第１５１５堀：お腹が膨れてさあお仕事 (Part1)
Chapter 1515: Belly Full, Time to Work
Side: Lilishe
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With a collective sigh, we all returned to Yuki’s office, finally catching our breath. There’s something to be said for the quiet comfort of sipping tea after a long stretch.
"Well then, we’ve enjoyed our fill of lunch. Time to get back to the grind."
At Yuki’s words, everyone nodded. We’d had a delicious okonomiyaki lunch, so we had to give it our all for the afternoon. And, of course, since Yuki picked up the tab, the meal tasted all the sweeter.
"First, let’s talk about Canaria. What did you all think? To me, she seemed like she was actually enjoying Weed."
Oh, by the way, Canaria-chan has already been taken home by Ria-chan and Dressa-chan. We’d asked everything we needed to know, and we’d agreed not to keep her under forced restraint. Besides, after eating that much, she was better off moving around or resting than being interrogated.
I suppose I should be the first to offer my opinion.
"Well, she ate good food, moved her body, and seemed perfectly healthy to me. As for her heart, I can’t say for sure, but I didn’t feel any particular hostility toward us."
"Yeah, I agree. I thought she’d be full of resentment since she was enslaved, but there was none of that. Come to think of it, Orelia and the others didn’t have that either. Neither did Eris or Ratz."
Yuki tilted his head, looking genuinely puzzled. Oh, my. He really is dense when it comes to these things. Before I could even open my mouth to answer, someone else beat me to it.
"What are you talking about? Ratz, Orelia, Hobis, Yayui, and I—and certainly Canaria—could never hold hostility toward you, Yuki-san."
"That’s right, Onii-san. To be treated with such care and still hold a grudge? That would just be plain stupid."
Exactly. He completely overhauled how he treats his slaves. I understand why he’s confused about his own methods, but that’s just not how things usually work around here. Of course, I’ve always helped people without discrimination, but those in positions of power usually have to draw those lines. It’s the nature of politics and status, but Yuki just smashed those barriers to pieces.
But he’s not unaware of that, is he? He knew about the slave system and how to utilize it effectively. Thinking about that, his question just now feels a bit strange.
"No, I get that being treated well after being enslaved changes things, but if you’re unjustly enslaved, wouldn’t anyone be angry at being treated as a slave? Even Eris and Ratz were trembling in their boots at the start, weren't they?"
"Ah, well, we didn’t even know you were a Dungeon Master back then."
"And even after we found out, we thought we were just going to be fed to the monsters."
Oh my, was it really like that at first? That’s quite surprising. Even Orelia-chan and the others looked shocked to hear it.
"Well, that can’t be helped. The dungeon’s reputation was at rock bottom back then. I’m sure you never imagined it would become a hub, and I did warn you that things were going to get tough."
"You did. It certainly became tough, but it’s been rewarding."
"Indeed. Now, despite how busy we are, we’ve been blessed with a wonderful husband, friends, and children."
"I’m glad to hear you say that, but back to the slave issue. When you’re brought in as a slave and expect to be treated unreasonably, shouldn’t there be some hostility?"
Well, when he puts it that way, I suppose so, but...
"That’s because Yuki-san never tried to treat us poorly or look down on us just because we were slaves. We were unjustly enslaved and sold, so we did have resentment and hostility at first, but Yuki-san’s background was just so overwhelming."
"Exactly. That blew all those feelings away. Besides, Onii-san released us from slavery pretty quickly. Given that environment, it’s hard to keep holding onto hostility."
"I did that on purpose, sure. Still, I figured it wouldn't be zero. If I had to name one person who held out, it was probably Eris?"
"Please, forget about that time. Regardless, with Yuki-san’s methods, it’s difficult to harbor malice. Especially since Weed was established, the safety of slaves has been guaranteed through the state."
Oh? So Eris-chan was hostile toward Yuki? There was a time like that, was there? She’s so clingy now; people really do change. Still, it’s rude to pry into a girl’s past, so let’s change the subject.
"Well, that’s how it is, so it’s no wonder the slaves don’t hold any hostility. Are you convinced now, Yuki-san?"
"I suppose. Well, it works out for us, so let’s leave it at that. Now, about what Canaria said. What do you think about the story of the treasure, the location, and the timing of when she was sold?"
Before I could answer, Seraria-chan spoke up first.
"It’s clearly a trap to lure in whoever bought Canaria."
Lowell-chan nodded in agreement.
"Yuki asking about the timing confirms it. A year ago, before she was sold. There’s definitely some ulterior motive. If the treasure really existed, they would have retrieved it ages ago. It’s obvious they’re trying to lure the people who bought Canaria into going after it."
Exactly. Even I thought it was blatant. Still...
"But Canaria-san herself didn’t seem particularly concerned. If things had gone poorly, she could have been in danger if they thought she was trying to lead them into a trap, couldn't she?"
As Rurua-chan said, the whole thing is too unnatural; depending on the buyer, it could have caused all sorts of problems. She didn’t seem foolish enough to not realize that, though...
To my surprise, it was Orelia-chan who answered that doubt.
"Um, may I speak?"
"Hm? Did you notice something?"
"No, it’s just regarding Rurua-sama’s question. Canaria-sama likely only answered because she was asked."
"Ah, she wasn't very interested in the timeline, so she probably just convinced herself that there was some reason for it. Is that what you’d call... normalcy bias?"
"Normalcy bias? What’s that?"
Hobis-chan tilted her head in confusion. I’m curious about that one, too.