Within Qirsley's walls, Karion had brought the young man inside the second the gates opened, paying for his fee from his pocket. The man had not caused a crime, allowing him to pass through without further trouble. Making a quick visit to the Order's barracks, Karion handed his batch of cards while explaining what happened to the soldier who took his statement. They checked his card to see if he was a criminal too, but found nothing wrong.
"Here's what you earned. Quite a few of them had bounties. You must be quite the fighter, eh?" The soldier chuckled.
"Yes, ahaha…" Karion opened the bag to see how much they were worth. Noticing a new coin he had never seen before, the majority of bryas were golden coins.
"You got 47,800 bryas in that pouch. Some of these guys have been causing trouble for decades. I can't thank you enough. If the adventurers' life is too slow for you, the Order would be glad to have someone like you join."
"Perhaps someday, " Karion kindly brushed the man's offer aside, quickly finding time to leave.
[I don't have the time to calculate their worth, I'll just have to trust the soldier's words.]
Karion wanted to make sure he led the young man to Strayice without trouble, making as little detours as he could. Perhaps it was guilt that fueled Karion. Guilt that silently told him that he could've made a difference if he had made his decision days earlier. To make amends with himself, he clung to the idea of giving the young man a different chance at life.
Arriving at Strayice's doors, he was greeted by a maid who instantly recognized Karion and led him into a private room.
They sat on a couch together, but were silent until the doors opened to Mydon and his butler,
"Six days. It seems you are a man of your word, sir."
"No… I came for something else."
"Oh? Please, go ahead."
Karion explained the events of the night before, excluding details of his abilities, while highlighting events that ended with the young man following Karion.
"I see. Usually, folk who sell merchandise are family, but considering the circumstances, I will give the bryas to you, sir. I'm offering 20,000 bryas for-"
"No!" Karion shouted, standing from his seat. He slowly sat back down, "Sorry, I just… don't pay me for this…"
Mydon had a look of surprise that soon turned to interest. He had a smile that soon faded as he composed himself, "Very well if that is what sir desires. Will this arrangement be alright with you?" He asked facing the young man.
"Yes…" he said softly.
"In that case," He faced back to Karion, "Do you have any requirements for when he's attracted the attention of customers?"
"Requirements..?"
"Yes. Though not many do, every few clients have a requirement they'd like fulfilled before they're sold. Some want their products sold only to wealthy families, while others want their purity to be ensured. You know, desired buyers."
"T-Then, I want him to only be sold by someone who can guarantee him a good life!" Karion shouted without hesitation, "I just want him to have another shot at life."
The young man had a light smile.
"Very well," Mydon faced his butler, "Feed, bathe, and clothe him. I'll decide how his schedule will be later."
The butler bowed, signaling the man to follow him. The young man turned, lowering his head, "Thank you… Could I know your name?"
Karion hesitated to answer. He averted his gaze, "There's nothing good to remember about me. It's best if you don't know."
"Okay… My name is, Grey."
"…..Live your life well, Grey."
He smiled before leaving with the butler.
"A noble person sir is," Mydon smiled, "Now, about Ruby's transaction…"
"I don't have enough," Karion said, standing up, "I'm short 20,000. I just came for Grey."
Mydon raised his finger, urging him to sit, A moment, sir. It seems as though I forgot to mention a discount Ruby had."
"A discount?"
"Yes, one that equates to 20,000 bryas exactly."
"….."
Karion averted his eyes, he knew that such a convenient discount was a front for how much he was offered for bringing in Grey. Before he could say a word, Mydon continued.
"Life is a cruel mistress. With sudden events that can ripple the fates of souls in seconds, I believe it's only fair to gift those who are worthy enough to be rewarded."
"So, dear customer, do not misinterpret the discount as anything more than a humble merchant wanting to reward a man for helping a poor soul out of the slums."
Karion knew that Mydon's words were filled with half-truths, but it was those same words that reminded him of his struggles from the moment he arrived and the hardships he endured along the way.
Though his connections were few, there were also those who took care of and guided him through his troubles.
"Thank you, Mydon…" Karion said with tears streaming down his face.
"Think nothing of it, esteemed guest," Mydon smiled as he placed a wooden plaque and paper with identical inscriptions on the table, "This is the pact for Ruby's ownership. Do you have any further questions regarding slaves before we continue?"
Calming himself, Karion sat back down. He thought of the worth Grey had, and faced Mydon with concern,
"Why don't people go and… recruit other people in the slums to sell?"
"Ah, that is because many folk even after entering the slums, refuse to be sold. Bandits and the like are unable to sell merchandise through normal means, as their cards depict their natures are negative. And normal citizens would sooner lose their life from thieves before finding someone."
"In your business, is the treatment between thieves and normal folk different?"
"But of course. There are two types of slaves. Debt slaves, much like Grey and Ruby, are those who are sold without criminal background to various buyers. Criminal slaves are those who have committed crimes in the past. They are seldom put for sale, and will instead spend their lives in excavation or construction of various buildings until death. Of course, should the crimes they commit be horrid, they will be executed. Either way, since they too are a valuable source of labor, they aren't too mistreated."
"I see, that's good to know."
Mydon cleared his throat, "Now, would you have any questions concerning the sexual side of owning slaves? Mainly their conceptions."
Karion looked away in embarrassment, "P-Please explain."
Mydon smiled, "Not to worry, cross-species conceptions, while noted in history, are near-impossible. Of course, should you conceive, we also offer a service to help you until delivered. Know that this offer only stands for races different from your own."
[That's reassuring. I don't believe I have what it takes to raise a child.]
"That… will be all of my questions."
"Then let us get the payment out of the way. Sir will owe 50,000 bryas upfront, please."
Adding what he had to what he earned through bounties, Karion calculated having 51,346 bryas. Putting 1,346 bryas aside from the values of coins he was familiar with, he handed the rest back to Mydon.
Mydon took a moment to count the bryas, "Exactly 50,000 bryas. Once the pact is signed, we will prepare Ruby's transfer."
Karion lifted the paper to his face. Reading over the contents, it was what Mydon had already explained to him. Finding no inconsistencies, Karion signed the paper,
"What's with the wood?" Karion asked.
"That is for sir. It is your copy of the contract."
[A wooden board as my copy?] Though finding it strange, he signed the plaque.
Mydon straightened his suit before taking the signed contract, "We will send Ruby to this room momentarily. Thank you for choosing Straice. We look forward to serving you again," he said with a bow.
Mydon exited the room, leaving Karion alone. Staring out the window, he reflected on his actions. The whiplash he felt helping Grey after his bounty hunting left him feeling hollow - numb to taking human life. He knew it wasn't normal, but no matter how vivid the memories remained, his heart remained calm.
Hearing the rattle of the doorknob, he shelved the feeling. Just as beautiful as the day he met her, Ruby greeted Karion with a bow,
"Thank you for purchasing me, master."
["Master"..!] Just hearing the sound of her voice referring to him was enough to make him weak.
Ruby wore clothes different from when they first met. Long gray pants, a basic white long shirt with cuffed wrists, and sandals. The collar around her waist had a chain of two small rings at her front.
[Were the clothes she wore earlier a uniform exclusive to Strayice?]
"I look forward to working with you, Ruby."
"Ah- Yes! Likewise…" Ruby pulled out her identity card, giving it to Karion, "Here you are, master."
[Eh? Is it normal for slaves to give their cards? Thinking normally, I guess it does..?]
Accepting the card, Karion briefly looked over what was written.
{
Ruby - Age 19 [Villager Lv. 3]
Affiliation: ["Karion"'s Slave]
Nature: [Innocent]
User: ••••••••••
}
[Ehh…? My slave as an… affiliation? She's the same age as me too. I never would've thought.]
"Here, look at mine too," Karion said, pulling out his adventurer card.
With a confused look, Ruby hesitantly asked, "Is it okay..?"
"I don't see why not," Karion nodded, [It's not like it really shows anything. My appraisal shows a lot more than these cards ever could.]
"Is there nothing you wanted to bring?" Karion asked noticing a lack of luggage.
Ruby shook her head, "No sir, as a slave, I'm not given anything more than I'm needed."
[Right…]
"I plan to have you enter the dungeon with me. Is there a weapon you prefer to use?"
"No sir. While I have joined expeditions in the past, I was only given a shield. My role was to hold monsters while the party members attacked."
[Expeditions? I want to learn about her past… but is that insensitive?]
"Let's get some equipment for you."
"Ah, t-thank you, sir."
-
Entering a weapons shop, Karion let Ruby choose whichever gear she wanted. As she observed the various wares, Karion saw a range of weapons.
{Iron Sword}, {Iron Claymore}, {Katar}, {Mace}, {Staff}, {Wand}, {Aspis Shield}, {Tower Shield}
Some weapons showed between two to three empty slots, while the majority only had one or nothing, [Is there a reason why "Iron" is specified in some weapons?]
His gaze turned to the other side of the store that held few armor stands.
{Leather Armor}, {Hardened Leather Armor}, {Chainmail Armor}
[Could it be that I've been more underprepared than I thought…?]
"This will be just fine, sir," said Ruby holding an aspis shield.
{Aspis Shield (Empty x2)}
Exiting the shop after purchasing the shield, Karion turned to Ruby, "Is there anything else you need?"
"No sir, I will be okay with just that."
The feeling of distance was obvious. It was true they had yet to learn anything from each other, but Karion wished a little more emotion from her actions.
"Since there's still daylight, why not we enter the dungeon together? I want to see our battle synergy."
"Yes sir."