The women I set free are obsessed with me

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Karami, no matter how you looked at it, was not in his right mind.

Even with a knife at his throat, he laughed without any sense of danger. Normally, Victor would have slit the carotid artery of such an impudent fool and thrown him on the streets.

If he hadn't mentioned Victor's granddaughter.

Victor's granddaughter Emily.

Emily was born with a weak constitution and needed constant care, a role that fell to Victor. Though he was the head of an organization, he was at an age where he was looking towards retirement.

It was the same on the day his organization was annihilated. Victor had missed the mission to care for Emily, which ended up saving his life.

Emily's parents died along with the other members that day.

Unable to lose his last remaining family, Victor hid his identity and settled in Noctar. The problem was that despite calling doctors, priests, and feeding her expensive medicine, Emily's condition wouldn't improve.

In this situation, Karami's words were enough to capture Victor's full attention. So much so that he might not have reacted even if Karami had taken the dagger and stabbed him.

"How in the world do you know about that…?"

In this world, only Victor knew that Emily had an incurable disease. This had been the case since her parents had died.

"I believe I've already told you who I am. In the end, what's important is the main point, isn't it? Will you kill me and let your granddaughter die? Or will you listen to my request and save your granddaughter?"

A proposal with zero credibility.

Accepting this wasn't rational. Victor knew this in his head, but he was already backed into a corner. Even now, Emily was dying.

He couldn't lose Emily too.

He couldn't even consider torture. A grandfather's heart wasn't cruel enough to gamble with his sick granddaughter's life.

"You'd better cure her. If you fail to keep your word, I'll use that slender body of yours as a dagger sheath."

***

I never thought he'd actually be able to cure her.

Surprisingly, Karami kept his word. He boiled some strange pebble in water, fed it to Emily, and she was miraculously cured.

Something even a priest's blessing couldn't heal.

With a mere pebble.

"How the hell did you know about Emily's illness? Even the most renowned doctors couldn't diagnose it."

"It's a trade secret."

Of course, there was only one way he could have known.

Victor was a significant enough character to appear in the game and could be utilized as an ally rather than a slave. Putting him in the shop's assistant manager slot increased work efficiency.

While it might seem pointless to help him now that Karami wasn't playing the tycoon game, that wasn't necessarily true.

Master of the Assassin's Guild.

The Shadow Peacock, Victor.

Karami turned his thoughts over. He would use Victor as an attack card. In a situation without combat slaves, he would be a very useful asset.

Of course, there is a catch.

Was it morally right to ally with someone who had killed people?

But there wasn't much room for debate.

After all, Karami himself was a slave trader.

I'm a kind slave trader, though.

A slave trader and an assassin. In a way, it was a fitting combination.

Of course, more than half of it was self-interest. Karami blurted out something unexpected.

"Twilight fades, and the peacock ceases its dance."

"Why are you suddenly repeating that…?"

"…"

As Karami stared silently, Victor sighed as if annoyed but reluctantly played along.

He was his granddaughter's savior after all.

"But the shadows keep dancing."

"On a rainy night, where does the peacock go~?"

"To where darkness lies, a place the moonlight cannot reach…"

As soon as those words left his mouth, Karami fanboyed with a "Kyaa!" and clapped his hands.

An otaku's dream!

A man's dream!

I've always wanted to exchange secret passwords like this!

We are owls that never cry,

Tigers that leave no footprints.1

Man, I was so hyped when I saw it in other games.

TOS also had elements that stimulated a man's rooooomance in a similar way. The scene of exchanging secret passwords with Victor was enough to make Karami's 'Top 10 Most Memorable Scenes in TOS' list.

Though it was an unwanted transmigration, Karami was thoroughly enjoying himself.

"I can never tell what you're thinking."

"It's probably better that you don't know. Ignorance is a bliss."

Victor nodded heavily.

He must be thinking of something Victor could not even imagine.

After chatting and finishing up at the shop, the two went down to the basement. There were four children there, including Emily.

Three were children Karami had brought from outside and formed master-slave relationships with.

Gotta save up those points diligently.

Though he had plenty of points thanks to liberating Mirabelle, you never knew when they might disappear. Points come and go in the blink of an eye.

"Welcome back!"

"W-Welcome home…"

The children greeted them with happy faces. The basement of the Peacock's Night Gathering had ample space for people to live, and Karami had also claimed a spot here as his lodgings.

"Has everyone been having a good time?"

"Yeah!"

"That's good to hear. I brought some gifts, so feel free to take whatever you like."

Karami spread out various items on the table like a peddler. There were all sorts of accessories that girls their age would like.

The girls squealed "Kyaaah~" and held the accessories up to their hair and clothes.

Karami watched contentedly before shifting his gaze to the side.

"Matthew, are you not interested?"

Matthew was the only boy among the slum children Karami had brought. While the girls were examining the items, Matthew stood alone with his arms crossed, looking displeased.

"Of course I'm not interested! What kind of guy would be into that stuff?"

"Oh my."

"You obviously know I couldn't care less about this. Why're you always singling me out, Brother Karami?"

"Haha, stating the obvious aren't we?"

Unlike his two female friends, Matthew wasn't a slave. Karami hadn't placed soul shackles on him.

Was it even a game for otakus if you had to raise male characters?

One male character's enough, thanks.

Karami only took females as slaves. No matter how capable they were, having a lil pepper was an automatic disqualification.

Matthew should consider himself lucky to be friends with the girls. Otherwise, he might have ended up as a cold corpse on the street by now.

"I'll take this one!"

"Then this for me!"

"I-I'll go with this…"

The girls each chose something they liked. The sound of affection levels rising could almost be heard.

[Generous Master], the new skill Karami gained after liberating Mirabelle.

The skills Karami acquired didn't have any dramatic effects. They mostly made it easier to operate as a slave trader or focused on relationships with slaves.

[Generous Master] was no exception. When Karami gave gifts to slaves, their affection increased slightly. It made it easier to break down the barriers that arose in master-slave relationships.

As Karami watched the children happily receiving gifts, he called out to Victor.

"Mr. Victor. Let's talk for a moment."

Karami's expression was unusually serious, prompting Victor to match his demeanor. The two entered a room and locked the door.

"What's the matter?"

"It's time for you to fulfill my request."

The request.

The condition Karami had set for curing Emily. Victor had promised to fulfill it, whatever it might be. Even if it meant offering up his own life.

"What is it?"

"You must have heard it at the tavern earlier. The Desert Rose Merchant Group successfully hunted an elf."

"I heard, but… honestly, I don't believe it. I've faced elves before on a mission, and they're not opponents that mere mercenaries can handle."

Karami nodded in agreement.

"But don't you think there might be some elves who are different? Elves who can't handle a bow properly or can't control spirits well?"

"Well, I suppose that could be the case?"

"An alcoholic elf who gets caught while passed out drunk, unaware of enemies invading."

"I-I guess that could happen occasionally…?"

"And on top of that, an outcast with no companions."

"Is that even possible?"

Karami's lips curled into a grin.

"The world is vast, and there are as many strange people as there are grains of sand."

***

"Hiic…"

Here we have an elf.

An incompetent who can't handle a bow, let alone control spirits like other elves.

An outcast who was driven out of the Great Forest for not getting along with her kin.

An alcoholic who spends all day drinking, only to be caught while passed out in the bushes.

"Why does this only happen to me…"

At an outpost between Noctar and the Great Forest.

Alfia sobbed pitifully, trapped in a cramped makeshift prison. She thought she was finally getting a comfortable sleep, only to wake up behind iron bars.

Rough-looking mercenaries surrounded her, leering at her like she was eye candy while chugging alcohol.

What's going to happen to me now…

She had learned as a child.

That humans kidnapped elves and made them slaves. That once caught by humans, your life would be over. Many elves had been brutally used for hundreds of years before dying miserably.

Alfia had now met the same fate.

Sadness rained down.

The feeling of fear spread throughout.

The mischievous spirits, synchronizing with her emotions, began to rampage violently. Alfia clutched her heart as overwhelming pain assaulted her.

It hurts.

It hurts so much.

I can't bear it.

Alfia, gripping the prison bars, called out to a mercenary wandering by.

"E-Excuse me… could I please have a little alcohol too?"

"What?"

"I really need a drink… I'm begging you."

"What's going on?"

Sensing something odd as his subordinate whispered with the elf, the mercenary captain approached.

"Boss, this elf is asking for alcohol."

"What?"

The captain looked down.

The pale-faced elf forced a stiff smile as she made her request.

"No way. We'll be arriving in the city tomorrow, and if you reek of alcohol, what will our client think? They'll misunderstand and think we did something weird."

"Figures, huh?"

"Looks like there are odd ones even among elves. Caught because you were drunk off your ass, and now you're begging for more. Though I suppose it made our job easier."

The mercenaries sneered at Alfia before returning to their group. Watching their retreating backs, she slid down and collapsed on the floor.

Just like a withering winter leaf.

"Ugh."

Alfia frowned in pain, clutching her heart. Her consciousness was fading.

…

Through her blurry vision, Alfia noticed something.

A man walking leisurely into the camp, hands clasped behind his back.

"Please clean up thoroughly without leaving any witnesses."

The man muttered to himself.

As if obeying his command, dozens of daggers shot up into the sky from the shadows cast by the torchlight.

It looked just like a peacock spreading its wings.

With that thought, Alfia quietly closed her eyes.