Chapter 25: A ride to Othwood.
[Trauma quest has ended.]
[1300 points has been obtained.]
Slowly, Ash opened his eyes, his consciousness gradually slipping away from the vivid dream he had been forcibly pulled into.
For a moment, he didn’t say a word. He simply looked down at Aisha, who was still kneeling on the ground directly in front of him.
It was obvious to him that she knew he had witnessed her gruesome past. As such, she found herself unable to look him in the eye. Instead, she turned her sorrowful gaze to the ground, a deeply sad and vulnerable look etched upon her face.
Clenching his fist tightly, Ash wanted to say something to comfort her, but before he could speak, a system notification suddenly popped into his vision.
[All needed information pertaining to the quest has been successfully transferred to you.]
[A trauma quest has been obtained.]
[Trauma Quest - Aisha’s Revenge.]
[Description: You have witnessed the horrific events that led to the great misfortune of your heroine. In order for your loyal servant to finally get closure, you must exact a thorough revenge on those who did her wrong and placed her in this desperate situation.]
[Reward: Forced evolution of your servant in question and a boosted bond level to 100.]
[Failure: A significant risk of the servant going rogue. Bond level decreases to zero.]
[Do you accept this quest?]
Ash glared at the screen.
After witnessing the quest’s origins for himself, he would be lying hard if he claimed he didn’t want to do everything within his power to get back at that monstrous man, Hapia.
Seated there, he had already received everything he needed from the system.
He knew the man’s current whereabouts, the exact number of people around him, a full report on their powers; every single detail was now firmly stuck in his memories. Achieving this revenge would be far easier than he would have earlier imagined, and yet...
Ash slowly moved his gaze back down to Aisha. She remained knelt on the floor, her eyes still focused intently on the ground.
[Name: Aisha.]
[Status: Worried, sad, scared.]
"Aisha," Ash called out, his voice intentionally calm and gentle.
As soon as she heard her name leave his mouth, she suddenly flinched before hesitantly raising her head to look at him. "H-hai." A worried expression was etched onto her face, a look she tried her best to hide, but failed to conceal.
In her mind, she was frantically questioning a lot of things.
Would her master look at her differently now that he knew what had happened to her in the past? Amongst the elven people, only spouses who were meant to be lovers were ever allowed to look at each other’s naked body, whereas the men that did those terrible things to her had already seen everything.
She was completely helpless to save her mother. Her body was constantly covered in blood and scars.
All of these were things Ash had just witnessed in her past. As such, she couldn’t help but panic. What if Ash starts seeing her in a different light, or even worse, what if he decides to abandon her now?
Aisha closed her eyes shut in fear, the agonizing suspense making it feel like an eternity as she waited to hear Ash’s next words.
Then, finally, they came.
"Come."
Aisha looked at him one more time and saw that Ash was gently patting his lap, silently urging her to come over for a hug.
During their first few weeks after she had become his slave, she would often suffer from terrible nightmares at night, making it almost impossible for her to get any sleep.
However, Ash would offer his lap for her to sleep on, and for some inexplicable reason, the nightmares would completely disappear, allowing her to sleep peacefully through the night.
If he was offering this comfort to her now...
A small, hesitant smile graced Aisha’s face. She didn’t think twice before she leaped at the offer, quickly wrapping her arms around Ash’s waist while burying her face in his lap, seeking his warmth and protection.
"Master...," she paused for a moment, then whispered, "D-do you hate me?"
Ash narrowed his gaze slightly at her question. "Are you asking this because I saw what happened to you?"
"..." She gave a slight nod in response.
"Don’t ask such stupid questions. I am not a monster. I know how it feels to be killed, or at least to have it attempted. That is why I can’t stand the thought of you remaining this calm after everything you went through." He looked down at her. "Do you seek revenge?"
"Only if master wishes it—"
"I am not telling you to say what you think I want to hear," he interrupted, his tone firm but not unkind. "I am asking you, Theresa, I want to hear your conviction again, do you personally want to have your revenge?"
Aisha was completely shocked that he spoke her true name, a name she had long since forgotten and only now remembered upon hearing it from his lips.
Tears almost began to drip from her eyes, but she quickly steeled herself, her arms wrapping even tighter around his waist.
"Yes, master, I do. I want those people to pay for what they did to my mother and my father." She clenched her teeth in frustration, years of pent-up anger and sorrow finally boiling over. "I want them to suffer."
"Good. In that case, we are on the same boat." Ash gently moved her away and slowly stood to his feet. "Gather our things. We are heading to Othwood."
"Othwood?" Aisha tilted her head to the side, her expression filled with confusion.
...
Later that day, after they had discussed the intent of their journey and the goals that lay ahead, Ash and Aisha made it to the city’s main gates.
A large number of carriages and wagons were gathered there, with drivers looking for customers they could transport to earn some extra money.
With the funds they had acquired from their previous quest, they had more than enough to travel to Othwood and then straight to the capital once their business was concluded.
The receptionist had described Othwood as being at the far end of the western region, which was a considerable distance from the capital to the south, but that was not an issue since they could earn a good living there as well.
Walking down the bustling street, Ash was busy trying to find a particular item to get from a magic shop while Aisha carried their bag, simultaneously searching the street for a cart that looked worthy of riding.
It was then that a rather fat man appeared directly in front of them.
"Oh, wife, would you and your handsome husband be willing to book my ride?"
Aisha froze up, her cheeks immediately turning a deep shade of beet red.
"W-w-wife?" She shook her head frantically while waving her hands back and forth in a panic. "No, no, me and Master Ash are not married."
"Master?" The man’s eyes shifted, and he noticed Aisha’s pointed ears. "Oh, you’re an elf."
"And what of it?" Ash chimed in, stepping forward. "What business do you have here?"
The man was immediately frightened by Ash’s mean-looking face, so much so that he took a nervous step back. "I- I just wanted to know if you were willing to ride in my carriage."