A Sudden Ownership Opportunity
Arthur asked, “Then what happens to my money and Rene?”
Veloki replied with a serious expression. “As you know, this matter requires the Association’s involvement. According to our standard process, we would add you as one of Marquis Sade’s creditors and hand Rene over to the creditors. But neither of us would be satisfied with that outcome, would we?”
I currently held Rene, Marquis Sade’s property, and was supposed to receive the remaining payment once the training was complete. If we followed the rules, Rene would be sold along with the rest of his assets and the proceeds divided among the creditors. But if he had enough money to pay his debts, he wouldn’t have died in the first place. There probably wasn’t much left that was worth anything. The story was that he had killed his entire family and burned down the mansion because he couldn’t repay his loans—so what could possibly be left? Even if something remained, it wouldn’t amount to much compared to what the trading companies and wealthy lenders he owed were likely to claim.
In contrast, keeping Rene entirely for myself would be far more profitable.
“So here’s what we’re proposing,” Veloki continued. “The Association intends to seize the item Marquis Sade entrusted to us and transfer ownership to you free of charge. After all, he still owes you money.”
I fell into thought. Was he saying they would give me Rene in place of the final payment the client owed?
Objectively speaking, Rene was high-quality merchandise. Her magical ability alone would fetch at least eight gold. Add her beauty and noble background, and the premium would push her value to no less than forty gold. If she went to auction, the price would climb even higher. I had already received ten gold as an advance. Handing Rene over and collecting those ten gold from the client wouldn’t be a loss for me—in fact, it was an excellent deal. But they were offering this for free? That seemed suspicious.
“There is a condition, of course.”
“Naturally. What is it?”
“Once Rene’s training is complete, you must auction her through the Bairen Trainer Association, and we would like to set the commission at thirty percent of the sale price.”
Ah. I understood their angle. Rene’s minimum value was forty gold. The final auction price was impossible to predict—most likely over a hundred, possibly several hundred. They wanted to guarantee the auction went through their Association so they could take a cut of the profit. That was why they had called it a secret. Normally the Association had an obligation to follow regulations once they collected their fees from both me and the client. They weren’t required to go any further, but the potential profit from selling Rene was simply too tempting to ignore.
“That’s fine with me,” I said.
Veloki’s face relaxed. “I’m glad to hear it. I was quite worried until this agreement was reached.”
“The commission must be sweet,” I remarked.
He gave a faint smile and nodded. “Thanks to your generous cooperation, Arthur.”
This kind of arrangement required the Association’s upper management to step in. They must have learned of the situation through Veloki. He was my assigned broker, after all—someone who knew my circumstances well. By stepping forward to help me, he secured performance credit within the Association while the Association itself earned more money. It was a proposal that benefited everyone.
“One more thing,” Veloki added. “Could we say that you were the one who proposed this arrangement to us, rather than the other way around?”
If word spread that the Association had bypassed its own procedures, it could damage their reputation. Demanding a thirty-percent commission on top of that might also invite misunderstandings. In short, it would be hard to avoid criticism that they had moved aggressively only because they smelled profit. Since the situation was mutually satisfactory for me, the Association, and Veloki, I had no intention of causing trouble.
I nodded. “Of course. Don’t worry about it.”
I had no desire to make an enemy of the Association either. Still, if Rene became mine… I couldn’t take her virginity. A virgin slave commanded a higher premium. A beautiful, untouched, and highly skilled mage—there was no telling how much she would fetch at auction.
“Then I’ll proceed on the assumption that you’ve agreed,” Veloki said.
I nodded and brought up the reason I had come to see him. “By the way, I’d like to take my slave out. Could I borrow an outing collar?”
He readily nodded and opened a drawer. “Of course. I’ll give you one that won’t stand out. Just a moment…”
After rummaging through the drawer, he handed me an ordinary-looking collar. “Here you are. May I ask the purpose of the outing?”
“I need to buy clothes for the slave I’m training.”
“I see.” He wrote “clothing purchase” on a slip of paper, then looked up. “The rental fee is four silver per day.”
These people were truly obsessed with money. I handed over four silver coins.
“Please return it by this time tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
Just as I was about to leave with the collar, Veloki spoke again. “Ah—Arthur? I almost forgot something important.”
“Yes?”
“You’ll need to visit a lawyer.”
To make Rene legally mine? “When?”
He stood up. “The sooner the better. Shall we go now?”
I still needed to take Rene out to buy clothes, so I asked, “Will it take long?”
“No. We only need to submit the request form at the lawyer’s office. It should be finished within an hour or two.”
I nodded without hesitation. Afterward, we took a carriage to the lawyer’s office, filled out the necessary documents to appoint legal representation, and returned to the Association. Since the rest would be handled by the Association, I headed straight back to the training room.
Since this would be my first outing with Rene, maybe I should buy her clothes and treat her to a meal. I knew that a slave needed at least some spirit left to remain attractive, and I wasn’t fond of how docile she had become. A light training session in the evening would be enough. There was no need to push her as hard as before, and she had already been under intense psychological pressure lately.
While thinking about today’s schedule, I arrived in front of my training room.
Knock, knock.
Even though it was my own room, I knocked. I was a gentleman, after all.
Click.
I opened the door and stepped inside. Rene was sitting at the table, reading a newspaper. She looked clean and refreshed after her bath.
“You’ve finished washing up?”
“You’re back?”
Rene looked startled, like a child caught doing something wrong. What was this strange atmosphere? I glanced at the newspaper. She must have read an article about the Empire’s princess. She was probably confused—after all, she knew she had been kidnapped, yet the newspaper claimed the princess was simply recuperating.
Rene needed stability right now. I smiled and approached her, pretending I knew nothing.
“Is there anything interesting in the newspaper, Rene?”
Her eyes darted around nervously. “N-no… It was nothing important! Ah, that’s right! Master, didn’t you say we were going out today?”
This was the most flustered I had seen her since I started training her.
“Yes, that’s right. I also prepared a gift while I was out. Close your eyes and turn around for a moment.”
She looked frightened. “A… gift? A gift?”
It was as if she expected something terrible, which made sense after the dog collar incident.
“Yes, a gift. Hurry up and close your eyes.”
With a dazed expression, Rene closed her eyes and turned around. “This… isn’t anything strange, is it?”
“When have I ever given you something strange as a gift?”
She said nothing, only shooting me a sullen look. She was clearly remembering the dog collar.
I fastened the collar around her slender neck. “Ta-da! How is it? Take a look.”
I gently took her wrist and led her to the bathroom, where a large mirror hung on the wall. I positioned her in front of it so she could see the collar. It wasn’t particularly flashy or beautiful, but it was necessary for going outside. Without it, she would be turned into charcoal the moment she left the room.
“Hmm… It’s a bit plain.”
Even as a slave, her noble upbringing showed. Accessories like this were expensive here. Most buyers weren’t from the middle class or higher, and the metal itself was costly.
“Ahem. I’ll prepare something prettier next time. Please bear with this one for today. Now, let’s go buy some clothes.”
I took her hand and led her out of the training room.
“How does it feel to be outside the training room?”
She looked bewildered. “I… don’t really know.”
From her perspective, she had only been in the training room for about three days—two, actually, since she had recently moved in.
“That’s understandable. Let’s head outside the Association.”
“Um… Master…”
She wore an embarrassed expression. “I’m… not wearing anything under the robe…”
Ah. She was embarrassed. I looked her over. The robe reached her calves, so there was no visible exposure.
“It’s fine. No one will know you’re naked underneath if you walk around like this.”
“B-but still…”
I gently tugged her hesitant wrist. “That’s exactly why we’re going to buy clothes. You can’t stay naked forever, can you?”
“Ah—!”
Rene offered slight resistance, but she was pulled along anyway, her face flushed bright red.