Chapter 226
Chapter 226
Chapter 226
Serena's POV
Ugh, why are there only pettan slaves sold by these slave traders?
This is the first slavers' shop I've been to in the capital, but the high-class slavers' section has only pettan girls with ears.
Moreover, they all lack motherhood and don't have the kindness or aura that my mom or mama radiate, though I don't understand it very well.
"What kind of slave are you looking for, young master? They're all pretty," said the shopkeeper.
"I'm looking for a young woman with dignity, big breasts and around 28 years old... but there is no such person here."
"Hahaha, then you must be looking for a housekeeper or an educated slave. You can only find small children in this market. If you want someone like that, you should look for a slave shop on the backstreet instead of a high-end shop like ours."
I see... Come to think of it, dad met mom (Shizuko) in a terrible state... he said.
Okay, I understand now.
I need to see the slavers along the backstreets. But...
'Liar'.
Only old man slaves are sold here...
And they're all bearded...
Even if there are any women, they are all grandmas...
As I was lost in thought, a voice caught my attention.
'Help'
I hate hearing cries for help. Mama (Isthas) tells me not to strangers without knowing the situation, but the voice sounded urgent.
'Help me... please'
It's noisy... but I want to go see who it is though, even though it's annoying.
And when I looked it over, I saw a cage with tattered cloth hanging in front of me - the voice came from inside.
'Help me... I don't want to die.'
I carefully rolled up the cloth and the voice grew fainter until all I could hear were the person's dying thoughts. The reality of the situation hit me hard, "This person won't last much longer."
I couldn't help but think about what Mama (Ishtas) always said, that there are countless unfortunate people in the world and that we can't help them all because it would never end. It didn't seem fair.
And she also said, 'If you want to help, only trust someone truly reliable, like a lover or best friend... After all, you are a special child'.
I looked at the person in the cage again. The majority of their face was burned, with no limbs amputated. Their body was covered in burns and scars, and their throat was crushed, rendering them unable to speak.
As I took in the scene, I couldn't help but wonder who could have done such a terrible thing, especially when I saw that both of the person's eyes had been gouged out.
"What, you looking on your own?" the slave trader asked.
"I'm sorry."
"What, aren't you the young master who just came to my place earlier... you must saw something unpleasant...? It's disgusting, right...?"
"Uh... This person..."
"A discarded slave... Well, I was entrusted with the disposal for various reasons... I intend to let her die like this..."
"With such a terrible condition, why don't you... kill her?"
"I am a slave trader... Children might not understand it... Those who work in this business are forbidden to kill slaves... And I can't help her in this condition... So I intend to let her die like this... I'll tell you this, I did not do this to her... I got a discount on other slaves by taking this guy in... Her condition was there from the beginning."
I see.
This big sister must be a beauty.
Dad is hurt worse than when he met mom (Shizuko).
But... maybe this is my destiny.
And even though this sister does not resemble my mom or mama.
I have a feeling she will become like a mom or mama, staying by dad side.
I don't know why, but I feel this way.
"This person is a slave, right? So she is worth selling, right? How much is she?"
"Young master, she is a discarded slave, equivalent to trash. You were looking for a housework slave, right? You look like a nice young master, but if you were influenced by compassion, you should stop now. She will probably die within a few days."
"But what if I still want her?"
"I am a slave merchant, so if you want her, I will give her a price. She is only worth around one gold coin (about 100,000 yen) in the royal capital. Plus, the cost of carving the slave's emblem and two wage coins will be added, making it three gold coins for that person's price. I'm sorry, but I can't give you her health because she's dying. If that's okay with you, I'll sell her."
"I'll buy her... In return, please make it quick."
"You really want to buy her...? Okay, I don't care if something happened."
I paid three gold coins and took in the discarded slave sister.