Chapter 5: Volume 1 - CH 4

「A vessel for the soul?」

Leia nodded in response to Satoru's question.

「One of the conditions of the art of slavery is that the master must have at least a quarter of the soul of the enslaved person.」

Her theory is confused to Satoru, and question marks flashed above Satoru's head.

「Nmurh...... Let's talk about it in order.」

Satoru nodded his head.

Although it helps that the common sense of fantasy, which he thinks maybe like this or that, is accepted to some extent, the reality is, as far as he can ascertain at the moment, a hodgepodge of Earth's West and East. It's not a bad idea to listen to the common sense of other worlds where common sense is different.

「Every living being in this world has a soul. The container for that soul is magic power.」

Hmm, He groaned after a moment.

「First of all, ....... Suppose there's a barrel here.」

「Mmm-hmm.」

「After a day's sleep, the contents will be full. This is true whether the contents are depleted or not. The contents are the magic. The barrel is the vessel. It is called the soul. If you use magic or ability, the magic power will decrease.」

「Hmmm... ...... Yeah, I kind of get it.」

He guesses the soul is the maximum MP (magic points) in games. If you use magic, your MP will decrease, and if you sleep, you will recover to your maximum MP. It's simple logic. Easy to understand.

「And then. The soul also has a quality, and those who are noble, those who have a good bloodline, and those who have talent are magnificent and strong.」

Leia is lost in thought as she groans, "Hmmm". He guesses she is trying to give an explanation that is easy to understand. He has been able to understand by with a minimum of explanation because he has been able to get by to a certain extent, but as you can imagine, magic and magical powers are away from home for Satoru.

「Anyway. My Lord's soul is a size that I have never seen before, a size that is impossible in this world.」

「...... Hmm?」

Satoru twists his head. To be honest, the size of the soul doesn't ring a bell.

「So...well...I guess. If the size of my soul is a barrel, an ordinary person is a goblet. Do you know what a goblet is?」

He remembered a movie he saw with his girlfriend once, it had a title like that.

「Oh, a cup. Yep, so? What's the size of my soul?」

「This room.」

Leia says. Then she tilts her head.

「 ......huh?」

Satoru took a glance around the room. The room he's in is the size of a small gymnasium.

Leia crosses her arms.

「Hmmm, ...... the measuring pearl is broken, and I couldn't check them properly, so I can't say for sure, but this room might not be enough..」

「Huuuuuh?」

A normal person is the size of a cup, Leia is the size of a barrel, and he is the size of a room larger than this room. It's a strange ratio, to begin with, even if that's what she says. Satoru tilts his head to the limit, finding it hard to believe. Question marks are still dancing above his head.

Leia is nodding her head, convinced on her own.

「Even as far as I can tell, your vessel is the equivalent of thousands or tens of thousands of ordinary people. My Lord certainly possesses a soul that cannot be measured in this world. In other words, no one in this world can defeat my Lord.」

(Is that it? You mean the one in the national manga, with a fighting strength of only 5? Does that mean that's trash?)

If Leia's words are to be believed, then the average person is less than 10, Leia is like Krill○n of a person who has just arrived on the planet Namek, and Satoru has the fighting power of a Friez○. It's not a number he can believe.

In a word.

「...... What's that cheat?」

「Chito?」

「Ah, no, ...... invincible, or rather, a guy with power that is impossible in that world.」

「Oh. Invincible. I see that's a good point.」

Leia goggles at Satoru's worries, but not at his own.

「If you wanted to, you could probably overpower even Feather Dragon, the most powerful being in this world, and you can even subdue all five dragons. You're a tremendous monster if I do say so myself.」

「You're calling people monsters. ...... Well, if what you say is true, then I guess it is.」

(...... or rather, there are dragons and stuff. And if what she says is right, I'm light years ahead of even the monsters that live in my imagination. ......)

The fact that she told him this is hard to believe and it doesn't feel real. Satoru is scratching his chin and struggling to sort out the situation.

Leia seems to be convinced and satisfied with the correctness of her theory, nodding her head vigorously.

「I never thought that my Lord possessed a soul of such ridiculous size. Just because your soul was too big for me to bear, my magic flowed backward, and contrary to the original contract, I became my Lord's slave.」

Leia seems to be calmly analyzing the situation.

To be honest, he still doesn't fully understand how the soul works, but he guess that's the way it is, Satoru swallowed for now.

「Let me tell you something.」

*slide* Leia, on all fours, approaches Satoru with her entire body.

Satoru couldn't help but avert his gaze at the small but feminine breasts through the gap in her jacket.

「It may not seem like it, but I am the strongest being in the world. Earlier, I described my soul as a barrel, but no living person has a soul like me. No matter how strong or large a being is, it can only be a third of my size.」

Satoru could not simply reply with a simple "Oh, is that so", but only replied with a vague "Ah".

「That's why I used the art of "slavery" without question. You can laugh at me for my stupidity, but you must be aware of your substandard insanity.」

(...... insane, right?)

Even though he was told that he was an impossible being who deviated from this world, Satoru did not really feel it. The fact that the pretty, slightly bewitching girl in front of him is one of the strongest in the world doesn't seem right to him either.

「Now, I ask you, what are you going to do now?」

「I'm going back to my world. I'll find a way to do that.」

Leia gave Satoru a look of surprise as he said it outright.

「Why? In this world, my lord is outside the bounds of reason. As long as you learn how to use your power, you can do anything you want, whether it's world domination or a harem. You can be a demon king, a high king, a hero, you name it.」

「I'm slightly interested in harems, but ...... no.」

Leia responded to Satoru's unintentionally honest answer with a giggle. After all, Satoru is a healthy guy in his early twenties with a high sex drive. It was no wonder that he dreamed of a harem more than once.

――But, before that.

In Satoru's mind, the smile of his beloved sister, Alice, came to mind.

「In my original world, I have a younger sister. Our parents are dead, you know. I'm her only living relative. So I have to go back to Alice, no matter what it takes.」

His sister is probably crying. Isn't he a lousy brother to make his cute little sister cry?

Hooh, Leia groaned with astonishment and admiration.

From the harem of another world to his flesh and blood. The man's face was filled with determination.

「If that's the case, I'll go along with you.」

「What?」

Leia's forefinger was placed on Satoru's lips as he tried to say that there was no need. Satoru couldn't help but hold his tongue at the demonic beauty of her attitude, as if to say, "Don't say anything".

「I am the one who responsible for summoning my Lord into this world. I have sinned by trying to trick my Lord into a slave contract. If I don't atone for those sins, I won't be able to relax.」

With a lustrous smile, Leia wrapped her arms around Satoru's neck and gave him a light embrace. The two small, but sufficiently soft mounds pressed against Satoru's chest.

「My Lord is the only person in human flesh who can touch my body like this. ......For the first time in my life, I learned about human warmth from my Lord. Even my innocence was taken from me, and I was defiled.」

She giggles hilariously, loosens her embrace, and turns to face him. She is joking a little, but her gaze is steady and her eyes are sincere.

「......I'm grateful for it now. Can't I repay you?」

She was not mesmerized. She's conscious. She's at his mercy, but she's letting him.

Three seconds of silence.

「...... You're not fooling me, are you?」

Satoru's expression became more intense. Leia towered her shoulders somewhat exaggeratedly in response to his question because of the rather unfashionable accumulation of his past experiences and Satoru's distrust of women.

「I've learned my lesson. I can try to deceive my Lord, but no matter what I do, it will not work. Besides, no matter what form it takes, "slavery" has become a thing. I'm my Lord's slave, and I can't complain no matter what you do to me.」

Leia's tone was light. But within that light tone is an unwavering determination.

「You can cancel the "slavery," can't you? If so, do you want to cancel it? If you do, you won't have to come with me.」

「....... It's a tempting offer, but ......, my Lord, don't spoil me too much. I feel like I'm going to run away, that I'm going to be spoiled.」

A self-mocking smile.

「That's not good. The process may have been distorted. But no matter how it happened, I decided to follow and obey my Lord of my own will. Please don't shake my resolve.」

As Leia said this, she let go of her body and descended from the altar, exchanging glances with him. She thrust her forehead against Satoru's foot and kissed his shoe.

It was a vow of obedience.

In the past, when Leia was living a normal life. It was a time when battles between countries occurred frequently. The loser's oath of obedience to the winner was to kiss the other's feet. Keeping one's head low and showing respect to the part of the body closest to the earth was the most obvious form of obedience.

Of course, Satoru had never heard of this custom. Even so, he could feel her determination.

The fact that he was able to communicate with her was probably due to the effect of magic, but the way Leia used the first person and the language, it was clear that she came from a noble background. That Leia is on her knees.

「Please allow me to accompany you.」

Satoru looked down at Leia, who remained motionless with her forehead stuck, and sighed heavily.

「You don't have to be so awed. Fine, ...... do what you want.」

The art of "slavery" has made Leia a slave to Satoru. I wonder if that's actually true, Satoru thought to himself. It could be said that Satoru was captured by Leia.

Leia rubbed her forehead against the ground to show her appreciation, then looked up and smiled. With a big smile too.

「Well then, I'm going to follow you. I'm sure the common sense of this world ...... is old, but I'll teach you along the way. Also, before you leave, you need to find my teacher. Wouldn't it be more reliable if I accompany you?」

That's true. At the very least, knowing the shape and name of the person you are looking for is an advantage. Satoru nodded in response.

「Right. But if you're going to come with me, there are a few conditions, okay?」

Even though he is in a position where he can't be harmed, it's dangerous to trust Leia foolishly. He thinks it's important to set some conditions beforehand.

「Anything you want.」

Leia remained seated, waiting for Satoru's words. She smiled like a dog ordered to wait, and Satoru held back a smile that came to mind. What he's going to do now is a very serious matter.

「First of all, let me tell you, there will be no next time. You've already betrayed me twice. It's my policy that there will never be a third time.」

As he mentioned earlier, this is Satoru's way of life. Once she's inside him(heart), he'll be able to overlook some betrayal, but whether Leia will or can come inside remains to be seen.

「I'll keep that in mind.」

Leia also nodded with a mysterious face.

「Next. I will pander to this world to some extent. It's not that I want to destroy this world, you know. But if I see something that I don't like, I'll hit it. Anyone who gets in my way, I'll kick their ass.」

He was not summoned as a hero, nor was he summoned as a demon king. He may have the magical power to become a demon king, but his goal is to return to the world he came from. It's not that he wants to reign over the world.

Leia looked a little surprised but nodded nonetheless.

「Hmm.....Well, it doesn't matter. No one will be able to stop my Lord anyway.」

It's rough to say that he doesn't want to get more involved in the world than he had to, but he does want to crush anyone who gets in his way.

However, it is not wrong.

If Satoru's power is known, there will always be people who will try to take advantage of it. By behaving roughly, he can make people think that he is difficult to handle and dangerous. It is also a good preventive measure.

「Also. I'm a healthy guy, too. If you want to follow me, I'll even hold you.」

Leia's smile froze at Satoru's frank request, and her cheeks reddened as she remembered the moment of her meltdown.

「Ho-honestly........that is ...... impossible to refuse. For slaves, their master's pleasure is their pleasure,....umm...」

She mumbles the end of her words with gibberish. Her cheeks were red, even the tips of her ears were red.

At Leia's reaction, Satoru gave a sly smile.

「You're quite cute, aren't you?」

「Whaaat!?」

A distinctly upset cry. Leia's behavior was fidgety and unsettled.

Leia's appearance was superior.

She is slender, and her breasts and buttocks are small, and it is a pity that she is not expected to grow, but she has a pretty face and a sweet voice. Satoru doesn't care much about her looks, but her shy attitude is especially cute, and it pricks his heart.

He doesn't know what chastity is like in this world. Even on Earth, chastity was much more relaxed in the Middle Ages. It was only when religious concepts that encouraged abstinence became common that chastity became respected, but he can only imagine what it is like in this world.

However, Leia had been a virgin until just now.

It's cute that she's willing to put her body on top of him even though she's embarrassed, even though she's just had her first time forcibly taken from her, and even though her loyalty as a slave probably adds to it.

While patting Leia's head, Satoru continued to make demonic remarks.

「I may embrace other women during our journey. I'd like to say before I go any further, I don't want you to get jealous.」

「Th-that's.........I can only say that I will do my best to deal with that.......」

Satoru snickered at the honesty of her statement. You may belong to me, but I don't belong to you -- frankly, it's an egregious statement, but I'm sure Leia understands her weak position.

But a complicated maiden's heart made her refuse to reply with reason alone.

――That's good enough for me.

Satoru also prides himself on having a strong libido. However, he did not intend to become a man who would just hug a woman and throw her away. He has no intention of burying his bones in this world, after all. He thought it would be cruel to keep a woman with a man who was going to be gone sooner or later.

It was enough that he got her word. He has no intention of actually walking around playing with women.

While continuing to poke and prod Leia's head, Satoru spoke up.

「I don't like women who calculate. Money, power, rights, and interests. I don't give a damn.」

At Satoru's muttering, Leia got the idea.

「Haha~nn......You must have been cheated by a woman like that in your former world, right?」

「Shut it」

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「Hauuu」

Satoru's fingerprints were all over Leia's forehead. Leia groaned, holding her forehead.

「I'm possessive and jealous. I get pissed off when one of my girls is talking to another guy, and if she even touches my skin, I'll blow her away.」

Inexperienced. But maybe that level of honesty was just right for Leia. (TLN: sorry the Inexperience is bit hard to translate, here the kanji 青い, it can be translated as blue. green, pale, unripe, or inexperienced)

「...... My Lord's ideas are not uncommon, but as far as I am concerned, they are unfounded.」

「Hmm?」

「Didn't I tell you? The Immortal King has the ability to absorb life force. If a normal human touches me, they will die in a very short time.」

Satoru was impressed by the fact that he had just heard such a story, but at the same time, he was curious about it.

「Can't you control the absorption of life force by yourself?」

「It's easy to strengthen it, but It's difficult to weaken it. ...... And it can't be completely reduced to zero. I hadn't thought about it, but it may be a necessary ability for the Immortal King to maintain their activities.」

The life activity of the [Immortal King] is to suck the life force and magical power from others. If it were a human being, it might be called eating.　But since there was no sense of hunger and the magic power was recovered naturally, it didn't bother her - I see, that makes sense.

At the same time, he suddenly realized a possibility.

「Maybe if we slept together all night, I would die too.」 

「I-I won't last before that!」

At Leia's protest, her face flushed and writhing, Satoru let out a small gasp.

「.......I'm just saying I'm going to bed, you know?」

It's just ridiculously large, and Satoru's magic power is supposed to be finite. If she keeps sucking on him for a long time, he might not last. ...... In other words, it was not meant to be obscene at all. It's just a self-inflicted misunderstanding. Leia's face, or at least a large part of it, was reddened and she writhed in agony when she realized her mistake.

「My Lord is ...... mean. I told you that I don't need to sleep.」

Leia's snide rebuttal reminded him that she had said something like that.  So when he said we were going to sleep together, that was the only thing she could think of――he let the excuses he made slide with a single bitter smile.

「Just because you don't need it, does that mean you're not supposed to sleep, right?」

「No......I've never tried it before.」

Leia ponders as if she has been caught off guard.

The Immortal King is an existence where time has stopped. Most of their human needs are dead. That's why they don't need sleep――She realizes now that she was just taking her master's word for it when she was still a human being.

「Then, why don't we give it a try tonight?　...... the one you're expecting, too.」

Leia froze for a moment at Satoru's grin but returned it with a defeated grin.

「Is that okay? As you feared, my's power of life force absorption might be greater than yours, and you might not wake up from your sleep.」

「Death by suicide. That's not a bad idea.」

Leia threw her hands up in the air at Satoru's careless words. She realized that she had no chance in this field as she had been a virgin until a few minutes ago.

「My Lord seems to be quite fond of them. I wonder if I will be able to keep up.」

「I'll break you.」

It was a vulgar laugh, but it was not disgusting - in fact, Leia was surprised that she was horrified. She knows it's a joke, of course, but she feels like she's really going to be destroyed. It's a sweet trap: drowning in pleasure and being destroyed.

The moment of rupture was the same, but it was also painful during the process.

But she is certain that she felt more than just the pain. She also became aware that she was a lewd woman.

There are three major human desires: appetite, sleep, and sexual desire. Of these, appetite and sleep desire do not exist in the [Immortal King]. She had thought that sexual desire would be the same, but she didn't think that these desires existed.

(......but, you know)

Leia played with her body. She's not going to lie, she has a lonely body.

「I don't think my body can entertain my Lord very well....... Now that I'm a humble person who can't go against my Lord, and I'm not sure if I can satisfy you."

「...... Don't look down on yourself so much. You're cute and sexy. You're not as unattractive as you're worried about.」

Satoru gently taps Leia on the shoulder as if to encourage her.

Leia couldn't help but smile as she was bonded to him.

(...... I'd rather train you any way I can.) 

Leia doesn't know what Satoru is thinking.

「In all seriousness.」

Satoru put his hand on Leia's shoulder and looked at the beautiful girl in front of him with a sincere look in his eyes. There was no trace of the vulgar smile that had been on his face just now.

Leia also gulped and braced herself.

「You're going to follow me, right? You'll do what I say, right?」

「That is, of course.」

「If what you said is true, then I've got a hell of a lot of power, right?」

Leia nodded her head.

「There's no guarantee that there won't be people who will take advantage of my tremendous power. I'll throw out any beautiful woman as soon as I know she's using me for calculation. Even if it's you.」

Satoru honestly exposes the inside of his own heart.

He had never been good at socializing with people just on the surface. No matter who he's with, he's always there for them with all his heart and soul. As a result, he does not have many friends because he has been so serious.

However, the few friends he does have are very close.

He didn't change his stance towards the opposite sex either, so there were times when he went out with someone and she broke up with him because she said he was too serious.

But he could not change his way of life.

He's clumsy, after all.

「Right now, I can't say that I trust you yet.」

He'll say it out loud. He doesn't hide things.

「That can't be helped.」

Leia also replied, but the loneliness inevitably showed on her face.

「So? If you want to follow me if you want to obey me if you want to be trusted by me. Look only at me. Don't look at anything else. And try not to hide anything. Betrayal will never be tolerated. In return, as long as you keep looking only at me, I will never abandon you. I will protect you with all my might. Okay?」

Those are the words of an oath.

Satoru's words, which were full of his own convenience, but even they became a comfortable chain of bondage for Leia. Leia's body and soul were filled with the sweet and luscious words that resembled the finest wine.

「It seems that I have become a slave to a terrible man. ...... Well, that's not so bad.」

She smiles bewitchingly and takes Satoru's hand in hers. Inhaling, Leia looks into Satoru's eyes and declares, 

「I swear by the name of [Immortal King] Leia Löwenstadt. I am the slave of my Lord alone, until my Lord dies, until my Lord gives me up. For me, my Lord is the best, but it doesn't matter if I am not the best for my Lord. Just as long as I can be near my Lord. That is enough.」

In response to Satoru's oath, Leia declared - a declaration of subordination filled with determination. There is no playfulness in her sincere attitude.

Of course, as Satoru has said, he still doesn't fully trust Leia.

He wants to trust the girl who even declared herself subordinate to him, but what she has done is serious and her sins are deep. He can't simply forgive and accept her. However, if Leia continues to take a sincere attitude with determination. Time will tell.

Satoru nodded.

「...... That's a good answer.」

Leia also nodded, and in awe, she kissed his toes. She bowed her head again, then looked up quickly.

「Then I'll get ready for our trip. Give me a moment.」

Even though she've been in seclusion for a long time, Leia is still the leader in this world. There is no inconvenience in entrusting her with the preparations for the trip. Well, Satoru can't prepare anything.

After nodding back, Satoru suddenly felt sleepy and yawned. Remembering, he looked at the automatic watch in his left hand, which had been his father's hand-me-down since his grandfather's generation. The time was 10:52 p.m. on the 25th. There was no indication that the time had passed during the summoning. It was almost time for him to go to bed. It's no wonder he's yawning.

「........I'm sorry, but I need to get some sleep. I may have a ton of magic power, but I'm just a human at the moment. If I don't sleep, I'll die.」

After looking at Satoru as if he had been caught off guard, Leia nodded her head as if it were too late.

「Oh, that's right. There was something to be laid out, right?」

「Yes, that's right. Can you do that for me?」

Leia said, "Wait a minute," and ran to the back of the room. Apparently, her living space was over there. Without much of a wait, Leia brought out some kind of cloth.

「It was nothing more than a small piece of cloth. I don't think it's going to decay, though, since it's been subjected to the "preservation" art.」

「Good enough.」

Two pieces of tanned animal leather were handed to Satoru, and he looked at them sullenly. One was thick, and the other was covered with soft fur that seemed to be warm. Both of them were large enough, but they looked a little old-fashioned.

(The art of "preservation", right ......)

Satoru thought to himself. He doesn't know what kind of art it is. Perhaps it's a way of preserving things for many years - it's a useful art. He didn't feel like sleeping on the altar, so he laid the thicker leather next to it, and noticed something next to it.

「....... I see my backpack came with me.」

In addition to the raggedy backpack he always uses, there was a huge stuffed bear that was a present for Alice, and a coat by his side. It's not clear why the stuffed bear and coat didn't come with him, and only the backpack was summoned with him. He's sure it's because he accidentally touched it, but he's also sure it's better than nothing.

There was a stylish metal fork on the ground by his backpack. It must have come with him to this world because he faded into unconsciousness right after he picked it up to eat the cake. He did something bad to the store, smiled bitterly, and took something in his backpack.

The first thing he grabbed was his cell phone. It was a slightly old-fashioned, sturdy cell phone. Of course, there was no signal. The standby screen was a picture of him and his sister, He took a picture of her with him at a visit six months ago, and He transferred it to his cell phone. On the screen, Alice was a little embarrassed with a big smile on her face.

――That smile is probably clouded now.

The hand that holds the phone is a little tighter.

He then pulls out a 500ml plastic bottle half-filled with tea. There is no label. The tea inside is also made at home with tea bags - to save money.

A box of calorie bars - come to think of it, He missed the cake for dinner, after all, so he's hungry. He emptied the box, took out a bag, and took a bite out of one.

Leia, who was in the back, messing around with her travel gear, didn't need to eat. I guess she forgot that humans need food. I'm not expecting it.

――Basically, she's a dumb kid.

He chews and takes a sip of tea. He pours it in.

Speaking of what else was in the backpack.

・Food-related

The plastic lunch box he had for lunch today, empty.

A 200ml can of coffee that was given to him during his 15:00 break at work today.

Four candy balls wrapped in a small bag.

One small bag of salt and one small bag of pepper.

Two disposable chopsticks.

・Work-related.

Two notebooks with thick covers, which are useful for taking notes at work.

Two cheap ballpoint pens.

A 0.5mm mechanical pencil and a red colored pencil.

A whistle.

A 5.5-meter measuring tape.

Chalk in a packed sachet.

Military gloves.

・Electrical appliances.

A cheap, solar-powered calculator.

Two AA batteries.

Solar-powered cell phone chargers.

SD card storage case -- for cell phone micro SD.

・Other.

100 yen lighter.

A house key with an LED light keyring.

Pocket tissues and wet wipes.

Hand towel.

Sewing set.

A small multipurpose knife.

Three documents related to Alice's facility, and a plain office envelope containing this month's paycheck that he received today.

Three folded convenience store bags.

That's all.

Checking them one by one, he packed them into his backpack.

He also checked his wallet, which was tucked into his pants pocket. Various cards and a driver's license. The homemade good luck charm that Alice had made for him before she started elementary school. He had 12,000 yen in cash and a few coins. An adhesive bandage and a few unused stamps. In addition, there was one condom.

He shoves this in his backpack as well. All of them are useless in this world.

He thought about turning off his cell phone but decided against it. As long as the phone itself or the solar charger doesn't break, he can use the phone for now. It was difficult to use it for anything since it couldn't make calls or communicate, but it could be used for taking still pictures or videos, and if by chance the signal got through - which was unlikely, I know - Satoru couldn't turn it off, because he felt that if he turned it off, the possibility of connecting with his original world would disappear.

Batteries would be a useless accessory since there was nothing in the bag that could be used for this.

He laid down on the leather and hung up the remaining one. The season in the original world was winter, but it was slightly warm in this labyrinth, so this was enough. However, the chill from the floor would affect him later, so a rug would be better.

That was the extent of his knowledge.

Before going to bed, he called out to Leia, who was rummaging through her things in the back of the room.

「...... Don't attack me in my sleep, okay?」

「I'll do my best」

With a small smile at the unexpected reply, Satoru rolled over and closed his eyes.

Fortunately, the sleeping demon struck soon after.

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