“Ara, Yuuya kun, I’ve been meaning to ask you, but why do you wear that eyepatch?”

It was on the second day of our travel to Ugras, when we were walking along the Yolvian highway, relaxed because for now, there wouldn’t be any attacks. Suddenly, Niviel san popped the question, which I was worried that no one ever asked me about.

“Is it one of the delusions of an adolescent boy?”

Niviel san asks, poking my side. To my surprise, everyone nods, as if that was the truth. Was that what you guys thought of me?! As a delusional little boy?

“Ah, I got attacked by a monster, when I was in the woods. It bit into my eyes, and for some reason, it got cursed, it seems.”

I told her, undoing my eyepatch. I opened my eye, and they all gasped.

“Hm? It looks that bad eh?”

“Y-Y-yuuya san..”

Niviel san, shaking, points to my eye. When I try to look at it with my other eye,

“Woah! What’s with that!?”

Some kind of black gas was leaking out of my mutilated eye. What’s happening?!

I shake my head, to get the gas out of me. After a while, it stopped, and I sighed, exhausted.

Niviel san comes close to me and examines my eye, stretching my eyelids and looking into that horror movie.

“Hm…It’s quite a strong curse. It’s grown stronger with time too…”

She keeps looking, and then chants something. A silvery light comes out, and something sooths my eye. Temporarily. It immediately disappears, like an illusion.

“As I thought. Its strength is something beyond my Elementary Purify. You might need to go to a major church and use some high grade holy water, I fear”

She sighs, giving up.

“Niviel san? Your Purify isn’t strong enough?”

“Yes. I’m more of a healer class, with blessings as my forte.”

“There are other types?”

“Well, our basic class is Support based, but there are different variations. The Cleric class, like mine, which specializes in blessings and heal spells. The Priest class, which excels in purification and curses, along with negating debuffs. There’s also the shaman class, who primarily do debuffs. There’re exorcists, who deal with possessed people too”

“I see. It’s really versatile.”

Then I remember. If Niviel san can heal people easily, then!

“Niviel san, can you please heal the scars on Saki?!”

Saki looks surprised, but keeps silent. She looks happy . As I thought. Scars are bad.

“Eh~to…Well…”

Niviel san answers vaguely. But then, Reginald san steps in.

“She’s not the type of healer you need. She’s a battle oriented healer, meaning if she heals scars and the such, it will heal of course, but deformities may remain.”

He says, gesturing at the scar on his forearm.

“You’ll need someone who can perform more delicate healing magic, who has more of an understanding of the body’s structure than this moron.”

“Regi! I’m not a moron! You see, Yuuya kun, healing magic consists of two phases. The growth boost, and the remodeling. If you had a cut on your arm, then my healing magic will first boost the growth rate of your flesh, and then make the flesh grow in the way I need to cover up the cut. Do you understand?”

I nod. So it’s like crafting. It has to be done delicately, since I want Saki’s skin to be perfect. Supple and soft. Yup!

“A battle oriented healer has to work quickly, so my healing spells will focus on quickly repairing it haphazardly. Of course, for more critical wounds,I’ll have to focus and do it delicately, in order to return to its former state.”

Oh~ho! I see, I see. I glance at Saki, who looks a bit dejected, but I pat her head, in an attempt to cheer her up. Good girl~

“If we take Yuuya kun’s eye is cursed, so the growth boost will be rendered ineffective. And, if I heal your eye, it’s possible that it might get permanently impaired, since only someone who has completely understood the structure can do it perfectly”

So, I’ll be the one eyed Slayer for a while, huh.

"By the way Niviel san, why are you traveling to Ugras?"

"Oh? Hehe um, well my uncle is sick, and well...."

Oh... I see. Deathbed level sick, maybe. That was why the request had such a short time limit huh?

“Oi, you guys, we’re already at Damar, you know?”

Damar village. A well off village, the last stop before Ugras. By afternoon tomorrow, we’ll be at Ugras.

“Yawnnn…”

I yawned, feeling sleepy. It’s already night time, and it’s a good thing we’re at Damar, right on schedule. It seems it’ll be a while before I can get my eye back. I need to fix Saki’s scars as soon as possible. Yosh~ I’ve added it on my objective list.

I fiddle with the eye patch, thinking whether I can change the color of my eye. How about… blue? Bright blue and black. Blood red and black. Gold and black. White and black?

Thinking so, we enter Damar village, searching for an inn. Mili was already on my shoulders, snoring cutely. Saki stumbled quite a few times, since the physical exercise is new for her. Niviel san was getting a piggyback from Reginald san. Well, aren’t they quite lovey dovey. When I asked them about it, they denied it outright, turning beet red.

“Landlady san, three double rooms please.”

“Ou! New travelers eh? Ye lot adventurers?”

Her accent is quite strong, so I can’t make full sense out of it, but I somehow make do with what I know.

“Yes. We’re heading for Ugras.”

“Journey be good to ye”

I’m guessing she wished us luck on our journey, since the word she said, Klimke meant journey, pronounced as Kl-ei-m-ki. But she pronounced it as Kli-mk-ei. Harbouring such thoughts, we headed into the inn.

A room for me and Saki, which was pretty much official now, Mili and Maria, and Reginald san and Niviel san. Maria turned red and started hitting me when she heard that me and Saki slept in the same room. I’m not a lolicon, Maria!! (Saki has a child’s mind, in case you forgot. Yep, I’m breaking the fourth wall here. Not really. I’m the Author!)

We wearily went into our rooms, and I felt so sleepy that I stumbled and the key crashed to the floor. Woah… what’s happening? I can see three keys on the floor….

I stumbled around, unable to make sense of what was happening. I sagged onto the wall for balance. My mind was as clear as day, but my senses were scrambled. That must be why I’m smelling some sweaty people around here.

Something hits my head, and I feel pain. I see, I was drugged huh. I sniff the air, and I can feel the scent of something flowery. Did the landlady know about this? Saki….

I got on four knees, my consciousness still awake. My mind was already calculating what to do, but my body was whirling around, like I was drunk. Shit. What a potent drug. I could faintly sense that Saki was collapsed next to me, snoring soundly. I need to stay alert. I tried running various scenarios. Bandits? Thugs?

They might get suspicious, since I've still not collapsed. This drug is no joke. What, has it been ten minutes since I collapsed here?

For now, I decided to play along with them, like a weak little adventurer.

I crashed onto the ground, still very much awake. I strained my ears, to listen to the sounds. The effects of the drug were already vanishing, since my constitution as a Slayer was different, I guess. Something like an intoxication resistance in RPGs. I wonder if that’s why I didn’t get drunk? But the effects of the drug were still present, since my joints felt rickety and rusty. I listened closely to the footsteps that echoed into the corridor.

“Another harvest, eh? But that guy, he resisted it for quite a while. The others finished up quick”

A deep and disgusting voice came from my right, but I kept my eyes shut, trying to find their motive. There were two men, judging from the footsteps.

“Woah~ This is great, big bro! This guy, he’s got an interspatial ring!”

A squeaky and high pitched voice reaches my ears, and I can feel someone touching my hands, trying to take away my ring. I stayed still. For now.

“Lil bro! This woman, she’s a beauty! Oh my god! The boss will be pleased without doubt.”

That did it. I whirled around, yelling.

“Take your hands of Saki, you bastards!!!”

I kicked the face of the man next to me in the rotation, and he collapsed. Fainted I guess. So frail.

But without stopping, I landed on all fours, and faced the man who was about to touch Saki. That pig of a man. He was wearing a suspicious black bag on his head, with holes for seeing and breathing.

I darted at him, and aimed my knee at his Solar plexus. I can hear him gasping for breath at my attack, but without stopping, I hoist him up with my hands and slam him onto the wooden floor, sending shards of wood flying.

He already fainted, and I turn back at the other one. Tch, escaped huh. Maybe he was faking that he had fainted.

I help Saki up, and break down the inn’s door. Doesn’t matter. I’ll blame it on my battle with them. I lay her down on the bed, cover her up, and head out. On the way, I tie up the pig man. I took out a ‘small’ boulder I had picked up near Ravenblack for ‘miscellaneous’ purposes and blocked the doorway, to ensure nobody tried to touch Saki. I dragged the pigman by the scruff of his neck, and dragged him along.

As I thought huh.

Niviel san, Mili and Maria were missing. The idiot Reginald san was snoring on the bed, having happy dreams, except he was butt naked. Someone had taken all his equipment. I cover him up, and similarly block the doorway.

Those guys, they are gonna pay for touching my party.

I release the sensory trick I had not used for a long time, with Detect. The landlady was gone. A co conspirator? I couldn’t trust anyone now.

I sent the energy racing across the entire village, until I found something. An unusual gathering of people. Suspicious.

I head out, towards the first suspicious spot.

It was a family gathering. Damn. That’s some more time wasted. I had already searched the entire village without getting a trail.

It’s a given that they’re of the same organization.

I race out of the village, past its wooden barricade. The guards were missing. Shit, is this entire village made of thieves? This entire plot seems suspicious.

I stopped, realizing something. I looked back at the village. The gathering.

I ran back, and tried to confirm my suspicions. I walked into the hall, swords unsheathed.

As I suspected. They don’t even realize that I’m here. An illusion, huh. My Detect was fooled magnificently .

Then, I remembered. My sole lead.

I rushed back to the ‘inn’ and woke up the pig man. Reginald san was still sleeping like a baby. Damn, it’s been two hours since they’ve been gone. I need to act fast.

I slap his cheek, left and right, twice. He finally woke up, staggering around like a drunkard.

“Wh-wh-where am I ?”

I kick him in the face, with a Mawashi giri, sending him crashing into the walls.

“Where are they?”

I spit out, my words filled with anger. They dare touch my party?!

He gasps, looking at me. Then, he begins laughing. Annoyance.

“BUhahahaha! They might have been sold already!”

I elbow him on the nose, letting it bleed. He screams in pain, holding his face.

“Where. Are. They?”

He keeps rolling, shaking his head in denial.

I kick him in the side, and he gasps.

“One last time. Where. Are. They?”

“They’re in our hideout! I swear! “

Finally, he breaks.

“Where’s the hideout?”

“Th-that’s”

I raise my leg, ready to drop a kick onto his miserable face. He squeals in fear, and begins talking.

“Outside! Outside! The eastern caves! I swear.”

“What did you guys do here?”

“Buhahaha! We, are the followers of our great master, Arlenid! He ordered us to take over this village, and raid everyone who comes here! The residents are merely an illusion now! Go, go to our hideout, foolish adventurer! My thousand brothers, and our master, shall show you the difference in power! Our master, is a Slayer! A Slayer! Tremble in fear! Buhahahaha— !”

He laughs out loud, as if convinced that his boss will save a grunt like him. Irritated, I knock him out, and tie him up.

Hm… A slayer huh? This just got interesting.

{A few things to inform you guys, which has been pointed out by bradyman50. First off, Yuuya was down for quite a while. He resisted the drug, and was struggling to regain control of his body. Meaning, by this time, the others were completely knocked out. Kidnapping, and plundering were done. Second, Maybe you guys don't know,, but Saki is NOT a slave. She is a free girl now. The MC doesn't want slaves. Sorry to the people who want a slave harem :P . Lastly, the town is a town in buildings only. Minor spoiler, but the residents were kidnapped. The residents in the town are ALL illusions, to fool naive adventurers who wander in. They knock them out, strip them of their equipment, sell them as slaves. There are scouts outside the town to inform the bandits in town. They quickly do the job, and get to their hideout. Since their force was composed of almost 1000 people, they could easily take over the town. And, it happened really recently, so that's why a lot of people don't know it yet. If you want to ask, why didn't the other adventurers alert the authorities of other towns it's cuz they themselves don't know that the town was taken over. they wake up in the morning, equipment less. They can only think that bandits attacked them. Hope that cleared your doubts. Thank you for reading!}