"Excuse me, merchant. How much for this woman?"
"Hmm. A rare find. She's untouched, has a clean record, and she's literate—can even do basic arithmetic. She'll run you thirty gold coins."
"..."
Expensive.
The price was absurdly high. Even if she was skilled, thirty gold coins for someone who didn't even have exceptional looks felt like a robbery.
"Then what about the woman over there?"
"That one? Let's see. Clean record, literate, knows her sums... Ah, but she's not a virgin. Ten gold coins."
The price dropped that much just because she wasn't "new"?
"Well, you see, many customers are particularly fixated on that. Besides, virgins are hard to come by these days. That's just how the market is set."
"I see."
"It's only natural, isn't it? No one wants something someone else has already used and discarded. New products are always more popular than used ones, after all."
"That's true."
Still, the gap between thirty gold coins and ten was massive.
"So? Are you buying?"
"Hrmmm."
I fell into deep thought.
As a housekeeper to handle the chores and a companion to keep me company at night, the ten-gold-coin woman was a practical choice. I happened to have exactly twelve gold coins on me, too.
But.
But still.
Listening to the slave merchant's words made me hesitate.
"Why? Does it bother you that she's been used by someone else?"
"No... well, yes. It does feel a bit uncomfortable thinking of her as a 'used' item."
"Heh heh heh. You youngsters are all the same."
Youngsters are all the same? Does that mean old timers prefer used goods?
I couldn't quite wrap my head around the merchant's chuckle. Surely, new was always better.
"I'll save up a bit more and come back later."
"Suit yourself. But I can't guarantee I'll have any virgins in stock then."
I nodded and turned away, leaving the slave market behind.
I didn't have enough for a "new" one yet. It looked like I'd have to head back into the Labyrinth and work hard again today.