Shirley Side: The Prisoner's Decision
The Empire is a difficult country for women to live in.
It is common sense that women should do housework and use their bodies to please men.
A woman's job is to serve a man. A woman is a man's property. That is the common sense of the empire.
Women in the empire were often told when being disciplined that if they displeased a man, they would be sold as slaves.
If a woman wants to be happy in the empire, she has no choice but to marry a rich man or a nobleman, improve her sword or magic skills, become an adventurer or a soldier, and get promoted. Many women who question the common sense of the empire choose the latter.
So am I. My father was a typical Imperial man, the kind of man who would beat my mother if he didn't like something. Mother was the kind of woman who would smile and cling to Father even when she was beaten.
I questioned the common sense of the empire because I heard a story about a woman from the kingdom when my father entertained a merchant from the kingdom with whom he had a business relationship.
When I visited the merchant's room naked at night, he quietly covered me with a blanket and told me the story. This allowed me to question the common sense of the empire without losing my virginity.
After having doubts, I began to see my parents as creepy, and I started attending military school early. Fortunately, I was born with magic skills, so it was easy for me to enroll.
It took me six years to graduate, but I was able to join the army as a soldier. However, I never expected to become a prisoner on my first expedition after joining the army...
We prisoners talked about our situations every day, but it seemed like everyone, just like me, had doubts about the Empire and became soldiers or adventurers.
It was good to be able to find something in common, even though each person's situation was large or small. Because I felt like everyone was able to come together as one.
In this way, we were able to gather our opinions and thoughts and make up our minds. Of course, the final conclusion will be left to each person's own judgment, but everyone's thoughts are unified.
And so the meeting between us and the Demon King began.
The Demon King carefully explained the outline of the situation and told us what happened after we were captured.
There, we learned that Fort Diggins had disappeared.
This demon lord, who called himself Light, apologized to us for not being able to stop the elf Demon King and causing the destruction of Fort Diggins.
At first, we were calm about the fact that the battalion we belonged to was wiped out, but it was a huge shock when even Fort Diggins was destroyed.
Some of our acquaintances were there. When I thought about that, I felt an indescribable feeling.
The Demon King had a sad expression on his face when he saw us in shock.
After a while of silence, the Demon King began talking about our future.
The Demon King said it was okay to return us to the Empire, but we told him that considering our treatment in the Empire, we did not feel like returning.
If the battalion we belonged to was annihilated except for us, who were prisoners, and we were the only ones who returned alive, what would await us would be a harsh interrogation and a court martial. Furthermore, even the Eastern Front Army that we belonged to no longer exists.
There is no military to which we belonged, and when we return back, we will be faced with a court martial, and depending on the verdict, we will be turned into a slave, and in the worst case scenario, we could be sentenced to death. If we were to run away from the military, our families would not be able to hide us.
We desperately explained to the Demon King that there was no place for us to return to.
"Hmm... then do you want to live here? There are many demi-humans that you discriminated against living here. Can you get along with them in such a situation?"
The Demon King asked us with a worried and troubled look on his face.
I can certainly understand why the Demon King is concerned. This is because we have lived in the Empire and looked down on them to some extent. Whether consciously or unconsciously, there is a danger of causing discord with these demi-humans. But...
"I will be honest with you. The Demon King is most concerned. However, there is no place for us to return to. Any place is fine. Any treatment is fine. We are also not liked by the demi-humans. We will do our best to make it happen. So please… please let us live here!"
We all bowed our heads. The Demon King looked at us, crossed his arms for a moment, and closed his mouth in thought.
And……
"Understood. However, I still don't fully trust you. I'm sorry, but please let me apply [Slave magic] as insurance. If you accept it, I will allow you to live here."
"Does that mean we should become slaves...?"
The other woman responded to the Demon King's words with a slightly pale face.
"Hmm... well, that's true, but I guess the only restriction is that you don't harm the demi-humans. You were originally military personnel. Besides, if you're my slaves, then all the demi-humans will not treat you so poorly."
The Demon King answered our question with a troubled expression, as if he was still confused.
We look at each other and confirm everyone's will. Everyone seemed to have made up their minds.
"We accept the Demon King's offer. So, thank you for your kindness."
Thus, we became the slaves of the Demon King.
No comments:
Post a Comment