A Rest Day for the Slaves

The next day, the remaining preliminary rounds were underway at the arena.

But Master and all three slaves were back at the inn.

All three had already cleared the preliminaries, so it wasn't a problem.

The issue was the deadlock between Alexia, who argued they should watch the remaining rounds for reconnaissance, and Elza, who insisted they take the day to rest.

Azu had wavered at first, but fatigue must have caught up with her. She'd started dozing off and was now fast asleep on Master's lap.

Master agreed that watching the preliminaries was the smart move. He'd been about to head out alone, but Azu was on his lap, so he couldn't move.

He could have just dropped her on the bed, of course, but she looked so comfortable sleeping that he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Slave or not, she was a girl in her growing years.

He'd grown fond of her since the beginning.

Unable to bring himself to be callous, he stroked Azu's hair and lazed around the inn.

Personally, he was fine with a rest day.

He'd already accomplished everything he'd come to this country for.

The main tournament wouldn't be easy to advance through, either.

Just as he was thinking that, Alexia, apparently deciding she'd get nowhere arguing with Elza, turned to him.

"We should at least observe what kinds of fighters are competing, don't you think? You agree, yes?"

Well, she had a point.

Knowing what to expect could prevent nasty surprises.

A performer like that bard, for instance. Knowing his tricks in advance would let you prepare mentally.

Before he could nod, Elza's gaze locked onto him too.

Pure deterrence.

"I understand the reasoning, but rest is important."

"The main tournament doesn't start for two days. You just don't want to move, Elza."

"That's not true at all."

And yet Elza made no move to leave the bed.

"Fine. I'll go on my own, then. Azu's asleep anyway."

"In that case, have a good trip."

The moment Alexia conceded, Elza fell asleep.

I wouldn't mind a nap myself. Azu showed no signs of waking up, either.

Quiet breathing was the only sound in the room.

Alexia heaved an enormous sigh.

"Honestly. If you've come this far, at least put in some effort."

"Now, now."

He tried to calm her down.

Motivation was a good thing, he thought.

Alexia changed into a Spartian-style women's outfit.

She'd more or less stopped being embarrassed about changing in front of Master.

A shame, he thought, watching her. The embarrassed version had been better.

That particular bit of discipline probably wouldn't work anymore.

Alexia headed for the arena.

The dynamic between master and slaves hadn't changed in name, but the actual relationship had shifted. He could feel it.

As long as the slaves earned their keep, Master had no complaints.

And from the slaves' side, letting their guard down a bit was clearly more comfortable than constant tension. That ease had naturally changed things.

Master had no intention of correcting course.

This was his first time owning slaves, after all, and they were experiencing slavery for the first time.

They'd simply been feeling their way toward whatever this was, together.

Traveling together had also shown him firsthand that their motivation wasn't low. That mattered.

What Master demanded wasn't diligence for its own sake.

He only needed results above a certain threshold.

The income from his slaves had already grown into a respectable side business.

At this rate, he could reinvest in better equipment and living standards while still projecting higher returns.

If they wanted to maintain their current lifestyle, they'd naturally push harder as adventurers.

People who raised their standard of living struggled to keep it from lowering again.

Of the three, Alexia would find a reduction in living standards almost unbearable.

Azu, with her tendency to blame herself, would assume it was her fault and work twice as hard to recover.

Elza… probably wouldn't change at all. She'd accept it. But if the other two were pushing harder, she'd go along with them.

The whip didn't make people move. That was Master's philosophy.

Every crack of the whip spent trust, and eventually that deficit turned into resentment.

Better to offer sweets instead.

The tastier the sweets, the harder they'd work on their own.

His shop employees were proof.

They had a tendency to do things their own way, but they'd reached the point where they could run the shop without him.

Their compensation was considerably better than the going rate.

Owning their own shops wasn't in the cards, but the wages were generous.

That pay was what kept them motivated.

Good pay meant they wanted the shop to keep running.

Which meant they cooperated on initiatives to keep it running even without the boss around.

There'd been some theft in the past, but once he'd raised wages further, it stopped.

In a small shop, the risk of getting caught stealing a day's take wasn't worth it when you could just keep collecting a good salary.

He'd taught them reading and basic arithmetic, too.

His reasoning: ignorance bred impulsive decisions.

Profit margins had shrunk as a result, but the free time it bought him was what let him turn slaves into adventurers in the first place. No complaints.

Azu had become more thoughtful since Elza started tutoring her.

His first slave. The one most attached to him.

It had all started the day he bought Azu.

He stroked her beautiful silver hair.

It had a real luster to it now. A sign of good health.

She'd grow up to be quite the beauty, Master thought idly.

"Interested in Azu-chan?"

Elza had materialized beside him at some point.

Her mouth was close enough to his ear that her breath tickled.

"It's fine to make a move, you know. We're your property, after all."

As Elza whispered that in a sultry voice next to his ear, Master jabbed a finger into her side.

She was soft through the habit, but not enough to pinch.

So he settled for tickling.

Well-toned, apparently. After seeing that fight, he believed it.

Elza couldn't hold back a laugh at the unexpected assault.

"If you're going to sleep, then sleep. I'm turning in too."

He carried Azu to the bed without waking her, tucked a blanket around her, and lay down himself.

"Oh dear. That didn't work."

Elza's voice was the last sound in the room.