The square was covered in the dim, cool light of late afternoon. He ran into Ash on his way. His unclear suggestion to head toward the plaza had left him uneasy. When he arrived, the sight stopped him cold. Tricia and a ragged-looking slave were sitting on the edge of the fountain. Just as he had expected, Luke realized Tricia had actually bought a slave. The shock left him stunned. But Tricia braced herself as if she expected a lecture. So, Luke swallowed most of the words he had wanted to say.
"You sure you can handle a slave, Tricia...?" Luke asked quietly.
"…I just thought it was better than ignoring her back then," Tricia replied.
Luke knew her personality. He knew she would take on the responsibility with careful, heavy effort. She would not be able to be cold like so many other masters. She would not be able to treat them as just property.
He let out a sigh. But he took on the magic contract for Tricia and her new charge. It was the same as it had been with Spin. It was a strong vow that Tricia's secrets would never leave this circle. Slaves are goods that can be bought and sold again. To prevent that, he had to use his own separate contract magic.
Tricia had already finished treating the burns around the girl's jaw and throat. For the first time in forever, the girl was eating a real meal. Her face was tight and uneasy. Her spoon shook as she chewed very slowly. She still had not fully accepted that she was actually free from the nightmare.
"So, where are you planning to put her?" he asked.
The sun was going down. It would be pitch black in an hour.
Criminal slaves were not allowed to have rooms inside a house. The law1 strictly forbade it. Even if a nobleman's family member fell to the status of a criminal slave, they were usually thrown into a garden shed or a storage hole.
"For now, Spin-san is going to let her stay in his warehouse. We are going to build a small cabin in the yard of the boarding house, too," Tricia explained.
"With some expensive magic tools included, I take it?" he asked.
As always, he saw right through her.
"Well! Time to get back to work tomorrow and stay sharp!!!" Tricia chirped. Her voice was forced and overly bright.
He changed the subject the only way he knew how.
Her name was Tia. She was nineteen. She used to be a housemaid for a viscountess. The viscount's husband had taken an interest in her.
"Of course, I refused him, my lord. It is well known that she is a woman of great jealousy," Tia whispered. Her words shook with fear.
It did not matter. The viscountess, driven mad by envy, had burned her face with fire magic. Tia had run through the manor. But she was cornered on the stairs leading to the main hall. As the viscountess swung a mace at her, Tia had grabbed her in a desperate fight. They had both fallen down the stairs.
"There happened to be other nobles in the hall. Because they saw the viscountess strike first, I was spared execution, but…" Tia continued. Her voice trailed off.
Tricia had asked her not to lie about how she became a slave. That was why hearing her story hurt so much.
"I made sure to put a lock on the warehouse door from the inside for you! Rest easy tonight," Spin said.
Spin really was thoughtful. Tricia had chosen not to heal the facial scars yet. If she looked too perfect, she would only attract the wrong kind of attention.
"Thank you… so… much…" Tia murmured.
Tears filled Tia's eyes as she offered her thanks. It had been so long since anyone had treated her like a human being. Coming here, she realized for the first time that she had finally escaped that hell. She would never have to look into those eyes again. Those eyes that waited, bored and uncaring, for her to die.
Tricia was genuinely surprised by how polite Spin had been toward a criminal slave. Unfortunately, in this world, slavery is the norm. It is standard for them to be treated as less than human. The values here are very different from the world Tricia knew in her past life.
"Think of it as thanks for the extra order," Spin said with a laugh. Then his face turned serious. "We deal with many slaves in our line of work, Tricia. We know who the real criminals are."
His smile stayed, as calm and kind as always.
"Okay, get some rest for today. I will be back in the morning. Make sure you lock that door!" Tricia added.
Maybe it was just because she had not looked after someone in so long. But Tricia's mind was racing with a thousand things she needed to do.
"Are you cold? Should I leave some snacks? Oh! I need to get water ready! I will bring some spare clothes tomorrow—" Tricia rambled.
"Give her a break already..." Luke interrupted. He finally stopped her.
As Tricia started to protest, he cut her off.
"You can heal her body, but her mind is not going to settle that fast."
"R-right, you are right…" Tricia agreed. She immediately calmed down.
Tricia's own emotions were spinning. They went in a strange, wild loop. After all, she had actually bought a person. She might have done it to hide her own guilty feelings about doing something so extreme.
(This feels different from when I bought the building…)
Perhaps it was because she had acted against her own morals. Tricia realized she still could not meet Tia's eyes directly. But the one who had been bought did not seem to care about that at all.
"…I will spend my entire life repaying the debt of the life you have saved, my mistress," Tia declared. Her voice was filled with deep devotion.
Tia bowed her head again, deeply and respectfully.
"No, no! I fully intend to hire you as one of my employees! Please, do not be so formal with me," Tricia insisted. She waved her hands in a panic.
Tricia knew she could not just "not be formal." But she wanted to pretend it was that simple.
In the first few hours after buying Tia, the word 'regret' had come up in Tricia's mind more times than she could count. But as the night deepened, her heart finally began to settle.
(When you think about it, I have just gained an ally who will never betray me, right!?)
Rumor had it that some of the richest people in the city kept nothing but criminal slaves in their inner circles.
The bond with a criminal slave was not like the one she had built with Eagle over the years. It was a relationship based on force. Tricia was not blind to that. But she was still happy she could choose to make something good out of this new connection.
Tricia liked Tia. She liked the strength she showed. She had the guts to stand up to a viscountess, even while she was shaking with fear.
And just like that, one more person had found a place in the boarding house Tricia was building.
Summary:
Tricia has purchased a criminal slave named Tia, causing shock among her companions, Luke and Spin. Despite her own internal guilt and anxiety over the purchase, Tricia strives to provide Tia with humane treatment, including medical care and secure housing. The interaction ends with Tia pledging her life to Tricia, while Tricia attempts to frame their relationship as that of employer and employee to mitigate the discomfort of their new reality.
Trivia:
Criminal slaves in this setting are legally barred from living inside main residential buildings.
Tricia intentionally keeps the slave's facial scars visible to avoid drawing undue attention or predation.
The bond with a criminal slave is described as a relationship rooted in compulsion, distinct from the trust built over time with other allies.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ In this world, the status of 'Criminal slave' acts as a legal designation that carries specific social restrictions, such as the prohibition against living within a primary residential structure, highlighting the systemic dehumanization inherent in the setting.
Notes:
• Tricia - Light‑haired, obsidian‑eyed C‑rank adventurer and orphan, she wears a silver chest tag. Once a lone healer‑strategist with foresight, instant‑heal scars, “Reset” item skill and basic wind magic, she now runs a boarding house in Edinbia for low‑rank adventurers. Pragmatic, anxious about finances, secretly despises her old party, yet builds passive‑income dreams.
• Luke - A silver-haired, blue-eyed S-rank adventurer, noble Marquis's son, and mercenary captain who serves as Tricia’s protective, wealthy childhood friend and manager. While dryly teasing, pragmatic, and blunt about her budget and business ideas, this ocean-loving man devotedly guards her passive income empire with overwhelming combat power, financial advice, and a jealous streak.
• Ash - A former B-rank healer who retired to serve a merchant before returning to Edinbia, he’s muscular and fit, with a charismatic, casual demeanor that makes him a frequent visitor to the infirmary; he’s now seeking to rent a room in Tricia’s future boarding house, blending his adventurous past with a quiet desire for community.
• A - A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R's high school squad.
• B - A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S's group.
• S - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• T - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• Spin - Young architect with short brown hair and a practical coat, works at Valentia Workshop. He is sincere and diligent, raised by his grandmother. Serves as Tricia’s consultant and material sourcer, verifies tax figures for the boarding house with the Merchant’s Guild, and plans to meet her for business arrangements.
• Tia - A nineteen-year-old former housemaid with severe facial burns. She is a criminal slave who has suffered immense trauma but shows resilience and deep gratitude toward those who treat her with human kindness.
• R - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has successfully built a squad and added multiple girls, including M and A, into his group.
• M - A first-year student at District 13 High School and the childhood friend of Anonymous Student 0006, described as an atavistic strong-female who looks plain but possesses significant power.
• N - A student from East Middle with an eccentric personality who entered National High School due to complex family circumstances and used herself as leverage to negotiate a protective agreement for K.
• Eagle - Reddish‑brown hair, orange‑tinted eyes, and a scarred, handsome face mark a former B‑rank swordsman and ex‑leader who grew up with Tricia in an orphanage. Once her trusted companion, he betrayed her for Anetta, now bears guilt and loss of confidence; stoic yet visibly uneasy since Tricia left the party.