Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Ch. 19 .｡.:✧ Undecided (1) ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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I had spent a whole 12 years in this game.
Considering that was all my time as an adult, it could be seen as an amount of experience equivalent to 20 years in reality.
As a result, I gradually felt that I was assimilating into this world.
The biggest of those was the class system.
The reason I couldn’t immediately think of slaves just now was not because I was unfamiliar with the class system, but rather because I had become too used to it.
I had naturally come to view slaves as objects to the point that I couldn’t associate them with ‘beings to be protected’.
Even I was perplexed.
Of course, I had never personally owned a slave until now.
Not only did I not feel the need, but as a modern person, I felt quite a bit of aversion to it.
But this time, for the first time, I needed a slave.
And in my 13th and final playthrough, I was surprised to find that my aversion to owning a slave had disappeared.
‘I’m not familiar with this path.’
I went from the glossy downtown of the empire into a narrow alleyway.
The street that had been illuminated by warm-colored street lamps and was spotless suddenly disappeared, and a dirty street filled with graffiti on the walls appeared.
I could feel the hostile gazes pouring toward me from all over.
Because I, neatly dressed, clearly didn’t fit in here now.
But those gazes soon diminished as well.
People dressed in clean clothes with clean faces like me started to appear here and there.
Deep inside the slums.
As I emerged from the narrow alley, bright red lights welcomed me.
‘I’ve been to the slums a few times, but it’s my first time coming to the red-light district.’
Somewhat embarrassing scenes unfolded in all directions.
Women wearing revealing clothes were soliciting customers.
I also saw a nobleman with a fancy mustache taking women into his carriage on the spot.
But I was just numb to such visual stimulation.
Was it because I had been rubbing shoulders with heroines who were much more attractive even when fully clothed?
It was also that my desire wasn’t very strong right now.
Although my mind had been rolling in this place for 12 years, this body had only been in the game for three days today.
Of course, during the past 12 years, I had never been intimate with anyone.
When the heroines would suspect me of cheating and go crazy even if I just went out for some fresh air, how could I have even thought about going to a brothel?
Moreover, I couldn’t even reach that level of relationship with the heroines because once we got to that point, the conquest rate would exceed 100% and the game would automatically clear.
Still, it was bearable.
Because every time I regressed, my body also returned to the past.
So right now, I was in the subtle state of having pent-up desire, but not having it pent-up.
Now that I was freed from the shackles of the main heroines, I could freely enter brothels, but I had no intention of relieving my desire in such a place.
If possible, I wanted my first experience to be with a lover.
I had endured for 12 years, so if I gave up in the final playthrough, it would be out of character.
“Is it here?”
I arrived at the store after rejecting countless solicitations.
On the surface, it purported to be a toy store full of childlike innocence, but thinking about the identity of the ‘products’ sold inside, it was even a bit eerie.
During the 12 playthroughs, I had heard many rumors about this store.
Since it was a famous place, there were probably exaggerated rumors, but what stuck in my memory was the rumor that no matter what you were looking for, you would definitely find the toy you wanted in this store.
“Welcome, customer.”
“…”
As I entered the interior, a slightly creepy-looking clerk greeted me.
She was a woman whose original face was difficult to discern due to her heavy makeup and wide-brimmed hat.
An unpleasant smell stung my nose.
I didn’t particularly want to linger, so I decided to quickly take care of my business first.
“I need a cheap slave. One who can move without difficulty and understand orders. It’s okay if they can’t read. It would be good if they were obedient.”
The price had to be unconditionally cheap.
That way, I wouldn’t hesitate to throw them away later.
It would be troublesome if I bought them at a high price and felt reluctant to discard them.
Attachment could form in an instant if I did that.
“Hmm. What’s the purpose?”
“I’ll be taking them into a dungeon. They need enough physical ability to handle rough terrain.”
“Do you prefer a support-type who can use magic, or a tanking-type who will stand at the front…?”
“You misunderstood. It’s not for the purpose of deploying them in combat. It’s okay if they don’t know how to fight at all. They just need to be able to follow me around.”
“Follow me.”
The clerk gestured with her chin and led me to the underground interior.
And then I realized the identity of the smell that had been unpleasant from the beginning.
It was a mixture of the stench of feces and urine and a heavy perfume scent to cover it up.
“Ahahaha. I’m sorry. We’re trying to manage it, but it’s too much for me alone.”
“…”
It was indeed wide.
The size of about four large supermarkets linked together.
My mouth wanted to gape open, but I kept it tightly closed due to the smell and walked diligently.
“These are the kids suitable for taking into a dungeon… Do you see any you like?”
The clerk pointed to one of the iron cages.
They were slaves of various races with sturdy muscles.
The guys who looked like they could snap me in half the moment our eyes met hurriedly lowered their gazes.
It seemed helplessness had been learned and ingrained in their bodies.
“How much?”
“There will be some variation, but you can consider the kids here to be around 2,000 gold each.”
“Aren’t the ones not for combat cheaper?”
“That’s true.”
“I want one that is utterly useless and absurdly cheap.”
“Ahahaha. This is the first time I’ve seen a customer like this. Come this way.”
The clerk led me even further inside.
It was quite entertaining to see various slaves along the way.
The most numerous were, of course, the beastmen.
The next most numerous were humans.
I saw elves very occasionally, but they were kept in much cleaner and more spacious cages.
It seemed they received special management because they were particularly expensive.
Dwarves weren’t seen much, even less than elves, perhaps because they were unpopular.
“This kid. A slave that no one wants to buy, with no strength, charm, or anything, so absurdly cheap. In fact, we were about to dispose of them because it costs more to keep them here.”
The cage in the very back corner.
Red eyes glinted in the darkness.
Unlike the others, they stared straight at me without averting their gaze.
As I slowly approached the iron bars, they also gradually revealed their appearance from the darkness.
“…”
A short human boy.
Without any lines or actions, he just watched me, but I could feel a faint hostility from his gaze.
But it seemed he knew his own powerlessness, as he didn’t have the energy to pounce.
Rather than handsome, he had a very pretty face.
His skin was so white it was pale.
If he grew up like this, he would probably become a proper male courtesan.
He would probably make many women cry.
“He’s a blood ghoul. We pulled out all his fangs, so don’t worry.”
Ah, I see.
He was a being whose growth had stopped.
Blood ghoul.
The name ‘blood ghoul’, often used as a race name, was actually the name of a plague.
People infected with that plague lose their reason and rampage with high aggression solely to suck human blood, hence the name.
No, in fact, it’s hard to even consider them human.
Because when infected with the blood ghoul disease, their hearts stop.
A person who is bitten and has their blood sucked by a blood ghoul’s fangs also becomes a blood ghoul.
Even ordinary people gain superhuman strength when they become blood ghouls, so when the plague spreads, a village turning into ruins happens in an instant.
Therefore, it is common to burn and eliminate entire villages where blood ghouls are discovered.
But very rarely, there are individuals among blood ghouls who retain some degree of reason.
This kid was that kind.
He probably escaped the chaos and ran away, only to be caught by a slave trader and have all his fangs pulled out.
So how are these kinds of beings usually used?
They are often used as playthings for amusement.
Blood ghouls have good endurance and are cheap enough not to be a waste even if killed with a single stroke.
In the first place, they are not human, so there is no reason for them to be expensive.
This kid was a true ‘object’ in the literal sense.
“This kid. Can he talk? He doesn’t need to understand complex instructions. Come, go, eat, that’s enough…”
“…Talk. Can.”
A hoarse voice echoed from inside the iron bars.
Although there was a slight awkwardness, he clearly understood what I said and responded.
There was no need for him to be smart.
It was enough for him to have this much reason left.
“How much?”
“I’ll give him to you for free.”
“What?”
“I told you. We were about to dispose of him anyway. Just getting rid of the body disposal cost is a gain for us.”
“…”
The clerk smiled brightly and opened the iron bars.
And then she grabbed the iron chain tied around the boy’s neck.
The boy seemed to hesitate for a moment even after the iron bars opened, but when the clerk pulled the chain hard, he had to stumble forward and be dragged out.
“Cough! Khh! Kek…!”
Even while being choked, his face didn’t turn red at all.
Proof that blood wasn’t circulating in his body at all.
Proof that he wasn’t a living person, but an object.
“Don’t handle him too roughly.”
“It’s okay. Blood ghouls are sturdy, so they won’t get hurt easily…”
“You must have really wanted to dispose of the body, huh.”
“…”
When I grabbed the clerk’s wrist tightly in warning, she stiffened her expression and quickly put down the chain.
I used the key the clerk handed me to release the restraint around the boy’s neck.
The boy looked up at me with a confused expression.
Various emotions seemed to be mixed in his eyes, and I could faintly see gratitude as well.
But there was no need for him to be grateful to me.
[Stats]
[Strength: 9(x5) *Guardian Knight effect applied]
[Stamina: 7(x5) *Guardian Knight effect applied]
[Mana: 12(x5) *Guardian Knight effect applied]
[Agility: 18(x5) *Guardian Knight effect applied]
[Luck: 14(x5) *Guardian Knight effect applied]
I had only pretended to protect him to check if Guardian Knight would activate.
It wasn’t out of goodwill.
I clearly confirmed whether it activated or not.
“He’s a perfect fit.”
A slave that was free, would only face death if he left me, understood orders reasonably well, and diligently activated Guardian Knight.
On top of that, he was a real ‘object’, not a living person, so he was convenient to handle.
Even if I treated him however I wanted, I, as a modern person, wouldn’t feel guilty.
There was no more reason to hesitate.
“It was a good deal.”
“Get in.”
“…Okay.”
I pushed the boy into the wide open door.
The boy, pushed in by his back, just stood still and quietly watched me.
Without showing any curiosity or demanding anything, he just stood frozen.
At times like this, I really felt that he was a corpse whose reason had flown away.
Except for a little language ability, his memories were probably completely erased.
Even the aggression that blood ghouls possess was erased along with his fangs being pulled out.
It was like looking at an empty can robot without software installed.
Since it was late at night, I decided to start conquering the dungeon starting tomorrow.
Today, I had to at least install some software in this kid.
It didn’t need to be a complex program.
I just needed to input simple instructions like sticking close behind me in the dungeon, coming when told to come, and going when told to go.
“Ugh. Let’s wash up first.”
“…Okay.”
Footprints kept being left on the floor whenever the kid walked.
He was too dirty, it wouldn’t do.
I had to thoroughly wash him first.
I grabbed the hand of the kid, who reflexively gave a dry response, and dragged him to the bathroom.
Come to think of it, what should I call this kid now?
Naming him was also a task.
It wasn’t an urgent matter, so I decided to leave his name undecided for now and just wash up.
But I soon had to face a situation I never expected at all.
“Wh-what?! What are you!”
“…Me. Blood ghoul.”
This kid.
Was a girl.
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