Liberation of The Slaves

【By the way, Master. You also obtained a new title.】 Aza informed me.

“New title?”

I opened the titles section with a slight tilt of my head, and sure enough, a new entry had been added there.

A title that bestowed upon those who have demonstrated mastery in harnessing the fundamental elements of fire, water, wind, earth, dark, and light.

Effect: By becoming attuned to the intricate balance of these elements, the bearer of this title is granted the ability to seek out and gather the latent energies that bind them together.

From the description, it seemed I had obtained the title because I now possessed all the basic elements. Still, the effect itself was too vague. Seek out and gather latent energies that bind them together. It sounded impressive, but I could not picture how it would help me in practice.

【In short, it will make it easier for you to understand the concept of combining those basic elements. That should make it easier for you to acquire more advanced elements,】

“Wow! That’s great, darling!” Len exclaimed, her golden eyes brightening beneath the moonlight.

“Uh, yeah…”

“What’s wrong? You don’t seem that excited about it.” Len leaned closer and peered at my face, as if trying to read the answer before I gave it.

“I’m not sure if obtaining more elements is necessarily a good thing. Right now, I don’t have many skills that can actually make use of these elements.”

Even if I gained more power, it would be meaningless if I had no proper way to wield it. A sword was only useful in the hands of someone who knew how to swing it. Magic was probably the same.

“We have plenty of time, darling. You can gradually learn more skills from Aza. Or perhaps, we could visit the Astraea Kingdom later. It is a country of magic, so we are bound to find many books about skills related to those elements.”

Len’s voice was gentle, but her expression carried complete confidence, as if she had already decided that everything would work out.

“I see. You’re right, Len.”

I nodded, and the faint weight in my chest eased a little.

We sat together amid the rocky terrain, close enough to the fire that its warmth reached our skin. The flames crackled softly, sending sparks into the cold night air. Above us, the moon poured silver light across the mountain, while the forest below lay hidden in a veil of darkness.

Then something white drifted past my eyes.

I blinked.

Another white speck fell, then another.

Len noticed it at the same time. We both lifted our gazes toward the sky.

Snow.

Tiny white flakes descended from the star-studded heavens, slow and delicate, like fragments of the moon had broken apart and scattered into the world.

{“Whoa…”}

{“Beautiful…”}

Through Len’s vision, Luna and Noir saw the falling snow with us. Their voices were filled with innocent wonder, so pure that it made the quiet night feel even softer.

“Is this your first time seeing snow?” Len asked.

{““Yes!””}

They answered in perfect unison.

Their voices were cheerful, but Len and I exchanged a brief glance. A faint ache passed through my chest.

In their previous lives, they had been confined as test subjects inside a laboratory. They had been isolated from the world outside. Something as ordinary as the change of seasons had been beyond their reach.

Snow, wind, sunlight, grass, flowers, the smell of rain.

How many simple beauties had they been denied?

“Don’t worry.” I looked up at the snow again and smiled. “From now on, you’ll be able to see snow every winter.”

“That’s right. Each season lasts ninety days, and today is the first day of winter. We will have plenty of time to enjoy the snow-covered forest below.”

Len’s voice was warm as she spoke, and her silver hair swayed faintly in the cold breeze.

{“Yes! Thank you, big sister Len, big brother Freed.”} Noir said, her voice small but filled with happiness.

{“Without both of you, we would never have been able to experience this. Truly, thank you.”} Luna added.

We smiled without saying anything more.

For a while, we simply watched the snow fall.

The flakes drifted down in silence, settling over the jagged stones around us. The fire continued to burn, dyeing the white snow orange whenever it passed too close to the flames. The world felt strangely peaceful, as if this mountain peak had been separated from everything painful and cruel below.

“So today is the first day of winter…”

The words left my mouth before I realized it. My thoughts slipped into the past.

Len noticed the change in me at once. “What’s on your mind, darling?”

I shook my head slowly.

“It’s my oldest sister’s birthday today… If she were still with me, she would have turned twenty-one…”

Len’s expression softened. “I see… She must have grown into a remarkable woman.”

Her words were gentle, but there was something else hidden beneath them. It was not pity. It was more like belief. As if she did not think my sister was truly gone.

“Yes. In my previous world, twenty-one marked the threshold of adulthood for a woman.”

Len tilted her head a little, then suddenly asked. “Who do you think is more beautiful, her or me?”

I stared at her in silence.

Her golden eyes were fixed on me. Her lips curved faintly, but there was a dangerous pressure behind that smile.

“Is that a trick question?”

I had no doubt that any answer I gave would lead to trouble.

Len nodded with a satisfied look.

“You didn’t answer immediately. That means you think she is more beautiful.”

…Apparently, not answering was also dangerous.

I sighed “Haa… Logically speaking, you surpass her in every aspect. You can do so many things. You live almost like a noble, and you even bathe properly in a bathtub or shower.”

Len puffed out her cheeks.

“Muu… You’re no fun. You’re speaking logically, not from the heart.”

I sighed once more and accepted that I had stepped on the wrong trap again.

Len’s pout lasted only a moment before curiosity replaced it.

“Tell me more about your oldest sister.”

I looked up at the sky again.

The falling snow blurred the stars a little, and the sight stirred memories I thought had settled deep inside me.

“Her name is Celestia. She has navy blue hair and navy blue eyes. I usually call her Sis Celes. Compared to the native people of this world, she is a genius. She is…”

Once I began, the memories came one after another.

I told Len about Sis Celes.

I told her the things I had already mentioned before, and then I told her more. Her calm way of speaking. Her intelligence. The way she watched over us when our parents were busy. The way she could scold Sissy without raising her voice. The way she would gently touch my head when I was still small, as if assuring me that everything would be fine.

Len did not complain, even when I repeated myself.

She only listened.

Sometimes she asked a small question. Sometimes she smiled. Sometimes she silently held my hand when my voice became quieter than I intended.

Because of that, I could continue speaking.

Under the gentle glow of the moon, beside the fire, and beneath the falling snow, I spoke about Sis Celes for a long time. Fia and the others joined in occasionally, listening through me and sharing their own small reactions. The night stretched on, quiet and endless, but not lonely.

To be honest, I realized how fortunate I was.

In my previous life, I had always wanted this.

Someone who would listen.

Someone who would not laugh at my feelings.

Someone who would stay beside me even when I spoke about painful things.

And now, I had them.

After everything I had experienced, my past drifted through my mind like shadows behind the snow.

A past worse than anyone should have to endure.

A past without true friends or lovers.

A past filled with bullying.

A past where every day felt heavy.

A past where I had wanted to die many times.

Even though I knew all of this was just a string of coincidences, at that moment, it felt as if I had finally been rewarded for enduring it.

Thank you.

To the classmates who used to bully me.

To the lovers who broke my heart.

To the families who belittled my little family.

To the fleeting friendships that still left something behind.

I’m so glad I didn’t give up on that life.

“Achoo!”

The sneeze slipped out before I could stop it.

Beside the small campfire, Daisy immediately turned toward me. Her short blonde hair swayed as she leaned closer, red eyes filled with concern.

“Are you alright, sis?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just felt like someone was talking about me.”

I rubbed my nose and looked away from the fire, trying to brush it off.

Daisy grinned.

“Maybe your fans are gossiping about you. You’re famous in the kingdom, after all.”

“Haa… You should get some sleep. It’s my turn to keep watch.”

“Ehh… I’m not tired yet. Besides, it’s your birthday today. I want to spend more time with you, sis.”

Her voice was bright, as usual, but there was a stubbornness in it that I knew too well.

“We need to resume our journey early tomorrow. If we want to reach the border town of Astraea Kingdom by lunchtime, you need to rest.”

“That’s exactly why I want to cherish this time with you now. We’ll probably be sleeping all day once we reach town.”

“Haa…” I sighed once more.

Once Daisy decided on something, persuading her was never easy.

At present, we were on a journey to the Herrschaft Empire. Under normal circumstances, we would have traveled directly from the Zieghart Kingdom, but the war had blocked all the main routes. Because of that, we had no choice but to take a long detour south through the Astraea Kingdom before heading toward our destination.

Our only leads about Freed were fragile ones.

He had once been a slave in the northern region of the Herrschaft Empire. And He might have ascended into a new race.

That was all.

For the past two years, Daisy and I had trained, gathered information, completed guild quests, and followed every rumor we could find. We had relied on the guild. We had relied on Madam Sheila. But waiting for others to bring us answers was no longer enough.

So we decided to move ourselves.

We could have traveled by carriage, but we still avoided unnecessary contact with people. Daisy had been recovering little by little from her trauma, and she could now speak with men as long as I stayed close to her. Even so, being trapped in close quarters with strangers was still too much for her.

That was why we rode horses ourselves.

“Tell me more about Astraea Kingdom, sis.”

I looked at her. “Didn’t I already give you all the information?”

“Ehh… I’m too lazy to read it. I’d rather hear it from you.”

I let out another sigh, but I still began explaining.

“Unlike Zieghart Kingdom, which takes pride in swordsmanship, Astraea Kingdom is known for its mastery of magic. The royal capital is home to the famous Magic Tower.”

“Too bad we’re not going there, huh?”

“Do you wish we were?”

Daisy shook her head, then rested her chin on her knees.

“Not for me. For you, sis. You’re a mage, after all.”

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious. But finding Freed is our priority.”

“True.” Daisy smiled at me, softer this time. “But I’m sure he’s fine. Maybe he’s even thinking of you right now, since it’s your birthday.”

“Yeah…” My gaze drifted beyond the fire, toward the dark road stretching ahead of us. “I hope his companion is kind to him…”

“Selena Calytrix, right? She is not an adventurer, so the guild didn’t have much information about her. But they say she is called The Liberator. Her mission is to free slaves, so she must be kind-hearted.”

“I want to believe that.” My fingers tightened slightly over the blanket around my shoulders. “But why didn’t she bring Freed back with her? They even ascended their races together. I can’t shake the feeling that something is not right… What if she is using him for experiments?”

Daisy blinked, then scratched her cheek. “Or maybe she fell for him and doesn’t want to let him go? He is like our father, after all. His way of talking is smooth with women.”

“Nonsense. Freed is still a child.”

I answered immediately, but my voice softened after that.

“Still… I would rather hope that is the case. It is much better than thinking he might be used as a test subject.”

Daisy did not tease me further.

The fire crackled between us, small and warm beneath the vast night sky. Neither of us knew where Freed was. We did not know how much longer this journey would take. We did not even know if the information we had gathered would lead us to him.

Even so, we would not stop.

Daisy and I had spent two years searching for our lost brother while completing guild quests to fund our journey.

We didn’t know where he was or how long it would take to find him.

But we would not give up on him.