第３６２堀：奴隷選び (Part2)
"No, that is not an issue. An ordinary person would have no way of removing a slave collar, and every slave trader within the Ex Kingdom territory knows who she is. No matter how much money is offered, they will not remove it. Taking her to another country to set her free is an option, but at that point, she’s just a nuisance that’s been removed. If she’s found within the country again, we can simply dispose of her. Without the slave collar, this girl is nothing more than a common criminal in this land. If, by some chance, she gathers soldiers and bares her fangs at the Ex Kingdom, we can execute her without a shred of mercy. Therefore, with the situation being this troublesome, no ordinary buyer will touch her, yet selling her at a bargain price would be unprofitable for me, and I would be suspected of abetting rebellion."
I didn't fully grasp the complex details, but I understood that this was an incredibly thorny situation.
"Alright. I get it. I'll take that princess."
"Eh?"
"W-wait a second, Mauve. Did you even listen to what she said!?"
"Exactly! You should look at the other girls first, right!? If you buy this princess, we’ll be completely broke!?"
I held up a hand to stop Raiya and Curse, who were frantically trying to intervene.
"Now, now, calm down. We just want a successor, and we don't have the energy to start a rebellion or anything, right?"
"That’s true, but..."
"A bit of a rebellious spirit shows character. She bit back at a King—that’s more than enough, isn't it?"
"But surely, buying a princess means we'll be under surveillance? Isn't that right, Sefine-san?"
"Yes. If you insist on the princess, I will have to report it properly, and I expect the country will place you under surveillance as well."
"That’s exactly what I was hoping for. It keeps the princess from running away, prevents contact with people who might have strange ideas, and can even be used to flush out those who do. Right?"
"..." "..." "..."
For some reason, all three of them looked stunned.
"Indeed, that is true. This could be used to flush out subversive elements. I will send a messenger to the royal castle to propose cooperation. Since they were the ones who sent her here out of concern for such elements, I am sure they will cooperate. I assume you don't mind having your movements restricted for a while?"
"Doesn't bother me. We’ll need a year or two for her basic training outside anyway."
As I spoke with Sefine, I could hear Raiya and Curse whispering behind me.
"...If you think about it, couldn't she also serve the role of a decoy to draw attention?"
"...That's true. And we'd be doing it in cooperation with the Ex Kingdom. It’s the closest thing to an ideal situation. Could he have actually planned this?"
"No, there’s no way."
"I suppose you're right."
You guys...
Well, that’s fine.
"Anyway, hold off on making any moves for a moment."
"Is there a problem?"
"Yeah, I haven't asked the princess for her intentions yet. I can't make someone who isn't motivated into a successor."
"Ah, my apologies. The idea was so groundbreaking that I completely forgot. Now, go ahead and introduce yourself."
Prompted by her, the princess started to greet me, but...
"That won't be necessary. Princess, you heard the situation. If you try to run away or make contact with others, you'll likely be killed. If you're still willing to come with us and hone your skills, give me your answer."
When I asked, the princess replied immediately.
"I'll do it!!"
It was a powerful voice with great spirit that echoed even outside the room.
Nodon seemed to sense it too, looking impressed.
"Ho, this might be a winner. No matter how much skill someone has, they’re useless without guts. But this princess—if I may say so—has been pushed to this point by the loss of her country. Say, Sefine-san, are there any others like her? The Rosetta Mercenary Corps is looking for talent too. Oh, and I don't mind the surveillance, just like Mauve."
"Um. It's not that there aren't any... but they cost this much, you know?"
"That expensive!? We’d have to sell all the monster gems from this haul just to cover half of it!?"
It seems they were thinking of reinforcing their forces too, but the price was astronomical.
"Alright, handle the payment."
"Understood."
"You guys really were hoarding, weren't you?"
"Thank you as always. It will take some time to process the surveillance procedures, so please wait a moment."
Phew.
With this, I’ve completely avoided Yuki's teasing.
*So, you brought her to the inn without even asking her name, and only just introduced yourself? Heh, my stomach hurts. Mauve, you really skip over the most important parts.*
Back at the inn, that was the response I got after contacting Yuki.
Damn it, why do I make these kinds of mistakes?
"Don't tease me that much. The results are sufficient, aren't they?"
*Yeah, I suppose. We can expect some real information from a princess. Plus, she’s defied the King of Ex. It’s also convenient that you’ll be under surveillance. We’ll have to find a gap in that surveillance and swap her with a Doppelganger. We can get the information out of her on our end.*
"I'm counting on you."
*And hurry up and ask her name. Everything starts with a greeting, after all.*
"I know, I know."