Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Bottom Farm (1)

#05

“Bran. I’m here.”

Kale went to find Bran during lunch time.

Bran was scooping mixed gruel as if nothing had happened.

“You’re here. Did you wash your pants well?”

“Huh? Why the pants?”

“You peed yourself while fainting yesterday. Don’t remember?”

“Wh-what? Really?!”

Kale’s face flushed red.

He urgently checked his pants, but nothing unusual was visible.

After sufficiently appreciating the restless appearance, Bran giggled and waved his hand.

“It’s a lie. You believed this.”

“······Not funny at all.”

“Anyway, I’m glad to see you’re still breathing. Seems everyone figured out my deep intentions.”

“Yeah. They’re being really grateful. Saying they would have died if it wasn’t for Bran. They said they’d come to greet separately after work.”

Kale laughed.

Except for the two who fled first, all the escape members survived.

The hit places hurt, but they said it was nothing compared to the joy of surviving.

“What greeting, damn greeting. Tell them to rub egg well on the bruised places.”

“Ahaha, it’s something worth doing that much. But why did you call me?”

“Right. I almost forgot.”

Slurp. After emptying the remaining mixed gruel, Bran stood up.

“Astraea.”

“Huh?”

“This name. You’ve heard it before, right?”

Bran asked.

It seemed the time had come to tell him.

After being briefly dumbfounded, Kale shook his head.

“No. First time hearing it.”

“Eh? That can’t be. Really?”

“Yeah. But somehow··· somehow familiar.”

Kale placed a hand on his forehead as if complaining of a headache.

Bran’s eyes narrowed.

Even if others didn’t know, this one was a name he shouldn’t not know.

‘Were the memories erased?’

There seemed to be some circumstances.

With his hand on his forehead, Kale continued.

“···I don’t know. It feels like I might remember but it doesn’t come to mind. Who is Astraea?”

“Not a person, a family name. One of the noblest bloodlines on the continent.”

There was one among the playable characters too.

Holy Knight of Radiance Astraea.

The appearance of her scattering the brilliance of the gods while confronting evil was still vivid in his eyes.

‘Both appearance and performance were outstanding. The story was decent too.’

Bran had of course played it before.

It was good because she was pretty, and the holy knight concept was also attractive.

Because the unique buff was so powerful, it was a character specialized in party play rather than solo.

Yes. That buff that made one drool just imagining it.

“I see··· so why suddenly that story?”

“Because you’re from that family.”

“···What?”

“Kale. You are a member of the Astraea family.”

Kale froze.

It was a natural reaction. He himself had been very surprised when he realized that fact in the Nameless Hero’s memory.

The golden hair and blue eyes that shone in any situation, and the powerful Divine Power that remained even after death were the evidence.

The biggest clue was the Easter egg discovered while playing the Holy Knight of Radiance, though.

“W-wait. What are you saying? I was a slave even before coming here. I have no memory of spending time in such a good place at all···!”

“Well, there must be separate circumstances. Anyway, what’s important now is not that.”

Bran cut off the conversation.

It was a long and complicated story. It wasn’t too late to slowly unravel the detailed background later.

“Kale. Are you satisfied with the current life?”

“Uh, uh?”

“It’s what you asked me. Yesterday you luckily saved your life, but are you really satisfied with just that?”

“······No.”

Kale shook his head.

As if recalling the corpses seen in the morning, his complexion had darkened.

“Yeah. Of course it would be. First you’ll want to escape this shitty slave status. But you don’t have to worry about that. As I promised last night, I intend to definitely get you out of here.”

“Eh?”

“We decided to escape together, right? Did you think it was empty words?”

“Ah, no··· that’s not it. How are you going to escape?”

“I have a plan I’ve thought of to some extent. It won’t take that long. At most three months?”

Kale’s eyes widened.

Hope formed in the large eyes.

Good. He’s coming over smoothly.

“But the problem is after that. After leaving here, what do you plan to do?”

“That···.”

“Honestly you probably haven’t thought about it. Just thinking about escaping makes your head feel like it’ll split, which is a reasonable judgment. Up to there is not shameful at all. What’s really shameful is rotting the potential you possess.”

“Potential··· you say?”

“Literally. Kale Astraea. You are different from others.”

Bran grabbed Kale’s shoulder.

“If it continues like this, your life after escaping will be one of two things. Following around behind kids who can use their fists a bit like Mog, or becoming a slave again. The former is better, but the latter might meet a master so terrible that you’ll miss the life in this fortress. Since your appearance is outstanding, it’s even more dangerous.”

“······A terrible master?”

“Well, various. You might be engaged in the work of brushing the teeth of a pet wyvern, or become the sex slave of a ninety-year-old grandmother. Maybe not a grandmother but an uncle or grandfather.”

“I-I don’t want that.”

Kale’s complexion turned pale.

The worst imaginable future was flickering behind his eyes.

“Right? So I’ll help so that doesn’t happen. If you faithfully perform the tasks I tell you from today, by the time we escape you’ll have become a very useful person.”

“Tasks?”

“Yeah. Offer prayers three times a day. Morning, noon, and evening. Close your eyes, put your hands together, and earnestly pray for what you truly desire.”

“···Is that all?”

“Yeah. That’s all.”

For the process of blooming Divine Power, it felt overly simple.

Of course, it was possible because Kale was a member of the Astraea family.

“But. There’s one condition.”

“What is it?”

“The being you must pray to is only the Morning Goddess Rawiena. Don’t even glance at other gods.”

He said it with the smile completely removed.

He didn’t particularly want to imagine what would happen if he prayed to another god.

“How is it. Can you do it?”

“Yeah. It’s not even difficult. Of course I can, but···.”

“Hmm?”

“Honestly I don’t know well. Everything is so sudden··· that I was a member of such a family···.”

Kale muttered.

Perhaps because he had absorbed a lot of information in a short period, confusion was dripping from his face.

But that was only for a moment.

Kale made a determined expression and clenched his fist.

“Still, I’ll do it. Because it’s Bran’s words.”

“You thought well.”

“Actually I would have done even more. You’re my life’s benefactor.”

Bran raised the corner of his mouth.

The blue eyes were sparkling with trust.

The act of saving a life narrows the distance of the heart this quickly.

“But how do you know all this?”

“There are methods. Let’s not quibble over trivial things.”

If I said I had tried it all, he wouldn’t believe it anyway.

Ding-! Ding-! Ding-!

The bell signaling the end of lunch time rang out.

“Yikes, I have to go back now. Do you still need the Crown Turnip leaves?”

“It’s fine for now. Go quickly before you get hit.”

“Yeah. See you later. And···.”

Kale, who had dragged out the end of his words, grabbed both of Bran’s hands.

“Really thank you. Yesterday I lived thanks to you.”

“What’s so special.”

“I will never forget this favor. I’ll do everything I can, so just tell me anything.”

“Just pray steadily. I said it seriously.”

Bran smiled.

Kale repeatedly expressed thanks and returned to the workplace.

I don’t know where to put my body. Anyway, later there will be more things for me to be grateful for.

“Alright. Kale seems fine at this level···.”

Shouldering the hoe, Bran muttered.

Having succeeded in obtaining the fortune called Kale, now it was time to raise his own specs.

What he felt while fighting Mog yesterday was that for rapid growth, he needed to push himself into more extreme situations than now.

Bran, who had been lost in thought, nodded.

“It should be fine.”

There was a plan.

All that remained was waiting.

****

The opportunity came three days later in the morning.

“Overseer! Overseer!”

Ash-gray clouds were thick in the sky.

Bran was enjoying the cool weather for the first time in a while while moving fertilizer.

The moment he lifted five sacks at once, an urgent shout rang out.

“Huhh?”

The Overseer who had been pacing turned in the direction of the sound.

The attention of the slaves including Bran was focused.

From far away, three slaves were running. Two were supporting one.

All three were wearing masks made by cutting cloth.

‘That is···.’

Bran’s eyes widened.

It was attire he had often seen while playing the game.

Slaves working at the ‘Bottom Farm’ existing underground in the fortress.

The shoulder of the man being supported was continuously shaking.

“Ughik, uhihi··· hik!”

“Get a hold of yourself! You’ll be fine now!”

“Uhek! Hehehek!”

The man was laughing.

His entire face was covered in tears, snot, and saliva.

His complexion was pale like someone about to die, but the mad laughter wouldn’t stop.

“Haa··· broken again?”

Seeing that, the Overseer sighed.

The slaves leveling the ground began murmuring.

The only one calm was Bran, who understood the current situation.

Soon the slaves arrived.

“D-during work he suddenly had a seizure!”

“Earlier he even foamed at the mouth! Antidote is needed!”

The supporting men poured out words at the same time.

The Overseer clicked his tongue.

“Tch, if you don’t want to get beaten, don’t make a fuss. Except for that guy, they’re all newbies, right?”

“Yes? Th-that is···.”

“Put him down.”

The Overseer instructed firmly.

The slaves glanced at each other but eventually did as told.

Crash!

As soon as the shoulder hold was released, the man collapsed forward.

“My god. Is he okay···”

“Hehe, he. Overseer!”

It was before the colleague could even offer words of concern.

The man who had been face down sharply raised his face.

Whether struck by a stone root, his forehead was greatly torn.

Blood gushing out was mixing with saliva and flowing down.

Even in that state, the appearance of not stopping the laughter was indescribably bizarre.

“Overseer··· uhe, I-I can still work more! Please spare me!”

The man who crawled over bowed his head.

However, the Overseer’s returned answer was cold to the extreme.

“Well. Your body doesn’t seem to think so.”

“Kehihi! Th-this is···!”

The skinny limbs were convulsing as if electrocuted.

In that state, he couldn’t even do the easiest labor.

“Stand up before I count to ten. If you can’t stand, it’s disposal.”

“Hu, ihihi··· no, no···.”

“One.”

The Overseer raised the club.

The amount of saliva flowing from the man’s face doubled.

He tried to stand several times, but his legs gave out helplessly and he failed.

“Uhehit, hehe! Mercy! Please show mercy!”

“Five.”

No matter how much the man begged, the countdown didn’t stop.

Even in this, the laughter was continuing.

The moment the man who had failed even the last attempt and collapsed grabbed the Overseer’s pant leg.

“Mercy···”

“Ten.”

The countdown ended.

The club slammed into the man’s forehead.

Crunch-!!

A dull bursting sound rang out.

“Huff.”

“Ugh.”

Exclamations of shock burst out from various places.

Some slaves covered their mouths to hold back vomit.

The Overseer shook off the blood on the club.

The man’s crown was sunken in.

Clear brain fluid was flowing out from the gaps in the shattered skull.

“Clean it up.”

The Overseer said.

It was a dry voice like when asking for some salt there.

The colleagues who had brought him began collecting the corpse while trembling.

Recognizing that the surrounding work had stalled, the Overseer shouted loudly.

“You vermin! Got a good show? If you don’t want to end up like this, finish your work!”

“S-sorry!”

The slaves returned to their places in fright.

The Overseer who had been panting in anger sat on a stump.

Holding his forehead, he muttered.

“···I’m fucked. The delivery day isn’t far.”

It was a small voice but clearly heard.

The eyes that hadn’t moved at all when beating a person to death were now trembling.

Now was the opportunity.

After organizing what to say, Bran raised his hand with a flash.

“I’ll do it.”

“What?”

“The Bottom Farm needs reinforcement, right? I’ll fill the place of the guy who just died.”

The Overseer’s brow furrowed greatly.

It was the expression that came right before beating someone.

However, Bran did not retreat.

Because he had been waiting for this moment since recognizing that this was Blackstone Fortress.

‘I must enter.’

The heart of the Crow Bandit Group and the largest source of funds.

The place where the so-called hidden piece was sleeping.

Moving the workplace to the Bottom Farm was the core of the escape plan.