“This is where you will be staying”

After a quick bath and a change of clothes Mia was lead through the castle into a large room with an absolutely huge bed. At first she was pleasantly surprised, a whole room to herself and a fluffy looking bed? She couldn’t believe it. That was until Athena didn’t say anything and continued to navigate the room, ending up right next to a door Mia assumed was a closet.

Upon opening the door it might of well had been a closet. The room was small, just enough to fit a bed, dresser, and a table. Mia turned her head back into the larger room, sighing, she knew it was too good to be true and abolished herself for even getting her hopes up. Still though, a bed is a bed.

Seeing her glance back into the room Athena scoffed “That is the Hero’s chambers, normally this side room would be for his personal maid but we do not have anywhere to put a beast in this castle.” Athena pushed Mia into the room, closing the door behind her.

“Hero can keep an eye on you here, would not want his toy turning up dead.”

Mia figured as much, being the focus of other’s ire for simply carrying someone’s favor. But regardless of the reasons, she couldn’t argue with the results. Small personal room with her own bed, a bed that doesn’t look old and run down. Kind of looks fluffy too.

Athena opened the dresser “Your clothes have all been placed here, make sure to wear the appropriate attire for what we have planned for you that day. If I have to waste another copper on your wardrobe.” Closing the wardrobe, Athena took in the room “Hrmph, I still think this is too good for you…”

Mia panicked, tearing her eyes off the bed “Where is John?”

“He should have been done with training a while ago, maybe he got lost in the castle” Athena then smirked, her gaze falling onto the bed “You know, this room is too good for you. You should be used to sleeping in a stable… maybe if we…”

Stable? now that Mia had thought about it, she had been spared that experience. They do that? Not important, this was bad, a crisis even. How could she save her precious bed? “The hero wouldn’t like it”

Athena frowned, visibly displeased “Hit yourself.”

Mia did as she was told, raising her had and smacking herself in the face.

“Do not talk back to me, beast. I am sure that oaf will believe your kind sleeps on the floor.” She crossed her arms “Just for that, the bed will be removed.” She raised her hand, getting ready to snap her fingers.

All hope was lost for Mia, she messed up. She thought she knew better in getting her hopes up, now she is paying the price.

Before she could summon her maids, A brown haired man burst in through the other door in the room “Oh this is where you two are.”

Athena froze, quickly lowering her hand and turning around “S-sir hero! You have finished your training today?”

The hero stroked a pose, his arms bulging with slight muscles “Yup, it was simple. So this is Mia’s room? I thought this was for maids.” He said, then jolted. Feeling something small wrap their arms around his waste. He slowly looked down, seeing Mia hug him “M-Mia?! What’s wrong? I thought it was too soon for something like this?!”

Mia looked up at him “Room, I like it.”

John blinked “Y-you like the room? I’m sure we could get you something better…”

“No” Mia shook her head “Like this one. Especially the bed.”

“T-the bed?” John looked towards the bed, then noticed Athena who had a particularly red face and was glaring at Mia “Princess? Are… are you alright?”

Mia looked back, smirking slightly. Dignity? Mia had never heard of the word, but cozying up to this idiot was a cheap price to pay.

“…I am… fine…” Athena said, attempting to calm her self she took a deep breath “Glade she… finds it acceptable…” taking out a parchment from the inside of her dress, she forced it into John’s hands “if you will excuse me… I have, princess duties, to take care of.” She then forced her way behind him, leaving the room from the hallway entrance.

Bed saved.

Mia snickered, finally letting go of John. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing to the rolled-up parchment.

John, who was looking back towards the door blinked “oh, this?” He opened the parchment “It appears to be your training schedule…” He turned it around for Mia to see, but to her It just looked like scribbles. “It says here you have training with Rowan every day after breakfast, and a dungeon expedition at the end of the week.” He then paused “Strange, there is no language classes…”

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Mia figured the princess wanted to keep her in the dark about her status as long as she could, as a twisted sort of joke. But also, considering how other people learn the essential skill… why would their be a teacher for it? “Dungeon expedition?”

John nodded “Yes, I’ve been on a few already nearby. Dungeons are monster filled caves, towers, and anything lair that spawns monsters. You get exp for your level and loot.” He then took a closer look at the parchment, scratching his chin “I have been to a few around here… but I never heard of this dungeon we are going to.”

Mia shrugged, not like she had a choice in any of this, but she would be lying to herself if she wasn’t a tiny bit interested in getting stronger and the aspect of loot. “What kind of loot?”

John perked up, glad to see she was showing interest “oh lots of things! You can get money from exchanging monster parts, weapons, odd items, or in rare cases, skill orbs.”

“Skill orbs?” Mia crooked her head to the side “Like the skills on the status?”

John nodded “Yeah, you can get an entire skill for free if you use one of them…hrm…” John paused, looking at the parchment again “I wonder…is she aiming for that…?”

Noticing john was lost in thought, she shrugged. Weighing her options, she decided to ask anyways “What is it?”

John looked up, staring at Mia for a second “Oh… nothing, wait… wow!” John raised his voice, startling Mia who backed up a bit in response “Oh, sorry, but good news! You got [Dagger Arts] Already! Just from a few hours of training!”

Mia didn’t understand “Not how it works?” she asked.

“No, not unless you have an aptitude or some special title or something.’ He then crossed his arms “Like my [Hero] Title, one of its effects makes it easier to get skills… Either you are naturally gifted with daggers or you have a title with a similar effect to mine. Shame my [Appraisal] isn’t high enough to see titles…” He then smiled “I knew I was right in going to a slave merchant.” He nodded to himself.

So it usually takes longer to learn skills… and he says I have a title that is doing it but. She opened her status screen, remembering what the hero explained and lining everything up mentally. If she was counting everything correctly, she had at least three. Mia stopped looking at her status, something the hero keeps annoying her. “What do you mean? You were right?” she asked

“Ah, well…” He scratched the back of his head, looking away awkwardly “Well… You know how I was a summoned hero, right?”

Mia nodded.

“Well… you might not believe me but I come from a world much more advanced then this.” He sighed “Where I come from, we don’t have magic but…” He paused and stared at her for a bit “it should be fine… She is my fated partner after all” He said to himself then stood up straight “Back where I was from, we had books about people getting spirited away, and they showed what happens.”

He lost Mia, not understanding what he meant “What mean?”

“Oh like, like with statuses! Not only did we have books with them in it, but we had games all about it! We called them rpgs! Using them as a guide I knew about statuses before the princess explained it! I also know the king might not be trustworthy, or how the church might be evil! Or how when they allow slavery there might be slave with high potential about to die at the spawn town!” He said, his eyes burning brightly. “I got there early to prevent that, can’t have my fated maiden suffering for too long.” He nodded to himself.

Mia blinked, this guy was insane. More importantly, if he knows all that…how can he suspect the princess? She wanted to ask him but the moment she did she felt the collar tighten.

John noticed her discomfort and panicked a bit “I-its ok if you don’t believe me at first, but watch. I’ll save this world from the Demon Lord, stop the corrupt church, and make sure the princess takes the throne from her corrupt father and bring peace to this world! Just you watch.”

No, you are already failing at that, Mia thought. She took pity on him a bit but decided it didn’t matter at this point. She could only wonder when the princess will get tired of using him and dispose of them both. All she could do was yawn.

“Oh, sorry. It is late.” John said, walking to the door to his room “Don’t worry, I know what I am doing, I have all my knowledge of other worlds to back me up…” He opened the door and stepped through it, looking back he only saw Mia standing in the room, not even watching him leave. “Were did the affection from before go…” He mumbled “Trust me, I will save everyone, including you. Good night, Mia.” He stared at her for a bit longer, then closed the door.

Mia stood in her room, motionlessly for a few minutes. Once she was sure no one was going to enter she relaxed, dropping her shoulders. Finally, alone and…

She flopped onto the bed, letting herself go and be overtaken by the fluff. The princess was right, while this was no grand bed supreme it was a bed suited for the personal maid of the hero. It was the best bed she has ever had the pleasure of laying on top of, and that was just the start. She got up, undressed and found the newly bought pink night gown. She threw it on and very carefully slipped beneath the covers of the bed.

Heaven, this, and the meal she ate earlier made it all momentarily worth it. Nothing in the last few years brought her this much joy.

She snuggled up beneath the covers, thinking about the hero. Despite saying he knew a bunch of stuff, he failed to catch on that the princess was using him. And despite thinking the church was evil, did not question how Mia was a slave. Mia found it odd but couldn’t exactly ask him herself.

Firstly, if she chose to believe him and ask. Mia was under the princess control, not his. Anything he says will have to be reported back to her. The less information she had the better.

Secondly, Mia didn’t want to believe him. It felt sickening to think that her being a slave was fate. And being saved by him and being his fated maiden, whatever that was, was all destiny. She found it cruel and unreasonable. It was better to just wait a few months, or a single month if she was lucky, and the princess will give up on him and Mia will be back in her cage awaiting her death… if the princess doesn’t speed up that process.

She opened up her status, staring at the screen. She focused on the very bottom again, bringing up the panel with the red X. she snuggled up into the covers, enjoying the feeling, the warmth. Before she stretched out her hand and pushed the X.

And everything went black, as the collar activated.