Chapter 14 (1/2)
“Ooohh, I thought the number was low this time, but aren’t they just marvelous!”
In front of me, a fat man quivered with his hands spread.
Even though it was my first time seeing him, he had to be the current city lord of Telaberan, Guibenague.
Honestly, I was deeply amazed by how much he looked the way I pictured him.
The word ‘greasy’ fit him like a glove, with his fat figure and receding hairline.
Clad in excessively gaudy clothes, his neck, his arms, his every finger dripped with extravagant accessories that exceeded the bounds of good taste. He was the very picture of nouveau riche, completely succ.u.mbing to the draw of finery.
Though I was sure the man himself had no idea at all.
“Hoohoohoohoo.”
Hooting like an owl, Guibenague breathed wildly through his nose as he came closer to us. He caught my chin in those pudgy fingers and forced me to face him.
I wanted to resist, but by the time those two hands came for me, I was already cuffed and chained.
His glittering eyes drew close.
Involuntarily, the urge to kick him in the groin ran through me, but I quashed it with some effort. It wouldn’t be hard to do it. But then we wouldn’t be able to complete our objective.
Instead, I swore by every power I knew that I would absolutely beat him to death.
(Big Sister, you have to endure~~~!)
As a result of my fervent wis.h.i.+ng, it seemed that those thoughts leaked out. Beside me, Aira cautioned me with a pale face.
(I know, d.a.m.n it.)
While I struggled to keep my emotions from my face, I let myself be manhandled. 1 Guibenague turned my face left and right, appraising me with a satisfied look.
His face was close. His breathing was rough. His breath stunk.
“Mmm~! The prettiest woman I’ve seen in a long time, no, that I’ve ever seen. Why, I could even say she’s a miracle! The body is still immature, but it’s more than enough.”
“Much obliged.”
I could hear slaver boss Vyde’s voice from behind him.
Not that it counted for squat right now, but knowing there was an ally nearby — sort of — calmed me down a little.
Meanwhile, Guibenague’s hands were touching my shoulders, chest, waist, b.u.t.t, and legs, in that order.
“~~~–!”
Every touch fanned the flames of my rage to new heights.
It was the first time my body had been touched like this. And by a man, to boot. All I could feel was disgust.
The impulse to twist his arms off immediately ran through me, but nevertheless, I managed to force it back.
(I’ll kill him! Kill him! Kill him!)
(Big Sister, you can’t!)
(Patience.)
“Good. The other two are high enough quality, so shall we say one-fifty this time?”
Perhaps satisfied after forcing me to endure his inspection until my guts were twisted in knots, Guibenague moved his gaze to Aira and Palmira, before he turned his back to us as he spoke.
One-fifty. This is just too rich. It was exactly the amount we’d be compensated for this.
In other words, the sum that left me stunned at first was surprisingly appropriate. That clearly showed me just how different a n.o.ble’s sense of money was from a commoner’s.
“Much obliged.”
Vyde’s voice came from behind him again.
‘His limited vocabulary is the actual reason he got this role, right?’ I thought, for some reason.
–
–
Once we were on board, the carriage didn’t waste a moment before easily rolling through the gate, cutting through the city to the Lord’s mansion.
Well, to the extent that a windowless wagon could be considered a carriage. Shaking from side to side, I had to content myself with speculating about the noises leaking in from outside.
But the door opened and we were taken outside. It didn’t take me long to realize that, as I expected, we were in the Lord’s mansion.
We emerged into a dimly-lit place, but in the room we were then shuffled off to, I could hear Irene’s voice loud and clear.
It seemed like she was using a tracer to accurately determine our position. That’s a relief.
The route used to bring in the slaves appeared to be in the mansion. Vyde and two men, probably from the Lord’s private army, led us through a pa.s.sageway invisible to the outside.
Then, at last, we arrived at the other end. In the room we entered, a man that seemed to be Guibenague was already waiting there as if impatient to get started.
Well, he was.
“Nevertheless, eheeheehee, what fine goods, no? This time fortune truly smiled upon me.”
Once Vyde was made to leave, it was just us, Guibenague, and his two private soldiers left in the room as we went through another round of evaluation.
Or rather, it was pretty much just me, with heartfelt unwillingness.
Considering Aira and Palmira would be spared, it was alright like this, but my feelings were all jumbled up.
(…Still, I’m a bit displeased.)
(Me too.)
Feeling dissatisfied by something, the two of them looked at me, along with the excited Guibenague.
It wasn’t like their feelings were a complete mystery to me, but since this wasn’t especially my idea of a good time, I’d like it if they pardoned me.
Frankly, I was starting to feel fine with the idea of switching out.
“This time, the client should be pleased as well. Now then, please take them to the usual room… you mustn’t injure them, understand?”
“Yes sir!”
Client?
After giving his instructions, Guibenague separated from me with a slightly regretful expression.
His two lackeys came to stand in front of us. After saying [Come along] without any emotion, they started walking.
After hesitating slightly, we followed after them.
We’d probably be able to meet up with the other slaves, right? Once we did that, our job should be over.
(Irene, Irene, can you hear me?)
As we exited the room and walk down the dim corridor again, I called out to Irene.
(…Chrissy. Did you make it through okay?)
At which point I got an instant reply from her. She must’ve been on standby.
Thank G.o.d things are going properly, more or less.
(No problem. Stop calling me Chrissy. For now, we’ve started moving. Can you pinpoint our location?)
(Uh-huh, uh-huh, okay. I can confirm that you are still in the mansion!)
I didn’t really understand how she could confirm that, but it seemed like she could keep track of us just fine.
But how accurately? Could she figure out even what part of the mansion we were in?
…Well, worrying about it now wouldn’t solve anything. I’d just have to put my faith in her.
(For now, if we can meet up with the other slaves, we’ll get in touch again.)
(Okay, got it.)
I terminated the conversation on my end. At the moment, we were doing fine.
At exactly which point, we ran into a downward flight of stairs. The soldier leading us began to descend.
So it was underground after all? When I hesitated, the soldier at the rear moved forward and said [Get going. Hurry up.]
Feeling that I didn’t have any other options, I took the stone stairs down step by step.
Unlike the orderly pa.s.sageway we’d been in until now, these stairs were roughly hewn, and increasingly so as we went on.
Though the candles here and there offered some light, it wasn’t enough. Our footing was rather unreliable.
How should I put it, there was something in the air.
(Scary…)
Aira’s thoughts flowed over. She was right. Even I found it eerie.
About three stories down, we hit a door.
It wasn’t iron, but completely utilitarian wood. It was stained in places, giving off an extremely unnerving atmosphere.
The guide soldier took out a key, unlocking it with a loud gachunk.
Then, he pushed it open with a heavy sound.
“Go in.”
The guide stood there, prodding us inside. This is the last stop, huh? If we go inside, we can’t escape, huh?
After the expected moment of serious doubt, I steeled myself and went through the door.
(……–!)
It was — a torture chamber.