Day 444 in this world
Alright, it's been exactly 16 days since I arrived on the second continent… Wait, hold up! What about the other three heroes? I haven't mentioned them yet. Even if they're side characters, they're still on my team… (Not sure if they know I'm on their team, though.)
Let's try this again… Ahem!
Back to the three heroes from my original continent I haven't talked about. All the male heroes are accounted for, so it's just the female ones left…
Huh? What's that?
Ric, Takuto, and Jiw—only three male heroes? Nah, nah, you forgetting Grace and Reina? Grace is a guy, sure, but a fabulous one. And Reina? Also a guy, just chose to swap genders for this world.
So, that leaves three actual female heroes. I'll give you the short version, okay?
At Shiretel Village, the furthest vassal village from the bustling port city of Shire City—a hub overflowing with goods, people, forest dungeons, and oasis vibes. But the only route connecting them is a scorching, arid desert, moderately to highly dangerous. Even before caravans became a thing, Shiretel was a prime spot for farming high-quality resources. But over the past year, its popularity tanked because the monsters roaming around the village leveled up way too fast.
At the village entrance, a massive armored caravan—six long, flexible-linked wagons in two rows, totaling twelve—looks brand-new, not a scratch on them despite constant desert treks.
Eight female workers in weird masks are slaving away, unloading goods from the caravan like their lives depend on it.
"Over there, and there! Move it! You, watch it! Hey, you! Hurry up with that one! And that one too!! Anyone who can carry two barrels, do it!!!"
"Ughhh…"
"Aaaaah…"
A woman of average height, slim with toned thighs, dressed in a single flowing silk gown tied to accentuate her curves, flawless pale-pink skin, long jet-black hair rolled into a bun at the back, and a sharp, perfect face with slanted eyes, a small nose, and a delicate mouth, is shrieking orders. Her high-pitched voice echoes as she waves a fan, directing the female slaves who toil day and night—prepping supplies before and during trips, then hauling massive loads for their cruel mistress without a moment's rest…
Clunk! Clank!
"Aaaa… Ughhh…"
"Ughhhhhh…"
The slave girls wear wooden masks hiding their faces, thin but pristine clothes showing off their surprisingly beautiful figures despite being slaves. An "X" mark is etched on the back of their shirts.
They barely speak coherently… and drool often seeps from the bottom of their masks.
Clunk… Creak!
"Ugh… Ahhh…"
"Hey, you! Why'd you stop?! Move it! Finishing one wagon takes time, and we've got more stops to hit!"
One slave, lugging a 50-kilo empty water barrel, staggers and starts to collapse. The woman called Sinsin screams at her without mercy… Yup, that's our third real female hero.
"Uh, Miss Sinsin… Her legs look like they're about to give out. They're practically breaking…"
"Hm? Thanks for the heads-up, MaoMao!"
Sinsin activates one of her goddess-given blessings, [Renewal], a power that restores things to their optimal state for that moment. It's like fixing, but "restoring" fits better…
Vwing! Instantly, the slave's buckling legs snap back to normal.
"Alright! Get moving! Back to work, you fresh trash!"
"Ughhhh…"
Sinsin heals the slave and orders her back to work, not caring a bit about their well-being… The slave shuffles on, carrying goods mindlessly, silent and uncomplaining.
Alright, from this angle, Sinsin looks like a downright awful woman, right? I mean, I did frame it that way. But actually… Hmm.
Time to let MaoMao, my half-human, half-catgirl necromancer with black fur, a short, skinny frame, and a bit of a chubby tummy from being pampered, show the truth by asking a dumb question.
"Miss Sinsin… Isn't this a bit too harsh? I kinda feel bad for them…"
"Huh? What's gotten into you, MaoMao? Last time I heard you say that was over half a year ago…"
"Hehe, just… starting to feel sorry for them again, y'know?"
Pinch! Sinsin stretches MaoMao's cheeks.
"Ngyaaa!"
"MaoMao!!! Thanks for caring about them… But how about worrying about the villagers first?! Not this fresh trash!"
"Ngyee! (I had a dream last night where they said they were tired…)"
"MaoMao… You're such a good kid…"
Pinch pinch!
"NGYAAAAA!!!"
"But those are your skeletons, you dork!"
"Ngyee! (P-Pykeletons, actually…)"
"Whatever! Do they even get tired?! Stop worrying about their health!! Don't you wanna hurry back for some pudding?!"
"P-Pudding~~~!"
"Good. Then crank up your power and make those things obey my orders tight. Let's wrap this up fast!"
Yup, that's the deal.
Sure, Sinsin might look harsh or cruel sometimes, but deep down, she's super kind. Back in my old world, I bet she was like a big-sis type livestreaming online sales while doing charity on the side. (Didn't read her memories like Reina's, but I can guess.) She's a killer merchant and genuinely helps people in need.
Like now—after finishing her trades in Shire City, she heard Shiretel Village, one of her old trading spots, was in trouble. She didn't hesitate to ditch cargo space to haul supplies for the villagers.
And those slave girls? They're MaoMao's skill, a necro-cat-mancer, combo'd with Sinsin's [Renewal] blessing to restore those flimsy, soulless skeletons with muscles and strength, turning them into living-like laborers.
Gotta admit, aside from my cheat-tier powers, [Renewal] is a perfect physical healing skill. Restoring physical states to their peak? For these skeleton slaves, if they were humans at their prime (usually 15-18, right?), it restores their bones to that form. Bam—gorgeous slave girls, ready to work! No souls, life, or status restored, though… They rot after a bit, so just re-summon them. (Why do dungeon-summoned monsters have human backstories? Same dungeon logic I explained last chapter, duh.)
Sinsin often gripes about why MaoMao's Pykeleton pyramid skeleton monsters are all female. MaoMao just shrugs, "Dunno!" (Truth is, I rigged it so MaoMao only summons girl skeletons. Who'd want buff dude slaves, right?)
As for how we met, the ultra-short version: Around day 20 in this world, I learned about Sinsin's powers and wanted to test them and support her, seeing her tire herself out helping people alone. So, I created MaoMao, played the amnesiac kid with necromancer talent, and got adopted by her as expected. Named MaoMao, of course…
Alright, two more heroes to go! Hang in there, dear readers!
End of Chapter 58
Sinsin, MaoMao / Renewal