Gathering Companions IV
Yesterday, I ended up staying overnight at the Faritia Family home with Stella, who had been invited for dinner. The reason Fana’s mother called for us wasn’t to ask if I would become Fana’s fiancé, but rather to check if Fana was causing any trouble and to express her gratitude for taking care of her daughter.
It was clear that Fana’s mother loved her deeply, a sentiment that transcends any mother’s affection for her child. I took the opportunity to inform her about Fana’s frequent mishaps—getting caught in traps and battling plant-type monsters, which often resulted in damaged weapons and armor.
As a result, Fana was currently being lectured at home. Fana’s mother, who seemed like a calm and graceful woman, suddenly chased after Fana in her dress the moment she tried to escape upon hearing my story. She caught her and began a joint lecture and joint lock. After some twists and turns, Fana’s father got wind of the situation, and now Fana was being schooled in both discipline and knowledge, as I learned from her younger brother.
So now, we were discussing our next steps.
“Where should we start our search?” I asked.
“I don’t have much familiarity with this area… For now, we should restock our medicinal supplies. We’ve consumed quite a bit on our way here, so we need to replenish that. If we can find some spices as well, that would be great. After that, we can check the public slave market for any useful slaves. If we don’t find anyone there, we can make a reservation at the underground slave market,” Stella suggested.
“I see… then let’s head for the medicinal supplies first,” I replied.
“Understood. Leave the way to me.”
Together with Stella, we ventured into the town below the castle to purchase supplies and scout the slave market. I had heard that Stella’s connections were mainly within the Knight Order, and while she did have acquaintances who might meet our criteria, she couldn’t introduce them immediately. Thus, we decided to walk around the town in the morning, restocking our supplies while also keeping an eye on the slave market.
Ideally, I would have liked to bring Fana along to gather her opinions, but given the circumstances, it was just the two of us. Stella, being familiar with the area, guided me.
As for finances, I hadn’t received any money from the Dragon’s Scale; instead, I borrowed from the Faritia Family. I made a deal with them to fulfill three requests, as long as they didn’t involve treason or putting our lives at risk, in exchange for covering the costs.
“This is the place. It’s not a large shop, but I can guarantee a wide variety and good efficacy,” Stella said.
“Really?” I replied, intrigued.
“Yes, it may be a bit pricey, though.”
“That’s not an issue.”
“Good.”
We arrived at a quaint apothecary tucked away from the main street, at the end of a narrow alley. Inside, there was an elderly woman who seemed to be the owner and a young woman who appeared to be her apprentice. Stella greeted them lightly, introduced me, and then the elderly woman approached me while leaving her apprentice to continue preparing potions. After a brief conversation, we purchased over thirty potions, several antidotes, a dozen blood boosters and emetics, a few vials of poison, and several months’ worth of salt and pepper.
Interestingly, I learned that I had unknowingly saved the elderly woman’s son on some battlefield, and she was about to offer me a discount. However, feeling it would be inappropriate, I declined and promised to return for more supplies later.
“Over there. The ones lined up outside are all debt slaves who fell into this state due to gambling or business failures. We should go inside to see the options directly,” Stella advised.
“Hmm… that seems to be the case. I can’t find anyone useful among those displayed outside. By the way, which shop do you recommend?” I asked.
“For quantity, the shop at the very back built of red bricks is the best. For quality, the marble shop directly across from it is superior. Both are run by the same merchant family, with the red brick shop owned by the younger brother and the marble shop by the elder,” Stella explained.
“Interesting. Are they superior to others?”
“Rather than superior, they cater to nobles and royalty, so they should always have capable individuals available. My previous boss used to buy slaves from there, so I can vouch for their quality.”
“I see… then let’s take a quick look at the red brick shop first and then check the marble shop,” I decided.
“Understood. Let’s go.”
Having acquired the necessary potions and spices from the first shop, we proceeded to the public slave market. We passed by the cages filled with people wearing collars, shouting to be bought, and those inspecting them, unsure if they were evaluating their price or their appearance, as we headed toward the shop Stella indicated.
On the way, I glanced at the slaves lined up outside, but none of them seemed capable enough to be considered as potential allies. While a few might have met my relaxed standards, their debts were primarily from gambling, habitual theft, or destruction of borrowed items, which made me unwilling to take on such burdens.
“Welcome!”
Ignoring the line, Stella confidently walked into the shop, and the owner, a man who looked like the proprietor, approached us. Stella requested to see all the slaves available, and we were led deeper into the shop.
Inside, we found many slaves housed in a room that was more comfortable than a campsite. They ranged in age from children to the elderly, and while there was a variety, I quickly sensed that none of them could be considered hidden gems. They lacked the fundamental qualities needed to thrive in life-or-death battles.
While they might become somewhat strong with training, facing higher-tier demons or dragons would likely paralyze them with fear, rendering them incapable of fighting. I exchanged a few words with Stella as she spoke with the owner, then took a quick look around. Unfortunately, none of them seemed suitable.
I intended to train anyone I took in, but they needed to have at least a minimum level of capability. Neither Fana nor I had experience raising someone from scratch, and asking Stella for help would be challenging since she also needed to train herself.
“How did it go?” Stella asked.
“Not good,” I replied.
“Understood. Shall we take our leave then?”
“Yeah.”
With that, Stella wrapped up her conversation with the owner, informing him that we hadn’t found anyone of interest and that we would be leaving for now. We exited the room where the slaves were lined up and headed across the street to the next shop.
However, the next shop turned out to be quite similar, leading us to ultimately decide to visit the underground slave market. While the quality was indeed good, and many looked appealing, their capabilities were limited to fighting mid-tier demons, which didn’t justify a purchase.
Additionally, I found the owner’s demeanor unappealing; he had a condescending look in his eyes, which made me doubt I would buy anything even if I found someone I liked.
“Oh? It’s been a while, Desire,” a familiar voice called out.
“…Who are you?” I asked, puzzled.
“Hmm, well, it’s understandable you wouldn’t remember. We only exchanged a few words. I’m Hermes, the merchant you spoke with when arranging the carriage for the expedition against the Mocking Blood demon.”
“Ah, I remember now… Sorry for the delay in returning the carriage; it ended up broken, and the horses… well, they didn’t make it.”
“No worries! You successfully defeated the Mocking Blood demon, after all. Considering that, the loss was a small price to pay. So, what brings you to a place like this? I wouldn’t expect someone like you to visit here.”
“I’m here for the underground slave market. I came to make a reservation.”
“I see. Very well, let us handle the arrangements for you.”
“Is that alright?”
“Of course! However, you will need to accompany us on the day of the event. Is that acceptable?”
“Give me a moment.”
“Do you think he can be trusted?” I asked Stella.
“I believe so. Hermes is the only merchant allowed to speak directly with His Majesty the King, so he should be reliable.”
“Alright then. Can I leave it to you?”
“Yes, leave it to me. I will contact you once I know the schedule and your availability. Where should I send the information?”
“Can you send it to the Faritia Family?”
“The home of the current Knight Commander? Understood.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
At the entrance to the underground slave market, I unexpectedly ran into Hermes, a merchant with a plump figure who I vaguely remembered. He was the one who had provided me with transportation before, and now he was willing to handle the arrangements for me.
According to Stella, he was a merchant who could conduct business directly with the King, so I felt confident in entrusting him with this task. However, I felt it was only fair to offer him something in return for his help, so I handed him the Dragon’s Eye and Horn, which I had been carrying around.
He hesitated to accept, but I insisted, knowing it would only gather dust in my bag otherwise.
Additionally, I wanted to quickly investigate the gazes directed at us since entering this alley, to avoid any lingering complications.