sleeping bag’s laid out properly. As expected, you snap out of it when things align right? That’s why slaves should be given a whipping every three days. Well done.”

“Uh, thank you.”

And thus, the necklace of success was bestowed upon me.

That wicked fairy has always been extremely particular about her sleeping arrangements.

It was an everyday occurrence for her to be turned away once or twice and then asked to redo it, so today’s success at the first try could be considered quite lucky.

Miss ‘Can-never-be-pleased’.

Can-never-be-pleased!

“Did I just detect some disrespectful thoughts?”

“No, nothing of the sort.”

Tslrrrrt.

Elpride’s half-open crimson eyes shot a glance at me. This woman is more perceptive than I thought, making it hard to curse at her even in my mind.

I pretended ignorance and finished preparing the tents and sleeping bags of the others with an expressionless face.

By the time the preliminary work for camping was roughly done…

“Hassan, come over here and give my shoulders a rub.”

On the open space of the underground ruin, just around the time we lit a bonfire in the center, Elpride called me over just as I finished my chores.

I shook off the dust on my palms and stood behind Elpride, who was seated on a small portable chair in front of her tent.

“Massage harder. My shoulders hurt from carrying heavy loads all day, and even wielding the whip feels like a struggle now.”

Heavy loads, you witch! I was the one who carried all your loads!

Though I strongly wanted to say that, I held it in.

Silver-ranked adventurer Elpride is a formidable being who effortlessly surpasses me in terms of combat power and physical strength. With my level being 2, her level must be around 30.

Certainly, if we fought, I would lose.

Especially since this ‘Miss Can-never-be-pleased’ is holding my leash, thus any act of defiance from me is not permitted.

Thus, I had no choice but to massage Elpride’s shoulders.

“Hmm, just like that. Ah, that’s good. You’re useless in many ways, but at least you’re good at massages. Is that the case with all Samaritans?”

Samaritans is a term for the wild people with black hair, including myself. Savages who wander in the wilderness, shouting into the sky.

If you’re asking about the others, how would I know?

“Hmm, I don’t know about the others. I learned various things from my father…”

I recalled my father who ran both a health center and a makeshift joint correction clinic.

The room filled with human anatomy models and acupressure charts. The tedious education I received when he wanted me to take over the makeshift health center turned out to be quite helpful now.

Elpride becomes relatively docile while getting a massage.

“Hmm, that’s perfect. Ahh…”

Elpride shook her body as if she was highly satisfied.

Crrk-crrk.

I could feel her tense shoulders through her clothes clearly. Despite not carrying anything, why is her shoulder so tight every day?

I glanced down at Elpride’s bosom.

Dung!

The unique adventurer leather armor couldn’t hide the large and lush hills there.

Indeed, the fairy of the forest. The entity that promises abundance from the forest’s deity.

With that size, her shoulder would naturally be tense every day.

“Alright, that’s enough with the shoulders. Now massage my legs.”

“Got it.”

Flump, flump.

With my brief response, Elpride took off her boots and showed me her bare feet.

I knelt down in front of her and pressed her thin calves, ankles, and pure white soles with my palms and fingertips for acupressure.

Despite wearing long boots for a long time, her feet were surprisingly cold.

There was a slight smell of sweat, but complaining about that would probably get me beaten to d*ath.

“Hnnnggg-!”

As I pressed the soft and squishy flesh, just above her heel with my thumb, Elpride twisted her body as if she was in great discomfort.

Tsk.

Realizing my failure in controlling the strength, I shrunk my shoulders momentarily. I braced myself for a slap. However, Elpride frowned and barked nastily.

“You stopped! Do what feels good and keep pressing firmly.”

“Yes, got it.”

Sqq- Sqquq.

I pressed her soles with all the strength of my thick palms as if squeezing out the forceful grip I had.

Each time she let out strange screams like “Heeuck. Haaaak-,” it somewhat relieved my stress.

Are you having some issues with your uterus? Your kidneys don’t seem well either. Suffer more, woman.

“Ugh, good, press harder.”

“Got it.”

“d*mn, it’s enviable.”

“I wish I could touch her calves too.”

“I’d like her to step on me with that foot.”

As I continued the humiliating massage, the voices of the other three male adventurers, excluding Elpride, were heard murmuring. These men who were bewitched by Elpride’s pretty appearance and were serving her like some royal guard. It seemed they envied me for pressing her thighs and calves like kneading bread.

If I wasn’t a slave, I might have thought the same thing.

Elpride’s personality is terribly unpleasant, but her appearance and figure are slim and elegant, worthy of a fairy. The number of men trying to flirt with her is seen a few times every day.

Being able to massage someone like her, any healthy man would feel their lower body stirring, wouldn’t they?

But my lower body doesn’t even flinch.

There’s no flow of bl**d at all, not even a little.

That’s because of the Two-Snake Curse that I’m suffering from.

It’s an extremely terrifying curse that makes my legs as hard as stone, showing not a single movement.

If you’re worried about keeping a strong male as a slave, cutting off his balls is a fine option too. However, many male slaves may lose their vigor afterward. This method is more expensive but yields better results.

The words of the slave trader who captured and sold me echoed automatically in my ears.

The Two-Snake Curse that he cast on me tied my dignity like a leash to Elpride, forcing me to follow her commands.

It is said that the only one who can undo this curse is my owner, Elpride.

“Your hands stopped again! Stop being lazy! Aren’t you having those disrespectful thoughts again!”

Slap!

“Ugh!”

*

Hell, it’s a strange ceiling.

“Hey, wake up. You’re going to keep being lazy?”

When I opened my eyes, I saw Elpride looking down at me with a cold gaze. Having risen near the campfire, I quickly turned my head.

“Awake.”

I had stayed awake more than others from the first to the middle shift of the watch. It seemed the time for me to get up had come, even though it felt like I had just closed my eyes.

“Hurry up and pack up the sleeping bags and tents. It’s annoying that the journey has taken longer than expected, and if we get delayed because of you, be ready to be beaten with a whip.”

“I’ll clean up quickly, sir.”

While packing the adventurers’ sleeping bags and tents into my backpack, I suddenly recalled how I ended up in this state.

Slave.

Being labeled as a slave truly turns one into a slave, it seems.

Being scolded and beaten every day tends to break the pride and spirit of even the healthiest men.

I know a few men who became broken after being sold into slavery, drooling and mindlessly smiling at crumbs falling from the floor.

If I don’t regain my senses, I may end up like that too.

And even if I regain my senses, with long-term slave life, I will eventually become such a broken human.

I’ll never let that happen.

After gathering all the gear and carrying the heavy backpack on my back, I saw Elpride chatting with her party members.

“We must definitely escape this ruin today, so we’ll have to hurry more. According to the investigation, there seems to be an altar ahead. We can just secure the artifact there and leave.”

Though the altar and artifact were things beyond my concern, the fact that we would leave the ruin today resonated with me.

If I receive even a tiny bit of pay for this job, I will have accumulated 30 silver coins.

Then, I can pay for my freedom and become a free man.

While pushing through the cobwebs that pervaded the area,

Queeeek – Gurrgk!

As we walked through the deep corridors of the underground ruins, a giant spider screeching and charging towards our group was visible. The spider was as large as a human torso. It was a monstrous creature called the Giant Arachne.

Tink tink -.

Eight legs, with long furs swishing, and eight eyes gleaming in the darkness under the torchlight were quite frightening, sending shivers down my spine.

d*mn, I hate spiders!

Due to memories related to my father from my childhood, I have plenty of what could be called trauma regarding spiders.

I hate even spiders smaller than my palm, not to mention this one as large as a human body.

In a game it would be terrifying as hell. If pricked by its thick as my forearm fangs, I’d likely d*e without even making a sound!

“Fire Elemental.”

But then, Elpride, with her calm expression, muttered a spell, and the giant spider’s body was soon hit by a fireball, roaring in flames.

Fire magic.

Even though I’ve been in this world for two years, I still can’t get used to this magic thing.

Magic is freaking powerful!

“What are you doing? Quickly dismember it.”

Elpride issued her order haughtily while I was dazed looking at the burning spider. Coming out of my stupor, I drew a dagger from my sleeve.

Tshkkk-.

I adeptly carved and hacked off the blackened chitinous exoskeleton of the giant spider. Gathering the remains of monsters or beasts falls under my responsibilities.

Tshkkk-. Krrak.

It seems that the legs and carapace, or so-called dorsal shell, of the Giant Arachne are used as quite expensive armor materials. The rest of the parts are practically useless.

Sizzzle-.

Yet, seeing the white cooked flesh of this otherwise useless thing, saliva instinctively flowed from my mouth.

d*mn, feeling hungry because of this giant spider’s meat is quite frustrating.

It’s impossible, since I don’t get proper meals while being used as a slave, and I’m desperately saving what little food expenses and inn fees are given to me to make up 30 silver coins.

The hunger I endure makes even the relatively white and jelly-like flesh look like tasty shrimp or king crab.

They call it Arachne, so isn’t it a crab?

Many adventurers apparently eat meat and scraps from monsters. A little taste-

“What are you doing? Hurry up!”

“Ah, yes, sir, it’s done.”

I snapped out of my thoughts and moved my hands busily.

My backpack, filled with the heavy and tough spider shells, felt even heavier now, resembling a heavily packed military rucksack. In reality, it was very similar.

“Almost there. It’s visible. The mark of Pluto.”

After walking through the dark corridor for a while, Elpride swept her hand over the cold, hard stone wall. As if brushing away dust, a mark resembling a hexagon with six petals appeared.

“It’s the Lily mark.”

“Indeed, we’ve come correctly as Elpride said!”

“Sure enough, a silver-level adventurer. Reaching this deep without a map, impressive!”

The three men admiring Elpride with flowery words to flatter her made my eyebrows naturally furrow.

Idiots.

Involuntarily stepping a bit away from s*xual desires while seeing such a spectacle, it leads to philosophical questions on what it means to be a man and what reproduction entails.

“Hmm-.”

Elpride also looked at them with a half-indifferent expression while half-ignoring their words and kept sweeping her hand over the stone wall.

“Don’t just stand there, search around. There should be a door or mechanism somewhere for a secret passage. Most of Pluto’s ruins are like that.”

With that, the men started hastily searching the stone walls, trying to increase points with Elpride.

I also pretended to sweep my hands over the walls. Then, something clicked under my hand, and one of the bricks sank inward.

Gruuuurrrr-.

Simultaneously, the underground wall of the ruin shook violently, hinting at a structural change. Soon, a wall opened to the side, revealing a narrow and dark corridor.

Looking at this with narrow eyes, Elpride praised me.

“Hassan, did you find it? Good job. I’ll give you a bonus. Let’s go eat something tasty tonight.”

“Th-thank you, sir.”

What’s frightening about Elpride is her clear view on rewards and punishments. She truly has a natural talent for handling slaves.

Her praise made me feel good despite myself. Is this what they call slave mentality?

“Hmph, that slave brat-.”

However, the envious gazes directed at me from the men are unbearably hot and cumbersome.

Nothing is as dreadful as the envy and affairs of men surrounding a woman.

Anyway, thus, we walked through the secret passage of the underground ruins. The silver-level quest that lasted for two days will soon reach its end.

Thump thump.

I followed the adventurers quietly while holding the torch, considering my upcoming freedom.

Having pleased Elpride by discovering the secret entrance, she promised to give me a bonus.

Then, I might get a little more than the thirty silver coins.

An adventurer should have weapons and wrist guards ready when joining the ranks.

Lost in happy thoughts about how to spend the leftover money, I was.

“There’s an artifact. A real artifact is here.”

“It’s real, Elpride. It’s at least a saga-grade artifact!”

Elpride and the men stopped, so I also stopped my steps.

In front of us, a large pedestal and a stick-like object stuck into it were visible.

I don’t know what that thing is, but judging by the highly excited atmosphere among Elpride and the adventurers, it must be an important and expensive item.

“Alright, Hassan, go up to the pedestal and bring that down.”

“Huh?”

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