Gigas Core

Rai helped Erin carry the pot of soup to the table. Then, they sat across from each other at the dining table. Erin clasped her hands together to pray to the two goddesses who created humankind, while Rai just watched her. After Erin finished praying,

"Let's eat, Big Brother!" Erin said cheerfully.

She immediately stood up, ladled soup into a bowl, and gave it to Rai. After that, she served herself. They then started eating their dinner together. Erin watched Rai enjoying his soup. Feeling her gaze, Rai looked up at Erin.

"The soup is delicious," Rai said, smiling.

"Hehe, thanks, Big Brother! So, how was your day? How much did you make?" Erin asked.

"Enough. We can live for another month," Rai replied, spooning his soup and eating his bread.

"That's good, but I don't want you to keep doing dangerous things. You don't have a job, just like me," Erin said, looking down.

"It's okay. Even without a job, I'm strong enough out there," Rai said casually, stroking Erin's head in front of him.

"Yeah, but I worry you won't come home again. I worry every day," Erin confessed.

"Don't worry. I'll always come back here to you," Rai replied, still stroking Erin's head.

"Okay, I believe you, Big Brother," Erin said, smiling and looking at Rai.

"We'll get a lot of money and then move out of this neighborhood to a much better place. Just you wait," Rai promised.

"Okay, Big Brother, I'll keep waiting for your promise, hehe," Erin said, smiling.

"That's the spirit! Tomorrow, I plan to go to the guild again to take F-rank quests, probably just looking for medicinal herbs and killing monsters around the forest," Rai replied.

"Can I come with you, Big Brother? It's not dangerous, right?" Erin asked.

"It's better if you don't. I won't be long, I'll be back by evening at the latest," Rai answered.

"Alright, I'll wait for you at home then," Erin said cheerfully.

They continued eating. Occasionally, Rai glanced at Erin, who seemed cheerful and carefree in front of him.

"Poor kid. She shares the same fate as me. The only difference is she was abandoned by her family when they found out she didn't have a job and was sold into slavery. This is why I hate this job and rank system," Rai thought to himself. Rai's mind drifted back to a year ago, when he first met Erin.

******

A Year Ago: A Fateful Encounter

As he walked through the market to buy groceries, he saw a commotion in the middle of the market square. Curious, he approached and saw a slave trader holding a small auction to sell off his unsold merchandise. Several of his henchmen guarded a caged cart, holding seven slaves inside. Clang! The slave trader hit the bars with his stick.

"Come on, come on, take a look! These slaves are fresh and new. They were formerly merchants, adventurers, and there's even a noble child among them!" the trader called out, promoting his wares.

"Huh." Rai, uninterested, turned to leave, but then his eyes met those of a small girl among the row of slaves in the cage. He turned back. The little girl was also looking at him with a hopeful gaze, as if begging him to buy her. Finally, the trader pulled out a male human slave who looked fresh and young.

"Alright, this man here is an adventurer who gambled away his money. He was sold by the arena owner because he had no money. His job is C-rank warrior. He can do manual labor, hunt, and farm. Starting bid is 100 gold! Come on, who wants to make the first bid?" the trader yelled.

Several people raised their fingers to bid, and eventually, the man was sold to a merchant. Then the trader brought out the second slave, a female dark elf who looked sexy and beautiful with her silver hair. Her job was C-rank dancer. Lustful men—adventurers, merchants, traders, and knights alike—immediately placed bids, wanting to make the slave their sex slave.

Finally, after six slaves had been sold, the trader brought out a small girl, about 12 years old, thin, with long blonde hair that covered her face, only revealing her blue eyes through her strands.

"Now, for this one, she's a noble child from the Celestria Kingdom. She was abandoned by her family and can be nurtured into a beauty," the trader said, lifting the child's chin to reveal her face clearly.

"Hey... what's her job?" shouted one of the auction participants.

"Ah... she... she doesn't have a job. That's why she's being sold cheaply. We'll start the bidding at 1 gold. Who wants to bid?" the trader yelled.

Not a single person raised their hand. The little girl looked down, no longer showing her face, but just as the trader started pushing her back into the cage,

"Sir, look!" one of the trader's guards said, looking at the crowd.

The trader turned to see Rai raising his hand at the very back of the line. He immediately turned back to Rai.

"How much do you want to bid, sir? Starting price is 1 gold," the trader asked.

"100 gold, outright purchase!" Rai yelled.

Everyone immediately turned to look at Rai, their faces as if to say, "This guy must be crazy, paying 100 gold for a slave with no job." In contrast, the trader's face broke into a wide smile as soon as he heard Rai's offer. He immediately declared her sold without further ado. The little girl was very confused and stared at Rai in wonder. After paying the trader and taking the little girl home with him,

"What's your name?" Rai asked, looking at the little girl walking beside him.

"I... I don't have a name. You can give me a name, sir," the little girl replied.

"Hmm, you should have a name. You're a noble child, aren't you?" Rai asked.

"Um... my previous name was Erin Lockhart, but now I don't have a name," Erin replied.

"Alright, then your name is Erin now, and you are free," Rai said.

"Huh... free? No, sir, I can't be free anymore. This collar can't be removed," Erin said, holding the collar around her neck.

Rai stopped and stood in front of Erin. Then he crouched down in front of her and grasped the collar around Erin's neck.

"Close your eyes," Rai said, smiling.

Erin closed her eyes, and whoosh, she felt a warm sensation on her neck. Then, slowly, she opened her eyes and was shocked to see her slave collar broken in Rai's hand and burning with blue fire.

"Now you are truly free. You don't need to serve me or come with me. Go wherever you want," Rai said, standing up and smiling.

"B-but I don't know where to go. C-can I just come with you, sir?" Erin asked.

"Hmm, you want to come with me?" Rai asked, confused.

Erin didn't answer but nodded in response to Rai's question. Then she looked at Rai with pleading eyes, making Rai think hard about answering Erin's request. Haaaah. Rai sighed, running a hand through the hair at the back of his head.

"Alright, you can come with me," Rai said.

"Thank you, sir!" Erin replied cheerfully.

"Hey, don't call me 'sir.' My name is Rai, and you're not a slave anymore," Rai said.

Erin fell silent and thought. She looked at Rai in front of her, who seemed young, handsome, and had red eyes. Then she smiled widely.

"In that case, can I call you Big Brother Rai?" Erin asked.

"Hmm, okay. That's better than being called 'sir'," Rai replied.

"Thank you, Big Brother Rai!" Erin said cheerfully.

After that, Erin walked with Rai back to his house in the slums in the eastern part of the city.

******

Back in the present, Rai kept staring at Erin, who was eating in front of him, with a blank expression.

"I wonder why I was even interested in buying her back then. I'm still confused by my own actions, but now I'm grateful. She's a great cook, and her soup is delicious," Rai thought to himself.