Chapter 248: A Means of Punishment, and a Switch in the Middle (1)

"Yes, that is troubling."

After dinner, I sat on the sofa in the living room.

Behind me stood Muriel.

I had brought her as the representative of the Dules.

She had seemed worried about Lily.

In the seat opposite me sat Freit, the master of this mansion.

Today he had returned early.

When I brought up Lily while we ate dinner together, it seemed it would become a difficult talk, so it was decided to do it again after the meal.

And where I and Freit turned our eyes, there stood Lily, fully naked, hands clasped behind her, upright.

Eyes moist shyly, yet pupils swaying anxiously.

Her tail peeked its face from between her thighs too.

...Hm? Tail?

"Originally, a Dule killing her master does not happen. There is a magical restriction. But there are cases of scheming to kill."

Freit started talking, so I concentrated on the talk.

"...For example, hiring a killer, or something?"

"A killer. True, that sort can be thought of too, but it costs money. The most common is making a trap, or putting in poison, but even with a trap or poison it is impossible to make or set them intending to kill the master, so they have someone help, I am told. At most, before the master falls for them, they end up talking of it themselves and it comes to light, in most cases. According to the people themselves, that is a magical restriction too."

Because of a magical restriction, they ended up talking of their own schemes on their own? That was it?

"So a Dule committing master-killing is almost none, and if it is known she will without doubt be disposed of."

Hearing Freit’s words, Lily shuddered.

"But this girl was not a Dule. And if she killed as many as six people, in this city it becomes a public execution. Timing it, hanging in the square, or the arena. If a noble is among those killed, it becomes impalement."

Hearing that, Lily swallowed with a gulp.

"Now then, here I must speak of the system of criminal slaves. This is talk of this city, but as a means to save one who has committed a crime from punishment, there are two methods, payment of a fine, and dropping to a criminal slave. Payment of a fine is mainly recognized for light crimes, but for a serious crime like this girl’s it is almost not recognized. A criminal slave, as the word says, drops one who has committed a crime to a slave. For a light crime a mere slave, for a certain degree of crime a Ze-Dule, and for a serious crime a rank below A-Dule."

Oh?

Here I noticed something odd in Freit’s explanation.

"Freit, an A-Dule, if the person herself does not want to become a Dule, she cannot, can she?"

"Yes, that is right. So a grace of time to become an A-Dule is given. First, near the places corresponding to the First Crest, Second Crest, and Third Crest of a Dule, precisely the right breast, left buttock, and for a man around the head of the penis, for a woman the clitoris, a branded mark with a curse on it is pressed."

"A curse?"

"Yes. Well, it is a kind of magic, but one that cannot be healed even with healing magic, or the master’s healing when one becomes a Dule. In other words, a mark that will not vanish for life is pressed."

Right. Because it can be healed with magic, this sort is necessary.

I looked at Lily. Her face had gone pale, and she trembled rattling her teeth.

"Lily, are you all right?"

"Y-yeah, fine..."

She did not look fine at all...

Well, I would have her endure a little more.

"Sorry. Continue."

"Yes. And so the whereabouts can be known at once, large bells of enchanted items are set on both nipples. This, when a caster who can use search or tracking magic says the password, the approximate direction and distance of the thing can be known, and further the bells ring with a loud sound. Of course the person herself cannot remove them, and if it is known she has removed them by chance, a bounty will be put out regardless of life or death."

"If a bounty is put out, what happens?"

"Mainly a request is put at the adventurers’ guild, but if she has gone to another country a request may be made to that country."

"Maybe an army goes out, or something..."

"There are cases. In the past a knight order that received a command from the king has moved."

That was amazing.

A country moving for one person.

"Quite a criminal."

"Well, a struggle for the throne, or something."

Freit smiled wryly and shrugged.

I see. Then it made sense.

"Then the treatment becomes the same as a To-Dule. A human who has not yet become a Dule being treated as a To-Dule is hard, physically and mentally."

Treatment of a To-Dule... what was it again.

Uh, must not wear clothes, must not hold a weapon, must always be with the master or the master’s substitute, must wear a collar and leash, must not ride a carriage...

Having excretion done by the master or the master’s substitute was a magical restriction, was it?

"Anyway, if she does not become a Dule in one month she is executed. Then the brand must continue even after becoming a Dule, and the treatment as a To-Dule is the same. Well, the enchanted item of the bells may be removed if she becomes a Dule."

Freit took a breath, took the teacup in front of him, and put it to his mouth.

Then he sighed lightly and looked at Lily.

I looked at Lily too, drawn, and her face had gone pale, large tears floated in her eyes, and from behind the purple, dry lips she rattled her teeth.

She was imagining what would become of her, and fearing it.

But though her body trembled too, she stood with her back stretched, hands still clasped behind, and that did not change.

And even in a state like this she did not try to run.

She was probably resolved.

"So, as for Lily, she is already a Dule. And a To-Dule. The treatment is of course still a To-Dule’s, and after that if we put the brand, I think there is no problem."

Freit wore a smile, put his mouth to the teacup he held once more, and set it on the table.

Originally it was an A-Dule, but as punishment she received To-Dule treatment, it seemed, but Lily was already a To-Dule, so the treatment was the same.

I did not think it was a punishment to be pessimistic about.

"Um, what... will happen to Hexa?"

Lily asked toward me.

"What will happen?"

"Hmm, split souls is the first time. But as long as there is a brand on the body, she will be seen as a criminal slave."

Well, that was so.

Even if she switched to Hexa, the brand would not vanish.

If so, Hexa, a Ji-Dule yet treated as a To-Dule, seemed heavier as punishment than Lily the To-Dule.

"So, how about it?"

Freit asked me if we would make this the settling point.

I looked at Lily, and she nodded still pale-faced.

Her tail peeked from between her thighs and stuck tight to her stomach.

"Is Hexa fine with that too?"

I asked because I minded Hexa, but Lily nodded.

The air had not changed, so it should be Lily.

Which meant, while listening to Freit’s talk she had probably consulted with Hexa.

"Then, please with that."

"Understood. Let us prepare at once. Tomorrow is fine?"

When I bowed my head, Freit nodded.

But tomorrow, from the position of having asked, was too sudden.

"From the day after tomorrow the bandit hunt starts, so I want to finish this sort of thing by then."

Maybe he caught my question. He explained that.

Bandit hunt meant catching bandits, and if so executions would be done too.

The numbers would be many, so the places related to punishment would grow busy, about that.

Then it could not be helped.

"Understood. Is there anything to prepare?"

"Let me see... excretion... ah, that girl is already a To-Dule. Then she will not leak."

"Leak?"

"Yes, the brand hurts quite a bit."

"Hii..."

Hearing that, Lily finally sat down.

Her hips seemed to have given out.

If Lily had not been a To-Dule, she might have wet herself.

"Fufu. Then I will excuse myself with this."

"Thank you."

Freit looked at Lily, who struggled to stand and sat again, smiled, bowed his head to me, and stood.

I stood at once too and bowed my head.

"No, no. Good that I could be of use. Ah, right. The schedule for the strategy meeting against the Demon Lord’s army has been decided. From the afternoon the day after tomorrow."

"The afternoon the day after tomorrow?"

"Yes, that is right. Those attending are the military persons in charge of this city and the supreme commander, the guild masters of the adventurers’ guild and the magicians’ guild, the high priest of Urilmex, then the sage Melchiorea, and as representative of the mercenary bands the captain of the Dragon’s Fang mercenary band. After that the assembly members. Of course I will go too."

Maybe because it would grow long, Freit sat on the sofa again and, counting on his fingers, told me what sort of people would come.

"I will attend there too."

I sat down again too.

"Yes, that is right."

Me entering among them felt out of place, but...

"Then, bring only the necessary ones among the Dules."

Necessary ones?

Who was necessary?

I looked up at the ceiling and thought.

"Uh, Muriel of course, and... Rosina and... should I bring Birga too?"

"Yes, both are priests. Especially Birga is a priest of the war god Surmares, so some advice might be gotten. And those who can use magic should come out too."

"Then Sophia."

She could use both composition magic and spirit magic.

About that.