Volume 1 - CH 1.1

At a big mansion at the edge of the royal capital.

I was visiting a slave dealer. It’s a secret that I’d gotten rather lost as I’d looked for it while relying on my past memories.

I met the slave dealer in a spacious drawing room with lots of extravagant furnishings.

A past-middle-age man of a good body build showing a gentle smile was sitting on the opposite end of the table.

But even I, someone with no common sense, knew that deep within his eyes he wasn’t smiling.

“And so, what brings you to this mansion, Hero-sama?”

“So you knew about me. In that case the talk will go quick—I’ll be frank, I’ve retired as a hero, and I came here to buy a slave.”

“Ooh! That was indeed…”

The slave dealer stroked his chin as if to think. He then appraised me from top to bottom out of the corners of his eyes.

I’m sure he must be thinking how much money a man who’s got fired from his job is carrying.

By some chance, he might be thinking about how to overcharge.

But I’m fine with that.

To be honest, I was thinking that getting ripped off was inevitable for the first one.

It’s because I’m not good at bargaining and stuff.

That being the case, I can just get a slave with common sense to make judgement as an advisor and not get duped for the second time.

As long as they’re not very weird, they should have more common sense than me, someone of a sheltered upbringing.

The slave dealer carefully began to talk to me. “And so… what sort of slave for what purpose are you looking for…?”

“I want a slave who can take care of my personal needs and have common sense—doesn’t matter what age or sex.”

“I see.”

The slave dealer pondered even more.

Since it’s fine to make the first one as an advisor with common sense, I got no problem whether they’re a man, woman, child, or an elderly.

The slave dealer suddenly tilted his head.

“I understand that you have retired as a hero, but have you decided what you will be doing next?”

“No, I haven’t. I don’t even know what I should do—I want a slave I can consult with about that as well,” I frankly said.

Although I’ve said it many times, I’m not good at bargaining.

Then the slave dealer wrinkled his brows.

“…Pardon my inquiry, but is there anything you can do besides defeating monsters, Hero-sama?”

“Nothing… I can’t do anything but a hero’s work.”

“I figured as much… I see.” The slave trader nodded his head with a face like he’d all figured out somehow.

That attitude interested me, so I went ahead to ask. “How do you know?”

“I do know that you have been fighting for the sake of the country as a hero since your childhood, Alek-sama. It can also be said that you have reached your present age without knowing any other work other than being a hero. Therefore… I suppose you will have no choice but to take on a job of exterminating monsters as well from now on.”

“That really will either be a soldier at the frontier, or the one called adventurer, is it?”

“I suppose it is as you say. I believe that you would be well suited in becoming an adventurer who explores dungeons or takes on the job of exterminating monsters, Alek-sama.”

“I see, my choice is only to become an adventurer, huh.”

I don’t really know what kind of work it is in fact, but if it’s just defeating monsters, it looks like I could manage.

But will there be income? Can I earn enough to survive?

I’ve got no idea at all.

After pondering for a while, the slave dealer snapped his fingers. Immediately a slim, elderly butler rushed over.

After whispering something to the butler’s ear, the butler went to leave the room.

“Please wait for a moment—I will bring the ideal slave for you, Alek-sama.”

“I’m counting on you.”

Ideal or whatnot, I don’t know.

I’m fine already getting duped on the first one—It’s all about the next one.

Around the time I’d drunk half of the served tea while sitting on the sofa, the door to the drawing room opened.

One by one in intervals, beautiful girls entered the spacious room to line up on the wall.

The first one was a beautiful woman with a great figure and waist-length blonde hair. Her large chest was bouncing with every step she took.

The second one was a woman with orange, short-ish hair. Her lean arms and legs were slender, long, and fit.

The third one was a blonde-haired dainty beautiful girl. Her chest was so-so, small stature, she was cute. Her long ears were shaking, so apparently an elf.

The reason for going through the large room at intervals was probably to allow time to take a thorough look at one person.

But I had my breath taken away.

Eh? Beauties like these?

They were all beautiful people I probably would be nervous to talk to. And at the same time I thought they seemed expensive.

Looks like I really am getting duped. It’s frustrating, but can’t be helped.

But not all of them were young women, the fourth one was an old woman using a crooked cane. Aquiline nose and deep wrinkled face, looking just like a witch.

…No, green hair with gray accents.

I’ve fought with one similar to her before. I knew it, isn’t she a witch…?

As I was surprised and on guard against the witch, the witch frowned immediately after entering the room.

Did she sense my no-use, uselessly big holy energy?

Lastly, a fifth person entered the room.

She was wearing a white habit unsuitable for a slave. Although her looks were that of someone in late teens to early twenties, she was a beautiful girl with an adult-like calm presence. With her sparkling-like silver hair swaying, the sight of her walking was clean and graceful.

Though.

For some reason, immediately after giving a bow and entering the room, she opened her eyes wide when she saw me; to the point her pretty violet-color eyes seemed like they would fall out.

“…!!” She was about to say something and hurriedly covered her mouth with her hands.

What’s that? Could it be she knows about me?

Maybe we met when I was a hero.

When I was digging through past memories, the slave dealer got up.

The slave dealer began to give explanation about the four beautiful girls and one old woman—a witch—lined up by the wall in the spacious drawing room.

“The first one is an elf adventurer. She can also use spirit magic, making her advantageous for searching for enemies and exploration.”

Now that he mentioned it, her ears are pointed. I was so focused on other places that I didn’t notice.

“I see, an adventurer, huh… but being an elf, isn’t she then not that knowledgeable about the common sense of humans?”

“Then there is the second one. She is a human excelling in exploration. Her forte is making maps and disarming traps. As she was once a bandit, she is not only knowledgeable in ordinary common sense, but also in common sense of the underworld.”

A slender yet sexy woman. Just repositioning her long, slender legs, her supple muscle flexed sexily.

“But a bandit, huh… won’t I get dragged into dangerous stuff?”

“Who knows, even we are unable to say much. However I simply introduced her as I believe that you would be able to brush aside small problems as someone with real ability, Alek-sama.”

“I see… but in that case, why’s the next one also an elf?”

“The elf of the third one has a different purpose than the first. This one is an elf who became an unconditional slave for the crime of theft… so she would be able to do anything—from taking care of your personal needs to night needs.”

“Unconditional slave?”

“She is a slave you can do anything with, except killing and violence.”

“Is it different from the elf of the first one?”

“The first one is a conditional slave. She willingly became a slave, so she is a slave who brings out conditions such as working hours, work description, daily wages, paid vacation, employee welfare and so on. If she is made to do work not included in the work description, the master will be subject to punishment.”

“So there were two kinds of slaves, huh… What can this girl do?”

“She can do a little archery and magic, but… I would say her degree of proficiency is inferior to the first one.”

The elf girl was faintly quivering; her large, jade green eyes were shaking; she looked like she wanted to say something.

But she didn’t speak up at all.

Her chest was of normal size, but her well-balanced figure was as beautiful as first-class sculpture; her fair skin was without a single scratch, and both her well aligned teeth and large eyes were like gems.

Nah, speaking of beauty, the first elf is too, though.

I see.

For the first elf, becoming a night partner will probably be prohibited.

That’s why if he brings out together an elf you can do whatever you please despite being inferior, someone who would want to embrace the first one will buy this girl as an alternative.

This is the way of a store that displays a one-of-a-kind masterpiece on the storefront while inside the store only mass-produced products are lined up, huh.

A foolish man—especially a foolish man like me probably would easily fall for it.

But for me right now getting a slave with common sense is a matter of life or death.

This girl is a no.

Then the beautiful elf woman of the first one raised her hand.

The slave dealer showed stern eyes. “What could it be? We are in front of a customer.”

“I’d like to say just one thing on behalf of that girl. Actually the Spirit Telepathy is so noisy telling me to say it—and it won’t put the store at a disadvantage.”

“Oh, very well then—ah, Alek-sama, although conditional slave can talk, unconditional slave has their voice sealed.”

The beautiful elf woman looked at me with her green eyes. “That girl said she just shoplifted a novel from a bookstore and ate without paying at a cheap diner, and she didn’t steal any store’s money; it’s just small money, not a big deal—that’s why help me, so she said.”

“Both shoplifting and dine and dash are outright crimes—I don’t think it’s about how big or small the amount is, though…?”

The elf girl opened her eyes wide at my words. She seemed to be thinking I’d agree with her.

The beautiful elf woman nodded deeply. “I also feel the same way. For the most part, elves are superior to all races, so stealing from inferior humans is fine—and it’s because of a thinking like that that elves end up being coldly looked at by all other races. Go reflect on it a bit.”

“…!!” The elf girl who couldn’t speak was gnashing her teeth in frustration.

And then she glared with cursing-like looks at me and the beautiful elf woman in turns.

I surely don’t want this girl. There’s no knowing what she might pull off.

Instead, I got to know from the exchange just now that the beautiful elf woman was the one with common sense. Far from it, I felt she’s a considerably wise person. I might be able to rely on her if I’m with her.

If she’s not expensive then maybe.

“Now then, can we continue?” the slave dealer said.

“Yeah, please do.”

“The fourth one is this old woman and she’s a conditional slave. She’s an expert in medicine and magic—especially she can compound special made medicine that normally wouldn’t be distributed. As you can see, she is of an advanced age and has lived a long life, so she should have the best common sense.”

“You say expert, but isn’t she a witch?”

“He-he-he, and you’re a hero aren’tcha?”

The complexion of the female slaves changed at those words.

Especially the elf girl, she gave me a clinging look. Even though she’d awfully glared at me just now.

The beautiful elf woman was flustered and spoke to me; her blond hair calmly shook. “You were Hero-sama!?”

“That’s right. But I’ve retired already—actually I was fired.”

“My…!” The elf widened her eyes and fell silent.