When the three of them left the room and left Yashis alone with him, Yashis

So while you're waiting, may I explain to you about the slaves?
Well, are you sure?
'Yes. You don't seem to know much about slaves, if you don't mind me saying so.
Yeah, I'd love to.

Since you're going to be buying slaves and making them employees, of course you should ask them.

''Well then, let me first confirm that our customer is a 'drifter', right?'''
Yeah, but how did you know that?
First of all, it's the clothes. It's not the kind of construction you see here, and even I don't know what the fabric is. Besides, even a child knows what a slave knows. The only people who don't know about it are children from a rural village or the daughters of noblemen who were brought up to be butterflies and flowers. Our guest didn't seem to be either of those.
I see...

Is "drifter" rather common?
So I wonder if there's a lot more than just me and Hayato?

Does that change anything about being a drifter?
No. So that's the answer to the mystery, that's all clear.

Huh?　I thought you were talking about how there are some rules about being a drifter and not being able to have slaves, but you just confirmed it.

''Then let me explain it in detail for you.

Yashis seemed to have finished what he had just said. Did he really just want to clear up the mystery within himself?　I feel like maybe not.

'There are different types of slaves. There are different kinds of slaves: debt slaves, criminal slaves, and then there are special slaves. The only thing all slaves are forbidden to do is to force them to kill or harm their masters.

I understand debt. The crime is also, well, I guess that's the kind of punishment that's available.
As for special slaves I'm not sure.

'First of all, debt slaves, but forcing them to do cell work, fighting, and murder is forbidden. Then there's reckless labor as well. If you break it, there are penalties. These are set out in the contract, so if there is a violation, it cannot be hidden.
So the enslavement is a skill or something?
Yes. It's a skill called contracting. This skill can only be done with the consent of both parties. This doesn't change no matter how many levels you go up, so it's impossible to enforce it.

I guess human rights are relatively well protected, right?
Is it so? I've never seen a slave being whipped to work in the streets.

We hope that many slaves will continue to work without being freed, because their lives are often somewhat better than their former lives, even though they are debt slaves. The family knows this, and they don't buy back the slaves. I suppose it would take years to buy them back since they are in debt to begin with.
Were you expecting a lot of aristocrats?
'No, it's simply a matter of buying traders and others for labor. But the master must guarantee the debt slave's food, clothing and shelter, and if the slave dies early, he or she will be examined in detail. Therefore, they are guaranteed at least two meals and if they fall ill, they must be given a break. As a slave, many people still prefer to be purchased by a nobleman, but they are not very popular with the nobility.

When you hear the word "aristocrat" or "slave," you buy a lot of good-looking women.
Why is that? It's not a good image of a nobleman buying a slave.

'By the way, if you were to free them, what would be the terms?'
That's up to the buyer's discretion. But if you are a criminal slave, the state will investigate you.

I see. So it's okay to release her if you think she's contributed in some way?
But a criminal slave can't be released if the master wishes.
I guess so.

I'm sure you're aware that most of the rights I just mentioned don't apply to criminal slaves. Besides, you must notify the purchaser of your crime when you sell it.
Most of it means you're guaranteed some level of security, right?
Yes. But of course forcing a man to commit a crime is forbidden. And in the case of the man, there is no limit to the hours he can work. Sleeping hours and at least one meal are guaranteed, but the rest is left to the discretion of the buyer. For women, most of them become prostitutes, but they are sent to a mass shop, also known as a janitorial room, where they are not guaranteed a living.

Oh well you're pretty tough on criminal slaves.

''Crime slaves don't have the right to choose their purchasers either. Instead, the sale price is low, so it's more common for people to buy them on the assumption that they will use them up.


But I suppose the demand is there. Hard work is something that happens in every world.

The last one is special slavery, but it's for nobles, royalty and people who are enslaved for other special reasons. This time Aina-sama would be considered a special slave as well.

Wow. You too, Aina? She said...

'Huh?　I mean, did I ever tell you how Aina-san came to be like this?
Yes. Yes, Mr. Rainerich informed me about it first thing in the morning, to tell you the truth. But I didn't tell you because if I did, it would look like I was prevaricating.
Oh, oh....
You can rest assured that Mr. Rainerich has asked me to be fair to you.

That's good to hear.
I wondered if I could pressure Yashis to do the same with Rainrich.

'May I continue our conversation?'
Oh, yeah. Please.
"Special slaves have a choice of subordination and freedom of contract.
Dependent and free?
'Yes, sir. A subordinate follows his master and sleeps and eats with him, so he must guarantee his life. However, in the case of a free contract, the slave is the master and the slave in relation to each other, but the slave continues to live as before and gives orders when necessary. If the order is urgent, the slave's business takes precedence, and if the order continues to be unreasonable, the slave can refuse it.

From what I've heard, the free contract sounds like a useless errand boy.
But it's easy not to have to guarantee a living.
I don't have a place to live right now, and I think this free contract with Aina is a good idea.

"In the case of freelance contracts, a price is agreed upon in consultation with a single order, and when you have earned enough to make the purchase, you are released.

I see.
That makes it harder to abuse.

Then there's the nobility and royalty, but they're special because of the price.
'Price?　I know it's expensive, but if you're going to buy one, you're going to have to buy a rich nobleman or something, right?
'Yes. The majority of people who buy nobles and royalty are the same nobles. Occasionally, it's only the big merchants who buy them to give themselves a boost.
'I suppose. Why would a nobleman be a slave in the first place?
There are a number of reasons why people fall into slavery, such as family turmoil, or crimes that are committed and the kingdom decrees that they are to fall into slavery. But in the case of a nobleman, the slave trader must take responsibility for choosing his partner.
What do you mean?
A nobleman once purchased an enslaved nobleman. It was widely known that the slave died a month later. The corpse was badly beaten and had suffered partial mutilations.

Wow ... egregious.

''That slave had refused to be courted by a nobleman. Of course she refused to be the slave of the nobleman. But the aristocrat forced her to become a slave, using the rest of her family members as hostages, and that's when the incident happened. Since then, slavers who owned noblemen and royalty were held accountable for their oversight. They decided to prevent incidents by investigating the backstabbing relationship and how well the nobles were getting along with each other. If an aristocrat pressured a nobleman, he would be removed by the kingdom. Of course, there are penalties for slavers as well, so we can't afford to cut corners.

I see. So the price will be higher for it.
It's a problem for me if I cheapen the price and get a strange person to buy it.

It's hard work for the slavers too, isn't it...

The daughter of a selfish nobleman or something like that may also come, and even just thinking about the hassle of such a case makes me collapse with busyness.

I'm not sure. It's a good idea to be able to have a reliable customer or two as long as you are a slave trader. If the customer also requires it, please let me know.
It's only been two days, you know?
"Frankly speaking, it's just a hunch. But it's the merchant's intuition that tells me there is no problem. I've been able to build the best slave trading house in the city by relying on my intuition. That's why I trust my instincts and money more than anything else.

A hunch........
Come to think of it, Aina-san also said that she was fine with her intuition.

I heard a knock on the door four times with a konkonkon, and Wendy-san and Aina-san, followed by Sorte, came back.

'Looks like it's over. Just in time, so Wendy can sit over here too.
Yes, sir.

When I said that, Wendy-san sat in front of me and Aina-san and Solte sat on either side of me, but Solte didn't say anything and cooed or ahhhs were leaking from her mouth.
Aina-san was also staring upwards with a pouting red face.

'Aina-san?'
'Yeeeeeee!　Hey, what a lord!

Aina replies in a hurry with a strange voice, which is not like Aina-san.
What on earth happened in the back room........

''Then let me see it.

When Yersis took the papers from Wendy, he put on his glasses from his breast pocket.
She read it diagonally from top to bottom as fast as she could, then spread the paper out on the desk, turned it around and showed it to me.

'Can you read the words?'
Um, yeah. I think I'm okay.

I didn't know you could read the characters in another world.
I think it's usually not possible to read or write.
But I was able to read it clearly.

I'm so glad to hear that. First of all, Aina-san explained, Aina-san has a 0 for housework, a 0 for combat, and a 0 for cell work. She has a good figure, has no experience in housekeeping, and has an excellent figure, so I'd say 35 million knolls for a subordinate contract and 6 million knolls for a free contract.

It's a special contract with Aina. Well, it was going to be a free contract, and it's just about right.

"There's quite a bit of pretense, isn't there?
''Yes. There is a big difference between a subordinate contract and a free contract if the cell is a zero.

I see. If you're subordinate to someone, you're likely to ask for as much as you can get asked for, right?
But that's the case with subordination.
I don't want to sign a free contract, so that's none of my business.

Next, Solte-san, housekeeping is "0" for housekeeping and "0" for combat, and "X" for cell duties. It's a good look, but frankly speaking, her style is immature for her age. Since she has to do "x" in housekeeping, she'll be worth 10,000,000 Nol for subordinate and 4,000,000 Nol for freelance work.

The big difference in price in the subordinate contract is not based on appearance or anything else, but on whether the cell work is zero or x. Even so, the difference in the free contract is not that great, but how much importance is placed on it?
But still, 6 million and 4 million?
The reason for this is because of Reinrich's guile?
But now we have a good prospect of procuring the materials.
Now we can save up to buy a house, buy slaves, and let our employees use their farming skills to live a self-sufficient life.
You leave the work to your employees and I'll use my spending skills to take a stroll!　In town, of course.

"Wait a minute. Why do you think Sorte's so young for her age?

For all intents and purposes, he's a teenager. And early to mid-teens.

'No, no. She's an adult now, you know?
What?

No, no, no.
He's small in stature, and his face is young, and his breasts are flat.
A waist isn't a nipple, it's just skinny, and the only thing that would make it stronger would be the nice fur on the tail that's visible from the butt.

'The werewolf tribe is about this tall, even at maturity. But even among them, their breasts are small.
'No, but isn't that too childish for a small one?'
'Yes. I may be small, but this makes me a fine adult.
Shut up!　If you've been listening to me for a while, you've been a tiny little thing!　Breasts are the bane of battle!　Breasts, breasts, breasts!　I don't want any big adventures!　Aina changes armor every time her breasts get bigger, it's a waste of money.　Do you understand?

Oh, oh.
I thought you weren't giving it up.
You keep saying things like "ahh" and "uu", but you're overreacting to the word "small".
So I'm going to send you a message.

"Are you a pariah?
Gow!

Go!　This guy bit my arm off!
He's just a kid!
Hey, stop it, get off me!　My HP is low!

'You and Solte must be very close...'
By the way, Aina, are you a flame person?
'Yes. Officially, it's only half flame blood.
I see. Are you the blood of the fiery genius?
I'm just Aina now. I've been living my life as a human being for a while now.

Aina's expression became languid.
I know something is up, as I'm sure you can guess. But.

Ow!　It's time to let go, you dog!
'Gawd, gawd, gawd, gawd! (I'm not a dog!　It's a wolf!
I don't know what the f*ck you're talking about, man!　Oh, no. I think I might be getting wobbly.

Oh, God!　This guy is just a kid, for real!　I'd rather be a brat!　You're still at a lower grade level, not just your age!

Okay!　I'm sorry!　So let me go!　Let me go, please!
Gawd I'll bite you off next time!

Ouch. You've got all your bite marks.

"So, you're the Fire People, aren't you?　Is that everyone's hair as red as Aina's?
''Yes. Yes. It's said that crimson flaming hair is a sign of the Flame-Human Race, isn't it? But just because your hair is red doesn't mean you're a member of the Flame Race.
I see. But you're lucky to be a flame tribe, Aina. It looks great on you.

Aina's crisp expression is matched by her red hair.
To be honest, I don't think it would look right with any other hair color.

It's a good idea. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what to expect.

Something happened in the past........kind of.
There's a good chance that the flame race is abhorred or said to be abominable.
But I don't know that, and I can only think of Aina-san, who has the blood of the flame race, as a silly, serious, stiff, good woman.

''Well, now, let's get back to the subject and make a contract (contract), shall we?''
Yeah, I'd like to get this done today if possible.
Well, I guess we'll just have to go over the terms and conditions with you.

It's like setting the rules for special slaves.

'I don't mind the contract method as a free contract. Aina-san is an adventurer, so there's no need to force her to be subordinate to you.

Besides, if I can live my life as usual, the chances of me being attacked will be reduced.
In the unlikely event that they were attacked, they would have one shot out since they didn't have any guards, but well, I see that as unlikely.
Firmly, Aina-san, but the guild would have explained it to her, and if something happens, she would know that Rainrich won't be silent.
Seriously, Patron God Rainrich-sama. I can't resist the authority.

''No, but........''
I honestly don't think I could hold on to many things if I were subordinate. Especially not reason.

Aina's face turned bright red at these words and she slumped down.
What on earth happened in the back room?

It's a free contract, isn't it? In that case, I need the consent of the PT members.
Of course it's okay!　If we can still have adventures and protect Aina from this guy's poisonous fangs, of course we can, right?

Whose poisonous fangs are these? They're not even poisonous, they're not even sick!

Are you two PTs on the Red Line?
Yeah. There's two of you now. There's one more person, but I'm out of PT for a while right now to run some errands.
'So I'm sure the member's consent clause is fine. Now for the repayment method.
'Isn't that the normal purchase price for materials?'
That's right. The selling price is the end price of the market. So do you have any other requests?
Not really. Oh, wait!　I want you to prioritize selling to me when you find rare materials, except when I'm asking you to collect materials.

First of all, I don't feel like going on an adventure, so it will be hard to find rare materials.
If you don't find a way to use it, you can ask someone else to sell it to you.

Of course I don't mind. It's not a problem, right?
Yes. Good.

The PT member (Sorte) has given his approval, and other than that........not much else.

So ... well ... what about the tassels?
'Uh....'

No, I don't want you to ask.
Honestly, I'd be happy to have it if I could be honest.
But is it okay for me to talk about it?
I feel like I'm putting my position on the line and forcing you to do it.
No, really, I'd be happy if you had it!　Look!　I'm a boy too!

Well....it's all yours. And if you don't mind I'll let you know.

He's gone!
I'll leave it to them!　I can't!

Yeah, right. Yeah. I'm glad you said that.

Aina-san must have been worried after all.
She said she had no experience.
I think this kind of thing needs to be done properly.

Then are you satisfied with the above conditions?　I'm going to start a contract, okay?
Oh." "Yes." "Of course!

So this is the deal.
But do I have to write a reminder or an agreement?

What am I supposed to do?
'Hold out one hand and stack them on top of each other. Ms. Aina, Ms. Sorte, and then the customer, in that order, with the customer at the top, please.
Me?　Is this right?

I layered them together as I was told.
He was miffed when he touched the back of Sorte's hand, but it can't be helped.......

''Then, I swear this contract in the name of the Kingdom of Rassiayu.

Contract execution.

Yashis holds up his hand and a light runs across the back of my hand.
It doesn't hurt, but the light goes straight through all three of our hands, and once it shines loudly, it converges.
The light subsided and I looked at my hand and saw some kind of pattern etched into it.

'What's this. A tattoo?
'It is the emblem of the Kingdom of Laciayu. This signifies that this is a covenant duly sworn in the name of the Kingdom of Rassiayu and is a sign of possession of a slave.

Rasheayu Kingdom?　I don't know about the "I don't know," but in essence, it's a proper contract. I guess that's what it means.

'There's nothing special about it... but did I really become a slave?
Yes. Would you like to try it?
Oh what do I do?
'Then try to kill the Lord.

Huh?
You, Solte, are too happy to pull out your spear!
It's like he's trying to kill me!

"I'll get your head.　Ouch, ouch, ouch!　My head hurts!　Why?!

Suddenly, Solte lets go of her spear and holds her head in her hands and begins to roll around on the spot.

If a slave is excessively violent or has the intent to kill the Lord, the punishment is enforced and stopped. If a slave does something that the Lord does not approve of, he will be punished with a headache, so please be careful.
'How could I!　I'm not his slave and I'm not his slave!
'No...........................I'm registered. You confirmed it. In the case of a free contract, the PT members are also bound.
I didn't say that!　Because I never said it!
Was it?　But I've already sworn an oath. We can't revoke it until we finish paying the N10 million we owe.

Yashis looks over to us for a moment and snaps a glance at us.
.... he did it on purpose.
But it's a relief. Now we won't have to worry about being attacked by Sorte.

"Wow!　One day it's an absolute painful lie!　I'm not trying to kill you!

You are a bad dog.

"If I keep refusing to buy from this guy, I'm not going to be able to do this forever?
Yes, of course.
Okay, I've heard good things.
Hey!　You're kidding, right?　Are you kidding me?　I don't want to be a slave to you for the rest of my life!
Attitude, dog. Next time you try to kill me, I'll be sure to do it for real.
Kuhn. I get it. I won't try to kill you if you don't do anything weird to Aina.
No, I mean, he's just going to ask you to collect materials... Besides, we agreed in the contract that it was up to you, Aina.
Okay. It's all right. I don't think Aina would ever forgive you. Okay. I'll just go get you a good one and we'll get this over with.
Okay, okay. I'll be waiting for you.
...I still think you and Solte seem to be comfortable with each other.

Thus, I was able to finish the contract successfully.
The next thing that awaits me is the Adventurer's Guild.
Either way, we'll need to report to the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild, and since we have an errand from Rainrich, let's get it over with then.

''Well then, you two, take care of things from now on.''
Yeah. It's nice to meet you too, my lord.
'I'm not calling you master!　You're good enough for you!

I don't mind, but I'd rather have him call me master.
No, I'll make him call you that someday, I promise.