Chapter 3

"Ah, you're back. And it seems you managed to get the money, didn't you?"

The one who greeted me with these words as I visited the slave trader was the owner here. He was the one who had shown me around this morning. He was a cool person who could buy and sell people without batting an eye.

"Hey, Tawawa! Is Tawawa still here?!"

"Yes, she hasn't been sold yet."

"Yesss!"

Oops, I couldn't help but shout. I need to learn from the owner and stay cool.

"Shall we go to her then?"

"Of course!"

I nodded eagerly and followed the owner, who had started walking.

The slave house was built like a series of cells, to make the merchandise visible. The merchandise inside varied, but given the situation, none of them were particularly lively. They were dressed in simple but clean clothes and were apparently given three square meals a day. After all, no one would buy a dirty or starving slave. By the way, slaves are generally cheap. For about 500,000 Zeni, you can buy a decent beginner adventurer. This is not just in this store but a policy throughout the Labyrinth City. They prefer to sell quickly and have the slaves fetch magic stones from the Labyrinth rather than make a profit from high prices. Of course, the city provides various conveniences to the slave traders in return. Still, it's a pretty harsh story, even without hearing all the details. But for me, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

When I asked to see the best slaves, the first one they showed me was Tawawa = Apple Red.

"We're here."

My heart skipped a beat at those words. Looking into the cell on the owner's right, I saw a girl with bright blonde hair sitting on a chair. Just to be sure, I checked her profile on the door. It listed her price, name, age, occupation, level, and that she was inexperienced. It didn't specify what she was inexperienced in, but I could guess.

It was definitely her, the Tawawa I saw this morning. Despite wearing the same simple white clothes as the others, the impression she gave was completely different. While the others looked more like criminals than slaves, she looked as if she were wearing a pure white dress! Seeing her, a captive princess, a sense of indescribable accomplishment welled up inside me.

I did it, I succeeded. I decided on her the moment I saw her this morning. But her price was 1,000,000 Zeni. That was expensive. Well, considering her potential, she could have been priced five to ten times higher, but I still didn't have enough money. But I couldn't give up, so I rushed to the area and took on the reckless mission of obtaining an Iron Turtle. The Iron Turtle lived in the Second Area, which you could only reach through a transfer gate in the area. It was no place for a level 1 solo adventurer. Even if I managed to find it, there was no guarantee I would encounter other adventurers fighting it or that I would be able to collect the magic stone. The success rate was low, and the death rate was high. Normally, I would never do such a thing. But I succeeded. I won the bet. Now, I could offer a prayer of gratitude to the goddess.

This was it. The goddess was telling me to get Tawawa. She was telling me to be the prince who rescues the captive princess. If that was the case, I should try to make a good impression when I greeted her.

"Tawawa..."

"Go away."

"......"

I was about to greet her coolly, but she rejected me with a cold voice. Shocked, I couldn't speak, so the slave trader calmly said,

"This is Lady Hibiki, who has purchased you. It's not in your best interest to be so unfriendly."

"......I don't want that."

"You don't have a choice."

"But I don't want it."

Tawawa firmly refused.

"What's wrong with me, Tawawa?!"

I asked her for a reason once I recovered from the shock. She looked at me with cold eyes and said,

"When you call my name, it sounds kind of perverted."

"......That's not true."

No, no, what is she talking about? In my previous life in Japan, calling a girl with large breasts "Tawawa" would be sexual harassment. At worst, it could get you in trouble with the police. But this is a different world. Calling her Tawawa has no sexual connotations. This is a case of false accusation. Tawawa is a girl who falsely accuses others. Such a girl needs to be disciplined. I'll spank her later. And then...

While I was fantasizing about the future, Tawawa added,

"Besides, you're an Infinite Mage, right?"

This made even the usually gentle and kind me irritated.

"......Yes, I am an Infinite Mage. Is that a problem?"

"I don't want to serve such a weak person. If I have to be a slave, I'd rather serve someone stronger than me."

"That's why you end up as a slave, Tawawa..."

I was amazed at her straightforward thinking. In fact, this was our first meeting, but I had heard rumors about her. She was a rookie who had become famous.

According to the rumors, she was a hardcore martial artist, despite her delicate appearance. The Apple Red family was a famous martial family, and their ultimate goal was to produce a "Heavenly Rank" member. She openly declared her intention to achieve the "Heavenly Rank." She had undergone rigorous training since childhood and was called a genius, growing into an excellent warrior. However, she was also completely naive about the world. Her father should have taught her more about financial management.

"Anyway, as the owner said, you don't have a choice, Tawawa. I'm the one who decides."

Unable to argue with my words, Tawawa remained silent, glaring at me fiercely.

"No, no, glaring at me like that won't do any good."

She glared even more sharply at me. It was intense, almost a death glare. Intimidated, I took a step back and bumped into the opposite cell bars, making a clattering sound.

"Ah!"

A small cry came from behind me. Turning around, I met the eyes of a boy who looked about 12 or 13. His high-pitched voice made me think he was a girl at first, but he hadn't hit puberty yet.

"S-Sorry."

He seemed to be apologizing for his cry, but it was my fault for bumping into him. My first impression was that he was a timid person. I casually read his profile, without much thought.

Price: 1,000,000 Zeni... That's expensive! The same as Tawawa!

Name: Furu = Zelt... Sounds like a timid name, fitting for him...

Age: 12... As expected.

Occupation: Spatial Mage Level 1

...

...

...

What? My heart stopped when I read "Spatial Mage." It felt like my heart had actually stopped.