Volume 5 Chapter 13 Unplanned
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
My talk with Boris-if you could even call it that-was finally over, so I headed toward Elmer-san’s shop. Today was Ilse’s reward day, and I wanted to get some shopping done beforehand. Even if it was just a rental, using camping tables and chairs felt depressing. I needed proper guest plates, a cupboard, a sofa, and maybe some rugs or a small carpet to liven things up.
I ended up crafting the bathtub myself using Earth Magic¹. It would’ve been weird to have a super-luxurious bath in a modest rental house, so I kept the design simple. I’ll save the fancy stuff for when I buy a place of my own.
Liese and Camilla didn’t really have a culture of bathing, so they looked confused when I tried to explain the concept. Liese, however, seemed to fall in love with it. She spent way more time in there than she ever did just washing off with water.
Since I couldn’t exactly hop in with her, I had to use Mind² to ask Camilla to go in and keep an eye on her.
For her part, Camilla didn’t seem to care much for the bath itself. She hated being away from me, so she’d hurry out as fast as she could.
I keep telling her she needs to stay clean, so I’m pretty sure she’s at least scrubbing herself properly.
That reminds me, I need to ask Misaki-san for some makeup tips. Since she hasn’t officially resumed her activities yet, she should have some free time. Since this is going to be my way of returning the favor for the cosmetics, I figured it’s better to talk to her face-to-face rather than sending a letter.
For Ilse’s reward today, I really want to see her in that tiger-print bikini I made from Tiger fur. It’s a one-of-a-kind, handmade piece. My skill levels are still low, so the craftsmanship is a bit rough around the edges, but it’s not like she’s wearing it in public. Besides, she won’t be wearing it for long anyway. I’ll be peeling it off her in no time. (Bet on it.) The real question is whether I can get her to put it on in the first place.
When I reached the Beunemünde merchant guild, I found Ilse looking absolutely miserable. She was pouting with her cheeks puffed out, looking away from everything. It was a total waste of such a cute face. “Ilse, what’s up?” I asked.
”…Nothing,” she replied.
She was definitely pissed. Specifically, she was pissed at me. But I had no clue why. I wasn’t late, and we had literally just met for the day. What gives? I looked over at Elmer-san’s, who was wearing his usual sunny smile. “Elmer-san, what’s going on here?” I asked.
”Daisuke-san, may I have a word? Ilse, wait here for a moment,” said Elmer. “…Fine,” Ilse muttered.
Elmer-san is her master, so even though she was in a foul mood, she did as she was told. He led me a little distance away, and the mystery was finally solved. “Daisuke-san, I heard you purchased some slaves,” Elmer said. “Huh? Oh, uh, yeah. That’s right,” I replied.
How did a regular merchant like Elmer-san find out? Is he a spy? No, a spy wouldn’t go out of his way to act so suspiciously. “I didn’t want to intrude, but I’ve spotted you around town a few times,” Elmer explained. “My shop doesn’t deal in slaves, but the Grünewald merchant guild is one of our partners. I recognized your dragonewt girl from our dealings. I didn’t recognize the new Beastman girl, but seeing the collar, I figured she was yours, too.”
”I… see,” I said. I was being watched! If the other transferee girls found out before I could tell them, they probably saw me out in the streets, too.
”You’re free to buy whoever you want, Daisuke-san. You seem to have a great relationship with those two, so I don’t see an issue. But when Ilse found out, she started sulking. She kept saying, ‘But it was against the rules when it was me!’” Elmer added. “Ah… I get it now. Sorry for the trouble,” I said.
We have been getting pretty close lately. I guess it makes sense that she’d feel slighted. “Daisuke-san, would you consider taking Ilse in yourself?” Elmer asked. “Wait, what!? But isn’t she your slave, Elmer-san?” I replied, the offer catching me completely off guard. She was originally part of that group of Male Bandits³ I took down, but after the legal process, she became Elmer-san’s slave. He’d said she was a hard worker; she wasn’t exactly a problem child he needed to dump.
”I took her in before because you weren’t in a position to support her, but surely you have the means now?” Elmer countered. “Besides, Ilse is an Archer-a combat class. She’d be able to use her talents much better as an adventurer with you.”
”That’s true,” I admitted. When we first met, I was just scraping by at D-rank. Taking care of myself was hard enough. But now? Adding one more person to the house wouldn’t be an issue at all. And no matter how hard she worked at the shop, her combat skills were going to waste. I couldn’t find a single hole in his logic.
”Since it seems Ilse herself wants to be with you more than anyone, won’t you take her?” Elmer asked
”…Yeah. But her feelings come first. Let me confirm what she actually wants,” I said.
”Of course,” Elmer replied.
We went back to Ilse, and Elmer-san laid it out for her. Her grumpy face vanished, replaced by a look of dead seriousness. “Ilse, tell Daisuke-san yourself what you want to do,” Elmer commanded.
”I want to go with Daisuke,” she said without a hint of hesitation. “If my Master permits it, that’s where I want to be.” Her decisiveness is one of her best traits. I could probably learn a thing or two from her. “I hear you, Ilse. But you don’t have to stay a slave, do you? If I take you in, should I just set you free?” I asked.
”I appreciate the thought, but no,” Ilse replied. “I was part of those bandits. Even if we didn’t finish the job, I still did it. I need to make amends. Plus… if I’m with you, being your slave is just easier.”
I mean, I get her point. Guess I’m really doing this… (Wait, Daisuke. You remember promising to talk to Yumiko first, right?) I almost got swept away by the moment. If I don’t handle this right, Yumiko-san is going to skin me alive! But the idea of not taking Ilse in was already off the table. If this is what she wants, I want to give it to her.
”Elmer-san, give me a little time. There’s someone I need to talk to before I officially take Ilse in. I can’t just go behind her back. I’ll convince her, I promise. Just give me a bit,” I said. “In that case, take Ilse with you. I imagine that person will want to hear from her, too,” Elmer suggested.
Will she? Well, I guess it couldn’t hurt my chances… I hope. “Alright. I’ll borrow her for now,” I said. “By all means, take her,” Elmer replied.
Now that she knew I intended to take her, Ilse looked like she’d won the lottery. “So, here’s the deal. I have to convince someone first. You okay coming with me?” I asked. “Hell yeah! Let’s go, Daisuke! Hurry up!” Ilse shouted. “Hey, wait!” I cried. She was way more into this than I was. This is going to be a disaster, isn’t it?
Before heading to Yumiko-san’s inn, I needed a peace offering. Dammit, I should’ve made something sweet with that Killer Bee honey. No time for that now; I’ll just have to use what I’ve got. They probably haven’t hit any dungeons since the Upheaval⁴, so they haven’t tasted Orc General meat yet. Yumiko-san loves to cook; maybe I should just give her the raw meat? No, she said cooking at the inn is a pain. I’ll whip something up myself.
I headed home to cook. Crap-I forgot to buy the furniture at Elmer-san’s place. Whatever, I have to report back to him anyway. I’ll buy it then.
”Master! …?” Camilla said as I walked in. “I’m home, Camilla. This is Ilse. I’m about to go talk to Yumiko-san, but she’ll probably be moving in soon. Try to get along, okay?” I said.
”I’m Ilse. Nice to meet ya!” said Ilse. “I am Camilla. It is… a pleasure,” Camilla replied.
Ugh, Camilla’s social anxiety is flaring up. I don’t have much time, but I can’t let them start off on the wrong foot. I petted Camilla’s head, lowering my voice. “Don’t worry, Camilla. Ilse’s got a bit of a mouth, but she’s a good person. There’s nothing to be afraid of. And Ilse? Camilla is sensitive. Be gentle with her.”
”Ehehe… okay!” Camilla giggled. “Got it,” Ilse said.
Okay, that’s one hurdle down. Time for Liese. She was in the yard training, as usual. I’ve gotta hand it to her; her dedication is on another level. “Liese, it’s not official yet, but this is Ilse. She’ll likely be joining us,” I said.
”I am Liese. Pleased to meet you,” said Liese. “I’m Ilse,” the archer replied.
Liese’s eye twitched. She’d been drilled so hard at the Grünewald guild that Ilse’s casual attitude probably felt like a slap in the face. “Liese, I know the way she talks bothers you, but as long as we aren’t in public, I’m fine with it. Ilse, you better watch yourself when we’re out, though. Got it?”
”…Understood,” Liese said. “I know, I know… I mean, I understand,” Ilse corrected herself.
Liese kept glaring until Ilse fixed her tone. I guess some habits die hard. “Sorry, but I’ve gotta cook something quick, then I’m heading out with Ilse again,” I told them. “Understood,” Liese said. “Yes, Master,” Camilla added. “Let’s get a move on! …I mean, let us depart,” Ilse said.
Ilse is definitely going to end up hating Liese at this rate. Hopefully, they’ll chill out once they get used to each other.
For the gift, I made some pork shabu-shabu using the Orc General meat. I thought about tonkatsu, but it’s too hot out for heavy fried food. Something light and refreshing was the way to go. I made enough for the girls at home, too, though Liese seems to prefer her meat just grilled straight up. Even though I was in a rush, I made sure to spend some time with Camilla. She’d been acting all shy and reserved, looking lonely while we ate. I managed to coax a smile out of her before she saw me off.
When we got to the inn where the Yamato Nadeshiko party was staying, I asked for Yumiko-san and waited in the lobby. If she saw Ilse the second she walked down, she’d go straight into Lecture Mode, so I told Ilse to hang back a bit.
”Daisuke-kun? This is a surprise,” said Yumiko as she came downstairs. “Evening, Yumiko-san. I actually have something I need to talk to you about. But first, here. It’s some pork shabu-shabu I made from an Orc General,” I said, handing over the container.
”Oh, this looks lovely! Are you sure?” Yumiko asked. “Of course. Please, enjoy,” I said. “Thank you,” said Yumiko.
She gave me a warm smile, but I knew meat wouldn’t be enough to get me off the hook. “So, you said you had a consultation?” she asked. “Yeah. It’s kind of a long story. Do you have a minute?” I asked. “I do,” she replied. “Thanks. So, this goes back a while, but remember when I took that escort mission to hit D-rank…?”
I started from the beginning-meeting Ilse, the discipline I had to dish out, and the rewards that followed. I didn’t want the whole lobby hearing this, so I kept my Wind Magic soundproofing tight around us. Yumiko-san’s face got grimmer by the second. This was going south fast. “…I understand that you had to ‘discipline’ her to keep her from becoming a full-blown criminal slave, but was there really no other way?” Yumiko asked.
”That was my own short-sightedness. I’m sorry,” I said. I’d let her get under my skin and I snapped. No point in making excuses. Though, knowing Ilse, I doubt a simple scolding would’ve turned her life around. “And these ‘rewards’… she actually wanted them?” Yumiko asked.
”Yes. Honestly, I think it’d be best if you just talked to her yourself. You’ll see what kind of person she is. I brought her with me, so give me a second,” I said.
Time to tag in Ilse! I was sweating bullets wondering how this would blow up. “Yumiko-san, this is Ilse,” I introduced them.
”I’m Ilse… it’s a pleasure,” Ilse said. “I’m Yumiko. You don’t have to be so formal with me. Come here, let’s talk. Daisuke-kun, give us some space,” said Yumiko. “Right,” I said.
Yumiko-san clearly didn’t care about proper slave etiquette, so she told Ilse to drop the act. I backed off and let them have at it. I stayed far enough away that I couldn’t hear, keeping the soundproofing up. Ilse was talking a mile a minute, using her hands to describe things, while Yumiko-san’s face went from shocked to bright red. I bet Ilse was giving her the play-by-play on the discipline and the rewards. Yumiko-san’s a mom, but I guess she isn’t used to talking about that kind of stuff so bluntly. It’s a generational thing, I guess.
Finally, Yumiko-san waved me back over. “Well… I heard some things I can barely believe, but I get it. Ilse-chan really does want to stay with you,” Yumiko said. “Yeah,” I replied. “I don’t really have the right to ‘permit’ anything, but if this is what she wants, I won’t stand in her way. Honestly, even if you were just buying slaves for… certain needs… I don’t have the authority to stop you,” said Yumiko. “I mean, technically, yeah…” I muttered.
I’d asked for her blessing mostly because I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. If I didn’t care about the transferee girls, I could’ve just done it. But keeping them on my side was a high priority. “Let me ask one more time. Ilse-chan, you really don’t have any problem being Daisuke-kun’s slave?” Yumiko asked. “Nope. It’s exactly what I want,” Ilse said.
”Alright then. Daisuke-kun, you better take care of her. And that goes for Liese-chan and Camilla-chan, too. Do you hear me?” Yumiko warned. “I do. Thank you, Yumiko-san,” I said.
I actually pulled it off. Liese and Camilla were more like accidents or wrong place, wrong time situations, but I had a feeling I’d officially hit my limit with Yumiko. I really hope I don’t have to do this a fourth time.
—
Summary:
Daisuke decides to take ownership of Ilse from Elmer after learning she has been sulking about his new slaves. He navigates a complex introduction between Ilse and his existing slaves, Liese and Camilla, while managing their disparate personalities. The chapter concludes with a tense negotiation where Daisuke manages to secure the moral approval of Yumiko, his ethical compass among the Transferees.
—
Trivia:
- Liese’s reaction to Ilse’s casual speech suggests future friction regarding household hierarchy.
- Camilla’s extreme attachment and jealousy toward the bath highlight her growing emotional dependency on Daisuke.
- Daisuke’s use of Wind Magic for soundproofing shows he is becoming more adept at using magic for social manipulation, not just combat
—
Character Insight:
Ilse transitions from being a temporary ward of Elmer to a permanent member of Daisuke’s household. Her relationship with Daisuke shifts toward one of mutual desire for the master-slave dynamic, as seen when she insists on staying a slave for ‘convenience’ and ‘atonement.’
—
Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The chapter expands on the logistics of slave ownership and the social etiquette between slaves of different backgrounds (Grünewald vs. independent). It also touches on the ‘Dungeon Upheaval,’ suggesting a significant world event that affected resource availability and monster types.
—
TL Notes:
The choice to keep ‘shabu-shabu’ preserves the specific cultural connection Daisuke uses to bribe Yumiko, reflecting their shared heritage as Japanese Transferees.
—
Glossary:
Notes:
• Boris – Representative of the Souveraineté Empire. Elderly Beastman with a mustache. Approximately 160cm tall. Arrogant and views adventurers as inferior.
• Elmer – Portly merchant in his 40s, owner of a Royal Capital shop with an Intuition Skill who travels frequently for trade. He employs slaves for labor, serves as Daisuke’s master and grants permission for Ilse’s rewards. Also a Benemünde guild merchant, formerly Ilse’s owner, now her current master; he is friendly, observant, and maintains a sunny disposition.
• Ilse – Sixteen-year-old tiger-type Beastman archer with pointed ears, a thick tail, and a petite, youthful frame—large-breasted yet soft-skinned, with a cute face prone to pouting. Former bandit, now transitioning from Elmer’s ownership to Daisuke’s, she treats their slave dynamic as a source of “rewards,” fainting at climax. Blunt, unreserved, and cheeky-stubborn, she’s sharp-tongued but diligent, secretly the protagonist’s lover. In the brothel, she’s mocked as a “lightweight” or “small fry” for basic training, yet her archery skill (Lv3) and serious heart belie her teasing exterior.
• Camilla – 14‑year‑old fox‑type beastkin, ~140 cm, thin, fluffy tail, twitching ears, wearing accessories. Formerly Gerta’s slave, rescued after a wolf attack and dungeon upheaval, revived and now a porter‑illusionist (Illusion & Fire, high INT/MND). Deeply attached to Daisuke, calls him “Master,” seeks his scent, fears abandonment, and clings to his affection. Delicate, socially anxious, easily pleased, she cleans their new home and follows him everywhere.
• Liese – Dragonewt girl, 170 cm, grey-blue hair, thick horns, grey scales on neck and limbs, thin chest, tail that thumps when excited. Slave and loyal vanguard of Daisuke, former Grünewald guild trainee (Level 15), spear-user, disciplined, strict etiquette, discriminated by Imperials. Greets him formally, cleans house with Camilla, tail reflects her emotions.
• Misaki – 165 cm tall, standard build, semi-long hair, thick chest armor; calm, kind older-sister aura. Priest of the Working Women Party and former nurse, also Leemans member who cared for elders and does physical labor. In combat she surprises with fierce mace strikes. Laid-back transferee noted for a large chest and relaxed demeanor.
• Daisuke – Mid‑40s Japanese reincarnated adventurer, B‑Rank, high AGI/DEX, wearing a ten‑year‑old watch and Radiant Iron gear. Level 68 transferee blessed by the Green God, uses Earth and Wind magic, Insight skill and Silent Field. Lives in a Beunemünde rental house, manages slaves, owns Ilse, mentors Liese, Camilla, Rin, dates Ines, pursues Regina at Daydream, and seeks Dietlinde.
• Yumiko – Petite 155 cm Bow Saint with medium‑length hair and thin chest armor, she looks 17 and is the eldest Transferee girl. As leader of the Yamato Nadeshiko party, she serves as moral compass and maternal figure for Daisuke, a mother who cooks, and a veteran housewife, former corporate worker and ex‑Kyudo club member seeking emotional closure.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply