In the guild’s office, another meeting was taking place. This time with the Captain of the Royal Guard, Lysis. The other knights stood in attention behind her. Two of them were holding the unconscious trainee.

“We have brought the material as requested by the her Majesty, Queen Aislin,” she said as another knight placed an ingot on the table. It had a silver sheen and was big enough to make a decent sword out of it. “As of this moment, she has declared the otherworlder, Kiryuu, as a hero candidate.”

Hero candidate is mostly just a title given to promising people. It simply means that they are recognized for their ability or potential. Hero candidates that are not chosen still have the benefit of being a bearer of the title. They are usually given better treatment and are able to obtain professions or standings with ease compared to most people.

“We will let him know of the news,” Rionna smiled and bowed her head. She then pointed towards the ingot, “and that is?”

“It is an alloy of mithril and blackrock. A gift from her Majesty. He may do with it as he wishes, whether to have a weapon forged from it or to sell it for a small fortune.”

“That’s great and all,” Hilde interjected. She pointed to the unconscious man, “but what about that?”

Lysis turned to the knights and ordered the man to be woken up.

[Star of Scorpio, Water Ball!]

One of the knights created a ball of water above the man’s head and dropped it. The man woke up with a jolt and looked around.

“Wha—let go of me!” Since he was only being supported by the two knights holding him, he easily broke free from their grasp. “What’s going on?”

“You there,” Hilde spoke and crossed her arms. The main felt a cold chill down his spine. He stood in attention immediately, Hilde was clearly annoyed already. “I’m only going to say this once. Don’t cause trouble in my guild. I already have enough on my plate.”

The man took a moment to look around. He got into the Royal Guard because he kept egging his father about it. His actual training has yet to begin as they were immediately tasked with delivering the ingot. He only has basic knight training, which was common for citizens to partake in. He didn’t know why they had to do it but when he found out where they were going, he vehemently requested to be a part of it. He thought that he could use his father’s influence here as well. He did not realize that his father has had to beg the captain to allow him a chance.

Right now he was shaking, his knees starting to buckle. The other knights seem to have no problem. They were used to it, after all. He felt like a prey, in the midst of monsters.

“Right, so you want to have this delivered to Kiryuu, right? We’ll handle it. Is there anything else you came here for?” Raful asked as he took the ingot in his hands to admire the rare metal.

“We will also be waiting for a guest from the Empire,” Lysis responded.

“I see. It should be about time for the goddess to give me an oracle. I expect the Empire will try and perform a summoning ritual.” Rionna told Lysis. “In any case, we still need to inform our amnesiac otherworlder about the candidacy.”

“I’ll do it,” Vena declared. She was clenching her fists and was clearly very excited to hear of the news. She wanted to be the one to tell him that.

“Oh no… I forgot about that,” Hilde started to mumble. Clearly the news about being a hero candidate came with a few more perks. She was not too fond of one of them in particular. This clearly showed on her face and her mouth curved as she pouted.

Later that night, Kiryuu was sleeping soundly in his new room. Now that he owned a slave, he was told that he can transfer to a room for slave owners. The room had another room connected to it that was meant for slaves. It was smaller but decent enough as a sleeping area. It was expected for slaves to be near their master in case they were needed for something.

A presence alerted him. There was no hostility so he was only half awake at this point. He then felt a light weight on top of him and a fragrance trickling his senses. He felt a soft sensation on his chest. When he felt a hot breath on his neck, he jolted awake. He grabbed the wrists of whoever it was that was on top of him and rolled to the side to pin them down on the bed.

“Please be gentle, Master~” It was Shino in her bedwear.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Is this not what you had bought me for? If you only required a combat slave, any other would have sufficed.”

“T-that’s…” Admittedly, there was a part of him that was attracted to her. He can’t exactly comment given how he was fully awake right now. Ahem.

“It is not uncommon for slaves to perform nightly services.”

“I don’t need that right now,” he groaned. “Weren’t you asking me about my relationship with Vena a while ago?”

“Ah, worry not. It is normal for married men to have a couple of slaves. Also, my Master,” she paused, intentionally.

“What is it?”

“Polygamy is allowed in this world.”

The next day, Kiryuu and Shino came in and were called once more to the office. The other adventurers were pretty much used to seeing him being called in there so they have their theories and guesses already. He was fairly haggard as he was fending off her advances during the night. At one point, Shino even said she would be fine being a mistress. It was a mystery to him what caused her to change so drastically compared to the first time she spoke to him. This side of her certainly caught him off guard.

“I’m a what?” He heard it correctly, he just didn’t believe it.

“A hero candidate. Congratulations!” Vena held his hands together. She had a very bright smile.

“You seem more excited than I am,” he chuckled a bit. Though, in the back of his mind, he panicked a bit. That paranoia where she only liked him because of his titles started to rise. He said that line jokingly in an attempt to pry for why she was showing such enthusiasm.

“That’s… that’s because I can finally join your party!” Vena exclaimed. She was a bit teary-eyed from all the excitement. She looked up at him. He thought she was incredibly adorable.

“Eh? Eh! Really?” It took him a short while to process those words. However, he felt relief in hearing those words. The way she looked at him also tugged at his heartstrings. He was not about to deny that.

“The guild is allowed to offer our the assistance of our staff to hero candidates. Bearing that title means you have been recognized by the church and the queen herself,” Raful said.

“Ugh, I do not like this at all,” Hilde admitted. “There is little I can do if Vena really wants to. I’m warning you though. If anything happens to her, I’m coming for your neck.”

Internally, the paranoia clashed with the mysterious bliss. It made him question what she really was to him. At first, he thought she was merely investing in him, much like how Karlann had put it. Over time, though, he started to think differently and he could feel her affections (and jealousy) over the last couple of days. He asked himself, ‘should I really let myself get caught up in a forgotten past?’

“Kiryuu?” Vena’s voice cut his train of thought. He had been silent for a while. Perhaps his face was showing that inner turmoil.

“Vena, I… I will be in your care,” he decided to screw those memories. If they return, they’ll return. He won’t ruin the present while waiting for them.

“Yes, I as well,” Vena smiled brightly. She had an expression of genuine bliss. It may seem like a simple party invitation but everyone in the room felt something more than that. He felt her genuine affection. He felt guilty for having doubted her before.

“Alright, break it up. We have more things to discuss,” Hilde had cut in between the two of them and pulled Vena away. Shino clicked her tongue audibly and showed a slight disappointment.

“Things were getting real good too,” Shino muttered.

Now that things have calmed down a bit, Rionna had to explain the rest of the matters regarding being a hero candidate. She explained that anyone can be a hero candidate. They can either be appointed by the churches or government authorities. In Kiryuu’s case, it had both the approval of the church and the queen.

For the ones appointed by the government, they usually are nobles or people with distinguished achievements. An exception would be otherworlders that have caught their attention. For those appointed by the church, they more likely to be chosen as heroes. This is because the priestesses are given oracles from the goddesses who see the potential of candidates they pick out. It is at this time that candidates start appearing or getting appointed from all over.

“There is another option though, and that is hero summoning,” Rionna continued. “The kingdom and the empire has a tendency to lean towards this.”

In case of a hero summoning, the priestess must commune to the goddess they serve for several days. They would request for a heroic soul to be summoned or reincarnated into the world. They are still candidates but if a ranking were to be determined on the likelihood of being chosen as a hero, it would be those summoned at the top, then otherworlders, and finally residents.

“Unfortunately, that comes with its own set of problems,” Raful added. “Government-appointed candidates tend to be haughty, causing friction between them and church-appointed candidates. The same could be said between summoned candidates, otherworlders, and residential candidates.”

“That’s why, it would be necessary for your to pile up your achievements,” Hilde said. “The fastest way is through the guild. By undertaking quests and raising your rank, you would be more recognized and the likelihood of being chosen would increase.”

Hilde glared a bit at Kiryuu for a bit before continuing, “of course, it is also gives pride to the guild if they were to have an adventurer that is chosen. Hence, the assistance. For now, however, we have to make arrangements before Vena can join your party. I don’t think you should have any issues undertaking quests, though.”

Hilde looked at Shino for a bit. She knows full well how capable that woman is. She found it hard to believe that Kiryuu was acknowledged but given Vena’s observation, it was highly likely that there was something more to him.

“And this is?” Kiryuu picked up the ingot on the table and admired it.

“A gift from the queen. You can have it forged into a weapon of your choice or sell it. It’s up to you,” Rionna said with a smile.

“Perfect timing,” Kiryuu said. “Karlann just recommended me a blacksmith yesterday.”

“Right, anyway,” Hilde explained that the ranking system was easy to understand. The lowest rank was E and went as high as S. Right now, Kiryuu started as an E-rank. Shino was also an E-rank as she was stripped of her ranking when she became a criminal. When he asked about her original rank, she mentioned that she was an S-rank adventurer.

“The brand of a slave also limits our abilities,” Shino explained. “I can never exceed the parameters of my master. I can only be on par with them at best.” This mechanic, however, is disabled during life threatening moments.

“Of course, if you are able to learn the intricacies of magic, you can freely disable that limitation on your own as well, Master,” Shino added. Slave merchants normally are knowledgeable to magic and arts regarding the slave trade. At the very least, they are able to remove the limits of combat slaves. Whether it is for demonstration or protection.

Kiryuu didn’t seem too bothered by magic. He already saw Jubel use the command crest a while ago. Then again, everything was new to him. He had no memories of a previous world to base things off on. Shino seems to have high expectations of him.

“Then I better learn quick or you’ll be stuck with horrible parameters,” he scratched the back of his head and chuckled.

“What do you mean, Master?”

“I-Impossible…” Shino was holding his status card.

|Kiryuu

|Hero Candidate

|STR: E

|DEX: E

|CON: E

|INT: E

|WIS: E

|CHR: E

The only thing that changed from before was the title.

“You are amazing, Master. To think that even the status card is unable to perceive your strength,” Shino exclaimed as she handed his status card back.

“[Status]”

She called out her own status card and showed it to him.

|Shino Tsubasa

|Criminal Slave

|STR: A

|DEX: A

|CON: B

|INT: B

|WIS: C

|CHR: C

|Potential Analysis

“You’re just as monstrous as Hilde!” Kiryuu inadvertently shouted.

“Who’re you calling a monster, huh?” Hilde snapped at him. She reached out and grabbed hold of Shino’s status card. She scanned over it before tossing it back towards Shino, who skillfully caught it and banished it.

“My ability allows me to gauge the fighting strength of a person,” Shino explained. Everyone had at least some form of potential. For average folk, she can see a glowing orb within a person’s chest. When she had used her ability on the queen during their confrontation, she saw an overwhelming aura coating her body. When she first saw Kiryuu, it was the first time she literally saw nothing. That was why she acted in such a manner towards him.

“Nothing, huh…” Kiryuu stared blankly into space. Ridiculously low stats. Zero potential. It almost made him forget that he defeated Shino in their match. He was also able to catch Hilde during that incident even though she shook him off. He completely forgot those for the moment as he was contemplating on his status card and Shino’s analysis.

“My ability is far from perfect. There exist abilities that are capable of obstructing it. I can only infer that Master is capable of using an ability, although it may be involuntarily.”

“Involuntarily you say,” Raful said. The room went silent for a bit. Raful and Rionna looked at each other and nodded.

“It may be possible that you are cursed or perhaps a better term would be sealed,” Rionna said. “From what we could infer, it seems that you are being sealed by something. Perhaps your memories are also being sealed.”

“How did you—”

“I told you that I would inquire with the goddess, yes?” Rionna said and nodded at Vena.

“I, too, have an ability. It is difficult to explain but, I was able to see something like a curse or a seal during the time you activated your status card,” she said and clung onto his arm. Ah, he felt a blissful soft sensation. “I’m sorry I kept it from you. We wanted to make sure it wasn’t anything dangerous first so…”

“I see,” Kiryuu muttered to himself. He recalled that time they first met. Was she using her eyes then? He shook his head, not wanting to have his head filled with doubts again. Vena said she saw the seal when he activated his status card. Perhaps that was why his parameters were literally the lowest.

He pulled his arm from Vena, who was initially surprised. She thought that he was pulling away. Instead, he wrapped his arm around her and held her close. “I’m sure you had a good reason. I trust you.”

“Right, stop making a pink atmosphere,” Hilde chided. She still did not approve of him but stuck to verbal warnings for now. “Regardless, you need to take on a couple of quests and raise your standing here.”

It is inevitable to have conflict with other hero candidates. Piling up achievements would go in his favor. “At the very least, Vena can be in charge of your quests until the time she can join your party,” Hilde added.

“I should probably have a weapon prepared in that case,” Kiryuu eyed the ingot.

After a few more details regarding quests, they adjourned the meeting. Kiryuu and Shino planned to head straight to the blacksmith. Vena wanted to come but Hilde reminded her that she still need to do the necessary paperwork and adjustments in order for her to join his party. Her gear also needs to be prepared. Kiryuu was about to ask about that but he was already shooed away.

“Are you still thinking about the seal, Master?” Shino asked him while they were on the way towards the blacksmith.

“A bit. I am also worried but I’m trying not to let it get to me,” he replied. He would end up worrying too much and spiraling down in paranoia so he tried his best to think about other things instead.

“Whoever you are in the past, it does not matter to me. I am yours, Master. If you command me to take my life, I will do so without hesitation.”

Kiryuu stopped his feet when she said those words. As she turned towards him, he flicked her on the forehead. Shino was caught off guard.

“Never treat yourself as a tool to be used,” he told her.

“That is what I am, Master,” she said, with her hands on her forehead. “That is what I have always been.”

She was adamant. “You may use me in any way you wish,” she said as her cheeks turned red.

“You are a companion. You are a member of my party. You—”

“…are person dear to you? I am a slave you bought for combat, am I not? I am but your blade and your shield.”

“Whatever happened to wanting to be a mistress?”

“Seduction. Perhaps if you were alright with such a thought, you would finally give in to your carnal desires. A sex slave is less likely to be discarded—”

-slap-

Shino’s eyes widened when Kiryuu slapped her across the face.

“I…” Even Kiryuu was surprised. For some reason, her insistence that she was a mere tool irritated him.

“Master, I…”

“Shino,” he cut her off. “You may not believe me but I never saw you only as a tool.”

“That is what I am, Master! If I am of no use then—”

“When I saw you for the first time, for some reason I was very excited. It wasn’t because you were very attractive but something else. Believe me, you are a very beautiful person.”

“…”

“I don’t know what it was, nor do I care. Right now, something simply tells me that I’m not about to let go someone like you,” he declared.

“Master…”

“Listen, the only reason I opted to buy a combat slave is because I’ve been paranoid the last few days. I have not been able to trust anyone because they might just want to use me for who or what I am. An otherworlder. A hero candidate. I may have bought you as a combat slave but I also wanted you as a companion. Did you really think I’d go through the trouble of making you acknowledge me if I just want to throw you away?”

She didn’t say anything as she averted her gaze. “How unfair, Master. To make my heart flutter like this…”

Kiryuu coughed as he started to continue walking. He also felt a bit flustered but it was the truth. He felt something that time that he could not explain.

“Let’s go. We’re making a commotion,” he said and continued to walk. Shino walked beside him. She didn’t say anything but she seemed a bit happy.

They soon arrived at a sturdy looking building. Kiryuu tried looking around to see if there was an open area for the forge out of curiosity. He shrugged as he saw none and proceeded to enter the shop.

Upon opening the door, it hit and rang a bell. There were several weapon racks containing various weapons. From daggers to swords to axes and polearms. The racks themselves had chains that bound the weapons. It was a deterrent to thievery. There was an empty counter where the owner would have been. Behind that was a large metal door that slowly started to open. He could feel the weight of the door by the heavy creaking sound it was making. As the door opened, he could feel the heat flowing out from the other room.

“Oh my~ Who do we have here~?”

The rather teasing voice came from a tall woman, an inch or two taller than Kiryuu. She had tanned skin and slightly toned muscles. Her grey hair was pinned up behind her head. It was only practical given her profession. She wore short shorts that accentuated her thighs. She only had a white shirt with the sole purpose of covering her rather very ample chest. The sleeves seemed to have been torn off. Because of her attired, her abdomen was exposed. Indeed, her appearance was very alluring. It didn’t help that the beads of sweat down her body added to her allure. Kiryuu’s eyes almost followed one as it trailed down from the exposed underside of her breast and down to her stomach. He had to stop himself the moment he felt his throat dry up.

“D-do you like them that big, Master?” Shino muttered as she cupped her own chest. She had an ample chest like Vena. Hilde was a bit bigger than Shino. He found that she was on par with Rionna. As her habit accentuated her curves, it was normal for him to -ahem- notice. The woman in front of them, however, had destructive power in her chest.

“I’m Odessa Mu,” she shot a wink at Kiryuu and licked her lips. He felt as if he was being served up on a plate. “You have something for me, don’t you~?”