CH 85

“We are off.”

Leila and the others have gotten their equipment in order, and are ready to leave the mansion early in the morning.

Dan keeps grumbling with a concerned look on his face until the very last second, but Yor ignores him. Loux and Yuri only say goodbye, and then silently watch her leave.

Leila and the others ended up accepting a joint hunting quest, so they’re going to be spending the night there. They’re also happy about not having to walk to their destination, because apparently a wagon was arranged for them.

The advent festival is in five days. Mia says she is going back the day before, so it’s natural that she feels sad about this daily life ending so soon.

I’m about to go help her practice using magic energy again, but Dan stops me. I’m surprised, and wonder if it’s related to what we talked about yesterday.

“My daughter tells me you have highly effective potions. Will you let us have some?”

“Isn’t holy magic enough for the church?”

I ask because I figure having a lot of holy magic users should mean that potions aren’t needed, but I’m told that their reliance on holy magic actually means they want to keep some potions just in case.

I tell him how much I got for them at that item shop, and he buys them from me at a relatively high price. At first I’m a bit suspicious, but I’m told that’s just how much they’re worth to them.

It seems the church actually bought some potions from that item shop, were surprised by their effect, and want to keep some more stocked up. Apparently it was Yuri who told them those potions came from me. Although I don’t really need the speech about how proud he is of his daughter.

And apparently Yuri heard about it from Hikari.

In total they buy fifty healing, mana, and stamina potions, for seventy gold coins.

“That’s quite a bit of money.”

“You were going to buy a slave, correct?”

I whisper something without thinking, and Dan responds with a cold look in his eyes.

“I need someone to guard us while we’re on the road. I want a wagon too, since I’m going to go around selling things, but first I need a private guard, right?”

“That is true, you never know what might happen on the road. You need to watch out for not only monsters, but also bandits.”

“Yes. Ah, if I do buy a slave, would it be a bad idea to bring her along?”

“…No, as long as she is taught manners.”

It’s a bit late to be asking this, considering Hikari is here.

“There won’t be any problem as long as she doesn’t do anything bad for my children’s education.”

He emphasizes again.

I hand him the potions and take the money that he apparently prepared beforehand.

After helping Mia practice controlling her magic energy, I tell her I’m going to a slaver, and she looks at me like I’m trash. But keeping quiet wouldn’t do me any good anyway, because she would find out sooner or later.

I tell her I’m thinking of leaving Hikari here with her, but she says she’s going.

I’m reluctant to take her with me, but she doesn’t budge, so I end up relenting. I’m afraid that she’ll run off somewhere on her own too.

“So why are you buying a slave? Is it another special slave?”

Even in this country, where slavery is frowned upon, special slaves are seen as different. But sadly, it’s not a special slave I’m after.

She’s a war slave, but I guess if she’s going to buy herself back, would that make her a debt slave?

“Probably a debt slave? My goal is to find a guard. I don’t have any dirty ulterior motives in mind, you know?”

I say this for the sake of my honor… I can’t say I’m not at all interested in anything else but… I can’t say that out loud.

“I’ve never been to a slaver before.”

I guess that’s not the sort of place a ‘normal’ person would visit.

“Master, are you buying that one slave?”

“Yes, that’s the plan.”

“…That person is dangerous. You shouldn’t.”

She probably feels that way because of the hostility she felt when we saw her. I guess that’s worrying for Hikari.

“It’s all right. Leave it to me.”

I don’t know exactly what she’s supposed to ‘leave to me’, but I say that and pat her head to reassure her.

“Is that slave dangerous?”

Mia adds fuel to the fire.

“It’s fine it’s fine. The contract will make it so she can’t turn against her master.”

Although apparently there are loopholes.

“Oh, and I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but you’re a saint, uh Mia?”

“I am.”

“Doesn’t that make you famous? It’s strange how no one seems to notice you walking around.”

“Ah, I’m like you. I usually wear a mask, so people don’t really know what I look like. But you’re still weird for wearing it inside the house.”

That sounds awful, but understandable. Mia just looks like a regular cute girl if you don’t know what the saint looks like.

“You’re wrong, master is cool.”

Is she complimenting my mask now? At first, Hikari kept saying it was suspicious. I guess she’s used to seeing it by now.

We keep chatting until we reach the area where the slaver is. There’s a pleasure quarter nearby, and we see women with provocative outfits heading home here and there. Mia’s face turns bright red when she sees them, and looks at me with contempt for some reason.

What’s that got to do with me?

I suffer some emotional damage, but pretend not to notice her eyes as I open the door to the slaver.

Drett looks surprised to see me, but quickly puts on his salesman smile and starts talking to me. What a pro.

“I want to buy that slave.”

I tell him what I want, and he takes us to the room we were before.