Chapter 102: [Short Story] Hero (Yuusha) Zect's Redo, Part Two - Slave Merchant Ordo Trading Company
Chapter 102: [Short Story] Hero (Yuusha) Zect's Redo, Part Two - Slave Merchant Ordo Trading Company
Zect's POV
"So, former Hero (Yuusha)... it's another wyvern day, huh?"
"Yeah."
After all, this is what I am... an adventurer do.
I'm still an S-class adventurer... but I felt the thrill of the fight against the dragon horde.
I guess I grew up a little.
I can hunt wyverns and earth dragons.
If one hunts dragons, one earns the title of 'Dragon Slayer'.
That's what Ceres has... and that's what I'm going for now.
I have decided.
But... it's a mess.
It's dirty.
One week has passed since I started working in the Galvin Empire and already my room is a mess.
In the past, Ceres cleaned the room often.
My three childhood friends are not good cleaners either...
Thinking about it now, Ceres was also doing the job of a 'wife'.
No wonder my mother became a woman.
A gentle man who does his job well and helps with the housework.
That's the ideal man for women in the village.
They said there is no such ideal man for women.
And that's what my father and I were talking about... but there was one exception.
Ceres.
Aside from that... what should I do about the situation?
I need someone to clean house.
Either ask the guild's child adventurers... or buy slaves.
But while I'm away on business, even if it's just a kid, I can't have him/her coming and going all the time...
Then I guess I'll have to go with 'slave'.
* * *
Now, I came to the nearest slave trader.
There are three slaver trader in the Galvan Empire.
There are no other than those three.
If someone tries to sell slaves behind their back, they go to jail.
And the one I'm with is the Ordo Trading Company.
It's the cheapest of the three.
The other two, by the way, are high-class establishments used by nobles and royalty.
The other one is used by wealthy merchants.
But that's merely a store with 'that kind of price.'
If one has enough money, he/she can buy a piece of furniture even in the most expensive slave store.
However, the price is so high that it will make my eyes pop out of my head.
Though with my earnings, I can buy a slave in a high-class slave market.
But I don't want a 'pet slave'.
So the Ordo Trading Company will suffice.
I just want someone to take care of me.
Just... not older woman... that reminds me of Ceres and mother and makes me uncomfortable.
"Well, well, if it isn't Hero (Yuusha) Zect, we don't have any slaves like you deserve."
This place specializes in common slaves.
If it is a man, there are only criminal slaves, worthless slaves who will be sent to the mines, and those who are not useful like villagers.
If it is women, they are so called "ordinary women" or "house slaves".
Well, they can be used for s*x, but they are not beautiful.
That's how it is.
"You're a sarcastic guy... I'm a former already! I don't want a 'pet slave'... I want a house slave... as long as she can cook and is young."
That should work.
"I see, then this is the right place for you... I thought I had left the three slaves... that's an exaggeration... Well, this store is divided into two rooms... behind the door on the left is the female slave's room. Please feel free to visit."
"Thank you."
I followed his advice and entered the slave room.
As I expected... the environment was not good, as the place specialized in cheap slaves.
It smelled bad... and although the minimum etiquette of 'don't talk to me' was followed... they didn't even try to sell themselves to me.
It's terrible.
I realized my mother is a very nice woman.
Maybe it's not an easy thing to do in an environment like this, but the people scratching their butts or looking at me while lying down... I can tell they're not motivated in any way.
Moreover, many of them are older women... about the same age as my mother or even older.
Even if there are young girls... they don't really appeal to me.
Still, they don't have to be pretty... just average is good enough.
I thought so, but this is... difficult.
I looked at one girl for a while, and suddenly the slave trader approached me.
"What do you think? Did you like what you saw?"
And I said what I honestly thought.
"Well... this is the Ordo Trading Company... it's different in other countries, but in the empire, it's split up and run by a trading company, right?"
It would seem so.
"Yes... if you want slaves that are even a little better looking, I think you should go to the Zeth Trading Company, and if you want something better, I recommend the Ace Trading Company."
They seem to communicate with each other well in this area.
"Indeed..."
I'm a Hero (Yuusha), so my sense of smell is much better than that of ordinary people.
From the back room, I hear breathing.
"By the way, there seems to be someone in the back room..."
"Oh, is it there? There are some slaves to be disposed of... do you want to see them if you're interested? But it's pretty unpleasant..."
It's disgusting...? Well, let's just watch it as a spectacle, shall we?
"Well, let's just have a look..."
In that room was a girl... simply put, a girl of pure white.
Unlike the silvery white hair of Ceres, she had real white hair and real white skin... people say that white skin is beautiful, but it's not... it's real white, white as snow.
And her eyes were bright red.
"...Is she a human?"
"Until recently, they were called half-demons and were said to be half demon and half human... but according to the recent academy, they found out that they are albinos, which means humans with little pigmentation... but in that village, there is still talk of half-demons... and I was asked to dispose of her... But first of all, for slave trader, disposal does not mean sending them to the mines to kill them... though they are not worth the price because they are said to be weak and susceptible to sunburn."
Except for her white hair and body and red eyes... she's a pretty girl.
"Can I talk to her for a moment?"
"Sure."
"Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too... but don't come here just to pester me!"
"No, I'd like to talk to you."
"You must think I'm a monster or something, right...? So there's no point in talking to me... everyone hates me whether I talk to them nicely or coldly... that's why I talk to them coldly... and you do the same, don't you?"
Maria was slender and quite thin, but she was thinner than her.
Also, she was a little taller than Mel.
The closest word would be 'skinny,' probably because she did not receive any real food.
What's more, I noticed that she has a 'give up on everything' look in her eyes.
It's kind of worse than mine.
"So, if I buy you, could you be nicer to me?"
"What?! Are you stupid? You're buying me, a monster? Are you kidding? I'm gonna be pissed if you don't shut up."
Thinking it again, I was surrounded by quiet people.
Maybe I'm better off with the noisy ones.
"Hey, I'll buy her... How much?"
I'm sure it's cheap... I don't need to ask how much.
"The price is 5 silver coins, the empire has a minimum price for slaves and it can't be less than 5 silver coins... and 3 silver coins for the engraving of the slave's crest, so 8 silver coins in total."
That's cheap... if it will free her from the filthy room, I guess it's good.
"Okay, I got it."
"Thank you for your purchase."
"Hey... you really want to buy me? You're a freak!"
With this, she'll be able to live a little healthier... that's good.