I spent a whopping 12 years in this game.
Considering that all of it counts as adult time, I’d say it’s equivalent to 20 years of experience in reality.
As time passed, I could feel myself slowly blending into this world.
The biggest change? Definitely the class system.
The reason I couldn’t immediately think of slaves is that I’ve grown too used to it, rather than unfamiliarity.
It’s as if I naturally view slaves as mere objects, so much so that I didn’t instantly associate “protected beings” with them.
It’s quite shocking, really.
Of course, I’ve never actually owned a slave until now.
I never felt the need, and as a modern person, the very idea felt repulsive.
But now, for the first time, I actually need a slave.
And here I am, in my 13th and final run, surprisingly free of discomfort about owning a slave.
“This path is unfamiliar.”
Diving into the Empire’s shiny downtown, I sneak into a narrow alleyway.
The warm glow of the streetlights bathes the area, and the once pristine streets vanish, replaced by a messy street covered in graffiti.
I feel hostile glares thrown my way from all directions.
Dressed neatly, I definitely don’t fit in here.
But those glares quickly diminish.
I start to see people dressed similarly to me, clean faces among the crowd.
Deep within the slums.
Emerging from the narrow alley reveals bright red lights welcoming me.
“I’ve been to the slums a few times, but this is my first visit to the red-light district.”
Embarrassing scenes unfold around me.
A woman clad in revealing clothing tries to entice customers.
I even spot a nobleman with a fancy mustache loading women into a carriage.
But I remain indifferent to the visual stimuli.
After all, I’ve been surrounded by way more attractive heroines.
Plus, I’m not really feeling much desire right now.
My mind might have rolled around for 12 years, but my body has only been in this game for three days.
Of course, during those 12 years, I hadn’t formed any relationships.
Even if I went out to catch some air, the heroines would freak out, suspecting me of messing around. Why would I even think about stepping into a red-light district?
Besides, if I got into any sort of relationship with those heroines, the completion rate would skyrocket beyond 100%, causing the game to clear automatically.
Still, it’s manageable.
Every time I regress, my body goes back in time.
So right now, I’m in a weird state where I have pent-up desires, but not overwhelming ones.
Now that I’ve cast off the constraints of the main heroines, I could wander freely into a red-light district, but I don’t plan on indulging here.
If possible, I’d like to have my first experience with a girlfriend.
I’ve held out for 12 years; it’d be embarrassing to give in during the final run.
“Is this the place?”
After rejecting countless solicitations, I finally arrive at the store.
It presents itself as a whimsical toy shop, but considering the “products” it sells inside, it feels slightly creepy.
Throughout my 12 runs, I’ve heard plenty of rumors about this place.
Some rumors may be inflated due to its fame, but what sticks in my mind is that they say there’s always the right toy for whatever you’re looking for.
“Welcome, valued customer.”
“······.”
As I step inside, a somewhat eerie atmosphere radiates from the shopkeeper.
With heavy makeup and a wide-brimmed hat, it’s tough to gauge her real face.
A scent that crinkles my nose wafts into the air.
Not keen on lingering, I decide to get straight to the point.
“I need a cheap slave. One that isn’t difficult to move around and can understand verbal commands. They don’t need to read, but being obedient would be a plus.”
The price must be cheap.
That way, I won’t hesitate when it comes time to throw them away.
I don’t want to buy someone expensive and then feel guilty about tossing them out.
It’d be too easy to get attached.
“Hmm. What will the usage be?”
“I’ll take them into a dungeon. They’ll need decent physical capabilities to navigate rough terrain.”
“Do you prefer one that can use magic for support, or a tank type for the vanguard…?”
“You misunderstood. I don’t need them for combat. They don’t need to know how to fight. I just need them to follow me around.”
“Please follow me.”
The shopkeeper gestures me to go deeper inside.
I start to grasp the source of the earlier unpleasant smell.
It’s a mix of the stench of excrement and strong perfume trying to mask it.
“Ahaha. I’m sorry. I do my best to manage, but it’s overwhelming for just one person.”
“······.”
Wow, it’s massive.
It’s about the size of several large supermarkets combined.
My jaw almost drops, but I force myself to keep my mouth shut and hurry along.
“Here are the children suitable for taking into the dungeon… Do any of them catch your eye?”
The shopkeeper points to one side of the bars.
Muscular slaves of various races appear before me.
They look like they could bend me in half but quickly avert their gaze as soon as they make eye contact.
Looks like powerlessness has been ingrained in them.
“How much?”
“The price is generally around 2,000 gold, though there’s some variance.”
“Aren’t the non-combat ones cheaper?”
“That’s true.”
“I want one that’s completely useless and ridiculously cheap.”
“Hahaha, I’ve never had a customer quite like you. Please, this way.”
The shopkeeper leads me further inside.
I’m actually enjoying the variety of slaves to look at.
The most prevalent are the beast-folk.
Next up are humans.
Occasionally, I see elves in much cleaner and larger cages.
They seem to be specially cared for, probably due to their high prices.
Dwarves are pretty rare, seemingly less popular than elves.
“This one. No one wants to buy it. It’s totally useless and cheap. In fact, the cost of keeping it here is higher, so we were planning to dispose of it.”
In the innermost corner, a cage rests.
From the darkness, a pair of red lights glimmer.
Unlike the others, it gazes directly at me without looking away.
As I approach slowly, the figure slowly steps out of the shadows.
“······.”
A small human boy.
Without uttering a word or making a movement, he simply watches me, but I can faintly sense nuanced hostility in his gaze.
However, he doesn’t seem ready to charge at me, perhaps aware of his own powerlessness.
He isn’t particularly handsome but has a rather pretty face.
His skin is pale, almost ghostly.
If he grows up like this, he could end up being quite the heartthrob.
He’d probably break quite a few hearts.
“This one is a blood ghoul. All its fangs have been removed, so you can rest easy.”
Oh dear.
He’s one that’s stopped growing, huh?
Blood ghouls.
The term ‘blood ghoul’ is actually the name of a plague.
Those afflicted lose their sanity and become solely focused on bloodsucking, displaying high aggression, hence the name.
In fact, they’re barely even human.
Once someone’s heart stops, they can hardly be called a human anymore.
A person bitten by a blood ghoul inevitably becomes one as well.
Even an ordinary person becomes superhuman when turned into a blood ghoul, so when the plague spreads, an entire village can be devastated in no time.
That’s why it’s common to incinerate any and all detected blood ghouls.
However, very rarely, some blood ghouls manage to retain a sliver of their sanity.
This boy is one of those.
He probably escaped the chaos only to get caught by a slave trader who removed all his fangs.
Now, how are they typically used?
Mainly as toys for amusement.
Blood ghouls are durable, and since one can kill them without regret, they’re incredibly cheap.
They aren’t considered human, so there’s no reason for them to be expensive.
This boy is, in every sense, a true ‘object.’
“Can this one talk? No need for complicated instructions. Just understand ‘come’, ‘go’, ‘eat’…that should be enough.”
“······talk. I will.”
A raspy voice breaks the silence from inside the cage.
Though it sounds a bit sluggish, he clearly understood and responded to my request.
He doesn’t need to be smart.
This level of retained sanity is sufficient.
“How much?”
“I’ll just give it to you.”
“What?”
“I told you. We were just planning to dispose of it. Saving on body disposal costs is a bonus for us.”
“······.”
The shopkeeper smiles and opens the cage.
She then grabs the boy’s neck chain.
He hesitates for a moment after the cage opens, but as she yanks the chain, he stumbles forward, dragged out.
“Cough! Cough! Cough…!”
Even as he chokes, his complexion doesn’t turn red at all.
A clear sign that no blood flows through his body.
Proof he’s not a human but just an object.
“Just don’t treat him too roughly.”
“It’s fine. Blood ghouls are tough, so they usually don’t get hurt unless extremely…”
“Seems you really wanted that body disposal.”
“······.”
I firmly grasp the shopkeeper’s wrist in warning, prompting her to straighten her expression and quickly let go of the chain.
With a key she handed me, I unlock the boy’s collar.
He looks up at me, his expression a mix of confusion and emotions, faintly showing gratitude.
But he doesn’t need to thank me.
[Stats]
[Strength: 9(x5) * Guardian Knight effect applied]
[Stamina: 7(x5) * Guardian Knight effect applied]
[Mana: 12(x5) * Guardian Knight effect applied]
[Agility: 18(x5) * Guardian Knight effect applied]
[Luck: 14(x5) * Guardian Knight effect applied]
I just pretended to let my guardian knight effect activate.
I’m not doing this out of goodwill.
I confirmed that it definitely activates.
“Perfect fit.”
It’s free, and if he wanders off, there’s only death awaiting him. Plus, he understands commands just enough, and the Guardian Knight effect triggers reliably.
And he’s not even a living person—just a real ‘object,’ making him easy to handle.
With this, I won’t feel guilty about using him however I want as a modern individual.
There’s no reason to hesitate anymore.
“Good deal.”
“Go inside.”
“······Okay.”
I push the boy through the suddenly opened door.
He stumbles inside, standing still, just watching me.
He expresses neither curiosity nor requests, just frozen in place.
In moments like this, I really feel he’s more a soulless object than a living being.
Aside from marginal language ability, I’d say his memories have been completely wiped.
The aggression typical of blood ghouls seems erased along with the removal of his fangs.
He feels like a blank robot without pre-installed software.
Since it’s late, I’ll have to postpone dungeon conquering till tomorrow.
For now, it’s about getting him some software installed.
No complex programming needed.
Just simple commands like ‘stay right behind me’ and ‘come’ or ‘go’.
“Ugh. But first, let’s wash up.”
“······Okay.”
With each step he takes, his footprints mark the floor.
It’s filthy, and it’s driving me nuts.
I need to get him cleaned up.
I grab his hand, responding dryly, and drag him to the bathroom.
Now, what should I call him?
Naming him is proving to be a task.
It’s not urgent, so I’ll leave it undecided for now and focus on cleaning him up.
However, I soon faced an unexpected situation.
“Uh, huh?! What are you?!”
“······I. Blood ghoul.”
This kid…
Is a girl.
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