Someday Will I Be The Greatest Alchemist?

Idle Talk 1: Idle Talk: Maiden Slave

The village I lived in was attacked by thieves. The men were killed and the women were violated. When mother died, I was with father and we failed to escape. Father was killed and children like me were caught and, just like that, we were sold.

The thieves sold us to someone called a broker and we were brought to Volton.

But we thought it was still better than hell. The reason being that the one who bought us was Moulin-sama of the Moulin Slavery company who has a policy of not selling children until they become adults.

The Feudal Lord who governs Volton also seems to be a person who rules benevolently. Thanks to that, the Moulin Slavery Company that is based in this town does not treat its slaves cruelly.

Moulin-sama, contracted us illegal slave children with the same terms as those of debt slaves. The terms are that we could be released once we save up the sum of expenses used until we became adults plus the company’s profits at the time of our sale.

Wanting to be released as soon as possible, there were some children who had agreed to prostitution contracts and were bought by brothels, but I wanted to work my hardest to take back my own life.

At Moulin Slavery Company, with reading, writing, and calculations as a matter of course, we were taught from good etiquette up to how to use a knife for self-defense.

「You can become a battle maid.」

What Moulin-sama wanted from me, I don’t know, but this experience later became a huge asset for me.

「Since you are pretty, you can live an easy life if you become a noble’s mistress.」

Moulin-sama says that but nobles disregarding contracts altogether is scary. Forcing someone to spend the night without that person’s consent is a crime, but that would be unscrupulously scrapped if it’s a powerful noble.

However, I am not in a position where I could choose the master who buys me.

So I pray to Goddess Norn everyday.

Please, make it so that a kind master buys me.

At that time, someone who bought the elf war slave, Sophia-san, appeared.

Sophia-san lost her right arm, left leg, and an ear in a war. However, that doesn’t obscure Sophia-san’s beauty even the slightest.

With Sophia-san like that, how has she remained unsold for as long as 50 years? That is because Sophia-san could not use magic.

It wouldn’t be strange for nobles and wealthy merchants to want an elf that can use strong Spirit magic, and is also beautiful. If those elf characteristics and said magic are lost, the value is halved.

Furthermore, since Sophia-san herself refuses to sleep with the other party, there are no buyers, says Moulin-sama.

I think that’s probably not everything.

The one who bought Sophia-san is a silver haired young man the same age as me.

Why do I know? Aside from Sophia-san, that person wants another slave to keep his secrets. And Moulin-sama recommended me to that person.

When it comes to keeping the master’s secrets, debt slaves are first excluded. Debt slaves are relatively cheap, so the time until their release is short. Once released, their contract to keep the secret is lifted, so debt slaves are excluded from the choices.

Because war slaves are people who were sold by other countries when a prisoner exchange or reparations were not carried out, many have disabilities, no place to return to, or have special circumstances barring them from returning. And above all, I heard that war slaves are mostly expensive, and exceedingly few are set free.

And illegal slaves. including me, have no place to return to and have no blood relatives or acquaintances either. When freed from slavery, they wouldn’t know how to make a living. That being the case, there are many who think it’s easier to just live their whole lives as slaves.

Thanks to Moulin-sama, we haven’t given up on life, but realistically, I think buying myself back and being released from slavery is difficult.

And so, when the master who bought Sophia-san wants another slave that would manage his mansion, Moulin-sama recommended me.

At that time, I was glad I might be bought.

「I am Takumi. Maria-san, please allow me a to ask few questions. If I take you back with me, I would like for you to manage my home but would that be a problem? The rooms in the house are a living room, dining room, and kitchen on the first floor, and four bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor, but if this is too difficult to manage alone, I would like for you to tell me how many people would be necessary.」

Master politely interacted even with me, a slave. That gentle aura and staring at his cool eyes, my heart wouldn’t stop throbbing.

So I’d be bought by Master, I went so far as to show off.

「Master, I will endeavor to forever stay by your side.」

Bought together with Sophia-san, I naturally said so.

What came after was a succession of surprises.

The first surprise was, while we were on the way to the mansion, Master said that Sophia-san’s curse has been dispelled. Sophia-san has, in fact, become able to use magic, and seeing Sophia-san’s delight pleased me as well.

The second surprise was when Master’s familiar, a large spider, Kaede-chan was introduced. My apologies but I could not control my face from cramping up.

The third surprise is that there is a large bath in the mansion and Sophia-san and I who are slaves are encouraged to use it freely.

Guiding us through the mansion and surprising us with the bathroom, Master filled the tub with hot water with the affixed magic device[1], told us to use it as we wish and left.

Excitedly, Sophia-san and I enjoyed a bath that one wouldn’t experience if they weren’t a high ranking noble.

Lastly, the fourth surprise is that Master healed Sophia-san’s lost limbs. It’s been said that not even the high ranking priests in the Divine Empire of Sydnia could heal lost limbs.

Just who could Master be? He might be a familiar spirit of Goddess Norn-sama.

At this time, Sophia-san decided that she would serve Master his whole life.

Sophia-san wanted to sleep with Master and he accepted. The next day, naturally, I too wanted to sleep with him, and so my mind and body became Master’s.

Thereafter, aside from doing my duties at the mansion, I wished for power to protect master’s secrets together with Sophia-san.

To always be with Master.

***

Footnotes:

1. Raw said magic but previous chapter kinda said magic device. Going with magic device.