Episode 18

Today I taught in the Basic B class. There's a particularly bright child there. Her name is Emi Wellington, the granddaughter of the Principal. She's incredibly charming... um, I might compare her appearance to Aira.

In terms of comprehension, there's a resemblance, though this B class is calmer while class A is more lively.

As they are still children, I employ singing as a method to remember the Alphabet and numbers. I find this to be the best approach. Not only is it memorable, but it also allows them to enjoy the lessons. After class, I handed out lollipops to all of them. I hope they remain as diligent as they are now.

After finishing teaching, myself, Alice, Aira, and Airel strolled toward the mansion. I still had to deal with purchasing of slaves and later that afternoon, I needed to visit the school to meet with Hendrick along with Riese. I began to ask Alice, Aira, and Airel about their day.

"How were your lessons today? Did you have fun?"

"Uh-huh, it was really fun, Uncle!"

"Yes, Uncle, we had a running race. It was so enjoyable."

"Yeah, Uncle, I fell down but I didn't cry, and Miss Ela praised me for being strong."

Alice, Airel, and Aira relayed their experiences in turn.

Hmm, it seems Eleanor uses racing as a method to teach physical exercises. That's quite good as it naturally prompts them to give their best without feeling pressured.

We chatted all the way to the mansion, and then they promptly changed clothes and sat down for the lunch I had prepared. I had made it in the morning but it stayed warm because I stored it in a thermal box.

After eating, I took the children with me to buy the slaves. Ah, why involve the children? I hoped that they could choose someone they liked to look after them. Above all, I wanted a slave who understood how to handle children.

We arrived at the largest slave shop in the capital.

"Vincent's Slave Store"

Those words hung on a large wooden sign above the entrance.

"Come on, everybody, let's go inside."

"Oooohhhh."

As we entered,

"Welcome to Vincent's Slave Store, what kind of slave are you looking for?"

Whoa, is this really a slave shop? It felt more like a showroom than a slave market.

"Ah, I'm looking to purchase slaves for various tasks."

"Could I know the specific traits you're seeking? But first, let me introduce myself. I'm Otto, a receptionist here at Vincent's Slave Store."

"Hello, I'm Martin."

He had a style similar to mine back in the days. Nostalgic indeed. A salesman must always smile when pitching a sale.

"Well then, Mr. Martin, what kind of slaves do you desire?"

"I need a receptionist and a store attendant, then a housemaid, a cook, and a guard."

"Mm, I see. I would suggest purchasing a war slave as a guard, an indebted one for receptionist and store service, and a family-sold slave for housekeeping and cooking."

"Alright, may we take a look around?"

"Of course, I'll guide you."

He led us to a basement that resembled an opera house stage. Shortly after, several slaves were brought out. They lined up neatly and were introduced.

Ah, I should mention to you, my Appraisal skill turns out to have a function beyond just seeing one advantage. It isn't limited to a person's condition; it allows me to discern one of their skills, if I desire.

I intended to use my appraisal to glimpse their dispositions. I didn't need to assess their skills directly since Otto would provide that information from a thick, imageless slave catalog due to the expensive cost of portraits.

Alice, Aira, Airel, and I sat watching.

"Alright, Mr. Martin, here is the war slave I mentioned, starting from the right is x, x, x..."

He introduced them one by one. Most of the war slaves, as I observed, had a ferocious nature, so I opted not to choose any. Could this mean Bruno is rare?

After a while, someone grabbed my attention.

"From the right are Mina, Rio, Alein, Broli, and Rossa."

Mina and Rio, a couple, Broli and Rossa were partners, and Alein was their group's leader.

"Are they a party? How did they become slaves?"

"Yes, as you can see, they were a party who became slaves due to their military duties in the Nidel Kingdom. After losing the war to our kingdom, Mazica, they were taken as war prisoners. The Nidel Kingdom only ransomed their knights and nobles. These individuals had no family to redeem them."

From what I gathered, they had the equivalent abilities of C-rank adventurers and decent character traits. They seemed suitable for security duties.

"How much are they?"

"Each costs 200 gold coins, but they come with a condition. They will only be sold together, or else they would rather not be sold."

Ah, that explains why they hadn't sold until now. For a merchant, a single platinum is substantial, except to me, of course.

"What do you think, children?"

"Um, I think it's fine, Uncle."

"Yes, they seem nice."

"I agree, Uncle."

It sounded unanimous. I then asked their leader, Alein.

"Would you have any objection to serving as house guards?"

"We have no objection, so long as we stay together, Sir."

"Alright then, Otto, I'll take them."

"Ah, thank you for your trust, sir."

Next came the indebted slave and the one sold by their family.

There stood a beautiful Elf, comparable to Alicia. How did she end up as a slave?

"Now, sir, these are the slaves from debt and those sold. On the far right are Sion, then Nina, Cindy, Morgan, and Artur."

I perused Sion's profile. He was a half-elf sold by his parents due to financial strains. He was resold after being accused of stealing from his master. I used my appraisal skill for additional truth, and it was recorded that he was blamed by his master because he refused to have intimate relations.

That's how it is, then—abuse of power.

"I'll take him."

"Eh~Are you certain?"

"Yes, is that a problem?"

"No, it's just that he has a tarnished record."

"That's alright."

Sion looked at me in disbelief. He was probably astonished that someone still wanted him despite his tarnished record. It seems he's been in and out of the slave shop, likely because buyers were only after his body.

Following that, I also purchased a beastman woman named Rinze. She was a former merchant who failed after the war, despite having taken out a large loan for her business.

With that, I had acquired all the slaves I wanted. Ah, as for cooking, I could leave that to Sion according to his status info.

After making the purchases, I gathered them together.

"Well, as we will be working together going forward, I hope you can all deliver your best. You can now come with me to your new accommodation."

I took them to the Merchant's Guild, and together with Millia, we headed for the house I was about to buy.

"Mr. Martin, this is the house, what do you think?"

It was a large building, more like an inn than a house.

"Hmm, it's very nice, though a bit aged, but that's not a problem. How much is it, Millia?"

"It's priced at 2 platinum coins."

"Yeah, that's fair given it's outside the city center but not too far either, and it's quite spacious. It used to be an inn, right?"

"Ah, correct sir, it was the former Violet Inn."

"Alright then, I'll take this house."

"Thank you, sir."