Chapter 75 - Episode 18: I Shall Train Them
Good day! I am Violia Nico Fortesia!
I have now returned to Elsemarin.
And from now on, I shall go to the slave market and pick out suitable slaves!
Yes! The young lady slaves who will attack House Hornbone!
"Saki-sama, good morning. I am looking for slaves."
"Oh. A few new ones have come in. Look as much as you like."
The Elsemarin Slave Registration Office is directly connected to the slave sales floor. And Saki-sama is also managing the sales floor.
"I am looking for slaves who are somehow noble-like or young lady-like..."
"Noble-like? Not actual nobles?"
"That would be fine too, but if possible, women without any ties would be better."
...Yes. If I use real nobles, there will be various things between that house and House Hornbone, and it will end up being troublesome. In that case, a scandal with a 'beautiful commoner woman' whom the nobles don't know at all is much better.
Right now, the important thing is to prevent the Hornbone lot from taking countermeasures. In that case, non-nobles, who have fewer leads for countermeasures, are easier to handle.
"...In short, what you're looking for, lady, is good-looking female slaves?"
"Men would be fine too. In that case, it will just mean the Hornbone lot can go for both men and women."
Or, like Keeb, a cute boy will just become a girl.
"Well, if that's the case, there are some good ones. That cage in the back. Go take a peek."
Immediately, Saki-sama gave a grin and pointed to the back of the shop, so I headed there with delight!
...Then.
"This is certainly top-quality..."
Inside the cage, beautiful girls were indeed gathered!
There are various beautiful girls!
A beautiful girl like a fairy with long silver hair and sky-blue eyes. A beautiful girl with dull brown short hair and green eyes who looks intelligent. A beautiful girl with red hair tied up cutely who looks strong-willed.
...Oh, there are beautiful boys mixed in here and there...
"How did this happen?"
"Most of them were sold by nobles who seem to be on the verge of bankruptcy."
Nobles on the verge of bankruptcy, you say...? Pardon me while I check the documents.
...Oh, these are nobles who were trading with House Fruitier. I see. I see. Because we burned the warehouses and such, various places were hit hard as collateral damage. It makes me feel somewhat deeply moved.
"Does that mean they are already disciplined?"
"No. Especially the ones bought recently seem to be completely untouched. Some are rebellious, and they don't have education; I don't know what the intended use was, but they're probably not easy to use."
"I see..."
Hmm... it's a bit of a dilemma.
To gather this many beautiful girls and boys in this number would be difficult elsewhere. Or rather, they'd surely take advantage of me...
...Yes. I've decided.
"I shall turn these slaves into magnificent young ladies!"
"...So you bought the slaves for that?"
Yes. In the end, I bought them. I was given a quite low price as a friendship price, and I think it was a very good bargain.
"A princess has become a slave. It should be no trouble for a slave to become a young lady."
"The circumstances are different, though. What are you going to do with this?"
"Wanna use drugs? Mystic Ruby would be too harsh all of a sudden, so maybe leaves at first? I can share some with you."
"I will not use them!"
We are currently gathered in one of the houses in the noble district of Elsemarin. We bought it. We bought it quite cheaply from the Guild Director. Ohohoho.
"...So, this mansion will be a slave training mansion for one week starting now."
"Eh, you're going to do that yourself, lady?"
"Who else can do it? Is there any other talent besides me who can teach these people what it means to be a young lady?"
If I had to say, Onii-sama or Giovan might be able to do it... but well, there are many things only I can teach. It is a matter of the right person in the right place.
"I don't mind using this mansion, but... can it be settled in one week?"
"It's not that it 'can be settled.' I will 'settle it.'"
And I will not waste months of time! If I were to swap them with the daughter of some noble, it would be one thing, but they just need to become the seeds of a little scandal. For now, it's enough to raise them to the point where 'their behavior is elegant for a commoner'!
...One week is enough for that much!
I shall show you my young lady power!
"So, listen to me, all of you."
I immediately faced the total of ten beautiful girl and boy slaves I had procured.
"You will endure training here for one week. And if I think you are 'usable,' I will deploy you on a mission."
The slaves were either glaring at me rebelliously or looking away uninterestedly, but I do not mind.
"And, once you have successfully carried out the mission, I promise to release you from slave status."
As expected, when told this, the slaves all showed reactions, being stunned or suspicious.
...It is something that normally cannot happen. It is extremely rare for someone who has once become a slave to cease being one, you see?
If such a thing were to happen, it would only be when the owner died suddenly before even doing the inheritance procedures, or if they happened to meet an extremely kind master.
And right now, I am that 'extremely kind master' before their eyes.
"So, all of you. Strive for your training with all your might."
There are still slaves who seem suspicious, but several of them seem prepared to strive for the training. It is a good trend.
"Now, we don't have time, so let's get started! Grit your teeth and become young ladies!"
...And so, my slave training began.
First, the first thing I did was analyze the slaves.
The slaves' abilities, personalities, backgrounds, aptitudes... To raise them without knowing such things would be like building a castle in the air.
So, first, I had them eat a nutritious meal, and during that meal, I called them out one by one for an interview and grasped everything about all of them.
"It was lucky that seven out of ten can read and write..."
There were many who were quite educated. I am surprised. If they were from a farming village, it would be natural for them to be unable to read, write, or calculate.
Well, fine. There are ten slaves. There is no problem with three of them playing roles that don't require reading or writing.
...It would be a waste to raise all ten of these people the same way. Since there are ten of them, I must think of their roles in advance and provide training that develops their strengths.
So.
"Then, these three will play the roles of village girls who have come to the city for work, so be prepared for that."
Yes. The two women and one man who cannot read or write will be village girls.
"...Village girl? W-What do you mean? I am a man."
"Be quiet! Man or woman, it does not matter. All of you shall become girls! If you cannot do that, you shall remain a slave for the rest of your life!"
There was a voice of protest from the one man, but I silenced him. Yes. I shall turn everyone into girls no matter what.
"...So, for you three, we shall start by correcting your way of speaking. You must not be urban street urchins, but beautiful girls from a farming village to the end."
So for these ones, I will start by correcting their rough and brash way of speaking. ...Well, after that, I think they'll do well if I decorate them skillfully.
"So, Doran! Keeb! Giovan!"
"...You're using me?"
"What do you think I am?"
"Me at this point..."
"It is you! Come here quickly! ...These three will be the instructors for correcting your speech! Talk with these three and fix your speech!"
It is a grand gesture to assign one instructor to each slave!
Well, if they talk all day, they'll pick it up! I have high expectations!
"For these six, we shall first correct your way of walking. The three with the best results will be assigned to roles as noble daughters or daughters of slightly wealthy merchant houses. The remaining three will be daughters of ordinary commoner families."
And for six of the seven who can read and write, I'll have them learn elegant behavior immediately.
"First, from the way of walking. It is possible to look beautiful and attract people's attention just by walking, you see? Now, all of you. Do your best."
"W-Wait a minute! I'm a boy! A daughter's role..."
"Be quiet! Whether you are a boy or a girl, everyone is a girl! If you have a complaint, stay a slave for life!"
There was a complaint here too, but I silenced it. Yes. You should just quietly become a girl!
"Then follow me and walk. Here we go!"
So, training began here too. The slaves, knowing they would be divided into two groups immediately, are doing their best to rise up.
Since I've forbidden them from pulling each other's legs, all that's left is to polish their own skills.
...Now, I wonder how much of a young lady they'll become by evening?
...And, in the intervals of the walking training, I also look at the state of the other slave.
"That's right. Rather than saying 'God is watching your actions,' it would be better to ask, 'Look up at the heavens. And reflect upon yourself. Can you see God?'"
"Y-Yes."
"A member of the clergy is one who serves and one who leads. You evoke faith through questioning the pitiful humans who do not know God's teachings. Keep that in mind when choosing your lines."
This one slave is in special one-on-one training with Onii-sama.
...This slave is a slightly mysterious beautiful girl with flowing silver hair and clear lake-blue eyes. And this slave apparently used to be protected by a church and had the wonderful special skill of being able to recite holy verses.
So this slave's role is decided. She is a sister.
If the Hornbone lot even lay a hand on a sister who belongs to God, it will be a massive scandal. I cannot miss the chance to use this!
When evening came, I paused the training for a moment for changing time.
I had them wear clothes of colors and designs that suited each of them. From now on, I'll have them train while wearing these clothes.
...This is surprisingly important, you see?
If you aren't used to the clothes, your movements become awkward. That would be like saying 'I am a fake,' wouldn't it?
Dresses favored by noble daughters are truly the pinnacle of that. If you aren't used to them, you'll catch the full, fluttering sleeves everywhere, and it would be a disaster if you tripped on the long hem.
"Uu, it's breezy..."
"...Why am I in this outfit..."
Especially the men. It seems they've never worn a skirt even if they are beautiful boys. I must make them get thoroughly used to it!
So, once everyone was in their outfits as village girls, young ladies, or sisters, it was dinner time.
...Normally, I would hammer in table manners here, but not this time.
After all, when instilling scandals into the Hornbone lot, I don't plan to have them eat together. At most, they'll enjoy tea and sweets at a stylish cafe.
In that case, there is no need to tighten things where they don't need to be tightened.
Of course, I've told them to be as polite and elegant as possible in their conduct, and I'll thoroughly correct their speech.
But, for other things, I think they'll learn faster if they do it enjoyably. Yes. I shall thoroughly, strictly, correctly, and sweetly pamper and praise them to make them grow.
The whip is important, but the candy is also vital. Furthermore, a relationship of trust is even more important.
...And isn't it the candy found within oneself, rather than the whip from others, that ultimately moves a person?
From the second day onward, training in conduct and speech continued.
For the six who could read and write, I made the three with particularly good results the children of wealthy families, and the remaining three commoners. As planned.
...However, one of them happened to be good at hunting with a bow.
So for her, I'll give her the role of happening to encounter the Hornbone lot when they are enjoying a hunt. In short, the role of a hunter.
Including her, I crammed general education into each group.
Village girls don't need much education, so conduct training and physical conditioning. For the town girls, it's the general common sense of this world. Slaves don't use money or anything, so they have a hard time even buying one thing in town without knowledge...
And for the young lady roles, I'll start cramming in talk of the noble world. At the very least, they must have the talk of House Hornbone firmly crammed in.
On the third day, I firmly decided on the roles.
With the sister and hunter already decided, the three village girls were divided into: a wheat farmer, a daughter of a family working at some noble's winery, and a poster girl for an inn town.
The two town girls were decided as the daughter of a local civil servant and the daughter of a town bakery.
And the three young lady roles were made the daughter of a local noble, the daughter of a jeweler, and the daughter of a draper.
From today, it's just practicing roles tailored to each personality.
The hunter practices with the bow and dressing game. The baker's daughter practices baking bread. The jeweler's daughter and draper's daughter must at least have knowledge of their family's products.
...And so, they split up for their studies.
By the way, for the wheat farmer, winery employee, and baker, there were suitable people among the slaves I already employ, so I've asked them to do the teaching.
...Thanks to that, exceptionally delicious bread was served for both lunch and dinner...
By the fourth day, they've become used to the clothing.
The growth of the two men is especially remarkable.
At first, they seemed flustered even by skirts, but now they handle the hems brilliantly and walk lightly.
Especially the boy slave I gave the role of the jeweler's daughter has turned into a truly lovely young lady. I try to praise everyone as much as possible, but he especially is quite lovely when he smiles bashfully upon being praised.
...I am delighted!
On the fifth day, I continued to cram in education.
Once we've reached this point, all that's left is training to be able to talk about each other's backgrounds without any sense of incongruity while conversing.
I'll make it so they can handle conversation partners whether it's between slaves or using us.
On the sixth day, I'll talk about the strategies for each.
Where to meet the Hornbone lot. How to approach them. And where it will be taken up as a scandal.
I'll decide on those strategies while consulting one-on-one with the slaves and work out more detailed plans.
...By this point, all the slaves had become cooperative. Yes.
And the seventh day.
The test.
I look at each slave one by one and evaluate their conduct, way of speaking, the content of their talk, whether they properly grasp the strategy, and so on.
And.
"Everyone has passed."
I said that... and I removed their collars.
After all, the ones creating scandals with the Hornbone lot must be 'village girls,' 'town girls,' or 'young ladies'... and they must not be 'slaves.'
So... training was necessary so they could move regardless of slave collars!
Yes. So they could behave appropriately even without orders or coercive force.
And... so they would follow me even without collars.
It was a seven-day period for the sake of making them find the 'candy' that is 'me' within themselves!