Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 225 - 218: Conveying Equality to Slaves

Chapter 225: Chapter 218: Conveying Equality to Slaves

We walked through the filthy market square to the inn where we were lodged, my hand still clutching that piece of grass rope. To be frank, I didn’t like this arrangement at all, as it made me feel like I was leading an animal, rather than a living person. However, the girl was unwilling to get close to me and I was afraid of losing her, so I had no choice. The translator suggested I ought to whip her with the grass rope, and claimed that many slaves would only obey their masters after some discipline. It was clear from her demeanor that her previous master had not properly trained her.

I shook my head, rejecting this method. The translator might have meant well, but his words made me uncomfortable. However, I could understand where he was coming from, having grown up in such a world. According to Dr. An Liang, it was a case of one’s environment influencing their thoughts and actions. They wouldn’t see anything wrong with their actions, but would consider them completely normal.

I hoped to treat this girl in an egalitarian manner. Although to the outside world we might appear as master and servant, I was determined to build a relationship of relative equality, to let her experience the value of equal treatment.

We arrived at the inn, but the innkeeper frowned and turned us away. More precisely, he refused to let the girl enter, claiming that she wasn’t qualified and that her dirtiness would affect the inn’s business. If my memory served me correctly, the research team had rented out the entire inn in advance. Where did this talk of disturbing business come from?

The innkeeper was apparently not as easy to deal with as the translator. After negotiating with Dr. An Liang and the translator, he agreed to let the girl in on the condition that she washed off her grime and changed out of her dirty sacks. He ordered one of his staff to lead us to the backyard, where there was a well. He expected us to draw water ourselves and wash the girl clean. Considering this as an incredibly tough task, I stayed back to wash the girl clean while Dr. An Liang and the translator went to buy her new clothes.

I untied the grass rope around her waist. The girl closed her eyes in anticipation of my next move. I ignored her, walked to the well and laboriously drew two buckets of ice-cold water. I then indicated for her to clean herself, while I moved awkwardly to the corner to guard the path leading to the backyard, preventing anyone else from coming in.

I believed the girl could understand the Tasta language, so I really didn’t say much to her. She was staring blankly at me as I left when, after a while, I heard splashing water sounds behind me and felt a twinge of shyness.

Before long, Dr. An Liang and the translator returned, carrying a simple set of cotton clothes. He handed the clothes to me and asked if we needed to call in a female worker to assist. I waved the offer off, considering the girl’s wariness of strangers, it would only frighten her to have another unfamiliar person there.

I took the clothes and walked back towards the backyard, my eyes tightly shut. Unable to see my surroundings, I had to move forward step by careful step, reaching out with a hand to navigate my way to the backyard. The sound of water seemed to have stopped. Unsure of what the girl was doing, I extended the clothes towards her and told her in English to put them on. I did not know whether she understood, but this was the best method I could think of.

My hand hung in mid-air, tightly clutching the dress. I had no idea what the girl was doing as I kept my eyes shut tight. After what seemed like a long time with no sound, I began to worry that she had left, or worse, jumped into the well out of fear of me.

Just when I was just about to panic, I felt the clothes being tugged from my hand. I let go, gratefully lowering my hanging hand, my arm aching from staying raised for so long.

After I handed her the clothes, I turned to leave, only to collide with a post. I distinctly heard a giggle from behind me, but it stopped abruptly. I decided to open my eyes and leave with some dignity, despite feeling a little embarrassed.

The translator couldn’t understand my actions, believing that if I, as a master, indulged the slave too much, she would become insolent. I didn’t want to argue with him anymore. After all, we came from different worlds, belonging to different races and holding different philosophies. It would be hard for him to comprehend the universal value of equality.

I am truly grateful to Dr. An Liang. Without his help today, I wouldn’t have been able to rescue the girl. I expressed my gratitude with a hug, but Dr. An Liang pushed me away with a wry smile. He apparently didn’t like this form of expression.

The dress that Dr. An Liang bought for her was a conservative one-piece. According to him, the hemline was meant to reach her knees, but on her it looked like a full-length dress. After bathing, she looked much refreshed. Her wet hair clung together, occasionally dripping water. The dirt and grime had been washed away, revealing her pale skin.

The girl noticed our gazes and seemed very guarded. She hung her head low, her hands clasping her chest. I could see her body shivering slightly, but I couldn’t tell if it was due to the cold well water or her fear of us.

We took the girl to the leader and explained our intentions. At first, he strongly opposed our idea and insisted that I send her away immediately. However, under Dr. An Liang’s persuasion, the leader relented. He agreed that I could keep the girl but with two conditions: I had to take care of her, and I couldn’t do anything that violated the rules.

After getting approval from the leader, I couldn’t help but give Dr. An Liang another big bear hug. I could tell that the leader was only granting our request out of deference to Dr. An Liang. He truly had done much for me. From the moment we entered the Otherworld, he always treated me as a friend. I was really glad - a heartfelt thank you, Dawari!

The last few paragraphs of the diary entry were hastily written, showing Dr. Anatoli’s immense excitement. As Baiyue read this part, she suddenly stopped reading and everyone noticed that her face had turned red.

"Won’t the next part turn into something not suitable for children?" Hu Daoke scratched his head, awkwardly asking.

Cheng Ziang hit him lightly and scolded, "Jinx!"

"Wow, hearing two love stories in one day, I’m totally intoxicated. If only my parents also had a wonderfully romantic love story like that," Tangmo said, dramatically leaning on Luo’er.

"Keep your thoughts to yourself and keep your hands to yourself," Luo’er replied, grabbing her hand in exasperation.

"Shall I continue reading?" Baiyue asked the group, though her gaze was fixed on Luo’er.

"Uh, if you’re willing, go ahead." Luo’er replied.

"Yue’er, read another passage please!" Tangmo said, leaning against Luo’er, his face filled with anticipation.

"Hmm!" Baiyue nodded, flipping to the next page. Reading through silently, she made sure the content was unobjectionable before she began reading.

June X, 2030, Otherworld

If I were a woman, I would certainly marry Dr. An Liang.

It’s been three days since we last bought the girl and brought her back. In these three days, she and I have shared a room, of course, it had two beds. This was originally my dormitory with Dr. An Liang, but after the girl stayed he moved to share a room with the translator. Honestly, I had prepared to sleep on the floor while she took the bed, but Dr. An Liang’s move touched me.

Over these three days, I’ve put in a lot of effort to change the girl’s refusal to sleep on the bed to her willingness. Due to the language barrier, I had to rely on gestures. I’ve learnt some Tasta language from the translator, and I hope to teach her some English, so our communication doesn’t have to be so awkward. We could have gotten the translator to communicate with her, but the girl seems to have a deep aversion to the translator and doesn’t want to talk to her.

"I, am not, your, Master, um, I am, your, friend, friends..."

I try hard to explain the situation in Tasta and English, hoping she could learn some simple words. She’s staring at me, her face confused, perplexed by my strange language.

"Hurt, NO! Abuse, NO! Equality, YES!!"

I exaggeratedly used my hands to make gestures, crossing my hands to make the ’no’ sign and shaking my head hard, hoping that she could understand. But the girl was still looking at me, puzzled, maybe I didn’t express it in a way that she could understand it. I guess Dr. An Liang must have a way to help her understand. I wish I had learned some Tasta language first, so it wouldn’t be so awkward now.

Just when I was at a loss, suddenly the girl reached out to touch my arm and immediately withdrew her hand. Her big eyes looked at me in terror. Even though I had no idea what she was thinking, I still smiled, putting on a friendly face.

Seeing my smile, she dared to stretch out her hand once again and touch my arm, her eyes still glued to me unwaveringly. After seeing my impassive face, she pinched my skin slightly and twisted it. Seeing me wincing in pain, she immediately pulled back her hand, her face terrified and staring at me.

I continued to smile and shook my head, indicating that I wouldn’t get angry. Seeing my smile, she once again reached out her hand to touch my arm. Through the contact of our skin, I could clearly feel her heart pounding excessively.

"Equality?" Finally, I heard her pronounce the word in Tasta. I was overjoyed. I nodded vigorously to confirm my belief.

"Hurt?" she continued to ask.

"NO!" I crossed my hands and shook my head.

"Abuse?"

"NO!" I continued, crossing my hands and shaking my head.

"Master?" she asked, tilting her head.

"NO!" I disagreed.

"Friend?" she asked.

"YES, Friends!" I tried to teach her to pronounce the English word.

"F...riends?" she hesitantly sounded out the word.

"YES!"

I was moved, it felt like all my hard work were finally getting rewarded.