Chapter 36: The Villainous Aristocrat Chooses Slaves

“Do you happen to know that there are several types of slaves, sir?” 

Maxwell suddenly asked as we walked down the hallway.

“Well, I have a general idea.” 

“I see, yes. However, allow me to explain the rules, sir. There are different categories of slaves, you see.”

There are various types of slaves.

“First, there are criminal slaves. These are individuals who committed significant crimes and were sentenced to slavery as punishment, sir. They have no human rights, sir. Whether they are killed or tortured, the owner is not held accountable, sir.”

“It’s the punishment for those who have been proven guilty of a crime and refused capital punishment, right?”

This punishment is primarily imposed on individuals who have committed crimes such as murder or arson, usually resulting in a death penalty.

However, the convicted criminals have the option to refuse execution.

Criminal slaves are those who chose slavery over the death penalty.

“Next are war slaves. These are individuals captured during wars, such as enemy soldiers who were successfully captured, sir. They have more recognized human rights compared to criminal slaves, and intentional harm to them is punishable, sir.”

Well, as long as you can prove it wasn’t intentional, it’s not much different from being a criminal slave.

Still, the owner would face some consequences.

Perverted individuals with a hobby for torturing others usually avoided purchasing war slaves, and they were primarily used as a labor force.

“Lastly, there are service slaves. These are closer to employment contracts rather than master-servant agreements, sir. They have regular human rights, and if a service slave is injured or killed due to any circumstances, it’s considered a serious crime, sir. Many individuals who couldn’t find jobs often volunteer for this, sir.”

In the case of service slaves, the owner is obligated to pay wages.

It’s similar to the slave trader arranging jobs.

Walking ahead, I turned to Maxwell and inquired about another type of slave.

“…What about shadow slaves?”

I asked Maxwell, who was walking ahead.

Shadow slaves refer to slaves who don’t fall into any of the three categories mentioned earlier.

They include different species caught in slave hunts or children abandoned by their parents.

While the kingdom doesn’t officially recognize shadow slaves, there isn’t much effort to apprehend merchants dealing with them either.

It’s some sort of unspoken agreement, I suppose.

Freya might not condone shadow slaves, but she is the queen of the Gardanakia Kingdom.

For better or worse, she prioritizes the interests of the nation. It wouldn’t be surprising if she turned a blind eye to businesses involving shadow slaves.

Maxwell suddenly stopped in his tracks, wearing a smug, amused smile.

I didn’t understand the meaning behind it.

Instead, Leon-senpai answered my question.

“Haha!! Kunou-kun, you’ve read too many stories! Dealing with shadow slaves is a grave crime. If such a thing were happening, our entire family would face capital punishment!!”

Hmm, Leon doesn’t seem to be bluffing.

Judging from Leon-senpai’s reaction, it appears that those outside the main line of the slave merchant family might not be aware of this aspect.

“Oh, right, yes, sir. Leon, could you run an errand for me? We’re running out of my favorite tea leaves, you see, sir.”

“Huh? U-Um, sure, but… now?”

“Now, sir.”

As if it were something he didn’t want Leon to hear, Maxwell dismissed him.

“Baron Draussen, how did you learn about the existence of shadow slaves?”

“I can’t tell you that. But I do know that some slave traders in the kingdom are dealing with shadow slaves behind the scenes.”

“Hehe, well, well. It seems I underestimated you, thinking you were just a child, sir. My apologies for my rudeness.”

Maxwell bowed deeply.

I didn’t learn about the existence of shadow slaves from anyone. 

It was just knowledge from the game.

There’s a heroine character in **Fantasista Stories** who was a shadow slave.

I don’t really have any expectations about meeting heroines different from Felicia or Wendy.

Well, maybe I have a little expectation. But in terms of the timeline, that character hasn’t become a slave yet.

It’s pointless to hope too much.

“Please, this way, sir.”

Maxwell, who had resumed walking, came to a stop in front of what seemed like an ordinary wall.

He gave the wall a few taps. 

Then it slid sideways, revealing a hidden passage.

Oh, a secret door!! How amazing!!

“Why would Baron Draussen be interested in shadow slaves? They are much more valuable than regular slaves, and if mishandled… Haha. It could lead to a situation far from amusing, sir.”

“Don’t pry into my affairs.”

The reason I seek shadow slaves.

It lies in the flexibility of the contract terms I can establish.

Typically, you can give various commands to the slaves you contract.

However, commands like “take your own life” are not allowed.

Shadow slaves, on the other hand, allow such commands.

In my case, to keep information about things like the magical tank as confidential as possible, I intend to give the command, “If you attempt to convey information to a third party, take your own life.”

It might seem extreme, but when it comes to using what I’ve created, no amount of insurance is enough.

Ah, just in case, I also need the command “If it seems like the enslavement magic is about to be lifted, take your own life.” 

Enslavement magic is a type of curse, and in this world, there is a saintess capable of lifting any curse.

It’s a precaution. Honestly, it’s such a hassle.

“Here it is, sir.”

Beyond the hidden door, a dimly lit space stretched out. 

Inside, dozens of people of all ages and genders were confined behind iron bars.

“What kind of slave are you looking for, sir? If it’s a pleasure slave, I recommend an attractive Elf, sir.”

“I want a labor slave.”

“In that case, Dwarves or Beastfolk would be suitable, yes.”

Maxwell picked out a suitable slave for me, but I wasn’t particularly impressed.

That’s when it happened.

“Hey!! You there!!”

Suddenly, a boy in one of the iron cages in the corner called out to me.

His appearance was extremely human-like but not quite human. He had ears resembling those of some animal.

He seemed anxious, his expression desperate.

I couldn’t help but frown, recalling the demon I had nearly killed just a few days ago.

No, this boy didn’t emit the magical aura typical of demons. He was probably just a Beastfolk.

“What’s with him?”

“He belongs to the Ashen Lion tribe, a type of Beastfolk, sir. They have high physical abilities, making them perfect for labor slaves, sir.”

Ashen Lion Tribe.

If I remember correctly, they were related to the royal family of Beastfolk, the Gold Lion Tribe, equivalent to dukes and marquises among humans.

It was puzzling to see such a noble Beastfolk ending up as a dark slave…

But I decided to put these thoughts aside for now.

“What?”

“Buy me and my sister!!”

“Sister?”

I glanced at the back of the iron bars where a child wrapped in bandages lay in a pitiful state.

“…My sister… she’s sick.”

“Hmm. I’m sorry, but I can’t afford to buy both you and your sick sister.”

“I’ll work for both of us!! I’ll do anything!! I just want to take my sister outside under the open sky before she dies!!”

“Outside?…”

Well, it’s true that it would be pitiful for them to die in a place like this.

What should I do?

“Nii-san…”

“W-what? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“It’s not good to trouble strangers. Cough, cough. I’m sorry, nii-san…”

Hmm, this situation feels a bit…

If I don’t buy both of them now, I’ll seem like a really heartless person, won’t I?

“Ah, I understand. I’ll buy both of them.”

“!? I-is that true!?”

“Yeah. However, just as you said, you’ll have to work for both of you, even if your sister passes away.”

“Yes, yes!! Thank you!!”

Alright, two of them are confirmed. I still need to find about eight more, more or less.

“The dwarf over there, a beastman there, and… hmm? What about that elf woman?”

“She’s an elf we caught during a slave hunt, sir. She was beautiful and an excellent archer, but she resisted, and in the struggle, we accidentally cut off her arm. Now she’s unsellable, sir.”

When our eyes met, the one-armed elf glared at me as if she could shoot daggers. 

Yikes, that’s scary.

“We plan to dispose of her tomorrow since she can’t be sold, Hi.”

“…Seriously?”

Glancing at the elf woman, I could see fear in her eyes upon hearing about her impending disposal.

…Yeah, I’m starting to feel sorry now that I’ve heard about it. 

But well, I guess I can’t really talk about feeling sorry when I’m in the process of buying black market slaves, can I?!

“…Well, she should be fine without an arm. I’ll buy that elf too.”

With a magic tank, I could drive it with one hand.

Maybe I could even try making a prosthetic arm for her.

In this world, despite the frequent wars, injuries other than missing limbs were usually quickly healed with healing magic.

There must be quite a few people missing limbs… 

Could be a lucrative business opportunity. 

Oh, but I’m not thinking anything bad, you know? 

Selling useful items at a high price to those who need them is just basic business.

“You have a nice face, don’t you? Yes!! You have the same aura as us, yes!!”

“…Please don’t compare me to a slave trader.”

“Are these the slaves you’ll be purchasing, sir?”

“Yeah, that’s more than enough—!?”

“Is something the matter, sir?”

I turned towards Maxwell and looked inside the iron bars. 

I was stunned, my heart almost leaping out of my chest.

“No way…”

Inside the bars, there was a woman.

A tall woman with a dragon’s tail, jet-black angelic wings sprouting from her waist, devil horns atop her head, and a ghostly pale complexion.

Her hair was an eerie, pure white, and her eyes shimmered with a rainbow hue.

Combined with her outstanding figure and unparalleled beauty that rivaled Freya, she exuded a mysterious aura that made it clear she was no ordinary being.

“She’s the final boss!” 

Inside the iron bars was the final boss of ‘Fantasista Stories’.

It was Demon king Mevius.

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