Parte 1
Freia me pergunta o que vamos comprar em uma loja na parte mais barata da cidade. Não há necessidade de esconder, então eu honestamente lhe digo que planejo comprar um escravo, e isso fez Freia franzir a testa.
“…Um escravo?”
“Freia, você não gosta?”
“Sinto pena deles. Terem sua liberdade tirada e serem forçados a obedecer às ordens de outros.”
Eu caí na gargalhada depois de ouvir isso. Mesmo que ela tenha perdido a memória, pensar que ela, de todas as pessoas, diria uma coisa dessas.
“Você tem razão. É muito triste para os escravos que ficam sem comprador ou que são comprados por um estranho. Mas eu sou bondoso, o escravo que eu comprar será mais feliz do que qualquer outro. De certa forma, você poderia até dizer que estou ajudando-os.”
“É verdade. Mas por que um escravo? Um aventureiro não seria melhor em combate do que um escravo?”
Balancei a cabeça em sinal de reprovação ao ouvir as palavras de Freia. Recrutar um aventureiro é algo que só alguém completamente maluco faria.
“Ao contrário de Freia, que me ama e segue minhas ordens, os aventureiros agem pensando apenas em si mesmos. Nunca se sabe quando eles decidirão partir, e o dinheiro necessário para pagá-los é alto. Além disso, não estou me concentrando na força atual, mas na qualidade. É melhor escolher um escravo obediente com um futuro promissor.”
As pessoas não agem para beneficiar os outros. Elas agem em benefício próprio. Isso é algo impossível de impedir.
A única maneira de impedir isso seria hipnotizá-los ou apagar suas memórias, como fiz com Freia, mas estabeleci uma regra para mim mesmo de não fazer nada descabido com alguém que não seja alvo da minha vingança.
Por isso, minha única opção é escolher um escravo que me obedeça. Além disso, os semi-humanos geralmente possuem valores de talento superiores aos dos humanos.
O valor depende da raça, mas o valor médio total de talento para semi-humanos fica na faixa dos 400, enquanto para humanos fica na faixa dos 300. No entanto, semi-humanos geralmente têm um limite de nível inferior ao dos humanos, então, normalmente, os humanos podem ser mais fortes quando comparados em seu limite máximo.
“Entendo. É algo necessário para a jornada de Keyaruga-sama para salvar o mundo. Farei o meu melhor para ajudar a escolher um bom escravo.”
Freia fecha as mãos com força, formando um punho. Ela tem sido tão obediente ultimamente que chega a ser nauseante. Ela me provoca com essa voz e essa atitude. Seria problemático se ela fosse atrevida, mas isso também é complicado.
Neste momento, em que ela praticamente não tem experiências que definam sua personalidade, podemos dizer que este é o estado mais puro de Freia. Será este o verdadeiro rosto da princesa Flare?
Não, isso não pode ser verdade. Mesmo agora, ela provavelmente ainda está tentando me enganar, mostrando apenas seu lado bom. Não há como mudar o fato de que vou usá-la até que ela ceda.
Então, vamos terminar logo essas compras.
Parte 2
Eu estava em uma loja na parte mais humilde da cidade, conhecida por lidar com coisas nos bastidores.
Esta loja é espaçosa e lindamente decorada para esta região da cidade. Suponho que seja o ideal, já que atende a uma clientela de alto padrão.
There’s also a large number of bodyguards, probably because the merchandise is expensive, but it’s also a way to prevent the slaves from escaping. Here, they take the captive demi-humans and train them to be slaves, there would be those who would try to escape, so the number of guards is justified.
“Welcome, dear customers. What are you looking for today?”
An elderly employee called out to me. He’s giving me a smile, but he’s probably wondering if I’m here just to window shop.
“I’m here to go to the basement.”
The first floor of this shop is filled with stolen goods, illegal drugs and magic tools made by prohibited methods. The slaves are left in the basement. My goal is to go there.
“Forgive my rudeness dear customer, but… how much do you have on hand?”
I silently hand him a small bag of money. Inside were a total of 32 gold coins, as well as a few copper and silver ones, it’s the majority of my fortune. I added 4 gold coins I had for traveling expenses to the 28 I earned earlier.
“I beg your pardon. Please, come this way.”
The price of a slave is usually between 20 to 30 gold coins. It would be slightly higher if they come with an Appraisal. With what I have on hand, there shouldn’t be any problems.
Slaves are convenient, but they’re expensive, considering the price of one is the amount a normal worker makes in 2 years. That’s why slave hunters exist. To Them, demi-humans are only some good prey.
Now then, I hope there are some good slaves waiting for me…
Part 3
We head down into the basement.
Both sides of the wall have been made into cages, inside, demi-humans of various species are chained together. Some are looking at us with resentful eyes. Others are looking with fear.
Lots of incenses were being constantly burned to disguise the smell of the demi-humans.
Stores like this are careful with hygiene in order to maintain the value of their products. But incontinence due to fear or vomiting because of the sudden stress and change of environment can happen at any time. Well, that’s no real wonder.
In order to keep the customers comfortable, they use more fragrant incenses. … But that only makes the demi-humans who are sensitive to smell even more stressed.
“Does our dear customer know how to use magic? If so, we will prioritize the ones that have revealed their True Name for you.”
“I can use magic, but I want to see all the demi-humans. There’s no need to prioritize anyone.”
I shook my head at the elderly employee. A True Name is something every living thing apart from humans have. It’s a name engraved on their very soul.
Humans developed a way to use the True Name for slavery magic. As long as you know their True Name, you can make demi-humans do whatever you want. It’s one of the reasons why humans were able to win a war against the demi-humans.
Demi-humans try to keep their True Name hidden, but the slaves that are easier to be used are more easily sold. So the slavers put the demi-humans through a lot of torture to get their True Name out.
The elderly employee and I walk slowly while looking through the demi-humans.
“What do you think, dear customer? Have you seen anything you like? Today’s recommendations are a young man from the White Tiger race, a boy from the Sand Dog race, and a woman from the Moon Cat race. The White Tigers are proud of their strength, and the Sand Dogs are strong and won’t break even if you use them mercilessly. The Moon Cats are the best companions for the night.”
I was listening to his explanations while using my Jade Eye to look at the status and talents of the demi-human slaves.
We’ve finished circling the room. This means I’ve seen all the slaves in the shop.
“There’s nothing that really catches my eye.”
Among the demi-human men, there was one who had his status vanguard oriented and his total talent values were in the high 400s. But, because he’s a man, it would make it extremely difficult for me to use my Hero skill to increase his level cap.
It’s not necessary to use semen, but the probability drops a lot if not. The probability of a level cap increase is of 100% with highly concentrated semen. But if it’s blood, the probability is only 1 in every 100 times.
It is possible to give semen to a man, but I have no intention of doing it. I would be forced to consider it if his talent values were overwhelmingly high, but…
“It’s a shame that no demi-human was able to pass your judgment. Are you perhaps looking for a sex slave? Maybe a slave for manual labor? Or maybe a combat slave?”
“A combat slave.”
When I said that, the man took me to the male slave I was thinking of just now. He’s a big man of the White Tiger race. The employee was trying to sell him to me as if he was his PR man.
But unfortunately, I don’t need him. I should go look in another store.
No, wait, there’s something wrong.
“Where are you keeping the shop’s sick demi-humans?”
With the disease spreading that much in town, there’s no way the demi-humans of this shop are safe. The ones that have gotten ill are probably being isolated so the disease doesn’t spread to the other slaves.
“We don’t want anything to happen to our esteemed customers or our other products, so we’re keeping the damaged goods in quarantine.”
“Can I see them as well?”
I can cure the disease, so there’s no problem if they are “damaged goods”.
“… I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s not very pleasant.”
From what the employee is saying, I can already imagine the situation these demi-humans are put in. They’re probably receiving very harsh treatment.
“Please, I want to see as many demi-humans as possible.”
I managed to persuade the reluctant employee, and so we stepped into the quarantine area.
Part 4
I frowned as soon as I entered the isolated area. It was just terrible.
To start off, various things are smeared all over the place and the smell is very strong.
I saw several demi-humans who were in the terminal stages of the mysterious disease. They were screaming in agony with pain all over their bodies.
Not only that, there were various demi-humans who were badly injured, clearly not from the disease. Maybe they resisted and didn’t tell their True Name even at the very end.
“I’m sorry for this, dear customer. There is a room that’s a bit better further back. Let’s start looking from there.”
“I understand.”
He said that the back room is a bit better. It’s probably for the demi-humans who they judged could regain their commercial value with some rehabilitation or medical treatment.
On the other hand, this room is for those they have already given up on making into products.
I wonder just how far humans can go in their cruelty. I thought about that as I looked at the demi-humans who were suffering in despair.
Part 5
The room I was guided to was, as expected, better than the previous one. There’s at least the minimum needed for treating illness and wounds.
But still, there was no demi-human who caught my eye. I told that to the employee and we returned to the room with the slaves that they planned to dispose of.
There were about 10 people in this room. All of them were in a miserable state. But none of them had what I was looking for.
I looked at the last one. When I thought that, my eyes were caught by a girl. She was just sitting there quietly. She was from the Ice Wolf race.
Everything about her was white, her hair, her skin, her wolf ears, her tail.
She was probably one or two years younger than me. She was weak and hurt, but still beautiful.
Surprisingly, her symptoms from the mysterious disease are quite severe. She’s enduring the pain that can make a grown man cry while staring at us.
Unconsciously, my feet move in her direction.
“She’s no good, dear customer. We planned to sell her at a high price because she’s strong, but she has already hit her level limit. We used an Appraisal on her. It was our first time seeing a level limit of only 7.”
Even if you don’t know a person’s level limit, an Appraisal can still show that they’ve hit their limit with a ☆ next to the level.
A level limit of 7 is low even by demi-human standards. But it’s no problem for me. Especially since she’s a beautiful girl.
“In the first place, she has a terrible temper. No matter what we did to her, she wouldn’t say her True Name, she was useless in battle, and she doesn’t obey orders so she can’t be sold as a slave. We tried to at least make her able to entertain a man, but she broke her trainer’s crotch with a kick.”
I was stunned for a second and then laughed. She’s a strong minded-girl. Around her neck is a slave collar.
This is a restraint developed to keep demi-humans captive. It has the effect of diffusing the collected magic power, making the wearer feel tired and unable to move properly.
In addition, it’s a nasty thing that causes extreme pain if the wearer tries to harm a human.
It takes more than ordinary mental strength to endure the pain of this mysterious illness while being subjected to this. She has a strong heart. It’ll be difficult to handle, but useful once I learn how to use her.
But above all, what I found most interesting was the way she looked at me and the employee. Those blue eyes look like beautiful jewels, but inside them was a deep resentment darker than the depths of hell. There’s something she hates, and she hates it a lot.
Ah, I see. I sympathize with her. She’s the same as me.
I want her. I must have her.
As the employee and I approach her, she springs out and extends her hand towards us. But her collar has a chain, so we’re just barely out of reach.
She tried to hold back until we were just in reach. She’s strong and smart. I’m liking her even more.
“Shut!”
The employee shouts. The next moment, the slave collar snaps itself violently and the Ice Wolf girl falls over.
The employee was breathing hard, then he kicked the Ice Wolf girl again and again.
“You! You! Even though we paid a lot of money to get you since you’re from the rare Ice Wolf race! Your level limit is shit! You won’t do what you’re told! And now you’re about to die from this illness! We had a huge loss because of you! Die! Just die already!”
There was no pain or fear in the girl’s eyes. Only hatred. It’s only obvious, but the pain from the strange disease is much greater than that of the man’s kicks.
I put power into my Jade Eye.
Race: Ice Wolf
Name: Setsuna
Class: Ice Wolf Warrior
Level: 7☆
Status:
MP: 27/27
Physical Attack: 20
Physical Defense: 15
Magical Attack: 20
Magical Defense: 15
Speed: 21
Level Limit: 7
Talent Values:
MP: 76
Physical Attack: 105
Physical Defense: 71
Magical Attack: 106
Magical Defense: 71
Speed: 108
Total Talent Value: 537
Abilities:
Spirit Magic (Ice) level 2
Ice Wolf Close-Quarters Combat Techniques level 2
Skills:
Ice Spirit’s Follower level 2: Divine protection of the Ice Spirit. Increase in automatic MP recovery. Increase in accuracy and power of Spirit Magic (Ice).
Ice Wolf King’s Lineage level 2: Increase in physical ability. Increase in power of Ice Wolf Close-Quarters Combat Techniques. Ability to surround self in a layer of ice.
Although she only seems to be about 12 or 13 years old, demi-humans reach adulthood early, so she’s already awakened to her class.
But still… she’s strong. She’s a high speed vanguard, but skilled in magic as well. The 400s are the average total talent value for demi-humans, but something in the 500s is very good. And having a special class like Ice Wolf Warrior isn’t bad either. I can compensate for her fatally low level limit.
“I would appreciate it if you stopped hurting her. She’s mine.”
I grab the shoulder of the employee who was hitting and cursing the Ice Wolf girl to stop his assault.
“Are you sane? It’s impossible to make this girl obey. And she’s infected with the mysterious disease as well.”
“It’s fine as long as I pay, isn’t it?”
“Well, we’re fine with that. But we won’t accept any returns.”
“I won’t be returning her. I could even write a contract if you want.”
There’s no way I would ever return this girl, because she’s like me. Just like me, she has a deep bottomless hatred inside her.
Until now, this girl wouldn’t say her True Name no matter what kind of torture she faced. But she’ll probably give me her True Name if I offer her the chance to take revenge. She absolutely can’t win against the temptation to take revenge.
So I approach the Ice Wolf girl to whisper in her ear, so close that the employee can’t hear me.
“I’ll buy you. If you follow me, I’ll let you take your revenge. You hate them, don’t you? So shut up and follow me.”
The girl looked at me and then smiled slightly. Then, she lost consciousness.
Until now, she has endured pain beyond any reasonable limit. The pain of this strange disease, the agony of the high fever, the slave collar that tightens around her neck.
The tension was broken, so she fell unconscious.
Part 6
After that, I paid the gold and left the store.
Originally, she was a very expensive slave. There were too many positives for her. Being a beautiful virgin girl from the rare Ice Wolf race, and also powerful to boot. And she also came with an Appraisal.
A slave like her would normally cost around 50 gold coins. However, because she was “damaged goods” and hasn’t been properly educated as a slave, I was told that 20 gold coins, which is below the market value, would be fine.
The employee reminded me that, as long as her True Name wasn’t known, the slave collar around her neck would be the only chain that binds her. But I don’t need that for her. I have a better chain: revenge.
I return to the inn, carrying the Ice Wolf girl like a princess.
Well, I got a good deal out of this. She will work as a splendid meat shield with good abilities, and I am also interested in other peoples’ revenges.
What will she look like when she finally kills the person she hates so much, just as she wants to do? I want to see it.
She will be my precious pawn. Once I heal her and restore her strength, I will offer her a deal with the devil to get her True Name. I’ll be gentle and help her get her revenge.
Such unconcealed intense hatred, this is going to be fun. Let’s see what’s going to come up. I’m looking forward to it.