*

　Why am I in this place?　And Elena Graffitius hugged her knees in the darkness.
　It's a narrow space, closed in by darkness, where if you spread your arms out, your fingertips would touch the craggy wall and you would be blocked from going before you had even taken three steps.
　Elena Graffius was born the daughter of a semi-aristocrat.
　A quasi-aristocrat is just a title given to landowners and wealthy farmers, but her father steadfastly ran the estate and amassed a fortune that surpassed that of a lowly nobleman.
　My father was an old-fashioned man, but he was also a flexible thinker.
　Because of such a father, when Elena, at the age of 14, decided to study abroad, he gladly sent her away.
　Elena learned a lot in one of the free city-states she studied in.
　Foreign languages, customs and culture, and arithmetic were among the areas of interest.
　Three years passed and Elena was told of her father's death.
　Elena returned home without taking anything and was busy grieving and dealing with the aftermath.
　Eventually, her uncle took over from her father.
　At first, no, nothing went wrong from the beginning to the end.
　My fiancé, Philip, whom I hadn't seen in three years, had been kind to me, and my uncle had cared for me.
　Finally, just as she was recovering from her father's death, Elena was kidnapped.
　The bandits attacked the house.
　The bandit cut down all the servants and sold Elena to the slavers.
　The slavers had many girls like Elena who had been kidnapped.
　At first, I think they had some human emotions left in them.
　They cried and screamed, sometimes even resisted.
　But after being beaten again and again, they were losing hope.
　Elena resisted to the end.
　After being beaten and beaten with sticks, the slaver changed his attitude towards Elena.
　The slavers began to beat Elena for no reason.
　When the violence and pain became normalized, Elena realized that she was being made an example of.

'....I just want to die already.

　My body hurts all over and I don't know where it hurts.
　It still has some value as a commodity now, but I don't know what they will do to me if it remains unsold.
　They will probably rape me.
　They might cut off parts of me.

'I'm scared, Phillip,'

　Elena held her knees and let the tears fall.

*

Master Crono, today's breakfast is soft white bread and fish soup.

　The landlady let out a pampered voice and laid the food on the table.
　For some reason, the landlady was wearing a maid's uniform with her breasts wide open.

''Ku, Crono you have no discipline in your servants.
You're not ready for it.

　Tyria, sitting opposite him, has an expression on her face that looks like she has chewed up a dozen bitter worms.
　It's the same with Tyria's maidservant, who glares at the landlady with displeasure.

Would you like me to feed you, Mr. Crono?
I can eat it myself.

　Crono cut the bread into small strips and brought it to his mouth.

'Is it good?'
It's weird. I can't taste it.

　Oh?　And the landlady hugs Crono after him, touching him caressingly.

'I need to ask you a favor, will you do me a favor?'
If you're just asking.
Raise your salary and "No

　The landlady stopped caressing him in a flash.

Your salary is rejected.

　Tsk, the landlady clicked her tongue and moved away from Crono.

'It's good that you heard me out.
You signed up for one gold and ten silver pieces a month.
Sure, but even if you pay off all that debt, it'll be five years or more before you can get the shop open again.

　Crossing her arms behind her head, the landlady's lips twitched in frustration.

'Wait until next spring to negotiate a wage increase, okay?'
"Master Crono's stingy!

　Spouting defeated lines like a child, the landlady walked out of the dining room.

'You're too naive to take advantage of me, even the commoners.
That's why I'm so good.

　The proprietress has been running the restaurant for many years and is very good at what she does.
　She knows the rudiments of arithmetic and reading, so she can be entrusted with the management of the foodstuffs, and she is motivated to reopen the restaurant, so she takes her job seriously and has the desire to improve her culinary repertoire in preparation for the reopening.
　The problem may be that he tries to create a myth at any moment and demands a pay raise in connection with it.

By the way, are you free today?　If you're not busy,
'I have an appointment with Nicola from the Pix Trading Company today.

　'I see,' muttered Tyria, ruefully.

'But what kind of promises are you making to the merchants?
"Buying Slaves.
What, slave?

　Tilia's eyes widened in surprise and she lifted her hips from her chair.

'I'm looking for someone who can do accounting, but I don't have any connections, and they're hard to find. So I decided to hit it out of the park and see what I could find.
Well, I'll be d*mned if I'm not.

　Crono sipped his soup, wondering if they thought he was buying a slave for dubious purposes.



　According to Nicola, slave trading is not frequent in the city of Hachel.
　The reason seems to be that there is no large-scale demand, but since there is a constant demand, a slave market stands once a month, apparently.
　Guided by Nicola, Crono arrived at one of the taverns in the commercial district.
　Normally, the wealthy people of the Marquis of Erakis territory use it as a gentleman's social hall.......in short, a high-class whorehouse.......to relieve their daily fatigue.
　Nicola talked to the armed gatekeeper and Crono entered the building.
　Passing through a lobby with an expensive looking carpet, he found himself in a hall.
　There was a full-fledged counter bar, several pricey-looking sofas, and a little stage.
　Prompted by Nicola, Crono sat down on a sofa near the stage.

'That's a pretty good seat,'
I suppose it's because he knows I'm close to Master Crono.

　Since Nicola, who had never bought a slave before, would be participating in this, it was only natural to doubt Crono's existence.
　If the proprietor of this brothel had any honest business sense, he would at least be prepared to sell his face.

''Isn't that Baron Crawford there?''
No, sir.

　Called out in a rather acting tone, Crono immediately denied it.

''Haha, even if you don't hide it you have a commoner's style of appearance, but anyone who can't recognize Crono-sama by looking at your right eye is not a businessman.

　Tracing his fingers over the scars, Crono let out a sigh.

'He's the proprietor of this ballroom, and his name is Miles.

　You're a pushy person, Crono said, looking at Miles.
　His age was somewhere in his late thirties.
　He was smartly built and somewhat muscular.
　His eyes were so sharp that he didn't look like a businessman, and his brown hair was worn all back, making him look like a man of his line.

'What kind of slave would you like, Master Crono?'
"....an educated slave.
But if Master Crono seems to be buying a slave for the first time, isn't it difficult to achieve your goal?

　Crono chuckled at Miles' blatant sales pitch.

'Would you be willing to explain and help me with my purchase?
Of course, I will do my best to help.

　With a strong statement, Miles sat down next to Crono.

'Speaking of which, where do you get your slaves from?'
I'm just providing a 'place' so I can't know the details, but the slavers seem to use various contacts to stock up on them. Some daughters are sold in the form of debt, and not a few are sold without knowing it. But compared to other slaves, s*x slaves are probably a better category.

　Miles is right to say that he is right, but unless he has a very miserable life, the one being sold doesn't think so.
　One seat, and then another, was filled while Crono talked about other things with Nicola and Miles.
　The slave auction began when the seats were half-full, and soon Crono regretted that he should have left it to Nicola.
　A slave girl emerges from the side of the stage, accompanied by a man who appears to be a slaver.
　She is wearing a single piece of cloth, perhaps to show the girl's development.
　It looks like a show, but the girl's eyes are stained with grief and despair.
　It increases with each step the girl takes, culminating in her being stripped naked on stage.

''What about ... the unsold slaves?''
'If there are prospects, then we will stand in the next city. If there are no prospects you know what I mean.

　Miles gave a cruel smile.
　'The more time that passes, the worse the odds are, because the guests will leave once they've served their purpose.

'Well, next time ... I'm afraid I won't be able to meet Master Crono's expectations.

*

　...Philip, Philip, Philip, Philip, Elena muttered her fiancé's name over and over again, and she became convinced that it was Philip who would open that door.
　As a lower class nobleman since he was a small child, he had learned swordsmanship, so he should be able to cut down easily if it's only a rogue.
　So it's Philip who opens that door.
　It was an engagement decided by my parents, but there should have been love between us.
　The torchlight burned her retinas, and Elena smiled thinly as she saw Philip's fantasy there, but it was the slaver's men who opened the door.

'No, don't come!'

　The slaver's men punched Elena on the cheek in a troublesome manner.
　The iron-smelling taste irritated her tongue, and Elena realized the meaning of the beating.
　Elena had no commercial value, the slaver's subordinate must have realized from years of experience.
　Elena moaned in despair as she looked at her excrement-stained feet.
　I didn't have a grip on reality.
　I shouldn't have been so stubborn.
　If they bought me as a slave, I had a chance to escape.
　Even if I couldn't escape, I would have had a chance to explain the situation.
　I blew it myself by being petty and stubborn.
　There was a slaver standing at the top of the stairs with a disgusting smile on his face.

'Please, let me bathe, no one is going to buy me dressed like this.
It doesn't make much difference if you bathe in the water. Look!

　As she was pushed away, Elena looked at the mirror and her reflection in it.

''This ... this is awful.''

　Elena's reflection in the large mirror was a shadow of her former self.
　Her hair was shaggy, her skin was darkened by bruises, and her left eye was half-blocked by a swollen eyelid.

'You may have thought yourself clever, but the other slaves were many times smarter than you were.

　'That's what happens when you don't listen to me,' laughed the slaver.

Now, get up on stage. If no takers are forthcoming, I will strangle you myself.

　Elena stood on the stage, even her tears dried up in despair.
　It's over, Elena looked vacantly at the audience, of which there were less than ten left.



　Hmmm, Miles' fingers stopped as he rolled up the roster.

''Well the next one is the last slave, but...''
What's so weird about it?

　Miles showed Crono the roster, which was probably a trade secret.
　The name 'Elena' and the name of 'Elena' and her excellence in language and arithmetic were written on the roster, but other descriptions were slipped out.

'Slavers are the greediest of merchants, preeminent among them. Even an ordinary merchant would spare no trouble if his goods could be sold for any price. Since they seem to be sparing that hassle, it just feels somewhat unnatural.

　'I see,' said Crono, impressed with Miles.

''Last but not least, I thought this slave would serve Crono-sama's purpose.......!
What are you...

　Crono and Miles lost their voices when they saw the last slave.
　It would be the same for the other guests.
　The last slave........Elena was a wreck.
　Her skin was covered with a throbbing black bruise, and an eerily swollen eyelid blocked her left eye.
　The blood and dust smeared hair is indistinguishable from its original color, and there is a nauseating stench.
　The remaining guests turned away from Elena and awkwardly left their seats.
　After she finished walking on stage, Elena was stripped of even her crude clothes and stared into the void.

'Apparently, this girl Elena was not a good commodity for the slavers.

　'Huh,' Miles let out a sigh.

'Do you want to buy it?　Or do you want to wait for the next opportunity?
'All right, I'll buy that slave. Nicola!　Get the carriage ready at once!
Yes!

　Crono took out a communication crystal and contacted the Marquis of Erakis residence.

*

　Crono carried Elena to the Marquis of Erakis' mansion in the Pix Trading Company's carriage and left her to be treated by the doctors who were waiting for her.
　According to the doctor, the wounds were shallower than they looked and although they were quite debilitated, they were not life-threatening.
　While sitting in the chair, Crono looked at Elena, who was sleeping as if she were dead.

''Crono-sama~?''
You won't be able to negotiate a pay rise until next spring.
I'm not that flippant.

　The landlady's lips twitched in frustration and she crossed her arms to push her ample breasts up.

'Then why?'
I thought I'd come to check on you, since I think Master Crono is devastated.
I'm sorry I'm worried about you.

　Hah~, the landlady let out a sigh that couldn't have been deeper than this.

''It's fine to be nice to you, but there's no need for Crono-sama to be concerned about this girl.
I don't feel responsible for it, you know. It's just...
Just what?

　Placing his elbows on his thighs, Crono crossed his hands.

'I figured I was taking the slave thing too lightly. Trying to buy a slave without thinking too much about it I feel like I've been struck by reality, just like the landlady said.
Mr. Crono.

　When she looked up, the landlady's lips blocked Crono's.
　The landlady's tongue intertwined with Crono's, laying waste to his mouth.
　The landlady finally stopped kissing Crono when he felt his breath catch.

'I can't negotiate a pay rise, can I?
'I wouldn't do that!　It's just that Crono-sama is so cute, I was just kinda moved by him, kinda!

　Crono laughed because the landlady's red face and shouting was so childish.

''Well thank you, the landlady has made me feel better.
You don't want to get serious with that vulnerable smile on your face, do you?

　With one last touch, the landlady left the room.

*

　The awakening was vague.
　It was unclear how long she had been regaining consciousness, and the next thing she knew, Elena was looking up at the unseen ceiling.
　He didn't die, did he?　And Elena was amazed that she had survived.
　By the time she was put on stage, Elena's commercial value must have been close to zero.

'Good, you're awake,'

　When Elena looked at the direction of the voice, she saw a young man there.
　His age would be about twenty years old.
　His hair is black and his eyes are also black.
　Although he seems to be good-natured, a large scar runs down the length of his right eye.

"You ... well, you bought me?
I need an accountant to handle the books.

　Elena asked, and the young man mocked himself.

'But that's all right. Once your wounds are healed, I'll have someone I know take you home, and I want you to take care of yourself and get well. And also ... if there's anything you want or need done, don't hesitate to tell me.
Will we ever get home?
Of course.

　The young man smiled at Elena to reassure her.
　I can go home.
　I can see Philip again.
　But, Elena looked at his bruised, floating arm.
　'My hair is all mussed up and I haven't washed myself in days.

'Please, let me bathe.
I'll have someone come for you.

　A short time later, the young man returned with the maid and the minotaur.

''........Are you going to let the sub-humans carry them away?''
The landlady can't help you.

　Isn't this man a nobleman?　Elena tilted her head inwardly.
　Minotaurs are sub-humans who are made to do hard work and should not be touched by nobles and semi- nobles.

The fact is, you're not usually using a minotaur like you, general, but an elf or dwarf.
You don't have to worry about that much, do you?
"Well, if the chief says so.

　The Minotaur lightly picked up Elena and carried her to the bathroom on the same floor.

'I guess I'll take it from here. Men, get out.
....

　The maid, called the landlady, drove out the young man and the minotaur.

Come on. Can you stand up?
I need your help.
What?　You're not a child, walk alone!

　Elena dragged her aching body, took off her negligee and went into the bathroom.
　The bathroom was larger than that of her parents' house.
　Elena approached the tub filled with hot water to remove the grime as quickly as possible.

Wait!　We're using this tub, so wash up first!

　Ugu, and as Elena knelt down, the landlady roughly poured hot water on her.

'Oi, you're hurting me!'
Pain is a sign of life!

　Ugugu, Elena endured the humiliation.

''It's ... dirty. How long have you not been allowed to bathe in the water?
You don't know that.

　The landlady washed Elena's hair and body roughly.
　At first the water was stained reddish-black, but after repeating the process over and over, it began to flow clear.

'What is that man?'
Are you Master Crono?

　Hmmm, the landlady snorted thoughtfully as she washed Elena's hair.

'An uncharacteristic aristocrat, eh?　He's very friendly to us commoners and aliens alike.
'That's just not sensible. There's no need to worry about humans or even subhumans. Subhumans are inferior to humans. That's what history has proven.
Okay!
What are you doing?

　Elena shouted as she was splashed with water as hard as she could.

'Do you mind, lass?　I don't mind you looking down on sub-humans, but don't spew words like you just did in front of Crono-sama!
All right!

　Yelling back, Elena slowly soaked in the tub.

*

　It had been a month since Elena had been bought out by Crono.
　The doctors were good, the swelling in her left eye had gone down and the bruises had faded considerably.
　Her body, which had been weak, has recovered to the point where she can walk around freely.
　However, his going out was on the condition that he would be accompanied by someone else.
　I often clashed with the landlady, but it was strange to think that I had only a few more days to live.
　As I was able to walk around, I noticed that the maids in the house seemed to enjoy working with the sub-humans more.
　If anything, the humans are more nervous...a bit pompous and the atmosphere is bad.
　Apparently, this is due to the fact that sub-humans and humans have different employers.
　Crono Crawford, the man who bought Elena, was quite good-natured, as was the case with the one I spoke to.
　He granted Elena's desire to write to her, and he was willing to read her books on his own terms.
　If there was a flaw, it was.

I didn't think you were messing with a half-elf.

　When she went to return a book she had borrowed, Elena happened to see a brown half-elf sneaking into Crono's room.
　To top it all off, she heard a stifled gasp, which was completely unknown to Elena, who had been studying all her life.

'Are you awake?'
'......　Yes!　I'm up!

　Crono peeked through the doorway and Elena raised herself up.
　For some reason, the landlady is with her.

'Teh, where's the letter?'
Well that's about it.

　Crono looked uncomfortable and sat down in the chair next to the bed.

''You know what the Pics Trading Company is?''
Yeah, I'm famous.
'I tried to get someone from the Pix Trading Company to deliver your letter to you but apparently you're supposed to be dead.

　Huh?　And Elena didn't understand what Crono meant by that.

'Why, why, I'm alive!
'You're supposed to have been killed along with your servants when the bandits attacked you.
We have to clear this up immediately!
.....

　As soon as she got off the bed, Elena was grabbed by Crono's arm.

'Hey, let me go!　You said you'd send me home!
I'd love to let you go, but things have changed.

　A chill creeps up Elena's spine.
　A person who is officially supposed to be dead.
　Could it be that this person........is planning to turn me into a s*x slave?

Master Crono, why don't you tell him the truth?

　The landlady ruffled her hair in a troublesome manner.

'What's the truth?'
'Ha, you seem to think you're smart, but you're a bottom-feeding idiot.

　The landlady uttered the same words as the slaver in disgust.

'Landlady!'
Ready?　Your letter arrived at your uncle and fiancé's place. Why would two people who should be happy to be true deny your survival?
...it's

　Elena's clear mind quickly came up with an answer, but Elena herself couldn't say it.

'If you won't tell me, I'll tell you. You're the "landlady.

　Crono interrupted the landlady's words.

'I'll tell you where to go from there.

　Crono sat back down and let out a deep sigh.

'Elena, you were tricked by your uncle and your fiancé.
Why are they sending me here?
It's all about the Graffiass family fortune. Your uncle is in charge of the estate, but you are the official heir.
Whew, where's Philip?　If you marry me, he gets the entirety of the Graffiass family fortune!　He doesn't have the advantage of screwing me over!

　As she said it, Elena found herself talking about her interests.

''You were studying in the Free City State group, right?''
Yeah, so what?
'He must have thought of it this way, didn't he?　He said, "If you marry her, you're smart enough to know that you're not going to leave the management of your property to yourself. Perhaps your uncle has offered you an accomplice in this, saying that if you marry his daughter, the property is yours.
Oh, no.

　Elena felt her feet crumble away beneath her as she realized that what she believed to be a rock was nothing more than a castle in the sand.

'Oh, mother!'
He's dead. I can't be sure, but I'm sure he was killed.

　This time, Elena was speechless.

'There's no one to prove you're Elena Graffius with this. All the servants have been killed, and you're going to be killed when you leave.
I'll tell you why, get out!

　Elena could barely scream at that.



　In the night, Elena woke up.
　Apparently, she was tired of crying and had fallen asleep.

'It's time for dinner,'
No.

　The landlady let out a sigh and placed the silver tray on the desk.

'Whew, Dokoi-sho.'
Put the tray down and get out.

　The landlady sat down in a chair next to the bed, looking like she was in a billion years.

'Have you thought about gesturing yourself a bit?'
I can't think in these circumstances. My uncle and my fiancé betrayed me, sold me into slavery, and even my mother...I don't know, I just don't care anymore.

　Elena buried her face in her pillow and answered in a tearful voice.
　Even Philip, the man who had held her heart and soul together, was her enemy.
　Now that she thought about it, why did she think she could love him?

You have a lot of heart for your mother's murder, don't you?
You don't know what you're talking about!　Of course she wants revenge for her mother's murder!　But now I have nothing. I don't have the status of a semi-nobleman, or the money, or even the means to prove that I'm Elena Graffitius!　How do you expect me to get revenge on you for this!

　Elena shouted angrily, and the landlady let out a disgusted sigh.

'Is your head a decoration?　If there's nothing else, then we'll figure out a way to get revenge!
Think?

　Elena felt as if she had seen a glimmer of light in the landlady's words.
　She had lost everything, but the knowledge she had gained during her three years of study abroad was still intact.
　The landlady was gone, but Elena took her time to plan her revenge.
　It's a roundabout way to go, and there's also a big element of luck that comes with leaving it to others.
　But

Uncle Phillip, you will regret cheating on me to the death.

　With a twinkle in her eye, Elena sipped the soup, which was now completely cold.