Chapter 9

Hiiiiii……

The amount of money I obtained over two weeks was forty silver coins.

It seems I barely managed to gather what I threw at that damn hero and a little more.

I'm starting to feel a bit empty.

Moreover, with my attack power, the places I can go are limited.

Though I don't take damage, I have only been to the forest once.

It was a Red Balloon.

When I punched it with my bare hands, I felt a shock like hitting a can.

And even after nearly thirty minutes of punching, it showed no signs of breaking.

I got tired of it and left the forest.

In other words, I can only fight the monsters in this grassland.

By the way, my level has risen to four in two weeks.

I wonder how much those damn heroes have leveled up by now.

The Red Balloon is still gnawing at my arm, trying to bite through it.

Was it a week ago that I went to the forest?

I try a punch.

Kan!

"Haa……"

My attack power is insufficient.

Because it's insufficient, I can't defeat monsters.

Because I can't defeat them, I can't earn experience points.

Because I can't earn them, my attack power is insufficient.

It's a vicious cycle.

I was walking through the back alley to get to the grassland from the tavern.

That day would be a bit different from the usual.

"Do you seem troubled?"

"Huh?"

A strange man with a silk hat-like hat and a tuxedo stopped me in the back alley.

He was a bizarrely obese man wearing sunglasses.

Such a strange man.

He stood out in this medieval world.

It would be best to ignore him.

"Short on manpower."

He hit the nail on the head.

"Can't defeat monsters."

He continued with an irritating statement.

"I have a proposal for you."

"Are you trying to introduce me to a companion? I already have enough."

I have no room to support a scoundrel who only cares about money.

"Companion? No, no, what I offer is not such an inconvenient thing."

"Hmm... then what?"

The man leaned in close to me and spoke.

"Are you interested?"

"Stay back, you creep."

"Hehehe, you have the eyes I like. Alright, I'll tell you!"

He dramatically waved his cane and shouted loudly.

"A slave."

"A slave?"

"Yes, a slave."

A slave is a human who is treated as an object of ownership, deprived of human dignity, rights, and freedom, and treated as someone else's property. They are subject to the complete control of their owner, forced to work, and can be transferred or sold.

I remember reading such an article on Wikipedia.

Does this world also have the sale of slaves?

"Why would I want a slave?"

"Unreliable personnel."

*Click*

"Slaves can be subjected to severe curses. If they disobey their master, they can be cursed to the point of losing their life."

"Hmm..."

That's quite an interesting story.

If they disobey, they die. They won't try to use people foolishly, which is exactly what I need.

I lack attack power. That's why I need a companion. But companions can betray me, so I can't afford to spend money on them.

So I can't increase my companions.

But slaves can't betray. Betrayal means death.

"How about it?"

"Let's hear it."

The slave trader smiled and led me.

After walking through the back alley for a while.

This country's darkness is quite deep.

Even in the daytime, we walked down a road where the sun didn't shine, and a tent-like shack appeared in a corner of the alley.

"Right this way, sir."

"Sure, sure."

The slave trader walked with an eerie step. What would you call it? A skip with a long jump distance.

Then, as expected, the slave trader led me into the circus tent.

"By the way, just to confirm, if you were to deceive me..."

"The famous Balloon Liberation, right? You plan to escape in the chaos?"

Hmm... it has a name.

Well, it's a convenient method to punish foolish people, so it's bound to become famous.

"I had a customer who wanted a hero as a slave, and I approached you as a possibility, but I changed my mind. Yes."

"Huh?"

"You have the qualities of a good customer. In both good and bad ways."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what do you think?"

What a slippery slave trader. What does he expect from me?

*Clank!*

The door in the circus tent, which was securely separated, opened.

"Hmm..."

The lighting inside was dim, and a faint smell of decay filled the air.

The strong smell of animals indicated that the environment was not good.

There were several layers of cages, and human-like shadows were moving inside.

"Here are the slaves we recommend."

I approached the cage the slave trader recommended and looked inside.

"Grrr... Gah!"

"It's not human, is it?"

Inside the cage was a creature that looked like a human with animal fur, sharp fangs, and claws... to put it simply, a werewolf, growling and thrashing around.

"It's a beastman. Technically, they are classified as humans."

"Beastman, huh."

A type of race that often appears in fantasy, usually as enemies.

"I'm a hero and not familiar with this world. Can you tell me more?"

Unlike other heroes, I am not familiar with the world. I don't even know the basics.

Indeed, when I look around the town, I sometimes see people with dog ears or cat ears.

When I see them, I think, "Ah, fantasy," but they are few in number.

"The Kingdom of Melromarc is human-centric. It's not a comfortable place for sub-humans or beastmen."

"Hmm..."

In the towns, I do see sub-humans and beastmen, but they are usually traveling merchants or former adventurers. In other words, they are discriminated against and can't get decent jobs.

"So, what are sub-humans and beastmen?"

"Sub-humans are races that resemble humans but have different parts. Beastmen are a term for sub-humans with a strong animal-like appearance. Yes."

"I see, so they are in the same category."

"Yes, and because sub-humans are considered close to monsters, they have a difficult life in this country and are treated as slaves."

Every society has its dark side. In a place where people are not considered human, there is no more convenient creature.

"And slaves have..."

The slave trader snapped his fingers. A magic circle appeared on his arm, and the magic circle on the chest of the werewolf in the cage glowed.

"Gah! Kain, Kain!"

The werewolf clutched his chest and writhed in agony.

The slave trader snapped his fingers again, and the glowing magic circle on the werewolf's chest dimmed and disappeared.

"Like this, it's possible to give punishment with just a command."

"Quite a convenient magic, it seems."

I muttered while looking at the werewolf lying on his back.

"Can I use it too?"

"Yes, you don't even need to snap your fingers. You can set various conditions. It can also be integrated into status magic."

"Hmm..."

It's quite a well-designed system.

"By the way, a ritual is needed to imprint the customer's biological information on the slave's symbol."

"To prevent confusion of commands between slave owners, right?"

"You understand well."

The slave trader smiled eerily.

What a strange man.

"Well, how much is this one?"

"Since it's a capable combat type... I've heard about your reputation with money. You won't buy it if I overprice it."

"Fifteen gold coins, how about that?"

"I don't know the market price, but you're giving me a good deal, right?"

One gold coin is equivalent to a hundred silver coins.

The king had a reason for giving me roses. Gold coins are large in value, making them difficult to exchange.

It's easier for shops to handle silver coins when buying equipment in the town.

"Of course."

...

The slave trader smiled in response to my intense gaze.

"You're showing me the most expensive one, knowing I can't afford it, right?"

"Yes. You will be a regular customer, so I need to cultivate your taste. You might end up with a poor-quality slave from a bad slave trader."

He's a suspicious man either way.

"For reference, here are the slave's stats."

The slave trader showed me a small crystal. Icons glowed, and text appeared.

Combat Slave Lvl 75, Race: Werewolf

Various skills and abilities are listed.

75... almost twenty times my level.

Having such a slave under my command would make battles much easier.

Probably stronger than other heroes at this point.

If asked if it's worth the money, it's a bit questionable.

To begin with, the health condition doesn't seem good, and following orders might hinder normal actions.

The price is probably adjusted for these drawbacks.

"He was a slave who fought in the Colosseum but was discarded after injuring his legs and arms."

"Hmm..."

So this is a defective product.

The level doesn't match the quality.

"Alright, you've seen the best product. What kind of slave do you prefer?"

"I want a cheap one that's not broken."

"Then it won't be a combat type or a physical labor type, right? I've heard rumors..."

"I didn't do it!"

"Hehehe, it doesn't matter to me. What kind of slave do you prefer?"

"Domestic slaves are a problem. I don't want a sex slave."

"Hmm... That's different from the rumors, sir."

"...I didn't do it."

Ah, I can say anything. I didn't do it.

What I need now is a slave who can fight in my place.

It doesn't matter what it is as long as it's useful.

"Gender?"

"Preferably male, but I don't mind."

"Hmm..."

The slave trader scratched his cheek.

"Even as a pet, it's a bit lacking. Is that okay?"

"What's the point of caring about appearance?"

"The level is also low."

"If I need combat power, I'll train it."

"...An interesting answer. You don't trust people, do you?"

"Slaves aren't people, right? Training an object is no different from a shield. If it won't betray, I'll train it."

"You got me there."

The slave trader chuckled.

"Then, this one."

We walked through the shack with cages for a few minutes.

After passing through a noisy area, we entered a noisy one.

Looking around, I saw dirty children and elderly sub-humans in cages with dark faces.

After walking for a while, the slave trader stopped.

"These are the lowest quality slaves I can offer you, sir."

He pointed to three cages.

The first one was a man with rabbit-like ears, his arm bent in an odd direction. He looked to be in his early twenties.

The second one was a ten-year-old girl with dog-like, rounded ears and an unusually thick tail, trembling and coughing with a frightened look.

The third one was a lizardman with a strange aura, his eyes vacant. However, he seemed more human than a typical lizardman.

"From left to right, a rabbit sub-human with a genetic disease, a raccoon sub-human with panic and illness, and a mixed lizardman."

I see, the third one is a mixed breed.

"They all have problems."

"Within the range of what you can accept, this is the limit. If it gets any lower, honestly..."

The slave trader glanced at the back. I followed his gaze.

Even from a distance, I could smell death.

The strong smell of decay was evident. Beyond that, something was filling the air.

Just looking at it would make one's heart sick.

"By the way, what are the prices?"

"From left to right, twenty-five silver coins, thirty silver coins, and forty silver coins."

"Hmm, what are their levels?"

"Five, one, and eight."

Looking at the immediate combat power, the mixed lizardman. Looking at the price, the one with a genetic disease. Overall, they are quite emaciated.

The man with rabbit-like ears seems to have a problem with one arm, but the other parts seem fine.

His expression is dark, but that's the same for all the slaves here.

"By the way, all the slaves here are quiet."

"They are punished if they make noise."

"I see."

They are well-trained, or perhaps the slave trader is not showing me untrainable slaves.

The lizardman might be useful as combat power, but the others are not.

"Why is the middle one so cheap?"

She is emaciated and trembling, but she looks like a girl. Her face... is not good.

A raccoon sub-human, which translates to raccoon or badger.

Even with a human-like appearance, a girl would be popular with other buyers.

"Raccoon sub-humans are considered a bit ugly, so even if it were a fox sub-human, it would fetch a high price despite its problems."

"Hmm..."

It's a defective product for pet use.

"Her face is below standard, and she has panic attacks at night, so she's not selling."

"Is this the best among the unsold stock?"

"Indeed, you hit the nail on the head."

Compared to other slaves, she is not suitable