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As I entered the room, I saw the princess surrounded by several knights. It was the first time I’d seen anything like this. I couldn’t help but feel nervous.

“So, what does this weapon wannabe want with me?” The princess, whom I’d believed was a kind person, asked.

(Weapon wannabe? What does that mean? And what’s with that scary look on her face?)

These thoughts filled my mind, but I knew this wasn’t the time to ask. I had to ask her about the training.

“Why did the training become so hard?”

I asked in my usual tone, and one of the knights suddenly drew his sword and held it at my throat. I felt a painful throb where the blade touched, and a terrified shriek escaped me.

“I couldn’t care less about your visit, but I had a feeling it’d be about your training. I almost feel sorry for him.”

(Him? Who’s him? Why is she doing this? Aren’t we friends?)

“You seem confused. Let me be clear: I am not your friend. What do you think a kingdom’s first princess is for? I summoned you here to become weapons and tools for this kingdom. With that being said, there’s nothing to be confused about.”
“T-Then why…”
“Why was it different the first 60 days? Is that what you’re going to ask me?”

The princess laughed at me, almost mocking, but I couldn’t deny it because she was right.

(We’re the kingdom’s weapons?)

Sure, we’d been told we’d have to fight the Demon Lord, but that didn’t seem like enough to call us weapons or tools. I couldn’t understand what we’d done to deserve this.

“Didn’t you promise? What happened to your promise to keep us safe and free?”

The princess’ expression remained completely unchanged, even as I shouted at her.

“Promise? What promise?”
“The one we made with the king when we first came here…”

They’d promised us! They’d promised us freedom, safety, and a place to live if we trained diligently. And we’d kept our end of the deal.

“Did I really make such a promise?”
“This is the first I’m hearing of this, Your Highness. It must be some sort of delusion. After all, she’s very skilled at spreading lies.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. No one in the room believed me, despite all of them trusting me just recently. Even my maid had encouraged me before I came to see the princess!

It was surreal—almost ridiculous.

I was sure they’d made that promise. After all, they’d kept it until recently.

“Do you have any proof of this so-called promise?”
“Proof?”
“A contract perhaps, or something similar. Without one, I’m afraid I cannot entertain your complaint.”
“I don’t have proof… But you promised!”

Hearing that, the princess simply shook her head, as if she were dealing with a hopeless child.

“I guess today will be the last day I regard you as a weapon.”
“What do you mean by that?”

This confirmed that she must have been joking all along. After all, I was a human, not a weapon. That said, her mention of “last day” took me aback.

Then again, I was still angry, so I decided I’d ask for at least a month off to rest. Then I could go play in the castle town again. This time, I’d even ask if Ai and Kanami could join me.

“What I said. From today on, you’re a criminal—a criminal who meddled in the kingdom’s affairs and has been brainwashing the castle’s servants to try and stage a coup.”
“What?”
“Thankfully, your plan failed, so you won’t face the death penalty. But you’ll call the jail your home starting today.”

I couldn’t process what the princess was saying.

(Me, a criminal? Did I really do something that terrible?)

“That troublesome mouth of yours will be silenced. From now on, you are forbidden to speak without permission from a royal.”
“…?!”

As she said this, I found I couldn’t speak. No sound would come out.

(Huh? Why?)

No matter how much I tried, my voice was gone. Only faint sounds escaped my lips.

“Capture that thing. Let her be an example to the heroes. Inform the soldiers that they’re free to use her starting tomorrow. But don’t kill her. I have plans for her.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”

In unison, the knights responded and took me away.

I resisted, but my strength was no match for theirs. Eventually, I was hauled to a cell in the basement rather than to a room with a soft bed.

◇◇◇

(How did this happen?)

Even if I wanted to speak to someone, my voice wouldn’t come out. It felt as though I’d been sent to hell. But soon, I realized this was only the beginning.

◇◇◇

It was hell. Out of nowhere, soldiers dragged me from my cell. But as soon as I was out, they began kicking me relentlessly.

The pain was unbearable, yet they wouldn’t stop, no matter how much I cried. My classmates were there, watching, but no one helped me. Ai and Kanami, whom I’d thought were my friends, turned their eyes away.

After the beating, filthy, sweaty soldiers took turns to r̲a̲pe̲ me, each one rougher than the last. My whole body became a map of bruises. I even had to endure several men at once.

And just as I thought it might finally end, another group of soldiers would arrive.

My classmates all acted as if nothing was happening.

When I tried to escape, they crushed my legs. The agony when my legs were shattered was so overwhelming that I screamed, loud enough that my classmates must have heard it, but none of them came to help.

(Why? Why is this happening only to me? I didn’t do anything wrong… Why… Why…)

Eventually, I grew tired of questioning it. This world was simply twisted. I began to believe that I’d finally find peace if I died. After all, if I died, maybe I’d return to Earth.

Or so I thought, and that hope consumed me.

◇◇◇

I didn’t know how much time had passed.

The slave ring forbade me from speaking, but even without it, my throat had been physically destroyed. I couldn’t scream anymore. My throat had apparently healed improperly, leaving me unable to speak forever.

But I didn’t care about that. I just wanted to die. I wanted to go back to Earth.

Eventually, they removed my ring and replaced it with a collar.

I was then dragged before my classmates, while the Knight Captain began a speech.

“I believe most of you have seen this one. She tried to bare her fangs against the Fraus Kingdom and was caught. In other words, she’s a criminal. Starting today, she’ll be sold as a common slave. I want each of you to remember how blessed you are. Don’t end up like her. Many of you don’t understand your position here, and that has been causing the First Princess undue stress. Let me make it clear: you are weapons. You must be strong. Weak weapons are discarded. The only reason you were treated as people for a time was because we were forced to. But it was you, the heroes, who rid us of the one binding us. For that, the princess commends you.”

While the Captain continued speaking, I was handed over to a figure cloaked in a hood.

I couldn’t see his face, but I knew that I wasn’t going to die.

(So I won’t die…)

As I was taken from the castle, one of the soldiers told me I’d be sold for five times the price of a high-class slave. And that if I wasn’t bought, I’d be killed.

The soldier laughed at me, saying I should try not to get myself killed—but honestly, that would’ve been a relief.