CHAPTER 49: RAPHEAL.

The question hung in the air for a while.

The Devil King sighed. "I figured you would ask these questions eventually. Given that I avoided it last time, I can’t risk doing the same again."

Ash kept looking at her. There was no reason for him to utter anything else.

"Yes, My Lord, I did appear before the hero after you were killed. In that moment, though your soul had not yet left your body, your body was at risk of being decapitated by them. That would have been beyond my power if I wanted to bring you back to life."

She continued.

"Which was why I needed to show myself with the few powers I had left and transport your body somewhere hidden and safe. I assure you, I did no harm to the hero and his allies. They just seemed rather surprised to see me, is all."

"Good. If you had lied to me, there would have been a problem. I hate lies." Ash changed his sitting position.

The Devil King simply smiled at his comment. If there was anything she loved, it was seeing Ash act arrogant. It completely turned her on.

"Another question."

The fact Ash wanted to ask something else caused her to raise her head.

"How did you end up here, and why was I the one chosen to be your master?"

"I feel you have asked me a similar question in the past, but I will answer nonetheless," she began. "During my battle against the former hero, just like every hero I had battled, I killed him, claiming yet another victory for myself and my people.

Humans are a desperate species, afraid of anything they don’t understand. And when they can’t control said thing, it is immediately viewed as a threat.

It wasn’t like I wanted to be an enemy of humanity, but to protect my people against them, it had to be done.

But during my victory against the hero, I had no idea he had linked our lives together using an ancient curse. That was how I ended up dead.

I created this world as a way to relieve myself of the curse. Becoming your slave was just another way of accomplishing it."

Ash looked to the side.

’When a person becomes my slave, they are reborn as someone new. I guess that is what she meant. This world was also created to keep her safe until the curse was completely gone. That explains why she needs my mana so much.’

He then sighed.

"Very well. I understand." Ash then stood to his feet. "How long will it take you to fully recover? You’re my slave, so I expect you also have a trauma quest I need to take care of."

The Devil King smiled. "Given the rate at which you’re growing, very soon, My Lord. And even if I am to recover, I shall not leave until I have fully built this space to fit your taste."

’I wanted to ask her why she chose me and how she knew about my powers, but I can let it slide for now.’

"I should give you a name. Calling you ’Devil King’ is not exactly something I want to do forever."

"If you wish to give me a name, then I accept with open arms. Do be aware, I am an entity born from chaos. I do not doubt your powers, but a huge amount of mana and mental fortitude will be needed if you were to name someone like me."

’Is that so?’

"From this moment henceforth, your name shall be Raphael."

A flash of light spread from her body like wildfire, reaching all the way to where Ash was.

For a brief moment, he was shocked, having to take a quick step back.

But just when he noticed the excited, almost obsessive smile on the Devil King’s face, the system notification popped up.

[The bond level of the Devil King has been maxed.]

[The bond level of the Devil King has been maxed.]

’What? Just from naming her? This didn’t happen with...’

He slowly felt his consciousness slipping from his grasp.

At first, it started with him seeing blurs, then it followed with him collapsing to the ground, back first.

Ash still managed to keep his eyes open, but this time, Raphael was already in front of him, an even bigger smile on her face as she looked directly at him.

"Rest well, Master. Oh, and also, remember, when it’s finally time to take your revenge, my subsidiaries will be watching over you to lend their assistance. They are quite loyal and have taken a deep liking to you. At least, most of them. Bye-bye, My Lord."

’The hell does she mean...’

And with that, Ash fell unconscious on the shadowy ground.

...

Back at the campus where the slaves were being traded, Aisha had been kept in a small cage, right next to the other demi-humans, ranging from beast-men or furries and so forth.

Amongst them all, she was the one dressed the most decently. The rest either wore rags or had nothing on at all.

The worst part was that most of them were females, and only a few men could be seen.

Aisha looked around, her face filled with disgust at the sight.

It reminded her of her days in there, but even then, it was never this bad.

And to think she had to endure this for two days before her master would show up.

She curled up by herself in the corner, her eyes lowered with a hint of sadness.

"Master~" she blurted out, though in a hushed tone.

It would be until the next morning before they would be free to roam about during their bath and so forth. That would be the best time for her to gather information. For now, the best she could do was stay in the cage and wait.

The others that were in there with her looked so exhausted and tired that they didn’t even bother to start up a conversation with her.

The cage was covered with a red cloth, and as such, there was barely any light getting in, making it hard for them to see their faces.

Or so she thought.

Flap!

A guard suddenly opened the curtain, looking straight at a wolf girl right next to where Aisha was.

"You there. Come. You have a customer."

The wolf girl, who had been expressionless throughout the entire time, suddenly flinched in fear at the announcement.

"No!"

She suddenly screamed, grabbing hold of Aisha’s arm, fear gripping her face.

"Please don’t let them take me away! I don’t want to spend the night with strangers again! I don’t want to do it; please help me!"

Tears dripped from her eyes, enough to move Aisha’s heart.

Aisha clenched her fist, wanting to summon her blade in order to fight the man.

But what then?

If she did that, no doubt the other guards would swarm in, and then the entire plan her master had made would fall apart. She wouldn’t have the freedom to gather information the next day.

Aisha clenched her teeth in anger, watching as the guard reached into the cage to grab the wolf girl.

"Let go of her!" Aisha’s voice was sharp, cutting through the tense silence. Her eyes, usually calm, now blazed with a fierce protectiveness.

The guard paused, turning his gaze from the trembling wolf girl to Aisha. He let out a condescending chuckle. "And who are you, little lady, to be giving orders? You’re just another piece of merchandise here."

He made to grab the wolf girl again, but Aisha moved with a speed that belied her seemingly delicate appearance.

She shoved her arm through the bars, her hand clamping around the guard’s wrist. Her grip was surprisingly strong, making him wince.

"I said, let her go," Aisha repeated, her voice lower now, a dangerous edge to it. The wolf girl stared at Aisha, wide-eyed, a glimmer of hope sparking in her fear-filled gaze.

The guard tried to pull his arm free, but Aisha held fast. His chuckle died on his lips, replaced by a scowl. "You’ll regret that, little slave. I’ll make sure you get a taste of what happens to disobedient goods."

He raised his free hand, clearly intending to strike her. But before he could, a new voice, deep and authoritative, cut through the air.

"What is going on here?"

All heads turned towards the sound. A tall, burly man with a scarred face and an air of unmistakable authority stood at the entrance of the dimly lit area. He wore the insignia of the campus’s head guard.

The guard who had been harassing Aisha immediately released his arm from her grasp and snapped to attention, his face paling. "Sir! Nothing, sir! Just a... troublesome one, sir." He gestured vaguely towards Aisha and the wolf girl.

The head guard’s eyes, sharp and scrutinizing, landed on Aisha. He observed her defiant stance, the lingering anger in her eyes, and then the terrified wolf girl cowering behind her. His gaze then shifted to the red-faced, nervous guard.

"Troublesome, you say?" The head guard’s voice was calm, but there was an underlying current of menace that made the first guard visibly shrink. "I see. And you, in your infinite wisdom, decided the best course of action was to... threaten a potential customer’s property?"