The Mother who has Changed
After completing his errands at the school, Tigaro came to the Noros family's main residence.
In the mansion, which is larger than the detached house, many female slaves enslaved by the Noros family are forced to work.
Most of these slaves are forcibly enslaved, and are not allowed to run away or ask for help due to the commands of slave magic, and endure the days of being tormented and tortured by their masters.
Their expressions were always gloomy, and they were frightened by the people of the Noros family.
While receiving the frightened gazes of the slaves, Tigaro hands a piece of paper to Lemalgoas's slave, Arnei.
"This is a summary of what is currently known about the monster that appeared in the royal capital last night. Father is out of the country and will probably be back in a few days, so I will send a letter to inform him."
The paper Tigaro handed over didn't say anything about Eul becoming a monster or that Tigaro had captured her.
The reason is that there is a possibility that people within the Noros family, including the head of the family, Lemalgoas, are involved in this case.
The distorted pattern on Eul's magic core doesn't seem to be a slave crest from Tigaro's perspective, but its properties are very similar to slave magic in that it acts on the magic core.
That means there is a high possibility that the Noros family, the only one on the continent who can sense the magic cores of others, is involved in this case in some way.
If the blood relatives of the Noros family, including his father Lemalgoas, were to turn Eul into a monster in some way and cause harm to Aifie, it would be difficult for Tigaro to deal with it.
While protecting his mother Tesia and Aifie from within the Noros family, he must trace the intentions of their schemes and settle the situation so that no harm comes to Tigaro's loved ones.
Considering the possibility of that happening, it was a natural decision to hide some information from his father, Lemalgoas, who was originally untrustworthy.
Arnei was offered a piece of paper and politely accepted it.
"Yes, Tigarokent-sama."
Dressed in a maid uniform and bowing politely, she is Lemalgoas' obedient slave.
She must be careful not to leak any information, even though Lemalgoas has given her the task of organizing the slaves.
Thinking so, Tigaro returns to the detached house where Kenna, her mother Tesia, and the captured Eul are.
Tigaro, who was about to leave the mansion, quickly walked towards the entrance.
Tigaro descended the glitteringly decorated stairs while receiving the stares of the frightened slaves in the hallway.
Halfway down the stairs, he noticed that the maids at the bottom were looking at something other than Tigaro.
"……Hmm"
At the end of the stairs was Psyphro, the eldest son of the Noros family.
Although he was being looked at in fear by his slaves, he didn't seem to care and stabbed something, who was lying on the ground, with a dagger.
However, every time Psyphro, who had a cold expression on his face, stabbed her with his dagger, red liquid splashed around him.
When Tigaro saw this, he frowned a little in discomfort.
He had seen that scene several times before.
It was a bad habit of his older brother, Psyphro.
It seems that he fulfills his desire by inflicting large wounds on other people's bodies.
The sights that Tigaro had seen many times before were all in such terrible devastation that even his slaves' bodies that he could see now had large scars on them.
Some of them may have lost parts of their limbs, perhaps because they were hurt so badly.
However, they have already become Psyphro's slaves.
Not a single one of them could complain to the master who had caused such misery.
"……Boring"
That's what Psyphro said to the woman who was lying around wearing a maid uniform stained red with blood.
Then he looked up and seemed to notice Tigaro, who was halfway up the stairs.
Tigaro's face was already plastered with his usual amiable smile, and none of his internal disgust leaked to the outside.
Psyphro, who caught Tigaro in his sight.
"...Tigaro. There was a female beastman with no scars that you always took with you."
Tigaro's eyebrows seemed to move a little at those words.
There was no doubt that Psyphro was talking about Kenna.
Sensing that his slave was being targeted, Tigaro internally felt uncomfortable.
However, he doesn't show it on his face, instead, he answers with a smile so as not to offend Psyphro.
"Haha, Brother Psyphro. If you're going to use her for fun, don't you have other slaves brother?"
He's sorry for seeming to use them as scapegoats, but they can no longer be saved even by Tigaro's hands.
Tigaro himself is doing his best to protect what's within his reach, so he has no choice but to cut them down.
Although Tigaro secretly apologized to the slaves who were frightened by his words, he did not lose his smile.
Hearing Tigaro's words, Psyphro looked at the slave lying covered in blood at his feet.
The slave, who didn't say a word and could only accept what Psyphro did to her, still had a dagger stuck in her body.
There was no compassion in Psyphro's gaze as he looked at it, only clear contempt.
"I’m tired of this one."
Tigaro frowned and smiled at Psyphro who seemed to be bored.
"That being said, Kenna is one of my few slaves. I think it would not be good for the Noros family's prosperity, and even for Brother, if their limbs were reduced."
"I'm just using them to kill time. As long as they have limbs, it won't have any problems, right?"
Psyphro said this to Tigaro and nudged his fallen slave with his toe.
The toes of Psyphro's shoes were wet with the slave's blood, and the slave let out a slight groan.
"In exchange, I'll give you this piece of trash."
Psyphro crudely pulls out the dagger that was thrust into the fallen slave.
The thrown dagger spun in the air and rolled to the stairs where Tigaro was descending.
If you look closely, you can see that the handle of the dagger has glittering decorations.
"[Heal yourself]"
At Psyphro's words, the slave crest engraved on her body appears.
The slave's mouth moved slightly, her eyes blank and as if she was about to die.
"[----]"
It was a chant to use magic.
The mana that overflowed from her became a thread, spinning and sealing the wounds on her body one after another.
The wounds all over her body that had been cut open by Psyphro were wrapped in healing magic, and there was not a single stain on her skin after it had been stitched up with thread.
Tigaro was more than a little surprised to see her body healing from deep wounds.
"Recovery magic, huh?"
"After all, it’s a piece of garbage that only can use recovery."
Psyphro says this without any interest in a slave who can use valuable recovery magic.
Then, without hiding his displeasure, he gave an inexplicable look at Tigaro, who smiled.
"What's the matter? Hurry and bring your slave."
"...Haha, Brother Psyphro. I'm currently entrusting Kenna with an important task, so she's too busy. I was entrusted with preparing for the Noros banquet that will be held soon."
He didn't lie.
Kenna is now in charge of watching over Eul and caring for her mother, Tesia.
Both are important jobs that Tigaro should originally be doing.
When it comes to taking care of his mother Tesia, it is a job that Tigaro cannot do as she is extremely frightened by him.
Kenna is now completely responsible for dressing her mother, preparing meals, etc.
He doesn't dare to tell Psyphro what the job entails, but it's probably enough of an excuse not to give him Kenna.
Tigaro lined up his words smoothly, paused, and smiled apologetically at the end.
"Brother. Please forgive me."
Tigaro clearly refused, although he said it softly so as not to upset his mood.
Although Tigaro had a soft demeanor, he continued to stubbornly refuse, and Psyphro snorted while looking at him with contempt.
"...Well, that's fine."
Psyphro, who had no particular preferences and just wanted a toy that would satisfy his desires, looked around at his slaves standing around him and spotted one of them.
The slave, who was looked at as the next target, started shaking her shoulders and looked extremely frightened.
While reaching for the slave, Psyphro said to Tigaro.
"Tigaro. I will be the next head of the Noros family. If you also want a suitable position in the future, you should at best prove that you can be useful to me."
"Yes, of course. Brother Psyphro."
Smiling, Tigaro's heart was filled with hatred for Psyphro, who was trying to mess with Kenna on a whim.
---
Tigaro finally returned to the detached house and opened the door.
"I'm home"
There was no reply to Tigaro's words.
Usually, Kenna, Tigaro's slave, greets him, but on rare occasions this happens.
Usually when this happens, Kenna is doing housework at the house.
At least Kenna should be in the house, so she's probably cleaning somewhere today as well.
Thinking so, Tigaro went out into the hallway.
The curtains on the open window flutter in the breeze.
It hid the face of someone standing there.
"...Kenna?"
Tigaro couldn't help but ask the figure.
The curtains that had been swaying in the wind returned to their original positions.
Tigaro was surprised to see that face.
She has haggard cheeks and long, disheveled hair.
Her eyes were somewhat empty, and there was no cheerful expression like the one Tigaro had seen a few years ago.
"……Mother……?"
"――――!?"
Tesia, who was looking out the window, responded to Tigaro's voice and turned around.
Her eyes trembled as she looked at Tigaro in fear.
Her dry lips opened and her throat uttered a sound.
"――Stay away."
Tigaro, who was about to open his mouth further, stopped when he heard that voice.
Tesia, his mother, no longer smiled at him like she used to, but instead, she just stared at Tigaro with trembling eyes and stepped back.
"Stay away, stay away, stay away, stay away, stay away――"
The horrified look on her face was not that different from the one the slave had shown to Psyphro earlier.
Tesia's knees trembled, and her unsteady steps finally made her fall down and hit her butt.
Trying to reach out to his mother who had fallen, Tigaro moved his fingertips and his mother's shoulders trembled violently.
Tigaro's heart ached deeply at the clear rejection.
Tigaro stopped moving, as if he was being sewn by the gaze of his frightened mother.
Even as he tried to extend a loving hand to his mother, he could see that his hand would be swatted away.
Tigaro was panicking and thinking, not knowing what to do, when a figure slipped in from the side.
The beastkin girl, wearing a maid outfit, blocked his mother Tesia's view and gently wrapped her trembling body.
Tigaro and Tesia's line of sight is blocked by Kenna's body.
Kenna then supported Tesia's waist and gently led her down the hallway, pulling her by the hand.
"Tesia-sama, let's go back to your room. I have new books and delicious cakes for you in your room."
"No, no, no――"
Even Tigaro himself knew that his mother Tesia's rejection was aimed at Tigaro.
Tigaro was unable to say anything to his mother as she was led by Kenna to her room.
---
Going down the path to the basement.
Kenna, leading in front of Tigaro, fills a magic tool attached to the wall of the passageway with mana and lights it up.
"...I was surprised. I never expected Mother to be outside the room."
Tigaro, who had calmed down after being rejected by his mother Tesia, said this to Kenna.
In Tigaro's memory, his mother, Tesia, must have been holed up in the study of the house after the incident where she was molested by Lemalgoas in front of Tigaro.
She cut off information from the outside world and just read books as if to escape from reality.
If a member of the Noros family, including Tigaro, comes near, she will scream and reject it, cowering in fear until it passes.
That's what Tesia has been like these past few years.
Tigaro's usual smile was plastered on his face, but now there was a shadow cast over his face.
He had been aware for a long time that he was being rejected by his mother, Tesia.
However, when he once again confirms that he is hated, he feels helpless.
Tigaro quietly let out a tired sigh.
"I'm sorry. Kenna left the door open when I was cleaning her room, and Tesia-sama accidentally came outside."
Kenna said that as usual with an emotionless expression on her face.
However, the black tail that extended from the skirt of her maid uniform was hanging down, and Kenna seemed to be feeling a little apologetic as well.
"It is Kenna's fault for causing Tigaro-sama and Tesia-sama an unpleasant experience. If you could punish this misbehaving person, I would feel better."
"...Yeah, but let's talk about that another time."
He has other things to do now.
This is not the time to be depressed from the shock of being rejected by his mother.
Throwing away the sadness that remained in his heart, Tigaro opened the door to the basement where Eul was being held captive.
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