“Don’t leave a single one behind!
Capture them all!
I don’t care if they get hurt!”
Spurred on by the shout of their commander, Gelrod, the knights of the Royal Order swiftly apprehended the people gathered at the auction house without much trouble.
Naturally, some resisted, but after taking a hit or two, they quickly surrendered.
One by one, the situation was brought under control.
Soon, so many people were forced to kneel together that they ran out of ropes to bind them.
Perhaps they had already accepted their fate, or maybe they simply knew that speaking up wouldn’t do them any good—either way, they sat there, silent, as if repenting for their sins.
Not that anyone believed their act.
“Ha… this is turning into a real headache.”
As the knights stripped away the masks enchanted with face-obscuring magic, Gelrod recognized the faces beneath them—names he knew all too well.
Not only nobles, but even merchants who had made quite a fortune through business.
The very idea that such people had involved themselves in the crime of slave trading made his head pound.
The nation was already on edge due to recent unrest, and the fact that these people—who should have known better—had chosen to involve themselves in this filth made him feel nothing but disgust and hatred.
What infuriated him even more was the future he could already see: because of their wealth and influence, they would never receive the punishment they truly deserved.
If it were up to him, he would behead them all on the spot.
But he had to remain composed.
Letting out a deep sigh, he slumped into a chair.
“Still… that person was right after all.
How did she even know about this place, when no one else could find it…?”
Rumors about the slave auctions had been circulating for a while.
But they were just that—rumors.
There had been no concrete evidence or witnesses, making it difficult to justify deploying forces to investigate.
Then, a few days ago, a woman approached Gelrod.
A prodigy of unparalleled genius, who had elevated her family from baron to count before even reaching adulthood.
The one who had deciphered ancient languages and authored numerous magical theses.
The woman people praised as the “Omniscient Mage”—Christiane von Ersi.
“In a few days, a slave auction will be held at the location I mentioned.
I’ll infiltrate the auction to assess the situation, and when I give the signal, you should storm in.”
When she had suddenly appeared and said this out of nowhere, her eyes had been filled with unwavering confidence.
Gelrod had been skeptical.
It wasn’t just a matter of how she knew—the bigger issue was that she had no evidence to support her claim.
Even though he had heard of her reputation, moving the knights required more than just speculation.
But—
“Oh, please!
I’m begging you.
If you don’t believe me, I’ll put my noble title on the line!
If that’s not enough, at least bring it up with His Majesty!
Please?”
Logic and reason had been no match for her sheer stubbornness.
In the end, he had promised to at least consult the king.
It was a necessary step anyway, as royal approval was required to mobilize the knights.
But deep down, Gelrod had already resigned himself to the likelihood that the request would be denied.
Yet—
“So, Count Christiane said that?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.
I don’t know what her basis is, but…”
“Very well.
I grant permission to deploy the knights.”
“…Pardon?”
“What are you waiting for?
Get ready immediately.”
The king’s trust in Ersi had been far greater than Gelrod had expected.
Then again, considering how much the nation’s prestige had grown thanks to her contributions, it made some sense.
Still, he hadn’t expected the king to approve the request without question.
Either way, thanks to her, they had managed to purge one stain from the country. Gelrod owed her his gratitude.
But she was nowhere to be found.
Had she slipped away in the chaos?
She clearly had no interest in recognition.
That kind of noble character only deepened Gelrod’s respect for her.
If they ever met again, he would have to thank her personally.
As he made a silent promise to himself, one of his subordinates dragged a man forward.
“Captain, this bastard seems to be the one in charge here.”
“Heh…
Hehehe.
Ah, greetings…?”
It was the auctioneer—the man who had stood at the forefront, selling off slaves on the stage.
He had tried to escape but had been caught in the end.
A bruise darkened his left eye, likely from the struggle.
His sneering face, twisted into a sycophantic grin, was all too transparent—he would do anything to survive.
“C-Captain, sir.
Could you at least spare me?
I—I’ll tell you everything!
Please, have mercy…!”
“Tch.”
Did he really think Gelrod would hesitate to spit in his face just because he was smiling?
With an icy glare that made even the filth on the streets seem pleasant in comparison, Gelrod spat on him.
“Your execution is already guaranteed.
And besides… scum like you usually start talking the moment they lose about four fingers.”
At those words, the man’s forced smile disappeared, and his face turned deathly pale.
Gelrod smirked as he listened to the man’s desperate pleas fade into the distance while he was dragged away.
Then, he stepped behind the dimly lit stage.
There, he heard frantic voices.
“Move faster!
We need to take as much as we can!”
“I know!
Shut up!
This is a fucking disaster!”
A group of people was rushing to move caged prisoners while hauling away other goods.
Whatever was in those crates and bundles, it was undoubtedly tied to some crime.
And yet, they still thought they could escape the Royal Knights while hauling all that?
Idiots.
They should have abandoned everything and run for their lives.
The sheer stupidity of greed was almost amusing, so he decided to watch them struggle a little longer.
“…Huh? Hey, who the hell is that?”
Now that their desperation had made them careless, they had finally noticed him.
But it was too dark for them to make out his face clearly.
It had been amusing to watch, but now that they’d seen him, he would have to end this quickly.
“Wait… that woman… don’t tell me—”
One of them seemed to have recognized him as their eyes adjusted to the dark.
But by then, Gelrod had already begun gathering his mana.
“You should’ve just run away.”
“Wind Boom.”
That’s all.
A low-level spell was more than enough for small fries like them.
As the wind bomb shot toward them, it exploded and swept them up in a fierce gale.
Those caught were either slammed into the wall or knocked out by debris.
It was over in a flash—none were left standing.
“K-Kristiane von Ersi…”
Oh, there’s still one left.
The one trembling in front of me collapsed as soon as I kicked him in the face.
Ah, that felt satisfying.
But… this minor spell made quite a mess of the area.
I hope our protagonist wasn’t caught up in it.
“Wh-Who was that? Was that a mage?”
“I don’t know. But it seems like they came to save us.”
“Hey! Over here! Please, get us out of here!”
Those trapped in the cages started reaching out to me, pleading for help.
Ugh, well, the knights will come to save them anyway.
It should be fine if I leave them alone for now.
I reassured them that someone would come to release them soon and then glanced at the floating skill window in front of me.
Our protagonist is nearby.
Please, let her not be hurt by my spell.
“Ah.”
As I moved past the scattered debris, I saw a child locked in a cage, alone, as if set apart from everyone else.
This must be her.
Even though I couldn’t see her face clearly yet, I knew right away.
Her silver hair—a distinctive trait emphasized in the game’s protagonist—caught my eye.
“Finally… I get to meet you.”
My heart started racing, and I felt a rush of heat in my head.
I loved the game “Raising the Duke’s Daughter” not only because it had so much to offer, but primarily because I adored the protagonist.
A girl who couldn’t trust anyone and had closed her heart to the world would grow into a respectable adult with my care and affection.
The more I took care of her, the more attached I became.
Especially with the beautifully crafted illustrations that had captivated me.
And now, my favorite character was right in front of me.
I couldn’t help but feel excited.
But I needed to calm myself down for now.
I knelt down to meet the eyes of the girl who was sitting inside the cage.
Her face was dirty with dust and ash, and her hair was a mess, as if she’d been rolling around.
But what truly caught my attention were her lifeless black eyes.
[OOO cannot trust you, nor does she believe in the happiness that lies before her. Open her heart first.]
The introductory text I’d seen countless times when starting the game replayed in my mind.
Back then, I’d thought it was an annoying piece of narrative fluff.
But now, seeing the deep despair in her eyes, I understood.
“…Who are you?”
Well, it seems like I’ve piqued her curiosity with what I just did.
Now then, what should I say to leave a good impression?
I’d prepared a line, but facing her now, my mind was as blank as if it had been wiped clean.
Oh, whatever.
Let’s just be cool for now.
“I’m here to save you.”
“…Save me?
Why?”
“You’ll find out slowly, later.
For now, let’s get you out of here.”
I unlocked the cage using a set of keys I’d found on one of the defeated remnants, but the girl didn’t make any move to come out on her own.
Really now.
She doesn’t need to worry.
Seeing the cute protagonist of mine so afraid of even stepping out into the world, I smiled as kindly as I could and reached out my hand.
“Shall we go, my beautiful princess?”