Volume 4 Chapter 7 - No Cost Apartment

Part 1

Hello everybody. This is ex-hiki NEET Rudeus.

Today I'm covering the recently popular No Cost Apartment.

Deposit Zero.

Rent Zero.

One room that includes two meals and an afternoon nap.

Constructed from a very warm timber material.

The exposure from the sun is just a little bit bad and the bed (straw product) has a small insect problem, but even so this price is just far too cheap!

It is zero rent after all.

The toilet is the latest pot model.

It's the popular new self-service type, after the excretions build up in the pot, you then throw it out through the hole in the corner of the room.

Since there's no running water there might a little bit of a sanitation problem, but with magic there is no problem at all!

Especially if you're a magician such as myself who can create boiling water, you could consider the problem all but solved.

Two meals a day.

Modern age people may feel this is a little bit unsatisfying.

Nevertheless, these meals are quite good.

Fruits and vegetables fresh from nature as well as meat.

Meals that make use of the ingredients natural flavors with very little seasoning, it's cooking that would make anyone in the Magic Continent lick their lips.

Now, the hottest feature of this apartment.

If I had to put it, it's the absolutely safe security structure.

Just take a look at these completely sturdy iron bars.

No matter if you bang or attempt to pull them out they won't budge an inch!

Though using magic to open the lock is a bit of a blind spot.

There will surely be no thieves out there who would be willing to enter after seeing these reliable iron bars.

However, criminals will still come in.

It's a prison after all.

Part 2

I was gradually carried into through the dark forest.

Unable to move at all on Gyes's back, just carried.

In the darkness the trees flowed by at a frightening speed.

In my field of vision I could tell a ball of silver fur was keeping up with us.

It's still just a puppy but it seems to have quite a bit of strength.

We had already been traveling for two or three hours.

The beast race warrior Gyes had been running for quite a long time.

Then he stopped when we had arrived somewhere.

[Please return to your house, Holy Beast-sama.]

[Wan!]

The silver ball of fur let out a single reply and then disappeared off into the darkness.

Only able to move my eyes, I scanned the surroundings.

In a dense area of trees it seemed like there were very few people around.

However, above the trees I saw lights all over the place.

After walking a bit more Gyes approached a single tree.

He started to climb a ladder somewhere with me still on his shoulder.

It seems I'm being carried up the tree.

We entered a building.

A small desolate hut made of wood.

There Gyes stripped me of all my clothes.

What in the world is he going to do to me while I can't move?

Then the moment I thought of that I was grabbed by my neck and thrown somewhere.

A little bit later I heard the sound of a metal gate creaking and then closing shut.

Then Gyes was gone.

With no explanation at all.

No interrogation either.

A short while later I was finally able to move my body and created a small fire with my fingers to confirm my surroundings.

After seeing the solid iron bars I understood that this was a prison.

I was thrown into a prison.

That is fine.

I understood that from the flow of the conversation.

I was mistaken as one of the smugglers.

Therefore, there is no need to panic.

This misunderstanding will be solved soon.

However, why was I stripped of all my clothes?

Come to think of it, all the children in that prison were nude as well.

I wonder if it's that sort of culture.

If beast race people are forced naked it is probably humiliation.

No, it's not specifically limited to the beast race that would be ashamed of being forced naked.

Since ancient times it's been common to break the hearts of prisoners by stripping them nude.

This is a fantasy world, but in my reading preferences female knights are always stripped when they are imprisoned.

There's common points in all worlds it seems.

In the darkness I began to think.

For the time being, I'll have to talk to them tomorrow.

There's no real problem even in the case that they aren't willing to accept it.

After I was captured it seemed like that older warrior went after Ruijerd.

Since that's the case, he should have been able to meet up with the children again.

Ruijerd is easy to misunderstand, but there should be no hostility towards a warrior who has come to save the children.

After the children are shown to have been saved, the misunderstanding that I was a smuggler will be resolved.

In any case, I'm safe for now.

The older warrior specifically said not to do any torture or interrogations until he returned.

Therefore, I'm safe.

There probably won't be any random tentacles coming out to attack me…right?

Part 3

While I was thinking about that a full day had already passed.

Time passes by quickly.

On the morning of the first day I was thrown into the prison, a guard showed up.

It was a female.

She was wearing clothes that looked to be of a warrior, but she was more slender than Ghyslaine.

However, her chest was huge.

I tried to tell her, [This is a false charge, I didn't do anything.]

I tried to explain that I was unrelated to the smuggling organization and by coincidence learned that the children were being held in that building and went to save them.

However, the guard wasn't willing to listen to a thing I was saying.

She filled a bucket with water and then threw it all over me.

It was cold water.

She was looking down on me as if I were trash as I was standing in front of her like a wet rat.

[Pervert!]

I experienced a shiver running down my back.

I thought it was some amazing torture.

That they would strip me naked, have this beautiful, beast ear Onee-san watch over me and even throw cold water at and insult me.

My heart might really break.

These guys have no intention of listening to what the old warrior said.

I wonder what is going to happen to me?

Ku… God Roxy, please grant me your holy protection.

No, Hitogami it's fine if you stay out of this.

[*Sneeze*]

Putting aside the jokes.

I would really like something to wear.

There's too much freedom in this form and it feels like I'm forgetting the common sense of people.

For the time being I'll use the fire magic [Burning Place] to warm my body up before I catch a cold.

Part 4

The second day.

Ruijerd hasn't come to save me.

After spending my second day nude I'm starting to feel a bit worried.

I wonder if something happened with Ruijerd.

Maybe there was a battle with that old warrior.

Otherwise, maybe things got even more complicated with the smugglers.

Another possibility could be that something happened to Eris and he ran off to deal with it.

I'm worried.

Very worried.

Since that's the case it's time to look into methods of escaping.

After the meal in the early afternoon, I silently used magic.

If you mix fire and wind you can create a comfortable breeze.

Now the entire room was warm and comfortable.

Gradually the guard started to doze off and finally fell asleep.

Too easy.

I undid the lock on the iron bars and headed outside to check things out.

After confirming that there was no one around I left the building.

There an illusionary scenery spread out before me.

There was a town built on the tops of the trees.

All of the buildings were at the tops of trees and they were connected with a number of bridges.

There were bridges from each and every tree so you could get anywhere in the village without having to descend from the trees.

There was nothing in specific on the ground below.

It seemed like there were traces of a simple building and fields, but no signs they were in use.

The ground is not a necessity in their life it seems.

There weren't all that many people.

I could see beast race looking people walking all around across the bridges and between trees.

If I were to cross the bridge on the top of the tree I would be able to see everything, but I would also be fully seen from below.

And in my case, in all sorts of meanings, I would be fully seen.

It seems like it would be difficult to escape without being found.

Although, even if I'm found I could still run away.

If I don't bother trying to think of what comes after and just set fire to some trees I could make use of the chaos to escape into some trees somewhere.

However, it's a forest.

I don't know the way.

Gyes was running at quite a high speed.

There should be a fair amount of distance to the town.

If I ran with everything I have in a straight line, it would probably take around six hours.

Even worse if I got lost.

There's also the possibility of creating a high tower from earth with magic and then confirming from place to place.

However, if I did something that stands out as much as that then my pursuers, lead by Gyes, would quickly catch up.

I still don't know the true identity of the magic he used to capture me.

If I can't think of any sort of counter measures for it then it's possible I could lose if we fight again.

Then, he might cut my legs off or something so I can't run away next time.

It's probably a good idea to wait a bit longer for the situation to change.

It's still only the second day.

It seems like the old warrior still hasn't returned yet.

They could still be returning the children to their parents along with Ruijerd.

There's no reason to be hasty.

After coming to that conclusion I returned to the prison.

Part 5

The third day.

The meals I get from the guard are delicious.

As expected, a place with lots of natural ingredients is different.

It's in a different league from the Magic Continent.

It's generally some kind of grass based soup and preserved meat that has been fried, but both are quite good.

I wonder if it's because I had gotten used to the meals on the Magic Continent.

Since this is what they're offering someone they'd throw into prison, the people here must surely be eating something really good.

For the time being I tried praising the guard for the food and ended up being brought seconds.

Judging by the response it seems that it could have been made by this person.

Nevertheless, she still wouldn't listen to what I'm saying.

Part 6

The fourth day.

I'm bored.

There's nothing to do.

It would be fine if I could just use magic to do something, but if I stand out too much they might try to gag or handcuff me.

They haven't done anything like that so far, but there's no reason to risk putting myself into an even more inconvenient situation.

Part 7

The fifth day.

I got a roommate.

Just when I was thinking it was pretty noisy outside a man that looked like an adventurer ended up being thrown into the prison with me.

With two brawny beast race men holding onto each of his arms he was carried in and kicked into the cell.

[Damn it! Treat me with a bit more care here!]

The beast race men ignored the shouting man and left outside.

The man slowly turned around saying [owowow] while rubbing where he was kicked on the ass.

I greeted him in a pose similar to Buddha in Nirvana.

[Welcome, to the highest point in your life.]

Obviously while completely nude.

The man stood there watching me with his mouth hanging open.

It was an adventurer-like man.

His entire body was covered with black garments and around the joints were protectors made of some kind of fur.

Naturally, because of this flow of events he wasn't holding any sort of weapon.

After staring for a long time I noticed his face was something like a monkey.

Although, saying it's a monkey-like face isn't some sort of metaphor.

He was from a Demon Race after all.

[What's up newbie? Is there something strange?]

[N…No, how do I put this…]

The man was looking at me with a face full of confusion.

Don't stare at me so much, it's embarrassing isn't it?

[Even though you're naked, it seems you're quite full of yourself?]

[Hey newbie, be careful with your words. I've been in here longer than you. In other words I'm your prison senpai. Show some respect.]

[O…Okay…]

[Respond with a Yes.]

[Yes.]

Why am I talking to a man I've met for the first time in such an arrogant way?

It's because I'm bored.

[Unfortunately, there are no cushions, just take a seat somewhere around there.]

[Uh, yes.]

[Then, newbie. How did you end up getting locked away?]

I was using a rude tone to talk to him.

Even though I was clearly younger, calling him newbie, I thought he would get angry.

Instead he started to answer my question with a dumbfounded face.

[How do I put it, my cheating was exposed…]

[I see, gambling, huh. Rock, paper, scissors? Steel frame wouldn't pass?]

[What the hell is that? It was the dice.]

[Dice, huh.]

I'm sure without a doubt he was using dice that only come up with 4-5-6.

[What a boring crime to be held on.]

[What was your crime?]

[Can't you tell by looking? Obscenity charges.]

[What the hell is that?]

[I was hugging a nude silver furred puppy and they ended up throwing me in here is what it means.]

[Ah, it was becoming a rumor. The Holy Beast of Dorudia was attacked by a sex beast.]

It seems like there's a guy who can put things together well.

Although, that was a false charge.

Well, seems like there's no choice but to make a request of this guy.

[It's the natural action to take when faced with such a charming creature. If you're a man as well you should understand what I'm talking about right newbie?]

[I don't understand a bit.]

The eyes the man was looking at me with changed into eyes looking at some unknown creature.

No, they didn't really change, it was like that from the very start.

[Then, newbie, your name is?]

[It's Gisu.]

[Are you a colonel?]

[Colonel? No, an adventurer, for the most part.]

Gisu.

Now then, I have the feeling I've heard something like that somewhere.

Where was it?

I can't remember.

Well, there are names similar to it all over the place.

[I'm Rudeus. Younger than you, but I'm your prison senpai.]

[Yeah yeah.]

After shrugging his shoulders Gisu fell to the ground in place, laid back and faced upwards.

[Hm? Rudeus. Sounds like something I've heard somewhere.]

[It's a name you could hear all over the place.]

[Ha, no doubt about that.]

We were now both lined up similar to Buddha in Nirvana.

Although one of us was completely nude.

It's a strange situation.

The most important person in this prison, me, is nude, while some newbie is wearing clothes.

Isn't that strange?

[Hey, newbie.]

[What's up senpai?]

[That vest, it looks warm. Hand it over.]

[Ha?]

Gisu made a frankly reluctant face, but still took off the fur vest and threw it to me.

He's surprisingly an easy person to get along with.

[Ah. Thank you very much.]

[So, you can give thanks I see.]

[Of course. I've been in freedom-style for a number of days after all. It feels like I've been revived as a human for the first time in a while.]

[Stop with the respectful talk, senpai.]

Thus, I ended up with an appearance similar to a nose running brat from the edo period.

The guard made a bit of an irritated face, but didn't say anything in specific.

[I can feel the newbie's warmth coming from this vest.]

[Hey, you aren't going to tell me that you go for men as well or something are you?]

[There's no way that's the case. If it's a girl and the minimum age is 12, up to the maximum of 40, I can do it. It's impossible unless it's a boy who has the face and appearance of a girl.]

[It's fine as long as they have the face of a woman?]

Gisu was making an unbelievable face.

However, I'm sure in this guy's case, if a girl who matched his tastes perfectly suddenly turned into Arthur pulling out Excalibur he would be fine with becoming Merlin.

In a sexual meaning.

[By the way newbie. I have a bit of something I want to ask.]

[What is it?]

[Where is this?]

[The Great Forest, a prison in the Dedorudia race village.]

[Who am I?]

[A nude pervert who would put his hands on a puppy, Rudeus.]

Though, I'm not nude anymore.

Also, it was a false charge.

I'm not a pervert.

[Then, for what reason would a Demon Race person like you have been gambling in Dorudia village?]

[Ah um. One of my old acquaintances is of the Dedorudia race, so I thought they might be here and came for a visit.]

[Were they here?]

[They weren't here.]

[They weren't here, but you still gambled? Still cheated?]

[I didn't think it would be exposed though…]

There's no hope for this guy.

However, he could be useful.

[Newbie, can you do anything other than cheat?]

[I can do anything.]

[Oh, for example, beating down a Dragon with your bare fists?]

[No, that kind of thing is impossible. I'm weak in fights.]

[For example, taking on 100 women at the same time?]

[I'm fine with just one woman, at most two at the same time.]

Finally I lowered my voice so the guard couldn't hear it and said it clearly.

[For example, escaping from here and running until we reach town?]

After saying that Gisu lifted up his face, looked at the guard and started scratching his head.

Then he brought his face close.

Whispering.

[Do you intend to make a run for it?]

[If my allies don't come.]

[Ah? Sorry? How do I put it, that's too bad.]

Hey, stop.

If you put it like that it's almost as if I've been thrown away.

Ruijerd wouldn't throw me away.

I'm sure right now there's some sort of crazy situation going on.

They are waiting for me to save them.

[Run away alone. I'm unrelated.]

[I would get lost, I don't know the way to the town.]

[How did you manage to get here?]

[I was saving some children from smugglers.]

[Saving?]

[While doing that I went to remove the collar from a puppy, when all of a sudden a beast race man appeared and yelled, then I was unable to move and captured.]

Gisu made a face like he didn't really get it while scratching his head.

Maybe it was a bit of an unsatisfactory explanation.

[Ah, then? It's that? False charges?]

[It's false charges.]

[I see. That would make you want to run.]

[Indeed that is the case, please lend me your power.]

[Not happening. Why do I have to lend you my power. I'll be able to get out of here soon, unlike you.]

Even if you ask me why.

Didn't I just say it.

I don't know the way back.

I would prefer to be pardoned from the fate of wandering a forest until I die.

I'm almost completely nude as well.

[Well, if it's false charges then it's probably fine. They'll understand eventually.]

[It would be good if that's the case.]

If you were to ask me, that Gyes person seemed like the type that doesn't listen.

However, it is a fact that I saved the children.

After the children return, naturally I'll be cleared of the false charges.

[Then, I'll wait for a bit longer.]

[Do just that. Nothing good would come from making a run for it.]

After saying that Gisu fell down to lay on the ground again.

If this guy is going to say that I'll wait for a bit longer.

Fortunately, I still have some room left for leisure.

It's not as if I couldn't just turn this entire area into a sea of fire and make a run for it, if it comes down to that in the end.

I feel bad for those of the Dedorudia race, but they were the ones who caught me on false charges, it's mutual responsibility.

I think it could just be a case of them taking a rather long time to find the parents of the children.

Part 8

The sixth day.

This apartment is really quite comfortable to live in.

The food is good, the air conditioning is good (though it's self produced), I was thinking there's not enough to do, but now I even have a conversation partner.

The bed was originally full of insects but now it's quite comfortable after using magic to wipe them all out.

The toilet is still like that, but when I think about the fact that a beast ear Onee-san is taking care of my excretions it's a bit arousing.

However, I'm still worried.

The fact that there's no information coming is quite worrying.

It's almost been a full week since I was captured.

It's starting to feel like they're a bit too slow.

It would be normal to start thinking some kind of trouble had occurred.

Some kind of trouble Ruijerd couldn't solve.

He might need my assistance.

It could already be too late.

However, I can't get somewhere I can't go.

Tomorrow.

No, the day after tomorrow.

The day after tomorrow this village will become a sea of fire.

Is what I would like to say, but I feel a bit bad about going that far so I'll just take the guard as a hostage and run away.

Part 9

The seventh day.

Today is the last day of prison life.

I was making all sorts of plans in my heart while appearing on the surface, to be just laying around doing nothing.

[Come to think of it newbie.]

I started to talk to Gisu in my usual bandit-style.

[What's up?]

[Is this the only prison in this village?]

[Why are you asking something like that?]

[No, normally would you throw two people into the same cell without reason?]

[They don't normally use this prison. Normal criminals are taken to Saint Port.]

Criminals are taken to Saint Port.

I guess that would mean they only throw criminals who break special laws of the Dedorudia race in this prison.

I was mistaken as a smuggler and charged with attacking the Holy Beast.

They go to the point of calling it the Holy Beast, so it's certainly some kind of special existence in this village.

However, wait a minute.

[Then, why are you in this prison? They only caught you for cheating, right?]

[No clue. Probably because it's just a small event within the village?]

[Is it that sort of thing?]

[It's that sort of thing.]

I felt something was a bit out of place.

I kept scratching my arms.

Then scratching my stomach.

Even more so scratching my back.

Somehow really itchy.

After thinking that I looked at the ground.

A single flea started jumping.

[Uoh?! Aren't there bugs in this vest!]

[Hm? Ah, I haven't washed it in quite a while after all.]

[Wash it!]

I took the vest off.

I waved it around and bugs started falling everywhere.

I quickly used a burning wind to kill them all off.

All you bastard bugs.

[Oh? I was thinking since I saw it before, but that's amazing. How do you do it?]

[Using voiceless incantations.]

[I see. Voiceless incantations. That's pretty amazing.]

Ah, just when I was thinking that I had gotten rid of all the bugs, I started to feel itchy all over my body.

For now I started using healing around all the places I was bitten.

However, my back.

Maybe because I had been laying on it, but it feels like I had been bitten like crazy on my back.

My hands can't reach.

Ahhhh.

[Hey newbie.]

[What's up?]

[Come over and scratch my back, it's killing me.]

[Yeah yeah.]

I sat and crossed my legs and Gisu came up from behind.

He started scratching my back.

[Ah, that's the spot, right there. You're good, you've got talent.]

[Didn't I say it? I can do anything. Since that's the case I can massage your shoulders while I'm at it as well.]

When Gisu started doing that to my shoulders I was thinking, it's dangerous this guy is way too good with his hands.

Involuntarily, the muscles on my back were contracting.

[Ohhh, you're so good, it feels so gooooood, ah, next do a bit further down. Mmmm, there, right there. Mmmhnn?]

Then.

Then, I felt some stares.

After taking a good look.

On the other side of the bars there were roughly seven people standing there.

First was an old man who looked a bit like Ghyslaine.

An older brother who looked even more like Ghyslaine.

The guard older sister who had always been looking after me.

A cat eared young girl who was pointing and laughing at me.

A dog eared young girl who was covering her face with her hands and looking at me through the cracks.

Then finally a Superd race older brother with a shining bald head and young woman from the Boreas family holding my clothes, robe, and staff.

[Rudeus? What are you doing together with another man??]

Eris was staring at me with an extremely cold look in her eyes.

In my current appearance.

With Gisu behind me holding onto my shoulders and my back as the focus.

That's right, it would appear as if I was projecting my ass out behind me.

Then at the point where my back ends, Gisu's nether regions are connected.

[It's a misunderstanding.]

Part 10

With the testimony of the two girls, I was released.

The misunderstanding and false charges were quickly resolved after that.

Incidentally, Gisu still had to remain in the prison for a bit longer it seems.