Chapter 9: The Value of a Deal

Part 1

“…♪Let the voice of love, take you higher. Atsumaru chikara de toki sae koete♪”

“Master Lucien?”

“Yes? What would it be Marla?”

“Wha-what are you doing? You look like you’re in a good mood, but I can’t understand what you’re saying…”

“Ah, sorry about that, but yeah, I’m in a good mood and I just remembered the part of a song I heard a long time ago”

“I-I see, it’s good that you’re in a good mood, but you haven’t spoken a word since you bought the slaves, you’ve just been muttering weird sounds like those…Point is, we are already home, so could you please talk with them. The Felidas and Lepunias are patiently waiting, but the Squanan keeps sending glances all around, and to be honest is a bit unnerving.”

“Do you have a problem with Cleo?”

“You already know her name, but haven’t asked the ones of the others slaves?”

“I asked her personally, but the other two I just read the papers I got. The Felidas’ name is Lund, as for the Lepunias, her name Nashia. Any other questions?”

“Cleo, Lund and Nashia…I’ll have to remember them. Ah, and yes, you need to talk with them, even if they are slaves, they still need to have a former talk with their master when they begin. So, could you please go see them?”

“Is that how it works? Understood, where are they at right now?”

“I asked them to wait in the servant quarters, but I doubt that you can have a formal conversation there”

“Is there anybody in the library?”

“Not at this time Master Lucien”

“Then send them there, I’ll be waiting for them in the desk area”

Understood, Master Lucien”

Part 2

For some reason, my good mood spread out and lasted too long after I bought them. Well, not like it matters, at least I confirmed none of them are from my old world or have a link to them. Normally, one would react if they saw something distinct from their native home in an unknown place, but their reactions were mostly of confusion rather than surprise, Marla included.

*knock* *knock*

“Master Lucien, I’ve brought them”

“Come in Marla”

Unlike my happy-go-lucky mood from before, I was sitting behind the desk and had spread over the desk different documents, including maps, expenses sheets, and even a magic book about which materials work well with which magic, that last one gave me a hint on how to work around Marla’s power.

“Hey, dear master. Did you finally get out of your head-in-the-clouds mood and decided to greet us?”

“Hey!! Learn your place, who do you think you are talking to Master Lucien like that!?”

The one to spark the fire was Cleo, it seems that she reached a certain level of comfort with me, since I was the one who called out to her. On the other hand, Marla is acting more overprotective than my mother, which is making Nashia shiver a bit in place and Lund turn his look away. I don’t particularly mind Cleo’s behavior, but I can see where Marla is coming from.

“*cough*, Marla, Cleo, please be quiet. I wanted to have a talk as to why I bought the three of you, so the less distractions, the better.”

“My apologies Master Lucien”

“Sorry about that dear master”

Marla flinched a bit to Cleo’s intonation, but she felt my glare hinting her to not do any more screaming, so she just raised and went to stand behind me. The other two, finally turned their eyes to me and seemed to relax a bit, after seeing me taking the conversation back on track.

“First off, my name is Lucien Mercelious, and as of today, I’ll be your master. I mostly got the three of you for a single goal, so I would like to focus on it.”

Silence. Not sure if it’s because my vocabulary or behavior don’t match my body, but they just stood in silence. I wonder if I should give them a push…

“Why don’t we start with introductions for each of you. Name, place of origin, and skills, I’ll need those.”

“Dear master, don’t you already have those in those papers you got from the merchant?”

“I do, but I decided to not read anything besides your names and hear straight from the chibar’s mouth”

“Hehe, weird phrase there, but I’ll bite. My name is Cleo Thanophas, I hail from the Northern Compass Island, and my skills include earth military and thermos otherworldly magic, along with etiquette and ability to read and write, though only on my native tongue.”

“Thanophas? Does that mean you’re of royalty or high class in the nation you hail from?”

“Something like that”

In this world, middle and low class only have first names, something important like a family name is only given to those of higher society, add to that two magics and knowledge of etiquette and education...I wonder where she is from…

“My turn then…the name is Nashia, I come from the continent of Güerad in the Eastern region, I am from a nomadic tribe so I don’t have an exact country to call home, and my skills include scouting and food identification in the field, no combat skills outside of dagger throwing and no magic skills either.”

“From how that merchant described you, I expected you to be a bad buy, but that’s actually very useful skills for what I have in mind”

The Lepunia Nashia, she’s no good indoors, but for the field she seems like the best asset I’ve gotten on my hands so far.

“Then, I suppose I’m last. My name is Lund, like the little one, I come from Güerad, I am nomadic too, but for different reasons…and as for my skills, I can do basic fire military magic and I am very confident on my skills with blunt weapons like a mace or a club.”

Those are pretty much the same thing…

“That’s good, then I can have someone like you as the center of the physical strength…before continuing, the one behind me is Marla, is my personal maid and has a set of skills under her belt, including an affinity to electric magic and a large mana capacity, hopefully you all work together for what I have in mind.”

“It’s a pleasure to work with all of you”

Nashia and Lund just nodded in agreement with her statement and Cleo made a small comment that made Marla flinch and that I decided to omit since I had something that required more attention from me.

“Now that we know everyone here, I’d like to make a clear proposition about your terms of slavery, depending on how you react to them, things will go on a set path”

“And those would be?”

“Thank you for asking Lund. I personally dislike slavery and most things linked with it, however I had to use it as a means to an end due to my lack of funds. So, I need the three of you to assist me in a quest I have set in the near future and work for me along the way until then. The best I can provide for you in that time will be a sleeping quarter, food on the table and other bare necessities, but I think that the final payment is worth the minimal treatment.”

As I said that, I sent glances to all three of them to see their reactions. Lund was a quiet listener, Cleo showed a look that she figured out what I meant, and Nashia just looked confused.

“Simply put, work for me faithfully and with effort for the next 3, no, it would be best to say 2 and a half years, and the final payment will be your complete freedom.”

“!!”

Nashia gave an exaggerated gasp, Cleo showed a wry smile, and Lund opened his eyes, glared at me, and then said the following as he nodded.

“That sounds like a tempting offer, but if you just want temporary labor, then why didn’t you hire a mercenary group or something similar?”

“As I stated before, I have low funds, this was the most effective route in that aspect, as for the other reason, money is less trustworthy than a shock collar to keep others in check”

“…Understood, dare I ask what is the other option if we don’t accept your offer?”

Stop testing me so blatant like that, you’re making me show a darkish smile, fufu.

“Then I’d take you back to the merchant and ask for a refund, if that’s not possible, then I’d just sell you off myself but use a bit of information trading to make back more than I originally spent.”

“Dear master, if you smile like that it would only cause distrust in those around you. Well, not like that will make me say no to the first offer, it’s boring in slave market, and a bit dangerous too. Wouldn’t you agree Lund?”

“…That’s true. Very well, Master Mercelious, I, Lund, accept to serve under you in exchange for my freedom in three years’ time.”

“I am thankful for you accepting my offer, same to you Cleo”

My smile wiped off my face and everyone’s eyes turned towards Nashia and waiting to see how she’d answer, although it was kind of expected what she’d say due to the events in the market.

“I accept as well…please let me have a chance of gaining my freedom…Master Lucien”

“Pleasure to work with you too Nashia. Now then, with this out of the way, I’ll have Marla guide you to your living quarters and please rest for the day. Starting tomorrow I’ll have all of you prepare for the next part of my plan for the upcoming trip.”

“Ah, dear master, what exactly are we required to do to gain our freedoms again? You said we needed to work for you, but it would be nice to know what we will be doing.”

“Simply put, for the following months I’ll be finding ways raise my funds and protect myself, along with that I would like Marla and the three of you to be able to do mercenary-like protection work as I will finding a faster route between Germas and the Academy. I’ll explain the details tomorrow, but just think that for the next two and a half years, you guys will be prepared to do a variety of odd jobs along with how to protect a travel wagon. If the wagon get to the Academy and returns in one piece, your freedom will be guaranteed.”

End of Chapter 9