Chapter 108 Dwarf Girls’ New Beginning
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Eil, the Dwarf Princess—Eisenfleet.
She was a girl with a delicate, pretty face—unusual for the rough-hewn Dwarf Tribe. Her lustrous brown hair was carefully braided.
She stood perhaps a hundred and thirty centimeters tall. Her small frame held feminine curves, yet within, you could sense the steel-like core, forged and tempered—the strength unique to dwarves. And above all, in her large eyes burned a fierce flame that refused to ever give up.
Their sale price—
For the princess and the other four combined, it came to just three hundred gold coins.
”Oooh… if I’d known from the start she was royalty—even if she is a dwarf—I could’ve set the price much higher! Truly, what a waste~”
Balthazar shook his flabby belly, looking genuinely disappointed.
Their price remained exactly as he’d first quoted.
Now that her identity was clear, there was no way he could raise it in front of me.
”My apologies, Lord Xenos. —Young master. You must never say things aloud that would offend a customer or damage our trust. Of course, it’s also unacceptable to show such attitudes on your face.”
Gregor, standing behind him, spoke with an unreadable expression—calm, yet sternly reproachful.
”Too bad, Balthazar. This is on you for not verifying her identity just because she’s a dwarf. Still—a princess, sold in a place like this…”
I realized something then.
Come to think of it, the sisters I’d bought before—Pharma and Leela—had also been put up at a black-market auction while hiding their royal status. If even underworld dealers hid it, then selling royalty in a public transaction…
”—Please rest assured, Lord Xenos.”
Gregor must have sensed my concern. He narrowed his eyes behind his glasses and lowered his voice—so only I could hear—and shared a valuable piece of information.
”We too were entirely unaware she was royalty. For all we know, it may be a mere fabrication by this dwarf girl. And more importantly—neither the Duke Crowley Family nor the Dwarf Royal Family has issued any official search request for this girl.”
I see.
The dwarf princess, Eil, whom I was about to purchase—she had fled her home because she would not accept the Duke Crowley Family’s oppressive rule. For the sake of her people’s future, she had defied her parents and sought the aid of a powerful noble.
In other words, her very existence was an inconvenience to them.
The Zaitz Merchant Guild, too, probably had concerns—that this transaction could become an unpleasant spark in the future. But apparently, they chose to maintain a good relationship with me over that risk.
And so, the sale was concluded without issue.
I would be taking home Eil and the four other young dwarven girls.
”So, shall we rewrite the slave contract here and now?”
”No. I’ll handle it back at the mansion.”
I gave my answer to Balthazar’s question.
”Rewrite the slave contract at your own estate…? Wait, you’re going to overwrite the contract with mana? In other words, make them magic slaves? But—who in the Grimlock family of the Royal Capital could possibly possess such an immense, unprecedented amount of mana…? Or maybe you plan to send the purchased slaves to your frontier territory first, and there—”
From behind Balthazar, Merinda murmured in surprise. Whether she was asking me or simply processing the information aloud, I couldn’t tell.
But—
Her speculation was sharp.
”—No. I have several skilled servants at the Royal Capital mansion too.”
I gave a vague answer.
”W-well, of course you do…”
Merinda flashed a slightly forced smile, as if covering something up.
This woman—definitely not just a pitiful noble lady.
* * *
I loaded the five dwarven girls I’d just purchased into a carriage and brought them back to Grimlock Manor.
Three sat in the seats before me; one sat on either side. The rhythmic clatter of wheels against the night cobblestones echoed in the quiet cabin.
I ordered them to close their eyes.
Then, with my fingertips, I traced the slave crests etched into each of their chests—the marks that bound them.
Under the effect of my [Magic Seal], those brands glowed with a faint light—
And vanished completely, as if they had never existed.
Now, they were no longer slaves.
And going forward, I had no intention of treating them as such.
Eil, the dwarf princess, would become my personal blacksmith.
The other four would attend to Eil and assist with the smithing work.
The carriage rolled quietly through the night streets.
”—So, you girls can build yourselves a shed in the manor garden, and set up a proper forge there, too?”
”Yes. As long as you provide the materials. We dwarves may look like this, but we’re strong—and crafting is what we do best.”
I had planned to purchase a forge from somewhere. But if they could build one directly on the manor grounds, that was far more convenient.
I decided to leave the entire task to them.
”—More importantly, Lord Xenos. Are you really sure you don’t want to enslave us?”
”Yes. Even if you ran away from my manor, you wouldn’t be able to survive in human society anyway. And if any of you truly wishes to return home, I’ll take responsibility and see you there myself.”
The girls listened intently to my words.
”So it’s better to be honest with me than to try running. Of course—you’ll need to work off the cost I paid to purchase you first. But I’ll employ you properly as servants: three meals a day, naps included, and guaranteed safe lodging. I guarantee it’s a better deal than running.”
At my proposal, the dwarven girls nodded repeatedly.
Then—
Eil, seated beside me, met my eyes squarely.
”I left my home originally to find an ally who would lend us power—against the Duke Crowley Family’s ‘lukewarm’ rule. Please, Lord Xenos. In exchange for crafting you the finest weapons—will you lend us dwarves your tremendous power?”
Her gaze was so earnest that I nodded quietly—and firmly.
”Yes. I will.”
I’d already paid a fortune to purchase her.
She’d work for me until she repaid that debt—
That alone should have been more than enough.
There was no need for any new promises on top of that.
But before the light in her eyes—the light that refused to abandon the future—I couldn’t bring myself to say such a boorish thing.
That gleam in her eyes was worth investing in.
That was my instinctive decision.
—
Summary:
Xenos purchases five dwarf slaves at auction, discovering their princess Eil is royalty. Despite political risks, he finalizes the sale, removes their slave crests in the carriage, and offers them employment instead of servitude. Eil requests his power to help her people, and Xenos agrees on instinct, recognizing the value in her determination.
—
Trivia:
1. Eil stands approximately 130 cm tall and is described as having a delicate face unusual for dwarves.
2. The five dwarves sold for only 300 gold coins total, which Balthazar regrets after learning Eil’s royal status.
3. Xenos previously purchased Pharma and Leela, sisters who also hid their royal identity at auction.
4. No official search request has been filed by either the Crowley Family or the Dwarf Royal Family for Eil.
5. The Zaitz Merchant Guild chose to prioritize their relationship with Xenos over potential future complications.
6. Xenos uses the [Magic Seal] ability to erase slave crests, freeing the girls from bondage.
7. Eil fled home specifically to find allies against the Crowley Family’s “lukewarm” rule.
8. Xenos offers three meals, naps, and safe lodging as employment terms—a deliberately absurdly comfortable deal.
9. Merinda displays suspiciously sharp insight into Xenos’s mana capabilities and potential plans.
10. Xenos’s instinctive decision to invest in Eil’s ambition serves as the chapter’s emotional climax.
Notes:
• Balthazar – Son of the Crowley family. A pervert with no boundaries who considers himself improved after being advised to stop saying “stinky” to women. Obsessed with female scent. Currently engaged in an arranged marriage meeting.
• Xenos – Job: Heir to a high-ranking noble house; Relationship: Owner of Lilia; Has romantic connections with Elenor, Cecilia, and Lizel; Item/Magic: Summoning magic, [Substitution Collars]; Note: Was caught up in a Royal Palace explosion and missed three days of school. Pragmatic and calculating personality. Job: Noble of Grimlock family, protagonist; Relationship: Manipulator of Princess Liliana, pursuing Serena; Item/Magic: [Ring of Transformation]; Note: Reincarnated villain with game knowledge, calculating and arrogant. Job: Theater Owner and noble of Grimlock family; Relationship: Fiancé to Cecilia; Item/Magic: Game knowledge/metaknowledge; Note: Reincarnated villain protagonist who knows the original game script.
• Gregor – Balthazar’s guardian and minder at the Zaitz Merchant Guild. Calm and professional demeanor that breaks only when Balthazar misbehaves. Defers to Xenos with formal respect.
• Pharma – Job: Disguised identity; Relationship: Alias for Fatima; Note: Working at the theater under a false name.
• Leela – Job: Disguised identity; Relationship: Alias for Layla; Note: Working at the theater under a false name.
• Crowley – Bartholomeus’ family name.
• Grimlock – Xenos’s family name.
• Merinda – Third daughter of the impoverished Lancaster baron family. Engaged in an arranged marriage meeting with Balthazar. Has dull blue eyes. Expresses cold contempt toward both Balthazar and Xenos after they are grouped together as perverts.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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