YM778.TV Volume 2 - Ch 1.01
Explorer Lv.11
Hero Lv.6
Warrior Lv.9
Swordsmen Lv.8
Equipment:
Durandal
Leather Armor
Sandals
Now that you have become Roxannes owner, there are some thing that you have to remember, Michio-sama. As the owner, you are obliged to provide for your slave and keep her in good condition at all times by providing her meals, clothing and a place to live, as well as paying the slave owners tax. If you fail to provide her with her basic needs or treat her in an unreasonably cruel manner without any proper explanation for such unjust treatment, the contract youve made today can be null and void. If you so wish, you can visit my humble shop again should you desire to acquire another slave, or modify the contracts of the ones you already possess, since modification of contracts is also a part of my profession.
Alan the Slave Merchant flooded me with a barrage of information, but the plain, emotionless tone of his speech, which was reminiscent of the performance from low-budget American dramas suggested that it was a routine that he must have been through thousands of times already. That has to be a signature statement that hes saying to everyone who buys slaves from him, but it didnt make any kind of impression on me, probably due to how bland its delivery was. To him it was just another sale, even though the merchandise he was selling, slaves, would be considered a highly illegal type of goods back in my own world, and if anyone found out that he was involved in slave trade, he would be thrown behind bars without even the right to remain silent. But no, in this world buying yourself a slave was nothing all that unusual, just like buying yourself another article of clothing or a new piece of furniture.
Thats right, I, Kaga Michio have bought myself a slave after, for whatever bizarre reason, I was transported into the world of the game I intended to start playing as an alternative to committing suicide.
From what I was able to gather, this world is just like you any other cookie-cutter fantasy world, magic, dungeons and monsters/demons included. It would seem that for the people like me, called Adventurers, the main source of income (or just a thing to do in general) is to form a Party with other like-minded individuals and conquer the dungeons, which are called Labyrinths in here, but you have to look out when you form a Party, because if you do it with someone whom you do not absolutely trust, then youre risking being robbed of the spoils from the dungeon raids or even being killed in the worst case scenario. But once youll have yourself a team of trustworthy companions, then you can search the Labyrinths for real, and if youre lucky, you might just land a jackpot and stumble upon a treasure that will allow you to live out the rest of your life comfortably and without any worries about your financial stability.
As for me, Im way to suspicious of other people to form a Party with them, and that is why I bought myself a slave. That way, I can have a companion whom I know wont ever think about stabbing me in the back (because if the master dies by the slaves hand, the slave dies as well), effectively killing two birds with one stone. And to those of you who think that using another human (or in my case, demi-human) being in such a nefarious way, I have two things to say: one, no one said that such a practice is not allowed, and two, she is my slave, not yours, therefore Im the one who gets to call the shots! Besides, what did you expect me to do? Back in Japan I was an ostracized loner my entire life, so I wouldnt have been able to create lasting relationships even if my life depended on it, much less entrust my back to anyone else but myself. Unfortunately, for someone like me whos not especially smart or clever and exploring the Labyrinths is the only way of obtaining money for daily necessities like food and a place to sleep. I mean, technically I could go challenge the Labyrinths on my own because I have the advantage of the games interface, which allowed be to obtain uber OP Skills and equipment right from the get-go, with me, but if I want to seriously become a full-fledged Adventurer and explore the deepest depths of every Labyrinth, then a backup is going to necessary. That is why I have decided to buy myself a slave.
As a complete outsider, I have no idea what is considered common sense in this world, so I need someone to teach me everything from scratch if I dont want to stand out like a sore thumb everywhere I go. If asked someone randomly, they might think that Im crazy and give me false information or just shrug the matter off and not tell me anything at all. With a slave, there wont be any such danger, because a slave wont gain anything from deceiving their master. Also
I glanced sideways where Roxanne, my very own slave stood and swallowed my saliva. She is the most beautiful girl I have ever met in my life, an absolute bombshell of a babe. She totally looks even better than those girls you would meet in those fancy-ass night clubs in Ginza, not that I ever been to one myself mind you. She also has a cute pair of dog ears adorning her smooth chestnut hair, but shes not a dog. When I identified her last time, it showed that her race was a Beastman, and even more specifically, a Wolfkin, pointing to her being a werewolf. But her human ears are also cute. And most importantly, she has a big pair of perky boobies which are perfectly visible even through all the clothes she was wearing. All in all, I have to say that I couldnt have land a better catch for my first slave ever. Right now, all the signs on heaven and earth seem to be telling me that my nights are going to be much more fun than the used to be
Whoops, thats no good, no good at all! Michio, try to keep your little Durandal in your pants, at least for now! Right now, I need to concentrate on what the Slave Merchant is talking about. It might be a routine for him, but Im hearing it for the first time ever in my life, so the least I can do is to hear him out from beginning to the end and try to remember as much of it as I possibly can. According to him, I have an obligation to provide Roxanne with food and a place to sleep, but that is the part that does not require any explanation at all, since its just common sense. Initially I wanted to ask what did he mean by unjust treatment, but I guess that is a question that I should not ask with Roxanne by my side. It would be a real problem if she misunderstood my intentions and began to fear me because of it. Theres also a question of what is going to happen to her if I happened to die prematurely, like, should I make a testament in regards to that or something? But first and foremost, I think I should learn more about the taxes Alan-san mentioned.
What about that taxes you were speaking of?
A poll tax. It is not being paid by the slave himself. Instead, it is being paid by the slaves owner.
Such was the answer to my question that I have received. Well of course there would be fucking taxes here. I mean, why wouldnt they be? After all, there are only two things which are certain in this world (or at least my old one, but I think the saying can be applied here as well): death and taxes. Its a good thing I heard about it now, otherwise I would have probably ended with tax office on my ass for committing tax fraud, and I absolutely do not want that, no siree!
Is there anything more youd like to know about slave related taxes?
N-No, thank you. Im good for now.
Maybe Roxanne knows something about it, so Ill just ask her about those things later.
Is that going to be all?
Yeah, Im good to go.
I nodded to the Slave Merchant.
Then I hope to see you again in the future.
After being sent of by Alan-san, it was high time for me to leave the slave shop together with Roxanne. When it comes to personal belongings, all she has with her is a single big case which she is holding in front of herself with both her hands. If possible, Id like to buy her something nice as a gift to commemorate the beginning of our life together. A small gesture, but before she died, mother once told me that those are precisely the ones that matter the most, and since I am Roxannes master from now on, I want her to have as comfortable of a life as possible.