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Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari (LN) - Volume 3 - Chapter 6




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Chapter Six: Welcome 

We went to see the slave trader. 

“Ah, if it isn’t the Hero? What can I do for you today?” 

“Before we get into that…” 

I couldn’t help but focus on what he was wearing. 

He seemed suddenly very rich. His clothes and jewelry looked much more refined than they had before. 

“You look like you’ve run into some success recently.” 

“All thanks to you, Hero. Yes sir.” 

“Huh?” 

“Since you’ve been out on the road selling your wares, I’ve used the opportunity to make some money myself.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

I had a few theories on what he might be talking about, but I didn’t have the confidence to accuse him of any of them. 

“First of all there was the Filolial Queen excitement. Many nobles and wealthy families have stopped by to inquire where they might find such a creature.” 

So just seeing Filo in the streets, pulling my cart, had helped advertise his store. It only made sense—considering what a rare creature she was, people would look into where she came from, and then they’d find the “monster trainer” pretty quickly. 

 

I’d met plenty of wealthy people who’d tried to buy her off of me directly. 

Come to think of it, that was probably why the younger princess had tried to get close to us in the first place. 

Not only was she a big help in battle, but she was a useful business tool also. Too bad for them, I wasn’t planning on selling her. 

“Well, I’ve gained a reputation because of that, and now many people come to purchase monsters from me. Yes sir.” 

“Good for you.” 

Of course, as for what makes a Filolial become a queen, no one actually knew—and we weren’t any closer to an answer. So of course I couldn’t sell her. 

Maybe if the Filolial was raised by a hero she’d become a queen? It was hard enough taking care of Filo, I couldn’t even think about trying to manage two of them. 

“Aside from the monsters, people have also seen your slave and come to learn that the slaves I supply are of superlative quality. That’s led to some handsome profits. Yes sir.” 

He was talking about Raphtalia. And he was right. Even I couldn’t help but notice that she had a beautiful face and body. If people caught sight of her, they were sure to consider this slave trader to be trustworthy. 

But I suppose this meant that I was largely responsible for his new business and profits. 

“Now then, why have you come in today? Are you looking for a slave? 

 

Or are you looking to assist with my Filolial experiments?” 

“Slave Trader, what do you know about classing-up?” 

“Classing-up?” 

“Yeah. The Trash has declared that no one in my party is allowed to class-up. It’s becoming a real headache. Then I remembered that you were selling slaves over level 40. I thought there might be a certificate, or some way around the rule.” 

The slave trader turned to me and tenderly rubbed his chin in an impression of deep thought. 

“I regret to inform you that I will be unable to assist you regarding your problem. I do not have any certificates.” 

“You don’t? Oh well, guess I came to the wrong place…” 

So I guess he wasn’t able to level those slaves up through any sort of special authority he had. 

“If you want to class-up, why not go over to our neighboring country? If you can gain their trust, then you should be able to use their Dragon Hourglass to class-up.” 

“What?” 

Did that mean that there were dragon hourglasses in countries besides this one? 

“You mean there are other dragon hourglasses outside of Melromarc?” 

“Yes, but it can take a very long time to earn their trust.” 

Time was the one thing I didn’t have. I wanted to class-up as soon as  possible. 

 

I wondered if my poor reputation had already spread to the neighboring country. If it had, then I might as well not even bother. 

“If you are looking for a country that will be relatively easy to win over, may I suggest the mercenary kingdom of Zeltoble? You could also give some thought to the demi-human kingdoms of Siltvelt or Shieldfreeden. Yes. Other kingdoms will not be so easy.” 

“I didn’t know there were so many.” 

“There are. For you, Hero, I’d recommend you try Siltvelt or Shieldfreeden. They should let you over their borders without much trouble.” 

“Hmm… How long would it take to get there from here?” 

“They are all about the same distance. About a month on foot or two weeks by boat.” 

The slave trader pulled out a map and showed me what roads I would need to take. 

He was right. If you calculated backwards from the average daily distance we could cover, the borders were all very far away. Filo could probably cover the distance in two weeks or so. Just to be safe, I decided to call it three weeks. 

“If you had a flying dragon you could get there faster, but considering the modes of transport available to you right now, these are pretty much your only options.” 

“They’re so far…” 

But if I wanted my party to get stronger, it looked like I didn’t have any other options. 

 

I’d just have to make up for lost time later. If I couldn’t get Raphtalia and Filo’s levels up any higher, then there was no point. It was pretty much inevitable: we’d have to make for the nearest demi-human country. It was our only real option. 

“Once the next wave passes, let’s go.” 

I swear, the Trash would do anything to drive me crazy. It was his singular passion in life. 

“Hero, was that the only reason for your visit today?” 

The slave trader was wringing his hands. It was starting to look like he wasn’t going to let me leave so easily. 

“Have you given any consideration to getting some weapons for your Filolial Queen there?” 

“A weapon for Filo?” 

“A Weeeeepon?” 

I guess I really hadn’t purchased anything for her but those clothes. 

She really did already have a pretty great attack power, but with the wave coming it might not be a bad idea to try and get her some equipment. If I did, I’d talk to the weapon shop guy first. He made the best stuff. Some claws for her made from dragon bone or something would be good. 

“Just so you know, monster equipment is only dealt with by monster trainers. So a normal weapon shop won’t carry the things you are looking for. A normal shop might be able to do a custom order for you, but the cost would be through the roof.” 

Damn, he knew exactly what I’d been thinking. 

 

“Can you do it?” 

I’d promised Filo some kind of treat. This could be it. Just thinking of her kicking Motoyasu with some claws equipped put a smile on my face. 

The slave trader’s eyes moved over Filo. 

Filo, in her human form, had been humming a song to herself, but when she noticed him looking at her she quickly ducked behind me to hide. She really didn’t like him. 

“A weapon for her would be either a horn for her head, or some kind of spiked horseshoe for her feet. If you are looking for armor, they make some for Filolials…” 

Thinking about Filo’s body shape though, I doubted there was any armor made that would fit her. 

We could get a piece of armor custom-made for her unique body type. But Filo transformed into human-form a lot, and if the armor couldn’t change shape with her then changing in and out of it would be a real pain. 

“What do you have in mind when you say, ‘Horn?’” 

“It’s a type of helmet that fits over the head and is spiked. It turns a head butt into a deadly attack.” 

“Hmm…” 

The horseshoes he mentioned must have been some kind of hard shoe. 

“Finally, there are claws.” 

“Well, well. Filo, what do you think?” 

“Hm?” 

Filo still looked nervous. Was she so afraid of the slave trader that she had stopped listening to the conversation? 

 

“There’s a helmet for your head, or shoes for your feet. Then there is armor.” 

“But I like to transform, and I don’t want the armor to pinch me, so no thanks!” 

I wonder if that thread the tailor had given her in the past was still working for her? 

We had a tailor make Filo some clothes for when she was in her human form. They were made from magical fabric that turned into a simple ribbon when she was in her Filolial Queen form. 

The helmet would work fine when she was a bird, but it would be way too big and heavy for her human form. The horseshoes would hurt her feet, and the armor would never fit. What else was left? We could go back to the tailor and see if there was some kind of metal version of the clothes we made —but that was sure to cost a small fortune, and the defense rating would probably be a joke. 

“If you’re looking for something that can easily be taken on and off, may I suggest the claws? Yes sir.” 

“Sure. What do you think, Filo?” 

“Okay!” 

“I’ll just get your measurements then. Can you transform into your monster form for me?” 

“Hear that, Filo?” 

“Okay!” 

 

There was a puff of smoke, and Filo was back in her monster form. She held out her foot so that the slave trader could measure it. 

But the slave trader did not move. A subordinate of his emerged from the shadows and measured Filo’s foot. 

“Hmm… She’s much larger than an average Filolial.” 

“How long will it take?” 

“Luckily enough, I think we have this size in stock. Will iron claws work for you?” 

I didn’t know how to answer that because I didn’t know what sort of attack power I could expect from different materials. 

Is it more important for them to be hard? Or is it better that they are sharp? 

“I have a little spare cash, so give me the best you have.” 

“Right away, Sir. The best I can do at the moment is magic iron.” 

“And how much will that cost me?” 

“Well you are a loyal customer, so I think we can offer you a special price. How does 5 gold pieces sound. It’s half the market price.” 

“Can I haggle you down?” 

“Your parsimony never fails to impress me, Hero. Very well, I will accept 4 pieces.” 

“That’ll do it. Throw in some reins too.” 

“Absolutely!” 

The slave trader was looking very excited. He was easy enough to manipulate, but I was getting the feeling that I was being used too. In that sense he was very skilled at business. I’d have to be on my guard. 

 

He brought out a pair of large claws from the back. They were made of metal, and were just large enough to fit Filo’s feet. 

“I can’t believe you keep claws that big in stock.” 

“They are actually designed for flying dragons. It’s the largest size we carry.” 

So they weren’t for Filolials. 

“They go on my feet?” 

“Yeah, those are your weapons.” 

The claws were lined up on the floor. Filo stepped into them. 

“They look like a perfect fit.” 

They really did. All you had to do was tie the strings over her feet to keep them on. 

Filo raised one of her feet into the air and wiggled it to get a feel for the claws. 

“They feel so weeeeird!” 

“Get used to it. With those on, your attack power will be way higher than it used to be.” 

Her legs were already really strong. If her attack power went up even higher… 

I found myself mentally replaying the scene of Filo kicking Motoyasu. 

It has been such a funny thing to see, but if she kicked him with these on she’d probably rip him in half. It was funny to think about, but if it really happened he’d be in real danger. 

 

“Filo, from now on when you see that guy with the spear, you can only kick him if you are not wearing those claws, okay?” 

“But why?” 

“Because he wouldn’t get out of it with just a pair of smashed balls.” 

Sure he was a jerk, but he was still a hero. Who knew what would happen if we killed him? Maybe it was even too late to try and restrain Filo. 

“Hmmm…” 

It looked like she was focused on exploring her new claws and was only half-listening to me. 

Was she really listening? 

I gave four 4 gold pieces to the slave trader. 

“Thanks for your help.” 

“If you’d like to express your gratitude you may.” 

“No thanks, but that reminds me of something. Is there anything she can practice using those claws on?” 

“Do I get to kick something?” 

“Unfortunately, I would be in a tough position if you were to kill any of the monsters I have here. Yes sir.” 

So I guess he was saying he didn’t have anything that would survive a kick with those claws. 

And yet if we tested them in the field and it turned out that they were of poor quality, that would put US in a tough position. 

I guess we could go just outside the town gates and try them there—but 

the balloons were too weak to really try them out on. 

 

“I’d like to try them on some strong monsters, but where am I supposed to find any?” 

“If you head for the coliseum in Zeltoble, you should be able to fight whatever you like.” 

“But it’s really far, right?” 

“Yes.” 

That wouldn’t work. We didn’t have that much time before the wave came. 

We’d just have to try our luck out on the plains. I could have tried them out on the slave trader, but that would probably come back to bite me. 

“Well, now that you mention it, I have something that might be just perfect for someone in your situation.” 

The slave trader’s subordinate stepped forward and spoke. 

“Yeah, what’s that?” 

“The nobility of Melromarc has been using the sewers to raise a monster in secret, but it grew too large for them to control it.” 

“So it’s under their control with a monster control spell?” 

“It had been acting on its own for so long that it found ways to get around being controlled.” 

That didn’t sound good at all… 

“And the monster has gotten so big that the spell stopped being strong enough to control it quite a long time ago.” 

How could they allow a monster like that free reign in the sewers? If a 

kid or something went inside to play, just think what could happen. 

 

It was like some kind of movie—the idea that there was monster hiding out in the sewers. 

I couldn’t explain why, but I was picturing some kind of alligator. 

“No one has gotten hurt yet, but people are talking about hiring an adventurer to go down there and take care of it.” 

“I assume there is some kind of reward?” 

“Naturally. Yes sir.” 

I nodded along, deciding that taking the job would be a good idea. 

“Very well then, this way please.” 

The slave trader led me to the back of the tent. 

Soon we left the tent all together and were at the entrance to some kind of large tunnel, which apparently was an entrance to the sewers. 

“…” 

So he’d already been prepared to bring us here. What was that supposed to mean? 

“This is a map of the sewer system.” 

The slave trader handed me a map that had apparently had a spell cast on it. The target area was glowing. 

“This will tell you where the monster you are hunting is at the moment. Yes sir.” 

“Good. By the way, what level is this thing at?” 

“The owners stopped keeping track at level 50. Yes sir. As for its current level, no one knows.” 

So it was over level 50. Guess that meant that even monsters could class-up before we could. 

But at the very least, it seems that owned monsters can’t level up on their own quite the same way that monsters in the wild can. So its growth would have to be limited to how big it could grow on the food it could find in the sewers… maybe. 

The sewers stunk as badly as you’d think. I pinched my nose as we walked. 

“It stinks!” 

“Yes, it does.” 

“Both of you just deal with it. We’re almost there!” 

We had walked a long way into the sewers without running into any dangerous monsters. 

The slave trader’s subordinate had given us some instruction to get through the tricky parts, and so we were able to arrive without much trouble at all. 

And when we got there the monster we found was… yup—an alligator. 

Its body was a yellowish-white, and it’s eyes were shining red, it looked really creepy down in the sewers. 

All together it was probably around six meters long. Which is huge. I mean it wasn’t a dragon, but it looked very strong. 

“Grrrrrrr…” 

“Are we fighting that thing?” 

“Yes. Hey Raphtalia, give that new sword of yours a practice swing.” 

 

“Okay!” 

We all turned and readied ourselves for the fight against the monster, the Cream Alligator. 

“Let’s do it!” 

The Alligator came running at us with its jaws open wide, trying to eat us. I jumped out of the way, and once I saw its jaws snap shut I leapt onto its head to keep it from opening its mouth again. 

I’d read a book once about how to fight off an alligator. Of course, that book was about alligators back in my world. 

Even still, it seemed to be working. 

“Grr?!” 

I kept my weight on the top of its head, but it was trying so hard to open its jaws that its eyes were spinning. 

But, probably because of how much weight I was throwing at it, it wasn’t having much luck. 

“Now!” 

“Argh!” 

Raphtalia ran at the Cream Alligator’s thrashing tail and swung her new sword. 

With a swift and satisfying thwack the sword slid through the tail, slicing it off clean and leaving a stump. The rest of the tail went flying through the air. 

“…?!” 

“Big Sister, you’re so strong! I won’t let you show me up!” 

 

Filo dropped her weight to charge up, then turned to the Cream Alligator’s exposed belly and kicked it with all her might. 

The alligator flew into the air. 

“Finish it!” 

The spinning gator crashed into the floor headfirst. 

Then… Well, its skull was completely crushed, so the Cream Alligator just lay there, dead. I had been standing near where it landed though, and now I was drenched in its blood. 

“Wow! Wow! These claws are awesome! That would have been a little harder without them!” 

“Um…” 

Filo was so excited about her victory that she was jumping up and down in place and cheering. 

And the monster was apparently over level 50, so I guess our new weapons were working really well. 

And so our test of Raphtalia’s new sword and Filo’s new claws was a resounding success. 

We hurried back to the slave trader’s tent, though of course I cleaned the blood off of myself before we got there. 

By the way, I did go ahead and let the shield absorb the Cream Alligator’s body, but it only unlocked a shield that wasn’t as strong as the Chimera Viper Shield. As for equip effects, there was only one. It was an ability that raised your fighting ability at night—apparently by improving your vision in the dark. 

 

“Well, well… I must say I’m very impressed that you were able to defeat the monster in such a short amount of time. Very impressed indeed. Yes sir.” 

The slave trader was obviously excited by what had just happened. His eyes flashed when he gave me the reward money. That money more than covered the price of the claws. 

I was ready to leave, thinking we had nothing else we needed to do there, but then I remembered something. 

Back when we’d fought those bandits in the woods, I thought about selling some of them into slavery, but it would have been a pain so I never did. 

“In this country humans are not allowed as slaves. If you looked really hard though, I’m sure you could find a buyer. They’ll want high quality specimens though, and it will be risky.” 

So I guess demi-humans were as far as you could push it here. They were human-supremacists after all. 

“Ok then. Later.” 

We turned and left the tent. Filo turned back into a human and carried her claws. Our shopping was finished for the time being, so we went back to the weapon shop. 

“Hey kid, that carriage isn’t looking so good these days.” 

“It has gotten a lot of use.” 

Filo loved the carriage so much that we hadn’t even parted with it long enough to make repairs. I’d done what I could on my own, but I wasn’t a professional. 

“Want me to make you a new one?” 

 

“Really?” 

Filo’s eyes were flashing in anticipation. 

“C’mon Filo… I just bought you those claws.” 

“But…” 

It had been rattling more than normal lately, so I’d thought about getting it fixed. As for buying a new one, I wasn’t so sure about that. 

“I’d make it as cheaply as I could.” 

He was right. If we wanted to keep traveling, I needed to consider the durability of my carriage. I didn’t want to spoil Filo, but at the same time, if we were going to have to keep making repairs to our rickety wood cart, it would be better, in the long-run, to just have a higher-quality one built. 

“I’d like a durable one that can fit a lot of materials in it. My budget is around 10 pieces of gold.” 

“With 10 pieces of gold you can make a really nice carriage. You don’t care about how it’s decorated, do you?” 

“Of course not. Focus on the practical details. Filo doesn’t mind if it’s heavy.” 

Sometimes Filo even pulled the carriage with one hand. We could make it much heavier and she wouldn’t complain. 

“Gotcha, kid. Leave it to me. The bird-girl is fine with it, right?” 

“Um… Yeah! I want a big one—like a house!” 

“That’d be pretty big, lass.” 

That would have put us over budget. I was about to mention it when the  owner gave me a sign that he knew what I was thinking. 

 

“Thanks.” 

“Now lass—it’s good to have dreams and ambitions, but why not wait until you are bigger and stronger before you make one that big?” 

“But…” 

“Wouldn’t you be embarrassed if I made one that big and you couldn’t pull it?” 

“Yeah…” 

“Excellent. Well, I don’t know how much you can pull, so I’ll just make something that looks good to me. Okay?” 

Yeah, and it would be custom anyway. It would be different from the sorts of carriages that the nobility used, so it was a new project all together. That made it important to set priorities. 

“Fine. I’d like a new carriage then.” 

“Good thinking, kid.” 

Okay then—we still had some time before the wave came. 

It would be a little while before the weapons and carriage were ready, so I decided to get back to our traveling merchant work. 





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