Wataru and the other two entered a weapon shop that happened to catch their eye along the main road. For a while, they considered purchasing items while listening to the shopkeeper's explanations.
However, as time passed, their expressions grew more grim. When they finally left the shop, all three were staggering, dragging their feet with shoulders slumped, though each for a different reason.
"It's so expensive..."
"The prices were outrageous... There were weapons more expensive than us..."
"The appearance was all show, and the quality was bad..."
"Mariel is right. I mean, how could a weapon be more expensive than the two of you...?"
Wataru was taken aback by the unaffordable prices.
Mariel was shocked that there were weapons priced higher than what she had been sold for.
And Ea was disappointed she couldn't find a weapon she liked.
While their reasons differed, they were all undeniably dissatisfied. They hurried down the main street, trying to escape the shopkeeper's gaze.
For Wataru, who grew up in a society of mass production and consumption, the value of goods had become significantly lower. In a society where items are crafted individually by hand, it's not unusual for the value of items to surpass that of people. Even so, it was hard for him to accept that the value of the weapons was higher than that of Mariel and Ea, to whom he had already grown attached.
(There's no way that such cute, beautiful, and well-shaped slaves could be cheaper than a sword... Not in my view, at least...)
In reality, the price of the two had been significantly reduced as a favor from Maso, who wanted to deepen his connection with William. But Wataru had no way of knowing that.
"This place seems to cater to the rich or nobility."
"Indeed. The extravagant exterior gave me a bad feeling when we walked in..."
"Weren't you a noble yourself, Mariel? Couldn't you tell before we entered?"
"I'm a slave who was sold off, you know? I may have been a noble, but I was from a lower-ranking family without much luxury. Besides, nobles typically don't go out to shop themselves; the stores would come to them..."
"Is that so?"
It must be the equivalent of a special service. In Japan, there were cases where bankers or department store employees would visit wealthy clients at their homes, so it's likely a similar system exists here.
As Wataru and Mariel discussed with weary expressions, Ea puffed out her cheeks and complained with a dissatisfied tone.
"More than that, the quality was bad because they only cared about looks."
"Was it really that bad?"
"It would break as soon as it clashed with something. Not worth considering."
"Then it was the right decision not to buy anything."
"Yes, the right decision."
She must have been very displeased. Ea stomped her feet loudly as she walked, her expression so severe that passersby began to give her a wide berth.
(Her tail's puffed up. While her expression is easy to read, it seems her tail shows her emotions even more clearly.)
"Perhaps they didn't show us the really good stuff?"
"Is that so?"
"Yes, I think they only show their best products to their regular customers or wealthy patrons."
"So they sized me up and figured I wasn't worth it. That's kind of a bad feeling."
Wataru's clothing likely appeared odd to the townspeople, leaving them unsure whether to treat him as a valuable customer or a suspicious person. This made the honest treatment he received from the Welcome Trading Company seem even better.
"Still, I think we should stop randomly entering shops we happen to see. Honestly, I don't have much confidence that we'll find a store we're satisfied with."
"I agree. We should ask someone familiar with the town."
"The people in that store kept talking to us the whole time. I didn't like it."
For Ea, who was tasked with guarding Wataru while choosing her own weapon, it must have been quite a burden. Wataru also felt uneasy about making high-cost purchases without understanding the market prices. After visiting the store and seeing the products firsthand, Wataru asked Ea the question that had been on his mind.
"By the way, the slave trader Maso recommended you as a bodyguard, but what exactly can you do, Ea?"
"I can use swords, spears, and I'm good with bows. Basically, I can handle any weapon. The sword is the best for guarding, so they told me to use it as my selling point."
"That's impressive..."
"Ea is a well-known gladiator, even I know of her. She was famous for being undefeated, never getting a single scratch, no matter the opponent, be it another gladiator or a monster. I think she might be one of the top gladiators in the country."
"Oh, right, Maso did mention something like that."
Ea puffed out her chest with pride at Mariel's words.
Her large, oversized chest was thrust forward, causing Wataru to involuntarily stare.
(I wish she'd be more cautious about where she directs her gaze. I'll look since she's my slave, but I don't want to be thought of as an insensitive guy, so it's tricky...)
As Wataru mulled over these thoughts, he voiced another question that had come to mind after hearing their conversation.
"Even though you're so strong, you were still sold off, right? Honestly, I wonder if that promoter was just bad at business."
"...They called in famous gladiators and gathered strong monsters, but they were still too weak to face me."
"So even then, they couldn't match up to you?"
Ea nodded silently in response to Wataru's question.
While Wataru wasn't bad at physical activity, he wasn't trained enough to be considered an athlete, so he couldn't grasp the extent of Ea's strength. Perhaps a master warrior would be able to gauge her abilities before a fight and be amazed by her power. To him, she just looked like a beautiful, cute girl.
"They told me to go easy, but I'm a warrior, so I didn't hold back in a fight. After that, they said they lost a lot of money on the event and got mad, so they sold me off..."
"Poor thing. That must have been tough."
"It was frustrating... I didn't understand why they were mad at me for winning. It felt unfair."
Seeing Ea slump her shoulders in dejection made Wataru feel sorry for her. That said, gladiatorial events were free to attend, functioning more as gambling than entertainment. The organizers would cover the costs of hosting, profiting from the bets placed on the fights. While the events held in urban arenas could generate substantial revenue, failure could also result in significant losses.
"That's probably because, in an event where you were expected to be the main attraction, you won too easily, making it impossible for the betting to be profitable. The organizers lost all the money they invested in the event."
"I see. So Ea was too strong, and it ended up being a bad outcome for everyone involved."
It's a disheartening story. If there had been another gladiator as strong as Ea, the organizer's business and Ea's fate might have turned out very differently.
(But if that had happened, I never would have met Ea, so in a way, I was lucky.)
It's not good to rejoice in someone else's misfortune, but Wataru couldn't help but feel glad to have met Ea. At the very least, he resolved to be the kind of master who would make his slave glad she was bought by him.
"Now that you're my slave and working as a bodyguard, do you think you'll be alright?"
"I'm fine with it. Guarding is straightforward—just protect the master with all my strength, so it's easier. I'll protect you with everything I've got."
"That's reassuring. Then all the more reason to buy you a good weapon."
"Please do."
Ea bowed her head slightly, and Wataru decided that to honor her feelings and ensure she could protect him well, he needed to provide her with good equipment. The weapons they had seen in the previous shop were adorned with gemstones in their sheaths and hilts, and decorated with gold, silver, or exotic monster hides.
Even if they avoided such decorative items, it was clear that acquiring a quality weapon would require a considerable amount of money. Some legendary swords were said to grant special abilities to their users, enhance the performance of the weapon, or increase its durability through advanced techniques.
It's possible that the previous shop did have such items.
In that case, it seemed the quickest way to acquire the necessary funds and gather information would be to revisit the Welcome Trading Company. Though it might feel a bit awkward to visit them again so soon after yesterday...