Chapter 15 (2/2)

“Anise is more of a city. I’ll show you around when we go back.”

Chatting while shopping around, Serge obtained various magic books that he’d been looking for.

Though Ria didn’t buy any katanas, she did buy some throwing daggers.

“As expected, there’s no choice but to tell the process of making a j.a.panese sword to a dwarf huh?”

“Nee-chan, you know how to make j.a.panese swords?”

“Though I never did it myself, I know the method. Well, there’ll probably be something lost in the process of me explaining it.”

After that, Ria began to talk about how to make j.a.panese swords. Though he was a bit amazed, Serge chimed in some words.

They bought meat skewers at a street stall and ate while walking. The two people walked to the plaza eating festival nori, seeing it by chance. [TN: Nori = Seaweed. No clue what festival nori is, though.]

“Geh.”

“A slave city? Though Casalia also has slavery, it was done diligently…”

Criminal slaves, meaning debt slaves, still had some human rights. Casalia was such a country.

However, the slaves in Shashmeer weren’t treated like humans. They were treated like items.

Slaves covered in dust, covered in blood, dressed in sc.r.a.ps, were up on the stage.

For the two with modern j.a.panese values, it was hard to face.

“Is Casalia like this too?”

“No, Casalia diligently decides the prices of slaves. It doesn’t do things like auctions, and they are paid salaries too. If they are badly injured, it would be treated like an injury generally would be.”

A manly battle slave. A seductive colored slave. Bids came in one after another.

“Nee-chan, let’s go. This is in bad taste.”

“Yeah.”

Then, another slave was exhibited late.

“Okay, the next slave is a female cat beastkin, twelve years old. It has experience in the labyrinth, and is a bargain with its Fairy Eyes!”

Put onto the dais, the small cat beastkin was despondent.

Her whole body was covered with black hair. With golden eyes.

The auction began at twelve gold coins, immediately raising to fifteen.

Ah. That cat is-

“Sixteen!”

Among the men with deep voices, Ria’s voice resounded.

The crowd’s eyes gathered on her. While Ria stared directly at the slave, Serge was contrastingly frightened, saying “Awa awa”.

The black cat, it wasn’t something to own. It was an elegant, cunning, and fearless feral cat.

It was a cat with golden eyes and black fur.

In the end, Ria made the successful bid for the slave at twenty gold coins.

“Then, perform the slave contract.”

While rubbing his hands together, the merchant smiled.

With her entire attention, Ria observed the cat beastkin who’d become her slave.

Her fur was messy, and had a scar on one ear. Her eyes lacked strength, looking downwards. Her whiskers drooped.

“No, I’ll take her as is and go.”

“Huh? No, then there’s the danger of escaping…”

“It’s fine. Your name?”

For the first time, the cat beastkin looked up.

Though Serge couldn’t tell the age of beastkin, he could still tell she was young.

Her expression was colored in puzzlement. For someone that was treated as a slave, her doubt was natural.

She said that she would take a slave without contracting it. If it’s like that wouldn’t it be able to run away?

“Your name. Do you understand me?”

She stretched out her hand, causing the beastkin to tremble. However, Ria’s hand surprisingly just gently stroked her head.

She didn’t mind the dirt nor the smell.

Before long, the beastkin raised her face and looked at Ria.

“Maal.”

“I’m Ria. Pleased to meet you.”

Serge heard it for the first time ever–Ria’s most gentle voice.

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