I remained sprawled on my back for several seconds, staring up at the stars hanging up in the night sky.
There were probably dozens of ways this situation could have become complicated; this was certainly one of them.
"You're serious?" Was my response as i tried to process what she had said to me.
Sara nodded. "If becoming your slave means you will give me the strength I need to get revenge, then yes."
I pushed myself upright. "You understand what you're asking?"
"Yes."
"No, I don't think you do. You'd be giving up your life, bound to me or whoever i sold you to for all eternity." I turned toward her fully. "Being someone's slave isn't just agreeing to follow them around, your master could control where you go, what you do, what you buy, who you speak to..."
"I know."
"Do you?"
She reached into the small pack she'd been carrying and pulled something wrapped in cloth. "I was given this."
She slowly unfolded it.
Inside was a small metal object smaller in circumference than a cup.
At first glance it looked like a coin, but there was something offputting about it, even having never seen such a thing before i instinctively knew what it was thanks to my skill.
A slave token.
My expression immediately hardened. "Why do you have that!"
She didnt even blink just giving her answer, "The baron."
That single word was enough to make my stomach twist.
Sara continued before I could ask. "When i was first taken before him, he told me that if I willingly became his slave, to serve as his mistress, my father would not be harmed anymore."
Her fingers tightened around the object.
"I didn't believe him, my father had already been stabbed through the chest, i thought he was already dead at that time."
Her voice became quieter.
"But unless they could prove i had debts, or commited a crime the token could not use used against me, against my will... but if i allowed myself to be brand, to willingly fall into slavery then i would be his."
She stared down at the brand sitting in her hand.
I looked at the magical object again. "And you kept it?"
"I didn't know what else to do with it. Even after we'd left the town, i figured keeping it just to sell it later would be good enough."
That was understandable, and considering how out of it she had been also reasonable.
"If you can really give me the power I need, then I want you to be the one who owns me, who can control me, who can stop me from using that same power against anyone except for that man."
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I frowned. "Why?"
"Because I trust you."
"You hardly even know me!""
"It's enough for me."
Silence settled around the campfire, I looked at the slave brand still in her hand again, I had never wanted to own another person, even the idea made my skin crawl.
Yet there was another problem, I had the ability to change her life, if I refused, she would have to spend years training.
Maybe she'd eventually become strong, maybe she wouldn't, it would all depend on her talent.
And somewhere along the way to acquiring that power, she might encounter something she cannot handle and lose her life before she can avenge the losses she'd suffered.
On the other hand, if I gave her power... I could make her strong enough to kill him tomorrow, but what happened after that?
Would she continue killing? Would revenge consume her? Would I eventually have another Cole on my hands?
I had already made that mistake once, I wasn't eager to repeat it, though the idea of a slave was intriguing since as a slave she would be forced to follow my every command. Even if i told her to abandon her revenge she would be compelled to do so, lest the slave mark bring about her death.
And the only time she could become a risk, would be if i myself was to die and she lived on after my death freed from my will.
Getting up from the ground and resuming my position atop the rock, i remained silent, stewing over my thoughts.
She obediently sat there watching me think, the token never leaving her hand, or being put away.
A slave...
It was probably the best way to do this... and who knows if she turned out to be good enough i could always free her later on even after she had gotten her revenge and have her become one of the heroes who would save the world.
"Before we do this... what kind of power do you want." my resistence to taking her on was wavering, and so to try and reafirm my position i decided to ask this, if she answered that she wanted to be a bloodthirsting berserker then my desicion was simple i couldnt consider freeing someone like that.
Sara thought about my words.
"hmmm, im not sure... i pretty good with a knife as far as cooking is concerned, and ive also got a bit of magic, im not really fond of blood so i suppose i would want to fight from afar so i guess becoming a mage or a witch would probably be best for me?"
A magic caster huh?
That alone was intriguing enough.
I had glimpsed a good portion of the overal status board thanks to looking at others but Magic was the one section i knew very little about, if Sara went the path of a mage i could unlock more of the board, and seeing what lay beyond.
Getting a roadmap of where my own future growth could go as well.
Still not agreeing to anything i instead looked at her and pulled up her own status board, mostly to check and see if she was lying to me, or even hiding something she didnt want me to know about.
Sara Level 8 (6)
Job: Innkeeper
Vitality
Natural Recovery 1/20
Stamina 2/20
Immunity
Disease Immunity 1/5
Magic
Mana 5/30
Life Magic
Elemental Affinity 1/5
Fire 1/10
Charisma
Appeal 2/5
Seeing her current stat board was fairly shocking to me, i had assumed that i would open her board and she would be similar to her father in that most if not all of her earned point would be unassigned.
However quite unlike her father, Sara had quite a few point invested into her board already.
And working backwards from her level and points assigned vs those still unused, i could determine she was 15 years of age right now.
Most of her stats were indeed on Magic, though she only had Fire Affinity at the moment, that being said with my power she could easily become the top fire mage in all the land if i wanted to.
So her current board aligned with what she said, and she didnt hold back or lie about anything either so that part was also truthful.
But even so... should i really do this?
Should i take ownership over another human being, be responsible for everything to do with them?
Would i also have to take the place of her father and find her a husband in the future, does she expect me to be her husband.
My mind began to spiral and the onlything that grounded me once more was lifting my eyes from the token and looking at Sara's eyes.
The green within was like staring at a wide green grassy expanse and the purity within coupled with my instinct skill seemed to be urging me on.
And before i even knew it, the slave token was no longer in her hand.
It was in mine, and i was already moving.
Instinct was driving me and it had me place the token on her upper chest just below her collarbone on the lefthand side, the contact of the metal on her flesh caused her to jolt a tiny bit but right after her own hand sealed itself on mine holding it in place.
And closing her eyes, the token covered by both our hands began to glow.