Chapter 6 - Sleeping In and a Slave
I went back to the same spot as yesterday and harvested medicinal herbs while waiting for monsters to appear. I had forgotten my intention to change weapons. Thanks to my level up, defeating slimes had become easier, so it wasn't a problem. I also encountered a goblin. Its weapon was tricky, but I managed to defeat it. There was no mana seed harvest. It had been a short-lived fever. As the sun began to set, I headed back to the city.
It had only been two days since I started harvesting herbs, and today was only a half-day at that. But I was already bored. The solitary, silent work was getting to me. At my job in my old world, I also worked silently and alone. In fact, I preferred being alone. But the loneliness in this world felt different. There were generally fewer people around, and the nights were profoundly dark. No, maybe the liveliness of Racshell and Mizuki had changed me. In any case, there's a limit to what I can do alone. I'll need companions eventually. But I can't get them through communication like Mizuki. She'd probably let me join her party if I bowed my head, but I just couldn't deal with that group. I suppose hiring a slave is the quickest way.
I was walking to see the dog-eared slaves Mateo had mentioned. Gonna get me a perky, beautiful dog-eared girl! As I walked, fantasizing about all the naughty things that would follow, I found the caravan in a vacant lot on the outskirts of the city. Several caravan wagons were lined up, and next to them was a huge, circus-like tent. The slaves were displayed inside. The tent was grimy and didn't look like a place where transactions of over 100 gold coins took place. Combined with the lack of people in the evening, it gave off a creepy vibe. I watched for a while, but no one went in or out. Buying a slave might be normal in this world, but I still felt a sense of guilt. I had been taught that robbing someone of their freedom and making them a slave was a sinful act. That psychological shackle was wearing me down. My resolve completely withered, and I couldn't bring myself to enter the tent. Resigned, I walked around the perimeter, looking for a place to peek inside, but there were no gaps. Giving up on that, I went to check on the wagons when a foul stench hit my nose.
"Ugh, it stinks."
The smell was coming from a square, iron-barred cage about 150 centimeters on each side that had been unloaded from a wagon. It looked empty at first, but then I saw a gaunt, human-like figure in tattered clothes lying at the bottom. Looking closer, I saw it was a dog-eared girl. It was hard to see through the filth, but I could make out a slave crest on her arm.
"That one ain't for sale!"
I hadn't sensed anyone nearby, so the voice made me jump out of my skin. Standing behind me was a bald old man who looked like he belonged to a post-apocalyptic biker gang.
"If ya want a slave, they're inside the tent."
The bald man jutted his chin towards it.
"This one's dead."
"Huh?"
At my words, the bald man kicked the cage. The dog-eared girl twitched.
"Tch. Just die already!"
He kicked the cage again. This guy was scary.
"Bought a set of slaves in the last town and this one came with 'em. They were just trying to get rid of a problem. She's sick. The cursed kind, so I can't sell her. Even if they're a slave, you get punished for killin' 'em. So, I'm just waitin'."
"Ugh... ugh..."
The dog-eared girl's eyes opened. She looked at me with dead eyes. No, she had only opened her eyes; she wasn't seeing anything. If left alone, she looked like she would be dead by morning. I felt sick.
"C'mon, to the tent."
The bald man put his hand on my shoulder, trying to lead me to the tent.
"How much for this one?"
"What'd you say?"
"I want to buy this dog-eared girl." The words came out before I even thought them.
"Heh, you got that kinda taste? Don't do it, you'll get cursed too. But if you insist… how 'bout 100 gold coins?"
That was the same price as the female warrior. Far too expensive.
"Don't rip me off. I'm offering to take a problem off your hands."
"Alright, 90 then."
"Fifty."
"No way, 80."
The bald man was smirking at me. He was totally toying with me.
"Sorry, but I don't actually have any cash on me. I have five mana seeds. How about that?"
"…Let me see 'em."
I took the mana seeds out of my storage. The bald man held his hand over them.
"Looks like they're the real deal."
He looked like a complete meathead, but he had an appraisal skill? Can't underestimate him. The bald man thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright. I'll sell her to ya."
He opened the cage door and dragged the dog-eared girl out, treating her like absolute trash.
"Gotta transfer ownership to you. Show me your character sheet."
"No, just remove the slave crest."
"There's a tax to make 'em a commoner, but whatever. I'll cover it for ya."
Of course he would. A piece of trash was about to become worth 75 gold coins. He must be laughing his ass off on the inside. The bald man chanted a contract spell. The slave crest on the dog-eared girl's arm vanished.
"Have fun with her."
"Oh, I will."
I lifted the dog-eared girl into my arms. She was surprisingly light.
I had bought her on impulse, without any knowledge of what to do. If I left her, she might die today. The dog-eared girl was limp and completely silent. For all I knew, she might be from a race that couldn't communicate with language. I had no idea what to do next. I couldn't even explain to myself why I had taken such an irresponsible action. I felt the weight of the dog-eared girl in my arms growing lighter and lighter, and a sense of panic washed over me. I should have just followed the bald man into the tent and bought a healthy, sexy slave. For now, the inn. I needed to clean her up. Then, a hospital. As I started to head for the inn, a dwarf blocked my path.
"I saw that exchange. Where are you going?"
I must have been watched because I was acting so suspiciously in front of the tent.
"To the inn. I'm in a hurry. Please don't get in my way."
"The Great Ape Inn won't work. Non-humans can't stay there."
"Is that so?"
The dwarf nodded. I didn't know. So there was discrimination between races.
"Go to the Asuka Inn. But before that, let's go to the church. I'll introduce you to Maira."
"Yeah, but what are we going to do at a church? Sing hymns?"
"We can save that for another time. We're going to get the dog-eared girl healed."
I remembered someone saying the woman attacked by goblins was also being treated at the church. My panic had made me lose sight of my surroundings.
This dwarf had an air of strength about him. He looked like he could take down the bald man from before with a flick of his finger. I nodded and decided to follow him.
"Also, wrap this around the girl's arm."
He handed me a bandage.
"Huh? This is just a drop in the ocean, isn't it?" She certainly had countless bruises.
"It's not for treatment. You understand there's discrimination against non-human races in this city, right? Wrap this to make it look like you're hiding a slave crest and act like you're her master."
I didn't know, but it seemed better to pretend I did. The idea was to make it harder for people to mess with her by making her seem like she belonged to me, a human.
"Got it." I nodded.
I wrapped the bandage around the dog-eared girl's arm and followed the dwarf to the church. When we arrived, we were shown into a small room. Inside was a busty priestess.
"Oh, you're Aira-san, right?"
"Hm? You know Aira? I'm her older sister, Maira."
They looked very similar, but Maira had the air of a mature woman, which was different.
"Maira is more famous than Aira in this town. Because she's big," the dwarf said with a meaningful smile. So Aira's breasts were natural, not cultivated by Reed.
"Hmm. So this is the young lady. Let's have a look."
Maira laid her hands on the dog-eared girl, who was lying on a bed, and began muttering an incantation. The dog-eared girl was limp, as if dead. Only the slight rise and fall of her chest from her shallow, short breaths indicated she was alive.
"Phew. I can restore her weakened stamina. I can also suppress the curse for a time. She should be able to live a normal life. However, for that, we will need the Head Priest's miracle."
After finishing the incantation, Maira looked at me with a troubled expression.
"The Head Priest's miracle?"
"The Head Priest particularly dislikes other races. It all depends on this," the dwarf said, making a circle with his fingers. Money.
"Can't you remove the curse?"
"Unfortunately, that is beyond the power of the church in this city. But in the Imperial Capital…"
Maira replied.
"The discrimination is even worse in the capital. You'll be turned away at the gates, most likely."
"Then the church in the city of Migul to the east."
"Hmm. They would probably see her there," the dwarf nodded.
"But we have to get through this first. How much of a donation is needed?"
Maira looked me up and down, her expression growing even more troubled. She'd pegged me as poor.
"There's no set amount. It all depends on the Head Priest's mood. If you make an offer and he refuses, you won't get a second chance."
He sounded like a completely corrupt monk. And yet, he possessed the greatest power to perform miracles in this church. What a pain. I'll have to complain to Racshell about this later.
"I'll provide the money."
The dwarf offered. I couldn't understand why he would do so much for a complete stranger like me.
"No. I'll pay."
I took out the five remaining mana seeds from my storage. I'd just gotten them by luck. I wasn't attached to them.
"Will this be enough?"
Maira trembled in astonishment. It was a shame her chest didn't tremble along with her.
"Are these real? With this much, a hymn of praise to the gods will envelop this church, and you shall witness a divine miracle!"
Does this church worship money? I kept that thought to myself, of course.
"Please. Can I leave the negotiations to you as well?"
"Leave it to me," Maira said, puffing out her chest.
"Also, could someone wipe her down and get her some decent clothes?"
"You can leave that to me as well!"
Her chest bounced. I had witnessed a divine miracle.
I wasn't allowed to be present for the Head Priest's divine miracle. The dwarf said he had "an errand to run" and left. I tried to thank him, but he waved it off with one hand. As I waited in the small room, the dog-eared girl was brought back, carried by several priests. She seemed to be asleep. Her face had not only regained its color, but she had even filled out a little. The bruises and wounds were gone, and she looked no different from a healthy person. It was truly a divine miracle. She had brown, shoulder-length hair, with ears like a Labrador retriever's peeking through. A tail sprouted perkily from her backside. Most importantly, the dog-eared girl was beautiful.
"She is sleeping under a spell. She should awaken tomorrow morning."
"Thank you. I don't know how to express my gratitude."
"No, it is a testament to your faith. Please take this back. You will need it when the time comes to completely lift the curse."
I received one mana seed back. It seemed she had negotiated with the Head Priest on our behalf.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. Also, I have prepared a change of clothes and some other things a girl might need."
"I had no idea what to do, so that's a huge help." I took the bag and put it in my storage.
"Fufu."
Maira responded with a smile. She was surely a good priestess, well-liked by her followers.
"I'd like to do something to thank you, Maira."
"Your thanks to me can be offered to God through prayer and alms."
I tried to lift the dog-eared girl, but now that she was healthy, she had gained weight, and it would be impossible to walk to the inn carrying her. Maira helped me get her on my back.
"Please do not forget that the illness will return if the curse is not lifted."
"Will it come back soon?"
"No, it should be suppressed for several years."
I nodded.
"You've really helped me out."
"If you see Aira, please tell her that I said to return to the church."
The sun had set. A crescent moon, just like in my old world, hung in the night sky. I left the church and headed for the inn. I passed by the slave market from earlier. A crowd had gathered. Perhaps it drew more customers at night. I gave it a wide berth as I walked past. The people I passed on the street looked at me as if I were a complete creep. The scene was that of a pervert abducting a sleeping girl. I arrived at the Asuka Inn. The building was similar in construction to the Great Ape Inn. But this one had a kitchen for guests, so you could cook for yourself.
"Hm? Two of you? A double, then."
I didn't understand what the innkeeper was saying, but I nodded for the time being.
"That'll be 10 silver coins."
"I'll need a meal." The dog-eared girl wouldn't wake until morning, so she didn't need one.
"That's one more coin."
I paid the fee, took the room key, and went up to the fifth floor, the top floor. The stairs were a pain. The room was larger than the one at the Great Ape Inn, probably because it was a double. But there was only one bed. I had no choice but to have us sleep in the same bed. I was told she wouldn't wake until morning, and though I was tempted to play a prank, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I did allow myself to grope her budding breasts. The softness, a sensation I'd never felt before, made my brain feel like it was melting. That night, the sound of the dog-eared girl's breathing kept me so excited that I had trouble falling asleep.
Thank you for reading. To everyone who has bookmarked and rated this story, thank you very much. Your support encourages me. I'll do my best.