CH 3

Author: 七沢またり

Translator: Just a Dream

Proofreader: Frozen Ink

Stella, who left the Stock Company, made a big stretch with heavy and cloudy eyes. She entrusted the contract and the arrangement of gold to Beck. He wished for liberation, but Stella naturally rejected it. He also didn’t have the reason to oppose it as it was necessary for Leroy to put an observer.

“With this the biggest problem has been resolved; I guess it’s nothing much in the end.”

[Ukeke! That way of saying is cruel! Your father is too pitiful! ]

“It was that man’s fault that I fell into misfortune, I cannot bring myself to feel sympathy. That aside, Let’s buy food in town and go back. There is nothing decent at home. And then…”

[Ukeke, You still want to buy?!]

“Just Beck alone is lonely, so let’s look for interesting people. Let’s collect various people and let them tell wonderful and pleasant life stories. Oh, it seems I made quite a wonderful goal. The first splendid person is you, Beck.”

When Stella gently stroked Beck’s back, cold sweat flowed down his cheeks.

“……e”

“When we return, Let me hear thoroughly about you, I expect an enjoyable story.”

[Ukeke, I think it’s a worthless story anyway! He’s just a hoodlum after all! ]

“That’s okay. No matter what kind of trash he is, He is still human. right? Beck.”

Stella and Clevar laughed like a child, Beck staggered unsteadily.

Peabury Town, Central Area. Here, relatively better people gathered. It was only relatively, so naturally caution was necessary. If someone looked at the back alley, people like pickpockets, hoodlums, even fallen mercenaries were lurking and waiting for a chance. If they sensed the smell of battle, they took their sword and went out to the battlefield. Or went to collect the equipments from the corpses. Mercenaries bought equipment, corpse fishers collected it, blacksmiths repaired it, and merchants sold it, and as such a cycle of death was formed.

Since aristocrats and merchants from other places come in and out, the number of guards were many. However, even if Stella was attacked, they would not interfere. There was no human rights for people who didn’t have money. By the way, there were two limelights/highlight here, the slave market and the competition arena. Where most of the rich people from different places, except for those who have business as their goal, come here for these two places.

“It is really a wonderful town. The true nature of Human seems to be boiling and glittering. Oh yeah, how about I buy several slaves?”

[Master, You already have two slaves!]

“You count yourself as a slave, what an admiring bird. On the contrary that mouth is bad though. I wonder what is that head packed with?”

[Ukeke, it’s packed with dream and hope!]

“Fufu, you said a good thing, I am impressed.”

Stella gently stroked the bird’s head, then it flew away in a good mood. It came back immediately, rested on Beck’s head. It seemed light so it was fine.

“…. Um, in the end, what will become of me?”

“As a result of talking with Leroy, you have became my property. I will properly give you allowance. I think you can live happier than just becoming a hoodlum. It was really fortunate, right?”

While playing with her silver hair, Stella smiled. Beck nodded helplessly with complicated expression. He realized that it was useless even if he wanted to resist. Besides, he got money. In exchange for something important.

[Ooi Master! Let’s try gambling for once and increase the gold coins! That or maybe we can watch the fighting in the arena and have a big laugh. It seems fun to watch trash die!]

“That’s good. Let’s show our face a little. Beck, please properly guard me. It will be terrible if I die”

“Ye, yes”

“There is no spirit, do you want me to hit your buttock?”

“I am fine! U, understood!”

“What a wonderful reply, but I hate if you are so noisy.”

[Too selfish]

After thinking about it, Stella decided to go to the arena first. She could bet money, If she paid the fee she could also watch the fighting. What a wonderful place. They had the pleasure of watching the same race shedding blood and suffering until they die, on top of that, they bet money and make it a business. Humans really had a various ideas. Stella’s mood was elevated.

— They arrived at Peabury Competition Arena. Under the permission of the Feudal Lord Gregs Georgia, it was a place where fighting was performed Spectacularly. Those who participated are those who applied, those who were obliged and strong people who had been sent from each organization to wager their honor. If there were people who got rich quickly, there were also people who became meaningless corpses after one battle. The audience paid money to watch it from high seats, or they bet on the match’s result.

The receptionist saw them with awfully dubious eyes, but when Beck handed the money they were able to go in smoothly. She looked poor in one glance, but he seemed to judge that she was a noble daughter that was travelling incognito. Nevertheless, even though she was a resident of this town, there was no one who saw Stella and called her. Even when she bought food supply on the way, nobody reacted. It was truly lonely.

(From now on, I must thrust my neck in various things and understand human, I have to broaden my view about human widely and deeply. For the next 50 years, I must live and die with my full power)

It was completely different from just looking from the outside and deepening exchanges with actual involvement. She was tired from just watching. At any rate she wanted to be directly involved.

Human emotions, various emotions would entertain Stella. It was different from that place where only boredom and fatigue were whirled. Everything was fresh and interesting. The problem was that Stella’s physical strength couldn’t catch up with her curiosity. She must improve it as soon as possible.

[Oh, they’re doing it. They are having a good match.]

In the middle of the fighting arena, two men with swords were having life or death battle.

“Is this going to continue till one of them die?”

“No, it’s until one of them give up or can’t fight anymore. Of course there is no problem even if one of them is killed. Skillfully lose is also one of the techniques here. People who don’t give up until the end have no future.”

Even though it seemed to be a good match, the one with the bigger physique had a bad complexion. It seemed that the consumption of his physical strength was intense. When judging so, the fight reached its conclusion. The bigger man had his abdomen torn and his head was decapitated when he crouched down. Loud cheers and shout of joy reverberated.

“I see.”

When Stella who saw the death looked convinced, the man next to her came to pick a quarrel. He was a hoodlum that scattered here and there more than pebbles in this town. As expected she got tired of it.

“Hehe, you sure have a good hobby, little Miss. If you want, I can show you various things. if you will play a little bit, I will give you a service!”

“O, oi. I won’t say anything bad so stop it! This person is !”

“You shut up, I’m talking directly with this little miss -”

“Okay, I will give you this, so be quiet.”

Stella handed over the Magic Crystal without hesitation, she activated the absorption and it made him faint. She forcibly kicked him away because it was bothersome. He did not move much though because she did not have much power.

“Beck, it was an eyesore so throw him away”

“Ye, yes”

It was irritating for the face of the fainted man to enter into sight. Beck hurriedly threw the body away.

[Oioi Master. You don’t want this guy? You said you want to gather humans? ]

“I do not need him because he does not suit my taste. I feel disgusted physiologically somehow. Such a crude feeling is human-like so I must value it.”

[Ukeke, you are really selfish!]

“Because I am human, Humans are like that, right?”

Stella once again threw a kick, for now it was until here for today, she quickly walked away. Beck hurriedly rushed up from behind.

“U, um. Is it really okay? Even though we have just gone in, once we go out, the entry fee won’t come back even for a single copper coin.”

“I wanted to briefly go around before running out of strength. Lets come to watch again slowly next time.”

She could feel the lack of her physical strength now. It was obviously because of kicking twice. If she thought about it, she doesn’t remember ever properly taking a stroll outside until this age. She was severely restricted by her parents. Although there was a matter about her weak body, it probably to hide her from debt collectors, so it could not be helped. In any case, She must get used to walking.

“Here is?”

“Yes, this is where the people gathered in this area are put out for sale”

“So, it’s known as garbage box. Fufu, what a good name.”

[It’s a sensible name. Humans are unexpectedly good at it.]

Peabury slave market. If there were some that were put in a wooden cage, there were also some who got relatively good treatment. Those who are excellent in military force, skill, or knowledge were sold at high price so their treatment was also good. The opposites were obviously treated just like garbage. They were put in a wooden cage in a large amount, their state were more terrible than stray dogs.

War is now occurring frequently, children who lost their parents, wives who lost their husbands, or former nobility who had ruined were gathered in this way. Whether they could get a decent master, it was exactly “only God who knows.”

There are two transaction systems. Compete over for people who were put on auction, or buy it by trading directly with the merchant. Those who were likely to become popular would be put on the auction so the price would naturally jump. Beautiful girls were naturally brought there.

Stella looked at them with great interest. Naturally she was seen suspiciously by the slave market’s guards, but they were convinced after seeing that she was obeyed by Beck. There were quite a lot of stupid nobles who travelling incognito with guard. Stella’s appearance did not look like a noble, but they were convinced that it was possibly done on purpose.

“Humans who are of the same race are sold as goods. They really think about various things. I wonder who the first to think about it?”

[Dunno. Perhaps it was God?]

“That is possible, but unfortunately God didn’t exist. No, perhaps they exist? In the first place, what is God?”

[God is God]

What a stupid answer. Stella suddenly felt uncomfortable. Was Clevar’s brain this poor? In the first place, did it end its speech with such word¹? Was such a noisy thing actually there by her side? If that was the case, would she still feel bored? She felt doubt, but there was no mistake that clevar is clevar. She knew at least that much.

“You, is your brain that poor?”

[Suddenly so cruel]

“I wonder if you became like that because you have lived for a long time? Is it called, heresy?”

[Ukeke! If Master is the one that said that, it has Persuasiveness! Ukekeke!]

“You also laugh a lot”

[I can only laugh]

“By the way, if I did not regain my memory, I wonder if I will be sold here? There is nothing else that a little girl could do beside that.”

She asked Beck.

“U, um, that’s, that’s right. Until now, it is always like that. squeeze until the end, after that just get rid or sell away. It is the usual way of doing things.”

Beck had a bad complexion. He was scared of being scolded again.

“How much is would I be?”

“Um, a brat – I mean a child, if the flesh is bad, it’s about 10 silver coins. Because it also requires food expense to raise them.”

She looked around the cage in the market. Certainly, those with a young age were mostly around 10 silver coins. There was an extra if the appearance was fairly good. Naturally women were more expensive.

“Am I only worth 10 silver coins? It’s cheap”

“… It is probably cheaper. People who seem to have illness can’t be sold. Um, Stella-sama’s complexion is too much. As I said earlier, because it needs money to raise them, It will be a total loss if a person suddenly dies.”

“Fufu, you are so frank, Beck. Well, it may not be a bad experience to enter into a cage for once, maybe I can see a new world.”

[That is just pervert, right?]

“I wonder. You can feel the grief of human, right? It is so sorrowful that it might make me tremble.”

[Ukeke, I always felt sorrowful when I was in the birdcage! Even though I am a Sacred Beast It was terrible! ]

There was no such memory. Its size should not had fit in a birdcage. No, she agreed if that place could be called a birdcage. Stella recognized that place as a tombstone. She thought it was a very accurate expression. What is the grave keeper who should still be there doing now? Since they would never meet again, she was not particularly interested.

“I wonder, Is it still there?”

[Dunno. I do not care about the place that I have finished with.]

“I really envious of that easy-going manner, I wonder if it’s the secret of living longer.”

When Stella praised, it chimed its beak seemed not quite happy.

She looked at the goods appropriately. Men and women of all ages, every slave had eyes that looked like they were dead. They were the same as dead. They even didn’t have the energy to die. She could see it that they felt it was okay if they live while following the flow. She did not think she want much. Even if a similar experience was told, it was not very interesting. Therefore, one person like Beck was enough.

She could not expect it, but she wanted to confirm it just in case.

“Beck, what can you do?”

“Eh, what does that mean?”

“Oh, I am sorry. The question is too vague, I want to hear what you are good at.”

“Um, I am fairly good at collecting debt, and I also often do things like territorial patrols.”

“What about your skill?”

“…. I’m fairly confident in it, but I’m still an underling in the company.”

“Oh.”

Although he seemed to be confident in collecting debt, he had failed when facing Stella. Even if Stella did not exist, He failed at the time when her parents died. He could not collect the money which was the purpose. For the territorial patrol, there was the company’s signboard.

“Can you do the housework? Serving customer? Are you good at accounting?”

“…. I eat at the bar. The laundry is done by the slaves in the company. I have never done something like serving customer or accounting.”

“Oh.”

She could grasp his general ability. He was a typical hoodlum. Threatened the weak by borrowing the power of the organization, and humbled oneself if a stronger person appeared. It would be better not to entrust the housework to him. If that was the case, he was suitable for odd jobs and pseudo-guard for the shop.

Although she felt he was unnecessary, it was a waste to throw him away because he was her first property. She wanted to value a human-like thing like commemoration. Still doing it while knowing it was pointless, really like a human.

“U, um…”

“Well, how much is necessary?”

“Wh, what is it? Is it about the price?”

“The shop manager and my chat companion, and the number of people in charge of general housework. Since I want to keep a healthy condition, I want 5 hours sleep time. The truth is, sleep time is also precious, but I must compromise. Oh yeah, I have to take a nap for my health.

For that, I don’t want to do unnecessary work as much as possible.”

[You are really selfish! You should make your own meal by yourself!]

“You are noisy. To use the next 50 years meaningfully, not just the body, I also have to use my head properly. Since life is short, I will save time spent on housework by paying money. Buy time with money, what a beautiful word.”

Stella waved her hands happily. From now on she would train her body, observe humans, listen to the story, she had to look around. If she got tired of this town, she would move to another place and do the same things again. Then on the way, she would obtain seed and give birth to children.

The wonderful thing about human is its high succession ability. Leaving a living proof is really human.

“Um, You should buy about four or five people. Ma, maybe ….”

Since Beck was obviously just randomly answered, Stella knitted her eyebrows.

“What is the consideration for that answer?”

“Um, no, I just think it should be around that.”

“Stop answering randomly. It’s a waste of time just to wait for answer… though I think that, it cannot be helped because it is proof that you are you. Yeah, indeed it is like you, Beck. You are indeed Beck.”

[You said Beck is Beck about another person; you are truly a cruel Master! Partner, do your best in life, okay?]

“Oh, oh, thanks.”

Beck didn’t understand well. Stella depended on intuition and headed to a nearby cage, she evaluated the goods.

“The first person is, let’s go with this aunt. I do not have any particular reason, but she seems to have many experiences in housework.”

She pointed at a middle-aged woman that had a tired look and an unkempt hair. Her black hair was mixed with gray hair and she looked older than she actually was. The word ‘Marie’ was written on the wooden tag that hung from her neck. The price was also cheap.

“….Eh?”

“You, Marie. I will buy you as Stella Sundry Shop’s manager and as a person in charge of housework. Fufu, for such a little girl to buy a human. Such feeling, what is it called?”

[Ukeke, isn’t it joy?]

“There is also a little of such feeling, but maybe there is also sadness. Such things like that are mixed and gives me a complicated face, right?”

Stella stared at Clevar.

[Is that so? Your face does not say so. You make an exciting face.]

“It should be like that because I say so. Well, Let’s choose about two people first. Which one is it, I want to put important in intuition.”

Next is a man who could do manual labour. She looked for a person whose wavelength is likely to match. There was no man in his prime life who seemed to be useful. Mostly, such people had already been bought for manual labour. There were only boys left. The ones with good looks had already been bought by people with different purpose. The remaining were only the ones that had dirty appearance. So to speak, they were child version of Beck. Their abilities were also obvious. It was okay to give training, but now she wanted something that eye catching and interesting.

“…. Unfortunately lets put the man on hold this time, there really is no one who seems useful. They all just like Beck.”

[Such people are not needed anymore. Even if we do not buy them, they scattered here and there. Money is important.]

“It is as you say.”

“That’s cruel.”

Beck dropped his shoulders.

“Let’s look for people who are at least able to be entrusted with the store.”

Suddenly there was saliva that spitted on her from a boy who wear a shabby tattered clothes. When she turned over there, there was a boy who smiled triumphantly.

“What a great status you have to evaluate people at that age, you damn! Serve you right!”

“This, this brat, what did you do to a customer! I will kill you!”

“Hmph, you all need to go to hell! You scoundrels!”

Unkempt blond hair, body and face covered with dust. The name written on the wooden tag is Leia. 10 silver coins. At first glance there was not much difference from the other slaves. But Stella thought that the rebellious eyes were interesting. It was likely that she could hear a really interesting story.

She wiped the spit with the sleeve, and then pointed at Leia’s cage.

“I decided on this. Hey, you there.”

“Ye, yes. please forgive me this time. I will pay for the rudeness. In addition I will immediately kill this brat. First, I will break both his arms and legs, and then throw him into the river.”

“It is better to die, you pig!”

“You shall do no such things. Since I will buy it after this. The middle-aged woman called Marie in the cage over there, and this Leia, I will buy the two of them. Fufu, as I thought it is immoral. I wonder why a shiver comes to me?”

[Isn’t it because you are a pervert?]

“Uh, what voice is that?”

The slave merchant looked around suspiciously when he heard a dummy voice from above.

“It’s just your imagination. That aside, Let’s quickly finish the transaction.”

“Is it really okay with these people? There are many others that are better, these people are leftovers, even if it is a flattery”

“I said that I have decided, so there is no problem.”

“O, oh. Then, let me give you a service, and for the matter just a moment ago please use the water. Well then, how about this much?”

The life of the middle-aged woman and the dirty boy was really cheap. It was not even worth a jewel. Stella lightly nodded, she chimed her finger and let Beck carry out the payment. A perfect master and servant relationship. Despite being only associated for half a day, Beck’s rebellious heart has almost disappeared. The training seemed to be going well.

“Hehe, thank you very much. If you need something again you can call me any time. I will prepare new goods. I can also introduce to you a younger and more lively men. It may be early but it is also good to train in them various things while young. ”

“When that time comes, I’ll ask you. Well then, everyone, let’s go. Let’s talk about things from now on once we back to the store. I need coffee, my head hurt a little. This pain, it didn’t change even when I have became a human.”

[It’s only Master that drink coffee in that place]

“Coffee can relieve the feeling of boredom, it was the only useful heritage.”

Stella held her temple, while sighing, she started to go back. She took along the flustered Marie, the rebellious Leia, and the blank-eyed Beck.

Author’s Note:

I have corrected all misspellings and read all impressions. I’d like to reply but I don’t have time. I am sorry. But I will do my best in my free time.

Translator’s Note:

[1] Clevar usually end his words with じゃん (jan)

The third chapter of Stella. Sorry for the long wait.

I made a page that show my translation progress if you want to know, Just click on the Translation Progress Menu or click here.

Proofreader’s Note:

The laugh creeps me out ~