冈本aPP安装

As I wandered through the shopping district, I saw many products, both familiar and unfamiliar. There were many items, like fruits, that I had already seen imported in Shaalta, but it was still refreshing to see them displayed in the shops.

“Oh?” (Yuri)

I noticed some unusual items in the back of a particular store. I opened the door and went inside.

“Shopkeeper.” (Yuri)

“…What is it?” (Shopkeeper)

A grumpy old shopkeeper with glasses muttered while reading a book. It seemed that he wasn’t very interested in customer service, perhaps because he had a fixed clientele.

“This is an ivory shop, right?” (Yuri)

“It’s not just ivory. We also deal in precious woods.” (Shopkeeper)

“What do you mean by precious woods?” (Yuri)

“Ebony, for example.” (Shopkeeper)

‘Ebony, huh? It has a nice ring to it.’

“Alright, give me the largest ivory piece you have. And show me the ebony as well.” (Yuri)

“…Are you some errand boy from somewhere? These aren’t things a child can afford.” (Shopkeeper)

‘Well, Shanti people do look young.’

“If I have the money, does it matter?” (Yuri)

I thumped a bag full of this country’s gold coins onto the table. Lilica had exchanged the money and placed it in the Hou Company’s office safe.

“…Who are you?” (Shopkeeper)

“It doesn’t matter. I’m just buying some souvenirs from my homeland.” (Yuri)

“Well, if you can pay, you’re a customer.” (Shopkeeper)

The old shopkeeper got up, tapped himself on the back, and went to the back of the store. He returned with a piece of ivory which he placed on the table. Without saying a word, he went back and brought out a plank of ebony.

The finely textured black plank didn’t have the artificial blackness of painted wood but was naturally dark. Despite being just a plank, its color alone evoked a somewhat exotic atmosphere. The mere sight of it conveyed a special quality that set it apart from an ordinary plank. As I looked at it, an idea suddenly came to mind.

“This is the largest piece of ivory, and this one is ebony. Are you buying them?” (Shopkeeper)

‘Well, the ivory should do. The Rube Household doesn’t seem to have an ivory horn. However, if I use this to make a horn, it might end up larger than the ones from the Hou Household. It’s a bit irksome, but there’s no point in getting hung up on that.

“What sizes do you have for the ebony?” (Yuri)

“What are you planning to make?” (Shopkeeper)

“A large desk.” (Yuri)

‘It’s for my office desk.’

“A desk…? The entire thing out of ebony?” (Shopkeeper)

“Can I try holding it?” (Yuri)

The shopkeeper silently extended his hand in permission, so I picked up the ebony plank. It was incredibly heavy, making me wonder if it was really wood.

“This would make the drawers too heavy. It’s probably best to use it just for the desktop.” (Yuri)

‘Since the desk would be a daily tool, it wouldn’t be practical if it was too heavy, no matter how luxurious. I placed the ebony plank back on the table.’

“For a desk, rosewood might be better. I’ll bring it over.” (Shopkeeper)

The shopkeeper went to the back again and returned with another piece of wood.

“This one is said to have a pleasant fragrance. It’s sufficiently hard and lighter than ebony. Try holding it.” (Shopkeeper)

I accepted the slightly reddish wood. It was indeed lighter, and when I brought it close to my nose, I detected a faint floral scent.

“Both ebony and rosewood are sold in logs. For a desktop, you should take several planks from the middle of the log and use the remaining ends for the legs and columns. That’s how furniture is usually made.” (Shopkeeper)

“I see.” (Yuri)

“So, are you buying? One piece of the finest ivory and one piece of precious wood for a desk are not enough.” (Shopkeeper)

The shopkeeper turned the bag of gold coins upside down, spilling them onto the table with a clatter.

“Of course. Will this be enough?” (Yuri)

I placed another bag of gold coins on the table.

“I’m impressed.”

The shopkeeper raised both hands in surrender.

“Have the goods delivered to Pier 12 by tomorrow. Make sure you carefully select the items so that they match the color scheme. It’s for the desk I’ll present to our Grand Vizier.” (Yuri)

“Understood.”

“And if you know a good ivory craftsman, please recommend them to me.” (Yuri)

‘Gold and silver work can be found in Sjaalta, but I would have preferred ivory work if possible. Shaalta does not have access to ivory, nor do they have any craftsmen, so these ornaments are exotic and make great souvenirs.’

“Hmm… It depends on whether you want a relief or an ornament.”

“An ornament.” (Yuri)

‘It’s a souvenir for Lily-san, after all. For Shamu, something different would be more suitable.’

“In that case, Kirell’s shop just straight down this street is excellent. Look for the sign with an elephant on it.”

“Got it. Thank you.” (Yuri)

“Please come again.”

With an expression suggesting he welcomed good-paying customers, the shopkeeper bowed generously with full of hospitality.

—

I decided to buy several souvenirs and planned to wander until around three in the afternoon. Continuing aimlessly in one direction, I passed through upscale residential and shopping districts until the quality of the buildings gradually declined. Finding nothing interesting, I contemplated turning back and changing my route. Moving sideways into another block and retracing my steps, I noticed a sign that read “Slave Market.”

‘A slave market. What a grim sound. ‘

It was my first time seeing one in my life. A slave market. It wasn’t an open market like I imagined but rather seemed to be confined within a single building. A large gate marked the entrance, set into a plain stone structure with minimal decoration, just windows fitted with iron grilles. The gate was open, and a guard armed with a weapon stood vigilantly.

Just to test it out, I walked in confidently as if I was a customer, and I wasn’t reprimanded at all. Perhaps their job was not to keep out those entering, but to keep out those leaving, in other words, to close the gate and catch slaves who tried to escape. As I ventured deeper inside, the occupants were all shady-looking men.

I too had my face concealed and looked suspicious enough, but apparently, I was on the more respectable end of the spectrum here. There were plenty of shady characters around. Ironically, being too normal might draw suspicion.

With that in mind, I went further in and suddenly the space opened up. There was an atrium in the center of the building, and a raised platform was located slightly off-center. Indeed, this was a slave market.

A Kuran woman stood naked on the platform, being put up for sale—or rather, for auction. She seemed embarrassed under the scrutiny, attempting to cover her groin and chest, and turning her face away. However, whenever she tried, a stick would push her hand away, ensuring her face was clearly visible.

‘Hmm.’

The auctioneer shouted the price loudly.

“10000!”

“10000! 10000! 10000! Any takers?”

It seemed they used hand gestures to indicate their willingness to bid.

“13000! 13000! 13000! Any takers?”

‘13,000 is probably the amount in local currency, Epi. Indeed, she is a beautiful woman, but that is quite a price. I heard that 1 Epi was about 8 Lugas, so 13,000 Epi would amount to the annual salary of a mid-level Hou Household official. For an ordinary laborer, it might be equivalent to about 10 years’ worth of earnings. Well, there are certainly differences in cost of living, though.’

“Any takers? Any takers? 13,000!”

It seemed to be their culture; once the price was settled, the auctioneer banged a hammer on the stand like a judge. He scribbled something on the papers in front of him, probably noting down the buyer’s number and the price.

I glanced away from the auction and surveyed the area. I didn’t see any Shanti people here, perhaps due to the treaty being negotiated that prohibited the sale of Shanti slaves.

‘This is not a crusader nation, so it’s off the route taken by Shan slaves, but there is likely a demand for them. Well, maybe it was there yesterday.’

I continued to wander through the market interior. It felt like a field trip into society. The temperature wasn’t particularly cold, but it seemed they were being cautious not to fall ill given the high prices. Except in the auction area where their bodies were exposed, slaves were dressed in modest attire elsewhere.

I looked closely at the people being sold.

There were men and women, but the women certainly had large breasts. As expected, having small breasts wasn’t a global trend but rather a disappointing racial characteristic among the Shanti people.

‘It’s amazing how Lily-senpai doesn’t look inferior to these busty ladies.’

As I walked around, I spotted something else unusual.

“Hey.” (Yuri)

“Yeah?”

It was a corner of the slave market, essentially booths for individual stores. When I called out, a grimy-looking man who clearly didn’t seem decent turned around.

“Is this shop specialized in these kinds of people?” (Yuri)

Lined up inside the tent were dark-skinned individuals. They were black people in other words. Since they were the first black people I’d ever seen, it left quite a fresh impression.

“Where are you from?”

“I’m the third son of an obscure country noble. This is my first time seeing someone with black skin.” (Yuri)

My Telor dialect was spoken in the Papal States, so my accent differed slightly from the Albio accent. I was a bit worried if this lie would hold up.

“Oh, ya ain’t got money to buy women, so ya wanna buy a blackie instead? What a peculiar taste ya got there.”

Saying so, the slave trader chuckled lewdly. In an instant, I disliked this man.

“These folks come from the southern continent, right? Are they Entarkans?” (Yuri)

“Haha, Entarkans don’t look like this at all. They’re from much further south. Many of them became slaves after being taken or abducted during wars by the Entarkans.”

“Are they speaking the Arn language?” (Yuri)

“Nah, it ain’t Arn. They speak some incomprehensible language. But I guess that’s better for ya.”

“Why is that?” (Yuri)

‘Do you feel good not understanding the words? I do not understand what it means. What does that mean?’

“Ya see, ya ain’t got slaves runnin’ away ‘n stuff if they can’t understand each other, especially men. It’s better to have ’em speak different languages.”

‘Oh, I see…’

“Hmm… so they can’t speak the language then?” (Yuri)

‘That’s annoying too. Besides, I don’t understand the Arn language.’

“There’s one who’s slightly better. Hey! Temi!”

“Yes.”

A distant reply came from inside the tent. A small girl timidly walked out.

“This one.”

It was a girl in tattered clothes.

‘Maybe around ten years old?’

“Her face isn’t even as ugly as a monkey’s, and she’s not that dark either. Hey boss, could she handle being your companion?”

Saying this, the slave trader chuckled slyly.

“She’s a bit small, huh? Well, if that’s your taste! Hehehe.”

I felt a murderous intent stir within me.

‘Should I kill this filthy bastard?’

“Miss, do you want to go home?” (Yuri)

When I said that, the girl just stared at me silently. She didn’t say a word or show any expression but looked a bit troubled.

“Temi, do you want to go home?” (Yuri)

I segmented my words, avoiding any inflections and using the simplest vocabulary.

“Temi doesn’t have home to go back to.”

A halting string of Telor words came back.

“Wow, you’re good at it, boss.”

The slave trader butted in.

‘Shut up.’

“Quiet. I’m deciding whether to buy her right now.” (Yuri)

“Yes, yes,”

The slave trader said uninterestedly.

“Why did she come here?” (Yuri)

“Her parents sold her.”

She wasn’t kidnapped from a village, but her parents had sold her.

“Don’t you have somewhere to go?” (Yuri)

“No. Nowhere.”

“Do you want me to buy you?” (Yuri)

Since I didn’t think relative clauses would work, I connected words somewhat forcibly, but Temi seemed to understand nonetheless. She nodded vigorously.

“Why?” (Yuri)

“You seem kind.”

‘Kind? Well, maybe compared to the people who come here to buy others, I might seem kind.’

“Will you study hard?” (Yuri)

“I think I’m good at studying.”

‘It seems she’s good at studying. Well, considering she learned Terol on her own just by listening, her intelligence and memory must be good. Being black also has a certain charm. It gives an international vibe. I won’t make her my slave, but it would be interesting to take her to Shaalta. If she keeps going at this rate, she’d soon learn Shan and be able to make a living by working as a maid in a mansion. If she can’t fit in in Shaalta, she can use the money she earns to go back home.’

“How much?” (Yuri)

“5000 Epi.”

“Are you kidding? Do I look like I have that kind of money?” (Yuri)

I knew he’d start with a high price, so I replied.

“You expect 5000 Epi for this skinny, malnourished black…? You’re lucky if you get 500 Epi.” (Yuri)

“Hya!”

The slave trader let out a harsh chuckle.

“You hicks might not know, but humans are worth more than cattle.”

“Alright, 1,000 Epi.” (Yuri)

“That’s still not enough.”

“…Then I’ll wait for the auction. I only have 1,100 Epi with me. It’s all I have to get back home.” (Yuri)

“Nyaaa~”

The slave trader suddenly made a strange, dirty sound.

“…Alright, I’ll cut you a deal since you’re a first-timer in the city.” (Yuri)

It was probably a close call price-wise. 1,000 Epi, huh? Well, it’s not a significant amount to lose.

“Deal.”

I took out ten gold coins from my pouch and handed them to the slave trader.

“What’s this, boss? Looks like I spotted some gold.”

“Are you sure you’re not mistaken?” (Yuri)

I put away the bag of gold coins and instead showed him a knife.

“Mmm… Nyaaa~”

The slave trader let out a dirty sound again, looking thoughtful.

‘He might have regretted underselling a bit, but is it worth escalating over someone armed? The deal had already been struck once, and he seemed to be weighing whether it was worth risking a higher price in an auction.’

“Tch, you’re quite the negotiator, boss.”

In the end, he seemed to give up.

“Well, I make a living off deals. Take it then.” (Yuri)

“Hold on.”

I was called back.

‘Is there still something else…?’

“Don’t you need a transfer certificate? Sign here.”

He handed me a piece of parchment, clearly recycled with the surface scraped off. Written in Telor, it detailed ownership rights and such. It seemed pre-prepared, with the girl’s physical features described and a space for what seemed to be her name under “seller.” Apparently, it was a system that allowed slaves to claim ownership if they ran away. I found it quite eerie that the ownership was not based on real estate or something, but on human beings.

‘Actually, how should I write this?… It’s a pain, so I’ll just write something appropriate.’

“Is this alright?” (Yuri)

I wrote down “Dolla Godwin” in Terol, improvising a bit.

“Dolla Godwin… unusual name. Where are you from?” (Yuri)

“You ask about that too?”

“Of course.” (Yuri)

‘It seems obvious. Honestly, I don’t know anything about the geography of the Albio Republic. I only know the name of the capital, but I don’t know any counties or regions.’

“Godwin County. Dolla from Godwin County.” (Yuri)

‘…Will this suffice?’

The slave trader stared at me intently, then seemed to find it too bothersome and looked away. He decided not to inquire further.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter from my point of view. If she escapes, you’ll be the one in trouble.”

‘Apparently my fake name was discovered, but it doesn’t seem to matter. If you use a fake name, you may not be able to claim ownership if the person escapes. That really doesn’t matter to me though.

“Your real name, your real name.” (Yuri)

Saying that, I took the dark-skinned girl’s hand and this time we finally started walking.