NOVEL NEXT Chapter 21: Fate
The empire that had stood for thousands of years had become corrupt. Due to the poverty caused by high taxes, villages in many places began selling their children to make ends meet, and this situation had become the norm.
"Finally, we've arrived at the imperial capital. What kind of person is Master, Luna?"
The pink-haired girl looked out the carriage window, her eyes filled with worry about the future. Her name was Air, and she was a girl from a village sold to the imperial capital by her parents due to their family's poverty. Although she had been sold, she wasn't sad, just a little anxious. Fortunately, she still had friends to accompany her.
"Maybe it's an uncle." Said Luna, who had blue hair and a hat shaped like rabbit ears, speaking with a hint of concern.
She was initially a bit quiet and shy, and she couldn't help but worry about her future. "Maybe they're just interested in our bodies, like wild beasts."
"Ha! In that case, let's just destroy their lower half and run away!!" Said a very childish-looking girl beside them. Her name was Fal, and she was also their friend.
"Lower half?"
"Is this really okay, Air? We're different from the other village girls sold here. We're the elites chosen to serve in the imperial capital." Fal said in her childish voice, her eyes filled with longing for the future.
Being sold as slaves was, of course, a sad thing, but for these poor village girls, it was the fastest way to escape poverty, enter the most prosperous imperial capital, and live a happy life from then on. This was what most girls sold to the imperial capital thought.
"You have to work hard, find a good man to marry, and start your dream life in the capital!"
"I think you're overthinking it, Fal..." Luna said softly.
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Time passed quickly, and the carriage slowly entered the imperial capital. The girls in the carriage couldn't help but fall silent, even the most childish Fal was like this. After all, in this city, they would start a new life. They knew nothing about the future.
The carriage slowly came to a stop, and the three girls who got off also saw their master.
"Hi." The well-dressed young man greeted them with a smile, "I'll be your master from now on. My name is Buck."
'So young!' Fal thought to herself as she looked at the master in front of her.
"Come along." The young man named Buck called the three girls who had just arrived in the imperial capital and walked toward the bustling street in the distance.
"Wow, this is the imperial capital. It's such a big city."
The three girls who came to the imperial capital from a poor rural area were immediately drawn to the prosperous scenery as soon as they stepped onto the street.
As she looked around the street, Fal sighed, "In our village, there's only one inn and a tool shop. I got hurt when adventurers asked why there wasn't a weapon shop."
"Hahaha, it feels like a treasure trove." The young master smiled gently, "Why don't you take this opportunity to do some shopping? I'll buy you some clothes!"
"Really, is that really possible?!" Air smiled in surprise.
Buck still had a gentle smile on his face and waved his hand helplessly: "Who made me such a gentle master!"
"He seems like a gentle and relaxed person." Air whispered to Luna, her face still lit with excitement.
"Don't be careless. Don't forget that all men are wolves."
"Y-Yes... wolves are dangerous."
"Anyway, if the situation isn't good, we'll just run away." Fal said seriously, but a second later, her actions completely ruined her serious image.
"Just wait for me when the time comes!" Fal lifted her leg in a heroic manner, not caring about her underwear showing under her skirt, "I'll use a weapon that can even defeat a unicorn rabbit."
"Fal, that's really indecent!" Air quickly stopped Fal's actions.
At this moment, Buck, who was leading the way ahead, seemed to have heard the shouts of the three girls. A trace of sweat appeared on his face unconsciously. He wiped his face with his fingers without realizing it and spoke as if he were a little embarrassed.
"That—" Buck turned around and said to the girls, "I guess you're very wary of me."
"Uh..." The three girls looked at each other, feeling a little embarrassed.
"To be honest, I'm buying you clothes because my servants can't wear clothes that are too shabby... right?"
"...."
"So, I'll give you a budget, and you can buy clothes quickly. That can also be considered job training."
"Alright...!" Seeing the gentle smile on the young man's face, Air lowered her guard.
Nothing unexpected happened in the following days. For the three girls who came from the countryside and were used to living in poverty, this experience was truly like heaven.
No longer needing to wear old, ill-fitting clothes. In the largest shopping center they had ever seen, they could freely choose the clothes they liked. After finding something they liked, they could head straight to the fitting room to try it on. Fabrics they had never seen before and clothes they had never imagined were now so close to them.
A beautiful life was right before their eyes, and the three girls couldn't help but think about this.
The girls showed happy smiles on their faces. These rare, innocent smiles became a small sight on the streets of the imperial capital, attracting many passersby to look at them. However, for some reason, some people who saw the three girls following behind Buck, with his gentle smile, seemed to understand something. They looked at the cheerful girls again, and there seemed to be an unknown meaning in their eyes, like pity, or something else.
However, the girls, immersed in their imagination of a beautiful future life, didn't realize this. Perhaps it was a good thing for them, allowing them to enjoy the happy moments they had never experienced before without any worries.
This could also be said to be a bad thing, because after hope, the despair that often follows is even more terrifying.
"Come on, eat."
At a restaurant in the imperial capital, the master was treating the young girls who had just arrived in the capital. Of course, there was a gentle smile on his face.
"O-Okay...."
This was the first time they had stepped into such a place, and the three girls were a bit quiet, but drawn by the delicious food, they relaxed.
"It's so delicious!" Fal took a piece of food and put it in her mouth. The girl was amazed by the delicious taste she had never experienced before.
"Fal, your manners are terrible..."
"Hahaha, your happiness is better than anything." Buck said with a smile, as if he were truly happy for them.
"Ah, I'm full. Thank you so much." Air said happily, holding her stomach. The experience in the imperial capital brought a beautiful smile to her face. Like an angel, she was full of hope for the future.
"Alright." Buck's smile remained on his face, and his tone was no different from before, "Then, let's start the dinner!"