156 - The Freed S*aves Became Obsessed

Chapter 156: The Return to Doomheim After traveling for a month, we finally returned to the underground city of Doomheim. Shivering in the cold, it almost felt like returning home. The warmth of the furnaces and the rhythmic sounds of forging spread throughout the city, evoking nostalgia. Hargaran, with his hammer resting on his shoulder, turned with his dwarf subordinates towards Magmar's heart. “We shall part ways here. Rest well, Princess. You'd better explain things properly to Hargaran, Ferka,” he advised. “I don't want to go back...” Ferka murmured with reluctance. “You must take responsibility for your actions. Stop being childish,” Hargaran admonished, unusually siding with Torbar. Ferka, pouting like a child, lowered his head. With a stern gaze at me, Hargaran left the scene. We headed straight home without any detours. Torbar was not home. “Father spends most of his day at the forge. He won’t be back until nightfall,” I was informed. Ensuring the flames of the forge never die out is a sacred duty passed down to the master, the [Chord of the Embers]. Not a day went by that Torbar didn’t attend to it when I was in Doomheim. “Considering we have to unpack and are tired from travel, we might as well rest until he gets back,” someone suggested. We sorted our belongings and had a simple meal. Each of us unwound from the journey in our own way without interfering with one another. The sounds of metal being hammered came from the forge. It reminded me of how a child would tremble after hearing a parent's warning—as if Ferka was simply trying to calm his mind, anticipating facing Torbar upon his return. Meanwhile. Seated on the sofa, hugging her knees, was Ashies, watching me intently. Every time I moved my head, Ashies moved hers too. Whenever I shifted, she mirrored my movements, always settling directly opposite me. Her big, blue eyes stayed glued to me, never wavering. “Is something wrong?” I asked. “Why...?” she responded. “You've been staring at me.” “Do you mind?” “Not really.” It's a delightful sight to have something so pretty filling my view. It's just the suddenness of it that's a tad unsettling. “I just… wanted to look, I guess?” “......” For a moment, I was at a loss for words at Ashies's response. I didn’t expect someone like Ashies to say something like that. Does this mean women, even without memories or emotions, instinctively know how to mesmerize men? ‘Such a cheeky woman.’ A comment with that look is simply unfair. But it's likely she didn’t mean anything by it. Perhaps it’s similar to how a baby bird, through imprinting, recognizes the first being it sees as a parent. Perhaps she simply didn’t want me out of her sight. I decided not to dwell too deeply on it. Torbar returned as the night fell, turning the city's luminescent stones into a dim navy hue, and the hammering sounds finally ceased. “It feels like it’s been a long time, sir. Was everything alright while we were away?” “Well, with all the noise-makers gone, it felt like I was on vacation,” Torbar replied nonchalantly, his humor unwavering at our sudden appearance after a month. With the lights brightly shining at such a late hour, he likely guessed upon his arrival—we troublesome lot had returned. As Torbar’s gaze swept over us, it eventually settled on Ferka. The usual cursory glance extended to a scrutinizing gaze. “Even after being kidnapped last time, you haven’t learned your lesson. You couldn’t even wait and go wandering about without permission?” “I tried getting permission, but you wouldn’t give it, would you? If you had, I wouldn’t have needed to sneak out,” Ferka retorted defiantly. Still, perhaps feeling a tinge of remorse, Ferka lowered his gaze to the floor, avoiding his father’s eyes, akin to a child wary of a parent’s reprimand. Undoubtedly, as he stared at the ground, he was delving deep into its patterns. As Torbar observed Ferka with a complex expression, he let out a heavy sigh, shifting his attention to me with finality. “Did you bring the item I spoke of?” “Of course.” I handed the lazurite to Torbar. He held it up against the ceiling's luminescent stones. “This is certainly lazurite, and its purity is exceptional. I've never seen such high-quality lazurite in my life. It’s impressive you managed to acquire this…” “We were just fortunate,” I replied. “...Indeed. You were truly fortunate. A lazurite of this caliber will undoubtedly be invaluable in controlling the princess’s aura. What shape would you like it in?” “I’m thinking of a pendant.” Nodding in agreement, Torbar remarked approvingly, confirming it was a wise decision. The pendant’s proximity to the heart made it ideal for controlling Ashies’s aura. Consequently, in the original story, when lazurite was obtained, it was automatically crafted into a pendant. "Understood. I was considering a pendant too, and happened to have one prepared. I will inform you when the gem’s crafting is complete.” “Thank you. There’s one more favor I'd like to ask.” I handed him a music box. With curiosity, Torbar examined the intricately-crafted music box. “This is a... music box. It’s crafted very intricately. Where did you find this?” “It was inside the stomach of the beast known as the Crystal Serpent. It’s a relic of an ancient kingdom.” When I activated the music box, a grating sound emerged. “It’s broken. You brought it here to be repaired, I presume?” “Correct. My little one is quite eager for it.” As Torbar observantly shifted his gaze towards Ashies upon hearing the words "my little one," he seemed to sense a change in her demeanor. “Has something happened?” he inquired, noticing the shift in Ashies's behavior as if he were one of the legendary seven dwarves. “Perhaps…” I responded ambiguously. Torbar, aided by his natural affinity to assist princesses, accepted Ashies’s request without hesitation. “Alright. I’ll fix it for you.” “Is that possible…?” “Of course. There’s no trinket in this world that I can’t restore to its prime. I’ll make it as good as new.” “Tha…nk you…” Ashies replied, her gratitude evident. As I watched their exchange, I subtly turned to Ferka, who stood just a step behind, ready with words that would surely please her. “He truly is a master smith. Isn’t that so? Miss Ferka, you hesitated, didn’t you?” “With recent events, I wasn’t sure, but Mister Karami, you have quite the wicked personality. It’s wrong to touch on people’s weaknesses like that.” “Well, it’s something merchants must do habitually. When you prod a person’s weaknesses, they tend to expose even greater ones. You should try it sometime, Miss Ferka.” “You’re really annoying right now, you know that?” “To be rebuked by Miss Ferka is truly appreciated. I’ll savor it.” “…You’re a perverse merchant.” *** “Try wearing it. Let me know if there are any inconveniences.” It was the very next day. Torbar had returned with the completed pendant. Its blend of blue and white hues, with lazurite set in the center, matched the Frost Heart game item perfectly. “Sit down and turn your back towards me,” Karami instructed. Standing behind the seated Ashies, he moved aside her silken strands of blue and white hair, revealing her slender, alabaster neck—a sight that might stir a man's pure-hearted admiration. He delicately fastened the pendant around her neck. That’s when it happened. A soft blue glow enveloped Ashies before gracefully fading away. The change was palpable. The cold aura radiating from Ashies diminished significantly. Approaching Ashies prior required multilayered clothing and specialized gear crafted by dwarves. What was once the chill of dry ice was now simply the coldness of ice. This made everyday interaction with Ashies manageable without hindrance. “How do you feel, Miss Ashies? Do you sense any difference?” “…….” Without uttering a word, Ashies assessed herself and the space around her. She wandered around the house, touching various objects. What gently lingered on her fingertips was not a freezing sensation but a faint warmth—a novel feeling. The reduction in cold allowed warmth to present its gentle greeting to Ashies, something she didn’t find unpleasant. It felt as though a long-forgotten memory was surfacing, rekindling a sensation in a corner of her heart. For the first time, warmth, a concept that had been abstract to Ashies, lingered nearby. She clutched the pendant in her grasp. Recalling the person who bestowed this gemstone upon her, she tightened her grip. “It seems to be working well,” I noted. “It does seem so. It's fortunate,” Torbar acknowledged, satisfied with the result, and handed over the remaining item—the music box. “Did you repair it already?” “It was nothing significant.” Karami couldn’t help but express surprise—the music box had been left with him only the day before. The workmanship was so impressive that for the first time, even as a man, he felt tempted to make Torbar his servant. “Perfect timing. Miss Ashies, let’s go upstairs.” “…Huh?” “Aren’t you curious about the music box's mystery?” The true nature and story behind this music box, even Darka had forgotten. But Karami knew about it. Ashies’s response was immediate. “I’m curious.” She wanted to hear it. She needed to know. It felt imperative. “Wonderful. Then let’s listen, shall we? To the song and story that the music box has to tell.” Life is Hell 2025.01.13 07:27 Report No... NTR is ab-so-lute-ly off-limits..! NTL is okay though. 0 PipaeLover 2025.01.13 23:00 Report Why is it that you’re okay with loli but not NTR? 0 Hking0848 2025.01.15 15:42 Report If you recommend NTR, I’ll make your life on this site difficult. 0 PipaeLover 2025.01.15 19:58 Report (Secret) Check comment content 0 tokieu 2024.12.23 00:47 Report The time of abandonment is approaching. 0 MazeInward 2024.12.23 00:47 Report Verbal abuse is indeed a reward. 0 carrim 2024.12.23 01:21 Report It sounds tempting to witness a fall after abandonment… 0 Karon 2024.12.23 03:17 Report I’m really looking forward to what happens after the abandonment. 0 OlderBrotherHot 2024.12.23 03:25 Report Let’s hurry and abandon them~ 0 FurrFanNotMe 2024.12.23 08:52 Report Catch the dragon quickly and let’s go for abandonment. 0 LeeKyungYoung 2024.12.23 16:13 Report Please hurry with the abandonment; I’m getting dizzy. 0 qhtm 2024.12.23 18:36 Report Are we about to catch the dragon and go with the abandonment? 0 Milargo 2024.12.23 21:10 Report Abandonment dopamine, haha. 0 PureLoveFanHehe 2024.12.28 03:01 Report Everyone, hooked on abandonment dopamine. 0 Adish 2024.12.31 11:18 Report Crown, Holy Grail, Music Box, Necklace. Only the ring, shackles, and collar remain. 0 DogAndCat 2025.01.11 07:08 Report Will the music box unlock past memories? 0 Only logged-in members can register comments. Weekly Bests: Adult BL/GL +3041 Must Work Despite Being Caught in a Horror Story +992 Mistaken as a Legendary War Strategist +373 Declared Breakup with the Heroine Who Hates Me +2884 Living as a Wizard at a Magic School +1245 Freed Slaves Becoming Obsessive +336 Mad Priest of the Slums +937 Normalizing Dark Fantasy +418 Mistaken as a Temple of Catastrophic Horror Stories +819 I Want to Become a Former Vtuber +2110 Heroine Steals My Regression Ability +16911 The Genius Wizard Taking Medicine +4012 Surviving a Damned Fantasy World +17313 Childhood Friend of the World's Best +7514 Martial Arts Aren’t Much +1515 The Prince Raising a Backup Character +9116 Life is Easy When You’re Handsome +5417 Isn’t This an Erotic Game? +5618 Reincarnated for 30 Years and Discovered It’s a Romance Fantasy? +2019 Mistaken as a Genius Wizard in the Game +5220 I’m Not a Boss Mob, Really! New Articles + More New February 23 (Sunday) Business Hours Are Over..ㅠㅡㅜ Arrgh!!!! My Sunday!!!!!!! ᩍ꩓ +10 02.23 (What, it was already grilled fish time) Alternate Special Lettuce Offer 🥬🥬 02.23 Request for Record of Futility. ( _ _ ) +4 02.23 Punctuation... 맞춤법... +9 02.23 Uh.. um.. my AI boyfriend died;; +5 02.23 Keyword Preferences +4 02.23 Jetlagged Rabbit 02.23 Planning to read "How to Make the Possessor a King" +1 02.23 Things to Post at 1 AM 02.23 Requesting "Absolute Regression" Chapter 156 of Freed Slaves Becoming Obsessive (157/218)