7.

The Gold Shop was convenient in many ways, offering a level of utility unimaginable in most fantasy novels. Perhaps that was to be expected. Fantasy novels were written by humans; this system, at least, probably wasn't.

It wasn't just a simple hologram listing items and prices like an online store. You could click on an item to see detailed options before purchasing. While someone with decision paralysis might struggle, Buja was thoroughly satisfied. The advantage of handling everything on a single page was immense.

It was the same now. For a little extra gold, he could add features like poison to the food without anyone noticing.

[Giant Barbecue]

▶ Addition 1: 'Magic Suppression Poison' +15G

▶ Addition 2: 'Powerful Sleeping Agent' +10G

▷ 'Magic Suppression Poison': Suppresses the target's magic for up to 24 hours, depending on their magic resistance.

▷ 'Powerful Sleeping Agent': Induces forced sleep for up to 48 hours, depending on the target's magic resistance.

A pig twice the size of a normal one appeared. He didn't have to surreptitiously mix in powdered sleeping agents while pretending to season it, so there was no risk of suspicion. He finished the preparations with ease.

"It's all ready."

His tone and attitude were the same as always. With three days left, they wouldn't be on high alert for an escape yet. More importantly, the slave traders had already let down their guard around him. After days of delicious meals without incident, they probably felt they had rewarded him enough by providing a blanket and allowing him separate time to wash.

"You, come here."

They even called over another male slave to be a taste-tester. It showed their strong desire to keep eating Buja's food until they arrived, opting to keep him alive rather than kill him, even if he did tamper with it.

Predicting this, he had intentionally added only the 'Magic Suppression Poison' and the 'Powerful Sleeping Agent'—substances that weren't life-threatening but would buy him as much time as possible after escaping.

A slave took a bite of the meat offered by a trader. One minute passed, then two. When nothing happened, the traders finally descended on the feast.

This meal alone cost him over forty gold.

'Their last supper.'

The effects would likely kick in once they finished eating and digestion began. Then, he would use the privilege granted to him—having his magic suppression bracelet removed while he slept—to escape with the princess. Her wrists were still bound, but he didn't dwell on that.

'Not my problem.'

Escape, then secure her safety. As long as he fulfilled the mission's completion conditions, he could go back. There was no need to worry about what came next. That was why he was brazenly poisoning the knights of the Allied Forces, the new masters of the continent.

"I've also prepared beer today," he announced. "Beer goes with barbecue."

To be certain, he even provided alcohol.

The night deepened into a moonless dark. One by one, the slave traders passed out. After confirming that even the man on watch had fallen asleep in his seat after finishing the leftover meat and beer, Buja stealthily rose to his feet.

"Phew."

This wasn't his first rodeo. He had lived through countless games, embodying protagonists in virtual reality and navigating endless scenarios. He'd lost count of how many escape missions he'd completed. Compared to the terrible games that forced him to escape from much worse situations with no plausible setup, this was a walk in the park.

Still, he was nervous because this was real. The tension came from knowing that any unforeseen variable could end his one and only life.

Despite the nerves, his body moved faster than ever. Swiftly and silently. The princess, who had been lying down near the prearranged escape route, rose and began to move as soon as he arrived.

They didn't rush. They moved carefully, so as not to make a single sound. Running now wouldn't change anything. The most important thing was to delay their discovery for as long as possible.

For that, he bent his waist. A soft, warm weight settled onto his back. The feeling of her smooth thighs traveled up his fingertips, but there was no time to notice it.

"Let's go."

The two of them vanished into the forest, as silent as shadows.

* * *

The next morning, long after the cart should have departed, the slave traders were still asleep, even as the sun climbed high into the sky. The other slaves, not daring to wake them, waited quietly, passing the time in hushed conversation.

"By the way, have you seen that guy who cooked? And one of the women is gone, too."

"They were always sticking together in the cart…"

"Are we going to get in trouble for this?"

The circumstances clearly pointed to a nighttime elopement. It wasn't particularly surprising. Though now slaves, they had once been nobles who frequented high society; they hadn't failed to notice the charged atmosphere between Buja and the princess. They had simply pretended not to see, unwilling to interfere with what might be their last taste of freedom.

But now, the two of them were gone. Their own reality was too harsh to wish the couple happiness. Putting aside their jealousy, they concluded that if the escapees weren't caught, they themselves could be punished. One of the male slaves mustered his courage and approached the sleeping traders.

"Excuse me…"

Just a few weeks ago, the class divide was so vast he wouldn't have dared to even look at their feet. Now, he hesitated over whether it was permissible to touch them. He forced himself forward, not with the courage to overcome social strata, but with the courage to avoid being suspected as an accomplice.

"What is it?!"

When a simple touch didn't work, he had to shake one of the traders violently to wake him. The man looked ready to throw a punch, and the slave cowered, shouting, "S-something terrible has happened! Two people have escaped!"

The trader gave him a look that said, what nonsense, and shook his head roughly to clear the lingering sleep. It didn't take long for him to understand. Among the dozen or so slaves, the two most conspicuous ones—the princess and the cook—were gone.

"Son of a bitch."

He quickly woke the others. Still struggling against the effects of the sleeping agent, they let out similar curses as they checked their own conditions. There was no gratitude for the delicious meals, only the raw fury of being betrayed by beasts they had shown kindness to.

Still, they didn't charge blindly into the forest. They wore the guise of slave traders, but they were knights of the Allied Forces. There was a reason they had let the slaves roam freely.

"Insolent bastards. I'll make them regret this."

They skillfully began searching for tracks. It wasn't difficult to find where Buja and the princess had been lying.

"You go that way. We'll go this way."

They never expected runaway slaves to be smart enough to cover their tracks.

Following the footprints, the two groups soon met again at a nearby lake. The moment they saw each other, the traders' faces contorted in rage.

"Son of a…"

"I'll tear that bastard limb from limb."

"A premium product… defiled by a slave!"

For a slave trader, a runaway wasn't a huge problem; they were confident they could recapture them, which was why they had been so lax. But damaging the value of the merchandise was an unforgivable offense, and not one they could fix.

"A slave bastard dared to touch something I hadn't laid a single finger on!"

"I wanted her so badly, too!"

"That son of a bitch…!"

Their rage echoed through the forest. There was no evidence that anything had happened—just their tracks meeting at the lakeside—but in their minds, they had already pictured the two of them starting a new life together.

As their anger peaked, their heads began to cool. The singular desire to catch and kill Kim Buja focused their minds, and they began following the tracks again.

"They met here."

"The ground is disturbed."

"Two pieces of their cloth clothing…"

"They took off their clothes and ran."

"What did they do here?"

"Why is the ground wet?"

After that spot, only one set of tracks remained. They acted before they questioned.

"He must be carrying her."

"They couldn't have gone far."

"Check the surrounding area! See if they're hiding nearby!"

The pursuit began. The knights tried to draw upon their magic.

It was only then that they realized it. In their haste to shake off the sleeping agent, they had overlooked something crucial. Their magic, which should have been there as a matter of course, was gone.

"What the—my mana!"

"We've been had."

A new urgency gripped them. Emotions took over as they frantically followed the tracks.

* * *

In a cave far from the lake—so well-hidden one would wonder how it was ever found—the princess stared with a complicated expression at the supply of food and the pair of shoes placed beside her. There was enough to last for at least a month.

Moreover, though the cave's entrance was open, it was invisible. It was the 'Stealth Screen' Kim Buja had purchased and left behind. It wasn't a powerful effect, but unless someone physically entered the cave and searched every inch to disable it, she would not be discovered. A perfect sanctuary, just for her.

Most importantly, after setting all this up, Buja had left the cave, taking with him a tracing of her foot size. He was going to be the decoy. To protect her perfectly.

"Why?"

The empire had fallen. It wouldn't be strange for a loyal subject to make such a sacrifice. But from what she had seen, there were too many oddities about Buja for him to be an imperial knight.

"Why?" she whispered.

She had assumed he wanted something from her. The way his eyes had scanned her body… it hadn't felt lecherous, but she had thought that was his motive. Now, that assumption was completely shattered. This was tantamount to throwing away his own life.

A tightness formed in her chest. So many lives had already been lost, sacrificed for her sake. She thought she had grown numb, but the strange memories she had forged in just a few short days with one of the few men she had ever known made her dulled emotions surge once more.

Buja's last words echoed in her mind.

"You're going to rebuild it, right? The empire. My name is Kim Buja. If we meet again, give me a kiss or something."

Words that sounded like a last will. They brought her final dream back into sharp focus. With a single tear tracing a path down her cheek, the princess bit her lip and buried her face in her hands.

* * *

"Should've asked for something other than a kiss," Kim Buja muttered, smacking his lips as he exhaled from his hiding spot in the ground.

He had spoken as if he were laying down his life, all to repair his tarnished image in the princess's eyes. But unless he was insane, he would never do that. He had thrown the traders a decoy and was now concealed in a suitable spot with a stealth item of his own. It wasn't a great place for a long stay, but that didn't matter.

[You have completed 'Gold Mission Chapter 1-1'.]

He had no intention of staying long anyway.

'Flash!'

His vision flickered, and a familiar scene unfolded before him.

* * *

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