Master and Slaves

The two of us were wrapped in a dazzling light.

The light that came out from Yuki’s left chest was drawn into my left hand.

The number was…!

“Wait, Yuki!”

“Aaaaaaahhh!! …Kuuuaaaaaaaahhh!!!!”

I tried to stop Yuki, but Yuki had already lost her senses and did not seem to see her surroundings.

Even if I tried to take my left hand off Yuki’s chest it would not leave.

Meanwhile the Dule ceremony ended.

In the end the number of Yuki’s souls I took in was four.

In other words Yuki became my Te-Dule.

“H-hey… Yuki… are you all right? …Hey!”

Mateus had said Te-Dules were next door to death.

To Yuki, who should have been unconscious from repeating climaxes, I first called out timidly, and when there was no reply I shook her body and called Yuki in a loud voice.

…As expected there was no reply.

However what I heard instead was sleeping breaths of suu, suu.

I was relieved for the time being and let out a sigh of relief.

…Still, what do I do?

Of all things, becoming a Te-Dule…

“Haa…”

The next sigh I let out was the kind that comes when you are gloomy.

…

Now then, beside me Yuki was sleeping soundly.

Her body was still as terrible as ever, but the way she slept using my arm as a pillow was somehow nostalgic.

There was no bed inside the tent. Several cloths had been stacked and laid out, so I laid the unconscious Yuki down and also slept beside her.

I wanted to keep looking at Yuki’s sleeping face like this, but it did not seem I would be able to.

“…Master, may I?”

Quite reservedly, Muriel spoke from outside the tent.

“Ah, you can come in.”

“Excuse me.”

Muriel came in from the tent entrance.

“Lady Yuki is… no, is Yuki sleeping.”

“Ah, soundly.”

Muriel rephrased how she called Yuki.

I answered while feeling something odd about that.

…Ah, that’s right. She understood Yuki had become a Dule.

“Yuki became a Te-Dule.”

“A Te-Dule? …I see…”

Muriel was surprised hearing my words, but immediately made an expression of understanding.

“Yuki was a person from the same other world as Master.”

“Ah, that’s right… probably…”

I, whose memory was vague, answered vaguely.

“Probably…?”

“Ah, my memory is…”

“I see…”

Even though I had only said one word, Muriel understood.

Then she answered with a grave expression.

Don’t make that kind of face when it isn’t about Muriel herself.

But even if it were about Muriel herself she probably wouldn’t make an expression that far.

“Well, for now it isn’t that inconvenient… and Yuki is here too…”

“Yes…”

When I said that so as not to worry Muriel, Muriel forced a smile and answered.

“…It would be better not to wake Yuki now. This is probably her last sleep.”

Muriel changed the topic.

It was about Yuki, but…

“Last sleep?”

“Yes. Because Te-Dules do not sleep.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Ilma and Helma, who are Te-Dules, don’t sleep either.

“Also, I think you know, but if Master dies, Te-Dules…”

“…!”

That’s right!

If the Master dies, Te-Dules also die.

“Then Yuki… does Yuki know this?!”

“Probably…”

“…I see…”

I tried to calm myself.

There was no point asking Muriel now.

After Yuki woke I would ask why she had done something like this.

“Muriel…”

“Lady Muriel!”

When I tried to speak to Muriel, a loud voice calling Muriel came from outside the tent.

“You! Be quiet!”

Muriel stuck her face outside the tent and in a reserved voice admonished the owner of the loud voice.

That was probably Sara.

“I-I’m sorry. Um… may I?”

“…Wait a moment.”

Muriel made Sara wait and returned inside the tent again.

“Master, excuse me.”

“Ah.”

Muriel specially took her leave of me and went out of the tent.

Then in front of the tent she talked with Sara keeping her voice down.

“…What did you say!”

However Muriel, who had just admonished her, cried out in a loud voice.

“Excuse me.”

After a little Muriel came into the tent with a darkened expression.

“What’s wrong?”

Of course I understood something had happened, so I asked Muriel.

“…Cathy and Rina are missing.”

“Cathy and Rina?!”

I also raised a loud voice and hurriedly covered my mouth with both hands.

When I quietly looked beside me, Yuki still seemed to be in a dream.

I let out a sigh of relief, pulled my right arm out from under Yuki’s neck, and sat on the spot.

“…”

Then I concentrated and searched the area.

“Master?”

Muriel made a dubious expression, but I paid it no mind.

The surrounding situation rose in my head.

This way… they’re not here.

…This way neither.

This way is… nn?

This is…!

Rina was walking down a road pulling the hand of Cathy, who was walking vacantly.

Ahead of that a carriage was waiting.

Rina got into that carriage with Cathy.

And ahead of that was… the royal capital Torrestia!

“Ku!”

I stood up.

“Master!”

Because that was sudden Muriel seemed surprised.

However more than that…

What should I do…?

If I run from now will I make it?

If I am alone I will make it.

However my right hand still does not move.

If this is some kind of trap…

There are hostages.

I cannot do anything careless.

However why Cathy and Rina?

It looked like Rina was pulling Cathy.

…Damn it!

No matter how much I think it doesn’t get anywhere.

Anyway…

“Master!”

At that moment Tiria came in from outside the tent.

“What’s wrong?”

“This!”

Tiria raised a loud voice, but now I did not have the leeway to mind it.

I opened the parchment Tiria had brought.

On it was written that I should come to Torrestia.

Considerately, at the end the name “Yaska” was written.

“Apparently it’s the Cantila brothers.”

Sophia, who had slipped into the tent at some point, peeked at the parchment I held and said that.

“The Cantila brothers?”

“That’s right. The elder brother is Yaska Cantila. The younger brother is Yarmo Cantila. Our elves’ sworn enemies, dark elves. The elder brother.”

Sophia spat that out hatefully.

“””…”””

Muriel, Sophia, and Sara looked at me.

Their expressions carried gloom.

They were probably anxious that I would go out alone on my own.

“…Let’s consult Helene.”

“””Yes!”””

Perhaps relieved hearing my words, the three answered energetically.

Immediately only Muriel started and put a hand to her mouth.

“Nnn… Hiroyuki?”

Perhaps because the voices were loud, Yuki woke.

…

“That’s how it is.”

I finished explaining to Helene.

This was the largest tent pitched in front of the town.

Inside a large table was placed, and on it a large map centered on the royal capital Torrestia was placed.

Julius, Helene, and Baldo surrounded that.

Marcel and Bastian were absent because they were treating Dules wounded in this war, they said.

Also Rosina and Sheena were absent because they were still treating the injured.

Besides that, inside the tent my Dules except Cathy and Rina, and Rine clinging to Sara while sniffling, were standing around the entrance.

Everyone uniformly wore anxious faces.

Sara and the like had lost their color and her face was pale.

“…So do you intend to go?”

“Of course. They’re my Dules.”

I answered Baldo’s question concisely.

“…Understood. I will go as well. Lord Baldo, is that all right?”

“Ah, of course.”

“Helene… Baldo…”

I had intended to go alone, or taking the Dules.

The Dules may have misunderstood, but I had only intended to take my leave of Helene and the others.

“Originally we planned to sneak into Torrestia with a small elite force. That plan has only come a little early.”

Helene said that.

“That’s right. Let’s leave this to Julius.”

“Eh? To me?”

“It’s fine. We’ll have Bastian assist. Marcel is here too. That’s fine, right? Helene.”

“Yes. I think that is fine.”

Helene and Baldo decided things one after another on their own.

“No, they’re probably lying in wait. Wasn’t sneaking in for a surprise attack?”

I became worried and asked Helene.

“That is fine. There are various ways to do it. For example, using Hiroyuki-sama as a decoy, or…”

The moment Helene said that, the inside of the tent suddenly grew cold.

Well, the cause was probably the Dules behind me.

“Fufufu…”

Sensing that, Helene wore a thin smile.

“…Understood. I’ll leave the arrangements to you.”