After I finished the book — which was far from easy — we experimentally determined that the suppression zone of our Sacred Weapons was about one kilometer. After that, before rumors spread throughout the city, we booked a double room for a week in the hotel closest to the capital's exit. One room for two, but with separate beds and a bathroom. The idea was Akira's. I wasn't involved at all. It was her natural frugality. And since I had already agreed that she would manage the money, I didn't argue.
It was time to check on Raftalia.
After asking locals where the strange slave trader's tents were set up, we set out.
After about half an hour of wandering, we finally arrived at the place.
At the entrance, the slave trader greeted us — the one in a black tailcoat, dark glasses, and a top hat.
"What a surprise! Could it really be the famed Grimoire Hero herself, and the Shield Hero herself?"
"So, you're the penguin slave trader?" I asked mockingly. "Shall we continue with silly questions, or get down to what we came for?"
"I like that approach! Straight to the point!" he said with a smile, twirling his cane. "Follow me, and I'll show you what I have to offer."
"Ugh… what a smell," I grimaced.
Inside the tent it smelled of rot, death, and unwashed bodies.
"So, I recommend this one," said the trader, pointing to one of the cages.
I approached the cage and peeked inside.
"Grrrrr… GRRAR!"
"A werewolf, right?"
The creature inside looked human but had sharp fangs and claws, and fur growing from its skin.
"Werewolf?" Akira was surprised. "That's not human."
"It's a beastman. But it's still classified as human. In the kingdom of Melromark, there is a cult of human supremacy, which makes living here very difficult for half-humans and beastmen."
"What exactly are half-humans and beastmen?" the Shield Hero asked."
" Half-humans look a lot like humans but have some organ that distinguishes them. Beastmen share even less with humans. Oh, and since half-humans are considered closely related to monsters, their life in this country is troubled. That's why they're often used as slaves."
"And you can punish a slave..."
The slave trader snapped his fingers. A magic circle appeared on his hand, and a similar one implanted in the werewolf's chest began to glow.
" GRRAAAARR! GHAaaa!"
The werewolf clutched its chest and writhed in pain.
When the trader snapped his fingers again, the magic circle disappeared.
"…with a simple action, as you saw. You can change the activation action, so you don't have to snap your fingers! It can also be configured through Status Magic."
"I see. How much does he cost?" knowing he wouldn't stop, I asked.
"How about fifteen gold coins?"
"I see. Maybe get to the point now? This werewolf is definitely out of our price range."
"One day you'll become an outstanding person, and we wouldn't want you to be unaware of our high standards. We can't allow some incompetent trader to sell you low-quality goods. Here is the status of this slave."
The slave trader showed me a small crystal. An icon lit up in front of me with words:
[Combat Slave Lv. 75 Race: Werewolf]
"Now that you've seen the best we can offer, what kind of slaves do you prefer?"
"Do you have first-level half-humans?"
"Gender?" he clarified.
"And do you have enough of them to choose from?" I asked mockingly.
"With every word you say, I like you more and more!" said the trader with some enthusiasm.
"Fortunately, I can't say the same," I replied, and he just laughed.
"I won't keep you any longer, follow me."
"Here we usually have the cheapest slaves," he said, pointing to three cages, two empty. In the middle cage was a bony girl of about ten, with round raccoon-like ears and an unusually thick tail; she trembled and coughed. "Before you is a sick representative of the raccoon-like race, suffering from panic attacks. She's the only one matching your conditions among those available."
"How much?" I asked, since it was obvious she was the one "a girl with a very hard fate."
"Fifty silver coins."
"She's nowhere near worth fifty silver..." Akira began to bargain.
"We'll take her," I interrupted the Shield Hero. I didn't want to stay another second in this place.
The slave owner took a key, released the raccoon girl from the cage, clipped her to a leash, then led her back the way we came, and emerged into an open area inside the tent, where he ordered someone to bring a pot of ink.
Then he poured a little into a small dish and brought it to me.
"Grimoire Hero, please share your blood. Then the ritual will be complete, and this slave will become yours."
"This slave isn't for me. Akira, your blood is needed."
"What? You didn't tell me this! We didn't agree on that!" the girl was indignant. "I thought..."
"Akira! Unlike you, I can at least attack. For me, leveling up is just a matter of time."
"You're suggesting I become a slave owner?! Besides, look at her" I wouldn't send her into battle! She's so small!
"You suggest leaving her here?" I tried another approach, appealing to sympathy.
"I. Said. NO!" Akira said firmly, looking me in the eyes. "Do what you want, but don't drag me into this!"
"Fine then," I summoned a knife from my Inventory, cut my finger, and dropped a few drops into the dish.
The trader dipped a brush into the ink, pulled down the cloak covering the girl to her waist, and recolored the brand on her chest.
"AAAAHHH!!!" the girl screamed in unbearable pain.
The slave brand began to glow, and an icon appeared in my status window.
[Slave Acquired]
A message appeared with contract terms.
A huge number of conditions.
I skimmed through and set no punishments for all items.
Then I checked the group settings icon, which lit up alongside the slave icon but led to a different directive.
Since I recognized the name, it said "Raftalia."
"Now this slave is yours, Lord Legendary Hero. Now I'll ask for payment."
Counting out the required number of coins, I took the small dish from the table and poured its contents into a bottle.
"I don't want to waste my blood," I explained, noticing the slave trader's questioning look, though he didn't even flinch at my boldness.
"A very commendable precaution…" he murmured thoughtfully. "We look forward to your next visit."
After we left that cursed place, I crouched down in front of the girl who was barely standing.
"What's your name, little one?"
"Cough..."
She turned away, refusing to answer. After about fifteen seconds, realizing there was no pain, she turned back to face me.
"R-Raftalia… Cough-cough!"
"Raftalia, what a beautiful name," I smiled. "My name is Pluton, and the grumpy lady next to me is Akira, she's the Shield Hero."
"Really? Cough-cough! The real one?" she shifted her admiring gaze to Akira.
"The real one."
"You must be hungry?" she shook her head no, but her growling stomach gave her away.
"Raftalia, lying is bad," the girl tensed up, expecting punishment. "Alright, let's go feed you."
I picked her up in my arms, since she could barely stand, which caused her to go into a long stupor. She smelled unpleasant, and all her clothes were dirty. So we headed to the nearest food stall.
We got some local dish for the three of us, something like shawarma, and stood off the main road. I took a flask of water from my inventory, washed the child's hands, and then we began to eat.
The shawarma I hurried through — it tasted more like salad with sweet omelette wrapped in flatbread.
I didn't immediately notice that Raftalia hadn't touched her portion.
" Why aren't you eating?"
"May I?! Cough-cough!"
" Not may, but must! Come on, eat, little miracle."
"Cough-cough! Okay!"
Nom-nom-nom
While Raftalia was devouring her food with gusto, I noticed Akira looking at me strangely.
"What?"
" … Nothing."
"Really?"
"…"
After buying a dress, underwear, and shoes for the girl in a clothing shop, and a couple of outfits for the Shield Hero, and some simple clothes for myself,
I asked Akira to return with the girl to our hotel room and give her a good wash. Meanwhile, I found the apothecary's shop on the map and bought six bottles of cough medicine, which cost me two silver coins. Not sure if that'd be enough, but by the time it ran out, I would already be able to make it myself.
When I returned to the hotel, it was already late evening outside.
Entering the room, the first thing I saw was Raftalia, clean and changed into a light pink dress. She stood near the window and looked at me with horror.
"Raftalia, I'm not going to hurt you," I said tiredly, closing the door and leaning my back against it. "You don't need to be afraid of us… I have an idea of what you went through, but believe me, Akira and I mean you no harm."
"… Okay. Cough-cough!" she said cautiously.
"I bought you cough medicine," I sat on my bed, took a bottle from the inventory, and handed it to Raftalia. "Here, drink this."
She took the bottle, pressed it to her chest, and stared at my face, expecting a trick. Sniffing it, she took a sip.
"How bitter, I don't want it… Ugh…" she made a face.
At that moment Akira came out of the bathroom, towel-drying her hair. She wore a light blue sundress down to her knees.
"Raftalia, you want to get better, recover, and grow into a beautiful girl, right?"
"… Cough-cough! Beautiful like Lady Akira?" The Shield Hero froze upon hearing that.
"No, not that much!" Akira chuckled cheerfully at my words, and I sighed mockingly, nodding sadly. "You just can't drink enough medicine to compare to her."
"… I'll drink it!" the little one stubbornly declared. "As much as I need, I'll drink! Really!"
Then she looked at the bottle in her hands like it was her worst enemy and emptied it at one gulp.
"Ew…" she grimaced.
"Good job!" I praised her and gently stroked her head without touching her ears.
"…" she looked at me with an unreadable expression.
"Okay," I'm off to the bathroom, then to bed! "I announced my plans."
"Where will Raftalia sleep?" the Shield Hero asked. "With me?"
"No…" At these words, two emerald eyes looked at me in a way that gave me goosebumps, so I hurried to explain. "I'll give her my bed. I have a sleeping bag in my inventory."
To prove it, I took out the sleeping bag and spread it on the floor. Then I went to the bathroom, washed, and after washing my clothes, changed into the simple black pants and gray shirt I bought today. Crawling into the sleeping bag, I almost instantly fell asleep.
I was awakened by Raftalia's heart-wrenching scream. Reading about it before, I had no idea she screamed like that at night.
It sounded like she was being burned alive. Surely, no one in the hotel could have slept through it.
Akira also jumped out of bed, looking around in fear.
I got up quickly and ran to the girl, soothing her with gentle strokes. After a minute, Akira joined me. Together, with four hands, we somehow calmed her down.
" … Panic attacks, huh?" the Shield Hero whispered harshly. "What did she go through to scream like that?! Poor child…"
"Can you stay with her? I'll go downstairs and talk to the hotel owner."
"Okay."
Putting on my spare boots, I left the room and almost bumped into the angry hotel owner, in a nightshirt and holding a night lamp. Calling five silver coins into my hand, I put them into his free hand.
"For the inconvenience caused."
"I hope this won't happen again?" he asked more kindly.
"We'll try. The girl has panic attacks, but she seems calmer now."
He gave me a stern look, glanced at the coins in his hand, then turned and went downstairs.
"Lie down on my bed, I'll sleep with her," Akira whispered quietly when I returned, hugging the girl and holding her close.
Nodding, I took off my boots and lay down. The pillow smelled pleasantly of lavender with a faint hint of ash. After half an hour, I fell asleep.