Liberation of The Slaves

After we finished gathering the remnants of the golems, Len took care of arranging the tent while I finally sat down and enjoyed my meal.

The night air had grown calmer after the earlier battle. The broken pieces of the golems lay piled neatly to the side, their strange materials glinting faintly beneath the dim light. The smell of warm food drifted in front of me, and for the first time in a while, I could let my shoulders loosen.

Then Aza’s voice reached us.

【Master, Len, your Celestial Spiral Arts has fulfilled the requirement. The description has been added to the skill.】

“Really!?” Len’s voice jumped with excitement.

She had been pulling the tent fabric into place, but the moment she heard Aza, her hands froze. Her golden eyes widened, and her face brightened as if someone had just placed a treasure in front of her.

Until now, Len’s original skills had no descriptions. The names existed, but the explanations remained inaccessible until certain conditions were fulfilled. For someone like Len, who loved creating things and understanding their structure, this was more than simple information.

It was recognition.

Aza explained in her usual clear tone.

【Yes. The requirement to add the description for an original skill is for at least two people to learn the skill. Usually, the owner teaches their original skill to an apprentice. Another case is when the owner writes a book about their skill and preserves it for future generations. There is also your case, where multiple individuals are considered owners of the same skill.】

“Ah... So that’s why my original skills don’t have any descriptions so far. I’m the only one who has learned them. But why does it need at least two people?”

When I had discussed this matter with Aza before, Len had still been recovering from the aftermath of the curse we purified. No wonder this was new to her.

【Because if only the owner learns the skill, there is no need to provide a description for it. After all, having a description is not always beneficial. The enemies of the skill owner may gain a basic understanding of the skill through its description. So, we only add the name of the skill as a visual reward for the owner, while leaving the description hidden as a form of protection.】

“But if both of us are the owners of Celestial Spiral Arts, wouldn’t that protection disappear?”

Len tilted her head slightly. Even while questioning Aza, she returned to tying the tent ropes, though her attention clearly remained on the conversation.

【It is a matter of balance. Having multiple owners implies trust and cooperation, which offsets the risk. Because of that, enemies are allowed to obtain information about the skill to balance the conflict between both sides. Though that is useless if the enemies do not have an appraisal skill.】

Aza paused for a moment, then continued.

【As for cases where the description is added after other people learn the skill directly or indirectly, it is because we assume the skill owner wants to spread the skill. Even if it is only meant for a private organization or an apprenticeship, the description will still be added.】

“I see.” Len nodded slowly.

By then, the tent had been set properly, and I had finished my meal. We sat together beneath the faint light, close enough for our shoulders to nearly touch, and opened the newly added descriptions for Celestial Spiral Arts and its techniques.

Lv. 1

A martial discipline harnessing the rotational energy of the cosmos, empowering users with enhanced strength, agility, and precision. Techniques focus on precise control of rotational muscle movements to amplify striking power and maneuverability.

Techniques:

• Celestial Cyclone Strike
• Astral Descent Strike

A technique that amplifies striking power by channeling rotational motion from the ground, through the body, and into the strike. Through precise control of muscle rotation, the user can unleash devastating blows with twice the force of a normal attack.

A graceful technique that allows the user to descend from great heights with minimal impact while delivering powerful strikes to enemies below and around the landing area. By channeling the surrounding wind and controlling rotational motion, the user can execute a controlled descent and deliver a decisive blow upon landing. The user’s muscle rotation, the size of the converged wind, and the height of the descent are crucial factors in unleashing the technique’s full power.

“Whoa... Darling, look. It’s so cool!”

Len grabbed my shoulders and shook me lightly while staring at her own status window. Her eyes sparkled like a child who had just seen a festival for the first time.

Seeing her like that made my chest feel warm.

Len loved creating things. For the world’s system to acknowledge one of her creations like this must have felt thrilling beyond words.

I chuckled softly.

This side of her was unbearably cute.

“The techniques can be shown and hidden from others?”

I noticed the [Show] button. It resembled the kind of option that appeared when I activated Status Manipulation.

【Yes. But that is a benefit only for the owner of the skill. Other people who learn it later will not have that option.】

“I see.”

“I want to hide the techniques.”

Len spoke while still smiling at her status window.

“Why? I thought you liked revealing all your cards. I remember you saying that before.”

“Yes. Well, back then, there was no deep reason for it. I just wanted to.”

She gave a small chuckle, then looked at me. “But now, I have a reason.”

“What is it?”

Her expression softened. “Because I have you now.”

“Huh?”

Her answer caught me off guard.

“Revealing all my cards to others might endanger the people I want to protect, and that includes you.”

Her cheeks reddened slightly after she said it. For someone as confident as Len, she looked unexpectedly bashful, as if she had only realized how honest her words sounded after letting them slip out.

A strange warmth spread through my chest. It was embarrassing, but not unpleasant.

Len noticed my reaction and giggled.

“Of course, it’s not only you. Luna and the others are included too.”

My brows twitched.

“Haaa... Yes, of course they are.”

“Aww, darling, don’t look disappointed like that.” She reached for my hand and squeezed it with both of hers, her smile turning playful. “You are still my number one priority. You always will be.”

“Yes, yes.” I answered casually, though my heart had already lost its calm.

Len’s fingers remained wrapped around mine for a while before she looked back at the status window.

“Since we are already talking about this, I want you to fake my status too.”

She was referring to my Status Manipulation skill.

“I don’t think it will be useful while you’re using that equipment.”

Len’s equipment was already powerful enough to make her comparable to an A-Rank adventurer. Even if I faked her base status, leaving the equipment untouched would make the deception pointless. Anyone who appraised her overall strength would still notice the unnatural number.

For example, if I faked her strength to around one thousand three hundred while her equipment added forty thousand, Appraisal would still display her overall strength as forty-one thousand three hundred.

Normally, Appraisal could only distinguish between the user’s status and the equipment’s status when used on oneself.

Well, I was an exception.

For some reason, I could also inspect other people’s equipment status if I wanted to.

【You can manipulate her equipment status as well, Master.】

“Huh? Really?”

Aza’s sudden words made me blink.

【Yes. Equipment has its own status. So, it would be strange if Status Manipulation could not manipulate equipment status, would it not? The only differences are that equipment has no status points, and you need the consent of the equipment’s owner to manipulate its status.】

“That’s good, darling. You should fake your status too.”

Len’s excitement returned instantly.

“Haa... But our equipment is rather flashy. People might ridicule us for having such flashy equipment while our statuses are low.”

“Then it is your job to repel them.”

“Isn’t that erasing the meaning of faking our status?”

If I chased them away with strength, they would immediately know my displayed status was fake.

“Not really.”

Len lifted one finger, looking strangely proud of herself.

“If people know we are faking our status, they won’t dare to approach us carelessly. So, we do not need to act like weak people. Instead, we should purposely let them know our status is fake.”

I rubbed my chin. “I see. It can be viewed that way too. Then, how about you?”

“Of course I will do the same. But I will act as if I am weaker than you.”

“Huh? Why?”

Len stared at me as if I had asked something completely absurd.

“Do you have no shame being protected by a woman?”

Her golden eyes narrowed with a hint of reproach.

“In public, especially when dealing with those rats, you should be the one protecting me. Otherwise, they will ridicule you for hiding behind a woman.”

By rats, she meant the kind of people who judged others only by surface impressions and preyed on weakness.

“I think people might see through your acting. You are not very good at lying, after all.”

Len’s face stiffened. “I-Is my acting really that bad?”

Her anxious reaction was so immediate that I almost laughed.

“Well, I guess there is no harm in trying your idea.”

I sighed and avoided answering her question directly.

Then I activated Status Manipulation.

With Len’s consent, I adjusted both of our displayed statuses to match E-Rank adventurers. After that, I changed the visible status of our equipment so that our overall strength looked close to D-Rank adventurers.

It was a strange kind of deception.

Not too weak to invite every petty troublemaker, but not strong enough to draw the eyes of anyone truly dangerous.

Len looked pleased with the result.

Her lips curved into a satisfied smile, and she leaned closer to inspect the altered numbers.

“Perfect. Now, if those rats try to bother us, you can scare them away properly.”

“...Your plan sounds less like hiding our strength and more like baiting fools.”

I shook my head helplessly.

The night wind brushed past us, carrying away the last remnants of the battle’s tension. Beside me, Len continued to admire the hidden details of Celestial Spiral Arts, her expression shifting between pride, curiosity, and delight.

I watched her quietly.

Sitting beside Len like this, sharing a simple moment beneath the quiet night, made everything feel strangely precious.