Divine Protection of Many Gods

Takami no Kago – Chapter 14

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“Wait up!!”

A man who I believe is a slave dealer turn towards me . It seems Amy also noticed me .

“What is it, young man . ”

The man asked me in an annoyed tone .

“Has she become a slave?”

“Hah? Yeah, she your acquaintance?”

It was too late . Though it would have settled if I were to come here earlier and shouldered Amy’s debt . Well, can’t be helped .

“Then I’ll buy her . ”

Amy had a surprised expression on her . Even I didn’t understand why I would do something to this extent, even though I had only talk with her for a few times . However, I have interest in [alchemist], above all I can buy [curse]holder cheaper and can cure it myself . Thinking so, I decided to buy her .

“Buy? This girl? If you come to my place, I can show you better one, y’know?”

“No, I want her! It has to be her!”

As though overwhelmed by my vigor, the slave dealer step back as he told me Amy’s price .

“She’s a slave with debt, so she’s expensive, y’know . It’s 11 gold coins, and she has [curse] as a bonus, see . ”

The man said it in a voice mixed with sigh . He must have thought I’d give up after I heard the price . 11 gold coins is by no means too expensive for a slave’s price . However, compared to Ayla’s, who is also a [curse]holder, which is only 2 gold coins, Ayla’s price certainly is a bargain . So, the 11 gold coins are mostly the amount of Amy’s debt .

“Got it . ”

I take gold coins from my bag on the waist and hand it to the man .

“Hee, now that’s surprising that you would go this far for someone like her . You fell for her?”

“Something like that . ”

Since the slave dealer handed me a parchment, I received it .

“This is?”

“That’s her written oath . Sign right there . ”

Although there was no written oath like this when I bought Ayla, it seems Amy has it . When I signed it as I was told, a pattern floated up on Amy’s backhand .

“With this she’s your slave . If you ever need another slave, just come to Aura Co . , m’kay . ”

As the man said so, he pull the horse-drawn carriage and walk towards the town . Is it part of the rule that all slave dealer say that remark in the end? I laughed a little .

“U-Um . ”

When I turned around, Amy looked at me with a flushed red face . Even the people in the surrounding look at us with a grin .

“Nii-chan! You look cool, y’know!”

A man threw a heckle at me . What does he mean? When I think about it, I realize what ‘s going on . If I were to proceed by the flow just now, I look like a man who’d abandoned everything for a woman he loved .

“N-Nah, it’s not like what you all think . ”

Although I tried to explain it to the people in the surrounding, I didn’t know what to say, in the end I pulled Amy’s hand and left from that place . When I pulled Amy’s hand, suddenly I realized . I’ve left Ayla behind in the guild . And when I returned to the guild as is, Ayla was there, with an anxious expression on her . Ayla who noticed us, for some reason make a sad expression . Is she angry for being left behind?

“Master, did you not need me anymore?”

I who was taken aback by Ayla who asked with a tearful voice, finally realized the cause . It was me who still gripped Amy’s hand .

“N-No, you’re wrong . Amy is our new companion, you see . ”

I feel nothing would change . For the time being, I hug and pat Ayla who burst into tear to calm her down . Since I rarely did this lately, and although I didn’t too in the middle of escorting, she sometimes would cried at night . It seems like the flashback of ‘her memory when she had a hard time’ was the reason of it . And when that happened, I would hugged her and patted her head like this, and spent the night together ’til morning .

“Beside, there’s no way I’d throw you away, right? Or are you don’t want to be with me anymore?”

“Nonsense . I want to be together with Master forever . ”

“I see, then we’ll be together forever . ”

“Yes . ”

Ayla buries her face in my bosom and starts to rub her cheek on me . It seems she has calmed down . Although it’s also so when she cries at night, Ayla’s basically like to be spoiled . When we are alone, she would often snuggle up to me . However, it’s unusual for her to behave like a spoiled girl like this in a place with many people like this .

“Um~”

Out of frying pan into the fire . This time, it was Amy who was sulking .

“It’s not that I mind it, but as expected it’s hurt if someone who said it has to be me a while ago is hugging another woman . ”

Hearing that, Ayla stopped rubbing her cheek and pouted . She glares at Amy as she clings my right hand tightly . Amy who notices Ayla’s glare, starts to cling to my left hand . I who was interposed between them could feel spark flying between them .

“F-For the time being, should we grab some food? Since both of you haven’t introduce yourself to each other, too . ”

The good-for-nothing me could somehow spoke a proposal, to get out of this situation .

As expected, we have a meal in a tense atmosphere . In a 4-person table, seated 2 women and I who sat facing them . What kind of torture is this?

It was Amy who first broke the silent in this tense atmosphere .

“Er, firstly I have to say my gratitude . Thank you very much for saving me . Let me return this favor by working for Master . ”

Listening to that, Ayla replied .

“Are you also being saved by Master, too?”

“Yes, I’m a debtor slave . Moreover, I also a [curse]holder, so if Master didn’t purchase me, I would be sent to work in excavation site . ”

“I-I was about to be thrown into a dungeon when Master purchased me!”

Hmm, the talk is progressing . Let’s wait and see for a while, then .

“I was treated kindly in the Adventurer Guild, and after that he saved my life . Then this time that person become my Master . That’s really leave a deep impression in me . Is this something you would call fate?”

“H-He said I was cute so he purchased me!”

“…He also said the same thing after he saved me . ”

H-Huh? Things didn’t look good?!

Ayla finally stood up from the chair and started to speak fervently .

“I get praised for being helpful in a battle!”

Amy who was being saved when a monster attacked her look vexed .

“Even I would prove helpful! Although it’s a bit difficult in a battle, if it’s [alche, my]…”

Amy ended her word in a low voice . Why, I guess? Ahh, it must be her [curse] .

“Now then, since we’ve done having meal, should we return to the inn?”

Since if both of them were to continue quarrelling, it would cause troubles to the store, I calm them down and lead them towards the inn .