Greedy Little Thing

The next day. As soon as Azu was up, I ordered her to go deal with the snake heads.

All she had to do was bring them and the quest forms to the Adventurer's Guild.

Springing it on her the second she walked in left Azu frozen in shock.

But once I shoved a honey-smeared piece of bread into her mouth, she started chewing and eventually got moving.

I'd prepared a bag one size larger than the snake head bag, along with rope to tie it shut.

Looking utterly lifeless, Azu trudged out of the room. Godspeed.

Once things settled down at the tool shop and the sun was fully up, Azu returned.

To summarize her clumsy report: yesterday's work alone had been enough to complete all the quests.

The Bird Monsters that preyed on the Black Snakes had declined in number, causing the Black Snake population to explode. The grasslands were apparently writhing with them. She had to be exaggerating.

She hadn't even been able to bring back all the snake heads she'd collected from the grasslands.

What a waste. If I'd gone with her… no, that wouldn't be worth the trip.

Between the various quest rewards and the buyback price on the snake heads (used as antidote ingredients), she'd earned forty silver coins.

Seeing her efforts turn into real results seemed to lift her spirits; the dark expression from this morning was considerably brighter now. Progress. But forty silver was still a long way from enough.

No point pinching pennies at this scale…

"Hey, Azu. We're going out."

"Yes… Have a safe trip?"

"You're coming with me. Why else would I call you?"

"Okay."

A slightly sharper tone and Azu scrambled to her feet.

Her outfit was… fine. Presentable enough to be seen in public.

The armor and sword still didn't suit her, though.

I left the shop to my employee and headed out through town with Azu in tow.

Our destination was the commercial district.

… Not prime real estate, but the land prices were steep enough that I couldn't relocate. If I could set up shop in this district, I'd make a killing.

I still had a decent base of regulars from my father's time, so the business stayed afloat. But I was starting to feel the ceiling.

I'd tried everything I could think of since taking over the shop… I'll be counting on you, Azu.

That thought made me glance over, and our eyes met.

Not knowing what to say, Azu put on an awkward smile.

I sighed and ruffled her hair roughly.

Azu accepted it with bewilderment.

For now, this was enough. We were both just getting started.

First stop: a secondhand clothing shop. This one carried a lot of women's items.

"Alright, Azu."

"Y-Yes!"

I pointed to the clothes inside the shop.

"Go pick out whatever clothes you need or want. As much as you can carry."

"For me?"

"Is there anything in this shop I'd buy for myself?"

Azu looked back and forth between my face and the neatly arranged women's clothing.

She put on that slack, awkward smile again.

This girl had probably been using that face to dodge trouble her whole life.

"You need more everyday clothes and stuff to wear under the armor, right? I didn't prepare many."

"Master… anything I want?"

"Yes. I'll be at another shop. Pick out what you like while I'm gone."

"Yay! Got it!"

Azu charged headlong into the shop.

Nothing here was expensive. It was all secondhand.

I had a word with the shop owner, an acquaintance, and headed to my real destination.

The slave merchant's shop where I'd bought Azu.

The owner greeted me with his trademark plastered-on smile.

A portly man who positively reeked of wealth. (He made far more than I did!)

He had government authorization; the state bought slaves from him in bulk as labor.

Moving product at massive markups. Getting authorized was the hard part, of course.

Buy from an illegal slaver and you'd lose your license and your head in one stroke.

He also needed a strong pipeline to the government.

Shrewder than he looked, that man.

"Welcome, welcome. Are you satisfied with your purchase?"

"She's doing well enough."

"Wonderful to hear. And what brings you in today? Looking for another slave?"

"I'll need a slave to pair with Azu. Just doing some preliminary research today. I'm not buying."

"I see, I see. Please, tell me what you're looking for."

"No men. Partly my preference, but mainly because Azu wouldn't be able to cope. If a male slave took control of the dynamic, it'd be nothing but problems."

The slave merchant nodded.

"Ideally a magic user, or at least someone with a useful skill. Doesn't need to be exceptional."

"Hmm. Female slaves I have in abundance, but those specifications I can't meet at the moment. I'll send word when something suitable comes in."

"Please do."

I deliberately didn't mention a budget. He didn't ask.

Slaves were a volatile market. Naming a ceiling might mean missing out on someone I actually wanted.

And from his end, all he had to do was stoke the desire to buy. No reason to cap the opportunity.

I left the slave shop and headed back to where I'd left Azu.

There she was, swaying under the weight of an enormous pile of clothes.

The other customers were laughing at her. Even the shop owner was giving her a wry smile.

Greedy little thing. You're going to work off every last coin.

Azu's forty silver coins evaporated in an instant, and then some.

Her picks actually showed decent taste. She was clutching a dress-like piece the tightest, so maybe that was her style.

I made Azu carry everything and we headed home.

Oh, right. The next slave should be literate.

If I had them teach Azu to read, I wouldn't have to bother doing it myself. Brilliant plan.