After a period of exchange—or more accurately, one side asking questions, the other nodding or shaking their head—Asahi managed to glean some information about the current situation.
This place was absolutely not inside the Walls, and even the exterior world wasn't very likely. The reason was that this place was genuinely too primitive. From the architecture and style to the most basic things like clothing, everything was backward. If the culture inside the Walls was a restrained pre-steam era, this place was even worse than the Middle Ages.
Asahi also couldn't interact physically in any way—naturally, he was only a will-body, an illusion, if you will. Quantified in weight, he was zero. Strangely, he could exist independently and be seen by others.
And something extremely bizarre, even supernatural, was also happening.
When Asahi intended to wander around to explore, he realized that his range of activity was restricted, and that restriction was none other than the extent of Ymir's vision.
"What in the world is this?"
The situation was getting increasingly strange. He was shot into the Coordinate after fighting the Founder's Will, continued to fall into a bizarre place and was nearly torn to shreds. Then he ended up here, where he was 'bound' to this little girl.
This little girl was not only unable to speak because her tongue was cut out, but she also didn't know any form of writing. Consequently, communication was extremely difficult.
While he was standing in one place contemplating, Ymir left, forcing him to follow.
The little girl was currently still caught in the confusion of Asahi's appearance, along with the fact that she had released a pig. An act contrary to Eldian norms, something a slave like her had never done before.
She returned to the shack, made of three wooden sections and covered with bundles of grass, where she usually took shelter. She sat cross-legged inside, seemingly waiting for fate, only occasionally glancing outside to see the person who was entirely white.
Asahi didn't understand the current situation, so he didn't know how to help. Ymir had lost the last bit of courage she had, accepting herself as a slave.
The situation was at an impasse; Ymir no longer paid him any attention.
Waiting until noon, a squad of Eldian soldiers suddenly appeared, shouting at the slaves. Asahi heard that they wanted them to gather in one place. It was then that he learned Ymir was a slave, along with her name, when a soldier called her out.
"Ymir?"
Ymir, a very ordinary name, if placed in another world. But in the world where Titans existed, Ymir was the embodiment of brutality, the one who made a pact with the devil for the genocidal power of the giants, and at the same time, the creator, the pioneer of the continent, and the symbol of prosperity for what she built. Although these two narratives contradict each other, they both affirmed that Ymir was the first Titan to exist in the world.
Asahi had a conjecture, although utterly absurd, everything that manifested seemed to be confirming this guess.
There was no reason for the Coordinate, the spiritual will of the "Founding Titan," to lead and bind him to any random "Ymir." This Ymir could only be Ymir, the Founder, the first Titan!
Asahi silently speculated while having to follow behind Ymir as she gathered with the other slaves. Because no one saw him except Ymir, he swaggered through the crowd.
All the slaves were dressed in rags. In front of them was an arrogant man, sitting on a chair placed on a raised platform, surrounded by a few guards. This was none other than the King of Eldia. His expression showed no discernible emotion, as if he was never angry. In fact, this type of person is the most terrifying.
"Among you, there is one who let a pig escape. Step forward and confess. If no one takes the blame, I will gouge out one eye of all of you."
"You slaves don't need both eyes anyway."
After uttering such cruel words, he sat there calmly, watching what the slaves would do next. As if enjoying a game. Asahi, standing next to Ymir, his expression darkened.
If all his conjectures were true, then somehow his consciousness had been pushed back into the past, interlinked with Ymir the Founding Titan. To the distant past of the Eldian Empire, thousands of years ago.
Sadly, the Ymir whom later generations revered as a goddess turned out to have a past as a despised slave, and those who considered her a slave were the Eldians themselves.
Ymir stood stock still, letting the surrounding slaves whisper. Some began to remember that Ymir was the one assigned to herd pigs today, and whether she actually let the pig escape or not, the slaves would use the little girl as a scapegoat.
"Ymir, did you let the pig escape?"
Asahi asked quietly. The little girl nodded, her expression vacant.
Just then, all the slaves simultaneously distanced themselves from Ymir and pointed at the little girl. Seeing this, the King of Eldia said calmly.
"You are the one who released the pigs?"
Ymir looked around. Aside from Asahi standing beside her offering some comfort, all the slaves stood far away, maintaining their pointing posture without moving. It was as if lowering their hand would result in them being dragged down alongside her. Ymir finally had no defense. She knelt down, bowing her face before the King of Eldia, admitting her fault.
"Good. You are free."
A rather unusual response, but Asahi saw in the King's eyes an expression of contemplation and amusement at finding entertainment, rather than the altruism suggested by the answer.
It had to be. He thought demanding such a thing in a society worse than the Middle Ages was a distant hope.
Ymir was still bewildered, even somewhat blank. She thought she would be killed, but unexpectedly, she was released. Just as she was about to regain her composure, Asahi's voice sounded in her ear.
"Ymir, if you want to live, do as I say."
Perhaps he was mistaken; perhaps the King of Eldia genuinely intended to free Ymir, and his judgment was biased. Nevertheless, Asahi firmly trusted his own assessment more.
"Now, run back to the pigsty you were at before, then run into the forest."
"After that, find a river or a stream. Hurry."
His somewhat urgent tone made Ymir freeze, still maintaining her kneeling posture. Then she slowly stood up and ran. She didn't know if she genuinely trusted this mysterious white person, or if she simply didn't know what to do next, and Asahi had conveniently pointed her in a direction to follow.
Even though Ymir was released, she remained a slave in her own mind.
He knew that, but there was no time to fix such things right now.
The King of Eldia was very satisfied to see Ymir run. The hunt is only exciting when the prey is eager to escape and save its life; otherwise, it's just a wooden target.
Clearly, the prey here was Ymir.