Volume 3 Chapter 22 (1/2)
Chapter 22 Misunderstanding
Lute, age 11.
h.e.l.lo, this is Lute, formerly Hotta Youta.
I got carried away and became an adventurer all by myself, then got tricked and was sold as a slave. Tehe~☆
And now, a man who would be the one to purchase me was right in front of my eyes.
But he’s not just any man.
He was wearing clothes worn by n.o.blemen I saw at the Fairy Human Continent, but he was unusually tall. Easily two and a half meters.
Furthermore, he had well-developed muscles like a bodybuilder, also, his skin was black.
Even now, his clothes looked like they’re about to burst apart, he had a overflowing beard, lips that were thick like a cod roe, bushy eyebrows and golden hair was combed in a ‘all back’ manner.
This muscled monster man looks to be my potential buyer.
I tightened my a.s.s.
Ah, my chast.i.ty is in danger!?
(…. Hey!? Now is not the time for escapism! Besides, he’s only my “potential” buyer! It’s quite possible he’ll refuse!)
While silently praying “refuse, refuse”, I observed the conversation between Rano Slave House manager Rano and the muscled daruma.
ED: gender is indeterminate when referring to lute for a reason
“It’s become thin after a long journey, but there is no problem whatsoever with it’s health.”
“The skin certainly looks healthy. I don’t think there’s any worry about sickness, either!”
“Of course. This company always aims to provide the best of goods. It’s age is 11. It’s gender—.”
“All right, I’ll buy it! 350 gold coins, right!”
(That was fast!)
The price is also 50 gold coins higher than expected.
Rano probably intended to overcharge, and force a sale by making a discount at the appropriate moment.
But, to the one who was making snap decisions, he raised his voice to stop him.
“U, uhh, there are still things I need to explain.”
“Hahahahaha! Since he’s one that you recommended, there shouldn’t be a problem! You just take the money from this pouch!”
The muscled daruma laughed heartily and handed over a leather bag full of gold to Rano.
“T, thank you very much m’lord count. I’ve prepared the contract, so please look over it and if there are no problems, please sign at the bottom.”
“Uh huh.”
The muscled daruma received the contract, sat in a sofa opposite of me, and ran his eyes over the contract.
Meanwhile, Rano took 350 gold coins from the pouch handed to him.
The muscled daruma finished reading the contract and finally put down his signature.
Rano confirmed the contract and gave a deep bow.
“Thank you very much for your purchase, m’lord count”
“As am I, for the excellent goods! Tell me if you come across good slaves again!”
“As you wish, m’lord will be notified first whenever I do so.”
As muscled daruma finished his handshake with Rano, he turned to me and offered his hand.
“Best regards from now on, Lute! I am Count Dan Gate Vlad! Of the honourable rulers of the night, the Vampire Race!”
“N, nice to meet you. M’lord count…… I am Lute, a human.”
“Don’t be so tense! Hahahahahahaha!”
“Ha, hahahaha……”
My hand was grasped with a strength that made me think it had gotten crushed.
It looks like it was normal power for him, even Rano’s hand was red.
“Well then, I will perform a temporary contract.”
Rano took something that looked like a rectangular seal from his desk.
He pressed that thing on my right shoulder.
“-Ksst!?”
It felt like I was p.r.i.c.ked with countless needles.
When the seal was removed, a tattoo-looking magic crest was left on my shoulder.
“With this, the temporary servant contract is complete. If a proper contract is not made within 5 days, it will be voided and his rights will be transferred over back to us. Please keep in mind that we cannot make a full repayment if that happens. We will give you a backup contract and contract seal together with Lute.
“Then I’ll leave it to you. Since I’ll be heading back, you can send him over once the preparations are complete!”
“Certainly. We’ve been greatly helped by the Count this time, so we’ll include some goods free of charge. Please look forward to it at your mansion.”
“Hahahahahaha! I’ll be looking forward to it! Well then Lute! See you later at my mansion!”
The Count left with laughter.
The pressure in the room immediately dropped.
I asked Rano while rubbing my shoulder.
“U, um, what’s a provisional contract?”
“It’s a contract temporarily created to prevent claims like ‘They died soon after buying them!’, or ‘I was cheated!’. You see, sometimes there are slave traders that misrepresent the slaves’ health or life span. Ordinarily, the curse mark will be affixed on the same day as the contract agreement, so even if I don’t worry about it, it’ll be OK.
So a warranty period or cooling off time.
“These are the service goods for the Count and farewell gifts for Lute from me. You can put it on tonight after the contract is signed. It’s important to leave a good impression after all, even if just a little.”
I was given a paper bag.
When I looked inside—there was a black bikini thong, garter belt, and bra inside.
As I thought, I was bought for that purpose…….
With my face turning blue in despair, I thanked Rano for now.
“……Thank you very much.”
I was currently in the bas.e.m.e.nt.
I took a bath and changed for newly-washed clothes.
I was taken to the dining hall, where food had been prepared.
It takes half a day to get the count’s mansion by carriage, so it’s recommended to depart by noon.
Of course, in my despair I had lost all appet.i.te.
The bean soup that was usually rather delicious now tasted like drinking muddy water.
I said my farewells to the old lady at the dining hall and everyone, then went up the stairs.
A coach had already been prepared in front of the bas.e.m.e.nt door, and Obukhov and the soldier that led me up to the 5th floor reception room were already on alert.
“I’ll release your cuffs before you get on the coach.”
Obukhov took a bunch of keys and released the shackles on my hands and feet.
I thought that this might be my chance, but the magic prevention choker was not taken off.
The other soldier gripped my shoulder hard, so it’s impossible to force my way out. I obediently did as they say.
The coach, of course, had steel grates. It was a small coach for 4 people.
It was locked from outside and cannot be opened from the inside.
Obukhov and the soldier rode at the driver’s seat, and used a whip on the two horned horses.
The coach I was placed on slowly started moving.
After being shaken for half a day since before noon, we arrived at the Count’s castle.
The castle was made of stone, it was rather high but also wide. The castle walls were so high that I needed to look up to see the top, it felt as though ivy had been growing there for many years. There was also this tower that gave off a feeling that a princess was held captive within.
It was indeed a castle for vampires to live in.
We pa.s.sed through the gate and went through a long garden.
There was a large water fountain right in the middle of the road, water sprayed out beautifully from calculated points.
The coach circled around the water fountain and continued.
As the coach reached the front door, I was brought down.
There were two figures at the front door.
One of them was an old man wearing a tailcoat.
He was short in stature, about the same as me, who was a child. Two curved horns grew out from underneath his gray hair, and there were hooves like on a goat or a sheep on the tips of his toes that popped out of his trousers.
There was an almost 2 meter tall beastman standing beside him.
From the looks of him, he was like a wolf that walked on two legs.
One of his ears was torn off, …His furry body was forged from such intense training, that an intense physique that had all its extraneous fats stripped away from his body, was revealed. His face and body had numerous scars that couldn’t be hidden. wheee
Obukhov let me down from the coach.
“We brought the human Lute, a slave bought by Count Dan Gate Vlad from the Rano Slave House. These are the copies of the contract doc.u.ments and the seal used for the actual contract. Please confirm.”
“We’ve been waiting for you. Well then, excuse me―no problem. Thank you for the delivery baa~.”
The old man wearing tailcoats took the doc.u.ments and said his thanks.
Obukhov and the soldier bowed their heads, boarded the coach, and went back the way we came.
I, who was left alone, gazed uneasily at the two.
The first one to talk was the old man.
“Nice to meet you Lute. My name is Merry, from the Demon Race, Sheepman clan, working at the Vlad house as head butler. If there’s something you don’t understand, don’t hesitate to tell me baa~.”
“L, looking forward to working with you.”
I shook his hand that was presented to me.
His name is Merry because he’s a sheep, and he attaches “baa~” at the end of his sentences…… so simple.
“This is the head of the guards in charge of the defense of this castle, Gigi, of the beast race, wolf clan. He was formerly a slave, so if anything troubles you, feel free to consult with him baa~.”
“… … … …”
“L, looking forward to working with you.”
I gave Gigi a bow and he twitched his nose 2, 3 times and silently nodded.