Chapter 61: The Slime's Gender
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 61: The Slime's Gender
“There are even fewer slaves than the last time I was here.”
“Well, that’s only natural. The Church isn't releasing any. People are snapping up even the cursed ones.”
“Hmph.”
I looked around, but the selection was similar to my previous visit.
None of them looked remotely human.
The place was packed with slaves who had become half-monster abominations due to the Curse of Transformation.
Bringing a male slave into my home was out of the question, so I wanted to pick a female, but there was a problem.
They had reached a point where you couldn't even tell their gender just by looking at them.
“Can you recommend a female?”
“A female, eh? Hmm. How about that one over there? She looks timid, but she’s quite active at night.”
“She looks like a bug... What’s her species?”
“A Mosquito Human. She sucks blood instead of vital essence. It doesn't matter if it's from a cow, a pig, or a monster, so as long as you provide blood, her food expenses are relatively cheap. If you talk to the director of the dismantling shop, you can probably get a daily supply of fresh monster blood.”
“That sounds fine, but... mosquitoes are a bit much.”
I imagined a mosquito whining in my ear on a summer night.
I immediately understood why she was 'active at night.'
Besides, she looked far too grotesque; I had no desire to buy her.
Is it a bust this time, too? Will I have no choice but to take Olivia into the Labyrinth with me?
No. My current party members are Labyrinth novices. If I take Olivia along and something goes wrong, it’ll be a total catastrophe.
Outside the Labyrinth, I lived with half my brain turned off, trying to maintain some semblance of humanity.
But I never acted thoughtlessly inside the Labyrinth.
The Labyrinth was a place where a single mistake could lead to a total party wipe.
No matter how well you prepared, it was a place where a single stroke of bad luck—a 'forced fail'—could annihilate you.
Just recently, I nearly died because of the insane 'forced fail' known as the Labyrinth Eruption.
And that wasn't the only time. There were very few instances where I wasn't getting screwed over.
In fact, it was weirder if nothing went wrong in the Labyrinth.
And I was supposed to lead a young lady who just got her adventurer badge and her party members while also looking after a blind woman like Olivia?
Absolutely impossible. I’d give up from sheer exhaustion.
For the time being, it was right to leave Olivia behind.
Maybe it would be different later when the Young Lady's party members grew to Silver Badge rank.
But taking Olivia, who had gone blind because of her soundwave detection, just for her scouting ability was premature.
“Hey. Are there any slaves who actually look human? These are all so hideous.”
“The human-looking ones were the first to go. What do you expect, coming in this late? You should have bought two from the start.”
“I was a bit... overexcited back then. I didn't anticipate this situation arising.”
When I first saw Olivia, I was so captivated by her knowledge of the Labyrinth that I couldn't think of anything else and just bought her.
If I had bought one more person then, this wouldn't be happening.
I hadn't thought things through.
“So, what do you need them for? Is your goal a sex slave after all?”
“No, it’s not that. I need a housekeeper. Someone to clean the house and take care of Olivia. I need someone who’s a hard worker.”
“A hard worker, you say? Then this one is the best.”
The slave trader led me to a fairly large jar.
“Isn't this... that Slime Human from before?”
“That’s right. Her name is Marin, and she’s a hard worker. And I just found this out a few days ago—this girl is a living detergent.”
“What?”
“She ended up like this because of a slime curse, but it seems she’s manifested the traits of a slime because of it. Look closely. Doesn't the jar she’s in look strangely sparkly?”
“Oh. Now that you mention it, I guess it does.”
“Exactly. She has the ability to clean anything she touches. She even strips away old, deep-seated grime. I found out recently while cleaning the cages. Only the cage she was in was sparkling clean.”
“...Oh.”
A Slime Human sleeping inside a jar.
So she was a top-tier cleaner. I liked that. But I couldn't let it show. Maintaining a poker face was crucial for driving the price down.
“But can she do anything besides cleaning? She probably lacks the strength to even hold things.”
“Well, her grip strength is admittedly a bit weak. But she’s truly amazing at cleaning. She can decompose trash and even handle food waste. Most importantly, she can do both 'offense and defense.'”
“Offense and defense?”
“Yeah. She can handle both roles, if you catch my drift. Isn't that a great deal?”
“Look, I told you I’m not using her for sexual purposes.”
“So, are you not buying? In my opinion, she’s the best slave here. Don't you want to experience the true 'flavor' of a Slime Human?”
The true flavor of a Slime Human?
“...Ahem. So, by any chance... is she a virgin?”
“Huh? A virgin? How should I know? She’s a slime; it’s not like she has a hymen. I don't even know if it’s a girl or a boy.”
“What? You don't know the gender?”
“That’s right. What does gender matter? If you want it attached, it’s attached; if you want it removed, it’s removed. The slave hasn't told me their gender, either. As long as the 'flavor' is good, isn't that enough?”
“What kind of crazy talk is that?! 'As long as the flavor is good'? What, do I look like some randy young troll to you? And what do you mean by 'flavor'? Did you seriously 'taste' the slave before selling her?! Have you no conscience? Give me a 10-gold discount.”
“No, no! There you go again, knocking off 10 gold! Are you crazy? Why would I touch a slave I’m going to sell? We’re a shop that doesn't lay a finger on the merchandise! What do you take us for? If you want to touch, you have to buy. Only shameless bastards 'taste' without buying.”
“Is that so? Well, that’s a relief, then.”
If it were confirmed she wasn't a virgin, I could have bought her for cheaper.
It was impossible to tell with the naked eye.
Wait, if I don't even know the gender, does it even matter if they're a virgin or not?
It means whether it’s a virgin or a cherry-boy is a total gacha.
What is this, Schrödinger's Futanari? I feel like I’m losing my mind.
“Hmm. This is driving me crazy.”
“What? You don't like this one either? Man, you’re demanding. I don't have any more slaves to show you. Look, can't you just pick one? Why are you so picky?”
“A slave costs at least 20 to 30 gold, so of course I have to be picky. Are you trying to rip me off? Do you think 20 gold grows on trees? Huh?”
“Sigh. It’s not that I think 20 gold is easy money. It’s just that you’ve rejected everything. If you really need someone, you should be looking for a reason to buy. 'I don't like this, I don't like that.' It’s hard on me, too. If you’re going to be like that, wait until the slave supply opens up. What’s the rush? Just wait a month. The restrictions will probably be lifted by then.”
In about a month, the subjugation campaign will start, so there will be plenty of slaves.
“The thing is, I have to go into the Labyrinth in two days.”
“Oh boy. Then just buy a decent one. Once you’re out of the Labyrinth, you can just use her as an out-call servant. Give her a room and make her work 20 hours a day; you’ll make your money back in two years. And above all, this Slime Human is great at cleaning. Think about it.”
A Slime Human who’s good at cleaning.
Can do both 'offense and defense.'
“I don't know if it’s a virgin or a cherry-boy, but in terms of cleaning ability, she’s top-notch. If you put her on a city cleaning crew, those sweepers would go absolutely wild for her.”
“Hmm.”
“I guarantee it. This one is the best. Trust me.”
“How much?”
“40 gol—”
“Oh, bullshit.”
“Huh? What did you just say?”
“I said, do you really have no conscience, asking for 40 gold? Do I look like some tycoon to you? I’m just a commoner living hand-to-mouth. Where would I get 40 gold?”
“A commoner? A guy who comes to buy a slave every other week is a commoner? Now I’m the one who’s flabbergasted.”
“I just happened to come into some money. Anything over 25 gold is a bit of a burden.”
“Wait, what? No way. This is wrong. You’re trying to cut 15 gold just like that? Is that fair?”
“What’s wrong with you? We were having a nice talk, and then you stab me in the back with 40 gold. I thought you were a good person.”
“Don't try to guilt-trip me by saying you thought I was a good person. This one has high performance, so she’s worth that much. 40 gold is the price. I was going to ask for 45, but I knocked off 5 because I thought you’d become a regular. You’re being too much.”
“40 gold is ridiculous. Anything over 25 is a no-go.”
“Seriously, what is wrong with you? Fine. Just don't buy her.”
40 gold really was too much.
Besides, I didn't even have that much money.
My financial sense wasn't so warped that I’d burn 40 gold just to have someone look after Olivia.
I absolutely could not pay 40 gold.
“Hah. Fine. Fine. Let’s do this.”
“Do what?”
“Wake her up. We’ll check if she’s a virgin. If she is, 30 gold. If not, 25 gold. You have a testing tool, right? I know all slave shops have one.”
“You want to bring that out? Wait, before that, why did you drop from 40 to 30?”
“Look, 30 is a price I’m willing to consider. Are you in or out?”
“Sigh. This is madness. 30 gold... Hmmm. Fine, I get it. Wait here. I need to prepare.”
At the thought of potentially selling her for 30 gold if she was a virgin, the slave trader went into the back office.
He was probably bringing that out.
The 'Unicorn's Horn.'
It was one of the Labyrinth City's specialties and an item particularly sought after by foreign nobles.
A hymen isn't made of troll hide; it can often be damaged during training or while riding a horse.
Especially in this world, where there are many female knights and horses are a common means of transport, it’s not uncommon for a virgin to suffer a damaged hymen.
In such cases, the item used to prove one's purity and true virginity is the Unicorn's Horn.
Since unicorns themselves only spawn in the deep layers of the Labyrinth with a very low probability, the price of a single horn is astronomical.
“Here, I brought it.”
“That’s the real deal, right?”
“Can't you tell by looking? Hey! Don't touch it! A man shouldn't touch it with his bare hands!”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes. You have to wear thick gloves like these to maintain its purity. If you just grab it, it’ll turn black in no time. Be careful.”
I got scolded just for trying to touch it.
I see; a man, whether a virgin or not, shouldn't grab it with his bare hands.
“I’m going to bring it close. If she’s a virgin, there will be no reaction. If she’s not, the horn will show hostility.”
“What happens when it shows hostility?”
“The horn trembles.”
“Hoh. That’s fascinating. But wait a second.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Now that I think about it, we don't even know this one's gender for sure.”
“Ah...!”
“What if it’s a cherry-boy who’s neither a virgin nor a non-virgin? If we bring it close and it turns black... the loss would be greater than the price of the slave.”
“...I guess we’ll have to wake her up first.”
Because it was a 'No-Men-Allowed' horn, we had no choice but to wake our slime friend sleeping in the jar.
“Gurgle. Yes...?”
“Marin, what is your gender?”
“Me? Gurgle. What kind of answer do you want?”
“Look, I’m not in the mood for games right now. Tell me seriously. Are you a girl or a boy?”
“That’s...”
Marin, her eyes darting around inside the jar, looked at my face for a moment before hesitatingly opening her mouth.
“I’m... a girl...”
“That’s a relief. She was a girl after all.”
“She was a girl.”
“Gurgle. Is that the end of the questions?”
“No, there’s still work to do. Marin, hold this.”
“Huh...? This is...”
“It’s a Unicorn's Horn. You’re a virgin, right?”
“Y-yes. I am.”
“Then hold it.”
Marin, who kept glancing at me, soon grasped the Unicorn's Horn.
“....!”
“Good. That’s it!”
“Dammit.”
The horn showed no reaction.
It didn't tremble, nor did it turn black.
Marin was a virgin.
Wait, how can an adult woman be a virgin?
Ah, Yuria and the Young Lady Leah were virgins, too.
Perhaps the ratio of virgins in this world is higher than I thought.
There are quite a few people who place great importance on chastity.
Maybe I’ve just been seeing promiscuous women all this time.
The world was wider than my narrow-minded thoughts.
Still, I was loath to part with that extra 5 gold.
“Hey. Isn't that a fake?”
“Hey! I told you not to touch it!”
“No, wait. I don't believe it. Let’s test it on that Mosquito Human from earlier.”
“Hah. You’re a suspicious fellow. Very typical of an Easterner. Fine, if that’s what it takes for you to believe me, let’s do it.”
We approached the Mosquito Human.
When we had her hold the horn, it vibrated mercilessly, and we were able to confirm that the Mosquito Human was not a virgin.
“It’s the real deal.”
“I told you so.”
“Alright, I get it. 30 gold. Sigh. Fine. But I really only have 25 gold on me right now. Can I put the rest on credit?”
I couldn't spend more than 25 gold on a slave.
I had to prepare for the Labyrinth, too.
I couldn't just dump all my cash into this.
I always needed to keep some reserve funds.
“Do you plan on paying it back with interest?”
“I’ll pay it back within two weeks, so can we do it interest-free? I’ll come back next time I need something.”
“Two weeks?”
“Yes. I’ll pay it back within two weeks. If I can't, you can start charging interest then.”
The Young Lady Leah's family would be giving me a reward in a week.
I could use that to pay the remaining balance.
“Two weeks, eh? Well, two weeks is manageable. Fine. Let’s do that.”
After a dramatic negotiation, I was able to bring home my second slave.
The cleaner cursed with a slime transformation, Marin.
If I use her properly, how much could I make?
Marin was essentially a living, breathing bottle of bleach.
And this world was full of neighborhoods and restaurants with less-than-stellar hygiene.
Slimes sold for sexual purposes have their aggression removed, so they aren't suitable for cleaning. And detergent is quite expensive, so it’s a burden to use it freely.
But Marin was a detergent and bleach that I could use as much as I wanted.
If I took her on a tour of the Labyrinth City's lodging houses, I could probably make a decent amount of money.
She could just wipe away old grime or burnt marks on the bottom of pots.
If used correctly, she seemed like she’d be a great source of income.