A slave is bound by a magical contract never to betray its master. The Church of Light is obviously against slavery, but they don't try to abolish it because slaves are important to society and their own goals. But as expected, getting me a slave is not something Rose could do.
So if I wanted a slave I had to actually go to a slave dealer. These are legal as there is no law regarding slavery. Rose said I should fight more monsters. One hundred thousand eris is nowhere enough to buy a combat slave. But… I need some peace of mind. At least I could check the prices. I… don't want to be alone for too long.
“Welcome, honorable customer. Please come in.”
A rather tall person having a fancy grey mustache pointed me towards the entrance of his shop. Although it was actually a giant tent. Slave dealers travel from town to town, so they didn't exactly bother with a physical building.
Apparently this tent was put on wooden structures, so there were plenty of rooms separated by curtains.
“Might I ask what type of slave you are interested in?”
“I am a mage and would like a combat partner.”
“I see. Then I recommend this one.”
He pointed to a large cage that had a werewolf.
“This one is level 80 and I am sure that he will serve you well. He's pretty cheap. Just 1.2 million eris. Not a bad deal, right?”
“I’m… looking for something else.”
“Hmm... Then how about this young elf? With proper guidance he can become an excellent archer. But some training will be required.”
“How much?”
“860 thousand eris.”
I kept silent and looked around. They are all pretty expensive. It's not like I can't raise that money. But it's going to take too long. And I can't bother Rose with another loan or ask her to keep me company until then.
“Sir, if I might ask, what is your budget?”
“I only have 100 thousand on me.”
“I see. I guess there's no helping it, then.”
There probably aren't any slaves that cheap. I got my hopes up too fast. In fact, I should have expected this. As I turned around and wanted to leave, he lifted his walking cane and blocked my way.
“I think you misunderstood me, sir. It is true that you can't get a combat slave for that cheap nowhere in this world. But that doesn't mean I don't have merchandise for that price.”
“You really have slaves for 100 thousand eris?”
“Indeed. I do have 6 goblins I just can't get rid of. 100 thousand eris would be the sweet spot for one of them.”
“Are you pulling my leg? Goblins?”
“Not at all. I wouldn't dare insult a paying customer. Since you look like an adventurer, I can understand the confusion. Let me explain, about the goblin split bloodline.”
Goblins are grotesque creatures that only cause pain for humans. They vary in height but most commonly they were around the same size as dwarves. I saw my fair share of goblins during my time in Crimson Raid. But I listened to the explanation of the shop owner.
Indeed, the goblins I am familiar with are savage creatures. Usually a goblin evolves into a hobgoblin, and in some rare occasions, those can also evolve into goblin warlord, which is no different in size than a giant orc. However there is another evolutionary trait.
Some goblins that lived around humans have begun to develop their intellect. Goblins aren't bright creatures, but those that did master the art of human language evolved in a different manner. They became weiss goblins.
Weiss goblins have the ability to speak human language and the capacity to study adventurers' fighting skills and combat techniques, making them a real threat. With this learning ability, they are also very skilled with the sword, but in terms of strength, they lack great physical strength compared to that of a hobgoblin or a goblin warlord.
“It's the first time I hear something like this.”
“It is not common knowledge, indeed. There's nothing to be ashamed of. Although I did say that they can study adventurers, please keep in mind that my goblin slaves generally have no combat skills whatsoever. They are weak and have no training.”
“If that is the case, what do you even use them for?”
“All my goblins are females. And unlike their wild counterparts, weiss goblins have developed a physique replicating that of humans. In short, female weiss goblins tend to have big breasts. And there are customers with particular tastes. Do I need to say more?”
“No.”
It's obvious where this is going. Sex slaves. Well… it's not like I am against putting some work into a slave. Then again… I am a mage, so I can't exactly teach swordsmanship to someone. Apart from watching my brother train daily I have no knowledge of the sword. But it should be a good foundation for killing slimes at least. Even I can swing a sword to that extent.
“Are you still interested? In the worst case you would at least have a meat shield.”
“Can I see them?”
“Follow me.”
He brought me into another room with exactly 6 cages.
“Ugh… they're all naked.”
“It's easier for customers to assess the merchandise and see what they are paying for. Anyway, you can pick whichever one you like most.”
My eyes are a bit weird right now. It's clear that because of my jump in level all my abilities were boosted. Before, I couldn't even read my staff, and relied on Rose’s monocle. But it's almost like my eyes are finally getting adjusted. Naturally I can't fully read their stats yet.
As I go over them… there's nothing special. But one in particular…
“Are you sure the price is correct and they aren't too cheap?”
“The price is correct, sir. Like I said, at this point it's quite difficult to get rid of them.”
I might have hit the jackpot. One of these girls… has an Aura Core. Normally monsters don't have magic or aura cores like humans. Maybe because of this bloodline it's different. But all the other 5 girls are plain girls with regular mana.
I know I probably keep repeating myself, but I really don't have the mental strength to be by myself for an extended period of time. And she is kinda cute. I lean over next to her cage. Our eyes met. The way she was looking at me... Her eyes weren't dead. Usually most slaves sold for sex end up with an empty looking expression as if they have abandoned life. But not this one. She had hope. As if she was expecting that someone could offer her a better life. Well, I am more than happy to oblige.
“What's your name, little one?”
“Ru-Rusalka…”
“Such a pretty name. Owner, I’ll be taking this one.”
“Thank you for your patronage. Then let's get the paperwork out of the way and engrave her slave collar with your blood, shall we?”
.
.
.
And so, I ended up buying a cute goblin girl. There are probably many things I still need to do. Like buying some soap and washing her. And there's also the issue of getting her some equipment. Guess I have no choice but to ask Rose to help me regarding that. I wonder what her reaction is going to be? I hope she's going to be proud of me.