Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Nope, Not Selling~
The next morning.
Warm sunlight quietly seeped into the cramped corner of a shabby slum room.
“Mm….”
On the old bed, Camellia stirred awake, letting out a small groan as she held the back of her neck.
“Huh? Why… am I sleeping in the bed? I definitely remember last night…”
“Camellia! You’re awake?! How do you feel? Are you dizzy or nauseous?”
I rushed over in a panic, checking her condition. Camellia blinked her round eyes and shook her head.
“Huh? It aches a little… but I think I’m okay. But why do you both look like that?”
“Thank goodness. Seriously, that’s a relief.”
Letting out a deep sigh of relief, I suddenly turned my body and shot Erika a sharp glare.
“You heard her. She said she’s fine. Now, do what you promised.”
“……”
Erika kept her mouth shut and looked away.
That stiff attitude made the veins on my forehead bulge.
I had no intention of oppressing her like other slaves in this era, but knocking Camellia unconscious just to go outside had clearly crossed a line.
I had brought in a new slave in the first place to protect a future blue-chip like Camellia…
But that very slave attacked her? That was outright insubordination.
If I didn’t set discipline properly here, our cohabitation was bound to collapse.
“Ahem. I’ll give you three seconds.”
“…Hmph. I merely moved aside an obstacle that blocked my path.”
“Oh really? Fine then. Starting today, meat is completely cut off for a week. You’ll be getting nothing but potato soup every meal.”
The moment the death sentence of ‘meat confiscation’ left my mouth, Erika’s red eyes widened as if they would pop out. She shot up as if ready to grab me by the throat.
“Y-You! You dare threaten me with food?! Isn’t that too cruel?!”
“What cruel? It would’ve been over with a simple apology. You’re just being stubborn. Three, two—”
“Ghk! F-Fine! I’ll do it, alright?!”
With a face as if she were receiving the most humiliating punishment in the world, Erika clenched her trembling fists and slowly approached Camellia.
Unable to meet her eyes, she stared into the air and muttered in a barely audible voice.
“I… am sorry.”
“Pardon?”
“I said… I’m sorry for knocking you unconscious! I must have been… in a hurry!”
Fidgeting, cheeks slightly flushed, Erika huffed angrily.
It was such a pitiful apology that it was hard to believe she was the same catastrophic dragon who had destroyed an entire loan shark den in a fit of rage.
“Ah…”
As if recalling last night, Camellia looked back and forth between us.
She let out a soft sigh, then gently took Erika’s hands in hers.
“Thank you for apologizing. I’m fine, so please don’t blame yourself too much.”
“…Huh? O-Okay. If you say so…”
Just as Erika awkwardly tried to avert her gaze, Camellia’s voice dropped a tone and became firm.
“But! Next time, you must not try to solve everything with force.”
“……”
“You’re strong, aren’t you? If you act out in anger like yesterday and seriously hurt someone, what will you do? There are things that can be resolved through words. Understand?”
Perhaps overwhelmed by Camellia’s gentle charisma, the dragon could only move her lips before finally responding in a subdued voice like a scolded puppy.
“…Understood. I will… keep it in mind.”
“Good. That’s a good girl.”
In the warm morning atmosphere, Camellia guided Erika to sit at the dining table and spoke.
“You may not have had the chance to learn properly while living in harsh conditions, but from now on, I’ll teach you properly.”
“Did not learn? What are you referring to?”
“Basic manners, how to talk to people, and dining etiquette. I was worried you might choke because you always eat too quickly.”
At the mention of not having learned, Erika’s pride seemed to take a hit. She slammed the table and flared up.
“H-How dare you! Are you treating me like some wild beast?! I know everything I need to know!”
“Huh? But every time you eat…”
“T-That’s only because I was too hungry and ate quickly! I know proper etiquette as well!”
Erika puffed out her chest and lifted her chin proudly.
“Do not mistake me for some barbarian who grew up in the streets! I am Erika Whitemaine, the proud daughter of the Margrave House of Whitemaine!”
“…What?”
“…Huh?”
At her sudden declaration, both Camellia and I blurted out in shock.
Seemingly satisfied with our reaction, Erika snorted and continued.
“Hmph, is that so surprising? My father and mother cherished me dearly and raised me with great care! If I wished, I could perform etiquette perfectly!”
Until now, I had only seen her future rise through my foresight ability.
This was the first time I heard about her family background.
‘…Whitemaine?’
It was a familiar name.
A great northern house I had heard of while scraping by in this world.
At the same time, the protagonists of a terrible tragedy within this empire.
‘The northern fortress near the border that was overrun by tens of thousands of magical beasts… the house that was completely annihilated, leaving not a single survivor?’
But then…
If she grew up in a good family, why does she eat like that?!
It’s not that she didn’t know because she’s a dragon. She knew and still didn’t do it? That’s even worse.
I looked back and forth between the fuming Erika and the stunned Camellia.
‘Wait… then that means…’
The young lady of the Valentine family, framed as a traitor and sold into slavery.
The young lady of the Whitemaine family, whose house was wiped out by a beast invasion, ending up as a slave.
…
Two women who somehow ended up in my house.
And both of them were survivors of tragedies that shook the empire, fallen noble ladies reduced to nothing.
When did I become some kind of collector of pitiful fallen noble girls?
No, no. Get a grip.
I ran my hands through my hair and rubbed my face dry.
I must not fall into the illusion that I’m some noble savior protagonist healing wounded souls.
I didn’t take them in out of sympathy or goodwill.
I am not the savior type.
Saving people, healing wounds, restoring lives… that kind of thing.
I’m just—
Buying undervalued assets lying on the ground, and selling them without hesitation when they reach their peak for massive profit.
In short,
Buy low, sell high.
That’s all.
That sweet profit after a massive rise is the only reason I bought slaves in this damned world.
I lifted my head slightly and looked at Camellia, who was lecturing Erika.
“If you want to be a proud lady of Whitemaine, you should stop being picky about food from now on, right?”
“Ahem, I wasn’t being picky…”
…
‘Camellia…’
The second foresight I saw recently.
Her wearing an apron, smiling like an ordinary person.
Her future had plummeted from a grand archmage conquering the empire to an ordinary housewife in the countryside.
Unfortunately, my foresight isn’t something I can turn on and off at will.
So I have no way of knowing whether her future has rebounded or if she’s still stuck in that simple, peaceful ending of cooking potato stew.
But.
One thing is certain.
Archmage.
That future definitely existed in my vision.
Which means Camellia still has that overwhelming talent sleeping within her.
‘…As long as she doesn’t give up, she can reach it.’
The corner of my lips lifted slightly.
Good. The direction is set.
Camellia will be nurtured patiently,
And raised all the way to the top.
But.
There was another big problem left.
My gaze shifted naturally to the side.
The dragon, Erika.
“…Ha.”
A sigh escaped first.
She’s different.
Yes, she has overwhelming talent as a dragon.
But.
Maintenance cost, risk, uncertainty.
A perfect trifecta of a loss-making asset.
Myrtle promised to look for some eccentric noble or wealthy buyer, but no one knows how long that would take.
If I can’t sell the dragon…
Then I abandon the ‘dragon’ aspect.
But even if I try to hide that and sell her as a normal slave, no fool would take on that ridiculous food cost.
So… what I can do now is.
Not sell her completely.
Instead, lend her out when needed.
Short-term rental.
Erika’s basic strength,
Stamina, recovery, durability.
All far beyond human standards.
Mines, construction sites, escorts, mercenary work.
Anywhere that requires dangerous and heavy labor.
Short duration, high price.
Split the risks.
Extract steady profit.
Not a one-time sale,
But continuous returns.
‘She’s not some traitor who needs to hide. Keeping her locked up at home is wasteful. She should at least earn her keep.’
If trained properly, she could become a reliable source of steady income.
“…Ha.”
This time, a laugh mixed in.
It’s settled.
Camellia is a long-term investment.
Erika is for immediate profit.
Their roles are cleanly divided.
‘Not a bad portfolio.’
Two fallen noble ladies far from ordinary.
And me, making profit off them.
‘This is insane.’
But.
I’m not backing out now.
Since I’ve come this far, I’ll go all the way.
There’s no such thing as half-hearted salvation.
Instead.
Raise them properly, then sell them at full value to someone rich enough to afford that ‘salvation.’
“Heh… heheh…”
Without realizing it, a sinister, greedy capitalist laugh slipped out of my mouth.
“…Narsus? Why are you suddenly laughing so creepily?”
“You… what strange thoughts are you having now? If you are plotting to steal my meat, stop at once!”