The Crown Prince Who Raises Alt Characters

#258 Villainous Boss Nigel (7) - The Slaves' Quarters Nigel's plan to popularize iced Americano among the residents of Shurabasti failed miserably, but the sticker bread itself was an enormous hit. Sticker collecting became a trendy culture among the wealthy, and they spent money generously to keep up with the trend. Buying a single loaf of bread for a silver coin was very burdensome for commoners, but for the wealthy it was rather an inexpensive hobby. "A painting by a renowned artist costs two gold coins, and ceramics flowing in from the Liu Empire easily cost ten gold coins. Compared to that, one silver coin is nothing." "When I asked the chef employed at the estate, he said that to make bread like that, you have to pour in sugar, butter, milk and such generously. Just considering the cost of ingredients, it's not a loss." The wealthy originally spent a lot of money on food anyway. For those who enjoyed a cup of qahwa using the finest spices more expensive than gold of the same weight, Nigel's bread was at a level where buying dozens at once posed no problem. This meant that ordinary people couldn't even dream of accessing this trend. And this also meant that Nigel's funds had increased tremendously. "I should gradually expand the store." He would hire new employees and expand the size of the shop. At Nigel's declaration that he would become the greatest magnate in Shurabasti, and further in the Markanda region, Noa asked a question. "Then, are you going to hire new employees now?" "No, I'll buy slaves. If I hire freemen, I have to worry about various treatments, but with slaves, I can work them hard like you without any problem." "?" When have I ever been worked hard? Noa was surprised by the fact that even she hadn't realized, but couldn't bring herself to voice a retort. This was because her mouth was full of convenience store pizza that Nigel had evaluated as a "cheap substitute." With her previous gaunt appearance completely gone, her skin becoming more lustrous and her body becoming plump day by day, Nigel left the slave unattended while dreaming of plans to thoroughly extract every drop from the slaves down to their bones, laughing wickedly. A certain Greater Demon watching this was dumbfounded, wondering if the intelligence and awareness had been set too low. *** 'My life is over now too.' The streets of Shurabasti. Tied with rope and waiting only for the moment to be sold, the slave Kasim let out a melancholy sigh. Originally, Kasim was an accountant for the trading company 'Golden Camel', which had quite a reputation even within Markanda. The previous head of Golden Camel had recognized the quick-witted and clever Kasim, teaching him letters and calculations, and Kasim showed outstanding performance as if repaying that kindness. The problem was the generational change that occurred within the trading company. Unlike the previous head who was kind and wise, his son was extravagant and lacked planning, and even after inheriting the position of head from his father who had passed away from old age, he continued reckless management, driving the trading company into crisis. Still, thinking of him as his benefactor's child, he somehow offered loyal counsel and assisted in every way possible. What came back in return was not words of repentance and gratitude, but false accusations and enormous debt. The head accused Kasim of manipulating the accounts and embezzling money, dumping all the financial problems he himself had caused onto him. This was why he, who had been a promising talent, fell to rock bottom in an instant. 'Escape... would be meaningless.' Slaves are branded with a fire mark to distinguish their identity. For some high-quality goods, the brand itself becomes a factor that lowers the price so it may not be applied, but on Kasim's forehead was clearly engraved a mark proving that he was a slave. In Markanda, there were quite a few trackers who made their living tracking down and capturing escaped slaves, and the possibility of Kasim, with clear evidence declaring 'I am a slave,' shaking off their pursuit was virtually nil. To begin with, carelessly leaving the city without proper supplies in a desert region would only result in wandering the desert and dying from the heat, dried up. Finally realizing that he had no choice but to accept the fate of a slave, while Kasim was letting out another sigh, a customer appeared who wanted to purchase him. And it wasn't just Kasim alone, but a big spender who wanted to purchase all the slaves who were with him. With a straightforward transaction without any price negotiation, the slave trader gleefully sold off Kasim and the other slaves, and in front of them, their new master declared: "I am Nigel, who has become your master from today. I am not of a very merciful nature, so those who rebel unnecessarily will receive severe punishment. Understood?" The faces of the slaves who heard those words all darkened simultaneously, but Kasim was rather indifferent. 'In terms of not needing to have pointless expectations, this is rather better than clumsy sweet talk.' Even if Nigel had said he would treat them kindly, Kasim would not have believed it at all. Having worked at the trading company and observed various slave owners, he knew well how harshly those who babbled about mercy and kindness with their words actually worked their slaves. "Noa, teach your juniors how to use the facilities. I'll be resting." "Yes, Master." After Nigel left, the beastkin woman who had been waiting behind him stepped forward. Seeing this, Kasim thought. 'A concubine?' Judging by the word "junior," she too would be a slave like them. However, the clothes she wore, though somewhat exotic, looked very luxurious and comfortable, and her skin and hair gleamed with luster. Though it might just be hidden by her clothes, at least from the outside there seemed to be no signs of being beaten at all, so that beastkin slave named Noa must be receiving quite precious treatment. Of course, that didn't mean Kasim's future was bright. Even if they were both slaves, the treatment of a rare beastkin slave and ordinary human males like them couldn't possibly be the same. "Come this way, please. I'll guide you step by step starting from the entrance to the quarters." 'Quarters... what a grandiose expression.' They would probably just cram them into some warehouse-like space like luggage and make them sleep there. Or else they'd put them together in a pen where camels were tied up to live. Kasim thought it would be better if it were the latter. If he could just endure some smell, there would at least be straw to lie down on. "This is where you'll be staying!" "?" Kasim's head filled with question marks. Cool and dry air brushed against Kasim's cheeks. Unlike the sweltering heat outside, the interior of the building was eerily cool and chilly even considering it was in the shade. The floor was covered with smooth wood and strange flooring, and gentle lights hung from the ceiling. Toward Kasim and the slaves who had frozen like statues, Noa took something from a shoe cabinet near the entrance and placed it in front of them. "These are slippers, so please wear them. If you walk around barefoot now, it'll be difficult to clean later..." Kasim stared blankly at the object placed at his feet. With a plate slightly wider than the sole of his foot and a hole for inserting feet, he could tell it was some kind of footwear. But he couldn't identify the material. It had a luster different from anything in Kasim's common knowledge - leather, cloth, wood. "Come on, please put them on quickly! There's still a lot to see!" Noa smiled as if she understood their state, but urged them on as if frustrated by their blank frozen appearance. When Kasim tried them on with a bewildered expression, a firm yet soft, somehow contradictory texture was transmitted through his soles. For his bare feet, full of wounds and calluses from having to walk on the ground for years without proper shoes, it was quite a ticklish sensation. The explanation that followed was equally astonishing. "This is the bathroom. If you press this here like this, water comes out, so you can simply clean up afterwards. After you finish your business, you can wash your hands here." "This is the shower room. Master said 'There's no bathtub to soak your body in, so just endure with showers,' but honestly I don't really understand what he means." "This is the bedroom. Four people can use each room, and the beds are bunk beds, so please discuss and decide on positions among yourselves." "This is the living room, and those board games over there? He said he'll tell you the rules later, so please wait." Kasim opened his mouth blankly. He could tell without needing to check a mirror that he must be making a very stupid expression. After all, looking to the side, all the other slaves' faces were the same. "Um, Noa... miss?" "You don't need to add the honorific... huh? Or should you? Master said you're in a management position, so should you add it?" Noa, who had been pondering for a moment, soon nodded as if concluding to ask about it later. "Yes, what is it?" "Is this really where we're going to stay?" "I know it's hard to believe, but yes!" Kasim was relieved. And the reason for his relief was in Noa saying 'I know it's hard to believe.' At least it meant the other person also recognized this wasn't a normal situation. "Master is incredibly merciful and also a tremendous person of ability. You are incredibly lucky! Me too!" Merciful. Is this something that can be dismissed with such words? Kasim knew. That this was an overwhelmingly comfortable living environment compared not just to slaves, but even to the freemen of Shurabasti. "Sob, sob." "Now, I'm alive..." "Thank you... thank you..." The other slaves also gradually recognized this fact, each offering words of gratitude or prayers in sobbing voices. The hospitality beyond imagination had instantly released their fear and tension. Of course, not everyone was like that. Some slaves were still watching carefully with faces mixed with anxiety and wariness. Kasim also belonged to this category, strictly speaking. 'No matter how merciful and kind a master might be, there's no way they would show such kindness for no reason. Just how harsh a task are they planning to make us do...?' Toward Kasim and the slaves who were lost in worry, Noa said. "Then please wash in the shower room I showed you earlier, change into the prepared training suits, and then gather in the dining room."