Reaching the Grasslands

I tucked the quest forms Master gave me into my breast pocket and ran toward the market.

With every stride, the sheathed sword at my hip clanked against my belt.

I still wasn't used to that sound, or the feeling of a scabbard hanging at my hip. Until recently, I'd been nothing more than a girl doing farmwork in a poor mountain village.

Then I was sold off to reduce the number of mouths to feed.

I still remembered the look on my parents' faces when they took the money. They were happy.

… Compared to that, Master, who'd accepted my silver coins with a look of displeasure, was far better.

The armor was heavy. Only the breastplate and gauntlets were metal, but even that much was too much for a child like me.

I quickly ran out of breath and switched to walking.

The market was still a ways off.

As I walked, thoughts swirled through my head.

The biggest question: why did Master buy me?

I was clearly unsuited for what he wanted. There were men at the slave trader's who looked built for rough work, but Master picked me without hesitation.

I'd assumed that being bought by a man meant I'd be subjected to all sorts of terrible things…

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine he'd hand me weapons and armor and tell me to go earn money as an adventurer.

Which outcome would have been happier? That was… too difficult a question for someone like me.

At the very least, Master provided a warm bed and proper meals.

And as outrageous as his demand to become an adventurer was, he'd given me proper equipment to make it possible.

I was being treated far better than where I came from. That much was certain.

He was a bit mean-spirited. Bad personality, even.

But as long as I did what I was told, it would probably be fine. I didn't sense any malice.

While I was lost in thought, I arrived at the market.

Markets started early. By sunrise, food stalls were already open for the workers heading to their jobs, and the shops supplying those stalls were running too.

Master had given me two silver coins for food. One silver coin bought a warm soup and a thick sandwich from a stall. I'd save the other. Everything I owned belonged to Master, so it didn't really mean much, but still. The memento silver coin was safely tucked away in my room.

From a cheerful old man running one of the stalls, I got a black bread sandwich stuffed with stewed mutton and herbs, plus a meatball soup. I poured the soup into an empty canteen from my rucksack, saving the cost of a bowl.

I left the market and headed for the gate leading toward the grasslands.

I wanted to eat the bread while walking, but the thought of dropping it made me decide to wait until I'd settled somewhere.

The grassland gate was small, with little foot traffic.

Two gate guards were stationed there, looking thoroughly bored.

I showed them the quest forms and my adventurer's proof, then stepped outside the town walls.

Beyond the walls stretched windmills, a wide river, and a road continuing into the distance.

When I was first brought to this town after being sold, I never thought I'd get to leave it again.

I wondered what would happen if I just ran. But with this bracelet on my right hand, I couldn't find work anywhere. There was no point. Having somewhere to go home to was enough.

It seemed like the grasslands were straight down this road, with a turnoff along the way.

I was nervous, but not as badly as yesterday, when I'd been thrown straight into a labyrinth.

I readjusted my rucksack and set off for the grasslands.

I walked until my legs ached, found the turnoff, and followed it further. Sure enough, there they were. Grasslands.

Blue sky and white clouds stretching endlessly. Nothing below but green grass and the occasional tree.

For someone like me, who'd only ever known mountain slopes, the sight was breathtaking.

I stared, transfixed, until the rustling of grass brought me back.

I pulled out the quest forms from my pocket and studied them again.

I still couldn't read, but just as Master said, there were illustrations.

I had three forms.

The first was herb gathering. Collect plants with blue leaves and yellow flowers.

The second had a drawing of a Black Snake. I needed to cut off the heads as proof.

The last one showed a Bird Monster. Rather than killing them, this one was asking me to count how many there were.

I didn't understand the purpose, but Master had prepared these quests. As his slave, my only job was to complete them. It wasn't like I had another option. I didn't want to think about what would happen if I failed.

I took two deep breaths, steeled myself, and drew my sword.

It slid from the scabbard without much effort.

Still a strange sensation. A sword that should have been impossible for me to even lift felt like a natural extension of my arm.

Not weightless, but absurdly light for what a real sword should weigh.

The weapon Master had chosen for me.

I swung it down at a Black Snake I'd spotted right away.

The snake split cleanly into head and body.

The body kept wriggling. Disgusting. I left it.

There were several bags in the rucksack, so I stuffed the head into one.

Looking around, I spotted more Black Snakes. They were slow for snakes. I cut them down.

The Adventurer's Guild had taught me that you grew stronger every time you killed a monster.

But honestly, I didn't feel any of that. Maybe low-level monsters didn't count for much? If the effects never came, Master might give up on me.

What would happen then…?

I swung at every snake I found. Again. And again.

—Something was off. There were far too many of them.

I spotted a small hill nearby and climbed it for a better view of the grasslands.

… Black Snakes were everywhere. At my feet lay scattered bones. Put together, they'd probably form a bird.

An inexplicable chill ran down my spine.

I could see some herbs from up here. I'd collect those and head back.

The scenery was beautiful, but I'd lost my appetite.