"Master?"

As he saw the terror in the panda-girl eyes, Maximilian facepalmed.

*Oh what an idiot I am.*

Smiling to her, he crouched and patted her head.

"Don't' worry, I won't touch you...I mean, not inappropriately."

He stood again and turned his back to her.

"Now that we are alone, there's one or two things you have to know..."

As he had done the night before, he used earth magic to blocked the exit, closing the room for the night.

"I don't like the idea of slavery, I find it humiliating. The only reason I accepted you as a slave was because I didn't want you or the princess to have troubles with the law. But now that "you're mine", know that I don't see you as an inferior being or something like that. I want to hear you when you have something to say, I want you to talk when you want to, never be afraid to talk or act without me telling you to do so."

As he was talking, he went to the end of the room, opposing the exit, and create a stone bathtub like the one he created in the treasure room before. He filled it with water and used a fire spell to heat the water a bit.

"We are going to travel together. I want to see you as a companion, not an object I am able to trade. You're not an object, Lin-Lin, and know I will never consider you like one."

He turned around to looked at her again, then covered his eyes. While he wasn't looking, the panda-girl had done has told and was now naked before him, covering her nudity with her arms and hands.

"Am I... not to your liking master?"

"That's not the question Lin-Lin...how old are you?"

"I am fourteen years old, nearly fifteen, master."

Still not looking, Maximilian step to the side, showing the bathtub to her.

"You're still a teenager Lin-Lin..."

* A well-developed teenager, but hell, I am not going to touch her that way.*

"...and I don't sleep with teenagers, so you don't have to..."

He was stopped in his words by Lin-Lin taking his hand and uncovering his eyes.

"Master mustn't be shy, Lin-Lin knows of those things."

*Oh god no...*

"You mean you've already?..."

She simply nodded, confirming what the man was thinking.

"Four years ago, with my first master's guards, then later with slave trader. I am sorry if my soiled body isn't good enough for master, this humble slave will try hard to please you nonetheless."

"Lin-Lin..."

He looked at her from head to toes, not in a perverted way but only to assured himself she hadn't be hurt more than what she had told him.

* At least she hasn't been tortured, physically at least...if you except the thing on her back.*

He took her in his arms and hugs her for a bit, Lin-Lin not really knowing how to react.

"I'm sorry Lin-Lin...I'm sorry you had to endure that...but it's over now."

He stood up, separating from her, he turned his back to her, not wanting to look more than he already did.

"You don't have to offer yourself to me. Be assured I find you beautiful, but that's not why I asked you to undress."

He pointed at the bath.

"I though you might use a bath after all this. Go wash yourself."

"As you wish master...should I put back my clothes on after I'm washed?"

"Not those ones, no."

She nodded and got in the water. As she passed next to him, Maximilian remarked a little black furball at the bottom of her back. He hadn't seen it before, her old undies not having a hole to let it through.

*They didn't even bother to cut a hole for her tail, bastards they are.*

Seeing her shivering an instant in the water, he asked.

"Is it warm enough?"

"It's perfect master, thank you."

While she was washing, Maximilian took her old attire. Using her old "undies" as a size reference, he made her new one with tissues

of better quality he had found in one of the treasure chambers.

*On one side I almost regret I didn't found underwear in one of those room, on the other, I'm glad Dragnïr wasn't a panty thief...*

New squill acquired: Tailoring.

*Oh, that's going to be useful...I mustn't forget the hole for her tail...*

He quickly maximised his new skill, using his newfound talent to make new underwear for the washing girl. This proved to not be too hard, Maximilian wasn't aiming for a piece of art, but something useful and comfortable for her to travel. Even so, it was still far better, in quality of course but even in esthetic, compare to the one she had before. Her old clothes, he put them on the side, for now, having an idea.

*that will do. Now what to give her as travelling gear...*

"Master, I'm clean."

"Get out then, here you are."

He gave her the new underwear with a towel so she could dry herself. From behind, he heard her actively drying herself.

"Oh, thank you for those new clothes master, you even took the time to make a hole for my tail."

"You're welcome Lin-L... pfr"

Turning to see her, he barely suppressed a laugh with his fist. The vivacity at wich she dried herself after her bath had made her fur all ruffled, making her look like a big furball. Seeing her looking away, ashamed, he apologised.

"Sorry Lin-Lin, I didn't mean to offend you, you surprised me that's all. Come seat near the fire, I'm looking for something for you to wear."

"Master, you don't need to, I'm just a sl.."

"Nonsense, you're not considerate as a slave anymore, not by me, and I'll be damned if I let you travel with me only wearing underwears."

While he looked through what he could give her, she came near the fire and sat, combing her fur with her little claws while waiting silentiously.

"While I'm searching, could you tell me something?"

"Of course, master, if I can."

"Your mark on the back, is there a way to take it off ? Is there a way to set you free?"

He heard her gasped but didn't look at her, perfectly knowing why she did so. From what he had learned so far, setting slaves free wasn't something happening a lot.

"I...I wouldn't know that master. The only one who could answer that are..."

"Who? Please tell me if you know."

"The slaves sellers, master. They are the one marking us when we become slaves like they did to me when I was five, so I think they are the ones who would know how to set us free...if there is a way. I don't know if that is even possible master, I've never met a slave who's been freed, we are considerate a valuable good, so normally the masters don't even think of letting us go."

"Then if it comes to this, I'll be the first one to do so."

"Master..."

As he finally looked up from his Havenbag, he could see her emerald eyes looking at him, as if searching for the obvious lie he certainly was hiding behind a false gentleness. He simply smiled at her.

"But let's keep that for later, I think I've found something you could use, try this."

While she was looking at him, Maximilian had taken a moment to scan her quickly. She was level ten, not too bad considerating her status. Her strength and agility were high for her level, other stats at a normal level.

*Her high physics ability must come from her race, I suppose beast kind are naturally stronger than human.*

As she took the equipment offered by the man, she hesitated.

"Master...those are clothes of a very high quality...are you sure it is fitted for a lowly slave like me?"

"For a lowly slave? No. For a precious companion, this is the least I can do."

She looked at him a few seconds then started to dress.

Being level ten, Maximilian hadn't chosen something too heavy for her to wear, even with her high strength, he didn't want her to be bothered in her movements.

* It must be the first time she wears something like that, better not put too much on her at first, let her get used to it.*

First, there were white silk clothes she could wear on her like that, the softness of the material so good you could kill to sleep in it. On it, he had chosen for her a leather armour, dark brown in the colour, tainted blood red at the joints, with here and there a piece of steel reinforcing the protection value. it covered her upper body and forearm, leather gloves covering her hands with metallic protection covering her fingertips and claws. The parts under the belt were made like a long red scale skirt, leaving space for her tail. For her feets, Maximilian had chosen special boots, not too heavy so she wouldn't be bothered, but reinforced enough to protect her against monsters they would certainly encounter later.

All in all, it was a good light armour, not too richly decorated, but having a visibly good quality that would help the new companion of Maximilian to face the different danger to come.

As she finished putting on her new equipment, she stood in front of Maximilian, waiting.

"This looks good on you."

"Thank you, master..."

"There is something you want to say Lin-Lin, speak, don't be afraid."

She hesitated a bit then began to talk.

"Master I...You...can I trust you?"

"I'm inclined to say yes but it would be better if you explain yourself a bit."

"It's just that...you say my body pleases you, yet you don't touch me. I'm your slave, but you are gentle with me, you even offered me those marvellous presents. It seems to me you are one of the nicest...no, the nicest human I came across in my short life."

"That's gentle of you, but why does it bother you?"

"How? How may I know you are as you seem you are? How can I be sure It's not a mask you wear to deceive me more?"

"You can't."

She looked down, visibly disappointed by his answer.

"At least at this moment."

She raised her head, interrogation visible on her face, Maximilian had a sorry look on his.

"I could say all I want, you wouldn't believe me. With Arca, it was easy, all I had to do was to show her I was stronger than her. With you, who know perfectly well I would be able to do what I want to you, who have lived a life of slavery, who have been abused and hurt almost all your life, what could I do to make you believe me right now? "

Lin-Lin just stayed there, looking at the man.

"No words would be enough to convince you, so I'll let actions do it. Beginning with that."

Maximilian took the olds slave clothes and throw them to her, she caught them by reflex.

"Master?"

"Those clothes, they represent your old life, the life you had as a slave. I cannot free you right now, I cannot make the symbol on your body disappeared, but this, I can do."

Pointing at the fire, he made the flames grow bigger.

"Throw them in the fire, make this moment the beginning of your new life. Today you're not Lin-Lin the slave anymore."

She tilted her head to the side, interlocked.

"Is that what you want me to do master? Burn my old clothes?"

"What I want you to do Lin-Lin is to make a choice. You can choose to stay a slave all your life, you'll guide me until we reach Griffinia, I'll treat you as good as can be on the way, then once we're there, I'll let you go or give you back to the princess, depending on this country's law."

She seemed worried about something.

"Did I do something to displease you, master? If so I'm sorry, please don't send Lin-Lin back to the slavers."

Maximilian raised a hand, signalling her to wait.

"Hear me out, you have another choice."

"Yes master, I'm listening."

"You can choose to be free. You can choose to be your own master. If you do that, if you choose to be free, then you won't have to consider me as your master anymore, but simply as a companion, and maybe someday a friend if you want to."

"I...Lin-Lin doesn't understand."

Lin-Lin had teary eyes now, visibly troubled by the choice she had to make.

"Lin-Lin doesn't know what she must do, Lin-Lin doesn't want to go back to the slavers, but she doesn't want to be alone."

She was crying profusely , the scene breaking Maximilian's heart. The panda-girl was wiping away the tears with her old clothes, only for new one to appear.

"Lin-Lin is sorry master, she doesn't know what to do. No one has ever ask Lin-Lin to make a choice. Lin-Lin is a slave, Lin-Lin cannot choose."

The scene was too much to bare for Maximilian. As long as he could remember, crying girl has always been a pain to deal with, even in his old world. When he saw someone whining, he wanted to slap them in the face and told them to get on with it, but when it was true despair, true sadness like the panda-girl in front of him, he only had one thing he could think about.

Lin-Lin, for the first time in her life, was really desperate. All her life, she wasn't really happy, not at all actually, but she knew what she was supposed to do. When they told her to walk, she walked. When they told her to follow and carry, she followed and carried. When they told her to lay and spread her legs, she had hesitated, but soon learned to do so by the hands of the guards and slavers.

When she had been bought by a noble to be offered to the princess, it was a joyful day. Princess Arima was a gentle mistress, although not really there to begin with, seeing she didn't like the idea of slavery, but at least she forbade the soldiers to touched her, she could eat one meal every day and slept on a straw mattress instead of the ground . When the princess told her to followed to the dungeon, Lin-Lin followed. And now, she had once again been exchanged, but this time, she was happy because she had been able to help the princess who had been gentle with her.

The man she was now with was different. He had nourished her with the same food he gave the princess, such wonderful taste it made her cried, he gave her new clothes, he spoke to her with care and then asked her to choose. But Lin-Lin did not learn to choose, she has never been able to, so now she was terrorised facing this new concept.

*What is Lin-Lin suppose to do, what does master want me to d....!!*

Once again, Lin-Lin felt the warmth of this man arms around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry Lin-Lin..."

And once again he, the master, was apologising to her, the slave. This wasn't right, this wasn't how she was taught. They taught her masters are always right, they do as they want and are never wrong, only slaves can do wrong and be punished for it, so why was he apologising to her?

"I didn't realise how hard it would be for you to make that choice..."

With a gesture, he made the fire goes back to normal fire camp size, he then slightly crouched in front of her, looking her in the eyes as he used a tissue to wipe away her tears.

"Listen. You don't have to choose right now, I'm sorry to have pushed you to do so, it was wrong."

Slowly and delicately, he took the old clothes from her and put them to the side.

"I'll hold them for you for the time being..."

He rolled them and attached them together, forming a kind of log tissues.

"Every time we camp, I'll put them out and just let them on the ground. And every morning, I'll put them back in my bag and won't say a thing about it. When the day will come you've made your choice, just pick them up and throw them in the fire, I'll understand. But until then, don't worry about it, I'm not mad at you for not being able to make a choice now, I'll teach you the freedom to choose bit by bit on our journey, so don't be afraid anymore, alright?"

Looking at him gently smiling at her, she couldn't help but do the same, simply nodding in agreement. Seeing that, he slightly patted her head.

"Good, you are a good girl Lin-Lin."

"Thank you, master."

he picked the slaves clothes log and put it next to the havenbag, then put out beast skins and blankets he put on the grounds near the fire.

"Now that this is clear, let's sleep for tonight. Tomorrow begins our journey, my dear Lin-Lin."

"Master, should I stay awake to guard the camp?"

"What? Oh no, no. Don't stress yourself with that, I closed the only way in and I can sense approaching danger, so you can sleep peacefully."

She looked at the beast skin and blankets Maximilian had laid for her.

"You mean...near the fire? With you?"

"Of course. From this day on, you don't have to stay in the cold anymore, my campfire is yours too."

Seeing her hesitation, he sighed.

"You are going to make me do something I won't enjoy but..."

He breathed in and...

"Lin-Lin, this is an order from your master."

In an instant, she straightened herself, listening to the order like she had been trained to do.

"Yes, master."

"I order you to use those skin and blankets to be warm when you are cold, to enjoy the warmth of the fire, to eat till you're not hungry anymore when we have food to eat. This is one of the few order I'll give you Lin-Lin, be happy, don't fear me, don't be afraid to make mistakes, you and I will learn from each other this way...am I clear?"

She nodded, a little smile on her face.

"Yes, master."

And just like that, they took off their armour to lay for the night, sleeping near the fire, both quite happy, Maximilian because he wasn't alone anymore, Lin-Lin because she had the beginning of an answer to her question.

*Maybe he is one I can trust...Woah this skin is smooth...*

Roling herself in the blanket, she felt asleep smiling in the best bed she ever had.

.......................................................................................................

Lin-Lin woke up at the sound of Maximilian humming a song she didn't know while heating up the rest of last evening meal, already dressed in his armour and ready to go.

"Hello sleepy head, how are you doing?"

She stood up quickly, bowing to Maximilian.

"Hello master, I'm so sorry I overslept."

"Don't worry about it Lin-Lin, I haven't been awake for too long either. Come, eat, we have a long road ahead."

"yes, master."

She came sitting next to him and drank the mushrooms and meat soup they still had, complete with the bread the soldier didn't bring back with them when they left last night.

"Is it good?"

"Oh yes Master, this is delicious...but it should be me who cook for you master, not the opposite."

"You can cook?"

Blushing, she looked down.

"I...no, sorry master, Lin-Lin was never taught how to do so."

"Oh...then that settles it, I'll be the one cooking until you know how to do it, then we can cook together."

"Would you...would you teach Lin-Lin?"

"Of course Lin-Lin, I'll be happy to do so."

They eat and put back the camping stuff inside the havenbag. Maximilian gave Lin-Lin te authorization to take anything necessary from the havenbag and let her put their stuff inside while he washed the cauldron, throwing the stones bowls away.

"Master? Why are you throwing the bowls away, they aren't broken and seem to be of a good quality."

"Don't worry about it Lin-Lin, they are ones I made this morning for eating in, I will make others when needed, it's easier than washing them every time."

"You...made them? With magic?"

"Yes, of course."

"But...I saw you using fire magic and ice magic, you can use earth magic too?"

"Yes indeed."

She looked at him, awed.

"You truly are powerful, aren't you master?"

"That is true Lin-Lin."

"Master, there's a thing Lin-Lin doesn't understand."

While finishing packing their stuff, they continued to discuss.

"What is it?"

As they talked, Maximilian made her turned around, helping her putting her new armour on, making it quicker seeing she wasn't used to it.

"If you are so powerful, why were you discussing yesterday? Why asking something from the princess, be gentle with me, or them? If you are so powerful, why not take what you want and punished those who opposed you?"

"Is that what you would have done Lin-Lin? Taking what you want and punish those who oppose?"

Lin-Lin blushed again, not used to be answered, even less asked her opinion.

"I don't know, master...Lin-Lin isn't powerful, slaves cannot take anything."

"Then see it like this. What if you had, I don't know, something to eat. Then came another slave, stronger than you, who could take that from you if he wanted to, but instead, he asked of you to share, even offer you something in return, wouldn't it be better?"

"Yes...but stronger take from the weaker, even with the slaves."

"Exactly, and that's why I don't act like the strong."

"Master?"

"I always try to see that kind of situation from the weak point of view. If I present myself as the strongest, people wouldn't be honest, they would lie to appeal to me, and from them, I'll have nothing more than what I exactly ask for. If I present myself as their equal, or even weaker than them, I can see how they truly act, I can observe and judge them. It's because I appeared like that at first yesterday that I could learn more about the princess, Arca and all the others. And finally, all my actions resulted as a very good conclusion."

"What conclusion master?"

"Isn't it obvious? I got a new journey companion."

Having finished putting the panda girl armour on, he patted her head, Lin-Lin smiling at his gentle words.

"Okay, all done, are you ready to go?"

"yes master."

"Then let's go..."

With a hand's movement, the wall blocking the exit collapsed.

"...adventures await."