I came back to the slâve market again.
Since I've only been wandering around the area that sells disabled slâves, by this time the shopkeepers have started to recognize my face.
I've become akin to a young brother who, despite his young age has an unusual hobby of only buying defective slâves.
And that's when I received a message from the slâve trader.
He claimed he had received the daughter of a fallen noble.
It didn't matter to me whether she's really the daughter of a fallen noble or whatever.
However, rumors had it that the daughter of the fallen noble was severely disabled.
Healing the daughter of a fallen noble and selling her will surely bring in a lot.
That's why I went over to buy that slâve.
「Hehehe, young master, you really are curious about things. 」
「No, I'd appreciate it if you didn't make any strange assumptions... 」
I left the shop with the slâve, feeling the shopkeeper's gaze on my back.
It seemed that the slâve's name was Shandy.
Apparently, Shandy's family had fallen into bankruptcy and was forced to disband.
During that time, rumor had it that Shandy was the only one among them who originally didn't have legs to begin with and so was unable to escape.
After all sorts of things happened, it was revealed that only Shandy was caught in the slâve hunt and ended up becoming a slâve like this.
「Well, that's too bad. Don't worry, I'll get your legs fixed and sell you to a decent master.」
I healed Shandy's leg so that she could walk again.
「Kuh... Are you going to treat my legs me like this just make me submit!? Even if I fall into slâvery, my soul won't fall! I will remain a noble until the very end...!」
「Oh, I see」
Former noble slâves like Shandy were generally like this.
Rebellious and proud.
To the extent that I couldn't get them to work except through forcefully disciplining them with the slâve crest.
But well, Shandy was a slâve I bought for the purpose of selling.
She may have a bad attitude, but I'm not the one who would actually utilize her.
It's possible that some sort of noble would probably buy Shandy.
So it wasn't much of a problem for me.
Former nobles make for valuable slâves and could fetch a decent price.
However, fortunately, Shandy was a disabled slâve, so I was able to purchase her at a low price of 130G.
If someone fixed her up and sold her, they would make a considerable profit.
My purpose was just that.
I didn't care what would befall Shandy in the future.
That's why I lightly dismissed her attitude.
「Tch... you filthy slâve trader... what are you planning to do with me...! 」
「What do you mean, I'm just planning to sell you...? 」
「Buying and selling people... its terrible.」
Shandy's words made me feel a little dismayed.
「You know... Since you were originally a noble, you would have kept and utilized slâves, right? 」
「Kuh... that's... 」
Despite everything, Shandy's words made me feel strange. How could one be okay with the oppression of others, but suddenly question the ethics of slâvery when it happens to themselves? Doesn't that seem like hypocrisy?
「Shut up! Human rights of slâves and nobles like me are different...! 」
「Well, now you're that slâve... 」
Well, it's useless to say anything to the ojou-sama. [T/N: Young lady]
Honestly, with that kind of thinking, it's clear that she'll be experiencing hell in the future.
If one could accept their fate as a slâve and shatter their hearts early on, it was possible to endure life as a slâve.
However, with Shandy's current attitude, it's only a matter of time before she's killed by her master.
Even if she doesn't get killed, it's certain that she'll suffer.
Well, it's not like that's any of my business...
「Okay, I'll be selling you tomorrow. Until then, let's make the best of our time together. 」
「Ku... kill me... 」
「I'm not gonna kill you, you're to be sold...」
Then, I registered Shandy in the catalogue and put her up for sale.
Then, on the same day, Shandy was sold immediately.
It was as if Shandy had timed her actions to coincide with being put up for sale.
What did it mean…?
The noble who bought Shandy had arrived, and the mystery was finally solved.
「Shandy...! I missed you...! 」
「Oh, otou-sama…!?」 [T/N: Father]
Otou-sama...?
「Finally, we've regained our fortune...! I'm glad you weren't sold to other nobles before we could retrieve you. 」
「Father...! I'm glad, really...! 」
Ah, I understand now. So Shandy's father has managed to revive his fortunes after his downfall.
So you had been making plans to retrieve your lost daughter, no matter what huh?
「I'm so sorry, Shandy... I won't leave you behind ever again, so please don't worry...! 」
「It's all right, Father. I know it couldn't be helped. But I'm just glad we can see each other again...」
Well, for better or for worse, it seems like a happy ending after all.
I don't really care as long as I can make the sale and earn the money.
No matter what happens to Shandy, whether she suffers under corrupt nobles or reunites with her family, the amount of money I receive from her sale will remain the same.
Nonetheless, I must admit that I feel somewhat pleased.
「Shandy...?! You have legs...!? What's happening...!?」
「That's... this slâve trader... No, Erd-sama saved me. 」
「What...!? Erd-sama, you regenerated Shandy's leg...!? 」
Shandy, that girl, as soon as she found out she wasn't going to be sold as a slâve, she started calling me Erd-sama.
Well, that's fine.
「Ah, yes. I fixed it. Well, it was for the money, so there's no need for thanks.」
「Thank you very much! I will never forget this kindness, and I will be using Erd-sama's shop again...!」 [T/N: Dunno how I feel about this]
「That's, thank you... 」
The number of customers increased somehow.
From what I had heard, Shandy's father had fully recovered from his fall from nobility and was currently even wealthier than before.
I could expect this one to be a potentially good customer in the future.
By the way, Shandy sold for 14000G.
Well, that's a cheap price to get his daughter back.
I also made some profit, so it was a win-win situation.
[Otto's POV]
My name is Otto.
Ever since I was little, I had been very good at archery.
I lived in Muranose village.
I usually spent my time hunting.
I really liked shooting arrows from my bow and hunting prey.
The moment my arrow struck its prey, it felt indescribable.
「Otto's bowmanship is the best in the village... no, it's the best in the world! 」
My father also used to praise me.
Today, I went hunting in the forest as usual.
But it's just that today, I ended up becoming the hunted instead.
「Haa... Haa... 」
I was running away in the woods.
I was being chased.
「Damn... Slâve hunters has even reached this place... 」
Slâve hunting was common these days.
They kidnapped innocent villagers and sold them as slâves.
The demand for slâves was increasing in the world.
The nobles used slâves like disposable trash and demanded one after another without any consideration.
In order to meet this kind of demand, the slâve traders expanded the range of slâve hunting.
「Go over there! Don't let him escape! 」
「Ugh... 」
It was careless of me to enter the forest alone.
I was surrounded by several slâve hunters.
My bow alone wouldn't be enough to fend them off.
I wondered what the situation in the village was.
I suddenly became curious.
While fighting back, I made my way towards the village.
「Take this...! 」
「Gwa...!? 」
As expected of my archery.
That was the first time I had ever shot an arrow at another human being, but I was able to hold my own in battle.
But the opponents were too many.
If they got too close, I wouldn't stand a chance.
Using my natural agility, I gradually increased the distance between myself and the attackers while making my way towards the village.
「No way... 」
However, when I returned to the village, an unbelievable sight awaited me.
The village had been set ablaze, and there was nothing left of it.
Most of the villagers seemed to have been caught in the slâve hunt.
Some who resisted were killed.
「Uh... damn…」
I was overcome with nausea and dizziness.
At that moment, a man wielding a knife appeared from behind me.
「Heh heh heh... Gotcha'...! 」
「Let go...! 」
「Ya' darned! Quit strugglin'...! 」
I resist with all my might.
I take out an arrow in hand, and stab it into the man's arm.
「D*mn it...! Give up already...! 」
「Gah...! 」
The man raised his blade and slashed at my arm.
My arm was effortlessly cut off and fell to the ground.
「That's... my arm...!Gaaaaaaaaaaaaa! 」
「F*cking brat! It's because ya' can't give up quietly. 」
And thus, I was captured in the slâve hunt.
I was in despair.
Not because of my enslâvement.
It was because I would never run around the fields and mountains shooting my bow again.
I was lined up at a shop in the slâve market that exclusively sold slâves with physical disabilities.
Honestly, I remained a leftover product.
Well, I wouldn't be able to use my beloved bow anymore, would I...?
D*mn, if only I had my hand.
Even as a slâve, my bowmanship would have been valued, and I might have been able to work as an archer.
I had already given up on my life.
My face was tanned, and no one was interested in purchasing someone like me.
At this rate, I would be disposed of soon.
「Can I have him? 」
Meanwhile, someone appeared who wanted to buy me.
His name was Erd Schmarken. He was still a child and younger than I was.
What are you thinking?
With that in mind, I was taken to Erd-sama's mansion.
「Then I'll treat you. 」
「Yes…?」
Saying that, Erd-sama began casting healing magic on my arm.
「Ah, um... what...? 」
「What, I'm regenerating your arm. 」
「Regenerating my arm!? That's impossible with healing magic! 」
「Well no, it's not impossible, but... 」
I didn't understand what was going on.
What on earth was this person talking about?
Speaking of recovery magic, there was an old man in the village who could use it.
But he could only cure colds and treat scrapes at best.
「Wait… Is it really growing back…!?」
「That's why I said so. 」
As I tried to remain still, my arm really grew back.
「How amazing...! Really thank you so much, Erd-sama! 」
I was moved to tears.
I thought I'd never be able to shoot a bow again, let alone being able to regain my hand.
I was really lucky.
What a kind person purchased me, right?
[Otto's POV]
"So, Otto, is there anything you are particularly good at?"
"Something I am good at is it… Well, I'm skilled in archery!"
"I see, that's just perfect."
After saying that, Erd-sama instructed me to go to the city and head to the adventurer's guild.
"Adventurer... is that going to be my job...?"
"That's right, go ahead and take on some quests that interest you."
"Ye-Yes..."
I thought that since I was labelled as a "slâve", I would have to do more difficult work and suffer a harsher treatment.
However, after Erd-sama healed my arm, he instructed me to become an adventurer.
Adventurers... actually, I secretly admired them.
Back when I was still in the village, the only things I hunted were animals and small fries like slimes that lurked around the outskirts. But truth be told, I had always wanted to fight against stronger monsters.
I wanted to test the limit of my archery skills.
"80% of the quest reward should be handed over, and the remaining 20% can be used at your discretion."
"Eh...!? Is that okay?"
"That's how we do it here."
"Thank you very much!"
Moreover, the treatment was pretty good.
Even though I was a slâve, the treatment I was receiving here was exceptional. It's not something you would normally see in other places.
"There is another slâve named Domingo. I'm considering teaming you up with him for quests. Would that be acceptable to you?"
"Ff course"
"He's a close-range warrior, so can you support him with your bow?"
"Yes…!"
After that, I met up with Domingo and decided to go to town together.
"Domingo-san, nice to meet you. Please take care of me."
"Oh, nice to meet you. Anyway, seems like you too are fortunate."
"Eh…?"
"Being picked up by Erd-sama."
"Ah. That's right. Really, he's an amazing master."
While admiring Domingo and Erd-sama, I headed for the city.
After that, I went to town and learnt lot of things from Domingo.
Things like how to register as an adventurer, how to accept quests, etc.
Since I was born, I had hardly left that village, so a city like this was new to me.
I never thought that becoming a slâve would be such a turning point in my life.
"Well then, onwards with the quest!"
"Yes!"
Together with Domingo, we went on a quest.
To be honest, the quest was incredibly enjoyable.
I enjoyed being able to shoot from my bow however I pleased, and fighting monsters was a lot of fun as well.
The archery skills that had been rusting until now was fully demonstrated at this moment.
"Otto. You're doing pretty well, aren't you? You really are a master of archery."
"Thank you very much!"
Domingo also praised me.
After the quest was over, Domingo took me out for a drink.
"Is it okay? We should return to the mansion as soon as possible...Drinking and enjoying like this…"
"No, Erd-sama is a very generous person. Our job is only limited to quests, so we are free to do as we please after that. As long as we pay our fees, Erd-sama allows us to do whatever we want. Isn't he the best master?"
"Yes...! Right, agreed...!"
The meal we had after working up a sweat on the quest was incredibly delicious.
After becoming a slâve, something like this feels so strange.
Rather, I felt more alive and excited than I did before becoming a slâve.
Erd-sama's generous treatment, it didn't just end there.
It's been a few weeks since I started working as an adventurer.
Suddenly, I received summons from Erd-sama.
I thought I was finally going to face the treatment of a slâve, but —
"Otto, you're always working hard, aren't you? And I heard from Domingo that your archery skills are amazing to boot."
"Ye-Yes... it's all thanks to you..."
"This is a small present, but I hope you will make use of it."
"Yes…?"
Saying that, Erd-sama handed me a new bow.
"Th-This is…?"
"It's a new bow. It will perform considerably better than the current one."
"Are you sure...!? Isn't it expensive...?"
"It's an upfront investment. With this, you can take on even higher level quests, right?"
"Oh, thank you very much…!"
I gladly accepted it.
Honestly, the weight distribution and balance of that bow were amazing.
With this bow, I could hunt down monsters more and more quickly.
Thanks to that, I was able to accept higher difficulty quests and my income had doubled.
I wonder if I was able to live up to Eld-sama's expectations, even if just a little.
I resolved to continue working hard in order to maintain this wonderful life in the future.
Once again, I found myself here to acquire another slâve.
I always had Arday accompany me when I bought slâves.
I relied on Arday almost entirely for taking care of the slâves' daily needs .
Also, I had Domingo accompany me as an escort.
The slâve market tended to be fraught with trouble.
In an emergency, I could always count on Domingo.
"Can you give me this slâve?"
As usual, I choose a suitable slâve.
He was a male slâve with no right arm.
And as usual, I proceeded with the transfer of the slâve.
At the moment, when I tried to transfer the ownership of the slâve crest from the slâve trader to me—
Out of nowhere, the male slâve produced a knife and attempted to strike at me.
I see, it made sense that if a slâve intended to rebel, the moment of transferring the slâve crest would be the most opportune timing.
The presence of the slâve crest prevented a slâve from causing harm to their master.
However, during the time when the slâve crest was temporarily without an owner, such as during the transfer process, the slâve had an opportunity to rebel and bare their fangs.
I was about to be stabbed, but Arday managed to intercepted him just in time.
"Dangerous! Master!"
"Arday…!?"
Surprisingly, Arday jumped in front of me without caring about herself.
As a result, the blade intended for me pierced into Arday instead.
"Arday...! Are you okay!?"
"I-I'm okay. Rather are you alright, master? "
"I'm fine"
The male slâve was momentarily in a daze, surprised from having mistakenly stabbed Arday.
Immediately after that, Domingo grabbed the slâve man.
He tackled the man to the ground and restrained him.
"You f**ker! To the master...! What do you think you are doing?!"
"Kuh... you guys are slâves too...! Why are you getting in my way?!"
"Even though we're just slâves, our master treats us with kindness. That's the kind of person he is. I won't let anyone hurt our master!"
Thanks to the slâves, I managed to avoid being killed.
It's a testament to the loyalty and devotion of Arday and Domingo.
"Thank you both, but first... Arday's wound needs to be treated!"
"This, I'm fine..."
"No, that won't work. Hey, slâve trader, we need to get a bed."
"Ye-Yes"
I borrowed a bed from the slâve trader and carried Arday to the back room.
Arday had been profusely bleeding from the stab wound in her.
"Shit... what the heck? That slâve...!"
I used healing magic on Arday and treated her.
If it's a wound like this, I was sure it'll close up nicely.
"Master, thank you very much. Once again Master saved me..."
"No, I was the one who was saved, Arday. Thank you very much."
I gently placed a kiss on Arday's lips.
"Master... I am happy that I can protect you. It is my purpose in life to support and protect you."
"Indeed, Arday is always there for me, ready to lend a helping hand."
Arday's loyalty to me was truly remarkable.
This is also thanks to my past acts of treating the slâves kindly and selling flattery to them.
If my slâves didn't favour me, I would have been stabbed right there.
And if I hadn't trained my healing magic, there would have been a death.
I had triumphed over destiny.
I thought that the destruction flag was absolute, but maybe, just maybe, I can really avoid that destruction flag...
Domingo did an excellent job as an escort, and I might actually be doing well.
"Domingo, you've truly done a great job. There may be more instances like this in the future... Please continue to take care of me."
"Certainly, Master. As long as the light remains in this Domingo's eyes, I won't allow any harm to come to you."
Since Domingo usually trained himself diligently through quests, he wouldn't lose to those run of the mill slâves.
Earlier, he managed to swiftly apprehend the man..
While we were engaged in our conversation, the slâve trader guy approached us from behind with an apologetic expression.
"Um... I sincerely apologize for the circumstances that have arisen. It is truly regrettable that the slâve's discipline has been inadequate..."
"Well, its okay since nothing serious happened. It's simply a matter of being more cautious in the future."
"I'm glad you feel that way... As a small gesture of apology, I would like to offer you the service of one slâve."
"I'm grateful for that. By the way, what happened to the man from earlier?"
"The slâve from earlier has been disposed of."
"I see…"
Any slâve who dared to show defiance against their master would be put to death.
That was an ironclad rule.
I understood that slâves might be desperate to break free from their position, but there's nothing I could do about it.
I'll count myself lucky for not getting stabbed this time.
I was really grateful to Arday.
"This is terrible..."
The slâve I bought with me this time had a severely burned face with blisters.
It was so bad that I couldn't even tell what their original face looked like anymore.
Also, there were injuries on legs as well.
With this condition, no one would buy them. So, I got also them for about 20G.
"What's your name?"
"Freya... Freya Ardemic."
"Freya huh...why do I feel that's somewhat familiar...?"
For some reason, I felt a sense of déjà vu from the sound of that name.
For now, I'll heal Freya's leg, and recover her face.
"Wow... that's amazing Master...! Thank you...!"
"A-Ah..."
To my surprise, when Freya's face was healed, I realized that I was familiar with her face.
She closely resembled Hallelujah, the slâve I had previously sold to the Earl.
Recap (click) 👇
Freya was a young girl who was of the same age as Hallelujah, and her surname and face were similar.
This was so remarkable that it's hard to believe they would be complete strangers.
"Hey Freya. Do you have any siblings?"
"Yes, I have a younger sister... But now, since I became a slâve, we were separated... We will probably never see each other again..."
Freya cast her gaze downward with a sorrowful look and spoke those words.
Did this mean that Hallelujah was actually Freya's sister...?
"Freya, what's your sister's name?"
"It's Hallelujah"
"I knew it…"
On second thoughts…?
"Wait a minute, I know that name."
"Eh…?"
I hurriedly sent a letter to Earl Semond.
"I added a note, requesting him to visit our trading establishment again and mentioning that we would also provide a discount.
Earl Semond soon came to the trading house with Hallelujah.
"Thank you for extending your invitation, Erd-sama. Regarding the slâve you mentioned,..."
"Ah, this is her"
I introduced Freya to Earl Semond.
"This... doesn't she look exactly like our Hallelujah"
"That's correct. They seem to be sisters. Um... if it's alright with you..."
"Certainly. Hallelujah would be overjoyed. Let us take Freya with us."
"That's good."
I sold Freya to Earl Semond for 5000G.
"Freya...!"
"Hallelujah…!"
When they met each other, both of them burst into tears and hugged each other tightly.
Then, they looked at me and said one after another, with identical tones of voice…
"Erd-sama... Really, what should I say... Thank you very much for bringing us sisters together!"
"I believed we would never see each other again... But the fact that we can work in the same estate, it feels like a dream."
Well, I sold her a little cheaper, but it's fine.
Sisters should remain together.
This is merely my sympathy... No, it's just a whim.
"Just making sure, you guys don't have any other long-lost siblings or something like that, do you?"
"Ahaha... there aren't."
And with that, the matter had been settled.
Hallelujah and Freya were taken in by Earl Semond and went on to live happily together.
"After that, I continued to sell slâves."
Shandy's father, Marquis Edmond approached with a bulk order.
Recap (click) 👇
Marquis Edmond, deeply grateful to me for the incident involving Shandy, made a promise to become a patron for my shop.
The Edmond Marquis family, having revived from their fallen status, was facing a significant demand for a large number of slâves.
They had to gather slâves once again from scratch in order to rebuild their new household.
They expressed their desire to buy around ten slâves from a trustworthy establishment like mine.
I hurriedly to the market and bought 13 suitable disabled slâves.
"The problem is that I have to fix all of them at once... it will be quite a challenging task..."
I cast healing magic relentlessly, fully resolved to face death.
"Haa... Haa..."
However, by selling a favour to the Marquis again, I might receive help from him in case of any unforeseen emergency.
Disregarding everything else, I wholeheartedly focused all my concentration on healing the slâves.
Seeing me like this, the slâves started spreading rumors among themselves.
"Look at that serious look on master's face..."
"It's true, to think he's going to such lengths to heal our injuries..."
"What a kind person our master is... he's like an angel."
Damn... you're just saying random things.
I'm only doing this solely to save myself and earn their favour...!
"Haa...haa...it's finally over..."
After that, I spent three days and three nights finishing treating everyone.
Honestly, I was in the brink of death, but this too turned out to be a good training opportunity.
When the time comes, it's meaningless if I don't have the stamina to heal.
Even if I'm slightly injured, I needed to be able to heal myself to some extent.
Upon delivering all the slâves, Marquis Edmond was extremely pleased.
Apparently, that all the slâves were overflowing with gratitude towards me and possessed an exceptional sense of loyalty.
"Thank you so much, Erd-sama! I will put my utmost effort into working diligently at the Edmond Marquis's estate, and ensure that I don't bring any disgrace upon your name!"
"Oh, got it..."
All the slâves were like this.
"Oh, Erd-sama's skill in training slâves is remarkable. All of them are well-behaved and easy to handle."
Marquis Edmond and praised me saying this.
"No, I just simply treated them."
"Haha, that's another impressive aspect. I shall come to purchase again."
"Yes, by all means"
1690G was used to purchase the slâves this time.
The money received from Marquis Edmond is 126,690G.
I made 125,000 G from this transaction.
The slâve I bought this time was born blind.
Until now, I had been healing the body parts they originally possessed.
However, this time I had to create something that was originally nonexistent.
With my healing magic, I wondered if I could really achieve that...?
"No way...?!"
Uttering those words, I removed the blindfold of the slâve――Lumina.
Lumina timidly opened her eyes and exclaimed in awe.
"Wow...! It's incredible, Master! Colors... I can see colors...!"
"I see...That's good...!"
Why I purchased Lumina could be traced back to this morning――
During my usual stroll through the slâve market, I stumbled across a peculiar painting.
There were several strange paintings lined up in the shop.
"These…?"
I asked the shopkeeper about them.
"These paintings were created by one of the slâves. I thought it would be a good idea to display them in front of the shop to attract customers... Well, they are rather unconventional paintings, so I don't expect anyone to be interested in purchasing them."
Those paintings were quite unorthodox.
They depicted neither landscape sceneries nor portraits of people.
They were more abstract in nature.
They were like ethereal paintings, as if portraying landscapes from within a dream.
Shrouded in an intangible mist, it was unclear what they depicted.
Yet, I found myself inexplicably drawn to those paintings.
"Who is the slâve who drew this?"
"This is her, this slâve is named Lumina. The intriguing part is... she is blind. And yet, she paints. Strange, isn't it?"
"Ah…"
"Well, it could be considered a special talent, since painting without eyesight seems unlikely..."
The owner said so, but to me it looked like she had been creating impressive artwork.
This was particularly remarkable considering her blindness.
"Would you like me to take this slâve?"
"Right then! Well, it's a defective slâve, but... considering her ability to draw... How about 500G?"
500G...that's an abnormally high price for a disabled slâve.
This old man was clearly trying to rip me off just because the slâve had a special skill.
However...
"I don't mind. I'll buy her."
"Thank you very much!"
I saw potential in Lumina.
If I could heal her eyes... perhaps...
And now, let's return to the present.
I healed Lumina's eyes.
Once Lumina could see the world clearly, she started shuffling around overwhelmed with emotion, exploring her surroundings.
"Wow, Master, everything is so colourful...! So this is what colors look like...!"
"Haha, you're too excited. Yeah, everything possesses colours."
"This is... master's face... it's so amazing."
Lumina was filled with awe at everything she saw, and she was immersed in taking it all in.
"Right now, I think I'm feeling some kind of inspiration...! May I draw a picture for you, Master?"
"Of course. Let's have the art supplies brought in."
I decided to have Lumina draw a picture.
Every slâve possessed their unique special talents. Harnessing those skills would be mutually beneficial for both the slâve and their master.
Lumina remained focused in her artwork in front of the drawing board.
And a few hours later, I was surprised when I saw the completed painting.
"This… Did you really draw this Lumina...!?…!?"
"The things I saw were all so new... I painted them on impulse!"
"This is... quite impressive."
The painting Lumina drew was like nothing I had seen before.
Even before she regained her sight, I believed that Lumina always had a talent for art...
The painting Lumina created after experiencing colors are even more remarkable.
"Alright, Lumina...! Can we put this up for sale?"
"Of course it's fine, but... will it sell...?"
"I have a great idea..."
I decided to display Lumina's painting in the trading house.
When Earl Semond came by, he was utterly captivated by them and promptly purchased them.
"Excellent… This is going to be a very profitable business…!"
The ones who visited the trading post are nothing but wealthy nobles with an excess of gold.
And nobles had a penchant for novelty.
If they see such avant-garde artwork on display, they would swiftly make a purchase.
Let's continue to let Lumina draw.
"So master, as your slâve, what kind of things should I do...?"
Lumina asked me that with tearful eyes.
She seems to be preparing for servicing by shedding her clothes.
Lumina seemed to have resigned herself to fulfil her duties as a slâve.
However, I had no intention of making Lumina do such things.
"Wait, Lumina. I won't assign you the kind of work slâves typically perform."
"Huh...? Then..."
"Lumina, your task is to create artworks through your painting skills. You are free to focus on drawing as much as you like. And, of course, feel free to enjoy your time as you please when you don't feel inspired."
"No way...! That's like being an artist rather than a slâve! To be able to paint all the time... it feels like a dream...! Thank you so much...!"
"That's why I want you to earn your own keep, Lumina. You'll get 20% of the selling price of each painting as your pocket money. With that, you can enjoy yourself however you like. Of course, feel free to buy art supplies as well."
"Thank you...! This kind of treatment, it's like a dream...!"
And thus, I found a new source of income.
Interestingly, the first painting I sold to Earl Semond fetched a staggering 27800G.
When considering the price I paid for Lumina, it turned out to be a tremendous profit.
[Domingo's POV]
It happened one night.
The bedroom belonging to none other than me- Domingo, was located in a separate building, different from the main mansion where Erd-sama resided.
Apart from me, Otto and a few others also spend their nights here.
Otto and I usually sleep in this detached room and venture out on quests as adventurers during the day.
That night, there was an unusually loud commotion outside.
Waking up abruptly, I wondered what was happening, and it seemed that an intruder had broken in.
The slâves employed as guards were desperately searching for the intruder.
Well, it didn't really concern me.
If an intruder were to come into this room, they would simply be beaten down.
Through my experiences as an adventurer, I have gained confidence in my skills.
"Who's there...!"
I sensed the presence of someone outside the window.
Then, a strangely dressed intruder broke in through the window.
They were clad in black full body suit and looked like a pervert.
When that person saw my face, they made a "shhh" gesture and quietly entered the room..
It appeared that they had no ill intentions towards me.
Who the hell was it...?
It didn't seem like they were a money-hungry thief. If they were, there would be no point in targeting a slâve's bedroom like this.
"Who are you…!"
I prepared myself for battle.
"Wait, I'm not your enemy...!"
"Huh...? If you're not an enemy then...?"
I didn't think that was likely, given that he was dressed in an obviously suspicious manner, and that he broke in through the window.
However, it appeared that the man had something to say.
Well, if push comes to shove, I'm capable of taking him down without any issue. But I suppose I can lend an ear for a moment, at least to some extent.
"I am from the Liberation Army...!"
"Liberation Army…?"
Saying that, the man revealed the emblem on his arm.
Certainly, it was an ironclad evidence of him being a member of the "Northeast Slâve Liberation Army".
The Slâve Liberation Army was a secret organization formed by volunteers.
The details of the members were unknown, and their base of operations was also unknown.
However, the organization's mission was clear: to liberate slâves.
It seems they covertly infiltrate various estates at night, carrying out a movement to free the slâves.
I see, they have finally reached this place too.
"I've come to set you free. We don't have time. Hurry up and show me your slâve crest."
The man said so and urged me to take off my clothes.
Although I was not familiar with the workings of the Slâve Liberation Army, apparently they possessed a method to deactivate the slâve crests.
Rumour was that that the Slâve Liberation Army had been advocating against slâvery and freeing many slâves in this way.
There were many stories of people who had been liberated by them and regained their lives.
But――.
"Huh...? Why will I do something like that?"
I firmly refused.
"Huh...? 'Huh...?' is something I should say though... I said I would set you free? Didn't you hear me...?"
The man from the Liberation Army looks at me with disbelief.
"Ah, I understand. But I refuse...!"
"W-Why...?!"
"Because Erd-sama is an incredible master!"
"E-Ehh...?"
"He provides great benefits, including three meals a day and a place to sleep. On top of that, the salary is paid on time. Being an adventurer brings its own sense of fulfilment and a reasonable amount of freedom. Safety is guaranteed too. It's not often you come across such a great workplace, is it?"
Even if I were to go along with the Liberation Army and manage to escape by some stroke of luck, I doubt I would be able to find a decent job.
Fugitive slâves don't have Identification, so they can't get decent jobs.
Furthermore, if I were to flee, I would have to constantly be on guard against the relentless pursuit of the Slâve Management Committee.
I'm sorry, but I can't accept such a restrictive and suffocating lifestyle.
Moreover, if a runaway slâve is caught, a tragic fate awaits them.
Considering all that, it's a hundred times better for me to remain here and pledge my loyalty to Erd-sama.
"Ar-Are you out of your mind? You're a slâve!? You're being oppressed as a slâve!? How come you refuse to escape? I'm telling you, I will set you free!"
"Well, I'm not being oppressed or mistreated though..."
"Huh...?"
"Erd-sama is kind and..."
These kinds of people are the most troublesome. They might think they're doing something good, but it's only forcefully imposing their views on others.
"First of all, what do you plan to do after freeing the slâves? Will you take responsibility for their lives and support them for the rest of their lives?"
"Uh... th-that's..."
"Selfishness like this is what makes it hard to trust the Slâve Liberation Army. Despite the fancy name, they are essentially terrorists. It's quite audacious for them to show their face in front of me like this.
"Kuh..."
The man from the Slâve Liberation Army, realizing that he couldn't persuade me, tried to escape through the window.
However, I would never allow it.
Being a slâve of the Schumacher family, I could not ignore an intruder in our midst.
"Hold on there."
"Let go...!"
"You will be handed over to Erd-sama...!"
I pinned down the man from the Liberation Army to the floor.
And so, the incident came to a close.
For someone like me who regularly completes quests against monsters, dealing with a frail philosopher like him was a piece of cake.
I was credited with apprehending the intruder.
As a reward, Erd-sama bought me new equipment.
It's true, finding such a kind master is rare.
I couldn't find it in me to leave this mansion.
T/N: Hi all. I'll be posting the 48 main chapters first (main episodes + side stories). The SS short stories were published by author-sama post-completion so continuity won't be lost.