Shadow Slave

A familiar road manager was leaning on the side of the wagon, drinking a cup of coffee and watching the sun rise. Noticing Rain, he spared her a crooked smile.

«Ah. It's you again, Rani.»

Rain almost stumbled.

«Damn.»

Rani is what she was known as on the road crew. Since she was hiding here, using her own name would have been silly… the problem was that Rain had not thought about that right until the moment she was asked to introduce herself.

So, put on the spot, she had failed to come up with anything and mumbled the first thing that entered her mind.

Which was why her teacher had mocked her relentlessly for a whole week.

«No, really? Rani? The best you could do was shift two letters around? I just can't… gods, everything I've been through, and I'll die of laughter…»

Rain had endured the mockery for as long as she could, and then kindly reminded her teacher that he went around calling himself Shadow.

So, he wasn't in a position to critique her naming sense, was he?

That, luckily, had shut him up.

In any case, by now, she was more or less accustomed to responding to «Rani.»

Which was not to say that she wasn't embarrassed every time she heard it.

«Good morning, chief.»

The man stared at her for a few moments, then sighed.

«Listen, Rani… I get it, the pay in the advanced camps is higher. But what's the use of having money if you are dead? It's quite dangerous out there, you know! A young girl like you should just stay here in the main camp. Actually, even the main camp is not a good place. If my daughter wanted to come here from Ravenheart, I would have locked her up.»

He took a sip of coffee and shook his head.

«Why don't you change your mind?»

Rain gave him her best smile.

establishing a new

He grimaced.

so far away from Ravenheart. We have strict orders to prioritize the strongest and most

the manager hesitated for a few moments, then let out a

out. Just don't pout Rain blinked a couple of

«I… I'm not pouting!»

The man laughed.

a spot in an advanced camp, but if you just want

Her eyes glistened.

«Really?»

then leaned

you're a good kid and might be suitable for the task. There's a new survey team being formed. The core of the team are Awakened warriors, of course, but they need mundane porters, as well as someone to tend to their

manager paused for a moment,

advanced camp. Usually, I would still recommend strong men for the position, but this team is a bit special. It is

at Rain and

even end up as a retainer of the Legacy clan!

a moment, then

That's great!

like they were small reconnaissance groups exploring the wilderness to map out the best route for the road to take. Of course, the nature of the job was quite peculiar here in the Dream Realm, where different regions could have entirely different terrain, climate, geology, sky, and

study the landscape, but also to scout out the Nightmare Creatures populating it. If there were especially dangerous abominations ahead, the road would

wavered a

but he clearly knew close to nothing about the Dream Realm. A survey team seemed like a safer bet to him, but actually, there was probably no

actual

any other mundane person here. Plus, being on a survey team was even better for her than running to an advanced camp — the fewer

opportunity was

gave the road

to something nice once my

The man chuckled.

in one piece, girl… that will be the best

her to a certain tent in the northern part of the camp and said

gather your things and report there by the time the morning shift is

to leave. As

Queen's grace

halted for