I’m the Only One With a Different Genre

41 – “Not buying. Already read the newspaper, and I’m not interested in religions.”

When I opened the door, a man with his fists clenched stood in a crooked posture.

“Hello?”

I greeted him with a smile, thinking he might be a neighbor on the same floor. Outwardly, I smiled, but inwardly, I had different thoughts.

“Could this guy be spouting nonsense like Pimax?”

Perhaps due to past experiences, my thoughts naturally flowed in that direction. More than anything, the man’s crooked posture and disgruntled expression didn’t seem to suggest a positive reason for his visit.

“Are you two the ones who came up instead of Pimax this time?”

The man shouted with a tone as lacking in courtesy as his crooked posture.

Upon hearing the man’s words, it felt as though he had approached like someone peddling superstitions or preaching a false religion.

The immediate desire to shut the door welled up.

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“I’m not buying. I’ve already read the newspaper, and I’m not interested in religions.”

After mechanically reciting these words like a rehearsed script, as I attempted to close the door, the man slipped his foot into the gap and grabbed the closing door with his hand.

“What nonsense is this!? I’m asking if you’re the lucky bastard who managed to climb up instead of the Phoenix!”

The door trembled as if engaged in a struggle. Only belatedly did I come to my senses and attempt to reopen the door.

Thud!

A strange hand firmly gripped the trembling door. It was a small hand, far from what one would expect from a man.

“Hey -.”

“Hrk…!? Bianca?!”

A husky female voice came from beyond the door.

Simultaneously with the sound of the woman’s voice, the man, who until a moment ago had a face resembling a hoodlum, cowered like a frightened rabbit, shoulders hunched.

“Don’t harass the one who said no and leave, okay?”

“Why are you in a place like this…?”

“Well, because there’s someone I care about here.”

“…! Oh, I see!”

The man, who had quickly distanced himself from the door, bowed his head to the person called Bianca.

“I apologize!”

“Tell the others too. Don’t mess around; I’ve already marked my territory here.”

“Yes!”

The man turned his head, looking at me with a face that seemed to say, ‘I survived.’ Thanks to him releasing his grip earlier, the door was wide open.

The person called Bianca was a tall, sturdy woman who seemed to be around 170 centimeters. Her body was well-proportioned and firm.

While her chest was quite small, the lower part was ample. Her face resembled that of a cat, with a dignified air, like a high-class house cat compared to the haughty Persian.

“Hmm -, is this the place where ‘that inspector’ is?”

“Yes? That inspector?”

As I tilted my head in response to her incomprehensible words, Bianca widened her eyes and looked behind me.

“Kyaah! As expected, this is the right place!”

She was looking at Iris, who was standing right behind me.

“Did you come to meet Iris?”

“Yes! That’s right! Your name is Iris, right? What a beautiful name!”

Bianca spoke with the excitement of a child who had just met a mascot at an amusement park. Unless she had picked a fight like a troublemaker, there was no reason not to invite her in.

“If that’s the case, come on in! We haven’t been here long, so there’s not much to offer, but we can have a comfortable chat.”

“Thanks!”

As Iris ushered Bianca into the house, she clung to my back as if she wouldn’t let go.

It didn’t seem like Iris was behaving this way out of dislike for Bianca; her gaze didn’t turn away from Bianca. It just seemed like a habitual closeness.

I walked toward the living room sofa with Iris clinging to my back like a snail on a shell. Once Bianca sat on one side, I took a seat on the opposite side.

Iris sat on my lap?

“Iris…?”

It wasn’t unpleasant. Iris wasn’t heavy at all; in fact, she was so light that it crossed my mind to increase my meal intake.

But the reason for my surprise was that Iris had effortlessly seated herself on my lap. For a moment, I couldn’t even notice what was unusual.

“…?”

Iris looked down at me with a mischievous tilt of her head.

“Oh.”

I belatedly realized why Iris was behaving this way.

Whenever there were slaves around, Iris would worry about being ridiculed and chose to sit on my lap. As a result, it seemed like she had learned that when sitting on a sofa, she should sit on someone’s lap.

“Sit next to Iris. When there’s enough space, just sit beside her.”

I grabbed Iris’s waist and moved her to the adjacent seat. She blinked and nodded her head.

“Haha, siblings seem to get along well.”

Bianca said with a cheerful smile, looking quite pleased.

“Shall I introduce myself now? I am currently the gladiator Bianca, who occupies the highest floor in this arena.”

“….!”

The highest floor, a place like paradise where the most prestigious and powerful in the arena could enjoy.

Stating that she was using that place implied that Bianca was an incredible force to be reckoned with.

“The top gladiators can come and go regardless of the floor. They can even stroll around without a slave collar.”

Bianca lightly tapped her own neck. True to her words, there was no ornament on her neck.

“When you reach the top floor, it becomes challenging to control with something like a collar, and most importantly, you get options.”

“Options?”

I asked curiously, and Bianca winked with one eye.

“If I reveal more, it won’t be fun, right? Reach the top floor yourself and find out!”

“Ah…”

The lips twisted at the words, like a TV program ending at a crucial moment. Then, Bianca smiled broadly and spoke.

“- Saying that would be too unfortunate, wouldn’t it? It might take several years at least, even if you can’t do it.”

Bianca’s gaze turned towards Iris. Iris only stared blankly at me. Bianca continued without paying attention to Iris’s expression.

“Moreover, reaching the top floor in decent shape is also uncertain. So, by the way, Iris… If it’s okay with you, would you like to go to the top floor with me?”

“The top floor? Is it that easy to get up there?”

Even though I asked, Bianca answered without taking her eyes off Iris.

“Yes, if Iris becomes my disciple, I can take her to the top floor as a master and disciple.”

“Master and… disciple?”

“Haha, actually, I fell in love with Iris swinging a sword when I saw her mercilessly killing demons and thought, ‘Ah, that’s the one!'”

Bianca laughed cheerfully, patting the back of her neck.

“I thought that as soon as I saw her mercilessly killing demons!”

Bianca got up from the sofa and moved to sit next to Iris. Iris still didn’t look at Bianca.

Rather than ignoring her, it seemed more like she wasn’t acknowledging her existence. Bianca, finding Iris’s behavior cute, smiled and spoke with a serious tone.

“Iris, if you don’t have a master, I want to be your master and let you write the history of the sword. If you’re okay with it, would you join me?”

Iris looked at me without answering. Bianca remained silent to hear Iris’s response.

As it seemed the eternal silence would continue, Bianca gently shook Iris and spoke.

“What do you think, Iris?”

“Huh?”

Iris seemed to express doubt by tilting her head without listening to Bianca’s words.

“If Iris doesn’t have a sword master, Bianca would like to become Iris’s sword master. If Iris follows Bianca… right?”

Before finishing the sentence, Iris raised her head. At the same time, she grabbed my clothes tightly.

‘Ugh…’

Moved by the gesture that seemed to say she wouldn’t go anywhere without me, a tsunami of emotion overwhelmed me. Wiping away the tears pouring like a waterfall inside, I spoke to Bianca.

“It seems Iris doesn’t want to be separated from me. Probably because I’m her only family.”

“Uh… this is awkward.”

Bianca said, squeezing her forehead.

“You’re already sold, so I can’t take you to the top floor.”

“Sold? Am I sold?”

I immediately recalled the zombie I encountered today.

‘I thought I got away with it, but I was already sold?’

Cold sweat trickled down at the thought that he might have to part ways with Iris. Bianca, with a stiff expression, waved her hand.

“Even if you’re sold, it’s the usage rights that are sold, not you yourself.”

“Usage rights?”

“Yeah, in this arena, when a gladiator slave gains a certain level of popularity, their usage rights are sold to those with money or power. In simpler terms, it’s like a ticket to play with them as if they were toys.”

The assurance that she wouldn’t be sold outside brought a sense of relief.

“Ah… that’s a relief. I was shocked, thinking I’d be separated from Iris.”

“Hahaha! The way you both care for each other is truly adorable.”

Bianca laughed again with joy and addressed Iris once more.

“If you follow me, you won’t have to worry about your usage rights being sold, and you can participate in arena matches as you please, without threats to your life. In the life of a slave, you can completely let go.”

Bianca continued with a gentle voice.

“Plus, you won’t have to engage in annoying petty fights like earlier.”

“Petty fights?”

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“It’s a side effect of gathering strong fighters on each floor.”

Bianca answered sincerely and asked again.

“How about it? It’s quite a good deal. Oh! On top of that, you can learn swordsmanship from a genius instructor!”