Once the three of them left the room and I was alone with Yasis, he said,
「Shall I take this opportunity to explain a bit about slavery while we wait?」
「Uh, sure. Is that alright?」
「Of course. You don't seem to know much about slaves, so if you're interested, I'd be happy to explain.」
「Yeah, I'd appreciate it.」
Since I was planning to buy a slave and have them work for me, it was obviously something I should learn more about.
「First, just to confirm, you're a Drifter, correct?」
「Yeah, but… how did you know?」
「First off, your clothes. They're unlike anything we see here, and even I can't tell what material they're made of. Also, even children know the basics about slaves. The only people who don't are children from remote villages or noble daughters raised in luxury. You don't strike me as either.」
「I see…」
So being a Drifter is relatively common? That means there might be more people like me and Hayato out there.
「Does being a Drifter change anything?」
「Not at all. I was just curious and it clears up a mystery for me.」
Huh? I thought there might be special rules for Drifters, or maybe they weren't allowed to own slaves or something, but I guess he was just confirming.
「Now then, let me explain the details.」
It seemed Yasis considered that topic settled. Maybe he really was just satisfying his own curiosity—but I had the feeling there was more to it.
「There are different categories of slaves: debt slaves, criminal slaves, and special slaves. All slaves, regardless of type, are protected by a few universal rules. They cannot be forced to commit murder, nor can they harm their master.」
Debt slaves I understood. Criminal slaves made sense, too—as a form of punishment, I guess. But "special slaves"… I wasn't sure about that.
「Debt slaves cannot be forced into sexual acts, combat, or killing. Excessive labor is also forbidden. If any of these rules are broken, there are penalties. These conditions are set during the contract, so if they're violated, there's no hiding it.」
「So that means the whole slavery thing is done through a skill or something?」
「Yes. The skill is called Contract. It cannot be used without the mutual consent of both parties. No matter how high your level is, you can't force it.」
So they actually have some human rights. I guess that makes sense. I've never seen any slaves in town being whipped or forced to work brutally or anything like that.
「Even as debt slaves, many end up living lives that are somewhat better than before, so a lot of them actually choose to continue working rather than being freed. Their families seem to understand that too, so they don't try to buy them back. Considering they were already buried in debt, it would probably take years to save enough to do so anyway.」
「Are most of the buyers nobles, then?」
「Not necessarily. Merchants and others may also purchase them as a labor force. However, the master is responsible for providing food, clothing, and shelter for debt slaves, and if a slave dies prematurely, a detailed investigation is conducted. As such, they are guaranteed at least two meals a day, and they must be allowed to rest when ill. Many slaves do hope to be purchased by nobles, but in reality, they aren't very popular with the nobility.」
When you hear "noble" and "slave", the image that comes to mind is usually one of them buying attractive women.
I wonder why it is that nobles buying slaves always seems to carry a negative image.
「So, if someone wanted to free a slave, what would the conditions be?」
「That's left entirely to the discretion of the owner. However, in the case of criminal slaves, the state conducts an investigation.」
I see. So if you feel like they've contributed enough, you can let them go.
But in the case of criminal slaves, you can't decide that on your own.
Well, that makes sense.
「Now, about criminal slaves. They are not granted most of the rights I mentioned earlier. Also, when they are sold, their crimes must be disclosed to the buyer.」
「So not all rights are taken away, then?」
「Correct. But forcing them to commit crimes is, of course, still forbidden. For male criminal slaves, there are no limits on working hours. They are guaranteed sleep and at least one meal, but everything else is left to the master's discretion. Female criminal slaves are most often sent to brothels, particularly those known as 'cleaning rooms,' and even their basic needs are not guaranteed.」
Oof… criminal slaves really have it rough.
「They also have no right to choose who buys them. However, because they are cheaper, they tend to be purchased with the intent of being worked to death.」
…The ones buying them aren't exactly saints either.
But I guess there's demand for it. Hard labor exists in every world.
「Lastly, special slaves. These include those from noble or royal families, or those who became slaves under special circumstances. Aina-sama would fall into this category as well.」
Huh, so Aina-san too. Wait—
「Hold on. Did we ever talk about how Aina-san ended up in this situation?」
「Yes. In fact, Reinrich-sama informed me about it first thing this morning. However, I chose not to mention it to the other two, as I thought it might appear that I was trying to manipulate their decision.」
「O-oh…」
「Reinrich-sama has asked that I remain impartial, so please rest assured.」
Well, that's a relief.
Knowing Reinrich, I was half-expecting him to pressure Yasis too.
「May I continue with the explanation?」
「Ah, yeah. Please do.」
「Special slaves can choose between a subordinate contract or a free contract.」
「Subordinate and free?」
「Yes. With a subordinate contract, the slave essentially lives with the master and follows them, so the master must provide for their living expenses. In contrast, under a free contract, while the relationship is still technically master and slave, the slave continues their normal life and only receives commands when necessary, with prior notice. If a sudden order comes up, the slave's own schedule takes priority, and if the orders become unreasonable or excessive, they can refuse.」
From the sound of it, a free contract seems more like having a part-time errand runner who's not that reliable.
But not having to provide for their daily life is a relief.
Since I don't even have a place to stay right now, a free contract with Aina-san might actually be the best option.
「With a free contract, each order is negotiated individually. Once the slave earns back the amount they were purchased for, they are freed.」
I see.
So that makes it harder to abuse the arrangement too.
「Now, about nobles and royalty. The reason they are considered special is because of the cost.」
「Cost? I mean, I figured they'd be expensive, but if someone's going to buy them, it's probably a rich noble, right?」
「Yes. Most of the time, nobles who buy noble or royal slaves are other nobles. Occasionally, a wealthy merchant might buy one to raise their social standing.」
「Makes sense. But why would a noble become a slave in the first place?」
「There are cases where disputes within a family lead to someone being held responsible and reduced to slavery. Other times, a noble commits a crime and is made a slave by royal decree. However, when it comes to nobles, slave traders have the duty to carefully vet the buyer.」
「What do you mean by that?」
「…There was a case in the past where one noble purchased another noble who had become a slave. The situation was widely known, but a month later, the slave was found dead. The body showed signs of brutal abuse, and even had missing parts.」
Yikes… that's messed up.
「That slave had rejected a marriage proposal from the noble who later bought her. Naturally, she also refused to become his slave. But the noble used her remaining family as hostages to force her into slavery, and that's how the tragedy occurred. Since then, slave traders dealing with noble or royal slaves have been held responsible for supervising the transaction. They must investigate the buyer's background and their relationship with the slave to prevent similar incidents. If a noble tries to exert pressure, the kingdom will strip them of their title. Of course, there are also penalties for slave traders, so they can't afford to be careless.」
I get it. That would explain why the price is so high.
If they sold them cheaply and a shady buyer got them, they'd be the ones in trouble.
「Sounds like being a slave trader isn't easy either…」
I bet they even get noble daughters with unreasonable demands.
Just imagining the stress from that is enough to make me collapse.
「Not at all. Any decent slave trader has at least one or two clients they can trust, so we always have someone we can approach first. If you ever find yourself in need, please don't hesitate to let me know.」
「…We've only known each other for two days, though?」
「To be honest, it's just a gut feeling. But as a merchant, my instincts are telling me there's no issue. It's thanks to these instincts that I was able to build the top slave trading house in this city. So I trust my intuition—and my money—more than anything else.」
Gut feeling, huh…
Now that I think about it, Aina-san also said something about just having a good feeling.
There was a knock at the door—four light taps. Wendy-san, Aina-san, and, for some reason, Sorte had returned.
「It looks like they've finished. Perfect timing—Wendy, come have a seat here.」
「Understood.」
With that, Wendy-san sat directly across from me, while Aina-san and Sorte sat to either side.
Sorte didn't say anything—just let out vague sounds like "uu" and "aa" under her breath.
Aina-san was staring blankly upward, face red, completely spaced out.
「Aina-san?」
「Eeek! Wh-what is it, lord?!」
Aina-san responded in a panic, her voice cracking strangely—not like her at all.
What on earth happened in that room…?
「Now then, let me take a look.」
Yasis accepted some documents from Wendy-san, took a pair of glasses from her breast pocket, and quickly scanned through them at remarkable speed, practically skimming diagonally across the page.
Once finished, she spread the papers on the table and turned them so I could see.
「Are you able to read the text?」
「Uh, yeah. Looks like I can.」
Huh, I can actually read the letters of this world.
I thought that kind of thing was usually impossible, or at least difficult.
But I could read them just fine, clear as day.
「That's good to hear. Let's start with Aina-san's profile. She has a △ for domestic skills, 〇 for combat, and 〇 for bedroom matters. Her appearance is excellent, and she is inexperienced in intimate matters, with an outstanding figure. As a subordinate contract, her price would be 35 million Nohl. For a free contract, about 6 million Nohl.」
Since Aina-san would fall under a special contract, and I was planning on a free contract anyway, that seems about right.
「There's quite a big price gap, huh.」
「Yes. When a person is rated 〇 for bedroom matters, the price difference between subordinate and free contracts becomes significant.」
I see.
If it were a subordinate contract, she'd probably be in constant demand.
But that's not my concern. I'm planning on a free contract, after all.
「Next is Sorte-san. She's rated × for domestic skills, 〇 for combat, and × for bedroom matters. Her appearance is good, but to be honest, her figure is underdeveloped for her age. With those ratings, she would go for 10 million Nohl under a subordinate contract and around 4 million Nohl under a free contract.」
The significant price difference for a subordinate contract is not based on appearance, but rather whether their performance in the bedroom is rated as ◎ or ×. Still, the fact that there's not much difference in the free contract prices shows just how much it's emphasized.
Even so, 6 million and 4 million…
The total of 10 million could also be due to some advice from Reinrich.
But now, at least the materials procurement is on track.
Next, I just need to save up for the house and buy the slaves, then I can focus on a self-sufficient lifestyle while leaving the farming to the employees.
I'll leave the work to them and use my pocket money skill to enjoy leisurely walks—of course, around the town.
「Wait a minute. By the way, isn't Sorte still a child for her age?」
She looks clearly like she's in her teens—early to mid teens at that.
「No, no. She's already an adult.」
「Huh?」
No, no, no.
She's short, her face is childish, and her chest is practically flat.
Her waist doesn't curve, she's just thin, and the only thing that stands out is her tail, which has nice fur.
「For wolfkins, even when they mature, they stay around this height. But among them, especially, her chest is small.」
「But even so, isn't that just too childlike?」
「Yes, but even though it's small, she's still a full-grown adult.」
「Shut up! All you've been saying is "small, small!" What's the big deal? A big chest only gets in the way of fighting! Everyone's obsessed with chest size! Even if they're bigger, it's just a hindrance on adventures! Do you know how many times Aina had to get new armor becauseit doesn't fit anymore? It's such a waste of money!」
Oh, okay.
She wasn't spaced out after all.
She'd been mumbling "ah" and "uh" before, but she's overreacting to the word "small" now.
Well then, here's something I'll say to you.
「Are you jealous?」
「Gau!」
Ow! She bit my arm!
She really is just a child!
Hey, stop it! Let go! My HP is low!
「You two are close, huh…」
「By the way, is Aina-san a flamekin?」
「Yes. Officially, I'm only half flamekin.」
「I see. A descendant of the Scorching Child's bloodline, then.」
「…Right now, I'm just Aina. I've lived as a human all this time.」
Aina-san's face grew somber.
I could tell something was bothering her, but I didn't want to pry.
「Ow, damn it! Let go, you little mutt!」
「Gau gau gau gau gau! (I'm not a dog! I'm a wolf!!)」
「What are you even saying? I don't understand! Wait, this isn't good… I'm starting to feel dizzy.」
Ugh, seriously! She's just a child! No, she's even worse than that! She's at a level below that of a little kid!
「Got it! I'm sorry! So please, let go! Please, I beg you!」
「Gau… If you do it again, I'll bite harder!」
Ugh, damn it… I've got bite marks all over.
「So, about the flamekin… Does everyone from there have red hair like Aina-san?」
「Yes. The crimson flame hair is said to be the symbol of the Flamekins. However, having red hair alone doesn't necessarily mean someone is a flamekin.」
「I see. But I'm glad Aina-san is flamekin. It really suits you.」
Aina-san's sharp expression pairs so well with her red hair.
Honestly, if her hair were any other color, I don't think it would suit her as well.
「I-I see. Though, I'm often feared because of it.」
That sounds like there's a backstory there…
It's likely that the Flamekins has been feared or looked down upon for some reason.
But I don't know about that, and all I see in Aina-san, who carries the blood of flamekikns, is a serious, stiff, but good woman.
「Well then, shall we get back to the matter at hand and proceed with the contract?」
「Yeah, I'd like to get it done today if possible.」
「Then let's confirm the terms of the contract.」
Ah, so this is about setting the rules for a special slave contract.
「The contract method can be a free contract. Aina-san is an adventurer, so there's no need to force her into a subordinate contract.」
Besides, if she can live as she normally would, the chances of me being attacked are also lower.
If something were to happen, there'd be no escort, and it'd be a one-hit knockout, but the likelihood of that is low.
I'm sure Aina-san has been properly briefed by the guild, and if anything were to happen, Reinrich wouldn't keep quiet.
Truly, my guardian deity, Reinrich-sama. Her authority is not to be defied.
「No, but…」
「If you are 'subjugated', honestly, I don't think I could handle it. Especially my reason…」
At these words, Aina-san's face turned bright red, and she looked down.
What happened in the back room…?
「So it's a free contract. In that case, we'll need consent from your party members.」
「Of course, that's fine! As long as I can continue adventuring and protect Aina from your poisonous fangs, it's obvious, right?」
Who are you calling poisonous fangs? There's no poison, not even a sickness!
「So the Red Front party consists of the two of you?」
「Yeah. For now, it's just the two of us. There's one more member, but she's currently away on business and have temporarily left the party.」
「In that case, there's no problem with the consent from the party members. Now, about the repayment method…」
「We can just go with the purchase price of the materials, right?」
「Yes, the sales price will be based on the lowest market price. Is there anything else you would like to request?」
「Nothing in particular. Ah, wait! I want to prioritize buying any rare materials you find outside of the usual material collection.」
First of all, since I don't plan to go on any adventures, it's unlikely that I'll come across any rare materials.
For now, if they bring them back and we can't find a use for them, I'll just have them sell them elsewhere.
「Of course, that's fine. No problem, right, Sorte?」
「Yes. It's fine.」
I've got the consent from the party member (Sorte), and there's nothing else… nothing in particular.
「So… about the, uh, more personal matter…」
「Ah…」
I'm honestly troubled that they're asking me this.
If I'm being honest, I'd be happy if it happened.
But is it okay for me to say that out loud?
It might seem like I'm using my position to pressure her.
But really, I would be happy if it happened! Come on! I'm a guy after all!
「Hmm… I'll leave it up to you. If you don't mind… then I guess that's fine.」
I'm evading this!
I'm leaving it to the other party! I can't do it!
「I-I see. Yeah… I'll be happy if you say that.」
I guess Aina-san was also worried.
She did say she's inexperienced.
It's something that has to be done properly, after all.
「So, are the terms settled? Shall we begin the contract?」
「Yeah.」
「Yes.」
「Of course!」
So, this is the contract.
But shouldn't there be some kind of written agreement or consent form?
「What should I do?」
「Please extend your hand and overlap them. First, Aina-san, then Sorte-san, and finally, customer-sama, you should be at the top.」
「Me too? Is this good?」
I follow the instructions and place my hand on top.
When my palm touches Sorte's, she scowls a bit, but it can't be helped…
「Now, we will swear this contract under the name of the Kingdom of Rasiayu.」
"Contract Activation"
When Yasis raises his hand, light runs across the back of my hand.
There's no pain, but the light travels straight through the three of our hands. It shines brightly for a moment before gradually dimming.
Once the light fades, I look at my hand and see a symbol etched into it.
「What is this? A tattoo?」
「It is the crest of the Kingdom of Rasiayu. This mark signifies that the contract has been sworn under the name of the Kingdom of Rasiayu and serves as proof that you now possess a slave.」
The Kingdom of Rasiayu? I don't know what's that, but I guess this means it's an official contract.
「There's nothing really here… Am I truly a slave now?」
「Yes. Would you like to test it?」
「Ah… how should I do that?」
「Try attempting to kill your master.」
Huh?
Wait, Sorte! You're happily drawing your spear, aren't you!?
You look like you're fully intent on killing me!
「This neck is mine, woahhhhh!? Ow, ow, ow! My head hurts—why, why!?」
Suddenly, Sorte drops her spear and clutches her head with both hands, rolling on the ground in agony.
「If a slave exhibits excessive violence or intent to kill, a punishment will be enforced, and the contract will be halted. Similarly, if the master does something without permission, they will also be punished with a headache, so please be cautious.」
「Why am I included?! I'm not even this person's slave!」
「No… it's registered, though… we confirmed this earlier. In a free contract, even party members are bound by it.」
「You never said that! You absolutely never said that!」
「Is that so? But the oath has already been sworn, hasn't it? To revoke it, you'd need to pay off the 10 million Nohl debt first.」
For a moment, Yasis glances at me.
…This bastard did this on purpose.
But it's actually a relief. Now I don't have to worry about Sorte attacking me.
「Woahhh! This is a lie! I wasn't going to kill you! I'm not going to kill you!」
This dog just won't quit.
「If I continue refusing to buy myself back, will I stay like this forever?」
「Yes, of course.」
「Good to know.」
「Wait! That's a lie, right? You're joking, right? I won't be anyone's slave forever, especially not yours!」
「It depends on your attitude, dog. If you try to kill me again, I'll make it a reality.」
「Ugh… Fine, fine. If you don't do anything weird to Aina, I won't try to kill you.」
「I'm not going to do anything like that! I'll only ask for materials… and remember, it was decided in the contract that it's up to Aina.」
「Right, right. Aina wouldn't let you do anything to her. Fine. Just make sure you get good stuff quickly and get it over with.」
「Sure, sure. I'll be waiting with expectations.」
「…It really looks like you're getting along with Sorte, doesn't it?」
With that, the contract was finally concluded.
Next up, we'll have to deal with the Adventurers' Guild.
Either way, I'll have to report to the Guild master, and since I've got a message from Reinrich, I'll take care of that at the same time.
「Alright, you two, looking forward to working with you.」
「Ah, likewise, lord.」
「I'm not calling you lord! Just calling you 'you' is enough for me!」
I don't particularly care, but I really want to make her call me "master" at some point.
Nah, I'll definitely get her to call me that just to mess with her.