NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14 - Episode 14: The Slaves, Frim, and a New Job.
Episode 14: The Slaves, Frim, and a New Job.
The area where the slaves reside is surprisingly vast, and those closer to the arena are typically more muscular. Behind the slaves’ area is another section connected to it, where women, children, and the elderly reside. Near the arena, there are many combat slaves and those trained for fighting. Those who cannot fight are either waiting to be sold or assigned to menial tasks. Women are typically destined for the brothel, which is deplorable.
However, considering that some slaves might have ended up here due to being unable to pay taxes or suffering from food shortages… compared to the entire village starving to death, perhaps coming here was a better option.
Finally, it seems like the cleaning of the area near the arena where combat slaves reside is about to be completed. We were able to replace the tattered bedding, which was so worn out that it would tear when lifted, with carpets. It’s a bit better now.
Having mice in the building where I live is apparently considered normal… No, Boss Dugga is really harsh… Nevertheless, I think we’ve made some progress since the living quarters for the slaves no longer reek of suffocating stench. However, seeing slaves with swollen faces still makes my chest tighten…
As I continue to use magic for cleaning, I’ve become more attuned to my body’s magical energy, and I’ve also become more proficient at manipulating water. I believe Boss Dugga was quite pleased when he tried the bath, so I think I’ve earned his favor even more… Although I’d like to bid farewell to this place if possible, as a young girl who knows nothing of the outside world and lacks connections, that’s just not feasible.
While the cleaning itself is going well—
“Bang!”
“Huh?!”
“Enough! A spanking punishment!”
I feel like I’m being toyed with. I wonder if spanking isn’t considered punishment, or if they just want to show off their behinds. This is already the sixth time. Is it because they have no entertainment, or perhaps this is how they establish their boundaries…? It’s not like they dislike me.
We’ve gathered the old, tattered carpets to make sleeping arrangements more comfortable, and we’ve cleaned the toilets and water stations. I always refill the water barrels whenever I come, making sure there’s enough for bathing… yet for some reason, they keep playing pranks. Perhaps they’re trying to gauge “how much they can get away with”… It’s just that I’m starting to worry about Logan’s spanking hands.
“Tsk.”
“…”
“Shh.”
“Hehe.”
Still, not everyone likes me. There are those who click their tongues at me, glare at me, like the lizardman who just stands there without helping, and the old man who tries to flatter me.
I think the system of slavery is atrocious, but it’s not something that can be changed all at once.
I finish spraying high-pressure water on the walls of the last room and rinse the entire area.
“Thank you as always, Logan.”
“No need for thanks.”
Logan quietly helps me, and I’m truly grateful for that. Before he became the overseer of the slaves and took charge, he used to be a soldier. With him around, the slaves generally listen to what he says. Although he’s troubled by the old men who keep playing pranks, I hope Boss Dugga will forgive them.
He doesn’t do more than what he’s asked. I feel sad seeing him live as a slave who doesn’t stand out… but I suppose that’s the norm here.
Still, he always tries to help within that scope, and the way he looks at me is like he’s looking at his own child… He must be a kind-hearted person.
“Well then, I’ll leave it to you again.”
“Understood.”
He’d probably look good drinking coffee at a café while reading the newspaper. With his muscular build and scars, he might seem a bit intimidating, though. He seems like the type who would be accompanied by a white dog.
Cleaning aside, my main job is handling the finances.
Counting money beside Boss Dugga. In the past, I was beaten several times a day and my body was in pain everywhere, and I couldn’t eat, but now that’s all in the past.
After letting Boss Dugga try the bath and seeing him pleased, he even granted me the right to use the bath freely and gave me meat and fruit.
…And somehow, I might have even taken on a mysterious job.
“I might ask you to do some work.”
“What should I do?”
“Well, cleaning and such.”
Although I haven’t cleaned the areas where brothels or slaves for sale are yet, Boss Dugga’s orders come first.
“Yes.”
“Don’t get all formal just because nobles are involved, just act as you always do.”
Nobles, I’ve heard of them, but I hardly know anything about them. They’re apparently a more frightening existence than Boss Dugga, who beats people to death, with rumors of them “playing with people and killing them.” Based on my moral compass from my previous life, they probably have blue blood, and I’m sure they’re not even human.
“There might be some things I can’t do, but are you okay with that?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. It’s someone I know, a noble, so they’ll be here soon.”
“!?”
Boss Dugga, who’s like a bundle of wariness, is inviting someone into this room!!? Wait, hold on, I’ve never heard of such a thing, and by “here,” he means the lower floor of the gambling den, right? And he seems unusually cheerful… Oh, it looks like they’ve really come.
“Coming in!”
“Yeah.”
“Well, well, if it isn’t Dugga! Long time no see!”
“Long time? We just saw each other recently, didn’t we? And don’t go hugging me in front of my subordinates, it’s embarrassing!”
The moment I heard the knock, I wished I could become invisible. There’s no polite person who lightly knocks and enters in the Dugga household. I remained silent, assuming a bowing posture in the corner of the room. I didn’t know what was going on, but I had a feeling I shouldn’t see it.
“Well, have a seat. Want some water?”
“Water? Sure.”
“Here you go, have some. Drink as much as you want.”
“Wow… This is incredibly delicious?! What is this!?”
Since my head was lowered, I couldn’t quite grasp what was happening in the room. But, the water tasted better than anything. It was water I provided, so this would probably increase my survival rate. Was it really that delicious?
“Hahaha! I knew it!… Bursa, we have an interesting one here. Want to try using her for a job?”
“A job? It’s rare for you to suggest something.”
“No, it’s that job you suggested. The cleaner.”
“What’s with the attitude?”
“Well, you see, the one I want to introduce is this girl… Frim? Huh? Nervous?”
I wished I could remain invisible in this state forever. Being unnoticed sometimes has its advantages. I wanted to continue kneeling in the shadows of the sofa without even looking at the other person’s face…
“I’ve heard you’re not supposed to look at noble faces without permission.”
It was a rumor I heard around town. I didn’t know the right way to respond, but I decided to be as humble as possible. Nobles can be scary.
“Don’t worry about that. She’s a noble with a face beyond compare. Look up… there you go.”
Before I could raise my head, my clothes were lifted along with me.
“Huh…?”
When I looked up, the boss was there.
“Hahaha! That’s the spirit! Right!?”
“Hahaha! You’re mean, boss! Didn’t you say anything!”
The boss in front of me was dressed like a flashy nouveau riche, while the one lifting me up was the usual boss. I couldn’t help but compare their faces.
“Huh? Huh?”
“What’s wrong? This girl’s reaction is interesting.”
“I’m Frim. I can use water magic.”
“I’m Bursa Druggen. As you can see, I’m Dugga’s brother.”
Identical twins. Noble brothers… It seemed even more dangerous than ordinary nobles, but maybe it was reassuring in a way? I don’t know, but it was surprising.
“I see, you two really look alike.”
“Yeah! We even swapped places when we were counting money the other day!!”
“No way! Is that true!?”
“Ahaha, I’m kidding! Hahaha! This girl is something else!”
“Big bro… you’re so mean. I get it though, I understand your feelings.”
It seems that Bursa boss has a cheerful personality. Or rather, “scary face” doesn’t mean the same face…
“So, Frim, the job is washing the Druggen statue. Can you do it?”
“The statue? Really?”
“Yeah, brush doesn’t get the dirt off much, so use your water magic to splash it off.”
“Can this girl use strong magic?”
“It’s not as powerful as attack magic, but she uses it in interesting ways.”
“I see. Well, if it helps a bit, it’s fine.”
“Um… Excuse me?!”
Oops. I bit my tongue. Maybe the friendly noble scared me more than I thought, or maybe it was the fear of being in a life-threatening situation…
“Haha, go on.”
“Um, is it okay if I continue?”
“Go ahead, speak.”
“Well, first, if we splash water forcefully, the dirt will fly around, so we can’t do it indoors. The dirt will spread everywhere.”
“I see.”
“And depending on the material and the environment it’s been exposed to, it may actually attract more dirt.”
“I see.”
“So, even if it breaks or gets dirty, I can’t take responsibility.”
I had to say it anyway, or I might be killed. The boss seemed to have judged that I was capable, but unlike the flat walls and floors I had cleaned before, the statue was three-dimensional and complex. Moreover, I didn’t know what kind of environment it had been exposed to, and it might break easily. The boss might like me, but this noble named Bursa might not share the same sentiment. I had to be on high alert.
“I see, so there’s a possibility of it breaking or getting dirty. Get to it.”
“…Yes, I’ll do my best.”
Either way, orders were absolute.