Revised on April 4, H28.
Revised again on April 24, H28.
—
As evening fell, Alicia came to the base mansion of the *Princess Harem* to pick me up.
Today, Alicia was dressed in a light green *dress*, the subdued yet bright hue complementing her lustrous blond hair. However, she seemed unusually tired, likely due to the day’s demanding work.
“Hal, I’ve come to get you.”
“You look a bit worn out. Are you alright?”
Concerned, I cast *Healing Magic* on her.
“Thank you. I’m fine now.”
“By the way, you came at just the right time, Alicia.”
“What do you mean?”
“Another member has joined the *Princess Harem*, so let me introduce you. Come here, Edele. This is Alicia Garland, my future partner.”
“Pleased to meet you, Alicia. My name is Edele. I’ve been assigned as a housemaid here.”
“Likewise, Edele. Hal, she’s such a lovely *beautiful girl* too.”
Alicia shot me a sharp glare.
“Edele has her circumstances… She’s Swan Hilda’s cousin.”
“Could she be… *Demonkin*? She doesn’t look it at all…”
“I’ve undone Edele’s *Demonkin* abilities. Right now, she’s just an ordinary human.”
“I see…”
Alicia, still puzzled, and Edele, visibly nervous, exchanged handshakes, completing the introductions.
Afterward, Alicia and I boarded a shared *carriage* and returned to the *Raymond Mansion*.
“That Edele was quite the *beautiful girl*… By the way, Gaspar mentioned he’ll deliver the *Level 2 Slave* Silvia tomorrow, so he asked if you could keep your schedule open.”
“Thanks. I’ll make sure to do that.”
—
The next day, at the *Raymond Trading Company*, Gaspar, the *Head of Slave Acquisitions*, personally arrived with the *Level 2 Slave* Silvia in tow.
“Master Hal, I’ve brought Silvia. Here is the delivery document, and this is the map to the *Honest Mansion*.”
“Thank you, Gaspar. Well then, Silvia, shall we set off right away?”
“Young Master, I humbly ask for your guidance.”
Silvia, the *Level 2 Slave* being delivered today, originally came from a rural village and was sold to the *Raymond Trading Company* to reduce the family’s burden.
At sixteen years old, she still had faint freckles on her cheeks, but her ash-blond, slightly wavy hair was well-maintained. If she stayed silent, one might mistake her for a young lady from a wealthy family.
Her *Level 2 Slave* brand was a *curse seal* that only appeared when the master recited a *keyword*. Moreover, today she wasn’t wearing *slave garments* but a *dress* sent by her new master, Arnold Honest, making her appear even more refined.
Silvia and I boarded a small *carriage* bound for the *Honest Mansion*. To an outsider, we might have looked like a *coachman* and a dignified young lady.
“But Silvia’s delivery day has finally come… I’ll miss her.”
“Young Master, you still have Alicia with you, don’t you?”
When she was first purchased, Silvia was painfully thin and spoke in a thick rural dialect—”Ora… suru da.” The transformation since then was remarkable.
Feeling mischievous, I decided to make a detour under the guise of taking a break, stopping at a *cafe*.
“Silvia, since we’re early, let’s make a quick stop.”
“Is that alright?”
“We’ll just rest at the *cafe* for a bit. Come along, Silvia.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
On the way to the *Honest Mansion*, we stopped at the *cafe*. The *carriage* was parked along the roadside. Initially, Silvia, as a *Level 2 Slave*, tried to stand rigidly behind me, but I pulled out a chair like a butler escorting a lady and urged her to sit.
I then ordered a *cake set* for two.
“W-Will I really be allowed to have some too?”
“Of course. I wanted to see how well your training has paid off.”
Soon, the waitress brought our *cake set*.
“Today’s *cake set* includes cinnamon tea and strawberry tart. Please enjoy.”
“I’ve never had such fancy cake before. Well then, I’ll partake.”
I observed Silvia closely, but there were no issues—if anything, her manners were almost *too* refined. At times, she even carried herself with noble-like grace.
“You eat very elegantly.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Occasionally, you display noble-like manners. Did our company teach you that?”
“Well… Alicia taught me.”
“I see.”
With our break over, we finally arrived at the *Honest Mansion*.
Guided by an elderly butler, we were introduced to Arnold Honest.
Arnold was a well-built middle-aged man who welcomed us warmly.
“Pleased to meet you, Lord Arnold. I am Hal Raymond. Today, I’ve come to deliver the *Level 2 Slave* Silvia, whom you’ve purchased.”
“Well met, heir of the *Raymond Trading Company*. I am Arnold Honest. Silvia, you look well—hardly recognizable!”
With that, Arnold rang a small bell—*chirin*—once.
“You called, Master?”
“Take Silvia to the servants’ quarters and bring me that girl in return.”
“Understood.”
Silvia was led away by the butler-like man, and shortly after, another girl was brought in.
The new girl had messy, pale blond hair and wore thick, bottle-bottom glasses, giving her a plain, unrefined appearance.
However, upon closer inspection, her slender frame and delicate facial features suggested she could become a *beautiful girl* with some polishing.
Yet, she lacked vitality, almost like a lifeless doll.
“This girl is Freya Diva Banadis. I acquired her at a recent *slave auction*. According to the description, she’s highly intelligent—a diamond in the rough. She’s also the first princess of the *Kingdom of Vandis*, which fell to the *Demonkin* invasion eight years ago.”
“Freya, remove your clothes and show our guest your *quality*.”
“…Understood, Master.”
Freya responded in a monotone, then began stripping off her *maid* uniform.
Once completely *naked*, she assumed the standard *quality check* pose.
“What do you think? Her body isn’t bad, but she lacks any allure.”
“I see… So, what would you like me to do with her?”
“I bought her as a hidden gem, but when I took her to bed, she was as unresponsive as a doll. In the end, even my *son* couldn’t rise to the occasion.”
“Then, would you like me to purchase this *slave girl* instead?”
“No, not at all. I want *you* to retrain her. If you can make her responsive enough for me to enjoy, I’ll gift her to you. How about a one-month retraining period?”
“I’m only a *slave trader* in training, not a *slave trainer*…”
“You may use your subordinates if needed. I simply wish to assess your capabilities.”
“Understood. If you insist, I’ll give it a try.”
And so, I took temporary custody of Freya, Arnold Honest’s *Level 2 Slave*.
Simply taking her to the *Raymond Trading Company* seemed uninspired, so I decided to enlist the help of the *Princess Harem* members instead.
