Chapter 38 - 『Hands』

"You know the best thing about my talent?"

Arche looked up to Jack as he spoke, raising a brow.

"I don't have to carry all the bags in my hands," Jack grinned down at her as all the clothes, the wardrobes they had picked out for her and her sisters, were all in his item box.

Giggling at the man, she shook her head slightly as they exited the store. She had all her sister's sizes in her head, along with her own. She had a good time trying on new clothes, picking out fabrics.

This was the first time she had commissioned her own ballgown in person. When her parents were still nobles, they always had her gown made for her without her insight. Now, with him, she had the chance to have her own custom dress!

She didn't even ask for it. She didn't even wish or want it before he had given it to her.

So as the two of them made their way out back onto the streets of the City, Jack looked up towards the sky above them. They had spent hours in the shop, but he wasn't tired. They both had fun, and at least they both knew it.

With their arms hooked, they continued on their way. They had gotten clothes, now what were they going to do? They could go out for an early lunch, that was only about thirty minutes to an hour away.

"Hm..." Jack's eyes wandered about the schools of people walking down either side of the walkways on the street. Compared to E-Rantel, there didn't seem to be all that much urgency.

There was no eight fingers running around.

That's when the two found themselves in front of the slave auction. His eyes were resting on the Elves which were on the stands. They were in rags, stripped of wealth and put on display. Their ears, their individuality, they hardly had either.

A frown tugged across his lips.

Expressionlessly, Arche looked upon the elves and even the humans who were being placed into slavery and sold like merchandise. While the humans were noticeably better treated, it was still depressing to see her own people up there.

"We'll need some people to take care of the house," Jack quietly squeezed her hand slightly, drawing her attention back to him.

She nodded, concurring with the thought he had shared with her. Though she could only assume it was because of pity that he was suggesting this.

Jack he had bought the large house, had already wanted to get people who would tend to the house while he was away. Whether they be hired help or slaves, it didn't matter.

So as they joined the small collective of people, slaves were being pulled up onto a small stage, put on display. The strong, the weak, the beautiful and the ugly, the young and the younger.

Small people with dirt and soot covered faces, sniffle, but dare not cry for they fear to be beaten. Women who have been sold more than once after being used and abused. There was plenty of backgrounds to go around, and all of them could be read with a single glance.

Slaves had no rights and were treated poorly by those whom wished to do so. If they weren't sold, they'd be placed on display until they were, or worse… Be sent to fight in the arena to be senselessly slaughtered in Gladiator matches or wild animals.

Slaves were lined up on the stage, kept in place by chains and shackles. Potential buyers began to ascend onto the stage in a single file line.

They'd check their teeth, their skin. They'd look for disease and other lesser qualities. It was as if watching as they chose the cleanest hog at a county fair.

Jack and Arche stepped forward, joined them in their little parade.

As they approached the first in the line, Jack reached forward with his free hand. It was a young woman, her ears were clipped. It was clear she was an elf. At first when he went to touch her, she flinched, until she saw the sympathy in his eyes, in both of their eyes.

Even though Arche's face hardly had any clear expression, her lifeless eyes seemed to glosen, almost as if she was going to cry. If Jack wasn't there, she was sure she probably would've left the place.

This place was in an empty lot beneath a building suspended by several dozen pillars. So the lighting was dim except where the magic lighting or torch emplacements were situated.

Jack would act as if he were attempting to check the girl's dental, but in reality he was using Greater Identification again. Learning about each of the slaves that were here. Which ones he could assume he could trust and others which he couldn't.

He dropped the categories all into one, as he took in the information, he was quickly able to do so. Putting pity, aesthetics and usefulness together.

Each of the barracks back at the house could hold at least six live-in servants. So that means they had room for at most twelve people, not counting the normal bedrooms.

They'd only really need at least four people to clean the rooms and the floor. On top of that it would be nice to have someone else cook, especially when preparing all the food for the ball. Then there was the garden and the lawn which needed to be taken care of. So there were certain skills they were looking for. Cleaning was unskilled work, but it needed coordination.

If he wanted, he could grant them allowance for their work, so if he were to free them at some point, they'd be free to live their lives with money to spend.

There were a lot of factors to go through, but he could see them all.

Using his hands, he would gesture and talk to Arche. She knew that there would be no chance of saving everyone, or buying them all. Even if he had the money to do so, it may cause unrest. Plus that would mean they'd probably have no room for themselves.

After a short deliberation, Jack was able to choose two humans, four elves and two half-elves. Two of the humans were skilled with cooking. Two of the elves seemed good with gardening, while one of them with cooking. The last three however seemed to be skilled in the use of magic casting, while that was a bonus, they were needed for unskilled work.

He handed the bald man with small black eyes, who was accepting the payments, a bag of coins. In return, he silently handed Jack their papers.

Jack supplied each of the newly purchased slaves with mantles, healed them and used magic to tend to their hygiene much to their surprise. There was no soot on their faces, no dirt in their hair. Their teeth were whitened and there was no cheese between their toes. For the first time in a long time, they felt warm and no longer alone.

Trust? Loyalty? One couldn't say they quite had it, but it was gained, not given freely.

Scars of war, torture and disease were gone, just like that.

Arche didn't have an expression and Jack remained deadpan alongside her. The two would lead them back to the mansion grounds.

It took some time, but none of the complained about the small stones which pricked their feet that were wrapped in rags. They believed the man who had healed them before, would heal them again.

So when they finally returned to the mansion, the slaves who had been kept in damp and horrible conditions, laid eyes on the vibrant green grass and the large house. Their eyes lit up.

Jack and Arche could hear their small gasps.

"Uwah!?" Shizu made her appearance beside the gate, originally out of sight of anyone who had first entered. Her emotionless eyes scanning over the people in mantles.

"...Jack-oniisama, who are these people?"

"They are new members of the household, help Eve get their measurements and then draw them a bath to relax in." Jack said with a light dip of his head, looking over her green eyes as she traced his face with them. "They will be tending to the mansion, while you and Eve tend to the twins."

Shizu bowed subserviently towards Jack, which caused Arche to raise a brow, before leading the group of slaves away from the duo.

Jack looked to Arche and smiled faintly.

Arche tried to smile back, she knew in a way they had done good, but at the same time slavery wasn't necessarily something she agreed with. If anything, it was something she feared.

…

Albedo, Demiurge, Aura and Shalltear were all looking at the Mirror of Remote Viewing. They had been rejected by Ainz, whether or not he knew who was watching, he immediately blocked the Mirror of Remote Viewing.

On the flat reflective surface was none other than Jack and Arche, hugging onto one another. It seemed Arche had her face buried into his dress coat. Jack's hands were resting on the back of her head and against her upper back.

"What do you think she's doing do Jack-oniisama?" Aura was watching as Arche was rubbing her face side to side, while talking into him. "Is she eating him?!"

Shalltear just looked at her dark elf colleague, "He… Could be into that kind of thing?" Her eyes were widened a little, her eyebrows showing how unsure she was about what Aura said.

Demiurge was in his typical thinking pose. "Pretty sure she is seeking comfort from him, and is receiving." He slowly nodded before looking towards Albedo. "And it seems like he bought a number of slaves for some purpose. Perhaps to generate agents for Nazarick? To be expected of a Supreme Being. Ainz-sama will be esctatic."

"Jack-oniisama's greatness knows no bounds!" Aura spouted out suddenly in cheer, one fist made and shaking in the air. A grin over her lips she as she looked back down at the mirror.

Albedo's eyes simply stared through the mirror. They had already gotten down watching Ainz parading around with Nabe and a bunch of lesser lifeforms. Now she was watching as the second Supreme Being surrounded himself in over a dozen of them.

"How dare that lesser life form touch a supreme being..." Albedo's eyes seemed to shine a golden yellow as if she was being enticed by what was to be shown. Was it jealousy?

Shalltear leaned over towards the Succubus, "What, is that body pillow of yours not giving you enough ass? You're getting jealous over the wrong being!"

Demiurge and Aura just watched as the two of them went at it. An entire screeching match ensued, allowing Aura to take out what looked like ear plugs and stuff them into her ears. Then she proceeded to hand Demiurge a pair.

The two of them watched in silence now, they couldn't hear the two of them screaming.

Demiurge grinned at this, widely. Looking down to Aura, he gestured towards the ear devices, she immediately mouthed Eve.

Blinking when she told him where they came from, he began to scratch his chin slightly. The little annoying bugger who was always asking where her brother was… Had given them the ultimate tool to mute her? That was quite the interesting personality indeed.

Though really it was just to mute those around her, mostly Albedo and Shalltear whenever they got into a shouting fight. Or whenever Aura and Shalltear wold bicker. Though now Aura could just use the items to block out Shalltear should she find the need.

Little did they know, these little ear plugs which she had given them, actually belonged to Jack. Though it didn't really matter since he didn't need all of them. He had them made just so he could sleep without hearing anyone whenever the Guild Members were around.

When the two finally looked over at Shalltear and Albedo, they were both finding themselves staring into the red and yellow eyes of their colleagues.

A sweat drop began to develop on the side of Aura's head.

On the other hand, Demiurge slowly began to remove the plug from one of his ears, a nervous expression forming over his face.

"How Rude!" Shalltear shouted with her hands on her hips.

Albedo was just shaking her head subtly, her arms across her pleasantly plump bosom. "Ainz-sama will be very displeased..."

Though Demiurge was pretty sure he'd probably be the exact opposite if he could get a pair!