However, the pursuers behind her were far from harmless, as she claimed. They were crazier than slave traders and bounty hunters, and many had died at their hands.
Moreover, Cenomi had long forgotten where her hometown was or what her parents looked like. For as long as she could remember, she had been sold to Kazimierz.
Kazimierz's laws did not prohibit slave trading, but the Surveillance Court still adhered to the will of the Knight King, suppressing the slave trade through policies and actions. Yet, it was undeniable that the underground slave market remained vast and unshakable.
The fates of slaves varied, but they were either sold to factories for hard labor, sold as 'technical workers' if they were pretty, or sold directly to wealthy merchants without middlemen taking a cut.
Cenomi's fate was originally the second kind. To ensure the 'goods' remained 'intact,' she had received relatively decent treatment since childhood—not starved to skin and bones, not beaten or abused, and even given basic noble etiquette training and strange knowledge taught by the madam, so she could become an expensive plaything in the future.
However, a few years ago, she escaped by relying on her Awakening of Originium Arts and began a long period of wandering.
She planned to first go to a big city where slave traders rarely ventured, find a job to make ends meet, and then slowly search for her hometown.
But she was still a bit unlucky. Because she accidentally exposed the slave barcode on her shoulder, she was caught by another group of slave traders and sold to some cloaked weirdos.
Originally, Cenomi intended to repeat her previous strategy—lie low, pretend to be obedient, and escape using her Originium Arts when the chance arose.
However... when she arrived in this city, locked in a dark underground cell, forced to drink foul-smelling strange potions daily, and saw other slaves covered in blood and wounds being dragged away, Cenomi knew that if she didn't run now, she was doomed.
At least slaves were exploited for labor, but these people were outright killing—they were complete lunatics!
Today, taking advantage of the moment with the fewest guards, she used her Originium Arts and the lock-picking skills she learned during her wandering to slip out.
As long as she reached the crowded streets, even the craziest pursuers wouldn't dare capture someone in front of the Security Knights.
But Cenomi hadn't expected that these pursuers were no ordinary people. Each was skilled in strange Originium Arts, and their physical abilities were terrifyingly strong. Already weak, Cenomi couldn't hold out for long.
Dragging these two tourists into her mess, Cenomi was just trying anything to survive, grasping at the last straw she could.
That kiss earlier was also a bit of selling her charms—her self-esteem was unusually high. If these people weren't truly after her life, Cenomi would never have gone this far.
Of course, another reason was that this guy was quite handsome, so kissing him wasn't that hard to accept—staying alive was what mattered!
Not all countries had slavery, and slave-catching wasn't normal in the eyes of most people. Cenomi only hoped she had encountered two slightly kind-hearted individuals.
"Huh... what?"
Hearing this plea for help, Goki looked at the girl before him and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"Gao... Goki?"
On the other hand, although Skadi hadn't forgotten that kiss, her kind-hearted nature made her stop talking after sensing the girl's fear and helplessness. Instead, she looked at Goki, waiting for his decision.
Skadi was only responsible for fighting, while Goki handled the thinking. Their division of labor was clear.
"Nona, calm down. You need to calm down first. We've never met, and kissing me out of the blue like this is really inappropriate. First, tell me your name, and I'll try to help within my means."
Suppressing the urge to expose this girl's lies, Goki tried to act like a stranger who had just met her, looking her up and down with wary and surprised eyes.
And from her, Goki seemed to catch a familiar scent.
"Huff, huff, call me—just call me Gravel!"
Glancing at a piece of gravel in the alley, Cenomi, utterly exhausted, quickly made up a fake name—though it seemed a bit laughable, this name was the only thing she still remembered. Facing a life-threatening crisis, even if she could offer a kiss, she wouldn't easily give her real name.
"Wah, they're here, they're here. Please, just send them away. I'll really do anything~~"
After her final plea, Cenomi's legs gave way, and she collapsed toward Goki's arms. The white fur in her pink ears was clearly visible, and the large expanse of soft flesh in her deliberately loosened collar was hard to look away from.
Although she despised the knowledge she learned during her training as a 'technical worker,' Cenomi had to admit she was now skilled at attracting men.
Empty promises meant nothing. Cenomi had to show this man tangible benefits—she herself was the benefit, all she had.
As long as she survived this time, everything else could be dealt with—she could always run away again!
But the next second, Cenomi suddenly felt herself lifted into the air, her bare little feet kicking helplessly.
"No, no, fall over here!"
Without hesitation, Skadi hooked her arms under Cenomi's armpits and lifted her up like a cat.
For some reason, Skadi felt a greater sense of crisis from this woman than from the God of Burning Wind!
The composure of the main wife was gone! Now, Skadi felt—very dangerous!
"Alright, alright. So, Miss Gravel, I'll have a good chat with these two... Hello? May I ask what you intend by chasing these two Young Misses?"
Looking at this familiar stranger, Goki didn't overthink it. He clapped his hands and turned to the two figures in black robes who had arrived before him a dozen seconds earlier.
[As expected, it's time to repay the old operators.]
After all, as the Doctor, Goki had often used the young lady beside him as a yellow certificate tool.
This time, Goki didn't mind being deceived by 'Gravel,' this little lie, and acting as her tool for once.
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