Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Premature Escape (1)

#03

The sun set.

A cool breeze was cooling the ground that had been heated all day.

The slaves’ workday ended and evening meal time arrived.

“Huuu··· I’m dying. Still, I endured today.”

“We have to endure tomorrow too. And the day after that.”

“Is this how we live until we die? Eating only this kind of food?”

Sighs could be heard from various places.

Basically, the slaves’ meals maintained a gloomy atmosphere.

It was not only because the taste of the mixed gruel, the main menu, was only slightly better than dog food.

They had no hope.

The hope that they could someday become free and live a new life.

Excluding escape, the only way to regain freedom was for the Crow Bandit Group to completely collapse, but that was practically impossible.

“When will these villains go bankrupt? Should I just escape?”

“If you’re not shaking while imagining getting impaled even on normal days, just quit. I’ll bet that an earthquake destroying everything will come faster than the Crows going bankrupt.”

The Crows were different from other shoddy bandit groups.

If compared to reality, did they feel like a solid mid-sized company?

They had abundant funds, and since they were colluding with the regional lord, there was no way to restrain them.

Yesterday the same as today. Today the same as tomorrow.

The repeated hard labor in that cycle made even the most cheerful youth wither like faded moss.

“Hehe, meat, huh. I wish every day was like today.”

That was why Bran’s laughter stood out so much.

He was sitting on a rock and scooping up mixed gruel.

He was in a good mood because meat was mixed in for the first time in a while.

It was an old chicken as tough as a discarded tire, but even that was precious protein here.

He had already finished three bowls, but the hand moving the spoon showed no signs of stopping.

“Crazy bastard.”

“I knew it since the time he took the old man’s work. His brain got cooked by the sunlight.”

“But hasn’t that guy’s body improved a bit? He seems completely different from a month ago.”

The Farming Team slaves clicked their tongues.

They were eating separately, far from Bran.

The gazes they directed at Bran now contained pity rather than contempt.

Of course, he himself was not paying any attention at all.

“Phew, I feel like I can live now.”

After emptying the fourth bowl, Bran flopped down on his back.

At first he had wondered how anyone could eat something like this, but now it was somewhat edible.

Perhaps because he was in a growth period, it felt like everything he put in his mouth turned into blood and flesh.

“As expected, I wasn’t wrong.”

Bran muttered.

His dark green eyes were directed toward the star-filled night sky.

Toward the only beautiful thing that could be contained in the eyes in this idiotic fortress.

One month since the unique trait had bloomed.

He was gradually becoming an even tougher weed.

『The growth speed of Strength and Endurance increases slightly.』

『The growth speed of Strength and Endurance increases slightly.』

『The growth speed of Strength and Endurance increases slightly.』

A total of three system messages had appeared over the month.

It was stingy considering he had handled the workload of three slaves and additionally performed separate muscle training every day.

“Well, it would be weirder if it suddenly jumped a lot.”

Even so, there were no major complaints.

Considering balance, this was rather on the fast side.

Weed’s Tenacity was a broken trait that not only permanently increased growth speed but also allowed obtaining new traits.

Moreover, separate from the system’s notation, Bran’s body was making definite progress.

“Bodybuilders must be living unfairly.”

Bran giggled.

When he clenched his fist, the forearm muscles stood out on the thickened arm.

As a result of experiments, he could now easily crush a walnut with his bare hands.

It was an achievement hard to believe had been accomplished in just one month.

‘If this is a slight increase, what the hell is next?’

The system humbly said the growth speed had increased “slightly,” but Bran’s actual feeling was different.

It was already blatantly fast.

He wondered if this was what it felt like to take steroids.

His stamina had increased beyond recognition, and even after driving the hoe down a thousand times his waist didn’t hurt.

Considering it was a worldview where all kinds of magic and superhumans ran wild unlike reality, it might be a slight level, but a journey of ten thousand li originally starts with a single step.

“The beginning is half.”

Always positively.

Muttering his life motto, Bran was about to get up for nighttime training.

“Bran.”

A youthful voice came from near his feet.

Slightly raising his head, a blond boy waving his hand at him came into view.

“What. You finished really late today?”

“There was a executives’ banquet. The cleanup took a long time.”

“I see.”

It was a welcome face.

Even while covered in grease and stains, the golden hair was clear like sunlight.

Bran sat up and faced the boy.

“Good work. Kale.”

It was Kale, the slave working in the kitchen.

The only person he could call a friend, and also Bran’s benefactor.

Right after possession, if this guy hadn’t called his name, he would have been beaten by the bald Overseer.

“Ahaha··· there are days like this too. You worked hard too.”

Kale scratched his cheek and laughed.

The expression was so pure that Bran ended up chuckling along.

The more he looked, the more amazing this kid was.

It was unbelievable that he hadn’t even known of his existence before possession.

Not only was he overly pretty for a slave, but he was somehow familiar.

‘It’s strangely affectionate. Was he originally a friend of the weed uncle?’

It might be because the name was the same as a vegetable he liked.

Anyway, when talking with Kale his heart definitely became comfortable, which was good.

He was also helpful in a separate area.

Bran said.

“By any chance, the thing I asked for yesterday?”

“Ah, I brought it!”

Kale rummaged through his pocket.

The hand that came out again held a handful of yellowish grass.

Receiving it, Bran whistled.

“Oh. The goods are solid.”

“Haha, I can do this much anytime. But what are you going to use it for?”

Kale tilted his head.

He had helped for now, but he couldn’t guess the purpose.

What he had just handed to Bran was the leaves of an ingredient called Crown Turnip.

Because bitter juice seeps out even with slight damage, it was the part removed as first priority.

Bran’s request had been to bring an appropriate amount of the Crown Turnip leaves rolling around in the kitchen.

“There are times when you need to use everything. I was wondering if I had to infiltrate the dining hall, but thanks to you the trouble was reduced.”

“Infiltrate? Just for this?”

“Obviously a joke, idiot. Anyway, thanks.”

“Uwaah! Ack!”

He was a truly admirable friend.

Bran patted Kale’s back repeatedly.

“If there’s anyone bullying you, tell me. I’ll smash all the teeth except the front ones and make you into a beaver.”

“Beaver? What’s that··· aaah! Stop hitting!”

Kale screamed.

Because his body was so skinny and small, his entire body shook every time the palm touched it.

Bran stuffed the leaves into his own pocket and raised the corner of his mouth.

‘Good.’

In fact, what he had said to Kale was not a joke.

This scrap of grass was a very, very important item to Bran.

Slightly exaggerated, enough to determine his life.

Just as the two who had been chatting appropriately were about to part.

“Um, Bran.”

“Huh?”

“By any chance, are you satisfied with the current life?”

Suddenly Kale said something out of the blue.

Bran frowned.

“What nonsense. Is there a pervert who is satisfied with slave life?”

“As expected, right? Just··· since Bran always eats the mixed gruel deliciously. I asked just in case.”

“That’s because the damn menu is only that. There are so many things I want to eat.”

Suddenly anger welled up.

He was by no means scooping up mixed gruel because he liked it.

He could guarantee that no delicacy in this world would match modern food.

Enjoying spicy marinated chicken with draft beer was no different from a dragon’s amusement.

“If we get out··· yeah, I see.”

“Why are you suddenly asking something like that?”

“That··· umm. That is···.”

Kale dragged out the end of his words.

After confirming no one was around, he approached with large steps and whispered.

“Bran. Do you want to escape together too?”

“···Escape?”

“Yeah. Mog said not to increase the number of people anymore··· but the more I look, you seem like a good kid.”

Bran was completely dumbfounded.

Judging by the eyes, it wasn’t a joke.

“Suddenly what are you saying? Escape, do you have a plan?”

“Yeah. A few days ago I found a dog hole in the wall near the dining hall. It was hidden by bushes, and it seems to have been pierced quite a long time ago.”

“A dog hole.”

“L-like this we have to live trapped here forever. Even if we get caught and die midway, I want to try.”

Kale’s expression was filled with determination.

Thinking about it, it wasn’t complete nonsense.

The statement that they would definitely get caught was only his own guess based on experience as a player.

It was possible they might really succeed in escaping and enjoy freedom.

Moreover, if the escape was accelerated, it was good for Bran too.

‘As long as it succeeds, there’s nothing bad. As long as it succeeds.’

Most of the knowledge he knew could be utilized only after leaving the fortress.

Originally he had planned to build up as much spec as possible before escaping, but an early escape also had clear advantages.

Just as he was about to hear what the detailed plan was.

“Gack!”

“B-Bran?!”

Suddenly a terrible headache assaulted Bran.

It was intense pain he had never experienced in his life.

It felt like hundreds of razor blades were digging through his brain.

The surrounding sounds faded, and his vision turned white.

While struggling without even being able to scream, a new image was overlaid on the white background.

[Listen up! You trash!]

The Overseer’s voice echoed from somewhere.

Bran’s vision brightened. He was standing under the scorching sun.

Other slaves were lined up in rows and columns around him.

‘What is this.’

His body wouldn’t move, as if pressed by scissors.

The uncontrollable body had turned into a prison confining the soul.

Once again an angry voice burst out.

[This is the end of the vermin who harbored vain hope! Open both eyes and look carefully!]

It was on top of the wall.

The moment Bran recognized the location, the viewpoint shifted.

The northern wall entered his vision.

Behind the Overseer shouting while holding a club, twenty-seven corpses were visible.

Five more than when he first saw them. They said they were the ones caught trying to escape last night.

The arrows stuck all over their bodies made one imagine the situation at the time of discovery.

Still, since they probably weren’t pierced by spears while alive, was that fortunate?

While thinking that and scanning the faces of the escapees, a familiar face entered his eyes.

‘Huh.’

It was Kale.

He was impaled on a spear.

The small boy’s body was pierced by a spear from the anus to the mouth.

His originally white skin had become even paler. The golden hair that had lost its light had turned like old straw.

Blood flowing down the arrows and spear shaft was forming a puddle.

‘Kale.’

Bran froze.

He wanted to call the name, but no voice came out.

On top of the wall, besides the Overseer, there were two more people.

A male and female bandit in flashy attire were conversing while looking at Kale’s corpse.

[This one is a waste. He seemed to have aptitude for Divine Power.]

[Divine Power? What are you judging based on?]

[Maggots aren’t swarming the corpse. No flies either. If we had known while he was alive, we could have used him much more usefully.]

Indeed, only Kale’s corpse had no flies swarming.

It was one of the characteristics of those born with Divine Power.

However, cases where the power remained even after death to that extent were extremely rare.

His vision was clouding white from the sadness surging like a tidal wave.

‘This is···.’

This was not his own sentiment either.

Although it was a tragic death, honestly he wasn’t that close to Kale.

The subject of the emotion he was feeling now was not himself but the owner of this body.

Considering all the circumstances, that owner was···.

“Nameless Hero.”

No doubt.

This was the Nameless Hero’s memory from when he was alive.

At the same time, several questions Bran had been harboring were resolved.

The inexplicable intimacy and the sense of déjà vu from the appearance.

Even the reason such powerful Divine Power flowed through this kid’s blood vessels.

The face of one of the playable characters flitted through his mind.

Pale blue eyes, brilliant golden hair.

‘I had thought they resembled each other, but was he really a blood relative of a playable character?’

There was too much physical evidence to dismiss it as a hypothesis.

Even if reduced to a slave, the blood of a great holy knight did not thin.

To think there were still Easter eggs I didn’t know about.

Suddenly, a worried voice was heard in front of his eyes.

“Nameless Hero?”

“······!!!”

The scenery changed in an instant.

The slaves and corpses vanished without a trace, and a pretty face took their place.

The question returned again.

“Bran, are you okay?”

“Huff!”

Bran gasped.

Kale was looking up at him intently.

His own face was reflected in the white-blue eyes reminiscent of a winter lake.

When he unconsciously stepped back, Kale apologized in a flustered voice.

“I-if I startled you, I’m sorry. You suddenly went quiet··· your face is pale, does it hurt somewhere?”

“······Damn it.”

“B-Bran?!”

Instead of answering, Bran turned his back and ran out.

As soon as he turned the corner of the barn, the northern wall came into view.

On the wall glowing blue under the moonlight, twenty-one corpses were displayed.

Same as yesterday. It wasn’t twenty-seven.

The sentries on guard duty were pacing below it.

“Heek··· hek, why did you suddenly run out like that? You scared me.”

Kale, who had followed belatedly, caught his breath.

Bran asked.

“When is it?”

“Huh?”

“When do you plan to escape?”

“That··· early this morning.”

“What?”

Bran’s brow furrowed.

Is this guy completely crazy?

“Most of them should already be gathered near the dog hole. It’s a place where patrols don’t properly go around.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

“Huh?”

“Let’s go. I’ll join too.”

Bran said.

After being briefly bewildered, Kale’s face brightened greatly.

“R-really? You thought well!”

“Yeah. After seeing something like that, I can’t let them die a dog’s death. Especially you.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Nothing. Let’s hurry.”

Bran took the lead and walked.

He needed to steel his heart.

Because this would be the first time he had to fight since entering the world of Return Road.