I Became A Slave To The Mastermind

"Thank you for your help, Lady Athena."

Struggling to stand again, Robin spoke.

His appearance was covered in wounds, and it was hard to say that he was in good shape, but even so, his eyes were still shining, unyielding.

"What's there to thank? I just came because I was bored."

Pulling her sword out of the corpse of the massive monster, she spoke.

Athena, the strongest human in the empire, was dazzlingly beautiful and terrifyingly powerful at the same time.

Her eyes shone like the bright sunlight, but there was a hint of boredom in her expression.

"No, truly. Thanks to you, we were all able to complete the mission safely. I will definitely repay you."

"Really?"

"Yes."

As Robin spoke, Athena smiled and slowly approached him.

She then extended her white finger in front of his eyes.

"Your eyes. I like them. Will you give them to me?"

Robin, greatly startled, took a step back in shock.

"…Excuse me?"

"Haha… I'm just joking. Why are you so surprised?"

"S-sorry."

"Hmph. Never mind. Just keep fighting for the world. That's enough repayment."

With those words, she gracefully disappeared.

After all, what I truly wanted no longer exists in this world.

Indomitable Warrior! Episode 142 (Middle)

***

"W-what did you say?"

"Oh, did you not hear?"

Pointing at me, Athena repeated herself.

"Become my slave. You."

'Is she insane?'

Suddenly showing up and saying I should become her slave.

At first, I should have doubted my ears.

Why. Why on earth.

Why is she telling me to become her slave?

Had the owner of this body owed Athena a huge debt or something?

If not, there was no way I could understand this situation.

"…Are you out of your mind?"

In the end, failing to grasp Athena's intentions, I decided to ask her directly.

Even after hearing my aggressive words, she spoke as if it was nothing.

"If anything, I've never been more in my right mind than now."

"Suddenly showing up and telling someone to become your slave. You'd have to be crazy to say that."

"Oh. I see how it might be confusing from your perspective. Sorry about that."

As if she had realized something, she apologized and spoke again.

"I'll say it properly. I fell for you at first sight. Become my slave."

How on earth is this proper?

Does anyone normally ask the person they fall for to become their slave?

No. In the first place, what could have made her fall for me?

This was the first time I had ever seen her face today. The same should be true for her.

As her words threw me further into confusion, she spoke again.

"You know that?"

"…?"

"I've said the same thing three times already."

"Gah!"

That feeling again.

That chilling sensation, like my body was screaming at me to run away.

As fear washed over me once more, I retreated to put more distance between us.

"I'd like an answer soon."

'Let's drop this.'

Understanding her actions seemed impossible now.

Slave or whatever. I only needed to focus on one thing.

"Say something that makes sense. I have no intention of becoming your slave."

Avoiding any further involvement with her.

I steeled my resolve and stared at her clearly.

Athena smiled faintly and gazed back at me.

"Think again. If you become my slave, you will live a much better life than you do now."

"A better life?"

"Yes. Not in a poor neighborhood like this, but in a proper house where you'll be well-fed and clothed."

As if that wasn't the end, she raised a finger and continued.

"You can take as many jewels as you want, and do whatever you please. As long as you're in my mansion, you'll live a life that everyone envies."

"In return, just one thing. You only have to obey me. How about it? Sounds good, right?"

Athena spoke like some wealthy nobleman.

At first glance, it didn't sound bad.

If it were her, she surely wouldn't be joking about this.

Being a hero of the empire, the wealth she possesses would be beyond imagination.

Surely, if it were just me, I could live in luxury without ever lifting a finger.

Had it been the me before I became possessed, I might have accepted the offer without a second thought.

A supreme beauty like Athena, taking care of me so diligently.

Isn't that every person's dream?

But now, I have no such thoughts.

This is the world of the novel The Indomitable Warrior.

And she is undoubtedly a shadowy figure in this world.

The moment I follow her, the story's plot will spiral out of control, and that is something I absolutely do not want.

And above all…

'I can't leave Dania and Lily behind.'

I made a promise.

To protect Dania.

To keep Lily's smile safe.

Steeling my heart, I spoke to her.

"I don't know why you want me so badly, but… thank you for the offer."

Her eyes widened with delight as she responded, perhaps thinking I would accept.

"You've made a wise choice! Then, let's begin with the engraving—"

"But I'm sorry. I won't be leaving this place."

Hearing my words, she stared at me blankly for a moment.

Slowly, the smile faded from her face.

"Why?"

"Because there are people precious to me here."

For the first time, I had found something akin to family. I had no intention of letting go of this bond.

"…Hmph."

One of her eyebrows rose, as if something displeased her.

The air around us began to shift. As if reflecting her mood, the atmosphere grew colder by the second.

I quietly waited for Athena's response.

After a moment of contemplation, she smiled again.

But I could tell.

That smile wasn't a good sign for me at all.

"Hera. There's one thing you're mistaken about."

Athena extended her hand toward me.

"I didn't come here to make a proposal."

"You…!"

"I came here to take you."

Golden mana started to flow from her hand toward me.

As I saw the mana rushing toward me, my body instinctively moved to the side.

Where I had just stood, a magic spell shaped like a noose was tightening around empty air.

If I hadn't dodged, it wouldn't have been air that was caught, but my body.

"What are you doing?!"

I glared sharply at Athena, and she returned my gaze with a sly smile.

"An unruly slave needs to be disciplined, don't you think?"

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm not a slave?!"

I shouted at her, but instead of an answer, another spell identical to the previous one came flying toward me.

I pushed off the ground and dodged back, avoiding it.

However, as if she had no intention of letting it slide this time, Athena suddenly appeared before me and grabbed my throat.

"Ugh!"

"First, I need to teach you about your gaze. You can't look at your master with such an expression, can you?"

As she lifted her hand, my body rose with it. When my feet no longer touched the ground, I began to struggle for air.

"Kh…! Hkk!"

"Our Hera… you need to have kind eyes, right?"

As the oxygen dwindled, my body started to burn up. The fear I had toward her slowly turned into anger at this absurd situation.

'I don't care anymore.'

I lifted one leg and kicked Athena.

Her body flew backward.

With that, I was freed from her grip and could finally place my feet back on the ground.

"Cough…! Haah… Huff…"

As oxygen returned to my body, my mind began to clear again.

'I can't let my guard down yet.'

A regular person would have been knocked out instantly by the force of that kick, but she was the strongest human in this world. That wouldn't have even left a scratch.

As if answering my thoughts, she spoke.

"Come to think of it… you said you're a unique ability user?"

She casually brushed off the dust from where she had been kicked, as if nothing had happened.

I assumed a stance, ready to counter her attack at any moment.

"Sorry, Hera. It seems I'll have to handle you a bit more roughly."

With those words, Athena stomped her foot on the ground, and her body disappeared from my sight.

But my ability wasn't just about enhancing strength—it drastically boosted all my physical abilities. That included my instincts.

'She's on the right…!'

I turned my head to the right and saw her fist flying toward me.

It wasn't just an ordinary punch; it was packed with high-density mana. I reacted immediately, raising my guard.

Boom!

The impact hit me, but it wasn't as severe as I had expected. Without a pause, I aimed a kick at her side.

But something unknown blocked my foot. When I looked closer, I saw several small magic circles layered over one another, protecting her body.

"You need to stay focused on me, Hera."

At Athena's words, I quickly shifted my gaze to find her reaching out both hands toward me.

"Bind."

I tried to break free, but her hands held me in place, preventing me from retreating.

Crackle—

Like rain, swords descended from the sky, surrounding my body. Crack, crack—

The swords soon resonated with each other, and I felt something heavy pressing down on me.

"Agh… ugh."

A crushing sensation.

I tried to escape.

I knelt on the ground. The more I resisted, the stronger the force that weighed me down. I could see it,

but—

"You look so pretty when you stay still like this."

Athena gently stroked my chin with her fingers.

"Grr…!"

For some reason, the feeling hurt my pride, and this time, I focused all my strength on my legs.

Then—

Crack—

The sound of something shattering. Athena's eyes widened in apparent surprise.

"Even the Giant Drake couldn't move in this barrier…"

Ignoring Athena's mumbling, I focused my strength on my legs.

As time passed, the force pressing down on me slowly weakened. I

felt like I could break free. If I

just pushed a little harder…

But—

"Just sleep for a little while, Hera."

She placed her hand on my head.

And then, a sound like a large bell ringing echoed inside my mind.

My vision went black.

Everything vanished.

Even the one who had been beside her—Hera.

With just a gesture from the hero, she vanished along with her.

Disappeared.

***

"Ah… Sis! Hera, where did she go…?!"

Looking at her sister, she seemed equally confused, not understanding the situation. She was clearly in shock.

Unease.

From the moment she heard the hero was looking for Hera, she had felt uneasy. In the kingdom, for some reason, Lily's body trembled as if she feared losing her beloved Unnie.

'Unnie… where have you gone…?'

Lily tried her best to calm her trembling body.

"It's… it's okay… Sister told me…"

That she wanted to see me grow up.

That she would protect me.

That she wouldn't leave me.

Yet, amidst the ominous feeling that swept over her body, something dark and sticky began to swell within Lily's heart.