Chapter 14
I surprised as I listened to Lily talked about Amy’s present state . Amy has a large debt, and if she can’t pay it by the deadline, she would become a slave . Moreover, the deadline is this afternoon . Lily who has been getting along with Amy these past week learnt from Amy about her circumstances . I convinced after listening to all of that . Regarding the reason Amy dressed shabbily even though she looked like a sheltered girl who didn’t know how the world work . Why she took [Goblin] subjugation even though she looked like never had any fight before . Even if female adventurer could get stronger from disgust and fear, normally they wouldn’t take [Goblin] subjugation request . After listened to all of that, I rushed out of the Adventurer Guild . Now, it was a little around afternoon . I heard Amy would be sent to the excavation site as soon as she become a slave . She’s likely on the eastern gate’s horse-drawn carriage boarding place . Fortunately, the guild building is near the eastern gate . I run full speed towards the horse-drawn carriage boarding place and barely manage to make it on time . As I survey the surrounding, I spotted Amy who’s about to board the horse-drawn carriage . As I feel gratitude for my fortune that the horse-drawn carriage boarding place was few of people, made it possible for me to spot her soon, I shout in a loud voice .
“Wait up!!”
A man who I believe is a slave dealer turn towards me . It seems Amy also noticed me .
“What is it, young man . ”
The man asked me in an annoyed tone .
“Has she become a slave?”
“Hah? Yeah, she your acquaintance?”
It was too late . Though it would have settled if I were to come here earlier and shouldered Amy’s debt . Well, can’t be helped .
“Then I’ll buy her . ”
Amy had a surprised expression on her . Even I didn’t understand why I would do something to this extent, even though I had only talk with her for a few times . However, I have interest in [alchemist], above all I can buy [curse]holder cheaper and can cure it myself . Thinking so, I decided to buy her .
“Buy? This girl? If you come to my place, I can show you better one, y’know?”
“No, I want her! It has to be her!”
As though overwhelmed by my vigor, the slave dealer step back as he told me Amy’s price .
“She’s a slave with debt, so she’s expensive, y’know . It’s 11 gold coins, and she has [curse] as a bonus, see . ”
The man said it in a voice mixed with sigh . He must have thought I’d give up after I heard the price . 11 gold coins is by no means too expensive for a slave’s price . However, compared to Ayla’s, who is also a [curse]holder, which is only 2 gold coins, Ayla’s price certainly is a bargain . So, the 11 gold coins are mostly the amount of Amy’s debt .
“Got it . ”
I take gold coins from my bag on the waist and hand it to the man .
“Hee, now that’s surprising that you would go this far for someone like her . You fell for her?”
“Something like that . ”
Since the slave dealer handed me a parchment, I received it .
“This is?”
“That’s her written oath . Sign right there . ”
Although there was no written oath like this when I bought Ayla, it seems Amy has it . When I signed it as I was told, a pattern floated up on Amy’s backhand .
“With this she’s your slave . If you ever need another slave, just come to Aura Co . , m’kay . ”
As the man said so, he pull the horse-drawn carriage and walk towards the town . Is it part of the rule that all slave dealer say that remark in the end? I laughed a little .
“U-Um . ”
When I turned around, Amy looked at me with a flushed red face . Even the people in the surrounding look at us with a grin .
“Nii-chan! You look cool, y’know!”
A man threw a heckle at me . What does he mean? When I think about it, I realize what ‘s going on . If I were to proceed by the flow just now, I look like a man who’d abandoned everything for a woman he loved .
“N-Nah, it’s not like what you all think . ”
Although I tried to explain it to the people in the surrounding, I didn’t know what to say, in the end I pulled Amy’s hand and left from that place . When I pulled Amy’s hand, suddenly I realized . I’ve left Ayla behind in the guild . And when I returned to the guild as is, Ayla was there, with an anxious expression on her . Ayla who noticed us, for some reason make a sad expression . Is she angry for being left behind?
“Master, did you not need me anymore?”
I who was taken aback by Ayla who asked with a tearful voice, finally realized the cause . It was me who still gripped Amy’s hand .
“N-No, you’re wrong . Amy is our new companion, you see . ”
I feel nothing would change . For the time being, I hug and pat Ayla who burst into tear to calm her down . Since I rarely did this lately, and although I didn’t too in the middle of escorting, she sometimes would cried at night . It seems like the flashback of ‘her memory when she had a hard time’ was the reason of it . And when that happened, I would hugged her and patted her head like this, and spent the night together ’til morning .
“Beside, there’s no way I’d throw you away, right? Or are you don’t want to be with me anymore?”
“Nonsense . I want to be together with Master forever . ”
“I see, then we’ll be together forever . ”
“Yes . ”
Ayla buries her face in my bosom and starts to rub her cheek on me . It seems she has calmed down . Although it’s also so when she cries at night, Ayla’s basically like to be spoiled . When we are alone, she would often snuggle up to me . However, it’s unusual for her to behave like a spoiled girl like this in a place with many people like this .
“Um~”
Out of frying pan into the fire . This time, it was Amy who was sulking .
“It’s not that I mind it, but as expected it’s hurt if someone who said it has to be me a while ago is hugging another woman . ”
Hearing that, Ayla stopped rubbing her cheek and pouted . She glares at Amy as she clings my right hand tightly . Amy who notices Ayla’s glare, starts to cling to my left hand . I who was interposed between them could feel spark flying between them .
“F-For the time being, should we grab some food? Since both of you haven’t introduce yourself to each other, too . ”
The good-for-nothing me could somehow spoke a proposal, to get out of this situation .
As expected, we have a meal in a tense atmosphere . In a 4-person table, seated 2 women and I who sat facing them . What kind of torture is this?
It was Amy who first broke the silent in this tense atmosphere .
“Er, firstly I have to say my gratitude . Thank you very much for saving me . Let me return this favor by working for Master . ”
Listening to that, Ayla replied .
“Are you also being saved by Master, too?”
“Yes, I’m a debtor slave . Moreover, I also a [curse]holder, so if Master didn’t purchase me, I would be sent to work in excavation site . ”
“I-I was about to be thrown into a dungeon when Master purchased me!”
Hmm, the talk is progressing . Let’s wait and see for a while, then .
“I was treated kindly in the Adventurer Guild, and after that he saved my life . Then this time that person become my Master . That’s really leave a deep impression in me . Is this something you would call fate?”
“H-He said I was cute so he purchased me!”
“…He also said the same thing after he saved me . ”
H-Huh? Things didn’t look good?!
Ayla finally stood up from the chair and started to speak fervently .
“I get praised for being helpful in a battle!”
Amy who was being saved when a monster attacked her look vexed .
“Even I would prove helpful! Although it’s a bit difficult in a battle, if it’s [alche, my]…”
Amy ended her word in a low voice . Why, I guess? Ahh, it must be her [curse] .
“Now then, since we’ve done having meal, should we return to the inn?”
Since if both of them were to continue quarrelling, it would cause troubles to the store, I calm them down and lead them towards the inn .