Chapter 49 - Episode 48: Re-education ③
"Hey Christy, you've become a terrible sight."
Turning toward that voice, the one standing there was indeed Noein.
As usual, Matilda stood behind him and to the side, and flanking her were the sharp-eyed attendant and the ugly attendant that Christy had seen a few times—Pence and Radley.
Seeing them, Christy felt a sense of relief.
The escape had failed, but with this, at least she would no longer be toyed with and killed by goblins right here and now.
Being rescued by Noein was humiliating, but she couldn't afford to be picky.
Seeing the sudden reinforcements, the goblins showed expressions of caution, but... none of Noein's group took any action. Noein, the lord, merely looked at Christy with a smirk, Matilda didn't budge an inch, and neither Pence nor Radley even attempted to draw their swords.
"...Eh? Wa-wait, why aren't you helping me?"
"Did I say I came to help? Did anyone hear me say that?"
"No, Noein-sama."
"We have received no instructions."
"Yep, didn't hear nuthin'."
Hearing their words, the blood drained from Christy's face.
"Huh? Do-don't joke around at a time like this! Hurry up and save me!"
"Why? You decided to run away, didn't you? Then you have to do your best to escape until the very end. I'll watch over you, so do your best."
As he said this with a frivolous laugh, Noein's face looked so evil, so vulgar, and so cruel—to Christy, it looked like the smile of a demon.
Perhaps judging that Noein's group had no intention of helping Christy and no intention of fighting, the goblins turned their backs on them and approached Christy once again.
"N-noooo!"
She'll die. She'll really die.
Struck once more by the terror of death, Christy summoned every ounce of her strength to stand up and push the goblin away.
Taking advantage of the moment the goblin fell, she collapsed at Noein's feet as if clinging for dear life.
"I-I can't anymore! I can't escape! I'll go back! I'll go back, so save me! I'll work properly!"
To survive this situation, she had no choice but to cling to Noein. She had no choice but to obtain Noein's forgiveness.
"Wow, how pathetic. And clinging to my leg with such blood-stained hands is so dirty. My shoe got soiled. Matilda."
"Yes, Noein-sama."
Even as Christy clung to him, Noein maintained his evil expression. At his instruction, Matilda stepped forward, and—
"Goeah!?"
She kicked Christy away as if she were nothing more than a piece of trash.
By the time Christy had fallen prostrate on the ground, the goblin that had fallen earlier had already stood back up.
"Gogyahhh!"
The goblin approached, letting out a roar that expressed its irritation at being hurt and its desire to devour its prey quickly.
"No! No, no, noooo!"
She was pinned down and nearly had her neck bitten, and the goblin bit down hard on the arm she instinctively thrust out.
The goblin's fangs tore through the skin of her arm and gouged the flesh.
"Aaaah! It hurts! Help meeee!"
Swinging the hand that wasn't being bitten, she struck the goblin's head with all her might to tear it away.
Using the tiny window of time she had earned, she crawled toward Noein once again.
"Please! I'll be serious! I'll be polite! I'm sorry for being rude until now! I'm sorry! Please save me!"
She was afraid of dying.
"Better to die" — what a shallow thought that had been. She hadn't known that death was this terrifying.
She would do anything if it meant she could live. Thinking this, she pleaded desperately with Noein.
However, even then, his expression remained evil, and his eyes were cold.
"Ah, look at that. Covered in tears and snot, crawling so pathetically... where did the high-and-mighty Christy go? Your pride is important, isn't it? Then you have to work harder to protect it."
"I don't need pride! I don't need it! I'll be obedient from now on! Please save meeeeeee!"
Then, Noein let out a sigh and muttered, "I guess it can't be helped." Hearing this, Christy felt a glimmer of hope.
"Matilda."
"Yes, Noein-sama."
"Noooooooo!"
She was kicked away again and thrown in front of the goblin.
The goblin approached, swinging its club to deliver the finishing blow.
Then, summoning a level of willpower that made her wonder where such strength remained in her, Christy stood up,
"Uwaaaaa!"
she screamed, and tackled the goblin.
It was a pathetic attack that was merely colliding with the momentum of falling, but the unexpected impact of Christy's weight caused the goblin to tumble. In that opening, Christy clung to Noein once more.
Clinging to Noein's leg, she looked up at him.
Noein's eyes were as cold as ever. They were not the eyes of someone looking at a human.
...Ah, so this is what it means to be a slave. For the first time, Christy felt it in the true sense of the word.
She was this person's slave. The power over her life and death was held by this person.
He was her master. Considering Christy's attitude and words until now, it would not have been strange for him to be angry and behead her.
Despite that, how kind he had been until now. How much had she taken advantage of that kindness?
This was the price for that indulgence. She was attempting to learn, in exchange for her own life, what position she had been in and who had been keeping her alive.
"I p-pledge my loy-alty! I p-pledge my loy-alty to Noein-zama! I am yourz! P-pleaze save me! Have mercy on meeeee!"
Her face was a mess of dirt, blood, tears, snot, and saliva. She couldn't even see straight ahead. Her throat was parched, and she could only produce a terrible voice.
Still, facing Noein's face, which appeared as a blurred outline, she screamed those words with all her heart and soul.
"...There are no lies in those words, are there?"
"No liez! It'z true! Noein-samaaaaaaa! Save meeee!"
She clung to Noein's leg with her entire body. To ensure that even Matilda couldn't kick her away, she wrapped her arms around Noein's leg and held on tight.
"...Very well. Radley."
"Yes, sir."
As soon as Noein gave the order, Radley immediately drew his sword and dashed forward.
Without even being given time to be surprised that the opponent who had been watching quietly had suddenly pointed a blade at it, the goblin's head was severed.
Having seen that through, Noein lowered his knee to the ground and looked at Christy. Not minding that his hands would get dirty, he gently stroked her cheek.
"I have accepted your loyalty, Christy. You are my precious slave, and a beloved citizen. As long as you give me your loyalty, I too shall love you as your lord. I promise to give you a happy life."
As Noein spoke while smiling, he looked like a god in Christy's eyes. Feeling an unparalleled sense of security, she let go of her consciousness.