"It certainly seems convenient."
Kiriko nodded thoughtfully.
No need to worry about betrayal or schemes against oneself.
Honestly, if she didn't have her own overpowered leveling method, she'd probably buy a slave herself.
"How much for this one?"
"This werewolf is Level 75 and specializes in combat, so… hmm…"
The shady merchant pretended to think carefully, then quoted a clearly pre-prepared price.
"How about 15 gold coins?"
Fifteen gold coins—1,500 silvers—equivalent to three full months of aid money given to heroes by this country.
Even being extremely frugal, it'd take at least half a year to save up that much.
Half a year… Who knows what things will be like by then.
Kiriko could naturally afford it. And anyway, she could treat it as a loan to Naofumi; he'd pay her back with interest once he made it big.
But… since when did anyone pay the first asking price?
So Kiriko immediately unleashed the haggling skills she'd learned from a certain "young mage."
"Fifteen gold coins? Way too expensive. How about 3 gold?"
The merchant's round glasses nearly slid off his nose in shock.
"Zero Hero-sama, your greed is truly awe-inspiring. Alright, I'll compromise—13 gold coins."
"Thirteen's an unlucky number. How about 7? You know, in Harry Potter, 7 is a magically powerful number—Voldemort had seven Horcruxes."
"Harry what now? In any case… for the sake of potential future business, 12 gold coins and 50 silvers. I can't go lower."
"Deal."
Kiriko nodded—but didn't immediately pull out her money, instead glancing around.
"Besides this one, do you have any other combat-focused slaves?"
Since she was already investing in Naofumi, she might as well go big.
Because of his Legendary Weapon, the Shield Hero lacked any attack power himself and depended entirely on companions.
One werewolf wasn't nearly enough.
Might as well get him a whole squad!
"Kiriko-san, are you serious? That's 1,500 silvers! How do you have that kind of money?"
Naofumi had already started looking at cheaper options upon hearing the initial price; he never expected Kiriko to just buy it outright.
"Relax, I'm so poor right now all I have left is money."
Kiriko waved dismissively at Naofumi, signaling him to stay quiet.
The merchant tactfully ignored Naofumi's reaction, guiding Kiriko toward other cages.
"This werewolf is top-quality stock—there's no other quite like him. But we do have some lower-level combat slaves. Provided, of course, that you want them for combat and not… personal entertainment."
Kiriko noticed the hidden implication.
"Lower-level?"
"Zero Hero-sama, you don't know?"
The merchant feigned surprise.
"Lower-level slaves haven't undergone Class Up. After Class Up, they can exceed their growth limits, increase their maximum level, greatly improve base stats, and choose specialized growth paths."
Oh, basically like Ascension.
"But…"
"But?"
"Class Up can only be performed at the Dragon Hourglass. This means only officially recognized knights, mages, and a select few adventurers are permitted. Without national approval, it's impossible."
All the other slaves shown to Kiriko were beastmen—demi-humans with heavily beast-like features. But their levels were much lower, ranging from about Level 10 to mid-30s.
Kiriko picked out nine of the highest-level beastmen available.
"Your total comes to 25 gold coins."
"Twenty-five gold coins? Way overpriced. How about 2 gold coins plus 500 silver instead?"
"Zero Hero-sama, your stinginess is as renowned as Melromarc's famous dramas—I'm deeply moved. How about this: including the earlier werewolf, 37 gold coins total."
After some back-and-forth, Kiriko ultimately settled on 35 gold coins for all the slaves she'd chosen.
"Thank you for your business! Now let's go and engrave their Slave Crests. Please follow me."
Perhaps because he'd landed such a large deal, the merchant's attitude instantly became even more enthusiastic.
If their previous relationship had been between equals, now the merchant voluntarily adopted a dog-like attitude, eager to please.
Cough, cough… cough cough cough…
As they passed a cage covered by a white cloth, Kiriko suddenly heard a fit of painful coughing.
"With a Slave Crest engraved, even if your level is lower than theirs, they absolutely cannot rebel against you. If you have any additional requests, feel free to ask…"
"My business philosophy is 'the customer is God,' not 'sending the customer to meet God.' By the way, Zero Hero-sama, do you have enough cash on hand? Or should I send my subordinate with you to retrieve it from your accommodations… Zero Hero-sama?"
The merchant, who'd walked ahead, talking enthusiastically, suddenly turned around in confusion, only to find a miserable-looking Shield Hero behind him. The supposedly wealthy Zero Hero was no longer following.
Instead, Kiriko had stopped by a cage draped in white cloth.
"Zero Hero-sama, is something wrong?"
The merchant quickly trotted over on his short legs to check.
Without replying, Kiriko simply lifted the cloth.
Beneath the cloth was a large cage. But inside was a tiny figure so thin and frail it pained the heart to see.
A skeletal young girl sat on the floor, coughing weakly.
She wore tattered linen clothing, wrists and ankles shackled and chained securely to the cage to prevent escape.
Noticeably, the girl wasn't human. On top of her messy, dirt-covered hair drooped two raccoon ears, and a bushy tail lay limply behind her.
The merchant himself had said that enslaving humans was illegal in this country—but demi-humans didn't count as humans.
"Aah!"
When the cloth was lifted, the young girl shrank back in panic, coughing violently while looking at Kiriko with terrified eyes.
"Zero Hero-sama, if she's offended you, please forgive her. I'll severely punish her afterward."
The merchant bowed deeply toward Kiriko.
Kiriko said nothing, silently gazing at the trembling girl with her jewel-like eyes.
"Slave Trader-san, even if demi-humans aren't considered human, isn't using a child as a slave a bit too much?"
Naofumi's face twisted in disgust at the foul smell lingering in the air.
"Shield Hero-sama, in this country, nobles' favorite delicacies are dishes made from animals less than a year old, as they find young meat especially tender and flavorful. By human standards, isn't eating baby animals also cruel?"
The merchant maintained his bow toward Kiriko but didn't hesitate to counter Naofumi's accusation.
"You… that's…"
Kiriko raised her hand, pointing directly at the girl shivering in the cage.
"I'll take her."
---
T/N: she getting naofumi a full army holy shite
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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