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Interlude 2: Behind the Scene

Hello, Kuma! If you haven't noticed, I have received a new curse, Kuma! And I shall share this curse with all my reader, Kuma! Share kumaism Kuma!

Kuma accent!: (passive)(curse)

Those who are into kumaism can now only speak with Kuma! at the end of every sentence.

Here your new chapter!

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-Wenar Academy, Hachi-gatsu 11, 7567-

~Ochiai’s P.o.V~

A day has passed since the incident and I was hired to become a personal guard for the girl I was trying to kidnap. I was very grateful for the way she treated me. Instead of seeing me as a criminal, she gave kindness. Without showing resentment, she led me toward her school, grabbing onto my sleeve to drag me.

-Flash Back to Last Night-

We entered the headmaster’s office when we arrived. The bearded old man, who appears to be very perverted, gained his consciousness again and was sitting on a couch with his assistant standing behind him.

If I remember correctly, that was the woman who dragged the old man away.

“Please take a seat, all of you.”(Headmaster)

We walked toward a leather antique couch with the cat girl seating in the middle, I to her right and her sister to the left.

“Good, good. So I'm guessing you are under debt contract?”(Headmaster)

I flinched as he mentioned the word debt contract. A contract similar to a slave contract, until the debt is relayed through labor, the contracted are almost equal to a slave, meaning a property.

“If I remember correctly, you can’t speak about your master with the contract in place so I won't ask about it. But will you tell us how you became in debt?”

I told them from beginning to end. I did not just tell them about how I became in debt, but my whole story.

I was born in a small town in the border between Xervy and Qplarsis. It was a town of great diversity with Demi-human and human living in harmony. My father was a town guard and I was taught how to use swords and close combats.

Upon my 17th birthday, I headed out to other kingdoms. During that time, I became an adventurer proud of his sword arm. For the next three years, I want around taking quests and go through dungeons for loots.

I gained my Sigma rank in the adventure guild when I became 20. In the guild, I became to be known as genius swordsman for reaching sigma rank at such a young age.

However, one subjugation quest led to my downfall. It was the Wyvern subjugation quest put up by the guild, which was requested by the king of Xervy. Naïve and foolish, I taken the quest with several other sigma class and alpha class adventurers. Wyvern is a double sigma class monster but with adventurers of thirty strong, we thought we could subjugated.

How wrong we were to think it was that easy. The Wyvern emitted dark aura so horrible, it paralyzed the alpha class and momentarily stunned the sigma class adventurers. It became a one sided slaughter with Wyvern tearing apart the group. When I thought it would be the end of me, the Wyvern took of and disappeared, leaving me as the lone survivor of the massacre.

Maybe dying together with my comrade should have been better for me after all. When I came back to report the quest as a failure, I became indebted with huge sum of money. The rules of the guild was that the adventurers who failed had to pay 20% of what the reward was supposed to be. Me being the only survivor meant, I have to carry all the debts of the dead adventurers.

This brings me to the last few days, as it turns out I have affinity in slavery magic, I was forced to learn and use it to people. There were several attempts trying to kidnap the cat girl, but it always ended with disappearance of the kidnappers. The king never gave up and when he heard about how his target was attending the magic academy, he sent his two trusted workers and I to kidnap her.

I was told to help capture her using the contract magic while the other two were offered large sum of money. The contract magic has an absolute command ability, but he did not mention about bringing her to him safely. Only to capture her. With the king’s blunder in commanding me, I was going to kill off my two companion when we exited the forest, but then the vampire(?) girl appeared and killed both men.

After I finished the story, the room became awfully silent. If I ever met the king again, he can still command me. But as long as I don't hear a command from him, I have my own free will.

“Hmmm… If you have such contract, it might not work for us to hire you as a guard…”(Headmaster)

While stroking his long beard, he went into deep thought.

“Ne~ Headmaster, I just need to remove the contract thing, you can hire him, Nyah?”(Cat-girl)

“Yes Momoe-chan, if you can that is…”(Headmaster)

“I can, Nyah! After all, this contract thing is actually just a type of obedience curse, I just need to break it, Nyah!”(Momoe)

“Yes, but only the one who casted can uncast such spell”(Headmaster)

As if on cue, a staff appeared from thin air and into Momoe’s small hand. The staff was eerie looking, giving me the same bad vibe as her sister’s bloody color sword. The body of the staff was pure white. The magic stone on the top shined with dark light and purple smoke swirled inside it. The design holding the round magic stone was a carving of dragon hand. Below the orb was wing shaped blades reminding me of a sickle. The bottom of the staff had another mana stone, this time crimson red, sharpened to a blade.

“Okay~ Ojichan, this is not going to hurt, Nyah.”(Momoe)

She started gather her mana and the room’s temperature started to drop rapidly. It became so cold, we were able to see out breath and the glass window had frost forming.

Suddenly, blinding light covered my whole being. It was warm and fuzzy as the magic coursed through my body. After several long moment of warmth, it disappeared and the light faded.

Momoe looked pale as she was barely holding herself up by using her staff as a support. The vampire girl, whom I never learned the name from, swiftly went by her side and brought her to the couch.

“Hah~ I guess I still don't have enough mana capacity to do as much as I want yet, Nyah. Ojichan should check your status to make sure the curse is gone.

I quickly look through the skill section of my status to make sure the contract really disappeared.

Name:Ochiai YozoLevel:62Race:HumanAge:21HP:249MP:123STR:195Def:167INT:84WIS:59DEX:195Charm:40Skills:                                                     

Slave Magic: (level2)Titles:                                                          

Genius warrior

Freed one

I looked at my status and tears began to flow out. The curse that was keeping me vanished as if it was just a bad dream. 

“Thank you, Momoe-sama, thank you for my freedom”(me)

I knelt down and held her hand while she pat my shoulder. After awhile, Momoe-chan started to sleep.

“Someone take her to our room”(Vampire girl)

“Of course Arisu-chan, professor Harada, can you take Momoe-chan to her room?”(Headmaster)

“Yes, headmaster.”(Professor Harada)

The headmaster’s assistant held Momoe-chan in a princess carry and left the room.

After I calm myself, I told them about the king, which I couldn't mention before and told them everything I knew.

“So king of Xervy was behind all this. Yet we won't be able to take action with just your words, we need more evidence. Don't get me wrong, I believe you to be telling the truth but that's not enough”(Headmaster)

“I see… But at this rate, there will be more attempts on Momoe-chan, isn't there anything we can do?”(me)

“Don't worry, I'll take care of them tomorrow night.”(Arisu-chan)

Both headmaster and I turned our gaze toward the girl named Arisu. There is no doubt in my mind that she is capable of what she claims, but would that really be alright?

“B-but! The kingdom palace has twenty guards with levels equal to sigma ranked adventurers!”(Headmaster).

“No worries. I just need help with direction.”(Arisu)

Headmaster opens his mouth to retort back but Arisu emitted her pressure, effectively shutting him up. 

“Will it be okay? This might cause a war if it's found out that the daughter of viscount in Qplarsis had done something to the kingdom…”(headmaster)

“Don't worry, I am not going to be the one killing off the kingdom.”(Arisu)

She smiles sweetly, but for some reason I felt a shiver down my spine and sweat started to roll down my forehead.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

“O-of course!”(Headmaster)

Who is she really? I heard the headmaster of this school was one of the strongest Mage in our world. To make such personage fear with just words and aura, what exactly is this girl?

We discussed several more things, mostly giving her informations about the kingdom and its security. 

In the end of the meeting, I was assigned to be the personal body guard for Momoe-chan. It was actually Arisu and not the headmaster who assigned my job. It's not that I'm complaining since it was Momoe-chan who freed me from that cursed contract and I would even sacrifice my life in order to protect her.

We were dismissed and I started to guard around the two sister’s room and stayed up through out without any rest.

In the morning we had a discussion about the tournament, and fearing for the students who challenged Arisu, I told them I will take them on as their personal guard. Which is just a cover and I really only am Momoe’s bodyguard.

The tournament ended without a hitch and I heard the real reason for why the tournament was held. So Momoe-chan is very dense… Hah~ poor kids, she will never notice the commotion she caused.

-End Flashback-

It's night time now. I was instructed by Arisu to drug Momoe’s food with sleeping potion. I felt bad for her but this is the only way to protect her.

Lights out. All students went to bed and only people out in the campus are the guards patrolling. Arisu come out from her window and lands softly next to me.

“I'll be going now, protect Mochi for me.”(Arisu)

Mochi? I'm guessing that's Momoe’s nickname.

“Yes, I shall protect her with my life. After all, she saved me from the curse.”(me)

I showed my determination toward Arisu. She nodded softly, spread her black wings and flew into the direction of the kingdom.

-Night time, Xervy Kingdom Palace-

~Third P.o.V~

The king of Xervy kingdom, a middle aged round bodied man was sitting on the throne. His greasy green hair was cut short in a bowl hair cut style, wore an expensive cloak decorated with numerous amount of jewels. Currently, the king is being fed by his servants, which consisted of mostly women whom did everything to flatter him.

Sitting next to him, a smaller version of the king sat in the same manner in a smaller throne. The prince of Xervy was as plump as his father with green hair. Only difference was the facial hair, which the boy was too young to start growing it.

His lazy eyes shifted toward the door as a guard rushed into the throne room. “Your majesty!”, the guard shouted while rushing in front of the king and kneeling on his knees.

In a haughty tone he asked the guard, “What is it? Can't you see that I'm busy?”. Suddenly, his eyes sparkled as an idea came to him, “Perhaps, you capture the cat-girl for my precious son?”

He has been seeking to turn that girl into a slave ever since he saw a portrait of her by chance at a visit to the Qplarsis kingdom for trade negotiation. He thought of making her his than when he finish with her, he would have given her to his only son.

The kidnappers all failed and disappeared, presume to be dead. But he knew better than to give up on such a wonderful object. His action became more aggressive when his son, whom attends Wenar Academy of Magic, saw the same cat girl and asked the king to buy her.

His only son was his pride and joy by attending the academy as an A-rank class student. The king wanted to spoil his son as much as he can, so he decided to bring the cat girl to the kingdom and present her to him on his eighth birthday, which was in 3 days.

For his birthday, the king’s son, came home to spend 10 days and take break from the academy.

“N-no, your majesty. The whole kingdom is in a state of emergency.”, the guard replied while stuttering.

“What would the so called problem be?”, raising his unibrow, the king inquired in an annoyed tone.

“We are under attack, your majesty. There is an army of undead coming toward the palace. However, it doesn't act like a regular undead monsters. It behaves in intelligent manners and it increases in size as it approaches closer! The scouts reported that the undead bites our civilian and the civilians also turn into undead.”

“What kind of joke is this, guards! Off with this joker’s head!”(king)

Two figures rushed into the room. One of which was the war general of Xervy.

“The guard here is not telling a lie your majesty! We are under attack. Please allow me to escort you to the hidden chamber, it will not be safe here your majesty!”, the general spoke.

General had a wound on his left shoulder which he was clutching with his right hand.

At first the king couldn't believe hear his ears when the guard reported in since undead cannot turn other's into undead. They are monsters formed do to improper burial and can only rise after receiving corrupted mana in the atmosphere.Having said so, undead cannot be intelligent in anyway. 

Yet he took his son and headed toward the chamber because he trusted the general for making wise choices during war. The king also did not want to loose his life.

Entering the hidden chamber located below the palace, the king and the prince entered while panting. The lack of exercise did not help the father and son. As for the injured general, he followed silently without a word.

“Welcome, I could have let you die by the undead, but I personally wanted kill you.”(???)

The king’s eyes widen to see someone to be already there. In front of him was a little girl around the age of his son. Her pupil had a crimson tint and it had a vertical slit resembling a reptile. Her jet black hair flowed down naturally as if it were pure silk. Behind her was a pair of black wings, which were folded neatly. She smiled with pure malice and her pure milk white fang shone in the faint light of the chamber.

“W-wait, your that cat girl’s sister!”(prince)

“General! Capture her!”(king)

While putting on a tone of a superior, the king commanded the general to capture the girl. However, the general does not budge from his position.

“As you can see, the general is my puppet right now.”, the girl smirked while speaking softly toward the king.

Outraged by the remark, the king exclaimed toward the general, “ Can you call yourself a faithful servant to the kingdom! How much did you sell yourself for?!”

Arisu became amused by the King’s panicked reaction and thought about teasing him a little before killing him. Sadly, she only has several hours before morning and she needs to go back to get cleaned and go into bed to not Momoe suspect anything.

“Currently, the general has been bitten by undeads, therefore, he is my puppet.”, Arisu explained vaguely.

What is she talking about, the king thought furiously. He soon remembered that the guard reported that his people were turned into undead. So does that mean even if the person’s not dead, being bitten turns them into an undead?

Looking closely now since the general was no longer holding his shoulder, the king saw the wound. A bite mark was clearly seen.

“Time to die!”, with that Arisu summoned the blood bringer. First she swung the sword toward the prince, splitting him in half vertically. Blood sprayed everywhere, covering both the king and the girl. The blood on the girl however, started to be seeped into the blood until no trace was left.

“ No! Please, don't kill me! What is it you want? Money? Power? Fame? I'll give you anything please spare my life!”, the king desperately begged for mercy.

“No one tries to take Mochi away from me and live. I'll take your life as payment.” 

“Eh?”, not understanding what she meant by what Mochi was, the king let a sound escaped. The last view he remember was the girl swing in her devilish sword horizontally, aiming his head. His had was cut off and it rolled down three feet from his body.

Satisfied with his death, Arisu gave a command toward the undead general, “Soon Adventurers will come to subjugate the undead. Act like regular undead and do not infect others. Let the adventures subjugate everyone but put enough effort to not make it not obvious.”

“As you command, true ancestor-sama”, with a deep bow, the undead general left the chamber to inform the other undeads.

Arisu left the palace and headed toward a lake she saw on her way, cleansed the blood off brought out her spare clothes, burned her other clothes, and flew toward the academy.

Two hours before sunrise, Arisu thought while heading back to the dorm. Ochiai greeted her when she came into his view. After giving a brief description of what happened, she went in her room and cuddled with Momoe for two hours while Momoe slept.

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There you have it, Kuma! Don't mess with Arisu's Mochi, Kuma!

Hah~ this accent is getting old real quick! Kuma!

We'll see you next time, Kuma!

Special thanks to Ivanator-San for the Kuma accent, Kuma!

and to Xacual-San for reminding me about the servant contract between the king and Ochiai-kun, Kuma!

Die you slavers! Kuma!