Mash gathered medicinal herbs in the same place as yesterday while waiting for monsters to appear. He'd forgotten he was planning on switching weapons.
Thanks to his increased level, it had become easier to defeat slimes, so it wasn't a problem. He also encountered some goblins. Their weapons were tricky, but he was able to defeat them.
There was no magic seed harvest. It had been a short-lived windfall. The sun was starting to set, so he headed back to town.
It was only the second day since he'd started collecting herbs, and today was only a half day. But he was getting bored. Working alone in silence was hard.
In his previous world, he'd worked alone in silence. In fact, he'd preferred being alone.
The solitude of this world felt different. There were fewer people in this place overall, and the darkness of night was deep. No, maybe it was the lively atmosphere of Lachsel and Mizuki that had changed him.
Anyway, there was a limit to what you could do alone. Eventually, he'd need a partner. However, it was impossible to gain friends through communication like Mizuki. Mizuki would probably let him join if he bowed his head, but that party was out of the question.
He guessed the quickest way was to hire slaves after all.
He walked over to see the dog-eared slaves Mateo had mentioned. He imagined getting a cute, lively girl with dog ears. As he was walking and imagining the horrible events that would follow, he spotted the caravan in a vacant lot on the outskirts of town.
Several caravan carriages were lined up, and next to them was a huge circus-like tent with slaves on display. The tent was dingy, and it didn't look like a transaction worth more than one hundred gold coins was taking place.
Combined with the lack of people in the evening, it created an eerie atmosphere. He watched for a while, but no one came or left.
Buying slaves might be common in this world, but it still felt wrong. He'd been taught that taking away freedom and enslaving people was sinful. The psychological constraints dampened his motivation.
He was completely discouraged and didn't feel like going inside the tent. There was nothing else to do, so he walked around looking for a place to peek inside, but there was no gap to peer through.
When he went to check on the carriages, he was hit by a foul stench.
"It stinks."
The smell was coming from a square box about one hundred fifty centimeters in size—a cage with iron bars that had been taken off the carriage.
It looked like there was nothing inside, but at the bottom lay what appeared to be a skinny person wearing tattered clothes. Looking more closely, it was a girl with dog ears. It was hard to see because of the dirt, but he could see the slave mark on her arm.
"That's not for sale!"
There had been no sign of anyone, so he was shocked when someone called out to him.
A bald old man was standing behind him, brandishing a metal bat with nails stuck in it and looking aggressive.
"If you want a slave, it's in the tent."
The bald man jerked his chin.
"This one's dead."
"What?"
When he said that, the bald man kicked the cage. Dog ears twitched.
"Tch, just die already!"
The bald man kicked the cage again. Scary.
"I bought a set of slaves in the previous town and this one came along. I'm getting rid of it. It's sick. It's cursed, so I can't sell it. If you kill a slave, you'll be punished, so I'm just waiting."
"Uhh, uhhh."
Dog ears had woken up. She looked at him with dead eyes. No, she'd just opened her eyes and didn't see anything.
If he left her alone, she'd probably be dead by tomorrow morning. He felt awful.
"Now, the tent."
The bald man put his hand on his shoulder and tried to lead him into the tent.
"How much for these dog ears?"
"What?"
"I want to buy these dog ears." These were words he'd never thought he'd say.
"Hmm, is that your hobby? Don't do it, you'll be cursed too. But how about one hundred gold coins?"
That would be the same price as the female warrior. It was too expensive.
"Don't try to scam me. You're just trying to get rid of her."
"Then ninety."
"Fifty."
"No, eighty."
The bald man was looking at him with a grin. He was completely being played.
"Sorry, but I don't actually have cash on me. I have five magic seeds. How about that?"
"...Let me see."
He took out a magic seed from storage and the bald man held his hand over it.
"Well, it looks real."
Despite his completely muscle-brained appearance, he had appraisal skills. Not to be underestimated.
The bald man thought for a while, then nodded.
"Fine. I'll sell it to you."
He opened the cage door and dragged dog ears out, treating her like complete garbage.
"I'm going to rewrite the contract to make you the master. Show me your character sheet."
"No, just erase the slave mark."
"You'll need to pay taxes to become a commoner, but that's alright?"
That's right. That would cost seventy-five gold coins. The man must be laughing behind the scenes.
The bald man recited the spell of the contract. The slave mark disappeared from dog ears' arm.
"Have fun."
"Yes, I'll do that."
When he picked up dog ears, she was surprisingly light.
He'd bought her on impulse without any knowledge. If he'd left her alone, she might have died today.
Dog ears was limp and silent throughout the entire conversation. Perhaps she was a species that couldn't communicate through language in the first place.
He had absolutely no idea how to act from now on. He couldn't even explain why he'd behaved so irresponsibly.
He felt like the weight of dog ears in his arms was getting lighter and lighter, and he began to feel anxious.
All he'd had to do was follow the bald guy into the tent and buy a slave with a healthy, attractive body.
First, he'd go to the inn, then get her cleaned up, and then go to a doctor.
As he was about to head to the inn, a dwarf man stood in his way.
"I saw your conversation earlier. Where are you going?"
Maybe they'd been watching him because he was acting suspiciously in front of the tent.
"To the inn. I'm in a hurry. Don't get in my way."
"The Great Ape Inn won't work. Only humans can stay there."
"Is that so?"
The dwarf nodded. He didn't know that. Was there discrimination between races?
"Go to Asuka Inn. But first, let's go to the church. I'll introduce you to Myra."
"Yes, but what are we going to do at the church? Sing hymns?"
"That can be done next time. I'll have your dog ears treated and healed."
He remembered that the woman who was attacked by goblins had also said she'd be treated at the church.
It seemed he was so anxious that he couldn't even see his surroundings properly.
Even so, the dwarf exuded a strangely strong aura. It looked like he could easily defeat the bald old man with just a single finger.
He nodded and decided to follow him.
"Also, put this on dog ears' arm."
He was given a bandage.
"Huh? That's like trying to put out a fire with a cup of water." There were certainly countless marks of violence.
"It's not for medical treatment. You know there's discrimination against non-human races in this city. Wear this to hide where the slave crest was and act like you're the master."
He didn't know, but it would be best to pretend he did. It would make it harder for humans to interfere with his property.
"I understand," he nodded.
He bandaged dog ears' arm and headed to the church with the dwarf as his guide.
When they arrived at the church, they were shown into a small room. There was a busty nun in the room.
"Oh, do you know Ayla?"
"Hmm? So you know Ayla. I'm her sister, Myra."
Although they looked very similar, Myra was different in that she had the air of an older, more mature woman.
"Myra is more famous in town than Ayla. She's bigger."
The dwarf smiled meaningfully. So Ayla's chest was natural and not something Reid had enhanced.
"Hmm. This is the girl. Let me examine her."
Myra laid dog ears on the bed, placed her hands over her, and muttered a spell.
Dog ears was limp as if dead, her chest moving slightly with short, shallow breaths.
"Well, it's possible to recover her weakened physical strength. It's also possible to calm the curse for now. She'll be able to lead a normal life. However, we'll need a miracle from the priest."
After chanting the spell, Myra took a breath and a difficult expression appeared on her face.
"A miracle?"
"The priests especially hate non-humans. It all depends on this."
The dwarf made a circle with his fingers in response to his question. Gold, huh?
"Can't the curse be removed?"
"Unfortunately, the church in this city doesn't have the power to do that. But in the Imperial Capital."
Myra responded.
"The discrimination in the imperial capital is even worse, and you'll end up being turned away at the door."
"Then it's the church in the eastern town of Migrat."
"Hmm. They'll probably look after her there," the dwarf nodded.
"But we have to get through this first. How much can you donate?"
Myra looked at him from head to toe and her expression became even more complicated. She thought he was poor.
"There's no set price. It all depends on the priest's mood. If you offer once and it's rejected, there will be no next time."
He was a complete corrupt priest. And yet he had the power to perform miracles in this church. It was just too evil. He'd protest to Lachsel next time and ask if this was okay.
"I'll provide the money."
The dwarf spoke up. He didn't understand why he would go to such lengths for someone he didn't even know.
"No. I'll pay."
He took out the five remaining magic seeds from storage. He'd been lucky enough to get them. He wasn't disappointed to use them.
"Are these acceptable?"
Myra was shocked and trembled. It was a shame her chest didn't shake as well.
"Are they real? With this, the church will be filled with praises to God and we will see God's miracles."
Did the church worship gold? Of course, he would remain silent.
"Please, can I leave the negotiations to you?"
"Leave it to me," Myra puffed out her chest.
"Also, could someone please clean her up and get her some clothes?"
"Leave that to me too!"
It shook impressively. He saw a miracle from God.
He was unable to witness the priest's divine work.
The dwarf said he had something to do and left. Mash tried to thank him, but he blocked him with one hand.
While he was waiting in the small room, dog ears returned, carried by several monks.
She seemed to have fallen asleep. Not only had the luster returned to her face, but she'd even gained some flesh. Bruises and scars had disappeared, and she looked like a healthy person.
It was truly a miracle of God.
She had brown shoulder-length hair, and drooping ears like a Labrador retriever. A tail sprouted from her rear. Above all, her dog ears made her a beautiful girl.
"I've put her to sleep with magic. She'll wake up tomorrow morning."
"Thank you. I don't know how to express my gratitude."
"No, it's your heart of faith that matters. I'll give this back to you. You'll need it to completely lift the curse."
He received one magic seed. It seemed she'd negotiated with the priest on their side.
"Is that okay?"
"Of course. I also brought some clothes and other things a girl might need."
"I had no idea, so this is really helpful," he said, taking the bag and putting it in storage.
"Hehe."
Myra responded with a smile. He was sure she was a good nun who was well-liked by her followers.
"I want to thank you for something."
"Please thank me with prayers to God and charity."
He picked up dog ears, but she'd gotten healthier and gained weight, so it was impossible for him to walk to the inn carrying her.
With Myra's help, he carried her on his back.
"Remember, if you don't break the curse, the disease will return."
"Will it recur soon?"
"No, we should be able to contain it for a few years."
He nodded.
"I really appreciate your help."
"If you see Ayla, tell her I said to come back to the church."
The sun had set, and just like in the original world, a crescent moon floated in the night sky.
He left the church and headed to the inn. He passed by the slave market he'd seen earlier. There was a crowd of people there. He wondered if there were more customers at night.
He walked past at a distance. People passing by looked at him strangely. The scene probably looked like a pervert putting a girl to sleep and kidnapping her.
They arrived at Asuka Inn. The building structure was similar to Great Ape Inn, but this one had a kitchen for guests to use and they could cook their own meals.
"Hmm? Two people? Double room."
He didn't understand what the host was saying, but he nodded anyway.
"Then it'll be ten silver coins."
"Please prepare food." Dog ears wouldn't wake up until morning so she didn't need any.
"One meal."
He paid, got the room key, and headed to his room on the fifth floor, the top floor. The stairs were a pain.
The room was larger than the one at Great Ape Inn, probably because it was a double room. There was only one bed.
The two of them would end up sleeping in the same bed.
She'd said she wouldn't be up until morning, so he wanted to play a prank on her, but he felt hesitant. He touched her slightly developed chest. Their softness, a new sensation, nearly melted his brain.
That night, he was excited by dog ears' gentle breathing and had a hard time falling asleep.