30 - The Meaning of Possession
Ray was not the only one cast down into sin. Julius was also reprimanded for his failure in supervision; he was removed as the Hero's liaison and further stripped of his position as Vice Commander of the Kingdom's Mage Corps. It was a complete fall from grace. This move had been orchestrated by the Prime Minister, who did not wish to allow Julius to rise any further, and the Captain of the Royal Knights, who was displeased at having been humiliated. As for Cecil, she did not hold a status that could be stripped in the first place, and since she was a possessor of the rare Ice-Kikyo Magic, she simply returned to being a regular mage, receiving no punishment that could be called such. For Cecil herself, however, the fact that Ray had been reduced to a slave and could no longer be near her was a heavier penalty than any other. Fumiya also received a punishment, though it was an extremely light one: house arrest in his own room. These measures were carried out secretly, without being known to many, but rumors of Princess Ekaterina's slave soon spread throughout the castle. This was due to none other than Princess Ekaterina's own actions.
"Princess, have you brought that slave again?"
The Vice Commander spoke to Princess Ekaterina as she appeared at the Mage Corps training grounds with Ray. He was a mage newly appointed as Vice Commander to replace Julius. The Princess had been dragging Ray around for various reasons. Ray's training ground had been changed to the Royal Guard Knights' drill area, where he went almost every day. And this was the second time she had visited the Mage Corps training grounds. Besides that, she walked around the castle as if to show him off.
"Yes. It seems this one has focused only on sword training and neglected his magic. I believe I must make him practice magic from now on."
"I heard that the other day as well. However, even if you tell me to teach a slave magic..."
The Vice Commander's expression was grim. Mages already dislike having their time taken by anything other than their own research and training. Moreover, if it were for the guidance of a slave, it could be said that virtually no mage would willingly obey. Last time, the Vice Commander himself had ended up having to provide the instruction.
"Oh, is my wish as a Princess not to be granted?"
"No, it is not that, but..."
The Vice Commander faltered as he looked at the person Princess Ekaterina pointed to. At the end of her gaze was Cecil, wearing a white robe and practicing magic.
"That woman was the one teaching him originally. It should be just right. Could you call her over?"
"Yes... Hey! Cecil!"
Called by name by the Vice Commander, Cecil turned around. Her gaze immediately became fixed on Ray, who stood behind Princess Ekaterina. Seeing Cecil frozen and motionless, a smile appeared on the Princess's lips.
"Oh, it can't be helped. Fine, let us go over. Kamui, come."
"Yes."
Princess Ekaterina walked straight toward Cecil. Ray followed diagonally behind her, showing no trace of emotion.
"If I recall, your name was Cecil, was it?"
"...Yes."
"I have a request."
"What is it?"
"Would you teach my slave magic?"
"...I refuse."
"Oh, just for today is fine. Besides, you were the one teaching him originally, were you not?"
"The one I was teaching was not a slave, but Kamui-sama."
It was a quite defiant attitude to take toward her own country's princess. Even knowing this, Cecil could not restrain herself.
"What a strange obsession. Besides, calling a slave '-sama' is a bit much, don't you think?"
"I do not mind it."
"You might not, but those around you do. Very well, Kamui is fine. No, call him that."
"I..."
"This is an order as a Princess."
"...Yes."
Once it was declared as a direct order from royalty, she could not resist. While showing her reluctance, Cecil accepted.
"Then, I leave it to you. I will be watching from a short distance. Kamui, you are to be taught by her today."
"Understood. Then, Cecil-sama. I look forward to your guidance."
"Cecil-sama..."
"It is only natural for a slave to use honorifics, is it not? Now, could you begin immediately? I plan to go back to sword training once this is finished."
"I understand."
As she said, Princess Ekaterina moved to a spot a short distance away and watched the two of them with a meaningful look in her eyes. It was clearly harassment directed at Cecil.
"Then, Kamui-sama."
"I am Kamui, Cecil-sama."
"...Kamui. Shall we begin?"
"Yes. Please."
"How far had we progressed? I have forgotten a little."
"I have been taught the basic attack magic of the four attributes. We stopped at the point where I was to increase my proficiency further."
"Ah, that was it. Then, what shall we do?"
For now, he could use them. That was the extent of his mastery. Compared to the sword, his growth was considerably slower, but there was a reason for this. Ray himself was not aware of it at this point.
"Accuracy, or mana conversion efficiency. We planned to improve those."
"Ah, that's right... You remember?"
"I have not lost my memories."
The Collar of Subordination was solely for forcing obedience to orders. It had no effect on erasing memories. That was precisely why it was a cruel magic tool.
"Then, um... about the things between us as well?"
"I remember. But it will never happen again."
"I... even if Kamui is a slave..."
"I am not permitted to engage in sexual acts with women."
"...Why such an order?"
The one giving the orders was the master, Princess Ekaterina. Cecil could not understand why she would go out of her way to issue such an order to Kamui.
"I do not know. Even if I did, I cannot speak of it. I cannot freely discuss what restrictions my master has placed upon a slave. That is how it is."
"I see... But what about now?"
"If requested by a woman, I must refuse. The result is the same as speaking of the restrictions, but the meaning is different."
"It is complicated, then?"
Even when forcing obedience, it was not a matter of simply ordering anything. If a contradiction arose between orders, the order would either become invalid, or the one receiving the order would become unable to move, unable to resolve the contradiction.
"Cecil-sama, my mission is to become strong in order to protect Her Highness the Princess. I am not permitted to spend time wastefully."
"Wastefully... Is talking with me a waste?"
"I am not permitted."
Ray spoke in a way that seemed to lack emotion. Despite it being their first conversation in a while, Cecil's heart only continued to sink.
"...Then, accuracy. To improve mana conversion efficiency, one must simply do it many times. There is nothing for me to teach."
"Is it not the same for accuracy?"
"There is a level of habit, but the important thing is where to place your consciousness. I will teach you that."
"Please."
"Then let us head to the targets. We will start from a close distance, so let us move a bit."
"Yes."
After explaining to Princess Ekaterina, who had been watching them the whole time, that they were heading toward the targets, the two began to walk.
"Speaking of which, how much of your original consciousness is there?"
"That is..."
"It is fine for now, right? Conversation will not interfere while we are walking."
"You are correct. It is difficult to explain. It is as if I am my original self, yet also as if I am a different person."
"What kind of situation is that?"
"I have been told that the organization of the restrictions is not going well. Because of that, my thoughts become confused, and attitudes or words different from my original self manifest."
"That many restrictions?"
"I do not know if this is many. I do not know if I can explain it, but for example, suppose I receive an order not to defy people. On the other hand, I am told to listen only to my master's orders. That would cause confusion, so it becomes necessary to add an order that when receiving conflicting orders, the master's must be prioritized. I have finished the explanation."
"It seems a certain level of intelligence is required from the side giving the orders, doesn't it?"
"I believe so."
"In practice, what happens when orders conflict?"
"Simply put, I become unable to do anything. In bad cases, I become unable to move."
"Eh? Is that so?"
"Yes. I become unable to think of anything and just stop. I feel as if I have become very stupid. You know how a child might freeze up when facing something for the first time because they do not know what to do? It is like that."
"Fufu, I feel like I understand."
At Ray's words, which carried a slight hint of emotion, Cecil's tense heart seemed to thaw, and a smile appeared on her face for the first time.
"You laughed."
"Ah, sorry."
"No, I am happier when you laugh."
"Eh?"
"I should mention that I have not lost my emotions. However, because I now need time to process orders, their manifestation on the surface has become dull."
"I see. When I laugh, does it make Kamui happy?"
"It does."
"Hearing you say that makes me happy too."
With her cheeks faintly flushed, Cecil spoke her feelings for Ray directly, just as she had before.
"If you make that kind of face, I will stop."
"Why?"
"I will be caught between the order not to touch women and the emotion of wanting to hug Cecil-sama, and I will become unable to move."
"If you say such things, I... There is no restriction against wooing women, is there?"
"It seems that is the case."
And a smile appeared on Ray's face. Seeing that face, Cecil's heart completely lifted, just as it had before.
"Kamui! Come back!"
The one who poured cold water on Cecil's heart was the voice of Princess Ekaterina.
"Her Highness the Princess is calling, so I shall return."
"Ah, me too."
Cecil hurriedly followed behind Ray as he ran back to Princess Ekaterina.
"Did you call for me?"
"We are returning to the room."
"Understood."
"Um? The training hasn't even started yet."
Ray immediately voiced his agreement with Princess Ekaterina's order, but Cecil could not let it go. She had finally started to feel like she could enjoy her time with Ray.
"That is enough."
"But..."
"I said it is enough. What are you? You are quite overly familiar with my slave."
"Eh?"
"Do you understand? Kamui is now my possession. Your relationship is a thing of the past."
"I know that..."
Princess Ekaterina knew of her relationship with him. It was obvious who had told her.
"Kamui, you must never speak with this woman again."
"If it is Her Highness's order."
"That is strange. Why forbid even speaking?"
"I told you. Kamui is my possession. I do not want him interacting lightly with other women."
"Princess?"
Cecil felt a sense of incongruity at Princess Ekaterina's words and became bewildered. The words did not seem like something one would use toward a slave.
"What is it?"
"It is almost as if... No, but I think forbidding him from even speaking is going a bit too far."
"Are you offering your opinion to me, the Princess? If it were a remonstrance, I might accept it. But your words are simply a desire to make Kamui your own, are they not?"
"That is not..."
"If you want Kamui that badly, shall I lend him to you?"
"Eh?"
"If you prostrate yourself and beg, I might lend you Kamui for one night. I will permit you to do whatever you wish that night."
The current Princess Ekaterina was not at all the woman usually praised by those around her for her intelligence and beauty. Directing a gaze full of hostility toward Cecil, the words that left her mouth were truly despicable, unbecoming of a princess of a nation.
"...Are you speaking seriously?"
"It is my prerogative how I use my own slave, is it not?"
"It is not that, but will you really lend me Kamui?"
"...You?"
"If I prostrate myself, you will let Kamui be free for one night?"
"...It was a joke, a joke. There is no way I would permit such a thing. In the first place, who do you think you—"
Flustered by Cecil's appearance, which suggested she might actually prostrate herself, the Princess denied her previous words as a joke.
"As I thought, it is strange."
Cecil felt an even stronger sense of incongruity toward the Princess.
"Enough already. Come, Kamui. We are returning to the room."
"Yes."
Princess Ekaterina turned her back on Cecil and left the scene. In the heart of Cecil, who watched her go, the incongruity she had been feeling grew larger. Princess Ekaterina's words and actions regarding Ray were as if she were looking at herself, pining and drowning in possessiveness. Cecil shook off the thought that such a thing was impossible, but the unrest in her heart would not subside.
◇◇◇
Upon returning to her room with Ray, Princess Ekaterina immediately dismissed the waiting maids from the room. A princess alone in a room with a man. The princess did not understand how abnormal a situation that was. Originally she had understood, but after a certain event, she had begun to ignore it.
"Whew. How tiring. Since I told them to leave, they should just leave obediently."
Sitting on the bed and letting out a deep sigh, Princess Ekaterina voiced her dissatisfaction with the maids. For the maids, it was not something they could easily condone, leaving the princess alone with Ray. It was natural for them to resist, but Princess Ekaterina could not forgive that.
"The maids also have their duties."
"Oh, you are defending the maids."
Princess Ekaterina's gaze sharpened at Ray's words.
"I do not intend to do so."
"...Surely you are not being hit on again?"
"No, it has not happened once since that time."
A while after Ray had been made Princess Ekaterina's slave, one maid had hit on him. It was based on the simple thought that since Ray was a slave, she could treat him as she pleased. In reality, Ray had offered no resistance and embraced the maid as ordered. Then, he had reported that fact directly to the Princess. The Princess's anger had been tremendous. That maid was charged with a rather ambiguous yet considerably heavy crime—maliciously damaging the property of royalty—and was punished. Furthermore, a restriction was placed on Ray, forbidding him from engaging in sexual acts with any woman other than Princess Ekaterina. The fact that the restriction specifically said "any woman other than Princess Ekaterina" showed the abnormality of her current state. Just as Cecil had felt, Princess Ekaterina was dominated by a strong possessiveness toward Ray. Of course, as a virgin, it was not permitted for her and Ray to actually have a physical relationship. That was due to a very strange restriction: it would violate the order that the master's body must not be harmed. Of course, even without that, Princess Ekaterina, as royalty, was required to remain a virgin until marriage. If they entered such a relationship, Ray would surely be sentenced to death this time. Princess Ekaterina would also be unable to avoid some form of punishment.
"Speaking of which, how was it with that woman?"
"Which woman do you refer to?"
"The mage called Cecil."
"Cecil-sama? We had no time for magic lessons, so nothing in particular."
"That is not what I am talking about."
"Then, which matter is it?"
"...Your relationship."
"Relationship? Yes, she treated me well. As a maid, she was proper to me, despite my mysterious nature."
"That is not it!"
"Then, what is it? I apologize, but I am unable to grasp the meaning of Her Highness's question."
"I mean... that, you know, a relationship between a man and a woman, right?"
Just by uttering such an expression, Princess Ekaterina's face turned bright red.
"Surely Her Highness does not wish to ask about sexual acts?"
"N-no, I don't."
As if to drive the point home, Ray questioned Princess Ekaterina using explicit expressions. Furthermore, ignoring her denial, he continued the conversation.
"Is Her Highness interested in such things? If it is Her Highness's order, I shall speak of it, but the content will be somewhat obscene."
"That's..."
"It was not a matter of once or twice. When you overlap your bodies many times, it, how should I put it, becomes familiar."
"I-is that so?"
"Yes. You are interested after all, are you not?"
"T-that is not the case."
"Then, I shall stop speaking further. In the first place, it is not a story that should be told to Her Highness."
"Right... Y-yes, that's right. I have no interest in such stories."
Princess Ekaterina showed a momentary look of disappointment, but she quickly recovered and tightened her expression, attempting to regain her dignity as a princess.
"Are you concerned about Cecil-sama?"
"...Not particularly."
"I see. Cecil-sama is a beautiful person, but it is not something Her Highness needs to be concerned about."
"Beautiful? Oh, so Kamui thinks so."
"Yes. I believe she is a beautiful person by general standards."
"...I see."
"Ah, but of course, Her Highness is more beautiful."
"I am not happy when you say it so mechanically."
"My apologies. Then, how should I praise Her Highness?"
"Let's see. I wonder what part of me Ray thinks is beautiful?"
"Let me see."
Ray approached Princess Ekaterina, who was sitting on the bed, and spoke while staring into her eyes.
"Her Highness's blonde hair looks as if it is shining of its own accord; it is very beautiful."
"I-is it?"
"Her Highness's blue eyes emit a beautiful light, like exquisite jewels; when looked at like that, they feel very dazzling to me."
"I-is that so...?"
"Her Highness's faintly red lips are like ripe fruit; I find myself wanting to pinch them."
"Pinch? What an interesting expression."
"Is it? But actually, staring from this close, my hand instinctively reaches out."
Indeed, Ray extended his arm toward the Princess's mouth and began to move his fingertip as if slowly tracing it.
"K-Kamui."
"If you speak, I will commit the rudeness of touching a noble person directly."
"B-but, ah."
Because she moved her mouth further, Ray's finger touched the Princess's lips.
"My apologies. I was simply captivated by your beauty."
Hurriedly, Ray put distance between himself and the Princess, then knelt on the floor and voiced his apology.
"N-no, it is fine. This is my fault for giving a strange order in jest."
"No. I... without knowing my place, to Her Highness..."
"Kamui?"
"I shall accept any punishment. Please give your order."
"A punishment?"
"I believe such things should be handled properly. I believe that is also a duty as a master."
"I see... but even if you say punishment, nothing comes to mind."
"Then, how about striking my body with a whip? I believe that is a common punishment for slaves."
"Ah, I have heard of such things."
"Then, let us do that."
"But... hey, isn't that a bit barbaric after all?"
"Eh?"
"Ah?"
Ray had already removed his clothes, and his upper body was bare. Seeing this, Princess Ekaterina's eyes widened. It was the first time the princess had ever seen a man's naked body.
"W-what are you doing?"
"If I am to be struck with a whip, I believe it is necessary to be bare-skinned."
"That is, yes, but..."
Ray's body looked slender when clothed, but in reality, all unnecessary fat had been removed, and he was covered in supple muscles. He had a physique like a different person compared to when he first arrived in the royal capital.
"Your body..."
"Yes. Is something the matter with my body?"
"You have become sturdy. When we first met, you were nothing but skin and bones."
"I have been training constantly. It seems I have finally become average."
"I see..."
Princess Ekaterina stood up from the bed and wandered toward Ray.
"Her Highness, is something the matter?"
"Nothing..."
"Her Highness?"
As she spoke, the princess came right in front of the kneeling Ray and extended her arm toward his body. The hand placed on his shoulder slowly slid down, stroking his chest.
"No whips. I do not want to damage this body."
"Her Highness, you must not. You are too close."
"Am I not allowed to get close? You cannot possibly cause me harm."
"Even if I cannot harm you, I can love you."
"Eh?"
"As long as I do not harm you, I can embrace you, and I can make you happy."
"That... is not allowed."
"Of course, only with Her Highness's permission. I cannot do such a thing by force."
"T-that's true."
"Is this the punishment?"
"Punishment?"
"Right now, I want to embrace Her Highness in these arms... enduring that is very painful."
"T-that's right. This is the punishment."
"But, I am also happy. I can gaze upon Her Highness from such a distance."
"Kamui..."
"Ah, excuse me. It seems someone has arrived."
"Eh!?"
Ray quickly put distance between himself and Princess Ekaterina and began to put on his jacket and tidy his clothes. Seeing this, Princess Ekaterina also sat in the desk chair and began to open a book haphazardly.
"Excuse me!"
The one who appeared was Miria.
"Oh, Miria. What brings you here?"
"It is not a matter of what brings me! I heard the story from the maids."
Miria entered the room. For a moment, Miria cast a glance at the standing Ray, but without saying anything, she approached Princess Ekaterina.
"The maids said something?"
"You dismissed the maids to be alone with this man? Her Highness, please consider your position. There is no telling what kind of scandal might arise."
"Kamui is my slave. He... cannot cause me harm."
"Even so!"
"Did Miria come all this way just to say that? Was that the duty of a Royal Guard Knight?"
"The maids must have said the same thing, surely?"
"Those women only say such things because they want to be with Kamui themselves."
"That cannot be."
"Oh, in fact, there was a maid who tried to seduce Kamui while I was away."
"That... no, anyway."
Miria admonishing Princess Ekaterina and the Princess arguing back. This was a scene that had been repeated many times lately. And Princess Ekaterina was increasingly stopping listening to what Miria said.
"A little more. A little more and that one will fall. Once that is finished, next is..."
Ray, who had been watching the exchange between the two from a distance with an expressionless face, let out a small mutter. It was a tiny, tiny mutter that would never reach the two of them.