Chapter 691: Kobayashi: I Was Abducted and Imprisoned! No, Please Let Me Stay!
It wasn't until the cold, heavy steel of the Holy Sword pressed against her palm that Kobayashi finally accepted reality.
The biting chill of the metal, the faint hum of divine energy resonating through her arm, and the lingering headache from last night's drinking binge—none of it was a dream. Everything Ren Kazama had just said was the absolute truth.
She, a hungover computer programmer with lower back pain, was holding a weapon capable of slaying gods.
'This... this isn't a VR game,' Kobayashi thought, staring blankly at the intricate runes etched into the blade. 'The weight is too real. The balance is too perfect.'
"Um... so, about that..." Kobayashi adjusted her glasses, her voice hoarse. She subconsciously looked around the luxurious bedroom. "Where is the dragon? You said there was a giant dragon last night."
Just as the words left her mouth—
Bang!
The heavy oak doors of the bedroom burst open with excessive force.
"Ren-sama! Good morning! Come taste the breakfast I just made with all my love!"
A whirlwind of energy rushed into the room. It was a woman. No, a devastatingly beautiful maid. She had long, blonde hair with pink tips tied in twin tails, a maid outfit that struggled to contain her ample curves, and eyes that burned with intense, reptilian affection.
But Kobayashi's gaze didn't linger on the maid's face or her figure.
Her eyes were immediately drawn to the massive, thick green tail dragging behind the maid on the carpet.
It was covered in emerald scales, heavy and muscular. But the most horrifying part was that a significant chunk of the tail was missing, revealing raw meat and bone, yet the maid didn't seem to be in pain at all.
A bold, terrifying guess arose in Kobayashi's heart.
Ren sat on the edge of the bed, looking completely unbothered. He smiled warmly.
"Kobayashi, this is Tohru. She is my personal maid, and she is also the Chaos Dragon you saw yesterday."
"It's really true!"
Kobayashi exclaimed in shock, retreating until her back hit the headboard. "The dragon turned into a human! And... and she's a maid?!"
Tohru, hearing the stranger's voice, finally tore her eyes away from Ren. Her expression instantly shifted from adoration to hostility. Her vertical pupils narrowed into dangerous slits.
"Huh? This lowly human is awake?" Tohru hissed, smoke curling from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes locked onto the weapon in Kobayashi's hand. "Tsk. What are you doing with the Holy Sword? Are you planning to assassinate Ren-sama?"
A terrifying aura, heavy with the scent of sulfur and bloodlust, flooded the room.
"Uh..."
Realizing she was being misunderstood by a literal apex predator, Kobayashi's survival instincts kicked in. She quickly dismissed the sword, letting it dissolve into particles of light.
"No, no! I have no ill intentions! I was just trying to understand what happened yesterday!"
Kobayashi waved her hands frantically, sweat beading on her forehead. "I'm just a programmer! Please don't eat me!"
She didn't know Tohru's temper, but in all the RPGs she had played, dragons were greedy, evil, and hungry. Kobayashi was terrified that this beautiful girl would unhinge her jaw and swallow her whole.
Seeing the Holy Sword disappear, Tohru sniffed the air. Confirming there was no killing intent, she instantly dropped her guard. The terrifying aura vanished as if it never existed.
"Hmph. As long as you know your place."
Tohru turned her back on Kobayashi, her tail sweeping across the floor, and skipped over to Ren. She presented the large silver platter she was holding with a beaming smile.
"Ta-da! Ren-sama! This is the first meal I, as your loyal maid, have prepared for you! Quickly, taste it! It's full of my love and juices!"
That's right.
Tohru had already solidified her position as Ren's personal maid.
Ren had saved her life when she was on the brink of death in the mountains yesterday. To a dragon, a life debt was absolute. After realizing that the clothes she had inadvertently shapeshifted into were a maid's uniform—likely influenced by Ren's subconscious desires—she had decided to embrace the role.
The most important thing was that she didn't want to be sent back to her original world.
Staying here was paradise. The mana density was comfortable, and Ren... Ren was stronger than anyone she had ever met. Even stronger than her father, the Emperor of Demise.
"What kind of... meat is this?"
Kobayashi couldn't help but ask, craning her neck to look at the platter.
On the silver plate sat a massive slab of roasted meat. It was glistening with oil, garnished with parsley, and smelled incredibly savory. However, the texture looked suspiciously dense, and... was that a green scale on the side?
Ren knew exactly what it was. He looked from the meat to Tohru's bandaged tail.
"Tohru... is this your tail?"
"Yes!" Tohru beamed, wiggling her hips. "It's the most nutritious part! I removed the poison sacs, so it's perfectly safe! Please, eat me, Ren-sama!"
"..."
Kobayashi turned green. 'She roasted her own tail?!'
Ren, however, was merely curious. He was the Administrator of the Chat Group; he had eaten far stranger things than dragon meat.
"I appreciate the effort."
He picked up a silver fork and knife. The knife sliced through the meat with ease, revealing a tender, juicy interior that released a mouth-watering aroma of high-quality steak mixed with magical herbs.
He speared a piece, blew on it gently, and placed it in his mouth.
Tohru watched him with bated breath, her hands clasped together in prayer, her face flushed with anticipation.
Ren chewed slowly. The flavor was explosive—rich, savory, with a hint of sweetness that danced on the tongue. The energy contained within the meat rushed through his body, warming him instantly.
"Mmm." Ren swallowed and nodded approvingly. "Tohru, your tail tastes excellent. The texture is like A5 Wagyu but with more bite."
"Eh! Really?! Ahhh~!"
Tohru let out a strange, high-pitched squeal of delight. She hugged herself, her body trembling. "Ren-sama is eating me... he says I taste good... inside of him..."
"!!!"
Kobayashi was shocked. 'Is this really okay?! Is this legal?!'
Ren put down the fork. "Although it tastes good, in the future, let's use ordinary animal meat. I prefer you in one piece."
"Ah... okay. If Ren-sama wishes."
Hearing this, Tohru wasn't disappointed. Getting a good review was enough.
"Well, waste not, want not!"
Tohru grabbed the remaining chunk of meat, opened her mouth unhingingly wide—"Nom!"—and swallowed her roasted tail in one bite.
Squelch. Pop.
Then, a bizarre sound echoed. Kobayashi watched in horror as the missing section of Tohru's tail bubbled and snapped back into place instantly. Green scales grew over the raw flesh in seconds.
Only a small piece was still missing—the bite Ren had eaten.
Ren hooked his finger.
The severed connection to the missing flesh activated. A golden light enveloped Tohru's tail, and the final piece regenerated seamlessly.
"Oh..." Tohru gasped, feeling the warmth of his power. She looked at Ren with starry eyes. "Ren-sama is so gentle..."
Ren wiped his mouth with a napkin and finally turned his attention back to the guest.
"Kobayashi-san, right?"
"Oh, oh!" Kobayashi snapped back to reality, adjusting her glasses to hide her fluster. "Yes! I'm Kobayashi. Just a normal office worker."
Ren: "Do you want breakfast? I can have the kitchen prepare something... normal. Bacon and eggs?"
"No, no, I'd better go home."
Kobayashi stood up, her back cracking audibly. "I have work tomorrow, and I've already imposed too much. Thank you for taking care of me when I was drunk."
She was a responsible adult. She couldn't just hang around in a fantasy mansion with dragons.
However, Ren curled his lips into a playful smile.
"You might not be able to go home just yet."
"Eh? W-Why?" Kobayashi froze. "Did... did I sign a contract? Am I being trafficked?"
"No," Ren stood up and walked over to her. "Because you've gained the power of the Holy Sword. That sword chose you. If you go back to your cheap apartment now, the magical signature will attract every monster within a hundred-mile radius. We can't treat you as an ordinary person anymore."
"Uh... then can I return the Holy Sword to you?" Kobayashi asked cautiously, holding out her empty hand. "I really just want to code and drink beer."
"Are you returning something I gave you? It's not impossible."
Ren shrugged. He wasn't the type to force anyone. "But before you decide to run back to your 9-to-5 life, why don't you take a look around here? Maybe after seeing the amenities, you won't want to leave."
"Huh?"
Kobayashi was full of doubts. 'Amenities? What could be better than my heated kotatsu?'
...
Ten minutes later.
[Location: The Grand Villa - Entertainment Wing]
Kobayashi stood frozen in the doorway of what could only be described as a paradise for weary souls.
She saw a natural hot spring bathhouse attached to the main building, steaming with therapeutic minerals. She saw a gaming room equipped with consoles that looked like they were from the year 3000.
But what broke her was the bar.
Ren opened the double doors to a climate-controlled cellar.
"This is the alcohol collection," Ren said casually, gesturing to the endless shelves. "We have vintage wines, dwarven ales, elven mead, and infinite supplies of premium beer. It keeps itself restocked magically. Oh, and it's all free for residents."
"Free... premium... beer..." Kobayashi whispered, her eyes turning into yen symbols.
She thought about her cramped apartment. The thin walls. The noisy neighbors. The cost of beer. Her back pain.
Then she looked at this palace.
She looked at the maids bustling in the hallway—all beautiful, all polite.
Kobayashi grabbed Ren's hand with both of hers, her dignity as a salarywoman completely evaporating.
"Please! Please let me stay!!!"
She bowed at a ninety-degree angle. "I can clean! I can code! I can do your taxes! Just let me live here!"
There was no other way. This place was simply too, too good.
Not only was it luxurious and comfortable, but it also included food, lodging, and medical care for her back.
And the most, most, most crucial thing was the free-flowing alcohol.
Kobayashi was instantly tempted. She was sold.
Ren chuckled, looking down at the woman clinging to his hand. "See? I told you you'd beg to stay. Go pick any room you like on the second floor."
"Oh yeah! Long live the landlord!"
Kobayashi jumped away excitedly, completely lacking the maturity an adult should have. She sprinted toward the bar first, likely to secure a bottle before choosing a room.
Tohru, who had been following them, pouted. Her tail swished aggressively against the floorboards.
"Ren-sama, do you really want to keep her? She looks weak. And she smells like cheap beer."
She was very annoyed by the Holy Sword residing inside Kobayashi. To a chaos dragon, that holy energy was like an itch she couldn't scratch.
"Don't worry, her Holy Sword won't cut you as long as I'm here."
Ren reached out and stroked Tohru's head. The dragon maid instantly melted, leaning into his touch and purring like a giant cat.
"Speaking of which," Ren's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked out the window at the sky. "I'm planning to visit your world today. Do you want to come along?"
It was impossible to completely ignore the Dragon World.
There were many factions there—Harmony and Chaos—and many were hostile to humans. Since that world was now connected to his territory via the fusion, he needed to inspect it. He needed to assert dominance.
"I..."
Tohru hesitated. Her body stiffened under his hand.
She stared up at him with teary, big eyes, looking pitiful. The bravado of the dragon vanished, replaced by the fear of a runaway child.
"Ren-sama... you're not going to send me back, are you? Is this a trick to return me to my father?"
Currently, Tohru was still very sensitive about her exile and her injuries.
Ren smiled helplessly. He moved his hand from her head to her cheek, cupping it gently.
"You are overthinking it, silly dragon."
"I'm just going to take a look at your world, inspect the real estate, maybe smack a few gods. That's all. You are my maid now. You belong to me."
Ren's voice dropped an octave, filled with absolute authority.
"Even if your father, the Emperor of Demise, wants to snatch you back... he would have to step over my dead body. And I don't plan on dying."
"Mmm...!"
Tohru's face flushed a deep crimson. Steam practically shot out of her ears.
"I... I believe you, Ren-sama!"
She hugged his arm, burying her face in his shoulder. The warmth on her cheek and his possessive declaration made her heart race uncontrollably. She finally understood why humans liked such strange, verbal ways of showing affection. It was addictive.
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