Chapter 70 - Episode 13: "I'll Take That Idea!"
Gokigenyou! I am Violia Nico Fortesia!
Having blown away the Kingdom Festival and returned to Elsemarin, we are currently moving for the sake of the slave market, which was our original objective.
I am in high spirits! After all, Onii-sama is here!
Ah! Every day is so much fun, I can't help it!
"You live in a good room, Violia."
"Right? It is my pride and joy!"
Onii-sama is currently staying at my house. It's a guest room I made for when Chesta passes out drunk, but it's been useful for someone other than Chesta after all...
"I have arranged choice furniture gathered from the mansions of nobles throughout Elsemarin."
"I see... When we crush the Royal Castle, let's build a grand mansion."
"That is a brilliant idea! I quite like the lamp in the reception room of the Royal Castle. The one with milk-colored glass and gold work! I want that!"
"Is that not good! Yes, for me, it's the writing bureau in the guest room. That was a fine piece."
"And let's also enrich the wine cellar, Onii-sama!"
"Umu! The Royal Castle should have good things gathered!"
I am looking forward to it! Crushing the Royal Castle might be a bit further off, but with this exciting feeling as fuel, I shall work hard today too!
The first task of today is the management of the slaves.
For now, they are all just stuffed together in the same bag. I must sort them out.
"Ho. You modified a Spatial Bag. To be able to put life inside as well, it is truly interesting."
"Yes. Keeb did it for me."
Onii-sama is showing interest in the illegally modified version of the Spatial Bag.
...That is only natural. The first person to illegally modify a Spatial Bag was Onii-sama. A little bit, when he was small.
"When I first modified one, I believe I made a Spatial Bag where time does not stop inside."
"...What's the point of that?"
"Fermentation proceeds inside. ...In other words, I modified the Spatial Bag to make moonshine. Well, it was the curiosity of my youth."
Onii-sama was that kind of person since he was small. Because he longed for drinking, he thought of making alcohol himself. And since young Onii-sama couldn't find a place to secretly brew it, he had no choice but to start illegally modifying Spatial Bags, so to speak. Yes.
"Since it became possible to put things in without stopping time, I thought life could also be put in eventually... How exactly was this modified? Please, tell me!"
"Huh? ...Well, fine..."
...Oh dear. Onii-sama has started to get a sparkle in his eyes toward Keeb.
In that case, perhaps it would be better to manage the slaves with the remaining members.
"Sorting, huh. For now, there's the 'it's convenient to keep them separate' way, and the 'it's dangerous if you don't keep them separate' way. For example, it's probably better if Princess Scola and Fawn Tart Hornbone aren't together, right?"
"Indeed. Also, for nobles in hostile relationships, would they stay quiet if we don't put them together? ...For now, let's take them out one by one and check."
"Right. Hey, Doran, Chesta. It's your turn."
"If they act up, threaten them appropriately. Please catch them properly."
"I'll make the inventory list, so you guys handle that."
Since there are two men accustomed to rough work, we can manage the slaves by taking them out one by one. Alright! Let's go!
"Now, you, what is your name?"
"W-why should I have to tell someone like you!?"
"My, what high spirits. Then, do it."
Since the noble daughter taken out of the bag was immediately defiant, I gave instructions to Doran and Chesta, and they immediately caught her.
"Let me go! Don't touch me! Do you intend to do something lowly!?"
She's making this much of a fuss just from being caught, so the road ahead seems long...
"No? It's just that for a very tomboyish young lady, I've decided to splash well-heated oil on her face. Wouldn't that make for an appearance befitting a maidservant?"
But when Doran twisted the lady's arms behind her back and made her kneel, and Chesta showed her a hot pot with oil inside, the lady became quiet all at once!
"Well, if you are wise, you should already understand how you should behave here, shouldn't you? If you don't want your face to be turned into a hideously burned mess, answer the questions here quickly. Is that understood?"
"U-understood..."
Very well. Women are manageable to a certain extent. As expected, they understand well where their value lies.
...The value of a lower noble's daughter is her face.
If she is beautiful, it's entirely possible for her to become 'the bride of a high-ranking noble.' And a lower noble's daughter who is ugly is, how should I put it... has no value in living. At most, she can be used for marriage between lower nobles.
Of course, if it's someone with special abilities, the face doesn't matter. Someone who excels in magic, or is very sharp-witted. I know several people like that.
But, well... in most cases, if they are of lower noble stock, that's not the case, and they themselves have no such intention. Therefore, for them, it would be a great loss to their house if their face were burned. Having hot oil splashed on their face is the thing they want to avoid most.
...And so, I asked the quieted noble daughter several questions: which house she is from, who she is, the extent of her house's assets, and whether there are any interesting rumors about the Royal Family or famous houses, and so on. After hearing various things, I classify her and put her in a bag.
As for the classification method, it is very simple.
First, separate by gender. Next, divide each into three and appropriately separate those that 'shouldn't be kept together.' That is all. It doesn't matter if they are lower, middle, or high-ranking. If they are caught and sold, they are all equally slaves.
"Good work. Two more?"
"Yeah. ...Surprisingly, there weren't many who resisted."
"There are hardly any nobles who are confident in their physical strength, after all."
If one is sandwiched between a muscular wolf and a one-armed prosthetic-handed drug addict, one would lose the will to resist. Ohohoho!
"A total of... let's see, already 30 people? We've picked up quite a few..."
"The fact that the young lady picked up a bunch on the balcony at the end is really showing."
Yes. Thanks to that, I was able to do something interesting. Since many couples were captured, I could use their partners as leverage for deals or threats. That way, I could get them to talk and obtain information.
"The remaining ones are the two from the Hornbone branch, Princess Scola, and Fawn Tart Hornbone. Well, this is the main dish."
Obtaining information on the noble world and picking up unimportant lower and middle-class nobles was, after all, just like a bonus. This is the main part!
"For now, I've understood well that all members of House Hornbone have a weak sense of chastity."
"...Right."
Yes. Among the information obtained this time, the one that seemed most directly useful was that 'House Hornbone members all have mistresses or multiple lovers.'
The current head is like that, and Fawn Tart Hornbone is similar. It seems he appeared to have quieted down after the announcement of his engagement to Princess Scola, but at least before that, romantic rumors were flowing everywhere.
...I wonder if I can do something interesting with the current head of Hornbone rather than Fawn? If I threaten him with the mistress relationship as a shield, I might get some money.
And if I recall, the current head's wife was from House Unium. That place is also a reasonably famous house, and if the relationship between Hornbone and Unium worsens, it'll be one step forward toward Hornbone's downfall!
And so, it's time for the main dish of the day, the meeting with Fawn Tart Hornbone!
"Gokigenyou."
Suddenly taken out of the Spatial Bag and surrounded by a muscular wolf and a prosthetic-handed drug addict, with me in full-face armor before his eyes. I thought he would be very surprised, and as expected, Fawn is stiffening while looking aghast. He looks like a sheep about to be slaughtered.
"I shall confirm, you are Fawn Tart Hornbone-sama, are you not?"
"A-ah. There's no mistake... But who are you? From your voice, you seem to be a woman."
"You should look at the people around you before me."
He is a womanizer as rumored. Even though he is surrounded by two clearly dangerous men, he reacts to the woman in full-face armor first; how should I put it... that effort, you should definitely use it in another direction...
"What exactly is this situation? Could you explain?"
Fawn said that while shrewdly looking for a gap to escape. He has quite a bit of nerve.
"In light of that courage, I shall explain as much as I can. ...First, you have been captured by us. Please think that you will have no freedom whatsoever from now on."
Well, he is a high-ranking noble after all. House Hornbone is a family of survivors. I should probably treat him as having reasonably high ability.
...Or so I thought!
"That's a problem... What is your aim? Do you intend to interfere with my romance with Princess Scola? Does that mean you are perhaps someone who was my lover?"
This guy is joking!
What a joking fellow! I wouldn't mind making them both happy in the next world right now!
"I have no obligation to answer, but for now, if I were to state the future plans, you will be falling into slavery."
"I see. A slave of love, is it?"
I feel like putting a branding iron on him right now.
"You are quite the optimist. Please keep your delusions in check. It will be a problem if you don't face reality."
While feeling fed up, I showed Fawn the pot of boiling oil.
"If you don't want this splashed on your face and your balls, you should watch your mouth."
He must be the type who values his face too. He finally became a bit quiet.
"...No, but, falling into slavery... should be impossible. There are plenty of ways to prove my identity. To make someone from Hornbone a slave, during the procedure, it would eventually..."
"It is possible. Right? Young master of House Hornbone? This world is filled with more dark things than you think. Making you or Princess Scola into something no better than livestock is not impossible."
When I said that, a look of panic finally began to appear on Fawn's face. It's been a long road! Dealing with a joking fellow is exhausting!
"I don't care about myself, but don't lay a hand on Princess Scola."
"Oh. That is for me to decide."
"Try doing something to her. Even if you are a woman, I won't show mercy."
"Yes. Mercy is not necessary. I don't think you can do anything at this point anyway."
After all, the ones standing by my side are a muscular wolf and a prosthetic-handed drug addict! Furthermore, I am here too! We can easily kill a noble brat if anything happens! Ohohoho!
Well, it seems Fawn himself understands that much.
Whatever he says is, after all, a bluff. Nothing but empty words.
Perhaps because he understands that, he just glared up at me and said:
"...Is your intention to put us in a slave auction or something and take money from the Royal Family?"
...Eh?
A slave auction, you say...?
This guy, he's come up with quite a good idea!
"I'll take that idea!"