The speaker was a strange little man, dressed in a tuxedo and top hat.
He was short, plump—practically spherical—and wore small round glasses perched atop his nose. His entire appearance clashed sharply with this medieval European-esque world; he looked more like he'd just stepped out of D.Gray-man.
"You're looking for recruits, aren't you? I have exactly what you two Heroes-sama need."
Kiriko frowned slightly, eyeing this strange man emerging from the alley's shadows.
"Are you the guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild? Even if you are, you can't force people to become our comrades, right?"
The strange man slowly approached, leaning on his cane.
"No, no, no. I'm neither the Adventurer's Guildmaster nor offering anything that inconvenient."
"Then what are you offering?"
"The answer is simple—slaves."
"Slaves?"
As someone from modern society, Kiriko naturally felt uncomfortable with the word "slave."
But she also knew it was pointless—and foolish—to judge another world, one completely unrelated to Earth, through modern sensibilities.
People's views differed even in the same world, let alone across entirely different worlds.
Since this strange man said he provided slaves, then his true identity was obviously a slave trader.
Slaves, huh…
Honestly, Kiriko hadn't thought about this option at all before.
But considering it carefully now, since no adventurers in this country were willing to team up with Naofumi, slaves might be the only remaining option.
Actually, after what happened with Myne, even if an adventurer offered themselves willingly, would Naofumi dare to accept?
But even slaves couldn't guarantee absolute loyalty. Just look at Spartacus…
Perhaps noticing Kiriko's hesitation, the shady merchant adjusted his tall top hat slightly and smiled knowingly.
"No need to worry. Slaves are branded with a Slave Crest. They can't lie, disobey their master's commands, or betray their master. If they do, the Slave Crest activates, and severe disobedience can even cost them their lives."
So that's how it works—slaves really were more convenient than adventurers, then. At least there'd be no need to worry about another Spartacus uprising.
The only question was whether Naofumi, another modern-world resident, could accept it psychologically…
Kiriko glanced at Naofumi. He still looked gloomy, but at least he showed no overt resistance.
Seeing his lack of reaction, Kiriko nodded to the merchant.
"Lead the way."
Hearing Kiriko's agreement, the merchant's mouth curved into a strange smile, teeth gleaming eerily beneath his top hat—looking even more like the Millennium Earl now.
The Millennium… no, the shady merchant led Kiriko and Naofumi off into the alley's depths.
As they walked deeper, beggars and thugs began to appear, and a foul stench of urine, sweat, and feces filled the air.
Most people merely glanced up briefly as the trio passed, quickly averting their gazes again. A few others stared at them with jealousy or outright hostility.
But until they exited the alley, none dared act on their malicious intentions.
Once out of the alley, they saw a building resembling a circus tent sitting in an open clearing.
"Right this way, please."
The shady merchant took the lead, heading toward the circus-tent-like structure.
Kiriko noticed several armed figures standing guard around the tent. Almost all of them were clearly not pure humans.
"Those are demi-humans and beastmen," the merchant said, noticing Kiriko's gaze and slightly lifting his hat.
"Demi-humans resemble humans but retain certain beast-like features. Beastmen are more thoroughly beast-like; aside from being humanoid, they barely resemble humans at all…"
Kiriko casually asked, "Don't you have any human subordinates?"
The merchant flinched as if she'd stepped on his tail.
"Oh, please. Melromarc follows human supremacist ideals. Enslaving humans is illegal. I'm an honest businessman; naturally, I'd never break the laws of this nation."
"So demi-humans and beastmen don't matter?"
"Of course. Demi-humans and beastmen aren't seen as humans—they're treated as monsters. Surviving in this country isn't easy for their kind. Conversely, other countries opposed to Melromarc uphold demi-human supremacy—exactly the opposite."
The two beastmen guarding the circus tent's entrance merely glanced briefly at Kiriko and Naofumi, then allowed them inside without interference.
"What is this place…?"
Once inside, Kiriko's eyes widened in shock.
Countless iron cages filled the tent, easily numbering several dozen. They varied in size, and each had a dim lamp placed nearby, faintly illuminating their interiors. Magic, probably.
But even more astonishing was the interior's size compared to the outside. From outside, the tent looked at most villa-sized. Yet now, from within, it felt as large as a stadium.
This was probably magic at work too.
The shady merchant walked silently down the passage between cages. Each cage emitted a faint stench—sweat mixed with the muskiness of wild animals.
Sanitary conditions were passable; by slave standards, actually quite decent.
"Heroes-sama, this is the slave I recommend most highly."
The merchant stopped at a cage, tapping it lightly with his cane.
Inside was a werewolf.
The moment they approached, the werewolf lunged at the cage bars, rattling them violently.
The merchant simply snapped his fingers. A magic crest appeared on the werewolf's chest, causing it to howl in pain, collapsing and convulsing on the floor.
Another snap, and the crest's glow faded. The werewolf now regarded the merchant with eyes still fierce, yet mixed heavily with fear and caution.
"As you see, slaves are extremely convenient. Simply preset the commands, and punishment can be administered whenever appropriate."
The merchant continued enthusiastically, like a salesman peddling goods.
"You don't have to use finger snaps—it can be activated any way you prefer, as long as it's recorded when engraving the Slave Crest."
---
bonus chaps
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