Chapter 31

"Slave trader!"

I stormed into the slave trader's tent first thing in the morning.

"What brings you here so early, my hero? Hey there."

"The monster rune you gave me was defective. Depending on your response, my dangerous slave and monster might just go on a rampage here. Got it?"

"Philo, I'm hungry, so let's do this later."

"......If you don't behave, I'll make you my breakfast."

The monster rune I put on Philo didn't work as intended, and I couldn't remove it.

"Oh? What do you mean by that?"

I explained the morning's events to the slave trader. It was quite a hassle after that. I managed to calm Philo down and turn her back to human form before coming to the tent. Raphatalia was constantly on edge, making sure Philo didn't do anything strange, which was quite a challenge.

"It seems that a Philo-Queen can't be restrained by a regular monster rune. Hey there."

"What do you mean?"

"High-level monsters can't be bound by regular monster runes. For a prize like a riding dragon, we use a special monster rune."

"So, this one won't work on her?"

"Yes."

The slave trader, excited by the new information, scribbled something in his notebook.

"So, will you apply the special monster rune?"

"Unfortunately, that's not included in our service. Hey there."

"What?"

"It's quite expensive, and it's beyond our service to provide it. We're already at our limit with the damage."

Damn! So, they can't provide any more service.

Well, considering the damage we caused, it's understandable...

"How much?"

"Considering your future potential, I'll give you a huge discount and charge you 200 silver coins."

Ugh... that's expensive.

"Can you—"

"By the way, the market price is at least 800 silver coins. I'm not lying; I have high hopes for you, my hero."

Gah!

I was dealt a significant mental blow.

Reluctantly, I handed over 200 silver coins to the slave trader.

"Remember, if you're lying, my dangerous subordinates will make you pay."

"Understood."

Raphatalia led Philo, who was in her Philo-Queen form, by the hand, her large wings flapping as she looked around.

"Stay still, Philo."

"Why?"

"If you do, I'll give you something good to eat later."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Philo, her eyes shining, stood still where the slave trader directed.

Good, now is the time to cast the spell.

I gave the slave trader a nod. He nodded back and called 12 hooded assistants to surround Philo. They poured some kind of potion on the ground and began chanting a spell together. The floor glowed, and a magic circle formed around Philo.

"Eh, wh-what—"

Philo tried to resist, but in vain, as the magic circle enveloped her.

"It hurts! Stop it!"

Philo writhed in pain as the monster rune was updated, and the magic circle flickered each time she moved. The slave trader's assistants gasped in shock.

"To be safe, we're using a large number of people to cast the spell... but to be able to move in such a heavy pressure is quite terrifying. Hey there."

Come to think of it, she's still only Level 19. Imagine how strong she'll be at Level 70. The slave trader's words made sense. Eventually, the magic circle was fully imprinted on Philo's abdomen and calmed down.

"It's done. Hey there."

In my vision, a more advanced monster icon appeared, and I checked the box that made my commands absolute.

"Haa... haa..."

Philo, breathing heavily, walked over to me.

"Master, that was really mean. It hurt a lot."

I smiled evilly and ordered Philo.

"First, turn back to human form."

"No, it hurt, so I don't want to. Give me something good to eat!"

Philo's monster rune glowed as she refused my command and demanded food.

"No! What, no!"

Philo tried to cast a spell on the monster rune, but it was deflected, and the curse activated.

"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"

Philo rolled around in pain from the monster rune.

"If you don't listen to me, it will hurt even more."

"It hurts, it hurts! Ugh..."

Reluctantly, Philo transformed back into human form, and the monster rune's glow subsided.

"Hmm... it seems to be working properly this time. Well done, slave trader."

"Yes, it's a very powerful rune, so it can't be tampered with easily. Hey there."

I stepped in front of the fallen Philo and said,

"You cost me 100 silver coins for your body, and another 200 for the monster rune. That's a total loss of 300 silver coins. You'll have to make it up by following my orders."

"Master—"

Philo reached out to me, looking like a child with an innocent face. It hurt my conscience to say this, but I didn't want to leave a stubborn slave out in the open.

"Listen to me."

"No, no—"

"Is that so? If you can't follow my orders, I'll hand you over to that scary man right here."

"......!?"

Philo, finally realizing her position, looked terrified.

The slave trader, with a slightly troubled but pleased expression, was looking at me...

"How much will you buy her for?"

"Hmm, considering her rarity and the trouble she caused, I'd be willing to pay 30 gold coins. With a heavy-duty monster rune, she won't be able to cause any more trouble, and there are many uses for her. Hey there."

The slave trader, who had previously said he didn't want to be involved in such transactions, was now eagerly setting a price.

I don't know his true intentions, but if Philo ends up with him, her life will be over.

Philo was looking up at me with a terrified expression.

This is tough... my conscience, which I thought was gone, is reactivating.

But if Philo doesn't change her attitude, I might have to choose such a future for her.

I'm not a kind older brother or a doting pet owner.

"Right, if you listen to me, I won't hate you. From now on, you have to listen properly."

"Okay!"

"Good, good. When we sleep at the inn, you must always turn back to your true form. That's our first agreement."

"Okay!"

Philo's beaming smile made my few remaining conscience twinge.

Well, I still have to go to the weapon shop today...

As I turned away from Philo, the slave trader was grinning widely.

"Your wickedness is thrilling. You truly are the legendary Shield Hero!"

I felt his praise was misplaced, but I didn't want to argue.

Raphatalia, standing next to him, was looking at me with a slightly troubled expression.

"Naofumi-sama... that's a bit too much..."

"If I don't do this, she won't listen. You were the same at first, right?"

Raphatalia nodded in agreement.

"You're right."

"There are things I can tolerate and things I can't."

I didn't mention that it was mostly based on my own judgment.

"Carrot and stick, I understand. Hey there."

"Slave trader, I didn't ask for your understanding."

And don't assume you understand me.

"You've caused a lot of trouble."

"If you feel that way, why don't we let us handle Philo's training to make her more manageable—"

"I still have places to go today. I'll be on my way."

"I respect your strong will to avoid being drawn into our pace. Hey there."

With that, we left the tent.