As I held my breath, a Level 20 Slave Merchant stepped onto the stage. Behind him walked a girl with short blue hair, upright wolf ears, and a still, bluish fluffy tail swaying faintly behind her.
It was Setsuna.
"Hehe, please bid freely," the Slave Merchant said with a bow toward the audience.
"The next exhibit is a fifteen-year-old female Wolfkin from the Icewolf tribe. The minimum bid is two hundred thousand nars. Now then, let the bidding begin," Rosten announced loudly.
"200,000 Nars!"
"210,000 Nars!"
"220,000 Nars!"
Explorers and Adventurers started bidding for her right away. But, my eyes remained fixed on Setsuna herself. She stood quietly in the center of the stage, her blue eyes staring blankly ahead—as if none of this had anything to do with her.
'Master, a beautiful female combat slave usually goes for around 700,000 to 800,000 Nars. And she is from the Icewolf tribe—they're known for being fierce fighters and are rarely seen at auctions. Normally, her price might land at the upper end of that range,' Anastasia informed me through the party link.
'Alright,' I replied, squeezing her hand slightly. I couldn't help feeling nervous hearing such a high price tossed around.
'However, the Slave Merchant didn't mention her having even the Beast Warrior job. That likely means she is not very talented in combat. And from her attitude... it looks like she hasn't been trained properly either. She hasn't spoken a word—so we can assume, worst case, that she hasn't even been properly taught the Brahim language.' Anastasia continued, calmly analyzing every detail.
'So with all that considered, her actual value might drop to that of a regular non-combatant female slave—maybe somewhere between 400,000 to 500,000 Nars at most.'
'Wow...' I breathed out mentally, impressed. Even with such a short interaction, Anastasia had managed to figure out so much about Setsuna.
It really drove home how different a merchant's perspective was—how they focused sharply on a person's merits and flaws in order to place a price on them. In hindsight, I realized I hadn't asked many questions when I saw Setsuna's exhibit earlier either.
Well, she was the first waifu I had recognized from another world in this auction, and since Appraisal had already told me she was just a villager, I didn't think to ask more.
Still... even though Anastasia had slashed her estimated price down quite a bit, would others see it the same way? I wasn't from this world. I still didn't fully understand the true value of things here. And since she was a waifu in my eyes, I couldn't make an objective judgment.
So, for now, all I could do was trust in Anastasia's analysis and play it smart.
Anastasia began bidding just like before, and the price steadily climbed, soon surpassing 40 gold.
"410,000 Nars!" "420,000 Nars!"
Maybe Anastasia had been right. The initial excitement had died down considerably, and now only she and two other Adventurers were still competing.
"450,000 Nars!" "460,000 Nars!"
The two Adventurers glanced sideways at each other, cautiously raising the price bit by bit. Anastasia, on the other hand, lifted her hand without hesitation.
"510,000 Nars!"
Her voice cut through the auction hall, silencing both competitors. They turned to look—not at her—but at me. I was leaning back casually, half opened eyes, with Anastasia resting against my chest, completing the nonchalant display.
'I'm sorry, Master. It ended up a little more expensive than I expected, but making a jump of 50,000 nars all at once sends a strong message, that we still have plenty of money to spare,' she said through the party link, her tone apologetic despite maintaining an outwardly calm and confident appearance.
'It's fine. Do what you think is best,' I replied, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.
She was my woman now. We had even seen each other naked… we'd had Sex! Though that didn't mean I trust her unconditionally—but it was close enough. So I had no issue relying on her skills.
'Thank you, Master,' she whispered sweetly, sinking just a bit deeper into my chest.
Still, I kept a subtle eye on the remaining bidders. One of them lowered his hand immediately, his face blank as he stared ahead. The other held his hand half-raised, hesitation written across his face. He looked at me—but I didn't even bother acknowledging him. Then, he glanced at Setsuna.
She hadn't moved.
Her vacant stare must have told him all he needed to know, because after a few seconds, he lowered his hand.
"Five hundred and ten thousand nars. The current bid is five hundred and ten thousand nars," Rosten called out clearly.
I noticed the Slave Merchant throwing an eager look at the hesitant Adventurer, silently urging him to raise the bid. But no counter bid came.
After a few moments, Rosten struck the gavel three times.
"...and sold!" he declared.
I exhaled quietly. The second time definitely felt easier—less nerve-wracking, though only slightly. Still, relief washed over me all the same.
I really won Setsuna!
Yet even then, the little blue wolf girl remained in place, unmoving.
Still staring blankly ahead.
...Was she really alright?
'Good job,' I said to Anastasia with a smile in the party link, as I stood up, just as Rosten called for us to proceed backstage.
'I will do better,' she replied, her blue-green eyes shining with an earnest promise.
I nodded, still smiling, genuinely pleased to see her trying so hard for my sake.
"Stay here, you two. I will be back," I said to both Anastasia and especially Vesta, who was about to stand up seeing me stand.
'Master, the one after next is your target exhibit,' Anastasia reminded me promptly through the link.
'Alright. I'll try to be quick,' I nodded in acknowledgment.
As I made my way down the stairs, I spotted Setsuna leaving the stage with the Slave Merchant. The man didn't look particularly happy about the final price. Well, according to Anastasia, his mistakes were one of the main reasons the bidding hadn't gone higher.
I entered the waiting room and found both of them standing in front of me.
"Would you like me to wait here, customer, or shall we complete the transaction now?" the Level 20 Slave Merchant asked, smiling politely.
"Let's complete it now—I'll need to head back quickly," I replied with a nod.
"Good. This way," he said, his smile widening slightly as he gestured ahead and began walking.
He seemed like he was in a hurry—or maybe he was just naturally impatient.
My attention shifted to Setsuna. She still wore that same vacant expression. Not once had I felt her gaze on me. As I followed the Slave Merchant, she silently trailed two steps behind me.
We reached the room with the Guild Temple, where the Level 43 Merchant was lounging as before. As the Slave Merchant handed him a papyrus slip, I turned to Setsuna, trying to talk to her.
"Did you know?" I asked gently, looking at her with a smile. "I decided to win you the moment I saw you."
Her blue eyes lifted to meet mine—but only briefly. She looked ahead again, dull and unresponsive, leaving me quietly puzzled.
As the Slave Merchant turned back to me, I handed him the second papyrus slip, Anastasia's, eager to finish the purchase quickly.
"Right," he said with a wide smile, "since you receive a 1,000 Nars compensation due to the successful purchase, I will be deducting that from the original bid of 510,000 Nars." He chuckled, though there was a hint of resignation in his voice. "Well, it was a bit lower than I expected, but the final amount comes to 305,400 Nars."
No, no—I'm the one who should be smiling wide right now. My 40%Discount skill just completely and mercilessly stripped you down, my guy.
Still, I didn't let my thoughts slow my hands. I quickly chanted the Item Box spell and pulled out 30 gold coins and 54 silver.
"Oh, thank you, customer," the Slave Merchant said happily, accepting the payment and immediately starting to count it.
I turned back to Setsuna, but her expression hadn't changed—still blank, still distant.
"Yes, it's all here. Let's begin the ceremony, then," the Slave Merchant said with his ever-present smile. I extended my left arm towards Setsuna, and she mirrored the motion.
"…And done. You can check your Intelligence Cards," he said, stepping back.
[Setsuna – Female, 15 years old, Villager, Owner: Kaga Michio]
"You can check mine too, if you want," I said, holding my card up for her to see as I glanced over hers.
I caught her blue eyes flick toward the card for a brief moment.
[Kaga Michio – Male, 17 years old, Adventurer, Free Man, Slaves: Roxanne, Sherry, Lillia, Anastasia, Miria, Vesta, Setsuna]
"Master," Her closed lips parted, and her voice emerged—soft, quiet, and slightly flat. The dullness though still lingered in her gaze, even as she looked at me.
But I smiled. She could speak—in Brahim, no less. Despite the Slave Merchant's repeated assurances, I had seriously begun to doubt that she was a mute.
With the ceremony complete, we walked back to the waiting room, Setsuna quietly following behind me.
"I'm Michio Kaga, by the way," I said, offering my hand to the Slave Merchant.
"Michio-sama, I am Slave Merchant Mardel. It was a pleasure doing business with you," he replied, shaking my hand cheerfully.
The more time I spent with this Mardel guy, the more certain I became— that he wasn't a good person. Especially when I could clearly compare his mannerisms to someone like Perrin.
"And where is your establishment, Mardel? Maybe I will come visit," I said with a friendly smile.
"Oh, certainly. I would definitely like that. Have you heard of the city of Vale? My establishment is in Braston, a modest town just north of it," he answered with a smile of his own.
I nodded, then turned away. My smile faded the moment I looked at the dull-eyed wolf girl beside me.
I hope I don't see you again, Mardel. I really do—for your sake.
I kept walking, with Setsuna trailing silently behind me.
"Welcome to my family, Setsuna," I said warmly, offering her a genuine smile as I walked beside her. "You are one of us now."
I took her hand gently in mine. Her hand was cold and soft—unlike Vesta's. She didn't squeeze back, didn't flinch—just let me hold it passively.
Her lack of response worried me deeply.
"Setsuna," I said softly, "I meant what I said earlier. If you have any problems—no matter what—they're mine too. You can count on me. I will help you solve it, I promise."
I switched to the Burner language, just in case she didn't fully understand Brahim, wanting her to feel safe, to know she could rely on me. I gently squeezed her hand, hoping to offer a bit of warmth.
Her dull blue eyes flicked up to meet mine.
"Thanks, Master," she replied in Brahim—this time, with a bit more emotion in her voice.
She didn't say anything else, but that was enough for now.
It's fine. I'm a patient guy—especially now that she is mine. I have got all the time in the world to help her open her heart.
"Now, there are a few things you should know," I said, beginning to explain about the Auction, as well as telling her about Anastasia and Vesta.
"Will you be okay sitting through the auction?" I asked, genuinely concerned. "If it's uncomfortable, we can arrange something else."
"I'm fine, Master," she replied in that same dull tone.
Still, I was quietly glad she was speaking more now—and this time, I could definitely hear a hint of an accent in her Brahim.
"...And sold!"
As we entered the hall, the previous exhibit had just concluded. Good—looks like I made it back in time.
I quickly led Setsuna toward the back seats where we had been sitting earlier, ignoring the stares from others.
"Sit beside Vesta for now, Setsuna," I instructed. Vesta immediately got up and slid inward with a nod. Setsuna obediently sat down beside her without a word.
Sliding into my seat, I slipped my hand around Anastasia's familiar narrow waist. She leaned slightly toward me and quickly briefed me on the final price of the last exhibit through the party link.
"Now, the next exhibit!" Rosten called out loudly.
I turned my full attention forward, while acting sleepy.
Time to focus on the next target waifu.
***
I give a heartfelt thanks to my new Patreon Supporter! :)
Sleazebag
You are Beyond Omega level on Patreon and Tier 10 on Discord now!!