On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human

"S-S-Slave?! Y-You have turned me into a slave?! Uwaahhh!!!"

"L-Layland, I think it's a bit too much."

When it is revealed that she has become my slave, the midget immediately bawls her eyes out. I don't know whether it's a reaction of disbelief or desperation, but she looks like someone who has just lost everything she has.

Vibiane's heart is shaken upon seeing that scene, so she strongly suggests me to end the punishment then and there. I, of course, am not having it, because I know the midget is just a good actor.

"I am just kidding. You are not a slave."

"O-Oh? Really?" Already, the midget stops crying. "Kahaha! What a stupid Demon! Did you think I didn't know that?!"

"Actually, I lied when I said you weren't my slave."

"Hahaha—what?! Buwaaaah!"

I am not sure if mental illness is a thing in this world—they are mentally different compared to the people of Earth after all—but the midget looks like she has DID. She can be condescending in one second, then pathetic in the next second—just like now.

"Alright, I will let you down now, so stop crying. You might awaken a sleeping Dragon," I say as I put the midget down.

The midget stops crying immediately, then whispers, "D-Dragon?! Do they even exist?"

In response, I merely put my finger in front of my mask to hush her. She nods her head vigorously afterwards, then entirely forgets the fact that she has just become my slave.

There are two things that surprise me: my half-assed lie worked on the midget, and how quick she forgot her dire situation.

It might be because she is still a kid or she suffers from ADHD, but the fact that she behaves because of that lie makes her look dumb, rightfully so, considering the witty remarks she has thrown at me a few moments prior.

"Alright, listen here, midget. You are now my—"

"I am not midget—I have a proper name! Call me Paulina!"

"Don't interrupt me, midget. You might die from going against your master."

Paulina tries to protest when she hears me calling her midget again, but the moment she hears that she may die if she goes against me, she immediately closes her mouth back. From that, I can easily conclude that the kid knows how Geas works.

Once the master decides the slave whom the Geas has been carved on is rebelling against him, the Geas will take an initiative to punish the slave.

The master also can just manually command the Geas to do whatever he wants to do to the slave—just like what I did on my first day of arriving in this world.

In other cases, the Geas will also immediately kill the slave, if it detects any malice from the slave that is directed toward the master.

Only people who have made contacts with slaves or being one themselves can understand how Geas works. It is, after all, not just a simple Spell that anyone can casually learn or cast.

The moment Geas is involved, a slave is born—it is the result of losing in the conflict. Seeing a child of Paulina's age already knows about what Geas does is actually heartbreaking, but this is just how this world works.

"You are well-educated in this matter, Paulina." I pat the midget's head. "Now, if you follow every one of my command for the next hour, I will set you free."

As her eyes widen in delight, Paulina nods her head in conviction. "As long as you don't ask me to do perverted things, i will do everything you say with a smile."

"... What has your mother been teaching you, really?" I lightly sigh, then say, "Actually, we are kinda new to this city, so be our guide and take us to the interesting places of this city."

"Oh! That should be easy. You can leave it to me!" Paulina pats her chest confidently. "I have visited every corner of this city to ste—admire the wonders this city has to offer."

She has almost said that she basically visits every corner of the city to steal people's things, but I will let it slide. She, after all, didn't manage to steal anything from me—as long as it is other people's, I don't care.

"Okay, you can lead the way."

"Follow me!"

Paulina turns her body around, and leads us to the first interesting place of the city. She is weirdly excited about it as she skips in her step while humming a happy tune—it is a good thing to see, so I let her be.

On the other hand, Vibiane is busy blinking her eyes at what she is seeing. She looks like she is too baffled by the development, and she eventually turns to me to ask for confirmation.

"Is it okay to let her walk around the city while showing off the Geas on her forehead?"

"Do you think I will know? You have more knowledge about Monster's society than me."

"Ugh... That's true." Vibiane scratches her head. "Well, Monsters are not nosy—they will leave everyone to their own devices—but I think it won't look good for us, considering who we are."

"In everything, context matters." I gesture at the walking midget. "We might look like a cruel warriors duo for enslaving a child, but we just need to explain that this is merely a practice of child labour. Everything will be fine afterwards."

"I think that won't help our reputation at all," Vibiane seriously states.

I shrug lightly. "Well, we will just explain the true circumstances then." Turning my gaze to Paulina, I say, "Paulina, do you know what you have to say when people ask why you have a Geas on your forehead?"

Without turning back, Paulina answers, "Of course, I do! I will say that I am just being punished for trying to steal a kind Demon's money."

"There you go." I clap my hand lightly as I turn to the bewildered Vibiane. "Ah, for your information, I am just as bewildered as you. I have expected her to say something along the lines of me trying to molest her."

"I would like to say that, but I would be dead the moment I say that, wouldn't I?" Paulina chimes in. "Also, lying is bad. Paulina is a good kid!"

"... This kid needs serious beating."

Vibiane chuckles lightly, then catches up to Paulina; she takes ahold of the midget's hand, and keeps walking beside her. I don't want to be misunderstood by people, so I walk a few steps slower than the two.

Despite how unlikely it is for a Demon to have a Beastman child, people's mind works in a strange way after all. There must be some of them that will definitely think we are a couple walking with our child.

"Oh my... Is that Demon behind the mother and daughter a stalker?"

"No, he is not. He must be that one sick Demon who lets the mother of the child he has enslaved spend the last day she has with her child."

"What a scum!"

On second note, I think it is better to be considered a father of the kid that isn't even mine, than being considered a Demon scum. I have never been a human scum before, so being called a scum on top of being a Demon doesn't sit very well with me.

I match my step with them afterwards, and immediately, I hear those same Monsters who have talked shit about me, now admiring how sweet our family is.

I don't know if they are just stupid, but I highly suspect they have been aiming for this since the beginning.

"Don't blush, Vibiane. That makes you look purple, and only suffocating people look purple."

"I—I am not blushing! Do you think I am dreaming about it becoming true?!"

"That is suspiciously specific," I retort dryly.

Vibiane stops talking entirely afterwards, so I turn my gaze to Paulina. I wonder how she could immediately tell that I was a Demon the moment she met me, and how she is living here.

Unlike Monsters, Beastmen, after all, side with humans and any other pro-God races. They have bad blood with Monsters and Demons, so it puzzles me how a Beastman child can live in a city of Monsters.

"Paulina, do you have a mother?"

"I do. How else was I born?"

"... Who is taking care of you now?"

"There is a good Hob Goblin lady taking care of me, but she is not the one I consider my mother. The one I consider my mother is the good Demon lady who only visits me twice a month."

"There is something wrong with that logic, but I want to know if you know who your real mother is."

"I don't remember much about that day—I was still very young back then—but I remembered when the good Demon lady saving me from my dying mother. I don't exactly know my real mother, but for me, the Demon lady is my mother."

I don't know what to say at the unexpected truth, so I just pat Paulina's head as warmly as I can.

I don't know if I just want to comfort her for the fact that she has lost her mother early or the fact that she has come to call the killer of her mother mother.