Go Earn. That's Your Job.

Early the next morning. I was filling in the ledger in my room when there was a knock at the door.

The shop wasn't open yet, so my employee hadn't arrived. The only other person here was my slave, Azu.

"Enter."

The door slowly opened, and Azu timidly stepped in. Her complexion looked good.

"G-Good morning."

She wore the clothes I'd provided along with her light armor. No sword, as instructed.

Yesterday she'd been fresh off the labyrinth and caked in grime, but now she was tidy, and the equipment actually looked halfway decent on her.

She had the look of a girl playing at being an adventurer. If not for the slave bracelet on her right hand.

"Um… Master?"

"I don't like repeating myself."

I glanced pointedly at the carpet.

Azu sat down on it without a word.

She looked up at me anxiously but held her tongue, probably worried that saying the wrong thing would set me off.

"Sleep well?"

"Um, yes. I've never had such a soft bed before… I fell asleep right away."

"I see."

She had to have been exhausted. I'd expected her to sleep until noon, but she had more grit than I'd given her credit for.

"Today, I want you to take on these quests."

I handed Azu several quest forms.

She looked at them, then at me, then back at the forms, then at me again before finally squeezing out a pained admission.

"Master… I can't read."

"Right, forgot about that. Well, to summarize: gather herbs and kill monsters in a designated grassland area."

"… Okay."

Her reply made it clear she wanted to refuse but couldn't.

Good girl.

The quest forms were unpopular requests I'd picked up from the guild. Several of them related to the grasslands, so I'd bundled them all under our name.

Even unpopular quests added up when you combined them.

Decent enough to cover Azu's living expenses.

Food and clothing costs were negligible.

I wasn't in a rush. Turning Azu into a proper adventurer and having her earn for me; that was the real goal. Herbs were a side bonus. Weak or not, she'd be killing monsters.

I wouldn't slack on supporting her until she was strong enough.

"The herbs are shown in the quest forms. Even an amateur can identify them. The problem is the monsters, but…"

She stared at me with anxious eyes.

If I told her she didn't have to go right now, her face would bloom like a flower. But I wouldn't.

What Azu didn't realize was that these quests were nothing to worry about. Not really.

The sword I'd given her was enchanted with a lightweight spell. Even with a young girl's strength, she could swing it without issue and hit with the same force as a full-grown man.

The armor had an impact-resistance enchantment. A low-level monster's charge would knock her on her backside at worst.

Her equipment alone gave her an overwhelming edge. I'd made sure of that.

"Do your best. I've packed supplies in this rucksack. Use them as needed."

I tossed the rucksack that had been leaning against the desk toward Azu.

Inside were potions, antidotes, a butchering knife, water, rations, and more.

Naturally, all weight-reduced.

And lastly, I handed Azu a red stone necklace.

"This is a magic stone. Keep it on you at all times, and if your life is ever in danger, will it to shatter."

Three gold coins' worth, but cheaper than Azu dying. The effect when shattered was fire magic.

One-time use, but devastating.

I placed the red magic stone necklace around Azu's neck.

It looked like a gem. Azu seemed surprised, and for the first time, she actually smiled.

"Is it really okay for me to have something this beautiful?"

"You belong to me anyway. Whether I hold it or you do, it's the same thing. Better the one who'll actually use it carries it."

"Understood."

Azu giggled, ehehe, a smile befitting a girl her age.

So even Azu was still a girl at heart.

"Then off you go. You can count, right? The quest forms have pictures on them too. Kill the required number of monsters and gather the herbs. You've got four days, so come back before dark each day. The gates close."

"Yes…"

Reminded of reality, Azu shouldered the rucksack and headed for the door.

Oh, I'd almost forgotten.

"Hey, Azu."

"Yes?"

When she turned around, I gently tossed two silver coins her way.

Azu scrambled to catch them.

Good reflexes. I'd picked her for her looks, but she was turning out better than expected.

"Buy yourself some food at the market on the way."

"O-Okay! Thank you!"

That was the loudest response she'd given all day.

So food was the way to her heart.

Awfully compliant. Never talked back. She probably hadn't grown up in the best environment.

This time, Azu actually left the room.

She wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the work, but fear of my anger would keep her from slacking off.

Well, she'd be fine.

Now then, time to get to the real work.

Between buying Azu and outfitting her, I'd spent a lot.

Running a tool shop meant I didn't have to pay for tool costs, at least. Small mercies.

I still had funds, but… honestly, this whole slave business was still uncharted territory for me.

I wanted to observe with just Azu for a while.