"All the girls who understand Brahim, please line up here" Harvey said upon entering the room.
As my eyes were on Miria the whole time, I noticed that she first looked confusedly at Harvey, then seeing all the other girls stand up, she stood up too to join the line.
Before she could position herself, Harvey addressed her directly, "(You don't know Brahim, go back and don't line up again unless I call you!)"
Harvey spoke to Miria in a foreign tongue, but thankfully I could understand them.
"(Burner language huh)" I tried and yep I could speak that language too, although it felt a bit awkward to speak.
"Master, you speak Burner language too?" Roxanne, who was behind me exclaims in surprise, "Usually it is spoken only by the Beastkin tribe of the middle eastern part of the Empire. I know it because it was spoken in my Village too, but Master knowing it is really surprising" She said with happiness evident in her voice.
"Even I don't know Burner Language," Sherry murmured, looking at me with a newfound respect.
I smiled at their comments as Harvey approached me nervously. "I apologize that she stood up needlessly," he bowed slightly, likely due to the earlier incident. In this place, it was a significant issue if the slaves couldn't follow orders properly.
"It's alright" I reply with a carefree smile.
"Then please, have a look," He gestures towards the line, letting out a sigh of relief.
I glanced at the girls, but just like before, none of them stood out. After observing them all, I made my way towards Miria, who was standing by the chairs in the corner.
[Miria
Diver Level 2]
Miria must be of similar height to the merchant girl, taller than Sherry but shorter than Roxanne. She had a slim and slender figure, and I couldn't help but notice her rather prominent breasts.
From afar, her hair appeared black, but as I stood in front of her, I could see it was actually a dark navy blue. She sported a cute bob cut hairstyle, accentuating her charm. The most endearing features were the soft triangular cat ears atop her head, and a blue tail swishing behind her.
"She is from the catkin tribe, right?" Although I knew she was, I still asked aloud.
"(Are you from the catkin tribe?)" Roxanne, who was behind me, asks Miria.
"(Yes. If you give me fish to eat, I will follow you)" Miria replies to Roxanne.
Roxanne glanced at me hesitantly, and I couldn't help but chuckle at the adorable exchange.
"Would you like to buy her?" Harvey asks me nervously.
"Hmm maybe. I will decide after the interview" I replied nonchalantly, not wanting to give him any reason to raise prices.
"But she doesn't understand Brahim, and she was found guilty of a crime and was, therefore, sold into slavery as punishment," Harvey listed all her cons with a sincere face.
"I can still buy her, right?" I said, looking at him with a smile.
"Yes, of course," Harvey replied, his annoyance dissipating as quickly as it had appeared.
We then exited the room, and Harvey informed us that this was the last room which we visited. He then confirmed once again if I wanted to visit the 2nd floor, after I declined politely, he took us back to the luxurious room.
My tea was refilled and Harvey excused himself, telling us to wait for a moment.
Shortly after, the door opened again, and Harvey re-entered with Lillia following behind him. My eyes first met her violet ones, but soon my attention was drawn towards her jiggling bosom. This time I controlled myself, and refrained from staring any further.
Harvey seated himself on the sofa in front of us and gestured for Lillia to sit across from me. She nodded and took a seat, looking a bit tense and shy.
"I am Lillia," the sheep girl introduced herself with a short bow.
"I am Michio, and these are Roxanne and Sherry," I replied, gesturing towards the girls behind me while they greeted her as well.
"Are you fine with doing housework?" I asked her directly.
"Yes, I can do chores," Lillia responded, her voice soft and gentle. She seemed a bit more reserved than before when she was in the other room.
"And what about Labyrinths?" I asked, curious about her skills in that area.
"I-I have been to a Labyrinth, but I wasn't particularly talented in it," Lillia replied hesitantly. "But I am good at making clothes," she added, looking at me earnestly.
I smiled at her response and then glanced at Harvey, who was sitting quietly. He nodded to me and then escorted Lillia out of the room. As she left, she gave us a brief bow, looking back one last time before disappearing from view.
Soon after, Harvey returned to the room with Anastasia following behind him. Her purple long hair swayed gracefully as she entered.
After Harvey took his seat, Anastasia sat down in front of us.
"I am Anastasia," She gave a small bow and spoke towards me with a sweet smile.
Well she definitely looked cute, but something about her smile felt rehearsed, and her sitting posture seemed more composed compared to Lillia's earlier demeanor.
I introduced our names to her and quickly got to the point, asking, "So, you are a Merchant?"
"Yes, I am a very skilled Merchant," Anastasia replied, maintaining her cute and polite smile.
"And can you handle housework?" I inquired curiously.
"Yes, I can do it. However, if you provide me with some starting funds, I can also run a business for you, and I guarantee it will be profitable," Anastasia confidently spoke, her blue-green eyes shining with determination behind that sweet smile.
"What about Labyrinth?" I asked, seeing her petite frame.
"I am not skilled at fighting" She admitted generously although her smile faltered slightly as she responded.
Well that was expected, not every petite girl can be like Sherry, especially if they were human.
I returned her polite smile and then looked towards Harvey. Understanding the cue, he stood up, and Anastasia followed suit, giving us a bow before leaving the room.
Shortly after Harvey and Anastasia left the room, the door opened again, this time with Harvey returning, followed by Miria. Although she had a nice cleavage, my attention was drawn to her cute ears, which occasionally twitched in the most adorable way.
"Roxanne, will you be the interpreter?" I looked behind me and asked Roxanne.
"Sure, Master," Roxanne looked a bit puzzled but still nodded in agreement.
Speaking Burner language felt a bit awkward for me, and I didn't want to use different languages to communicate with different girls, as it could be perceived as favoritism. So, it's better if Miria learns Brahim language, allowing us all to communicate more easily.
"So you like to eat fish?" I asked her humorously. Roxanne translated my question to her.
"(Yes, I love to eat fish)," Miria replied with a happy expression. Roxanne translated her response for Sherry, who was watching with curiosity.
Miria seemed like a little kid talking about candies, adorable with her round face and eyes that sparkled with innocence.
"You can have as many fishes as you want," I told her with a smile. When Roxanne translated my offer, Miria's eyes lit up with excitement.
"(Please, be my Master)," Miria leaned forward eagerly and looked at me with stars in her eyes. Roxanne smiled wryly and translated her request.
Seeing her childlike excitement, I chuckled. "But you will have to learn Brahim. Only if you keep trying to learn, will you get fish," I said, amused by her eagerness.
Upon hearing Roxanne's translation, Miria glared at me for a moment but then patted her chest with determination, "(Leave it to me, I will learn it)."
I continued the conversation after Roxanne translated her response, asking, "What about Labyrinth?" Roxanne translated the question, and Miria proudly replied, "(I defeated a Fishkin in a Labyrinth)."
I shook my head in amusement, realizing that fish seemed to be the central theme of her thoughts. After Roxanne translated her response, I looked at Harvey, who got up and led Miria out of the room.
"So, what do you think about those three?" Now that the three interviews are over and we are alone, I asked Roxanne and Sherry.
"Hmm, the first one seems good, and she is from the Sheepkin tribe. People from that tribe are very docile and obedient," Roxanne shares her opinion first.
" … but she has a huge chest …" Sherry mumbled something.
I wanted to tell her that 'Flat is justice' but she is not exactly flat so it doesn't exactly apply to her.
"Master should still ask why her hair is not like the other Sheepkin," Roxanne reminded me.
"Hmm" I just nod thoughtfully.
"The second one, how do I say this, her eyes felt weird," Roxanne continued, speaking unsurely.
"She had the eyes of a Merchant, mostly she had her gaze on our clothes, most probably to estimate how much they cost and extrapolating how rich Master is by that," Now that the topic isn't about Lillia, Sherry speaks calmly while sharing her observations.
"Master, most Merchants don't get demoted to slaves, and when they do, they generally change their Jobs first," Sherry continued, speaking doubtfully.
"But if what she said was true, then she could still be of help to you, Master, as a Merchant," Roxanne speaks thoughtfully.
"Hmm," I still nod without sharing my opinion.
"The Third one is good, the one from the catkin tribe" Roxanne speaks to me.
"Why the catkin tribe?" I ask her with a knowing smile.
"T-those of the catkin tribe don't stick to their partners all the time. Therefore, it would be enough if you play with her for a short period of time everyday." Roxanne speaks awkwardly.
My heart is filled with sweetness, seeing how such a beautiful lady is trying to monopolize me.
I take both of their hands in mine, "As I told both of you before, I won't ever ignore you, so you shouldn't worry about that"
"T-thank you Master" Roxanne replies with a sweet smile.
"Thank you" Sherry also smiles a bit.
"Umm … Master, which one do you like?" Roxanne asks me curiously.
"Hmm me? … you two have no major problem with any of the three of them, right?"I ask them while scratching my chin, and they both nod, "I like all three of them then," I reply with a smile.
Sherry's eyes widen while Roxannne just nods and doesn't seem all that fazed. Just then the door opens and Harvey enters the room.
"So have you made your decision?" Harvey asks after sitting in front of me.
"If the price is right, I could be convinced to buy all three of them," I said calmly.
"The first one Lillia is 16 years old, Master Tailor. Although Master Tailor aren't much in demand, she has agreed to become a sex slave. She is a virgin and a Sheepkin, so her total price would be around 500,000, however since you are introduced by a fellow friend of mine, I'll give you a discounted price of 450,000 nars." Harvey speaks to me with a smile.
I mentally shake my head, Alan is a much better merchant than him. Harvey spoke freely about sex and virginity in front of Roxanne and Sherry as if the presence of slaves doesn't matter to him at all.
"But the Sheepkin have wool-like hair, don't they?" I ask in doubt.
"Ughh she was born with such hair. Tell you what, I will reduce an extra 50,000 for that. She is a first-year slave, and no one could refuse such an outstandingly beautiful woman" Harvey seems to compromise in front of me.
"What about the second one?" I just nod at the price without giving my opinion and ask for the next one.
"Anastasia, she is 16 years old. Such a beautiful woman who is a Virgin, is a first year slave and agreed to become a sex slave can easily go for 600,000 to 700,000 nars in tomorrow's auction. But as you are introduced by Alan, I can offer you 550,000." Harvey speaks while making a regretful face.
"You mentioned before that she was found guilty of a crime?" I asked him curiously.
"Uhmm … that," Harvey looks uncomfortable but then sighs and speaks, "She was caught stealing the Alfa Merchant group's heirloom. But I believe she must have mistakenly taken it, and it doesn't necessarily mean she has a habit of stealing," Harvey says nervously while rubbing his hands.
'Master, Alfa Merchant group is a big Merchant group in the Imperial Capital' Sherry informs me via our link, and I thank her.
"I can lower the price by another 50,000 nars" Harvey speaks again when he sees my disbelieving expression about her not stealing again.
"Hmm, so she must have been working in that group, but even after becoming a slave she still kept the Merchant Job. And by her earlier response, it looks like she is planning to restart her Merchant career under my name. Won't the Alfa Merchant Group target me then?" I ask him and spread my hands.
"No, why would they target you because of a slave? Okay, I'll lower the price to 450,000 nar. I won't lower any further than this" Harvey's forehead was sweating and looking at him this must be the lowest price he would agree on.
"What about the third one?" I once again don't comment on the final price and move on to the next one.
Harvey takes a deep breath and stabilizes himself and then speaks, "Miria is 15 years old and is very talented, she also could easily go for 600,000 to 700,000 in tomorrow's auction, if she knew Brahim. However, she doesn't, but she is still a virgin, a first year slave and have agreed to become a sex slave so she will cost around 450,000 nar. It's a bargain price if you ask me." Harvey speaks to me while looking as earnest as possible with a regretful look.
"She was also found guilty of a crime, right?" Knowing what scheme he was playing at, I asked him directly.
"She was caught fishing in the territory of a temple. Her village, after discussing it with the temple, sold her off to slavery. It's believed that the divine punishment will only subside when she becomes the property of someone else," Harvey explains to me with a neutral face.
"Divine Punishment!" I exclaim and knit my eyebrows as if I am in distress.
"She probably didn't know that the area was restricted. She also most probably doesn't have a habit of stealing" Harvey explains to me eagerly.
"But to pay such a high price only to share a divine punishment with her," I speak with a somewhat fearful voice.
"Not at all! Why would you share her divine punishment? 400,000 nars that's the lowest I can go" Harvey speaks agitatedly while shaking his head.
This seems to be his final price. I rub my chin and fall back on the sofa. Harvey, seeing me thinking, also waits patiently. But I am not just thinking, I am also adjusting my points.
I can see why he agreed to sell me the merchandise. Alan's letter definitely helped but it is also true that due to the cons in all three of them, the price inside an Auction may fluctuate a lot and he might not even get what he is asking of me right now.
Also while talking with Lillia and Anastasia, I remembered which anime character they each resemble.
Lillia resembles Lilia Greyrat from Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation. In the anime, she was a maid and then later became the stepmom of Rudeus, the main character.
Anastasia's resemblance is to Anastasia Hoshin from Re:Zero. In that anime, she was the head of the Hoshin company and was among the candidates with Emilia, the main heroine, to become the next ruler of Lugunica.
When I realized this, I panicked for a second, because if it was either of those worlds then it would be GG for me.
But after calming down, I found major differences between those series and this world, and even Lillia and Anastasia just resemble those characters and are not like them entirely.
Like Lillia's name in the series was Lilia and she is also a Sheepkin here, not a human. Although Anastasia has none of such obvious differences, her presence here right now at least shows that this world is different from that story and she might only just look like her.
Though I put those thoughts aside, it became even more necessary for me to buy them both. Despite feeling a bit apprehensive, buying someone other than the character which the og Michio bought in the story was always part of my plan.
My max Level Job is Explorer at Level 32. So I decided to do something extreme.
[Character Settings
BP:0
Status:
Bonus Equipment:
Bonus Spells:
Bonus Skills: Discount Negotiation(7), Appraisal, Character Reset]
Bonus point used:
Discount Negotiation (40% Off): 128
Char reset: 1
Appraisal: 1
I removed almost everything from my Character panel and funneled all the 128 BP into getting to the 7th level in Discount Negotiation, achieving the new highest 40% off.
"I would like to buy all three of them. Can you calculate the price for me?" I asked Harvey with a harmless smile.
"Thank you for the business, the total price is 750,000 nars" Harvey speaks to me with an excited smile.
From 1,250,000 that is 125 Gold coins to 75 Gold coins, the first victim of 40% off didn't go off lightly. I count the Gold coins and give it to him.
"It was a pleasure doing business with you" Harvey places the Gold coins on a plate and speaks to me with a smile.
"No trust me, the pleasure was all mine," I speak with a sincere smile.
[ NOT PART OF THE CHAPTER
If any of you readers like my story a lot and want to support me then you can do so now, as I have linked both my pa-treon and pay-pal in the comments of this chapter and in the Story description.
I want to clarify that this doesn't change anything for my current readers, the stories would still go on, but I won't deny that a monetary benefit would definitely motivate me to spend more of my time on this.
For pay-pal you know the drill so I won't expand on it.
For Pa-treon I am confused, there is no benefit right now in it except to like giving me support. So if any of you have some good ideas then please tell me.
Discord, I don't know, should I make one? And if I do then should it be a joint one of all my stories? or a different one for each?
Anyways, I won't bore you lot now, still if you have any suggestions, advice, etc. then please tell me!
Have a great day!]