The torchlight of the slave trader’s tent flickered against the rusted bars. Naofumi stood there, not as a hero, but as a wounded animal learning the rules of a new, uglier jungle.
Naofumi stared at the girl. Her name, he would later learn, was Raphtalia. But in this moment, she was just inventory. A pair of terrified amber eyes stared back from a mat of dirty hair. The old Naofumi—the one from the library, the one who believed in teamwork—would have walked away. He would have found another way. -Az-Animex- Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari - 02 -B...
“I’ll take her,” Naofumi said, his voice flat. He felt the seal burn onto his palm—the Slave Crest. It was a disgusting magic, a leash of pain. But as he led the trembling girl out of the tent, he realized the truth: She was his sword. And he was her shield. Not out of love. Out of necessity. The torchlight of the slave trader’s tent flickered
“She’s weak,” the merchant said, nudging the raccoon-eared girl with a boot. “But cheap.” Her name, he would later learn, was Raphtalia