Slave Management (4)
Slave Management (4)
Matier, the boss of Black Steel, rubbed his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, so he looked again.
People were flying through the air. Sent flying by a child far smaller than them.
A child who hadn't even reached adulthood. At least, that was how he looked. Small body, short stature. But why?
What in the world was the reason for this absurdity?!
"H-hey, you bastards! Get it together!"
He grabbed a weapon, but he couldn't recklessly join the fighting on the first floor.
Every time the wooden sword swung, his men's bodies broke. Jaws shattered, heads snapped back. Some clutched dangling arms and crawled across the floor.
Barely one minute.
In that span, five grown men were utterly wrecked.
"What the hell. You ruined my appetite."
Th-this kid...
Isn't he an imperial knight...?
Trembling, Matier drew his sword. Shouting, he swung it wildly through the air.
"Y-you son of a bitch! Where the hell did you come from?! State your affiliation!"
"I come from the Church."
"Ch-Church?! What Church?!"
"Call upon her. Then you may be saved."
At a smile closer to a demon's than a priest's, Matier dropped his sword.
"Ra guides you."
"Wh-what are you..."
"Die!"
"Aaaargh!"
. . .
I didn't actually kill him. Well. Killing him would've made things complicated, too.
We had the bastard on his knees. His pants were off too. To be precise, Hector was the one who'd pulled them down, not me.
"Serves you bastards right."
Seeing him snicker, I could tell just how much resentment he'd been carrying. Well, he'd probably gotten most of it out of his system now.
"Hey."
"Y-yes."
"How much do you make a month?"
"A-a month, sir...?"
I could hear the sound of eyeballs rolling. I gave Hector a nod.
"Hold him."
"Okay."
"W-wait a second?! What are you...?!"
Hector forced the boss into a chair. I sauntered over in front of him.
I casually threw an arm around his shoulders. I stretched my hand out in front of him so he could see it clearly.
"What's your name?"
"M-Matier..."
"Matier. Right. My friend. Do you know my name?"
"I-I don't..."
"Zahard. Zahard Balton. Pretty name, right? What do you think?"
"Y-yes, sir! A very pretty name!"
I snapped my fingers. I felt him flinch at the Ember that appeared.
"What do you think of this?"
"I-I think it's fire..."
"That's right. It's fire. Do you like playing with fire?"
"N-no, sir! I hate it! I really hate it!"
"What a shame."
I smiled.
"Because I love it."
And with that, I seared his hand.
"Aaaaaaagh!"
Come on, it shouldn't hurt that much.
He's more dramatic than I expected. I turned up the intensity. I poured Sacred Power in steadily.
"How is it?! How is it?!"
"It hurts, aaaaah!! You son of a bitch!!! Stop it!!!"
"Tell me how my 'hot' flame feels! Give me your review! Prove the fruit of my efforts with your own mouth!"
"Fuuuuck! You crazy bastard! Stop it! Stop!!!"
"Is it hot?! I said, is it hot?!"
"Aaaaargh!! I said it's hooooooot!!!"
I withdrew my hand. Matier panted as he stared at his reddened skin.
"Fuck... fuck... you bastard..."
Anyone watching would think he'd been tortured with fire. It was just a slightly hot flame, not even enough to properly burn flesh.
I clicked my tongue and gestured to Hector. When Hector released him, Matier clutched his hand and panted.
"What... do you want... from me..."
"Join the Church of Ra."
"What the... fuck..."
"He doesn't seem to understand. Hector. Hold him again."
"N-no! Nooo!"
"Boss... this is a bit..."
"He won't die anyway."
Right.
My Ember didn't have enough power to kill anyone yet.
But it was more than strong enough to hurt.
"Remember that those who wield violence shall be ruined by violence."
"Y-you son of a bitch! You call that peace and love?!"
"Exactly. Now look, little lamb. This 'stinging' flame in my left hand is peace, and this 'hot' flame in my right is love. Which will you choose?"
"S-stinging...?"
The man's eyes darted. He glared at the flames rising from my left hand and right hand.
"I-if I have to choose, peace..."
"What a shame."
I flared the flame up.
"I'm a mighty warrior who has already graduated from 'stinging'! All I have left is love!"
"Then why did you even ask?! Fuuuuck!!!"
. . .
Matier surrendered. He knelt in the name of 'love.'
"I will... become a believer..."
His oath wasn't enough, so I got it in writing too. I even had him stamp the document, securing it perfectly.
A slave contract.
I smiled with satisfaction. With this, I'd secured a source of funding.
"Matier."
"Y-yes. Priest."
"Oh, come on. Why so formal between us? Don't be so stiff. Call me Zahard."
"Z-Zahard..."
"I tell you to and you actually do it. Wanna die?"
"I-I'm sorry... Priest..."
I tapped the document. I kindly read aloud the part where he'd just scrawled his signature.
"'Matier, a believer of the Church of Ra, swears to hand over half of his income to Hector as a donation'—you remember that clause, right?"
"H-half, sir?! Then what are we supposed to do?! Are you telling us to starve?!"
"Don't be so dramatic. You just need to expand the territory you manage. From what Hector told me, the area you manage is just some tiny little neighborhood around here, right?"
"B-but we don't have the manpower for that. It's not like we've been satisfied with this area for no reason!"
"Now, now. Little lamb. Don't worry."
I casually pointed at the kids behind me.
"Ra's soldiers will work with you, so I'll make sure you get your cut. It might even be bigger than before, so manage it well."
"R-really?!"
Matier gulped. I could see the gears turning in his head. He was probably thinking that if he teamed up with the kids behind me, he could win gang fights and make even more money even after giving up half.
"W-well, in that case... it's not a bad deal for us either..."
"Right. You're pretty quick on the uptake."
The kids flinched.
"...What did you just say?"
"I misheard, right?"
"Boss! What do you mean by that?!"
The foolish kids rushed at me, but I shook them off. I clenched my fist and shouted at them.
"You still don't understand how I feel?! You guys! Are you really going to be satisfied with this?!"
"Huh...?"
I held back tears and poured out my emotions.
"Why won't you understand how I feel?! If you were born a man, you should dream big! You guys... are you going to be satisfied with this tiny neighborhood?! Do you want to live like these bastards for the rest of your lives?!"
"I'm a girl."
"Me too..."
"Skip the minor details!"
"Ugh..."
"Anyway! I want you all to grow more! We can't stay here! Think about it! Hector! Pavel! Linden! Mari! And... Rotasha!"
"It's Natasha!"
"Mitasha! Anyway!"
"I said Natasha!"
I pulled Hector's shoulder into an embrace. I pointed at the sky hidden by the roof.
"We all have to remember... since we've started this... we have to become the best! If you settle for where you are, you fall! And what is falling?! It's letting the bastards in front of us climb on top of our heads!"
"That's a bit harsh..."
"Hey! Don't kill the mood. Wanna die?"
"I-I'm sorry..."
"Hector! Say it with your own mouth. Do you want to keep getting beaten by bastards like them? Do you want to cower before bastards stronger than them, who strut around acting all high and mighty later?"
Hector's eyes changed. He shook his head vigorously.
"No!"
"Yes! That's it! Every time you guys suffer, this boss's heart feels like it's being torn apart... but I'm enduring it for your growth! We have to get stronger, and to get stronger, we need hardship and adversity!"
"Isn't that just smooth talk?"
"Shut up. Backtasha."
"It's Natasha!"
"We're going to climb higher! Hector! And right behind me, there has to be you!"
I thrust my fist out passionately.
"We're... comrades... aren't we...?"
Hector, Pavel, and Linden clung to me.
"B-Boss! I'll work hard! I won't lose to anyone!"
"Sniff... to think you were thinking like that..."
"I'll live up to your expectations... Boss..."
Mari and Natasha looked at each other.
"Aren't these guys blockheads?"
"They're our friends, but... it's frustrating..."
I straightened my shoulders. I was surrounded by sweaty boys, but this settled it.
Unlike me, these guys with no quests would run around in my place, and while they were at it, they'd fight alongside these Black Steel or whatever bastards and bring in even more money.
And on top of that, the name on the contract was Hector!
And if things ever went wrong, I could cut Hector loose and run!
"Heh heh heh."
Goodbye, dried-out bread.
Under Ra's name, once the money starts flowing in, I'll never have to see the likes of you again.
['Ra' looks at her apostle with exhausted eyes.]
. . .
Mierkant's mouth fell open. Irene covered her mouth with both hands without realizing it.
Money.
A bundle of bills that had suddenly rolled in!
"Wh-what is this...!"
Mierkant counted the money Zahard held out again. Ten million Talent in total. It might be nothing to the wealthy, but to a priest of an abandoned church like himself, it was no different from a fortune.
Money that could feed the children healthy food, buy daily provisions, and clothe them in warm garments!
Mierkant looked back and forth between Zahard and the money.
"Z-Zahard, you wretch! Wh-what have you done?!"
My first reaction was suspicion.
He hadn't meant to get angry, but it burst out anyway. A child like this had practically no way to earn money.
If he'd brought back ten million Talent, the only possible method was theft.
Mierkant's hands trembled. He closed his eyes and pushed the money back toward him.
"Return it to its owner at once! You must not do such a thing!"
"Do what?"
"Th-thievery, I mean! You wretch! I kept calling you good and kind, and now you've crossed the line! Return it to its owner right now! After that, I'll decide your punishment!"
"Ah. It's not stolen money, Priest."
Zahard clapped his hands. The church doors opened, and several large men came crowding in.
"I've been doing missionary work during my breaks. Some people said they wanted to join our Church, so I brought them here. Matier. This is Priest Mierkant."
"...Hello. I'm Matier. Just call me Matier."
Mierkant hurriedly bowed back to the one-eyed man who had lowered his head.
Missionary work? New believers?
To this Sun God Church?
"A-are you truly here to join the faith...?"
"Of course. Priest Zahard's words changed my mind. I am now a devoted believer in the Sun God Church."
Matier shuddered. It looked like he was forcing the words out.
"...I am forever... a slave of Ra."
"See, Priest."
Zahard grinned.
"I told you it wasn't stolen money."