I stood there fumbling with the keys, trying each one until the lock finally clicked open. The cage door swung outward with a rusty creak that set my teeth on edge.
"Freedom awaits," I said, stepping back to give them space.
Solana didn't rush out. She moved with deliberate caution, keeping Kael behind her as she exited the cage. Smart woman. Even with the goblins dead, she wasn't taking chances.
"Thank you," she said, her voice low and controlled. Her eyes never stopped scanning the clearing, watching for threats.
Up close, her glow was almost overwhelming. The Mana Saturation pulsed around her like a second skin, warm and dense with experience. My new senses could almost taste it—layers of survival, combat, loss, and perseverance compacted over years into something rich and potent.
And absolutely none of this was appropriate to focus on right now.
"We should check the wagon," I said, tearing my attention away from her. "There might be something useful."
"Food and water would be good," she agreed. "Kael, stay close."
The boy nodded, still silent, his eyes wide as he took in the goblin corpses scattered around the clearing. He didn't seem scared exactly—more like he was studying them, filing away information for later.
I limped toward the front of the overturned wagon, the cut on my calf stinging with each step. The goblin's blade had been dirty. I'd need to clean that soon.
The dead guards lay sprawled near the wagon, their blood already attracting flies. I patted down the first guard, finding nothing but a small coin pouch with what looked like copper pieces. The second guard had a water skin and a wrapped bundle of hard bread.
"Better than nothing," I muttered, setting them aside.
Behind the driver's seat, I found a leather satchel. Inside were two rolled parchments tied with red ribbon, along with a quill and inkwell. Official documents of some kind.
"Hey, Solana," I called out, holding up the scrolls. "What are these?"
She looked up from where she was kneeling beside Kael, checking him over for injuries. Her face changed when she saw what I was holding—something flickered behind those green eyes. Not fear exactly. Resignation.
"Those are our contracts," she said, her voice flat. "Slave contracts."
I stared at the parchments in my hand. So simple. Two rolled pieces of paper that somehow made this woman and her son property.
"Fuck that," I said.
I grabbed the edge of one scroll and pulled, expecting it to tear. It didn't. The parchment stretched like rubber, then snapped back into shape. I tried again, pulling harder. Same result.
"What the hell?" I muttered, now using both hands.
I put the contracts on the ground and stomped on them. Nothing. I picked them up and tried tearing them with my teeth.
"What are you doing?"
I looked up to find Solana watching me, her head tilted slightly.
"Trying to rip these contracts," I said, spitting out the taste of magic parchment. "They're being stubborn about it."
She stared at me for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she asked, "Why?"
"So you and your son can be free." I said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Solana's eyes widened slightly. She stared at me for several long seconds, face completely still. Then the corner of her mouth twitched.
A laugh burst out of her—short and sharp, like she hadn't used it in a while.
"You aren't from around here, are you?" she asked, still chuckling.
"Not exactly," I admitted. "Far away place. Different customs."
She shook her head, a ghost of a smile still on her lips. "Those are mana binding contracts. You can't just tear them. Even someone with a strong ability couldn't break them that way."
"So what, they're indestructible?" I asked, looking at the innocent-looking parchments with newfound hatred.
"No," she said. "But destroying them wouldn't free us anyway. The binding is already in place." She tapped the mark on her neck. "You'd need a slave release spell to remove this crest."
"And where do I get one of those?"
"Any city magistrate or licensed slave trader can perform the release. For a price."
"How much?"
"Two gold coins. Per person."
"Fuck!" The word exploded out of me.
Solana's eyes narrowed slightly. "You shouldn't use that word around Kael."
"Sorry," I said automatically, glancing at the boy. He was watching our exchange with undisguised interest. "How much money is that exactly? I'm not familiar with the local currency."
"A skilled laborer might earn five silver coins for a month's work. Twenty silvers make a gold."
So four months' wages for a working man. Great.
"How far is the nearest town?" I asked.
"Karakura Town is about a day's walk east," she said, pointing down the road. "That's where we were headed. For the auction."
The auction. The casual way she said those words made my stomach turn.
"Well," I said, tucking the contracts into my belt, "guess we're heading to Karakura then."
Solana's eyebrows rose slightly. "We?"
"Unless you'd rather travel alone with your son through goblin-infested forest?"
Her mouth tightened. "And what do you want in return?"
The question caught me off guard. "What?"
"For your protection. What do you want?" Her voice was cool, matter-of-fact.
I realized what she was asking. Heat rose to my face.
"Nothing! Jesus Christ, no. I'm just—" I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. "Look, I'm new here. I could use someone who knows the area. You need protection. It's mutually beneficial."
She studied me for a moment longer, then nodded once. "Alright."
"Great," I said, relieved. "Let's see what else we can salvage."
We spent the next twenty minutes going through the wagon's contents. Most of it was useless to us right now—fancy silks and jewelry meant for the auction that I put in a bag to carry. We did find a sack of dried meat, more bread, two water skins, and—thankfully—a pair of boots that almost fit me.
Solana found a small knife she concealed in her sleeve before I could even comment. She also located a short sword from one of the dead guards, testing its balance with the ease of someone who knew what she was doing.
"You know how to use that?" I asked.
"Yes." No elaboration. Just that single, confident word.
While searching, I noticed Kael watching me carefully. He hadn't said a word since I arrived.
"Hey there," I said, crouching down to his level. "I'm Damien."
He looked at me solemnly. "I'm Kael," he said finally. "Are you going to help us?"
"That's the plan."
"Mom is very strong," he said. "She can fight monsters."
I glanced at Solana, who was methodically checking the wagon's remaining supplies. Something clicked in my mind.
"What did you do before... this?" I asked her.
"Contested Zone adventurer," she replied without looking up. "B-Rank."
Holy shit.
No wonder she glowed so brightly to my Incubus Hunger. She was exactly the type of woman the system had designed me to hunt—experienced, battle-hardened, saturated with years of survival mana.
"What happened?" I asked.
Her movements paused for a fraction of a second. "Ambush. They took Kael first." She continued sorting through the supplies as if the conversation was over.
Message received. Don't push.
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[A/N:]
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