I Became a Slave Collector in the Labyrinth City

I was momentarily flustered by the Tower Master’s question about whether I had a woman.
Or maybe it was because the tea the Tower Master served was too unpleasant.

‘Bitter, sour, and salty.’

It was a strange tea.
What kind of taste is this?

“Hey. Are you okay?”

“Cough. Cough. Yes. I’m fine.”

I took out a handkerchief from my inventory and wiped my mouth.
The Tower Master looked at me with great interest.

She brought up the previous topic again.

“So, do you have a woman?”

I wonder why she’s asking if I have a woman.
It’s hard to know what her purpose is, but it seems better to tell the truth.

“Yes. I do.”

“Someone’s already taken you. I hope it’s not that rotten Moira?”

“What? No. Well, married women are a bit…”

“Married women are a bit? You don’t like married women?”

“Yes. And there’s a big age difference…”

“Age difference? Hmm. How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-four.”

“Twenty-four? What… So you’re an adult. Hmm. It’s hard to gauge the age of people from the East. Hmm. Twenty-four. Is age important?”

“What? Well, I’m in my twenties, so someone in their forties is a bit…”

In this world where people marry and have children at a relatively young age, a twenty-year age difference is almost like parent and child.

Of course, I know there are people who like that sort of thing.
I’m aware that there are those with a mommy fetish or who are fixated on maternal love.

I guess I should say I prefer younger rather than older.
I like spring chickens more than old hens.

When I expressed these thoughts, the Tower Master looked at me with an expression of shock.
This person looks very cold and chic, but her expressions are more varied than I expected.

“Huh. That’s a very narrow-minded view. First of all, adventurers don’t age much. Mana adaptation slows down aging. Essentially, their physical age is no different from twenty, you could say? The mind is mature, but the body is soft and tender… That’s the state. It’s like wine. The more it ages, the more valuable it becomes. Understand?”

“Uh. Um. Yes.”

“Tch. Your reaction is lukewarm. Damn pedophiles.”

“No! I’m not a pedophile!”

I was called a pedophile for liking people in their twenties. That’s crazy.
I feel like I’m going insane. Why are all the women in this neighborhood like this?

They’re all missing a screw somewhere.
Is it because of mana adaptation? Does that break humans?

“Enough. Let’s see the variant corpses you brought.”

“Yes…”

I feel a bit deflated, but I’m glad we can quickly move on to the main point.
I should just hand over the corpses and get the money. If I get caught up in the Tower Master’s pace, I feel like I’ll keep getting teased.

“Hmm. Warlock and Slugger. Just as described in the Magic Beast Dissection Appreciation. This one’s Warlock, and this one must be Slugger?”

“That’s right.”

“Did you happen to find a High Orc Lord?”

“No. I didn’t see one, but an adventurer with me said that the High Orcs were moving more systematically than usual.”

“Then there must definitely be a Lord. Any information about variants being discovered in other sectors?”

“I haven’t heard anything, but I expect there probably are.”

“We should assume the difficulty has increased exponentially.”

The Tower Master took out a notebook and started writing something.

“Hmm. Has anyone gone down to the 6th floor?”

“As far as I know, no one has. I heard even gold badge adventurers only went as far as the underground city.”

“So no one knows what it’s like below the underground city. What about platinum badge holders?”

“I haven’t heard anything about them at all.”

“Hmm. Well, most platinum badge holders are labyrinth synchronizers… Alright, I understand for now. The underground city is high risk. Below that, lack of information. Hmm.”

Certainly, even the underground city has become difficult for silver badge holders to move around in.
Naturally, it must be even more difficult below that.

Maybe the environment has completely changed.

“First, regarding the purchase of the corpses. They’re not rotten. You brought the whole bodies. They’re fresh. Yes, this much compensation should be fine? Check it.”

Mabel took out a leather pouch from between her breasts and handed it to me.
It’s still warm.

“For Slugger, about 7 gold should be fine. For Warlock, about 12 gold. I added 1 more gold to make it 20 gold. How’s that?”

Both corpses are not rotten.
The price was set high because these are the first variant corpses brought in.

I never thought I could earn 20 gold from selling two corpses.
It’s amazing. I earned almost enough to buy a slave just by selling two magic beasts.
Moreover, I can keep all the money for Warlock, so I could say I earned 12 gold.

I’ve earned enough money to buy a slave and have some left over.
If the young lady gives me a separate reward, I might even be able to recruit up to two slaves.

“Wait, before we finish talking. There’s one thing I’d like to request.”

“A request? What is it?”

“If you happen to go down to the underground city again. Check if there are more creatures that can communicate.”

“Creatures that can communicate, you mean.”

“Yes. If my hypothesis is correct, there might be more ‘beings capable of human communication’ like the High Orc Warlock. Because the labyrinth seems to be learning from adventurers.”

The Tower Master has formed the same hypothesis as me.
The hypothesis that the labyrinth is learning from adventurers.

Judging by the increasing difficulty and the movements of magic beasts that seem to hunt adventurers in reverse.
The labyrinth was clearly wary of outside intruders.

Could the great change be a kind of labyrinth update?
Absorbing data about adventurers and gradually growing.

“Ah, and about your spatial pocket.”

“Yes?”

“I’d like to do a few experiments. Can you spare some time?”

“Now?”

“Tomorrow is fine if you’re busy. If you participate in the experiments, I’ll give you a magic tower access pass and compensation.”

I’m not sure what kind of experiments she means, but the offer of a magic tower access pass and compensation was tempting.
The magic tower restricts indiscriminate entry of outsiders, so getting an access pass means being recognized by the tower.

And the magic tower has the best magic tool makers in the labyrinth city.
It might be an opportunity to build relationships with them and obtain good magic tools.

“Alright.”

“Good. Then… Hmm. Wednesday. Come find me whenever you have time on Wednesday.”

“What time on Wednesday should I come?”

“Come whenever you want. I’m a bit less busy on Wednesdays. I’ll probably be sleeping all day. Wake me up when you come.”

“Uh.. Okay.”

“Ask Male for the magic tower access pass. He’ll give it to you. Well then, take care.”

“I’ll come on Wednesday.”

I bowed my head to the Tower Master and left the room.

“You’re out!”

“Ah, Mr. Male.”

“Here’s your access pass.”

“How did you prepare it so quickly?”

Mr. Male handed me the access pass as soon as I left the room.
Could this person have been eavesdropping on my conversation with the Tower Master?

“I just know how things work. It’s a Level 1 access pass. You can go up to the top floor of the magic tower. You can also freely enter and exit the research area.”

It was the highest grade of access pass that could be given to outsiders.
And it’s the only pass that allows entry into the research area.

Giving such a high-grade access pass means that I too can approach the secrets of the magic tower.
It meant I needed to keep my mouth shut.

“Sion.”

“Yes?”

“From the moment you receive this access pass. It means you’re with us at the magic tower. A smart person like you would understand, right?”

“..I guess so.”

“If you happen to carelessly reveal what you see and hear in here to the outside. It would be a bit troublesome for us.”

“Yes…”

“The Tower Master is a bit clumsy in these matters. So, I’m thoroughly managing information leaks. Sion. You understand, right?”

The shadows flicker.
In an instant, the corridor is dyed in darkness.
Eyes are gleaming within the shadows.

‘This is crazy. What kind of magic is this… Is it an ability?’

The boy magician’s magic was vicious.
It’s a kind of show of force and warning.

A warning not to carelessly defame the magic tower or reveal internal information.

“It’s not a serious threat or intimidation. Just a mutual caution.”

Male smiled and erased the shadows.
The atmosphere brightens again.

It was just a warning, as he said.
There’s no deeper meaning than that.

Since I’ve received a Level 1 access pass to the magic tower, I naturally have to accept this much.
I received it knowing this would happen.

“Let’s get along well from now on.”

“Yes. Let’s do that.”

I shook hands with Male.
A boy magician wearing large, nerdy-looking glasses.

He’s smiling harmlessly, but in terms of skill, he might be equivalent to a gold badge adventurer.
At this point, I’m doubting whether he’s really as young as he looks.

As Tower Master Mabel said, those who undergo mana adaptation frequently when young age more slowly.
Maybe the young-looking boy magician was once a successful adventurer in his prime.

There are many hidden strong ones in the labyrinth city.
Like a platinum badge holder running a weapon shop after retirement.
Or the unidentified and mysterious hole-in-the-wall shop owner.

“Phew.”

Coming out of the magic tower, it feels a bit easier to breathe.
The air in the research area was too heavy, stuffy, and stale.
Maybe because it’s underground, it felt poorly ventilated.

“Hm..? Porter?”

“Ms. Rien. It’s been a while.”

“Yes.. It’s been a while. You’ve returned safely from the labyrinth..”

I was just thinking of going to see the young lady, when I ran into Rien who was approaching the magic tower.

“Are you going to the magic tower?”

“Yes.. It looks like I’ll be living in the labyrinth city from now on.. I’m going to register as a magician in advance.. You?”

“I had something to drop off, so I came briefly. Is the young lady doing well?”

“Well…”

Rien, who was being awkward, told me about what happened yesterday.

“So, you came all the way to that house?”

“Yes.. Lea kept saying we should go.. I was worried, so we went, but it wasn’t a lodging..”

“Huh. Did you hear any sounds from inside?”

“Sounds..?”

“It’s nothing. I should go see the young lady.”

“Yes.. She was really wanting to see you. Ah, right. And now, probably.. Lea is alone… Rica went to exercise. Erica is doing volunteer work at the temple.. I, I probably won’t be back until evening either..”

Rien is hesitating for some reason.
What is it? Why can’t she make eye contact?

“Is there something you want to tell me?”

“Hm..? Ah, no.. It’s… That house the porter went to yesterday… It’s the house where the guild master’s daughter lives.. right?”

“You knew?”

“Well.. I found out that’s what they say…”

The fact that Yuria and I were in the same house late in the evening implies just that.
Rien looked at me cautiously and continued speaking.

“The young lady.. she… a lot.. li..”

“Rien.”

“Yes..?”

“Let’s stop there. The young lady’s feelings. I’ll hear them directly from the young lady.”

“Ah.. I’m sorry.. It’s.. just.. yes.”

“Then I’ll be going. Take care of your business.”

“Yes.. Sorry..”

Rien said she was sorry and went into the magic tower.
I don’t understand what she’s sorry about.

“Sigh.”

The fact that Rien knows means that Lady Lea probably knows too.
I was going to tell her anyway. They just found out first.

“Would you please wait a moment.”

“Yes.”

I arrived at the high-class inn where the young lady is staying.
As always, the counter man said he would call the young lady and asked me to wait in the reception room.

As usual, I was helping myself to the free sugar cubes and cookies in the reception room when the young lady soon came in.

“Hello, porter.”

“Uh.. Hello?”

For some reason, the young lady’s eyes were swollen.
As if she had been crying until just now.