Chapter 11: An Expensive Purchase

The slave auction house. It was my selfish wish to come here. At the very least, I wanted to pray she’d be picked by a kind master and see where she ended up.

There was a bit of a dispute.

But even though Master had a dubious expression and tried to object, I cut him off before he could say anything and managed to drag him along with me.

Early in the morning on the day of the auction, Master and I headed to the venue attached to the Toad Mansion.

There weren’t many people near the entrance.

“Ah, that child is a slave, yes? One moment… here you go.”

While I waited beside Master as he completed the reception, someone handed him something that looked like a sticker.

“Please stick this on the upper left side of her chest where it’s clearly visible. Now then, please enjoy the auction.”

It seemed to be a kind of registration tag. So it’s something you wear on top of your clothes… The culture level of this world is unexpectedly advanced in weird places.

Maybe it’s the existence of magic, but compared to Earth, things here feel just slightly distorted.

Right past the reception, Master stopped me and led me to a corner of the room. I figured it was to stick the seal on me, but why the corner?

As I wondered, Master pointed at my clothes.

“First, take off your clothes and strip naked.”

“Yes… wait, what!?”

Did… did this pervert really just say that?

Is he seriously tired of normal battle tactics and thinking of experimenting with some acrobatic new technique? I’ll resist that with everything I’ve got. I’m a Japanese person who can say no.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. Inside the venue, it’s a rule to clearly distinguish between slaves and buyers, and also to prevent slaves up for auction from receiving unnecessary information from the buyers. So, any slave brought in has to be completely naked with the registration tag stuck somewhere visible.”

W-what…!? I—I can’t even speak…

“Y-you’re doing this to me again…”

“It’s the truth. I don’t want to show your naked body to a bunch of perverts either, believe me.”

…S-So he’s serious? What should I do… I feel like my heart’s about to break. So that’s why he tried to object.

Still, he could’ve explained it better… Wait, no, I’m the one who insisted he not say a word and forced him along. How did it end up like this…

Also, Master’s just as much of a pervert as the rest of them.

“They say it’s fine to hide behind your master’s cloak, so if you hate it that much, just stick close.”

“Uu… sniff… okay.”

It can’t be helped. Hiding beneath Master’s cloak, I took off my robe, my one-piece dress, and my under-top, leaving only my panties. I handed the clothes to Master for safekeeping.

Then, I stuck the provided seal on the upper part of my flat chest. It’s enchanted to only be effective inside the venue, and while inside, it can’t be peeled off no matter what.

But once you leave the venue, it supposedly comes off easily and cleanly. What a waste of magical ingenuity.

Well, I’m all set now. It’s turned into a shame-play I never asked for, but I’m a former man! Being seen shirtless doesn’t faze me—piece of cake!

“All right, let’s go.”

“Yeah—and lose the panties, too.”

“!?”

---

Ugh… I feel so breezy… Somehow, we made it into the venue, but I’m so embarrassed I could die. Some of the perverts we’ve passed keep leering at me. I don’t get what’s so fun about looking at a scrawny, flat-chested body with no hair or curves!

The world is full of Master’s kind.

I’m not the only one here with a collar; there are quite a few others.

There was a female slave like me, clinging to her master with his cloak wrapped around her, a boy who looked younger than me walking with a red face while his master held his leash, and a very young girl in a rather painful-looking outfit.

Slave treatment varies wildly. I’ve come to realize that, among them, Master is actually on the better end of the spectrum.

I suppose because there aren’t any signs of abuse on me, I end up standing out more. Several men and women are ogling my body like they’re licking me with their eyes. Most of the collared ones here have visible whip marks, so maybe that’s what’s catching their attention.

The venue was shaped like a concert hall, with seats fanned out around a central stage. Of course, it wasn’t as neatly arranged as an actual theater—there were sofas with tables instead.

Master sat down somewhere in the middle, so I climbed onto his lap and sat there. He held me from behind, but it couldn’t be helped. Better that than having every pervert around stare at me.

A man wearing a waiter-like outfit and a mask brought drinks and some light snacks, placing them in front of us. The snacks looked like bacon-wrapped cheese and pickled cabbage. Judging by the amount, it was a single serving.

Looking to the side, I saw a gaunt female slave desperately trying to charm her master into giving her some meat. It seems that if you want to eat, you'd better flatter your master.

“May I eat this?”

“Yeah.”

After getting Master’s permission, I used a toothpick to bring a bite to my mouth. It was surprisingly well made—tastes like something you might find at a convenience store.

Nearby slaves at other tables stared at us in shock. Their expressions soon shifted into something complicated—part envy, part resentment.

…That’s what “normal” treatment for slaves looks like in this world.

By this world’s standards, I guess I am being spoiled. Can’t really argue with that.

Not that I plan on changing anything.

“It’s about to start.”

“……”

A little while after we sat down, the lights on the stage grew brighter, and a man in a suit appeared.

He was wearing a butterfly mask, which made him look more creepy than elegant—no offense, but it was just disturbing. At his announcement, the auction began.

---

I expected it, but that doesn’t mean it’s pleasant to watch.

Boys and girls with hopeless expressions stood on stage dressed in disturbingly provocative outfits, introducing themselves in trembling voices. Trying to appeal enough to get a decent owner—while at the same time not drawing the attention of a bad one.

Remembering what it was like when it was my turn made my stomach ache. That feeling of fear and despair is impossible to put into words. If I had the money, I might just buy every one of them.

A black rabbit-eared girl, around the same size as I am now, was purchased by a man wearing a filthy grin.

One of the guys who’d been ogling me earlier. Thinking about what awaits that trembling girl makes my chest hurt. I couldn’t bear to watch anymore and turned my eyes away—by the time I looked back, the auction had progressed to the main attraction of the day.

“And now, for today’s final and grandest highlight. Presenting a girl from the elusive race said to live only in the highlands of Alphada, a species spoken of in the same breath as elves and mermaids—the Holstaurus.”

The moment those words were spoken, the room filled with murmurs.

“That race lives so deep in the wilds that slavers rarely get to them. And apparently, the females have this unique trait that makes them irresistibly attractive to men. Not quite as rare as the extinct elves or mermaids, but still a high-value species.”

It’s a despicable business… That toad bastard probably couldn’t stop grinning. I’m furious at both the boy who caused this and the Toad himself.

The girl who stepped onto the stage, nearly naked, trembled under countless stares—but did her best not to lower her head.

It’s painful to watch. There were no scars on her body. Likely because she was kept intact as a premium slave—damaging her would hurt her value.

Given her price, as long as she isn’t bought by someone truly awful, she probably won’t be treated cruelly.

“...Is this hard for you?”

“It is. But… I’d hate not knowing even more.”

This was my selfish wish. A meaningless, completely self-centered desire that helps no one. But since I couldn’t suppress it and came here anyway, I can’t allow myself to look away now.

To come all the way here just for spectacle and then say “this is too much” and leave—I could never forgive myself for that.

“We’ll start the bidding at 100 gold coins. Minimum increment is 1 gold coin. Let the bidding begin!”

“One hundred and five!”

“One hundred and ten!”

As soon as the auctioneer gave the signal, participants began raising their hands one after another. The price shot past 200 gold coins in no time—enough to buy a small house in the royal capital.

Watching them piling on their bids with bloodshot eyes sent a chill down my spine.

As I held my chest, aching from a strange, inescapable sense of guilt, a pouch suddenly dangled before my eyes. When I turned around in surprise, I saw Master looking at me with a troubled smile.

“…Um?”

“One platinum gold coin is worth a hundred gold coins. There are thirteen of them here… I’ve been saving little by little since we came here. This is everything I have.”

I already knew it, but Master really is ridiculously rich. I can’t help but wonder how he earned all that money. No wonder so many women are after him.

But what does he expect me to do with this display? Is he really going to help that girl? I find myself watching him, just a little hopeful.

“…Sorry, but I’m head over heels for you. I don’t want any other slaves. I only bought Lulu to help take care of you—though she turned out to be a lot more cunning and amusing than I expected.”

Not exactly the kind of confession I wanted. But if that’s the case, then why is he doing this?

“You know about the slave emancipation system, right?”

“Yes…”

Slaves can be freed under certain conditions and regain citizenship. Specifically, if they serve under their master without incident for three years and receive their master’s consent, they can buy back their freedom by paying three times their purchase price.

That said, it’s hardly ever used in practice.

When you consider how difficult it is to earn money as a slave and get your master’s permission, it’s obvious why.

In reality, it’s most commonly used when a master wants to marry a favored slave—they give them an amount equal to three times their purchase price as a form of “reward,” free them, then marry them.

“I never told you this, but once your time’s up, I planned to release you from slavery. You could go off and travel on your own, or stay and adventure with me. It’s your call.”

Master’s words caught me off guard. I’d assumed he had no intention of ever letting me go.

“Of course, I do want you to stay by my side. That’s why… I’m going to pull a bit of a dirty trick here.”

“A dirty trick?”

What does he mean?

“If you want to save that girl, I’ll buy her. But the cost will become your debt. Until you pay it off on your own, I’m not letting you go.”

The current bid is already at 300 gold coins. That’s not an amount a slave could ever realistically repay—not in a lifetime.

“……”

Dangling bait in front of me, then letting me walk willingly into the trap… It’s an incredibly underhanded tactic. If I agree to these terms, I’ll probably never be able to truly go against him—not while I’m buried under that debt.

“…Well? We don’t have much time.”

The bidding was only heating up. If I hesitated any longer, I wouldn’t be able to save her. Could I really sacrifice myself for that girl…? Wait, hold on.

Thinking about it calmly, how exactly would my relationship with Master change by taking on this debt? Yeah… probably not much at all.

He says he’s planning to let me go, but how serious is he, really? It’s always been a little suspicious. So why dangle this kind of condition in the first place… Is this that thing people call “tsundere”?

Haa… Master can be such a pain.

“You don’t actually intend to let me go, do you? That’s just mean.”

“I do intend to free you, seriously.”

All the more suspicious.

“Just so we’re clear… I don’t think I’ll ever be able to, um… fall for you romantically, okay?”

Even if I’ve accepted a lot of things, my identity is still male. So no matter what, I just can’t see Master as a romantic partner.

Familiarity can be scary—I’m getting less and less resistant to physical contact by the day—but that’s a separate issue.

“I get it. I want to be with you because I like you. And hey, it’s not like you definitely won’t fall for me, right? If I keep you close long enough, you might change your mind.”

“…Yandere and gay? Ugh, what a combo.”

“I’m not gay. Besides, right now, you’re undeniably a girl, aren’t you?”

Ugh… The fact that I can’t even argue with that because my body is totally female just makes it worse.

When I had that medical checkup, the healer who was apparently a friend of Master’s told me, “Give it a bit more time, and you’ll even be able to have children.” I wonder how many people in the world could really understand how that made me feel…

“To be honest, I wanted to see if I could make you look my way even just a little more—to add more chains to bind you. Even if I had to use underhanded tactics.”

“When we first met, you seemed like a hero, but now you’re just a ruthless fiend. I want my pure-hearted self back—the one who was happy to find a Japanese friend I could talk to.”

“You really had bad luck. But once you fall for someone, there’s no helping it—just give up.”

Though she had kept a brave face on stage, as the price climbed to numbers she’d never heard before, her heart must have finally broken.

Suppressing her expression, tears began to fall quietly. Her figure reminded me painfully of that older sister who, betrayed and unable even to mourn properly, cried silently in shock.

There’s no helping it anymore.

My hands are much smaller than they look; I probably couldn’t save even one person properly.

Still… unwillingly, by some stroke of luck, there’s someone right beside me with hands far larger than mine.

If suffering from having abandoned her is inevitable, then I want to suffer for not abandoning her instead.

“Master, I ask you again. I don’t know how many years this will cover, but please buy my life. All of it, right up until the day you die. How much will that be?”

“...Five hundred.”

When Master raised his paddle, the room murmured.

He easily outpaced the other bidders struggling to keep up, driving the price ever higher. I’d finally done it. Still, strangely, I felt relieved.

Whether she would be happy or resent me, I don’t know. I’m probably no saint for trying to save only one person.

But I don’t want to be a saint. Given what lies ahead, there’s hardly any room for such ideals.

“Six hundred and twenty gold coins, sold for six hundred and twenty gold coins!”

The price she fetched was also the price of my own life. Unwillingly, I am an elf, and though I don’t know how many years I have left, I should live long enough to see Master off.

That much time… well, I suppose I can indulge you a little.

Or is that a bit too condescending of me?

---

◇◆ADVENTURE RESULT◆◇
【EXP】
NO BATTLE --
◆【Sora Lv.12】
◆【Lulu Lv.4】
◇―
◇―
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
Sora Lv.12 [120]
Lulu Lv.4 [45]
【RECORD】
[MAX COMBO] >> 21
[MAX HIT] >> 21
【PARTY】
[Shuuya] [Lv32] HP440/440 MP720/720 [Normal]
[Sora] [Lv12] HP30/30 MP110/110 [Melancholy]
[Lulu] [Lv4] HP352/352 MP24/24 [Normal]
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
【Comment】
“It really was such an expensive purchase, you know.”