"Ugh, just my luck," I thought.
I was visiting the Sabaody Archipelago as usual. After grabbing lunch at a random diner, I paid and stepped outside.
Then... everyone in sight was kneeling. "Oh crap, is this...?" I thought, and I quickly dropped to my knees too.
Sure enough, a Celestial Dragon was strolling down the street.
Actually, he wasn't exactly strolling. As usual, he was being carried on the back of someone who looked like a slave—I couldn't tell if it was a human or a Fish-Man.
He was wearing a bubble helmet and a bulky, spacesuit-like outfit. Apparently, it was because he "didn't want to breathe the same air as the commoners." Honestly, I always thought that getup looked so uncomfortable and restricting. Wouldn't it be hot and hard to move in?
Well, considering it's what the world's nobles wear, it's probably made with some incredible technology to be light and easy to move in.
Surrounded by a throng of black-suited guards, he strolled leisurely through the terrified, kneeling crowd, completely unfazed—or rather, seemingly oblivious—to their presence. He held the chain of the slave collar in his right hand and the chain of the slave he was leading in his left.
I stood there, hoping he'd just hurry on by, but for some reason, the Celestial Dragon suddenly changed direction and headed straight for me. *Wait, what? What's happening?* I panicked inwardly as he approached.
He stopped right in front of me, stared intently at my face from the side, and then declared flatly:
"Alright, I'll take you as my wife."
'...Huh?'
That was all that happened.
I involuntarily forgot to prostrate myself and looked up, but luckily, the Celestial Dragon (whose name I didn't know) didn't seem to notice. He simply turned on his heel and strode away.
The people around me stared with pitying eyes.
"This way, please. We'll escort you to the Holy Land as Lady Number 27," one of the black-suited guards said, gesturing for me to stand.
Wait, seriously? This wasn't some hallucination, a misunderstanding, or a case of mistaken identity—it was really happening to me?
"U-um... me?"
"Yes, congratulations. You've been chosen by Celestial Dragon Saint Banosakka and granted the honor of becoming one of his wives. Now, please come with us."
The guard's tone was polite, but it felt like a thinly veiled threat—'do as you're told, and do it quickly'.
No, I think they were serious. Even the slightest defiance of a Celestial Dragon's wishes could lead to major trouble.
Besides the man in black, there were two others waiting for me to move. It was obvious they were ready to overpower me if I resisted or tried to escape.
Glancing around, I saw more than a few people with expressions that seemed to plead, "Please, just cooperate and do as you're told."
Well, I couldn't blame them. We were dealing with people who could snuff out a commoner's life on a whim. And with the full weight of public authority backing them, they were even worse than pirates.
All I could do was stand there and wait for this to pass without incident.
'...Ah... Damn it, there's no escaping this.'
I racked my brain, trying to figure out what to do next.
For a split second, I considered making a run for it.
But... I don't think it's impossible. Still, all I can see is a future where I'm a wanted criminal, branded with the colossal crime of defying a Celestial Dragon. If that happens, I'll be on the run for the rest of my life.
That would be tough enough on me personally, but what scares me even more is the thought of dragging everyone I care about into this mess.
The Celestial Dragons are utterly unreasonable. They'd happily slaughter entire families and punish anyone even remotely connected to me without a second thought. The idea that "I'm the only one at fault, leave everyone else alone" simply wouldn't work with them.
If it were just me being hunted, maybe I could handle it... but I hate the thought of dragging others into it.
Eddie-chan, Morgans, Rayleigh, Shakky... the faces of my closest friends kept flashing through my mind.
...Rayleigh and Shakky could probably handle themselves, but they wouldn't be able to continue their quiet retirement in this town. And Hatchan, who's so kind and vulnerable, would be in real danger.
...Running away was out of the question. I had to brace myself.
But if that was the case, there had to be something I could do. I couldn't just let myself be swept along helplessly. I needed to navigate this situation, go with the flow, but find my own way within it...
As they urged me to stand, I addressed the man in black. "Um... where am I going now?"
"Saint Banosakka will be exploring the area and doing some shopping nearby for a while longer. We'll escort you to the ship at the port first."
"Before we go, can I at least pack my things and get ready?"
"I'm sorry, but we can't risk delaying Saint Banosakka or disrupting our schedule in any way. Please understand. Everything you need will be provided in the Holy Land, so you don't need to worry."
"Then, while we're waiting on the ship, could I write letters to my family?"
"That shouldn't be a problem. We can't guarantee personal delivery, but we'll arrange for them to be sent."
"Understood. Please show me the way. And after we board, I'll need paper and a pen."
"Certainly. This way, please."
I was then escorted onto the Celestial Dragon's ship—or rather, a World Government vessel, judging by the Government insignia on its mast.
After a thorough body search, my weapons, including my Japanese umbrella, were confiscated.
"We're just holding them for safekeeping," they assured me, but I couldn't help wondering if I'd ever see them again.
Next, I was led to a cabin that resembled a luxurious hotel suite, which surprised me. Apparently, being treated as a "wife" rather than a "slave" meant a certain level of courtesy.
Inside the cabin, a maid informed me, "Please don't hesitate to ask any of the staff if you need anything."
True to their word, paper and a pen had been provided, so I wrote two letters.
One was for Rayleigh and Shakky, and the other was for Eddie-chan.
The letter to Eddie-chan was a straightforward update. I explained that a Celestial Dragon had decided to "take me as his wife," so I wouldn't be able to see her or contact her for a while. I reassured her not to worry.
The letter to Rayleigh and Shakky covered much of the same ground, but given their backgrounds, I addressed it to "Mr. Ray at the Coating Shop" to avoid raising suspicion. I also included a simple cipher in part of the message, ensuring that only Shakky, who knew how to decode it, would understand.
Beyond the update, I also asked them to look after my ship and its cargo.
The island I used as a base was more of an inn than an apartment, so I always settled my bill before embarking on long voyages. I'd done the same this time, so I figured I didn't need to worry about anything else.
Alright, all set.
With this... even if they inspect the contents before sending it, there shouldn't be any problems.
I arranged for a servant to deliver the letter, and then... with nothing else to do, I just waited.
A few hours later (if I'd known I'd be waiting this long, I could have packed myself!), the Celestial Dragon—Saint Banosakka, or whatever his name was—returned. The ship left the port and sailed away from the Sabaody Archipelago.
Watching the island's shadow shrink into the distance, I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
'Sigh... What's going to happen to me now?'
I remembered back when I was still weak... when I lost to pirates, was captured, and sold into slavery.
That time was tough, but in the end, it just turned out to be vocational and combat training.
This time, though, I'd been captured by someone even worse.
But not all hope was lost.
As I'd fleetingly thought earlier, even though I'd been captured by a Celestial Dragon this time, I wasn't a slave—I was his wife.
Judging by how I was being treated now, I didn't think I'd be treated too badly. I hadn't been fitted with an explosive Slave Collar, and the servants and black-suited guards were at least outwardly polite.
I couldn't exactly expect to be cherished, but I was sure I'd be treated differently than a mere slave.
I didn't want to believe I'd be subjected to some kind of horrific, traumatic ordeal against my will.
Still, that was just wishful thinking. Hmm... I needed information.
"Excuse me, Miss," I said to the maid. "I have a few questions. Would you mind answering them?"
"Of course, Miss," she replied with an elegant curtsy. "We'll answer anything within our knowledge."
She didn't seem like a slave either. Probably a professionally trained, full-fledged maid.
"I'm to become one of Saint Banosakka's wives—he's a Celestial Dragon. What kind of treatment or status does a 'wife' have among Celestial Dragons? What will Saint Banosakka expect of me as his 'wife'?"
"I apologize, but it's difficult to give a definitive answer to that question. Each Celestial Dragon has different expectations of their wives and slaves, which in turn dictates their respective roles. However, if I were pressed to generalize... in Saint Banosakka's case, I'd say his wives are primarily responsible for entertaining him with their presence."
"And... what does that entail, specifically?"
"Saint Banosakka is remarkably kind. He takes former commoners as his wives, provides them with luxurious living quarters, extravagant meals, and fine clothing, ensuring they lack nothing. He derives immense pleasure from watching his wives enjoy themselves and interact happily with one another."
"...Oh..."
"The lavish and joyous atmosphere created by these fortunate wives occasionally attracts visits from other Celestial Dragons. In any case, I foolishly presume that Saint Banosakka desires nothing more than for them to revel in his favor and live happily."
'I see... So they're basically treated like pampered pets.'
The scale is different, and the subjects are human, but it sounds just like a hamster in a cage or tropical fish in an aquarium. They're kept, cared for, and their sole purpose is to amuse their owner with their antics.
'That sounds a lot easier than I expected. Intentions aside, at least on the surface, they're being treated as proper humans.'
It's far better than the worst-case scenario I had imagined.
Honestly, the way they put it—"with your own body"—I immediately assumed it was going to be that kind of thing... I let my imagination run wild with some pretty scandalous thoughts.
But I guess I won't know for sure until I see the Holy Land—Mary Geoise, built atop the Red Line. Still, there's no point in getting too worked up about it.
But if that's the case...
And here's where my bad habit kicked in.
Maybe I should just treat this as another "experience" and enjoy every moment to the fullest? I mean, how often does a regular person get the chance to live in Mary Geoise? This feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have an experience I could never have otherwise!
To be continued...