I Enslaved The Goddess Who Summoned Me

Chapter 406: Elin Berg (2)

Nathan’s eyes widened ever so slightly, his usually stoic expression faltering.

That light...

He recognized it.

SSS-Rank Skill. Healing class.

Not just rare—legendary.

Nathan’s thoughts drifted to Liphiel, the Divine Knight known for her powerful healing magic. Her divine light had saved him from death before—an ability that once seemed unmatched in his eyes. Yet, now, as he watched the soft, radiant glow envelop the injured slave girl under Elin’s touch, he couldn’t help but feel a subtle, undeniable shift.

This power... it surpasses even Liphiel’s.

There was a depth to Elin’s healing—an almost sacred resonance that seemed to not only mend the body but gently soothe the soul. He didn’t need further confirmation. If he had doubted it before, he no longer did now.

Elin was a Hero.

Whether she hailed from the famed Amun Ra Empire, or was part of the more recent Second Summoning from the Light Empire, Nathan wasn’t entirely certain. But considering the strict protocols surrounding the Light Empire’s summoned champions—how tightly their movements were regulated—it seemed highly unlikely that a Hero of the Light would be wandering the streets, healing slaves in the open. No, she was too young, too untethered. Her presence aligned more closely with what he knew of the Amun Ra Empire’s more lenient approach.

She was likely summoned by them—a Hero of Amun Ra.

”It’s over now,” Elin whispered gently, offering the injured slave girl a warm, reassuring smile as her hands withdrew. The healing light faded slowly, leaving the girl visibly unscarred, her wounds completely gone. ”You’re healed. You’re free.”

The girl rose to her feet, her movements slow and mechanical, like a puppet unsure of its strings. Her slave collar clinked softly, the metal ring chafing against her thin neck as she stood. Her voice came low and hollow, almost a whisper lost to despair.

”I will never be free,” she said, her tone carrying years of pain that no healing spell could erase. Yet, despite her lingering sadness, she offered Elin a small, fragile nod. ”But thank you.”

Then, without another word, she turned and walked away—awkwardly, as if unsure how to carry herself without pain.

Elin opened her mouth, her eyes following the girl with sympathy, lips trembling with a desire to say something. But no words came. She clenched her fists instead, a silent storm of frustration passing through her. And then—perhaps seeking comfort, or maybe out of habit—she looked toward Nathan.

When their eyes met, she blinked and rushed toward him, cheeks tinged with the faintest blush of nervousness.

”Th-thank you very much, my lord... for helping me,” she stammered out, offering a formal and slightly exaggerated bow—a gesture reminiscent of a noble greeting, though her awkwardness betrayed her inexperience. From her expression, it was clear: she had mistaken Nathan for someone important—perhaps a Roman senator or an imperial officer of high standing.

Nathan raised a brow but didn’t correct her.

”Are you one of the Heroes summoned by the Amun Ra Empire?” he asked calmly, already fairly certain of the answer.

”Yes, I am,” she responded at once, nodding with a bright, almost eager energy. ”We arrived three days ago. Since then, we’ve been waiting for the Emperor’s return.”

Nathan offered only a brief nod, his expression unreadable. Without another word, he turned on his heel, prepared to walk away and disappear into the flow of the city once again.

But Elin stepped quickly after him, her voice halting him mid-step. ”Um, my lord—might I know your name, at least?”

He glanced back, considering her for a moment. Then, he replied in a composed tone, ”Septimius.”

It was the name he used in this guise—a borrowed Roman identity, carefully crafted to mislead.

”I am Elin Berg,” she said, introducing herself with a radiant smile that could have belonged to someone untouched by the darkness of this world. ”It’s truly a pleasure to meet you, Lord Septimius.”

Nathan held her gaze for a moment longer.

Her innocence baffled him.

How could she still smile like that? How could her eyes still hold so much light? She had been in this world for nearly as long as he had—yet she hadn’t been broken, hadn’t been hardened by its cruelty.

Had she simply been lucky? Sheltered? Had she never faced the same monstrous truths he had?

That might explain some of it... but not all. There was something else about her. Something he couldn’t quite name.

”I don’t remember seeing you before, Lord Septimius,” Elin said, her head tilting slightly in curiosity. ”At least not since I arrived here three days ago. Did you just come to Rome?”

Nathan gave a slight shrug, his gaze steady. ”I was part of Caesar’s army.”

Her eyes widened the instant he said it. ”J-Julius Caesar’s army?” she repeated, almost breathless. Her expression quickly shifted—surprise giving way to something more conflicted, a quiet storm behind her eyes. ”Then... that means you took part in the war in Alexandria?”

She paused after the question, her lips tightening ever so slightly, and Nathan caught a flash of guilt flicker across her features.

Alexandria.

Of course. That was where she had been summoned. Elin Berg had arrived in this world in the heart of Amun Ra’s turbulent sands, brought forth during one of the bloodiest sieges in Roman history. It wasn’t difficult to guess what troubled her. Perhaps she regretted not having taken part. Or perhaps she was wondering—

Whose side would I have fought for... if I had been there?

Ptolemy—the boy king who had summoned her and her classmates... or Cleopatra, the woman he tried to kill time and again?

”Yes,” Nathan answered simply, not elaborating.

Elin’s brows furrowed slightly, and she took a moment to gather her thoughts. Then she asked with a softer voice, ”Queen Cleopatra... she’s ruling now, isn’t she? Is she a good monarch?”

Nathan’s reply came without hesitation. ”She’ll be a far better ruler than her idiotic brother ever could’ve been.”

Her expression shifted again, this time tinged with a mix of disappointment and quiet resolve.

”He wasn’t idiotic,” Elin said, almost defensively. ”Just... naïve. He was young.”

Nathan narrowed his eyes slightly.

Young? That was true—Ptolemy had only been fifteen.

But it hadn’t stopped him from ordering assassinations. From betraying his sister. From trying to drown her legacy in blood.

Nathan had killed him regardless.

He’d had chance after chance to make peace with Cleopatra—to stand beside her, to choose unity over treachery. But each time, he’d chosen ambition and cruelty instead. There was no innocence left to protect.

Nathan almost told Elin that she was being naïve too. But he held his tongue. It wasn’t worth the argument. Besides, he had more important matters on his mind.

”You said you’ve been here for three days?” he asked, casually shifting the topic.

Elin nodded, brushing a stray lock of her golden hair behind her ear. ”Yes, we arrived three days ago and settled in the guest district.”

Nathan’s tone turned slightly more inquisitive, though he kept it light. ”Have you encountered any... unusual guests? From other kingdoms, perhaps?”

He couldn’t ask her directly about Ameriah or Auria. That would draw too much attention. Elin didn’t seem like the kind of person who dissected conversations or read between lines. That worked in his favor.

”Guests from other kingdoms?” she echoed, blinking. Then her eyes lit up with recognition. ”Oh—yes! I remember now. Lord Brutus mentioned something just yesterday. Something about a princess from... the Demon Kingdom, I think?”

Nathan’s breath caught for a fraction of a second. His eyes widened, just barely.

He couldn’t believe it—again. That damn luck stat of his must be in play, warping reality to his favor. Of all the people he could have run into in the capital, he had crossed paths with Elin Berg, someone who unknowingly carried the very information he needed.

Ameriah and Auria... they were here.

He felt the questions piling up at the edge of his tongue, hungry for answers—but he swallowed them back down.

As tempting as it was to press further, he knew better. Asking too much now would only raise suspicions, even in someone as open and trusting as Elin.

Instead, Nathan kept his composure, offering only a small, neutral nod. ”I see.”

He would ask no more.

But now he had a lead.

Brutus.

If what Elin said was true, then this Brutus had information about Ameriah and Auria—or maybe had even met them. That would be his next target.

”Lord Septimius,” Elin called out, her voice tentative but clear.

Nathan paused mid-step, turning his head slightly to glance at her. She stood a few paces behind him, clutching her hands together in front of her, the way a student might before addressing a stern teacher. There was a faint flush on her cheeks—embarrassment, maybe even nervousness—and her eyes struggled to meet his.

”I... I know it’s sudden,” she began, her tone hesitant, ”but could you take me to see Emperor Caesar?”

She gave a sheepish smile, the corners of her lips twitching upward in an apologetic expression. ”I think I may already be a little late. We were supposed to meet him as soon as he arrived, but I got distracted...”

Her voice trailed off awkwardly as she gestured vaguely in the direction the slave girl had walked off earlier.

Nathan raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Truthfully, he had no reason to refuse. Escorting her would take little effort, and part of him was curious. He wanted to get a look at the other summoned Heroes—those who had arrived with Elin.

”I’ll take you,” he said simply. ”But in exchange, I want something.”

Elin blinked, visibly surprised by the condition. ”Oh?” she tilted her head slightly, intrigued. ”What is it?”

”Tell me everything you’ve learned about the Roman Empire since your arrival,” Nathan replied, his voice calm but firm. ”What you’ve seen. What they’ve told you. Anything and everything.”

For a brief moment, Elin looked taken aback by the request. But then, just as quickly, her features brightened. A genuine smile spread across her face—innocent, unguarded, and strangely sincere.

”Of course!” she said cheerfully. ”I’ll tell you everything I know. It’s not much—I’ve only been here three days—but I’ll do my best. Honestly, I’ve been trying to figure it all out myself.”