Liberation of The Slaves

Chapter 85 – The Heart That Begins To Heal

“I did it!”

After hours of grueling practice, I finally succeeded.

I managed to direct my fire mana toward my aura pool, and just like Selena explained, the mana slipped in—and almost immediately, it transformed into a gentle, warm aura.

I stared at my status window to calculate its ratio.

<“The ratio is… three to one?”>

I had released about fifteen units of mana, but only about five units converted into aura.

【That’s normal, Master.】

Aza chimed in lazily.

【You can eventually get it to one-to-one once you refine your mana control and minimize waste.】

<“I see. So it’s just a matter of improving my finesse.”>

I nodded to myself, feeling a little proud.

Since Selena still hadn’t returned yet, I decided to try the reverse process.

"Alright, let’s see if this works…"

I gathered my wind aura, released it briefly from my body, then pulled it back in—this time aiming it toward my chest where my mana resided.

The moment the wind aura touched the entrance to my mana pool, it flowed in smoothly—changing back into pure mana without resistance.

I blinked in surprise.

<“Huh… That was easier than I thought.”>

<“If it’s really this easy, why hasn’t anyone else figured this out?”>

【Because knowing it and doing it are two different things, Master.】

Aza replied matter-of-factly.

【Only a handful of people are truly proficient in controlling both mana and aura precisely enough to pull it off.】

<“...Well, I guess that’s true.”>

My mind drifted to a memory—riding a horse with my parents, feeling my mother’s hand on my waist as my father tried transferring mana to her.

I remembered it vividly. How slow and clumsy the process seemed compared to what I could do even back then.

It wasn’t arrogance.

Just reality.

I had always absorbed mana faster than him.

Maybe, without even realizing it, I had always been different.

After an additional hour of rigorous training, Selena finally returned.

“Sorry, it took longer than I thought. Did you succeed?”

I sat cross-legged on the ground, still catching my breath. “Yeah, I succeeded about an hour ago— S-Selena!? W-What happened!?”

When I turned around, her appearance nearly gave me a heart attack.

She stood there, looking almost completely nonchalant.

Her silver hair fluttered softly in the morning breeze…

Her skin was pristine and unharmed…

But her clothes—her simple shirt and shorts—were absolutely wrecked.

Tattered holes everywhere, the edges burnt black like she'd walked through an explosion.

Though her most important places remained covered, the ragged fabric barely maintained her modesty.

And yet, no matter how torn or wild her appearance became, she still carried herself with a grace that was almost unfair—dangerously beautiful in a way that made it hard to look away.

“...Have you finished staring?” she asked lightly.

“Ahh! S-Sorry!” I yelped, spinning my body around like a malfunctioning toy.

Behind me, I heard her soft chuckle—like the breeze playing with a wind chime.

"So," I coughed, trying to sound composed, "what happened to you?”

I kept my back turned, still red from head to toe.

“Are you worried about me?” she teased. “By the way, I’m changing my clothes right now.”

I almost couldn’t control my body to turn to her.

S-She’s changing right behind a man… and outdoors, no less!?

Is she really a princess!?

“You should at least change inside the house! What if you catch a cold!?” I barked desperately, covering my eyes just in case.

Selena let out a soft, musical laugh. “Relax. I’m not that fragile. A little cold won’t kill me. And anyway… who else will be your wife if I die?”

My heart thudded even harder in my chest.

I tried to steady myself, throwing a weak jab back at her. “With how reckless you are... I’m surprised you’re not already surrounded by men, fighting for you.”

She chuckled, her voice carrying a subtle hint of danger.

“Most men who surrounded me,” she said with a mock sigh, “ended up finding their way to the afterlife instead.”

I froze.

A cold shiver ran down my spine.

Not sure if she was joking or being perfectly serious.

“Rather…” Selena added slyly, leaning just a little closer, “with the way you talk, Freed… you’ll probably have plenty of women clinging to you before long.”

I snorted. “I don’t think it’s as easy as you make it sound.”

She hummed thoughtfully. “Mmm… sounds like your past life was surrounded by complicated women.”

My shoulders stiffened slightly.

“...I can’t deny that,” I muttered.

Selena, now fully dressed again, moved beside me and sat down, her golden eyes twinkling under the sunlight.

“Don’t worry,” she said, smiling warmly. “Women in this world are way simpler than you think.”

I gave a small laugh under my breath.

Aza had said something similar before.

But even now, deep down, I still doubted it.

After all…

Back in my old world—

It didn’t matter how kind-hearted you were.

It didn’t matter how genuinely you treated them.

At the end of the day, most women wanted someone with good looks, money, and charisma.

Someone who could entertain them, impress them, and fit whatever invisible checklist society handed them.

Kindness?

Smooth talk?

Meaningful gestures?

All good for friendship.

But love?

Romance?

Those things always seemed… so far away.

Even when someone chose me…

Eventually, they always regretted it.

And left.

Leaving me wondering if I’d ever been good enough in the first place.

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the breeze wash over my tired body.

I glanced over at Selena as she stood up, brushing the dust off her fresh clothes. This time, she wore another set of casual attire—short sleeves and short pants—the only difference being the vibrant pink of her top replacing her previous blue one. Her signature half-moon white magic bag still clung tightly at her hip.

“Too bad…” she muttered with a slight pout, eyeing the tattered remnants of her previous outfit.

In one hand, she casually manipulated her white fire mana, burning her shredded clothes into fine ash within seconds.

“You say you liked it,” I commented dryly, “but honestly, it just looked like the same plain clothes you always wear.”

She smiled a little, unbothered. “I liked it because I sewed it myself. Besides... it’s comfortable.”

Then she dropped the bomb with a completely straight face. “Especially since there are no bras in this world.”

I choked on air.

“Wha—!? You—you just—how can you say that so casually to a guy!?” I barked, flailing like a fish.

She tilted her head innocently. “What’s the problem? It’s just you.”

That’s not the point!! That’s even worse!!

“And anyway,” she added nonchalantly, “there are a few types of undergarments here. Like cloth wraps, bandage bindings, stiff corset things... or even those ridiculous armored lingerie sets nobles sometimes wear.”

She made a disgusted face.

“But they’re either too tight, too stuffy, or just plain stupid. So I don’t use any of them.”

I froze.

My soul slowly floated out of my body.

<“Wait. Hold on. HOLD ON.”>

I turned my head stiffly toward her—then immediately snapped it away, my face so red it could rival a tomato.

She’s basically saying that right now, at this very moment, there’s absolutely nothing under those clothes!?

Wait—does that mean she never wears anything under her dresses either, even when she goes into town!?

I clutched my head.

“Haaah… I can’t… I really can’t deal with this woman…” I muttered, practically collapsing back onto the grass.

【Master... You're thinking something dirty, aren’t you?】

And now I can’t even refute Aza’s words…

【Didn’t you know that most commoner women won’t bother with these kinds of things? They would rather buy some bread to eat.】

How could I know such things!?

Meanwhile, Selena just laughed lightly at my agony, twirling a strand of her silver hair like this was the most normal conversation in the world.

I asked while trying to maintain my calm. “Besides, if you can sew, can’t you just make bras too?”

She tilted her head innocently, “I sew because I like making clothes and dresses. I just don’t have the motivation to invent bras.”

“Haaah…” I buried my face in my hands, sighing deeply.

I had no words anymore.

“Anyway!” Selena chirped, her silver hair bouncing lightly. “Look at what I brought back.”

Curious, I turned—and nearly fell backward.

*Bam!*

She reached into her magic bag and nonchalantly pulled out a corpse that stretched over twenty meters long, thudding onto the ground like someone just dropped a tree.

Black scales. Long tail. Massive wings.

No head.

Just as I was wondering where the head went, she casually pulled that out too.

*Bam!*

It was bigger than a wagon, crowned with a crimson-black horn.

I pointed at it, voice cracking.

“D-D-DRAGON!?”

Selena tilted her head slightly, looking almost bored. “Nope. Dragons are way bigger and have more horns. And unlike dragons, this thing can’t even fly.”

“...What the hell is it, then!?”

“A Fire Drake. A-Rank monster. Their nests are in the mountains at the center of the forest.”

My brain screeched to a halt.

The center of the forest!?

Wait—WAIT.

Didn’t she clear the area beyond the barriers with the radius of the Empire!?

So the center of the forest should be beyond that…

“That far!?” I gasped, practically wheezing.

She nodded, brushing some dust off her shorts like it was no big deal.

“Mhm~”

My mind was already spiraling.

She strolled casually into the death zone of the forest.

Picked a fight with a huge A-Rank monster.

Won.

Dragged the corpse home.

...Just because she felt like having meat for lunch.

I stared blankly at the massive drake corpse, my mind spiraling into nonsense.

In my past life, I remembered reading on social media about crazy rich people—How they would book private jets to fly across countries just to have lunch at a famous restaurant, then immediately fly home.

Back then, I thought, “Man, that's insane. Rich people really live in another world.”

But now?

Selena made those rich Earthlings look normal.

At least they didn’t go out and pick a fight with a huge monster halfway across a death forest just to spice up their meal.

She didn’t even plan for it. She just casually beat up a drake the way normal people might run to the grocery store.

I buried my face in my hands.

This wasn’t just another world.

This was a whole new level of absurd.

“Anyway, you asked about my clothes, right?” she said brightly. “I got careless. Thought it was dead already. But it suddenly breathed fire at me.”

She shrugged like she was describing stubbing her toe.

“You took a fire breath from that thing!?” I yelped.

I recalled my parents telling me about their party nearly wiped out due to a wyvern's fiery breath, a B-Rank monster.

Yet, this drake surpassed the wyvern in strength, and she claimed to endure its fire breath!?

“My barrier magic is stronger.” She smiled sweetly. “It couldn’t hurt me. But my clothes... well… the heat was hotter than expected.”

She looked genuinely sad—for her outfit, not her life.

“W-Why would you even wear casual clothes when you’re fighting a drake!?”

Selena tilted her head like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Because it’s comfortable. And the house is close.”

The house is close!?

You went beyond the barrier, into the monster-infested heart of the forest, and you’re acting like you took a quick stroll to buy eggs!?

I screamed internally.

“But—but you have that combat dress! The one you wore when you rescued me! Why not use that!?”

“Ahh, that one…” she said lazily, waving her hand. “It’s a pain to put on. I only wear it when I go to town.”

I froze.

S-So let me get this straight.

She uses a dress that was meant for battle… to stroll the town.

And wears comfy clothes… to punch A-Rank monsters in their lair.

She didn’t reverse the priorities.

She reversed the entire goddamn concept of common sense.

I held my forehead, feeling my last brain cell die a heroic death.

“But...” Selena added, like she was giving a cooking tip, “That battle dress helps too. It scares off the useless men.”

“Huh?”

She smiled slyly. “Men hesitate to approach strong-looking girls.”

I stared at her, dead inside.

“You’re telling me… your terrifying battle dress was not for combat... but for fashion intimidation?”

As I held my head in despair, trying to process the fact that she fought a monster in casual clothes but cosplayed as a badass warrior just to scare off random town dudes, Selena casually added,

“Mhm~ Not really. It’s to gather information too.”

…Huh?

What kind of absurdity this time?

“What do you mean?”

“The men who approach me in town usually have useful information. You know... because of my ‘wild’ look.”

I blinked.

wild… look?

I tried to recall the first day we met.

Undoubtedly, she looked so strong.

But… I recollected the glimpses of exposed skin, like… her armpits… thighs… and a bit of her cleavage...

Certainly, she will attract men’s gaze.

But, who had the courage to approach her?

“Mhm~ Like some gangsters or slave traders.”

My heart nearly skipped a beat.

“What!?” I half-shouted, heart skipping. “W-What if they tried to put a collar on you!?”

“Mhm~ It happened a few times.”

“IT HAPPENED!?”

I jumped to my feet, utterly scandalized.

She got collared by slave traders—and she was saying it like she just given candy by some strangers!?

“Relax~” Selena said with an amused smile, resting a hand on her hip. “You know me, right? I'm not the type who sacrifices herself for others.”

She was the kind of woman who refused to let a child sleep on the sofa while she took the bed.

So, yes… she would help others only if it won’t endanger herself.

But I frowned, still suspicious.

Sensing my doubt, Selena’s smile turned a little softer. “My combat dress is enchanted. It nullifies slave collars, even the highest-grade ones. They just become ordinary jewelry when they snap shut.”

I stiffened.

She… planned for it.

She knew she might get caught.

She knew she might get collared.

And she still walked right into dangerous places—not for glory, not for herself—but just to find information to help free slaves.

What did the slaves offer in return?

Living in isolation, far from any town, she likely only received gratitude from the slaves without ever encountering them again.

On one side I felt relieved that she couldn’t be harmed by slave collars. And at the same time, a complicated feeling welled up in my chest—admiration.

But Selena, ever the mood-destroyer, suddenly grinned mischievously.

“Are you… jealous?” she teased, voice low and teasing. “Worried I might’ve lost my purity already?”

“Huh—!? No!!”

I waved my hands frantically, feeling my ears turning red.

She chuckled. “Too bad. I’m not a virgin anymore since I got enslaved.”

I stared at her blankly.

Then, very calmly, I replied, “I don’t care about a woman’s past or her virginity. As long as she doesn’t betray me in the future... that’s all that matters.”

Selena blinked at me for a long second.

The teasing faded from her eyes, replaced by something softer, deeper.

Maybe because my words weren’t bravado.

Maybe because... they came from somewhere real.

From the scars I still carried.

Memories of betrayal.

Of being chosen... and then abandoned.

Of trust shattered like glass.

I had girlfriends in school and college—both were kind. And they were the ones who confessed their feelings to me first.

But… when I started loving them, they left me alone. And chose other men not long after as if all the promises we made just empty words.

I hated the trust issues they instilled on me.

I couldn’t forget the pain I had to bear every day… when they had fun with their new love.

So… how about now?

I don’t care about a woman's past anymore.

Whether they were slaves, sinners, criminals, beggars—none of it matters.

What matters... is whether they’ll truly stay by my side.

Without betrayal.

Without leaving.

Forever.

I couldn't tell Selena about my past life. But somehow, I think she understood anyway.

“...Sorry.” She finally said, her voice gentle. “It seems I made you remember something painful.”

I shook my head, forcing a crooked smile. “It’s fine.”

It wasn’t fine, really. But it wasn’t her fault either.

So I pushed the feeling aside, shoving it back into a shattered piece of my heart where all my other broken things stayed.

“Anyway—” I cleared my throat, forcing a change in topic, “what’s your plan for that drake?”

Selena’s eyes lit up as if flipping a switch back to her usual cheerful self.

“Mhm~ It’ll take some time to process it. And it’s already past lunchtime... so are you okay with a simple stew today?”

【No way…】

Aza wailed inside my mind like a dying spirit.

“Yes,” I said, ignoring the pitiful sobbing from my so-called angel. “That’s perfectly fine. Thank you, Selena.”

Selena smiled brightly and patted my head like I was a good boy who had given up cake willingly.

Meanwhile, she casually stowed the enormous drake corpse back into her small magic bag like a magician performing a parlor trick.

Watching it disappear without a trace was somehow even more surreal the second time.

【The meat… the juicy meat…】

Aza whimpered.

<“Calm down. She'll cook it eventually.”> I soothed her.

【...Eventually isn't now.】

She sniffled dramatically.

I sighed quietly, glancing at Selena hum softly while preparing lunch. Her silver hair catching the light, her movements casual but graceful.

I couldn’t help but remember what she’d said earlier—

saving countless slaves without expecting a single thing in return.

Facing dangers alone, smiling like it was nothing.

Selena wasn’t kind because she wanted something back.

She was kind because that’s simply who she was.

Different from the people in my past.

Different from the world I thought I knew.

I’d carried those old scars with me all this time, believing that trust was nothing but a mistake waiting to happen.

But without even realizing it…

her warmth — her reckless, stubborn, ridiculous kindness —

had already started to seep into the cracks inside me.

I didn't know when it happened.

Maybe it was today.

Maybe it was long before.

But for the first time in two lives...

I found myself thinking that maybe...

It was okay to trust again.