for now I guess.][My special power is lumped together with Tamo-san……]
[Ah, sorry. Sakura……]
Sakura ends up feeling a little depressed. But Tamo-san is useful for a fact. It’s not so free of common sense like our special powers though……
[Come to think of it, Sir, we didn’t do any treasure searching or mining at all
at all in level one to three nodesu. Why nanodesu?]
Cynthia asks around the time we are pretty much done with the conversation.
Treasure chests could suddenly appear inside the dungeon. The logic behind it must probably be the same as the monster sp.a.w.ns. I could understand it if I asked Alta, but I think requesting for the theories behind the dungeon is unromantic, so I purposely left it alone.
A : ……
[In order to not steal the work from the groups who are earning their daily bread. There’s also the reason that we’re not going to spend time on the upper levels though……]
[Oh~, so that’s the reason nanodesu.]
Diving into the dungeon and collecting items will net you some money, even in the upper levels. The novices and low ability explorers do that and earn their daily income. If I use map within those levels and collect things that have value, then the low rank adventurers will become unemployed.
I can see the contents of the treasure chests if I look at the map, but the things inside the upper levels aren’t important things and to be exact, I don’t feel tempted at all.
To begin with, our purpose isn’t earning money but to travel around. It’s completely pointless to spend time on the upper levels, don’t you think?
On the next day, I’ve decided to go meet Elinsia in the morning. Only Maria has come along, the rest are taking independent actions.
[Thank you for waiting. Now, this way please.]
A cheerful Elinsia ushers us inside the knight’s office. Judging from her looks, the matter about the abandoned village should be going smoothly.
As we are being guided, we enter a well structured room.
[Here is the parlor to be used for upper cla.s.s visitors. Tea will be carried in at once so please.]
We sit on a sofa and Elinsia takes a seat opposite of us. A waiter enters after a while and serves tea in front of us.
As the waiter bows and withdraws, Elinsia starts talking.
[I have not invited anybody else. It is about the rewards for the discovery of the hidden dungeon.]
[Oh, already? That went faster than I thought.]
Elinsia smiles to my suspicions.
[Yes, I thought it would take much more time for a matter or two. However, I instantly brought the conversation to the royal family for this important subject. Of course, I used a conversational stone since this is an urgent matter. And then, the conversation progressed while they gazed at me in shock and I believe a research group of scholars and a merchant group from the capital are urgently heading towards the abandoned village right about now.]
It seems this matter is moving in a grander scale than I thought.
[At any rate, it was impossible for them to not grant the discoverer anything in that situation. An urgent meeting was held and Jin-san’s reward has been decided. As a result you will be granted 50 million gold.]
[That is quite the sum.]
[Yes, but still. When it comes to granting a reward of this amount, you are expected to go through proper procedures at the capital city.]
Err, I heard some troublesome words now didn’t I? That said, I can’t take the capital city off our traveling course either, so I have no choice but to go. Ah, the capital city’s name is Estalca. Just to make sure.
[The capital city huh…… How far is it from here?]
[It is about ten days. I am sure there are things to do, so there is no time limit, but could you head towards the capital within three months? Of course, we can readjust at your pleasure, Jin-san, but the procedures would increase if it exceeds three months.]
[……This is also troublesome. Alright. I will go there in three months.]
[Our side will also be running around for a while so I offer my apologies, but I cannot accompany you. For the time being, I have prepared the letter, so please take this and head to the capital city.]
[Understood.]
She hands me the letter and I put it away. The envelope is even more extravagant than the last one.
[Come to think of it, has my letter been useful?]
[Yeah, it was helpful for the cards. As for the other one, it’s the place I’m thinking of going today.]
[Oh my, is that so. In that case, may I go with you?]
Eh? You can’t expect it to be a place where you would to take along a woman who’s not even a subordinate.
Elinsia notices the puzzling look on my face and denies it.
[Oh, I’m not particularly going with you to watch you choose them or anything. I am just going to put in a word or two with the slave dealer in the beginning.]
That’s very rea.s.suring considering the influence of a word or two from Elinsia in this city. And scary.
[……Understood. Are the preparations going smoothly?]
[Yes, it’s because I’ve cleared away all the plans for today when I heard from the dungeon entrance receptionist that you will come today.]
[Sorry for the trouble.]
[No, not at all. Compared to your contribution towards our national interests, this is quite the cheap trade-off.]
So, Maria, Elinsia and I are heading towards the slave market. Hogging all the gazes of the city. Elinsia that is.
We arrive at the slave market. It is a considerably big building with the same style as the knight’s office. There are guards too, and the service could be said to be that of a high-cla.s.s slave market. The entrance is quite beautiful and it wouldn’t be strange to call the interior one of a first-cla.s.s hotel.
We approach the main reception. The minute the receptionists confirm Elinsia’s face, one of the two runs off somewhere in great haste.
[Please call the shopkeeper.]
[Please wait for a moment. We are calling him now.]
A moment later, a slightly overweight man comes running. He’s probably the shopkeeper. He is completely drenched in sweat as he approaches Elinsia.
[It has been a while. Have you been well?]
[Yes, thanks to Elinsisama, I am able to keep on living peacefully these days as well.]
[That is exaggerated.]
[No, not at all, these are humbly my real feelings.]
They continued that sort of exchange. It seems that Elinsia is somehow the shopkeeper’s lifesaver. I guess there are two kinds of people in this city, those who fear Elinsia and those who revere her.
Elinsia talked with the shopkeeper for a while. She also included her intentions of entrusting me to him in their conversation.
[Jin-san, I have given the shopkeeper a clear explanation of you, so please take your time in choosing them. Now, if you will excuse me.]
[Yeah, thanksexcuse me.]
[Yeah, thanks for the help.]
Elinsia bows and leaves. The shopkeeper sees her off with a respectful bow. After Elinsia is completely gone, he lifts up his face and approaches us.
[You are Jin-sama, right? I have heard the details from Elinsisama. About your search for slaves, my store has become the number one expert in the field of pets. On the other hand I am told you act as an explorer, but what sort of slave would you like me to introduce you to?]
It’s the “Even with Elincia’s referral, that area is our forte” talk after all. That said, I’ve come here to search for a slave skilled in magic. It’s not like l’m keeping that in mind beforehand unlike before.
[It’ll be slaves with fighting in mind. That said, we’ll be carrying out the education in that area, so it’s fine not to take that into account. We can even spend time on it, so can’t you let me look over the young girls?]
[I understand. There are currently 39 young slave girls here, so allow me show them in groups of ten.]
He says and he leads me to another room. There doesn’t seem to be a s.p.a.ce that isolates the nearly dying or crime slaves here. They’re being trained as pets so it must be unnecessary.
The young girls coming out range from around 5 years old to early teens, they are all wearing well-tailored clothes and have a very well-ordered face. Their purpose is to be pets so it must’ve been better to have them dressed up.
They properly bow at the time they were introduced. Child slaves don’t sell for that much. There are limits even if they have good looks, so the shopkeeper raises their value by letting them take education, he boastfully tells us.
As expected, there aren’t any slaves possessing an anomaly like Maria, Mio or Sera here, but there are several slaves that possesses rare looking skills. Magic combat oriented skills are also included there.
I have the slaves I’ve gotten interested in from my observation to remain here and as a result ten slaves remained. What’s left for me is to search for the slave who will fulfill my purpose from here on out.
[Hum, so you have come with ten candidates. If you are fine with it, I could sell them all for 100,000 g]
Shopkeeper suddenly said the unthinkable. 100,000 is probably cheap right?
A : It is cheap. Their minimum value can be considered 10 times of that.
Eh? What’s with this old man? Did he just try to sell his own local goods at 90% off?
[Isn’t that too cheap? Is there a reason for that?]
[Of course, this is due to Elinsia’s introduction. This is quite cheap if I am able to repay that lady’s kindness.]
It looks like she’s quite loved. No doubt he would go in the red. That’s not what I want. I don’t like having the other do something until it strains them.
[You’ll go in the red that way. At least go with something that will get you some profit out of it please. I’m feeling sorry for you.]
There’s the shrewd me who accepts the purchase of the ten slaves. If it’s like this then let’s leave all ten of them to Lusia and take the kid who will grow the most with me.
[Then, my obligation towards Elinsisama would be……]
[I’m telling you it’s fine, so there won’t be any problem right? If anything, I can tell Elinsia the gist of it.]
[……If that is the case, then it will come to 600,000 g. How about I lower the price a little more in that case? That is still 60,000 g per person you know.]
Fortunately, things happened and I’m not worried about money and also me buying slaves is a common occurrence, so I shouldn’t be complaining about that.
[That’s fine. So it’s 600,000 g then. Let’s pay it right away.]
[Thank you for your patronage…….]
I say and pay him 600,000 g. The shopkeeper accepts it with a slight frown.
After calling a slave arts user and finishing the contracts, I took the ten slaves while being seen off by the shopkeeper and head towards the carriage that was parked beside the inn.
It looks like the slave girls have been thorough with their education; they didn’t make any unnecessary chatter even after I bought them. We enter the carriage and then we immediately transfer to our base in Kastal with “Portal”.
After arriving at the estate in Kastal, I gather Lusia and the others and explain my future plans.
First off all, I’ll have the newly joined slaves do combat training centered on magic. If it seems impossible because they’re giving up, then I will have them shift to maid training. I tell them that I will take the more suitable one among the remaining people with me to the dungeon.
Looks like those newcomer slaves didn’t think they were bought for combat purposes; they were quite surprised. Well of course, they should be surprised if they learn that they are rounded up for battle despite having been brought up as pets.
I might as well tell them some of my ability. As far as I can see, they have been needlessly surprised.
Although I know all of the new slaves with my special powers, I still let them introduce themselves. I’ve put it off, but I’ve also let the the slaves I bought in the first village in Estia introduce themselves.
On a side note, the self-introduction from the maids and butlers Maria and Lusia had bought in Kastal has already been done. Remembering everyone was a disaster. Well, I can cheat with map and status anytime though……
I’ve also talked about complicated things. The most surprising thing was that there’s even someone among the pet slave girls who would want to try fighting. She’s highly suitable in magic skills, so she will be the first candidate for the team.
[Well then, Lusia, take care of them!]
[Yes, please leave it to me.]
I have decided to leave the rest to Lusia and return to Lilia city.
The maids in Kastal’s base have increased by a lot. Of course, it’s not like there are any problems with living s.p.a.ce because it is a large estate. But still, I’m aware that I’ve increased the amount of slave maids by too much without restraining myself. I think it is about time I should stop increasing the number of slaves for now. Of course, this doesn’t apply to slaves that are exceptional like Maria, Mio and Sera though……
-End Chapter 42 Discipline and Dungeon Entrance Discovery Reward