Purchasing a Slave
After taking many turns in the complex alleyways, knocking out some thugs trying to rob me, and giving my hidden stalkers a false trail, I arrive at the Slave Trader Beloukas' shop.
At this point, the other heroes and everyone else who has seen my face won't recognize me. I have changed my appearance using my new skill, Transformation.
For the detail, it's as follows:
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[Transformation]
This skill allows the user to transform into an inanimate object or another person.
Restriction: transform the user into something/someone with a larger mass.
Consumption: 100 MP/Hour
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Transforming to a random dude isn't enough to fool anyone who knows where to look at. As the Bow Hero, the Legendary Bow is my symbol. Hence, I have transformed my Legendary Bow into the Twin-Swords form of Enki.
Fortunately, no one has seen the Enki form of the Legendary Bow, but I am certain that it will become public knowledge in the future.
That's in the future, however. For the time being, I want to milk my advantage until nothing remains.
Also, I have used my Status Falsification skill to mislead anyone who inspects it without my consent. If someone inspects my status, they will see as follows:
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Name - Loki Odinson
Race - Human
Title - Adventurer
Class - Archer
Level - 80
HP - 810
MP - 475
Attack - 169 (+150)
Defense - 84 (+20)
Magic Attack - 163 (+150)
Magic Defense - 82 (+150)
Speed - 252 (+148)
- Magic: First Light, First Light Arrow, Second Light Cannon, First Water, First Water Bullet, Second Water Bullet, Second Water Canon, First Heal, First Cure, First Body Fortification
- Equipment: Golden Twin Swords, Intermediate Archery Gear, Enchanted Hooded Cloak
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Of course, only Name, Race, Title, and Level appear when someone uses a skill or an artifact to inspect my status. Well, normally that is! I never dismiss the possibility of someone getting more from my status. Hence, I fake almost everything.
Acting like a low-key agent in a mission is fun and exciting. However, I freeze in shock and feel horrified when I realize how Itsuki also had the same shtick.
(At the very least, I am not like that moron! I won't make the same mistake!) I silently vow to myself.
I clear up my mind from unnecessary thoughts and focus on the present.
Beloukas' tent looks like a circus tent back at my original world. I inspect its appearance for a few moments before recomposing myself. I pass two thuggish guards, who spare me a quick glance and continue with their job, as I enter the tent.
I needn't wait long for Beloukas. He appears and greets me, saying, "You are a new customer, I see. What brings you to our humble little shop?"
He is in a silk hat and coattails. He is a strange gentleman by any measure: absurdly obese, abnormally short for an adult, and furnished with polished glasses.
I am speechless, just staring at his ridiculous appearance with a blank expression. He looks worse than his anime counterpart!
(How could a human look like that? Wait for a minute! Is he even a human?!)
"Excuse me, Sir?" Beloukas calls me, jolting me awake from my trance.
"Ah! Sorry! I have something in my mind."
"No need to worry, sir! So, what can our humble little shop help you?"
"I heard that you aren't only selling monster's eggs but also slaves."
"Yes, sir! We have many options to choose from!"
"Really, now?" I feign my skepticism.
"Of course, sir! False advertisement is bad for our business, yes sir!"
I roll my eyes at that and inwardly think, (Yes, lying and false advertisement are bad for your business, but you won't think twice tricking your customer. You have one hell of twisted business sense, little Eggman!)
After recomposing myself, I go to the point, saying, "I am searching for a female Tanuki demi-human slave..."
"Yes, Sir! You're in luck! We have a Tanuki girl, but she's young. Would you like to see her?"
"Okay. Show me the way!"
A couple of minutes later, Beloukas and I are standing in front of a covered cage. Beloukas lifts up the cover, and I see a brown-haired girl with a pair of round raccoon ears on her head. When I see her dark pink eyes, I immediately know that she's Raphtalia.
"She's the only Tanuki girl in my possession. Yes, sir! However, there's a problem with her," Beloukas says.
"What did you mean?" I feign my ignorance. To be honest, I already know what Raphtalia's problem is.
"She would like to wake up in the middle of the night and cause a loud ruckus because of her nightmare. We can't calm her down when she has her episode. To be honest, she has been returned from her latest master yesterday due to this problem."
I raise my brow at that. "How many people have bought and resold her?"
"The last customer is her fourth master."
It seems like this Raphtalia has never been sold to Idol Rabier. Perhaps, she has the same background as her web-novel counterpart?
In the web-novel, Raphtalia was never sold to nor tortured by Idol Rabier. She was sold to be a servant and had quite training in etiquette, common sense, and simple domestic works.
Regardless of her background, I find that this is convenient. It means I don't need to teach her everything, except for fighting. I hope that the talk about birds and bees is included in Raphtalia's resume...
"How much?"
"30 pieces of silver, sir!"
"I guess I'll buy her."
Beloukas takes Raphtalia, her collar attached to a chain, and pulls her behind us as we walk off. We exit the circus tent and are in the alley. He calls for some people who appear immediately. They are carrying a jar that's filled with a special ink. They transfer a little ink to a small dish and push it in my direction.
"Sir, please give us a little blood. Then the slave registration will be complete, and she will be yours."
It's just like in the anime.
I press a pen-knife into the end of my finger and wait for the blood to well up, and then I let a few drops drip into the small dish. One of the men dips his brush into the liquid and then pulls back Raphtalia's cloak to paint the magic onto her chest.
"Gahhhh! AAHHHH!"
I am almost losing my control when I hear Raphtalia screaming in agony. Witnessing that scene in real life is different from watching it in the anime. Granted, anime is only moving pictures while this is reality.
The pattern on her chest glows, and I suddenly notice a flashing status icon in my field of vision.
[Slave acquired: conditions of use as follows:...]
A window pops up, and it is filled with conditions.
I quickly skim through them. I set the conditions to the latest. Also, a party member icon has appeared outside of the slave menu, so I look into that.
She's Level 1 and is ten years old. Her title is Royalty of Q'Ten Lo. Her stats are very low, with no attribute above 5 points. Since she is re low-leveled, she will get massive benefits from Slaver Bow Series and Demi-Human Bow Series later.
She has a 'Malnourished' status effect. She hasn't caught a cold, it seems. Well, I can cure that debuff by feeding her proper meals three times a day.
Just thinking how powerful she will become makes me excited and full of anticipation.
"Now this slave is yours, sir. Your payment, please."
"Put the ink that mixed with my blood in a separate container. I'll take it with me." I demand after dismissing the screen.
"What for?" Beloukas seems perplexed.
"I am not comfortable with leaving something mixed with my blood in the hand of a Slave Trader," I told him bluntly.
"Oh, my, you're quite a paranoid individual. Worry not! I'll do as you requested! Yes, Sir!"
I give the slave trader 32 pieces of silver.
"You've overpaid, sir."
"For the ceremony and the bottle. You were going to wring more money out of me somehow, weren't you?"
"…not only paranoid, but you are also very wise."
To be honest, I copied what Naofumi had done in the canon.
"Well, whatever." I waved him off.
"I look forward to your future visits."
I ignore his farewell and start to walk off, not forgetting to call Raphtalia to come with me.
I need to coax Raphtalia due to her fear and suspicions of me.
After we leave the Slave Trader's place, I hand over a hooded cloak to her, who accepts it in confusion. I tell her to put it on and hide her face with the hood.
Raphtalia's cloak is bigger because it's for my size. It gives her some problems when she walks. But, it looks cute than concerning.
I bring Raphtalia in a random walk through the labyrinthine structure of the alleyways while keeping my attention on the mini-map. I am watching a couple of Shadows who are stalking us.
They are the Shadows of Q'Ten Lo who have been watching Raphtalia for long. I plan to make them lose my trail too.
Raphtalia is following after me as I randomly walk in the labyrinthine alleyways, but she is slowing down. I guess she is getting tired.
I make up my mind to lose our stalkers after the next turn.
Just as I have silently promised, I use Warp Bow skill to teleport inside Erhard's shop without transforming the bow into Red-Sand Dragon Bow. My sudden appearance apparently has frightened the man. Raphtalia also shares Erhard's feelings because of the sudden change in scenery.