Chapter 24

“Mirabel’s master? What do you mean by that?”

Narredi’s eyes narrowed as she shot me a cold glare.

Even though she wasn’t quite on Mirabel’s level, Narredi still had the aura of a witch, and it wasn’t something to take lightly. If it were the old me, my legs would be shaking like a newborn fawn.

But who am I now? I’ve survived for over a year in a world where death could come at any moment, even considering the synchronization of souls.

I didn’t flinch, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor.

“What’s there to explain? It’s exactly as it sounds. Mirabel is a slave, and I am her master.”

“Are you the slave trader Harold entrusted Mirabel to?”

“Well, that’s not entirely wrong. Harold did ask me to take good care of her.”

“Harold...?”

Narredi looked at me with disbelief in her eyes.

I would react the same way if I were her. Her daughter, whose fate had been uncertain, returned as a slave. And to top it off, her husband had entrusted her to a slave trader. It must have sounded absurd to her.

But what can I do? It’s the truth.

“More importantly, after climbing this mountain, I’m feeling quite hungry. You seemed to be preparing a meal, so would you mind if I join you for dinner?”

“……”

Narredi was still eyeing me with suspicion, but Mirabel, now fully composed, cut in at the perfect moment.

“Uh, Mom. I’m hungry too. I’d love to have your stew.”

“Oh dear, what am I doing? My poor Mirabel must be so tired, and I’ve been too distracted. Wait just a little while, sweetie. I’ll make you something delicious.”

Narredi flashed a warm, motherly smile at Mirabel, but as soon as her gaze fell on me, her expression vanished in an instant.

“You can sit down as well.”

“I won’t refuse, then.”

We sat down on wooden chairs, but an issue quickly arose.

“Mirabel…? Why are you sitting there?”

“…Oh.”

Of course, Mirabel had naturally sat on my lap, forgetting that her mother was right in front of her.

Narredi was still wary of me. Imagine her reuniting with her precious daughter after all these years, only to see her sitting on a strange man’s lap. From a mother’s perspective, it had to be deeply unsettling.

Just look at her.

Her eyes are shaking with confusion.

It’s like watching someone lose their childhood crush to a baseball jock.

I had to explain this fast.

“Haha, you see, since Mirabel has been traveling with me for a while, she’s developed a bit of dependency. She won’t stay far from me, not even while sleeping. Quite the spoiled one, really.”

“While sleeping…? You can’t be serious!”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I swear on the god of slave traders that nothing inappropriate has ever happened.”

Not that I even know if there is a god of slave traders, and if there is, I doubt they’d be worth swearing on, but I made the oath regardless.

At worst, I’ve just held her close like a body pillow and caught a whiff of her scent. I’m innocent.

“Regardless, there’s no need for that anymore! Come on, Mirabel. Why don’t you sit with your mother?”

“Um…”

Mirabel hesitated, lingering in my arms. That hesitation was a huge shock to Narredi. Her face turned ashen, as though she’d been hit with a stone.

Narredi’s gaze turned even more hostile toward me.

I felt wronged, but it didn’t matter much. The look of a loser only adds to the flavor of victory. I allowed myself a small, mocking smile.

But only briefly.

Going overboard could have backfired. I had already savored the bitterness of defeat.

“Mirabel, today is a special day since you’ve reunited with your mother. Why don’t you go to her?”

“Hmm…”

Mirabel thought about it for a moment, then eventually agreed. She quickly ran over and hugged Narredi.

This, too, was another shock to Narredi. Even while hugging her mother, she seemed less happy than when she had been with me.

“So, the priestess...”

Mirabel, who hadn’t glanced at her now-cooling stew, was happily recounting her recent experiences.

She looked far from the shy girl I had known, her face animated as she shared her stories, like someone reminiscing about a fun vacation.

Narredi listened to her daughter with a fond smile.

As Mirabel’s story progressed, Narredi’s attitude toward me changed as well. I was no longer the scoundrel who had stolen her daughter, but rather like a classmate Mirabel had brought home. That’s quite the upgrade.

‘But seriously, this stew is delicious.’

I didn’t want to interrupt the mother-daughter reunion, so I kept eating the stew in silence, and it was amazing.

This stew, made by Narredi, was actually an item that appeared in the game.

It didn’t have any in-game effects, but it was a highly symbolic item that could only be obtained after seeing Mirabel’s true ending.

In the game, I never actually used it. It’s a universal rule to keep one-time-use items as collectibles.

I never imagined I’d get to taste it in real life.

“You’re really enjoying that, aren’t you? Such a pointless thing.”

“It’s incredibly tasty. Your cooking skills are superb, Mother.”

“I appreciate the compliment, but who exactly are you calling ‘Mother’?”

“Well, Harold entrusted Mirabel to me, so you’re essentially my mother-in-law, right?”

Narredi gave me a disapproving look but didn’t say anything more. After all, I had brought her daughter back safe and sound, so she was in no position to criticize me too much.

Even if the world hates me, she can’t.

“Mom, you’re listening, right?”

“Of course, sweetie. I’m listening.”

Narredi smiled warmly again as she turned her attention back to Mirabel.

Night fell early in the mountains.

Even though the sun had long since set, Mirabel’s stories seemed endless. She recounted so much that I couldn’t help but wonder how such a small girl could speak so much.

Narredi, who had been listening patiently, was beginning to look tired. Eventually, she couldn’t hold out any longer and gently stopped Mirabel.

“Sweetheart, why don’t we continue this tomorrow? It’s time for bed. You need to sleep early if you want to grow taller.”

“Huh? Oh… alright.”

It had been a long time since Mirabel heard those words. In the past, she had thought they were just nagging, but now she realized how precious such moments of normalcy were. She didn’t argue, though that wouldn’t last long.

“Where are we sleeping?”

“Come, let’s sleep together in the bed.”

“Is Master sleeping with us?”

“What are you saying? That man will be sleeping in the living room.”

Mirabel looked conflicted, glancing at Karamir. She had grown so used to sleeping near him that it was hard for her to sleep without him.

Karamir smiled.

“Tonight, sleep with your mother.”

“Okay...”

Mirabel nodded without fuss. After all, it was her first night in a long time with her mother. She could sleep with Karamir again tomorrow.

The mother and daughter went into the bedroom, but a moment later, Mirabel peeked her head out.

“Goodnight, Master. See you tomorrow.”

Karamir stayed quiet, watching her with a somewhat wistful expression.

“Master?”

“Get some rest, Mirabel. You must be tired.”@@novelbin@@

“Okay, hehe.”

Mirabel smiled adorably and waved before disappearing back into the room.

Narredi tucked Mirabel into bed and lay down beside her, gently patting her in a soothing rhythm.

Mirabel, clutching the blanket up to her chin, beamed at the ceiling.

“Mom, I’m so happy right now.”

“Are you?”

“Yeah. I got to meet Master and now I’ve met you.”

“Do you really like that man so much? He’s a slave trader.”

Mirabel giggled as she responded.

“Master isn’t like other slave traders. He’s a bit weird and does silly things sometimes, but... when I cry, he hugs me, and when people say bad things about me, he always takes my side. He doesn’t care that I’m a witch. Other than you and Dad, he’s the first one.”

He had been there during her hardest times.

He had supported her when she was about to crumble.

“He’s a very peculiar slave trader.”

“Exactly. He knows so many strange things, and he even helped me meet you... and Dad…”

Narredi was curious as well.

How did he know?

How did he know that she was hiding in this remote mountain?

And he had been telling Mirabel all along that she would meet her mother. He knew she was alive.

‘Suspicious, but...’

It didn’t change the fact that she was now reunited with her daughter, healthy and happy. For that, she owed Karamir a debt she could never repay.

“Tomorrow... I’ll show you all the magic I’ve learned...”

“Alright, dear. Now go to sleep.”

Mumbling sleepily, Mirabel fell into a deep sleep as Narredi softly hummed a lullaby. She wouldn’t wake up, no matter what.

Narredi carefully got up when she felt that Mirabel was deeply asleep.

The old bed creaked as she moved, but thankfully, Mirabel didn’t stir.

Narredi stepped outside.

The space barely qualified as a living room, but Karamir wasn’t there. The door had been opened and closed, letting the cool mountain air linger in the cabin.

Narredi followed him outside, spotting him walking down the mountain.

She hurried after him, catching up quickly.

“Where do you think you’re going in the middle of the night?”

“My business here is done, so I’m leaving. I’m a busy man, after all. Oh, and don’t worry, I’ll lift the spell on Mirabel.”

Karamir continued walking without stopping. It was only when Narredi stepped in front of him that he finally halted.

Narredi raised her head to glare at him.

“You’re letting Mirabel go? A slave trader releasing a slave without any payment? Do you expect me to believe that?”

“I’ll return the same question to you. I’m a slave trader. I don’t do anything that doesn’t benefit me. This benefits me.”

“How exactly?”

“In more ways than one. Besides... I’ve seen what I wanted to see.”

Karamir thought back to the moment when Mirabel and Narredi had embraced, crying. It was a scene he had witnessed countless times, yet seeing it now, in real life, brought something new.

There’s a depth to emotions you can’t feel through a screen. The wave of emotions had stirred his soul, leaving a lasting impression.

“So you don’t have to worry.”

“But won’t Mirabel be upset if you leave like this...?”

“Your family is full of peculiar people. A man who entrusts his daughter to a slave trader, and a woman who tries to stop a slave trader from leaving.”

“I can’t help it. Mirabel relies on you so much.”

“That’s why I’m leaving now. If I wait until morning, she’ll try to follow me. It’s easier this way for everyone.”

“I suppose...”

Karamir casually walked past Narredi, not even bothering to turn around as he waved.

“Tell Mirabel something suitable. I’m leaving it in your hands.”

Narredi watched him go, standing still as he left like a protective guardian.

“It’s about time for wild beasts and monsters to come out.”

At her words, Karamir froze. He slowly turned his head.

“Do you have a spell for driving away wild animals?”

I descended the mountain, cloaked in Narredi’s magic.

With a witch’s aura surrounding me, no low-level monsters or wild animals would dare come near. The amount of magic wasn’t much, so it would dissipate by the time I reached the foot of the mountain. Even if I ran into a priest, there’d be no need for suspicion.

I glanced back at the path we had taken.

So much had happened. Some things went as expected, others didn’t. But overall, things had turned out fine, though there were areas for improvement.

Seeing their struggles had been frustrating at times, but knowing the ending brought comfort.

The knowledge that they would smile in the end made all the frustration wash away.

I looked back one more time.

The cabin where Mirabel was no longer in sight. By now, even if she woke up, she wouldn’t be able to catch up.

There would be no retaliation for treating her as a slave. Even though I doubted she would do such a thing now, you can never be too sure in this world.

“From now on, don’t let bad people catch you. Live happily with your mother.”

Snap.

I snapped my fingers.

The sharp sound echoed through the mountain.

The invisible shackles binding Mirabel’s soul shattered and disappeared.

As they fully dissolved, a familiar message appeared before me.

[Mirabel the Abandoned Witch – Liberation Complete]

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Mirabel the Abandoned Witch

Born in a nameless village, Mirabel was an ordinary, sweet girl, like any you’d find anywhere in the world. But on the day a priest arrived, her life plummeted into darkness.

Her beloved mother was presumed dead, and her father abandoned her, selling her into slavery. Listed in the Slave Carnival, Mirabel was destined to be sold to a pedophilic noble. But at that moment, you extended a helping hand to her.

You broke through the tightly shut door to her heart and drew the cowering Mirabel out of the darkness. Recognizing the girl who once denied her very existence, you gave Mirabel a reason to trust once more.

You nurtured her into a true witch, solved her traumas, and uncovered hidden secrets, successfully reuniting her with her family.

Mirabel realized that she was never truly abandoned. She was a beloved daughter and a witch destined to bring about miracles.

Mirabel the Abandoned Witch.

She was never abandoned.

Because you chose her.

────────────

Mirabel’s Liberation is now at 100%.

Reward: 50,000 points have been granted. The [Soul Shackles] skill has been upgraded. You have acquired a new skill: [Generous Master].

[Complete the liberation of the remaining main slaves. Current progress: 1/5]