Episode 44: A Beastfolk Boy Slave!

"Next up is this article! "

　Two strong male assistants carried in the “next product.”
　It was a young beastfolk boy bound in chains.
　His silvery hair was smooth and made him look young, but even in a place like this, his gaze was sharp, and he glared at the auctioneer as if he were about to strangle him.
　Even so, his ears were slightly quivering, revealing that he was trying to appear strong.

"That's…… a wolf beastfolk child, isn't it……?　Or rather, a person?　E-Ehhh. Do they also engage in human trafficking?　And child trafficking, no less!　That's terrible! "
"He's a slave. There seems to be a story behind it."
"Slave…… slave, huh……?"

　In a way, it's a fantasy, but it's also a bit of a barbaric world. Sure, slavery is possible. There have been plenty of those moments in Earth's history.
　I'm with Fiona, the daughter of a nobleman, so I don't see much of the dark side of this fantasy world, or the problems that come with a less developed civilization, but if anything, this is the reality.

　A chain connected to a large iron weight was attached to his ankle.
　Handcuffs. A collar.
　He is being restrained quite strictly so that he cannot move around. Even though he is a beastfolk, it seems a little excessive for a young boy.

　I glanced at Fiona next to me.
　I came to this world because of the hardware store, but if someone had called out to me at that time and in that place—for example, an explorer—I would have followed them without hesitation.
　In a world where slavery exists, a powerless high school girl like me and an old man who has accepted death.

　Hmm.
　No matter how you look at it, it would have definitely turned into an erotic manga-like scenario. Even if we managed to escape from the lowest level, there's no doubt that I would have continued to be used like a slave.
　It wouldn't have mattered if he wasn't an old man; any man would have been much the same. In a world where only those with special powers can become explorers, I am just an ordinary person without such powers.
　There's no way I could resist.

"……Fiona, I'm really glad I got you."
"Eh, eh, what's this all of a sudden?"
"Nothing, I was just lucky."

　Fiona is a girl of the same age, and she is also the daughter of a nobleman.
　She has a good personality, is cute, strong, sensible, and even has a little power.
　It's entirely thanks to Fiona that I can be so carefree right now.

　While I was thinking about that, the auctioneer continued to describe the “item”.
　Apparently, he was a famous explorer who used to work here at Merry Jane. He belonged to the Silver Wolf Clan and was to become the next leader of his tribe, but he and all of his party members fell into a trap set from the lower layers and were cursed. To pay for the cost of removing the curse, he sold himself into slavery.

　He's quite young, only 13 years old.
　Beastfolk grow quickly, so they have been active here since the age of eight.

"Is it really that expensive to break a curse? "
"If you do it at a temple…… I think the cost of removing a curse is the same as reviving someone, so if it's all the party members, well…………I don't think I could pay that. Unless you've saved up a lot, explorers are the type of people who spend all their money as soon as they get it."

　Well, it's a dangerous job where you risk your life, so it's only natural that you would want to live a life of indulgence. Maybe it's different for people who have dreams for the future, like retiring and opening a shop or something.

"The same cost as reviving them…… That's a pretty big amount."
"They give you an amount that seems like it's right on the edge of what you can afford. So dying is quite risky."

　Of course, dying is a risk in itself. The difference in our values is really striking.

"But that kid is amazing. He was the leader of two parties and was active in the 15th layer."
"Is that amazing? "
"It's not just amazing, it's incredible. Normally, explorers who can go beyond the 10th layer are called advanced, but this means that he has surpassed that by five layers."

　Is 10 layers considered advanced? Our labyrinth was really huge.
　No wonder Papa-san was so eager to take on debt.

　Beastfolk grow quickly and have long youths. They mature slowly as they grow up, reaching their peak around the age of 30. On the other hand, their lifespan is said to be shorter than that of humans.
　Still, it's amazing to be the leader of a group of top explorers at the age of 13. That's a speed that's impossible for humans.

"So, what happens when you buy a slave? "

　No matter how strong your achievements may be, once you become a slave, you have no freedom.
　I can understand that much, but I don't really understand anything beyond that.
　It's easy to imagine that being a female slave wouldn't be much fun, but what about a male slave?

"Hmm, maybe he'll be made into a gladiator. I don't think he'll be used for guard duty."
"Gladiator?　Why can't he be a guard? "
"The rich in this country don't use beastfolk as servants. In his case, well, he's probably not very obedient."

　Is that so?
　He doesn't look that strong, but he's probably pretty powerful since he's an advanced explorer, so he seems like a good choice.

　His eyes are certainly sharp, but it's not common for a leader to sell himself for the sake of his party members.
　I think he's basically a kind kid.

"10,000! "
"14,000! "
"16,000! "

　The bidding began.

　10,000 gol is roughly equivalent to 100 million yen.
　It is difficult to say whether the price is high or low in ethical terms, but at the very least, the buyers must believe that they will get their money's worth.
　If gladiator combat is like horse racing on Earth, then I guess the price is about the same as that of a racehorse.
　It may be inappropriate to compare him to a horse, but from the perspective of those who buy and sell him, I think that's not far off the mark.

"Is this cheap?　Is it expensive? "
"H-Hmm?　I don't really know the price of slaves either. But I don't think it's cheap. Only a handful of people can become advanced explorers."
"You're at the intermediate level, right? "
"Right now, yes. If I had been blessed with good party members, I could have become an advanced rank……most likely."

　Fiona says so, but I honestly doubt that she could have become an advanced explorer with a mentality that relied on illegal herbs.
　Her abilities are quite rare, as she has both Warrior's Blessing and magical talent, so she may be considered an advanced character in a game.

"Fuumu. Excuse me, Fiona, Evans-san. So, the magic stone from earlier has already been sold, right?　If we have enough money, can I bid on that beastfolk child? "
"Ehhhhhhh, why⁉"
"If he’s a slave, he’ll keep our secrets, right?　Our treatment isn't bad, and if he's strong, he can become a bodyguard for me and Fiona. Above all, we need more manpower."

　I think it is a good idea.
　Buying a slave feels a little creepy, but if I didn't bid on him, he would have been forced to become a gladiator and fight to the death, so it's better for him to work for me.

　More than anything, isn't it just plain sad that such a small child is being forced into slavery and made to fight?
　Also, we have plenty of dog shampoo to spare.

　After confirming with Evans-san, I got permission to spend up to 30,000.

"20,000! "
"Oh no, an unexpected rival has appeared!　Number 36 has placed a bid of 20,000!　Do I hear 21,000? 21,000!? "

　It seemed like the price had already reached its limit, so I was then able to win the bid with 22,000.
　Reliable labor and security GET!

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