Fio and Leon walked down the street. Most of the people there recognized Leon and greeted him.

Leon barely reacted, answering them with only a glance. Fio could only scoff at his shameless showing off—but she was too overwhelmed to judge the Sword Saint.

Fio, who was painfully shy, found herself in a crisis. For some reason, everyone around them kept staring at her.

I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die…!!

Fio didn’t even dare look up. The countless eyes fixed on her were almost enough to suffocate her.

Fio couldn’t understand it at all. What was so interesting about an unremarkable shut-in whose dream was to be kept by a cute, rich young lady and spend every day lazing around until she died?!

She couldn’t get used to having every little thing she did watched and commented on by other people. It made her feel awful.

“What’s wrong?” Leon noticed something was off with Fio.

“Why is everyone looking at me?”

“If you have to ask… aren’t you aware?”

“What’s wrong with me?”

“…”

Fio got the feeling Leon’s words had a hidden meaning.

“They’re all looking at you because of your appearance.”

“Huh?”

What did Leon mean? Did she look bizarre, or was she just really striking? She had no idea what people in another world considered attractive. Did she look pretty or weird?

She thought she was probably cute, but Myron kept telling her she’d been born ugly and would never get married unless she made an effort. Fio was just as unsure about how she looked.

“Hey, look at the Sword Saint! He’s actually brought a slave with him? Who knew he was into little girls?”

“There are women all over the place around the Sword Saint. What’s wrong with changing things up and being into lolis?”

As a pair of passersby walked past, Fio caught a few words from their conversation—and finally understood.

So that scumbag Leon was showing off his prize! This was basically parading a slave around town—some kind of dog-walking play!

As a man, taking a female slave out for a stroll must do wonders for his ego! No wonder Leon had been so smug this whole time. Damn him!

Fio was beginning to truly feel the reality of it: she’d become Leon’s plaything.

“Fio, could you try to get used to it? How are you going to face even more people like this?”

“There’ll be even more people staring at me—!!”

Leon’s words hit Fio’s heart like a bomb thrown into a lake, sending wave after wave rippling through her.

He’d thrown a shut-in like her out onto the street, let people gawk at her, and put her through this torment so she’d gradually accept the situation.

Then he’d strip her naked and take her out into the street, where the people who’d already seen her could watch—and then other people would—

Until she ended up as some pervert who willingly accepted this kind of treatment.

Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing! You test someone’s limits a little at a time, then push past them, carefully keeping the person you’re training just within their limits as you go—until you’ve turned them into exactly what you want.

You bastard! That’s way too much!

Fio couldn’t take it anymore. Just imagining Leon’s plans for her made her shudder.

She leaped into the air, hoping to turn back into a dragon and fly away, but Leon shouted her down.

“Hey! Didn’t I tell you not to change back without my permission?”

“Eek!”

Leon’s command forcibly cut off Fio’s transformation. She hit the street with a slap, flattening her chest.

“Scumbag…” Fio said, clutching her sore chest.

……

Fio had already forgotten how she and Leon had ended up at the inn.

The inn was already closed for the night, and the sleepy innkeeper was yawning behind the counter.

“Good evening. Do you still have a room available?”

Leon went up to the counter to ask. The moment the innkeeper saw him, she perked right up, sending him flirtatious glances.

“The Sword Saint! Welcome!”

Was this guy some kind of walking aphrodisiac? Why did every woman go all strange the moment she saw him?

Fio was secretly amazed. She didn’t really want to admit it, but Leon was indeed handsome. With a man’s mindset herself, she was already starting to envy how easily his looks attracted women.

“One room for me and her… Actually, no. Just one room.”

“Oh, so you’re playing with your slave… What a shame. If Lord Leon wants to have some fun, I could…”

Holy crap! What was this woman trying to do? Fio listened from the side, her heart pounding and cold sweat running down her back.

Had she just heard some words that definitely didn’t fit the values of a harmonious society?

Leon frowned. “No need.”

“All right. What a shame… Sword Saint, could you please show me this little slave’s high-grade slave certificate? It’s just a formality.”

“…”

“Sword Saint?”

“Sorry. We were in a hurry, and I haven’t gotten her registered yet.”

A high-grade slave certificate? What was that?

Fio quietly asked Leon beside her. He told her that a high-grade slave certificate was basically a slave’s ID. With one, a slave could enter any facility or establishment without restriction, just like an ordinary person.

Low-grade slaves without the certificate weren’t allowed into certain places. If they broke the slave laws and forced their way in, then even if someone killed them, their owner couldn’t hold that person responsible.

They’d arrived in the city too late, and the office that issued certificates was already closed. Leon had assumed the inn wouldn’t check.

“I’m sorry, Sword Saint! They’ve been strict about inspections lately. If I let someone in whose status is unclear—oh, I don’t mean your slave’s status is unclear! It’s just that there are rules, and a small-time citizen like me wouldn’t dare disobey…”

The innkeeper looked troubled. Leon noticed and asked, “Is there anywhere she can stay?”

“Only the stable.”

“I see. Then we’ll stay in the stable.”

Fio’s heart sank. She hadn’t expected Leon to speak up for her or anything, but hearing his answer still hurt a little.

In both her previous life and this one, Fio had warned herself never to place even the tiniest bit of hope in anyone else. The only thing it ever brought was bitterness.

Then she’d spend the night with the horses. She hoped they wouldn’t mind having a lazy good-for-nothing like her around, Fio told herself.

“All right, I’ll get you a deluxe room, and then take the little slave to the stable…”

The innkeeper took out a pen and began filling out the room details, but Leon grabbed her hand.

“When did I say I wanted to stay in a deluxe room?”

“Huh? But didn’t you—”

“I said she and I are staying in the stable tonight.”

The innkeeper and Fio both stared at Leon in astonishment. Neither of them understood why he’d said or done that.

“But how can you spend the night in a stable?” the innkeeper protested.

“You might think she’s just an ordinary slave of mine, but that’s not actually the case. I can’t feel comfortable leaving her alone all night.”

“If that’s the case, I can let you and the girl share a deluxe room.”

“No, ma’am. I don’t want to cause you unnecessary trouble over a personal matter. If it comes to that, I’d rather take her outside and sleep on the street.” Leon took a silver coin from his pouch. “This is for tonight’s stay. Sorry to trouble you.”

Leon told Fio to follow him, then led her to the stable.

The stable smelled awful, and the whole place looked run-down.

Fio sat down on a pile of hay. A warm feeling crept into her heart, and she murmured, “Thank you…”

Leon asked, “Were you talking to me?”

“No!”