After being reborn, I was turned into a slave girl by a princess.

……

"No, no! I don't want to eat cow dung. You'd be better off killing me than making me eat it..."

"Kill him? Don't even think about it, eat him!"

"Waaaaah... Waaaaahh ...

(Wait, this isn't cow dung? It's...)

……

Lonnie thought that, as punishment, Elusia would stuff cow dung into her mouth...

But when Lonnie tasted it, she found the food to be unexpectedly delicious. The slightly salty taste combined with the firm texture was exactly the taste of fresh steak!

(Elcia, are you trying to force me to eat steak?)

Lonnies was stunned, while Elusia, while pressing herself down, arrogantly said, "I've already told you, you're my toy, so if I want you to eat, you have to eat me."

"Waaah?"

Because her mouth was full of beef, Lonnie couldn't even speak.

"You're thinking of refusing food and then making me soften up because you're starving, right? Let me tell you... that's absolutely impossible!"

"Ugh...?"

"You are my slave, in other words, my property. Since you are property, I certainly won't allow you to have any health problems... otherwise, wouldn't I be at a huge loss?"

"what?!"

"Have you finished eating? If you have, then get ready to set off right away. The temperature in the Bone Dragon Mountains can drop to below -20 degrees Celsius at night. If you don't want to freeze into a block of ice, then get on the road now!"

"Waaaaaah...waaaah?"

Threatened by Elusia, Lonnie could only quickly finish her steak before being put in a collar and forced to take another step.

Chapter 14 Village on the Snow Mountain

The vast Bone Dragon Mountains stretch as far as the eye can see.

Especially in the afternoon, snowflakes fell from the sky, and with the dark clouds obscuring the view, all you could see was a vast expanse of white.

If it were Lonnie alone, she would probably have gotten lost in these mountains long ago. But Elusia always seemed to be able to find her way, and her steps forward were without any hesitation.

"After all these years, has nothing changed here...?"

"So many years?"

"Hmph, don't ask questions you shouldn't ask, little maid Lonnie."

"Waaah..."

Lonis gazed at Elusia's retreating figure, her feelings a mix of emotions.

Is it resentment?

Logically speaking, a normal person would feel resentful and angry if someone put a collar on them and led them around like a pet.

However, Lonnie always felt...

Elusia's life is filled with many stories that she doesn't know.

She wasn't a "companion doll" generated by a system for herself, but more like a person: she must have experienced a lot, at least lived in this world.

So, in that case...

Is Elusia the system itself?

Lornes had this suspicion, but she had no opportunity to confirm it...

But if we consider it this way, everything might make sense:

I died in an accident in the past (or perhaps I didn't die), and somehow my body or consciousness was placed in a cryogenic chamber.

A long time passed in this way. During this time, I lived in a virtual world, experiencing the dream of becoming a hero.

But reality has changed dramatically: not only have many monsters emerged in the world, but human technology has also declined significantly, leading to the abandonment of their underground shelter.

However, Elusia, who was part of the system, was still there because she was the last human and saved him.

And travel with yourself, hoping to rediscover the human civilization of the past.

But if that's the case, then Elcia is a robot, which contradicts my initial assumption.

……

……

Lonis had doubts but dared not step forward to ask. She felt an unusual discomfort, as if insects were crawling inside her.

……

Time passed quietly, and before long it was 4 p.m.... The whole sky turned gloomy, looking like it was about to be shrouded in night.

But at the edge of her vision, Lonnies discovered something different.

It was a small village perched atop a cliff: though the snow was falling heavily, it couldn't conceal the village's high eaves. Wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, indicating that the village was still inhabited.

"Elusia, it's a village!"

"Of course it's the village, I already found it... Are you an idiot?"

"what?"

"You're making a fuss over such a small thing. And... when we get to the village, you'd better pretend to be mute and not ask a single question, or you'll be in big trouble!"

"Waaah..."

Lonnies knew that Elusia was serious, so she could only keep her mouth shut and follow the black-haired little girl toward the village.

……

……

There is a dirt road near the village, and it is clear that someone regularly shovels snow to make it accessible to pedestrians.

Elusia, without any hesitation, grabbed the rope and shouted towards the village:

"Is anyone there? Adventurers have come to do business."

A moment later, an old man's voice echoed through the village: "Adventurers, what do you want?"

"Ice crystals, you should have quite a few here, right?"

"So you're here to trade ice crystals. Please come in."

……

……

After identifying themselves, the two girls were welcomed into the village by the village chief.

From behind the window of the wooden house, Lonnie could sense that many villagers were curiously spying on her. They were of all ages, men and women, and they seemed to find it strange that this beautiful silver-haired young lady was being led around like a pet by a black-haired little girl.

Realizing this, Lonnie's cheeks flushed even more. She didn't even dare to openly observe the village, let alone make eye contact with the villagers.

(But these villagers are dressed so simply, all in plain linen clothes... Did my previous guess come true?)

As Lonnie approached the village, she didn't find any modern gadgets like "electric lights" or "electric cars." Apart from the ubiquitous wood, there was only a thick metal pipe running along the eaves.

The conversation between Elusia and the white-haired village chief is also quite intriguing.

……

"Oh? You mean because the area is haunted, no travelers have come here for a long time?"

"That's right... so it's been about half a year since we last traded with outsiders."

"How's the Magic Furnace? It seems there's something wrong with it, right?"

"Well, to be honest, the parts are a bit worn out."

"I have replacement parts. In return, give me some magic crystals."

"Okay, please come inside."

……

What is the Magic Furnace?

What about ghost stories?

Despite not understanding why, Lonnies remembered Elusia's order to keep her mouth shut—not because she was obedient or had accepted her status as a slave maid.

Lonnies simply didn't want to be ridiculed for her ignorance. If she asked inappropriate questions, she would definitely be bullied by Elcia.

……

……

In the center of the village stands a house that looks very tall.

It is hexagonal and about 8 meters high, but the house is only one story... As soon as Lonnies pushed open the door, she felt a warm feeling.

The cold was kept out of the door, and in the center of the room stood something that looked like a globe: the huge sphere seemed to have lost its gravity and floated in mid-air.

Next to the sphere were ring-shaped floating objects that looked like small ribbons.

……

Looking at this thing, Elusia frowned slightly:

"Such an old version..."

"Ah, this magic furnace seems to be a product of the Snow Kingdom, and it has been in operation for a long time."

The village chief shook his head, his face full of sighs.

"Snowy Kingdom... Hmph!"

Elusia gave a cold snort and took out a component that looked like a nail from her storage ring:

"You can't find many people who know how to repair these kinds of old antiques these days."