Volume 5 - CH 7

Janatha recommended that Jouga to change careers.

However, Jouga seemed to be sticking to the arena and being an adventurer.

He should do whatever he wants after his leg healed.

If you don't face the limits yourself, you won't know what to do.

But for now, we need to figure out how to settle this situation.

Janatha, who has six rough slaves with him, will probably order them to settle things in a rough manner if things get complicated.

If not, it would be a threat to get the better of the negotiations, but that in itself would reveal his lack of negotiation skills, and Janatha is not that type of person. It's just a free insurance policy in case the negotiations break down.　

If it's rough or threatening from the start, he'll do it in a big way.

The old man priest, having said he would cooperate with me, did not complain overtly, but his long, hairy eyebrows drooped, and he looked as if he wished he could not do anything rough here.

If I were a real hero, I'd probably make Janatha the bad guy here and take a big swing at him, but that wouldn't help the oppressed slaves. Even if they were freed, they would be on the street.

One or two of them could make a modest living collecting herbs, but if dozens of them lost their jobs all at once, it would be a different story.

The tool shop would refuse to exchange the herbs for cash if too many people came with them.

Besides, I now have a backup plan.

It's something I've been thinking about for a while, but I think it's better to say that the idea is now solidified right here.

If I'm going to implement the plan, now is not the time to confront Janatha.

"There's no way I can calm down!"

Jouga shouted wildly, seeming to be in a temper. His own leg was ruined. He may have some anger he can't control.

It's not his fault.

Some illnesses and injuries can be avoided if you are careful, but it is natural for people to get sick or injured.

It's just a matter of probability, not retribution or fate.

In the first place, what is the point of blaming the weak and sick? That's what I'm talking about.

"Jouga, you dreamed of becoming an adventurer, gaining power in the dungeon and winning the arena, right?."

I checked with Juga.

"Yeah! It's been my dream since I was little! It's not something I can give up so easily just because I've lost one of my legs!"

"All right. Then I'll hire you and let you continue. So for now, concentrate on your treatment and stay in bed."

"What? No, that's ......."

"Well, that's good for you, Jouga-san. I hope you can make your dreams come true under your kind master's care. If you can, that is."

Janatha smiled and said so, but one word was too much. It's a sign that deep down you're looking down on him.

"You ...... Tch, you've failed me, Janatha."

Jouga seemed to be expecting Janatha to be as supportive as ever.

Janatha, who sees slaves as commodities, is not such a naive person.

At times, he would even pay lip service to the slaves to motivate them.

However, he is not the kind of man who will take care of them until the end.

If a product is damaged, he just replaces it.

There is no room for affection or love.

Just because he realized this reality, he should be happy.

"So, I'll take Jouga for free. I'll buy Fianna for your price of 200,000. One more thing, Janatha, I want you to give me something extra."

"What is it? I don't think you should be too greedy."

"Don't be so cautious. I'm sure you'll have a great time clearing out your overstocked inventory, right?."

"Let's hear it ......."

He's a shrewd merchant, and if it's about money, he'll make a deal with the devil, even if it's right after his mother was murdered.

Everything is for money.

That's who he is.

"Give me all the slaves you're thinking of throwing away, or the ones you think have no future and don't care what happens to them. Of course, you can have them at your price."

"...... What do you intend to do, Alec-san? You're not going to gain any gold by doing this."

"It's not about profit and loss. This is a matter of people's feelings. I'm not asking you to understand people's feelings. Just answer yes or no."

"I understand. I'll tolerate your insult to me this time. However, in the future, if you do anything to interfere with my business in any way, I will crush you without reservation. This is my advice as a senior slaver."

"In other words, if I don't interfere, you won't touch me either, right?"

"Yes."

I've got your word.

"Did you hear that? Priest-san."

"Yes. I'll be your witness to this transaction."

The old man looks like he's going to die tomorrow, but there are several young priests nodding at his side, so he'll be fine.

"I like it! I'll be your witness too!"

There was another guy who raised his hand in a well-pitched voice. Was it the adventurer who had been carried into the temple? From the looks of it, he didn't seem to be injured.

This man's ...... equipment is ragged, but he has a strange(er) atmosphere(er), but ...... Oh well.

Before I knew it, onlookers seemed to have heard the commotion and gathered in the hallway.

"Then, You'll give me the list of slaves and their prices later. Will two hundred thousand be enough? If not, you'll have to wait a little longer."

"No, it's enough. 30 slaves is 50,000 at most. But if you're thinking of doing the same business as me, you'd better not."

Janatha said.

"I won't, so don't worry, although I will take my slaves into the dungeon with me."

"Yes. Then we have a deal. I will send you a detailed list and the goods later, addressed to the [Dragon's Dwelling Tree Residence], correct?"

"Yeah. Please do so. Please keep the goods clean and tidy. And I don't want it to be delivered naked."

He's the kind of guy who won't even give them clothes, let alone equipment, so I'll make sure to nail him.

"I wouldn't go that far. In any case, the armor they're wearing is all used stuff that they can't sell."

If they could sell it, they would have sold off all their equipment before giving it away. Good grief.

Janatha, who was about to leave the reception room, stopped.

"Oh, yes, Alec-san. Please don't tell anyone about the price of the slaves this time. It costs a lot of money to run a store, so that's a fair price for a rental."

"I know. Don't worry."

I have no intention of interfering with Janatha's business or destroying it now.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go. If you have any injured slaves, you may bring them to me at any time. I'll take care of them for a fair price."

This old man is a hard man to please. I don't know if there's a fair price for giving. I'm sure the priest is paid a salary, so it's out of the question to take care of them for free.

No matter how much love and faith you have in God, you can't live without food.

It is natural for people to incur a reasonable cost of living.

"Alec-san, please take care of us from now on."

Fianna seemed to have no complaints about her situation.

Eventually, you're going to have your sexual services rendered to me. Do you understand that? I don't think you understand. Well, let's keep that to myself for now. Hihi.

"But, hey, are you a nobleman or something? You're so rich."

Juga is still there, though.

"Fianna, tie this stupid wounded man to the bed, please."

"Yes, sir."

"No, wait, this is faster. Jouga, give me your left arm."

"Like this?"

With the knife in my hand, I lightly cut the belly of my own hand, dropping a drop of blood on his slave crest.

I rewrote his slave crest.

No problem, it worked.

"Jouga, your new master has ordered you to stay in bed and sleep quietly until your injuries heal. You understand?"

"But I'm bored out of my mind――Ouch,ouch, ouch! Aaah!? What the hell is this?

Didn't you notice I was looking at what you were doing? You're an idiot.

"Come on, Jouga-san, let's go to bed."

Fianna took his hand with a smiling face and led him away.

I'll have to talk to Ada, the innkeeper. I need a bed for thirty people.

As I left the temple, I ran into Serina and the others who had come running. They were already drawing their swords.

"Alec, where's Janatha!?"

"Oh, I've already taken care of that."

"What? Already? I can't believe you took down the boss all by yourself. Don't take all the goodies with you."

"Who's the boss, who's? You're going to slay the leader of the merchants' guild, the most famous man in town?"

"What? A famous person? He's got a very bad reputation."

I guess. Even when it comes to making money, there are ways and limits.

It's a billboard that claims to defy common sense, but common sense is an important prerequisite for people to live in a group in society.

I have to do things with a certain amount of common sense.

I don't plan on doing pure business, so I guess I can make it work.