(034) The “I want to live comfortably” Offertory box
Translator: Tseirp
I doubted my ears upon hearing the young girl ask to have herself killed.
However, no matter how I interpret it, that was a request for a contract murder.
“Master, she’s likely to be a rental slave. Killing a rental slave without a legitimate reason would bring upon judgement from the heavens, causing you to fall into a Thief.”
“I see. Well, I did not have the intention of killing her in the first place.”
So it’s up to the heaven’s judgement if a person is a.s.signed as a Thief or not huh. That’s ambiguous.
Certainly, looking at Carol’s slave collar, there were 7 lights lit up.
Meaning there was still 7 hours worth of rental time.
“However, if you’re a rental slave, then why were you buried underground? Even though you must be brought back to the slave dealer.”
I dragged Carol out from within the barrel and stood her facing me.
Long purple hair and about 120cm tall.
She looks like a normal cute young girl but why does she want to die so desperately?
Does she hate being a slave?
And why was she buried underground?
” … Well, it’s fine if you don’t want to speak. Haru, let’s dismantle the monsters. It’ll be troublesome alone so I’ll help you.”
I said and approached Haru, whispering (I’ll be changing your job to Hunter) to the wolf ears on top of her head.
Dismantling monsters using the 「Dismantling」 skill gains experience points for Hunters.
Also, what should we do with the bodies of the adventurers?
“In cases where adventurers pa.s.s away, their possessions belong to the discoverer. Shall we collect their equipment?”
“No, no … we have a decent amount of gold and it’ll be troublesome if it brings trouble.”
I stripped the fur from the bears using the dagger I got from the thieves.
The equipment I obtained from the thieves is quite useful.
However, they weren’t really of good quality.
Halfway through dismantling, I was informed that the monsters were approaching again so I stored the half-dismantled monster into my item bag and left. I guess they were attracted by the smell of blood.
I did not think that the adventurer’s bodies could fit into my item bag.
It wasn’t because I could not treat dead people as items, but because I somewhat could not stomach travelling together with people’s bodies.
Originally, I should carry them to the bereaved families.
“Carol, guide us to the town.”
” …… ”
Carol nodded silently.
We exited the forest after about an hour.
I could spot a town a distance away. So that’s the town of Belasra huh.
Looks like it is bigger than the town of Florence.
Apparently, the labyrinth managed by Torerul is there. For the time being, the goal within that town is to clear that dungeon. Before that, I’d have to return Carol to the slave dealership.
The lights on the slave collar disappeared by 1 and was left with 6.
“By the way, rental slaves will not listen to orders from the owner after the rental time ends so won’t they escape then?”
“They are ordered to not escape and also prohibited from committing suicide. Though they are not prohibited from contracting others to kill them. However, there’s never been a case where a person killed a rental slave because he was requested to.”
Since they will become a Thief after all. And there might be a penalty as well.
In my case, the thing that would trouble me the most if I get turned into a Thief would be that it might replace Jobless.
If that happens, Jobless would disappear and I would not be able to acquire Jobless skills in the future. I must definitely avoid that.
We walked for another 30 minutes. The gatekeeper was a rugged old man.
I changed my second job to Commoner. The entry tax would be cheaper if I a.s.sign Peddler but I don’t know if the crystal ball’s colour would change if I set a third job and above all, I want to pay the taxes.
There were 2 groups ahead paying their entry tax but it quickly reached our turn.
Then, the gatekeeper old man, at first glance of Carol,
” … Dead huh.”
Said a single word.
“Yes.”
“I see.”
Carol nodded and he didn’t ask any further.
“You’re here to deliver her right? Thank you.”
The old man bowed and returned to the ordinary course of business.
I placed my hand on the crystal ball and he confirmed that I was not a Thief.
My entry tax was 50 sense while Haru’s was 60 sense. Slaves’ taxes are higher huh?
It was confirmed that Carol left the town at the break of dawn so she didn’t have to pay for the entry tax.
【Ichinojo Level up】
Commoner level reached Lv36.
It would have been fine if the tax was slightly higher though.
“The slave dealership shop can be seen from here, that brown brick building.”
“The building that looks like a red brick warehouse right?”
Yokohama or Hakodate or Tsuruga? (TL: They’re all j.a.pan seaports)
It was something that would make one feel a sense of history if seen in j.a.pan but in this would I can imagine that it’s seen as a new building.
It was an extremely large building.
“Is slave dealing lucrative?”
“There’s a gambling parlour in this town so there are many debt slaves.”
Carol explained. Falling into debt from gambling and selling themselves huh? Can’t really feel any sympathy for them. To fall into gambling and self-destruct, looks like it doesn’t change in j.a.pan or in the other world as well.
Walking slightly, we reached a square and I saw that young girl I’ve seen before once … Torerul’s statue in the center of it.
They were plenty of people dedicating prayers to that statue.
Torerul’s statue seemed to be kind of a tourist spot in this town.
“I’ve mentioned that Torerul is also called the G.o.ddess of Gambling right. Because this is the town with the labyrinth managed by Torerul, there are many who bet againsts each other to gain her blessing.”
However, even if there really is a Blessing of Torerul, the only ones who can acquire that are not limited to the customers? Do they not consider that the bookmakers who live in this town and open the gambling parlours may have that blessing as well?
Well, I can’t imagine that slacker G.o.ddess-sama giving her blessing to people.
There was a chained offertory box placed in front of the stone statue and a lot of people were tossing copper coins into it.
In a world without 1 yen or 5 yen, with the lowest denomination 1 sense, or in other words 1 copper coin, the amount in the offertory box should be quite sizeable. The offertory boxes in j.a.pan have mechanisms against theft but it was only held by a chain here, I was worried if the entire offertory box would be stolen but stealing money from a G.o.ddess statue would definitely turn you into a Thief.
I guess there are not that many people who would do such a sacrilegious act.
“The offertory box was proposed to be installed by lost j.a.panese people more than a hundred years ago. (TL: ‘lost’ people = transported people) It allowed donations without the troublesome procedures and spread the faith so the G.o.ddess church members immediately adopted it. Even in Florence, there’s a statue of the G.o.ddess of Battle and Victory, Setolans-sama and there’s an offertory box installed in front of it.”
“Ooo, I didn’t know that … Haru is so knowledgeable.”
“When I was young, I enjoyed reading the books in the archive of the royal palace my parents served at and I equipped myself with knowledge there.”
So when Haru was younger, she lived together with her family in some royal palace?
Now that I think about it, I’ve never asked Haru about the reason why she became a slave and giving it some thought, I realised that I still don’t know anything about Haru.
I also have to talk to Haru about my Jobless job so I’ll have to arrange a time for us to thoroughly converse in the future.
“Well, shall we go make a donation as well?”
I took out 3 copper coins from my item bag, I pa.s.sed 1 to Haru and 1 to Carol.
“It is alright?”
Carol asked.
“Children don’t have to worry about it.”
“But Carol is 16-years-old.”
Seriously! Eh, the age of a high school girl?
She looks like a primary school kid no matter how I look at her.
“Because I’m half minihume.” (TL: Literally mini-human)
Haru once again explained to the clueless me.
Apparently, minihume is a race with half the height of hume.
Half minihume is a half-blood between a hume and a minihume so their height stops at about 120cm and they apparently look younger than hume.
“Well, 16-years-old is also considered a child to me.”
“Erm … it is fine for me to receive it as well? Even though I’m 18-years-old.”
Haru said reservedly.
” … Eh? Haru’s younger than me!?”
” … Master, you didn’t know about my age?”
“Yeah, I believe it is rude to ask about a girl’s age.”
She’s so reliable so I thought that she would be slightly older than me.
Haru’s tail drooped downward.
Ah, I did something bad. I’ll buy some jerky for her next time. Of course, those disinfected with alcohol.
“Oh, Carol, Torerul-sama is called the G.o.ddess of Pleasure and Gambling but her true nature is a G.o.ddess-sama who thinks it is better to live comfortably. I don’t know the reason but instead of saying you want to die, pray that you want to live comfortably. Try being the single person praying to feel at ease within the ma.s.s of people praying to win their gambles. It will definitely stand out so she might grant your wish.”
I said words that sounded like I was fooling her and had her hold the copper coin.
Then, I tossed my own copper coin into the offertory box.
The copper coin noisily bounced once, twice and fell to the bottom of the box.
Then, I thanked her for the 1/20 required experience points blessing I received.
Looking to my side, I saw Carol with her hands pressed together, earnestly making a wish.
To the other side, Haru’s tail was wagging as she made a wish. I wonder what in the world was she wishing for.