A New Game from the Depths of Captivity! ~ Rising from Slavery with Just One’s Own Abilities ~

Major companies – Part 2

Mirta’s victory party lasted until the next day.
The slums’ residents were so excited it was like they were still celebrating the Harvest Festival, and since this wasn’t an official festival, everyone was a little more carefree. Lots of fights, some even involving Valeria’s members, broke out.

The merchants kept bringing food and drinks in a hurry, maybe because they were also carried by the mood, or simply because Valeria was paying for them.
But the word ‘hurry’ couldn’t even start to describe how chaotic the situation was.
Takumi was grabbing food nonchalantly, while Mirta, who looked like she was getting swallowed by the crowd, staggered while trying to reach him.

“Hey, new boss, great work. It was tiring, huh?”

“Y-Yes… I am indeed a little tired.”

Her face showed traces of fatigue, but talking with Takumi restored some of her vitality, and she was now smiling happily while blushing a little.

“I understand that everyone is giving me their blessing, but… even though it is rude to say, a smaller celebration would have been…”

“No, we should do things this way. You have a small build compared to a man, so it was natural that party lovers would have thrown you in the air so many times.”

“I-If you saw that, why didn’t you save me?! It was scary! They threw me too high in the sky!”

“You’re right, sorry. Next time I’ll help you.”

She was upset, but he decided to stroke her head lightly.
At that moment, someone called them.

“Yaaay! Takumi, Mirtaaa! Wanna driiink?”

Lilia approached them while carrying a bottle in her hand, her face slightly red.

“Hey, Lilia. You’re having fun, huh.”

“Pretty muuuch! God Takumi, thanks for making me driiink!”

She said loudly. Usually, it didn’t matter how much she drank, her face never changed color. Seeing it red meant that she really drank a huge amount of alcohol.

“Killfer is having fun and suffering at the same time… aren’t you, Mister Chaperone?”

“Look at me… Do I look like I’m having fun?”

A blue shadow covered his face while he staggered behind Lilia

“Well, that’s your problem. I understand that you want to keep an eye on her, but what’s the point if you get tired before her?”

“What can I do… We emptied a whole wine cask one glass after the other… Do you know how many times she challenged me to a drinking contest…? Ugh…”

He brought his hands to his mouth, probably after remembering how much he drank, while the person in question was laughing mercilessly at him.

“You sure can’t handle alcohol, maaan!”

“Err… Lilia, you must have drunk quite a lot, but… will you be okay?”

“Eheheh~ You don’t haaave to worry! This is nothing for uuus!”

Mirta tilted her head, unsure about the meaning of her words.

“You’ve done a looot for the slums, and we know it better than aaanyone else! Everyone knows that the things you said before in the plaza were your reeeal feelings! That’s why weee should celebrate your success from the bottom of our heaaarts!”

As to confirm Lilia’s cheerful words, the surrounding people started to shout Valeria’s and its leader’s name happily.
Mirta’s declaration resonated with the slums inhabitants’ feelings, and they were now blessing her sincerity.

“Also, Takumi arranged aaall of thiiis! It would be a reeeal shame to waste this chance!”

“I only said that we’d pay for food and drinks, though.”

“Here he goes agaaain! You are always so humble, Takumiii~ Heeere, lemme show you some gratitude!”

A merry Lilia offered him the bottle she was holding.
Seeing that, Mirta tried to stop her.

“What, no… Takumi, you’re not allowed to drink, understood? Elsa will come to check what’s going on, and we’ll have to explain everything.”

“Eh? I’m in the right mood to drink with them right now. Don’t worry, I won’t get drunk.”

“I’m not worried about that… Anyway, you can’t! I’m not saying you can’t drink for the rest of your days, I’m saying that this is not the right moment for that!”

Remarked an obstinate Mirta.
While Takumi was thinking about what to do, Lilia squinted her eyes and whispered.

“What a nice view… A drunk husband getting scolded by his wife…”

“W-Wife…? Y-You said that I’m Takumi’s wife?!”

“Yass! Ya get along pretty well, ya know?”

The more she drank, the more her face reddened, and her speech pattern and movements started to resemble a drunkard’s.

“Jeez, Lilia… you drank too much. Killfer, what are you waiting for? Take her away and let her rest.”

“Sorry… I can’t do that. She’d make me drink again on the way, and I’d only faint while puking.”

“Find the courage to refuse, Mister Chaperone. I don’t think you will ever turn down Lilia’s invite, though.”

Since Killfer never tried to restrain Lilia’s behavior, she was now like a hurricane.

“Riiight! Leeet’s celebrate yer wedding ceremony together instead of her victory! Let’s have another toooast!”

“How about no, you drunkard. C’mon, Mirta, tell her something.”

Takumi shifted his gaze toward the girl, but she was muttering “His wife… She said I’m his wife…!” with her face as red as Mirta’s. It looked like she wasn’t going to help him.

At that point, things got even more complicated.

“What?! Valeria’s boss and that slave merchant will get married?! For real?!”

“Nice move, Soft-hearted slave merchant!”

“He can’t get away with this! Guys, let’s throw him in the air! Let’s show that lucky bastard the slums’ blessing!”

“Damn yeah! He also helped Mirta and Valeria, after all! Let’s throw him into space, guys!”

As the drunkard’s nonsense spread, another commotion burst.
Takumi let out a soft sigh.

“Well… I’m the party organizer, looks like I deserve this…”

He resigned to his destiny, and as those sturdy men were about to lay their hands on him, a voice drowned out their roars…

“Heeey! Silence! Shut your mouths! What’s this?! Another festival?! No one notified me about this! I want some explanation! Slave merchant, show your face!”

A group of guards forced their way through the crowd. They all wore uniforms, and their leader had red hair tied in an updo.
Panting heavily, Elsa appeared in front of Takumi.

“Hey, Elsa. You took your sweet time, but thanks for saving me from a flight.”

“Y-You…! What on earth is going on here?! I want to hear what, how and why this is happening, you heard me?!”

He smiled at her rage.

“Well, the Harvest Festival wasn’t enough.”

“…What?”

“I mean, a peaceful festival like that can’t satisfy the slums’ energetic people, so I just organized another one.”

“N-No! The truth is that Valeria had to choose its new leafh…?!”

Mirta tried to explain the situation, but Takumi shut her by placing a hand on her mouth.

“We can’t trouble the Captain of the Guard, so our leader was trying to control this commotion for Valeria’s honor. I should come with you to explain things, Miss.”

“If you’re going with Elsa, I should also…”

“No, I’m enough. I’ll return to Valeria later, so put the situation under control in the meantime. We already dragged Elsa into this, but we shouldn’t bother even the other guards.”

Valeria earned the slums’ support thanks to what happened with Gaitsu.
Then, the ruckus dragged there both Elsa and the guards.
Everything was going exactly as Takumi wanted.

“This is your first official job as our leader: end this before I come back. I believe that you can do it.”

He urged Mirta by pushing her back softly, and then faced the Captain of the Guards.

“I will explain everything in detail. Shall we go to your station?”

“We will have a long talk! C’mon, move!”

She grabbed him by the collar and dragged him toward their destination.

“Ah, Elsa. Sorry for asking, but might you wait a minute?”

“…For what? Try to escape and I’ll knock you out.”

“I won’t run, but since this will take a while, can I go grab some food?”

“We have some at the station! Stop fooling around and hurry up!”

Even though she refused his request, the Captain of the Guards showed her tender side.