Chapter Ninety Four: Slavery

“Tracing………….” this is the first time I’ve heard of an ability like that. 
She said that tracing isn’t done by a stone or some other item. Just like deception magic, it’s an ability that is gotten from birth. Learning it is absolutely impossible.
I wanted to know more about that tracing ability when she asked about my deception ability.
“Deception? I don’t have that ability.”
“Huh!? but your deception is perfect! I didn’t even recognize your voice!”So that’s what she means?
“It’s a mask. A deceptive mask I wear to hide my real identity. I bought it from a………”
“Mask? That doesn’t explain anything. The mask you are talking about isn’t nearly that powerful. It’s effects wear off quickly, and you’ll get found out when you are too close to people. No one uses that anymore. Unless you are trying to isolate yourself to prevent from being found out. The more magic the mask comes in contact with, the lesser it’s effect.”
“That can’t be right. I’ve used it for over a month but it still worked perfectly.”
“That’s why I asked about your deception skill. It’s the reason you think the mask is still working.”
“I told you I don’t have anything like that.”
“.………..? Then it doesn’t make sense what you are trying to say now does it?”
Could it be? “The friend I was talking about. Maybe her magic rubbed off on me. She’s really strong at it.”
She thought about it deeply “Hmm……… I guess that can work. But for how long? And if the friend isn’t with you, the magic wont be able to reach you.”
We talked in a debated manner for a while. I didn’t know when I sat on the ground facing her.
She seems to have a habit of not looking at a person when she talks. Either she’s shy or that’s just how she is.
Maybe from the too much sun or how hot it is; her face became really red and her breathing pattern escalated despite being surrounded by woods. The shades of the trees were much cooler than other places.
I wouldn’t be too off the mark for guessing she’s sick because of how pale and slim she is. She looks as though she is really trying to hold something back.
Who is she…………? and why does she try to hide her identity using deception magic? Does she have the same reason as me for doing that? Then that mean she doesn’t want people knowing who she is…
She’s just like me. But…….. if she were to find out who I really am………
While thinking about both our circumstances, she glanced at my face then instantly looked away.
Huh? It felt strange to me. The expression she had was similar to the one I had at the time.
I got curious and asked “What were you thinking just now?”
Still avoiding eye contact, she said “Me? It’s………… nothing. What about you?”
Don’t push the question back at me. But if I want her to answer then I’ll have to tell her first.
“I was just thinking about how you’d react if you knew who I was……….” then to check her expression……..
She swiftly replied “Me too.” 
I knew it! But I wasn’t expecting her to reply that quickly.
“Is that so…………..? so then, who are you anyway?”
“I’m……… no one special………. what about you?”
We both paused before completing a sentence. And stop pointing my own question at me.
“I……… I………. you don’t want to know that.” no good will come from her knowing. I’d just scare her off for no reason. I think it’s about time I returned home.
“What are you saying? It cant be that bad right? Now I’m really curious. I mean, you can’t be the demon boy everyone’s talking about right?””
Bad-ump! My heart skipped a beat hearing that.
Is she a genius or was I just too careless.
I remained absolutely silent.
“.………. Don’t tell me that I……………….?”
I nodded slightly still surprised at her amazing guess. She nailed it.
She became really confused. She faced my direction stuttering “B-but……… I.. I heard that…………. so that’s why you are disguising yourself with magic…….” 
It was time for her to stand up giving me excuses like “Oh no, look at the time!” but she remained seated resting her chin on her knees looking the other way.
She’s been getting back to that position a lot.
Why isn’t she leaving? “You are not scared?”
“Scared? Why would I be? If you are as dangerous as they say, then I wouldn’t have had fun talking to you. If anything, now I know that you weren’t sent after me by anyone.”
Well that was unexpected. I thought for sure she would run away. The people of this world have warped my expectations.
Now that I’ve told her about me “It’s your turn then….. who are you?” I spoke softly so that I wouldn’t sound suspicious when she thinks I’m not after her.
It was kind of hard for her to start talking. But she managed to speak anyway “.………………….. you saw it didn’t you?”
“It? What are you referring to?”“Back then……. when we first met?”
Back then? “I really cant figure out what you are talking about.’
Just like I thought, it was hard for her to say. Her chin slid down her thighs. She hid her face behind her legs then said “The tattoo……….. you saw it right?”
Tattoo? That’s right. I did see a tattoo on her chest back then. She hid it with her hat immediately.
“What about the tattoo?”
She raised her head and stared at me surprised“………….!? you don’t know?”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.”
She then got back to her initial position “But… I thought everyone knew about the tattoos..”
“I don’t know a thing about them.”
Her tone changed to that of sadness “I’m……………. I”m………” I wanted to tell her to forget I asked when she said it “I”m a slave.”
Huh? I couldn’t process the words I heard. I sat dumbfounded looking at the girl who hid her head behind her legs.
“You are disgusted right?” her words pulled me back to the current situation

“Disgusted? No! That’s not it! I was just……… surprised. I didn’t know how to take it. No one has ever said a thing about slavery to me.”
“I see………”
Slavery? Is she joking or is she telling the truth? There is no way I can believe that such a refined beauty is a slave. She’s more like a princess than anything.
I was still thinking to myself when she asked “So?” 
“So, what?”
“What do you think?”
“To tell the truth, I don’t know what to think. I don’t even feel like believing you. Are you sure you are not playing with me?”
In order to prove what she’s saying, she raised her upper body straight. Her shirt was zipped to the neck to hide the tattoo she was talking about. She slowly unzipped it from the front revealing her soft smooth skin. She stopped halfway to her nipples.
Her chest showed a fair amount of live to it, though not as big as Meila’s.
Seeing her upper chest fully exposed like that, I was able to clearly see the tattoo. 
It was a round shaped tattoo like two coins placed on one another. The bottom circle was bigger and the top was smaller. They had a lot of weird drawings and writings on them.
“When a person is enslaved by a master, a tattoo like this appears on the slave. The slave can never oppose the master after that. The tattoo burns from the inside melting everything until the slave is dead. This is proof that your life doesn’t belong to you. The only way for it to disappear is if the master dies. But the curse of the tattoo prevents the slave from killing the master. This is how slaves like me live for the rest of their lives.”
What the hell!! how is this possible!! there are people who would do that to others!!
I became so furiously angry. My face showed all of my anger.
She stood up while I was enraged “I’m sorry someone like me wasted your time. Please forgive me!” quickly dashing out of the woods.
Huh? “NO! Wait!”
As she ran, her slipper fell out of her feet. She didn’t stop to pick it up when a yellow veil appeared out of nowhere. She jumped inside it almost immediately.
No………….
Why did she run away? Is she going back to the master she talked about?
Still, Only high ranking nobles are able to use the teleport gate. How was she able to open one? Did she plan it or was she taken by someone else when she left my protection? Were they searching for her all this time just waiting to take her away? She could have been fine if she stayed close to me.
She left me in suspense and disappeared. I still don’t know if what she said is true or not. I’ll have to find her and verify her story.
I left home to get some fresh air and refresh my mind. But that only made me more tensed.
I couldn’t go back in the mood I was in. I thought of visiting Etis when I flew up into the clouds. I was in her diner when a loud noise filled the everywhere.
It was the sound of the bells all across the capital.
Bad-ump Bad-ump!
My heart raced nonstop. I thought that the alarm was for me when Etis held my hand “Don’t worry. It’s not for you. I heard that a new hero is going to be named. It happens on occasions like these.”
A new hero? They must need replacements after what happened in the human state.
Etis calmed me down a lot. What I didn’t know is that the hero being named was someone I know. Or should I say…….. I once knew.