Chapter 01 I Just Wanted to Go Home, but a Cute Girl Spoke Japanese and Ruined My Life

Takumi Kazuya. That's my name. Sixteen years old. Former high school student. Currently... I don't even know myself. Maybe lost? Screwed? Completely cooked?

How the hell did I even end up like this? I'm sitting in some medieval tavern. Wooden tables. Candles dripping wax. A fire burning in the hearth. And me. In my street clothes, surrounded by hard-boiled adventurers who look at me like I'm a cockroach that wandered into their kitchen.

They're talking loudly. Laughing. Shouting. But I can't understand a single word. It's like everyone is speaking in some random language, except I'm the only one who doesn't speak any of it.

A few hours ago, I was walking home from school. Turned a corner. Saw a flash of light. And suddenly—bam—I'm standing in the middle of a medieval town square, surrounded by people who stared at me like I was some lost clown.

I tried to ask for help. They just looked at me like I was some trash. I tried to explain. They walked away.

Now I'm here. In this tavern. Alone. With nothing but clothes on my back and a growing realization that I'm going to die here. Damn it! What do I do now? How can I go back home? I'll die here at this rate. I need help. If only I could speak with someone, maybe I could ask for help. But I can't. I can't do anything.

I put my head in my hands. 

Maybe if I close my eyes long enough, I'll wake up in my apartment. Maybe this is all a dream. Maybe—

"Konichiwa~!"

My head snapped up. That word. That beautiful, familiar, Japanese word.

A woman was standing at the entrance of the tavern. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. A robe that shimmered like something out of a fantasy RPG I love to play so much. She was gorgeous. The kind of gorgeous that made my brain short-circuit and forget how to form sentences.

She looked around the room. Our eyes met.

And then, being a typical, your average, Japanese cherry boy that gets scared of any interaction with a pretty girl, I immediately looked away. Hunched my shoulders. Felt my face go red. I couldn't hold eye contact with a pretty girl to save my life.

This is why I'm not popular in school. With no girlfriend. This is why I spend my weekends playing video games instead of... Wait. She said konichiwa. In Japanese. She can speak Japanese. I can talk to her. She can help me.

I looked back up. Just a glance. A quick peek. She was still looking at me. And before I looked away again, I saw it. A slow, creeping smile spreading across her face.

Wow. What a pretty girl. Maybe she could help me? I need to approach her. Even if she won't agree to help me, at least I could ask for information. Or I could ask—

My thought process was interrupted. She sat down in front of me. Without asking. Without a warning. Just sat across the table and leaned forward. Close. Her face was inches from mine, her smile gentle, her eyes warm.

"What's the matter, young man?"

Her voice was like honey, her words like music to my ears. 

"Far from home and can't go back? Let me guess... you're an Otherworlder, right?"

"I... what? I mean, hi, hello, miss. My name is Takumi Kazuya. Nice to meet you. And... Umm, yes, I'm lost and in need of help. But how did you know I'm not from here?"

She gently laughed. 

"Oh, that was obvious, the moment I spoke Otherworlder language you looked at me. That was a dead giveaway. Besides, you're not the first Otherworlder I've met. In fact, we have them pop up once in a while. It's not some rare thing around here. And actually, it so happens that I'm helping people like you, Takumi Kazuya. I have helped many of your kind before you. And I can tell that you're in a real need of help."

She extended a hand. 

"Ah, yes. My name is Fiona Darkly. I'm with the church. We go around towns and help lost souls, just like yourself, in any way we can."

Wow. I can't believe my luck. Someone actually here to help me. I can't miss this chance!

I took a look around the tavern. The other adventurers were still watching me. Smirking. Laughing behind their hands. Looking at me like I was trash. Like I was nothing. Not one of them had bothered to speak to me. Not one of them had offered help.

But not her. She was different. She was kind. She spoke so gently. She looked at me like I was a person, not a problem. She was like an angel.

"Thank you. Thank you for helping someone like me, Miss Fiona. Honestly, I was losing my hope here. It's been few hours since I got here and everything is scary when I can't even understand or speak the language. I am really happy I met you."

"You're welcome, Takumi. It's not a big deal. I'm just happy to help. And speaking of help, I have something for you to help you on your journey."

She reached into her bag. Pulled out two things. A collar and piece of paper.

"Here," she said, sliding them across the table, "Put this collar on your neck. It's an accessory. It will let you speak our language. And this one, sign here. This will activate the magic, and you'll learn our language instantly."

She gestured around the tavern.

"I figured it wouldn't be so scary when you can speak the language and understand us. As of now, all the shouting and this whole ruckus must be scaring you, not knowing what others are talking about."

I looked at the collar. It was simple. Leather. A small metal clasp. Nothing scary.

I looked at the paper. It had writing on it. Lots of writing. Writing I couldn't read.

"Just sign here." 

I looked at her face. Those warm blue eyes. That gentle smile. That kind, patient expression.

She's an angel. She's literally an angel. I can't believe my luck.

"Thank you again, Miss Fiona. This will be a great help."

I picked up the pen and signed. The collar clicked shut. I felt leather settle against my throat. Warm. Uncomfortable. Not tight enough to choke, but tight enough to feel. 

I looked up at Fiona. She was still smiling.

But something was different. Something had changed. Her eyes; those warm, kind, angelic blue eyes had changed. They were still blue. Still beautiful. But there was something behind them now. Something that hadn't been there before.

Something evil.

"Thank you again, Miss Fiona. This will be a great help. I can't believe my luck, meeting someone like you—"

"Oh, stop. No need for that."

Fiona leaned back in her chair. Crossed her legs. Tilted her head. She looked at me the way a cat looks at a mouse.

"It was all an act. Time to drop it."

"The... act?"

"That's right, an act. You know..." She gestured vaguely at herself, "The whole 'I'm a kind church lady here to help lost souls' thing. The gentle smile. The warm eyes. The angelic vibe."

 She laughed.

"It works every time."

 "I... I don't understand. You said you were with the church—"

"I lied, silly. Obviously."

"Lied?"

"Yes. I lie to you. There is no church. There is no 'helping lost souls.' There's just me, and the dungeon, and the contract you just signed." 

She tapped the paper with one perfect fingernail. 

"That one. Right there. The one you signed without reading."

I looked down at the contract. The words I couldn't read. The signature I'd scrawled in desperate hope.

"I... you said it would let me learn the language—"

"It does."

"Then—"

"It lets you learn the language. That part was true. But that's not all it does."

 She leaned forward. Her voice dropped to something intimate. Something wicked. 

"It also binds you to me. Makes you my property. My slave. My disposable little tool for clearing trash mobs in the dungeon."

I felt the blood drain from my face. 

"Wait, I'm a slave?"

"Yes, silly. Finally, you get it. You are my slave now. You know, like a servant. A pet. A really, really expendable resource."

 She tapped the collar around my neck.

 "That's not a translation device, by the way. It's a slave collar. It has seven binding commands. The 'termination' one is my favorite. It means if I get bored of you, I can just—" She made a popping sound with her lips, "—boom. No more Takumi."

I grabbed the collar, tried to pull it off, tried to claw it open. My fingers found the clasp, I yanked, twisted. Nothing. It wouldn't move.

"The clasp doesn't work once it's clicked," Fiona said, watching me struggle, "Did you think I'd give you a collar you could just take off? Silly boy, that would defeat the whole purpose."

"You! You tricked me! You witch!"

"I tricked you. Yes. I absolutely tricked you. And you fell for it completely. You know why?"

She leaned in closer. Her face was inches from mine. Her smile was wide, mean, and without mercy.

"Because you were desperate. Because you were scared. Because I was the only person in this entire tavern who spoke your language, and you were so grateful... so pathetically, desperately grateful that you would have signed anything I put in front of you."

She patted my cheek. Three gentle taps. Tap. Tap. Tap.

"But don't worry, Kuzu-kun. I've done this forty-six times before you. You're not special. You're not unique. You're just... number forty-seven."

My world was crumbling, hands shaking, heart pounding so loud I could barely hear her words.

Then I heard it. Words. Clear. Understandable. The language I'd been unable to comprehend just moments ago. A language I could finally understand. And what I heard made my blood run cold.

"BRRRRAAAHAHAHAHA! PAY UP, LOSERS! I TOLD YOU! I CALLED IT! ANOTHER FOOL FELL FOR IT!" A burly adventurer shouted slamming his fist on the table, nearly knocking over his mug.

"Shut up, you lucky bastard..." another adventurer grumbled, tossing a pouch of coins across the table.

The first man caught the pouch. 

"SEVEN YEARS! SEVEN YEARS AND THE SAME TRICK WORKS EVERY TIME! YOU'D THINK THEY'D LEARN! BUT NO! BLUE EYES, BLONDE HAIR, A PRETTY SMILE AND THEY SIGN THEIR LIVES AWAY LIKE IT'S NOTHING! WHAT AN IDIOTS! Easiest money I've made all week! I bet on her. Always bet on the crazy bitch."

"Hey yo! Language, buddy. Fiona will hear you."

Wait! They knew? They all knew. These bastards knew what she was up to! They were betting on it. Betting on me. Betting on how quickly I'd fall for it. SCUMS! All of them!

Fiona's smile didn't waver. She turned her head slowly. Her blue eyes slowly moved and landed on the man with coin pouch.

"That wasn't very nice, Gregor. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? Hmmm?" 

Her voice was still sweet. Still light. 

"At least I have mine! BRAAAAAHAHAH... oh... shit, I said too much!"

Gregor's laughter died. His face went pale. He looked like a child who'd been caught stealing from his mother's purse.

"S-sorry, Fiona. Didn't mean to. It just slipped, I—"

She flicked her finger. A tiny bolt of lightning, no larger than a spark, shot across the room. It hit Gregor in the chest. He jerked backward, slammed into his chair, and toppled over with a crash.

"Opsie~! My finger slipped, I guess we're even now~!"

The tavern went silent. Fiona turned back to me with a warm smile.

"Sorry about that. Some people have no manners."

 "You... you just... you just used magic? Is he dead?! Did you just kill a man?!"

"I just reminded him that he should keep his voice down. But don't worry about him. He'll be fine. A little tingly for a few hours, that's all."

She leaned in closer. 

"Now. Where were we? Oh, right. I was explaining how I own you now."

"You tricked me! You, you tricked me, and they knew, and they... they were betting on it—"

"Yes. Gregor made a nice pile of gold just now. Good for him. He's been on a winning streak."

 "That's... that's not the point! You're a! You're a—"

"A what?"

"You're a monster!"

"I'm a monster. Yes. I hear that a lot. Do you have anything new to add, or are you just going to repeat yourself? Listen, Kuzu-kun—"

"My name is Takumi."

She blinked. Then she laughed at me. That sharp, delighted laugh.

"Did you just correct me?"

"Yes! My name is Takumi! Not whatever you just called me!"

"Kuzu-kun. Do you know what 'kuzu' means in your beloved Japanese? It means 'trash,' 'Garbage.' 'Worthless refuse.' I've been doing this for seven years, Takumi. I've learned a lot of Japanese. Enough to know the right names for people like you."

She reached out. Patted my cheek. Gentle. Almost affectionate.

"So yes. You're Kuzu-kun now. It's fitting, don't you think? Calling a piece of trash by its true name?"

"I'm not trash," I said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, you're not? Let's review. You're alone. You're helpless. You can't understand the language. You're wearing street clothes in a world full of monsters. The only person who spoke to you was a complete stranger and you signed a contract without reading it."

"Why? Why are you telling me this? Why not just... keep pretending?"

Fiona laughed again. That sharp, bright, delighted laugh. The laugh of someone who was having the absolute best time.

"Because pretending is boring. And you're so much more fun when you know." 

She gestured at my face. 

"Look at you. Look at that expression. That's the face of someone who just realized they've been completely outplayed. It's beautiful. I could look at it forever."

Her eyes sparkled.

"I'm a collector, Kuzu-kun. A connoisseur. And the despair on a slave's face when they realize the truth?" She sighed, almost dreamily, "That's the best part."

"You're insane!" 

"Who isn't in this world."

"You're a monster."

"Now you're just flattering me."

"You're worse than anything I've ever—"

"Worse than anything you've ever met," she finished for me, "Yes, yes. I've heard it all before. 'Monster.' 'Bitch.' 'Heartless piece of shit.' 'I hope you die slowly and painfully.'" She counted them off on her fingers, "That one was surprisingly creative. I almost took it as a compliment."

She looked down at me like I was a child having a tantrum.

"Here's the thing, Kuzu-kun. You're mine now. You signed the contract. You put on the collar. There's no going back. You can cry, you can scream, you can beg but it won't change anything. You're going to fight monsters in the dungeon. You're going to clear trash mobs for me. And if you survive long enough, I might even let you eat."

She placed both hands on the table. Leaned down so her face was level with mine.

"I'm going to say this once, Kuzu-kun, so listen carefully. You're going to fight. You're going to survive. You're going to kill monsters for me. And if you do a good job. If you're useful. I might keep you alive for a while. If you try to escape, I'll make you suffer. If you try to hurt me, I'll make you suffer more. And if you die... I'll just find number forty-eight. Any questions?"

"Why... why are you doing this to me? I'm nobody, just a kid. I'm not some hero who can go into a dungeon and fight monsters. Why do I have to fight monsters for you?"

Fiona tilted her head. Considered the question.

"Because I'm too lazy to waste my mana on trash mobs. Why fight myself when I can make other people do it for me? Why waste energy when desperate Otherworlders are so easy to trick?"

She patted the collar around my neck. Gently. Almost affectionately.

"You're a tool, Kuzu-kun. A very useful, very disposable tool. And as long as you remember that we'll get along just fine."