บท 19: Chapter 18: I set you free little Racoon
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There were rows of cages stacked neatly on top of one another, with what appeared to be a slave locked in each one.
The sounds of roaring or screaming constantly echoed through the space, creating a jarring backdrop.
In stark contrast to these cries was the cage in front of Jason.
Inside was a little girl who was almost emaciated and looked frightened. She made no noise; she merely trembled and coughed repeatedly. Notably, she had a pair of round ears and a thick tail hanging behind her, resembling a demihuman girl around ten years old.
Jason looked at her, while the demihuman girl lowered her head, seemingly afraid of being stared at.
"Master Shield Hero, this is a raccoon subhuman who suffers from panic disorder. Simply put, it's a type of mental disorder. Although she seems to meet your requirements, her panic disorder tends to attack after nightfall. I also suspect the distress is due to the previous owner's penchant for torture, but it shouldn't last long."
After the slave trader finished his introduction, he stepped forward to two other cages.
"Compared to this slave, I personally recommend these two: the rabbit-species demihuman with a broken arm and the hybrid lizard man."
At the slave trader's prompting, Jason turned his attention to the two cages.
The first held a man with a badly deformed arm and a pair of rabbit ears atop his head. He looked about 20 years old, with well-defined muscles, but the broken arm indicated he wouldn't have much fighting capability.
The second cage contained a lizard man who exuded a relentless aura of menace, his eyes glaring with ferocity.
"For the demihuman rabbit, although one of his arms is broken, the rest of him is fairly normal. I've checked for some diseases, and I have experience in that area, but I heard that his previous female owner..."
"I advise you not to say anything that disgusts me, or don't blame me if I take your head!"
Under Jason's icy glare, the slave trader swiftly fell silent, abandoning any mention of the warped personalities often found in this world. He then changed the subject: "What do you think about this mixed-blood lizard man? He's strong and possesses some fighting ability."
"No, how much for this raccoon girl?"
Jason had no interest in these least desirable and disabled slaves, nor was he kind enough to spend his money to save them.
"Huh? If she were a fox-species demihuman, even with her defects, people would be willing to buy her for a high price. But since she's a raccoon-species..."
The slave trader sounded regretful.
"Stop talking nonsense; just tell me how many silver coins."
"30 silver coins, level 1. Do you really want her?"
Jason took out 30 silver coins from his purse and handed them directly to the slave trader, clearly demonstrating his intentions through action.
Upon receiving the silver coins, the slave trader chuckled and ceased his chatter. He retrieved the key to the cage, released the raccoon demihuman, and bound her hands and feet with a collar.
"Ding! Please choose!"
"1: Buy the subhuman girl as a slave. Those who don't value kindness won't be rewarded."
"2: After buying the demi-human girl, let her go free without interference, and reward Garp with 2% completion of the template."
"3: Help the subhuman girl get rid of her slave status and allow her to follow you willingly, and reward the storage shield."
At that moment, the voice of the system echoed in Jason's mind.
Jason found himself deep in thought. This subhuman girl was Raphtalia from the original book.
The first choice aligned with the plot of the original story. Simply ignoring the fact that no reward would come from it.
The second option involved setting Raphtalia free. Even though he could earn the Garp template, Jason inherently knew that, in Raphtalia's current state—just as the slave trader had indicated—if left alone, she wouldn't last long.
Thus, he could dismiss that choice.
The third option appeared the most challenging, yet it seemed to offer the most valuable reward. The storage shield can certainly be seen as a means to store items. Jason troubled over how inconvenient it was to carry a large bag of materials from Balloon Monsters without a proper storage option.
After careful consideration, Jason chose "3."
He had never contemplated keeping Raphtalia as a slave anyway. Iwatani Naofumi had been broken by Myne and the king, leading to his distrust of others and a distorted personality. Jason believed his mental state was still intact.
Just as Jason finished his thoughts, he noticed that the slave trader had led Raphtalia to a relatively open area. There were no cages around, just a few sofas, creating the atmosphere of a place meant for entertaining guests.
At the same time, upon the slave trader's call, one of his subordinates arrived, carrying an earthen pot filled with ink, and poured it into a small saucer.
"Master Shield Hero, please provide a few drops of your blood. This will complete the slave registration process. This slave will be fully owned by you from now on."
The slave trader, pen in hand, looked expectantly at Jason.
"No, bring me the potion that removes the slave's magic mark."
Jason immediately refused.
"This..."
The slave trader fell into a state of confusion. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation, and he struggled to comprehend it. No one had come to buy slaves, but instead desired to clear the slaves' magic marks.
"I've already paid the silver coins. How I handle her is my business; there's no need for further discussion, is there?"
Under Jason's cold gaze, the slave trader nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, yes! What you say is true, just a moment..."
Soon, the slave trader's subordinates quickly brought over the potion to remove the slave mark.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
The slave trader asked again.
Jason ignored him and looked down at Raphtalia, their eyes meeting. At that moment, he felt a swell of emotion in his heart.
Distress?
The next second, Raphtalia lowered her gaze, seemingly afraid, not daring to look at Jason's face.
Not paying her apprehension any mind, Jason took a small amount of the potion with his fingers and applied it to the magic circle on Raphtalia's chest.
"I know you're scared, but you must have heard what I said to that man just now. I'm going to set you free."
As Jason spoke, he wiped the potion on her chest. Under its effect, the magic circle began to fade little by little.
Raphtalia remained silent, but her trembling shoulders revealed her emotions—flustered and uneasy...
"Okay... now you are free. Judging by your appearance, you've clearly suffered a lot. You don't need to worry anymore."
Jason reached out and gently pressed his hand atop Raphtalia's head, continuing softly, "My name is Jason, the Shield Hero who was summoned. Please believe me, I will protect you. This is my promise, and not even God can change it!"
His voice was gentle yet filled with a commanding certainty.
This brought to Raphtalia's mind a memory that had lingered in the background, almost forgotten.
"Tick!"
A tear ran down Raphtalia's cheek, falling silently to the ground.
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