NOVEL NEXT {C22}: Making my first deal
"Then let's go down to business, shall we? Alice dear.... The backpack?"
Alice got off his lap for a moment to get the backpack she had previously put down; seeing the opportunity, Hannah was quick to get onto Max's lap and nestle himself into him. Yet the first thing she blurted out when seated down was a question, Although, by the sound of it, he wasn't sure whether it was directed at him or was more akin to her thinking aloud.
"Something hard is pressing against me.... I guess she is able to make your cock happy, huh?"
The hint of self deprivement that could be heard in her voice was because when she previously sat naked on top of his lap, she didn't get a reaction from his lower half. Although, In Max's defense, Last time he was just done with a threesome, so it wasn't weird that his little brother was exhausted by then. Now, on the other hand, it had a while to recover, and with Alice teasingly rubbing herself against him to tease Hannah, that naturally got a reaction. This caused a misunderstanding with Hannah, Making her think that Alice was able to do what she wasn't able to. Which once again made that weird feeling spread through her body. She felt a slight disappointment thinking that she was beaten by Alice in something that until recently had always been her purpose, her duty. Seeing the man she had both admiration and a great sense of curiosity for getting hard on other girls while remaining limp with her made her visibly upset.
The 155 CM girl looked up at Max and, with a voice full of innocence, asked.
"Why does Masters cock not get hard from my body?"
While saying so, she softly rubbed her lower half against his, which, of course, caused it to twitch in reaction. Sensing that reaction, she pondered for a bit, once again thinking aloud.
"I see...."
She did, in fact, get a reaction, which made her a little confused. Did or did Max not enjoy her body? However, before she got to ponder on it too long, she was interrupted by the merchant's laugh once again. Alice also finally reacted. She had grabbed her bag and, by now, had grabbed Hannah by her wrist. However, she was by no means an individual who felt like Max had to be only hers or someone who was overly jealous. She did feel like displaying some type of dominance. She knew how naive Max could sometimes be on certain matters, and she didn't want to give other girls the chance to exploit him. She also was smart enough to understand that with his access to resources, there would be many more people under his care in the future. Of course, this included women with different motives and angles that would throw themselves at him, so before that happened, she wanted to establish a clear hierarchy. As weird as it might sound, it wasn't out of jealousy but for her. In her mind, it was more out of necessity and security both for him and for herself. She wanted to secure her own position and livelihood before there were too many others she had to compete with, as well as to ensure he wasn't manipulated too easily.
She didn't feel like Hannah was as dangerous as the bandit girl, but she wanted to make sure she knew her place before that could change and before she got too obsessed with Max. After all, Alice was a smart girl and already noticed the subtle hints that the girl, whether consciously or unconsciously, released toward Max. Something he had been too dense to pick up on so far. Not that he didn't realize it, but now Hannah quite literally spelled it out for him.
Yet, to Alice's surprise, Max grabbed her wrist. Instead, he gently pulled it off Hannah's and gave her a gentle smile. Alice released an audible sigh and backed off; Max, although sometimes dense, was able to sense that something wasn't fully right and figured he'd talk with her later. Similarly to him, The Merchant noticed it just as much but decided not to comment.
Max, Although slightly embarrassed by Hannah's frank words in such a public space, still wanted to put her mind at ease. He gently stroked her hair while his lower half excitedly twitched against hers as he spoke.
"Hannah, I'm not uninterested in your body. I simply don't want you to feel obligated to do anything to me after all you've been through.... Think about it for a couple of days; explore what you feel and what you want, and if you truly want me to enjoy your body, then we can at some point... Although you must always remember whether you do that thing with me or not, I won't treat you any differently. You will still be with us, and you will still be my little Hannah."
Hannah felt a warmth spread through her body, and before anyone had a chance to react, she fully rotated herself on top of his lap. Her front now facing him, she gently hugged him, Cuddling up against him, which naturally made his lower half react. This only caused the warmth to spread further, and she gently made herself comfortable on top of his lap. As she hugged him, Max gently stroked her back; neither of them said anything further. Max, however, kept in mind that he had to start to work on the communications before things got ugly.
He gave an apologetic smile to the merchant.
"My apologies for the unprofessional display."
Although he wasn't a merchant, he was smart enough to know that this wasn't exactly considered professional.
Yet before the merchant was able to react, the door opened, so instead of Max, he turned his attention there. The man he had previously instructed to get some chairs returned with a few of them as well as Max's companions or, more accurately, slaves. The men had asked them whether or not they were gonna join, and the bandit girl, noticing their acceptance of the situation, was quick to accept. So he got a few extra chairs, Three to be exact. One for him, Hannah, which by now would be for Alice, as well as one for the bandit girl.
The man didn't feel the need to walk twice, and considering two males had their middle completely taped up, he felt like they wouldn't truly need a seat. So, as the men (and lady) entered, the experienced merchant was quick to notice the collared lady and the taped-up person prisoners and easily made the connection to the request for collars.
The chair man put down the chairs and took one himself, Alice grabbed one and put it next to Max, Sitting next to him. She grabbed one of his hands and suggestively placed it on her thigh, which once again made Max slightly blush, considering the public situation. He, however, felt like there might be more to it, considering her earlier sigh, so he didn't pull away. Instead, he gave it a soft squeeze followed by a soft pat on the thigh. Alice appeared to be content with this.... For now, she gently placed her hand on top of his hand, Squeezing it softly.
The bandit girl also moved her chair and placed it on the other side of Max. Although she didn't have a hand to occupy, she did place both hands on his left leg, Around a place that wasn't occupied by Hannah's petite yet generous ass, and gave it a suggestive squeeze. Max took notice of the new sensation and looked at the girl who gave him a playful wink, after which she withdrew her hands and sat back onto the chair as if she hadn't done anything, to begin with. Alice, in retaliation, pulled Max's hand further down her thigh and, quite frankly, pressed it against her lower half.
Hannah to looked up from her comfortable position, She had heard the others enter and move around but didn't put much mind to it. But now that she felt Max's little brother twitch under her, she felt like something was going on; she was quick enough to notice the bandit girl's flirtatious attempts, which she didn't fully understand. She ignored Alice's obvious flirt attempts since, as far as she was concerned, that was normal. Instead, her gaze went towards the bandit girl, and she asked.
"I thought you didn't like men that much?"
Alice burst out in laughter, Releasing Max's hand while Hannah didn't understand her reaction. As far as she was concerned, she just had a bit of curiosity and asked something to satisfy said curiosity, something Max said she could do now that she was a free woman.
The bandit girl winched a little before she clarified in a somewhat seductive voice.
"I never said I didn't like men; I simply said girls were less of a hassle. Males have a tendency to feel possessive over everything they put their cock in and are quick to become expectant. So quick stuff for personal satisfaction isn't as enjoyable if they start wanting more or become annoying..... Of course, I do not think that way with master. His package more than makes up for it. Besides, He can feel as possessive as he wants... I'm his property, after all."
She wasn't as much into males due to her previous experiences with them. After all, She had once been a victim of a bandit raid and had been quite brutally group raped. She was sold as a slave, Used for various purposes, including sex, and received a fair degree of abuse in her life. She however didn't break under it and instead held strong and when her master was raided by a bandit group, Just like she experienced once before she was quick to react. Rather than letting herself be raped, she simply sold her master out and offered herself up to the leading bandit. Although she wasn't successful in manipulating said male and still ended up as the group's toy, she quickly adapted, Did everything willingly, and slowly but surely worked her way up. From a group toy to an actual member, Of course, this wasn't done instantly and took quite some time, Manipulation as well as violence to prove her worth. She eventually managed to shift most attention and group activity to the newer girls and started regularly serving those higher in the group's hierarchy; she offered to participate in raids, whether as bait or as a gunman, and slowly but surely became an actual member of the group. Although she still had to spread her legs every now and then to smooth things over. Which was why she also cut her hair and changed her hairstyle so drastically. One to look like a typical raider, Two to make herself a little less attractive. So unlike most girls who gave up, felt pity, or broke, she simply did what was necessary to escape said fate. She became stronger and eventually grew out of it. When the time and situation were right, she ditched the group and started working on her own.
This is why she considered Hannah weak. She didn't take up a gun to escape her fate as a sex slave as she did; it's why she never bothered to do anything for the girl and used her like the object she considered her to be. All of this, Although quite a heavy topic, was processed by her over the years. So it wasn't like she was afraid of males; if she was, she wouldn't have navigated herself so well. She just had more enjoyable experiences with females than with males; It's not like she didn't enjoy male company. She just has grown more fond of female company. So, she did Not exactly want to be called out by the black-haired girl since it made her look like a gold digger, Which she technically was. She quickly attempted to throw somewhat logical facts into the mix while simultaneously attempting to stroke Max's ego.
This worked to a certain degree since Max, without knowing the full story, did believe males could feel possessive over females they had sex with. However, a healthy man wouldn't let it affect him and would simply just feel a little more fondness/favoritism towards the girl and maybe really light jealousy when she gets it going with other males. He wouldn't act or react to it, after all; both are free people. Max didn't believe that a Male that did many girls was a winner while a girl that did many guys was a whore or slut. No, He believed people could do what they wished as long as it was clearly communicated and consensual.
So, Hearing what she had to say, he did, in fact, believe that people in a world like this, In a wasteland such as this, might have different morals compared to his society. So it wouldn't surprise him if males here could become annoying or expectant after having sex once or twice. Then again, Can't judge a tree based on a single apple.
Although she expected quite the snarky comment from Alice, Since an opportunity to call her out in front of Max presented herself, she surprisingly kept quiet; She didn't use the moment to call her out as a whore or gold digger or any other degradative term. Although she would've loved to do so, They we're still in a meeting with a merchant which Max was quick to clarify to everyone.
"I think that is enough, Girls. We are being rude to this kind man who so generously made time for us."
The girls didn't respond to the comment and simply kept quiet since he was, in fact, right; the merchant just chuckled softly while responding.
"No worries, I get it. Troubles in paradise, Haha... Either way, It happens. Just have a good talk with them all before things become unhealthy."
Max gave the nod towards him and then stood up; Hannah,, in turn,, wrapped her legs around his waist and pushed her arms under his armpits, and hugged him like a koala. Max couldn't help but chuckle, Patting the girl before gently pulling her off him. The girl complied and let go of the man who had caught her curiosity and admiration. Max put her down on the seat, after which he went to the backpack Alice grabbed.
Alice had, of course, let go of his hand the moment she noticed he wished to stand up. He made his way towards the backpack and pulled out a 2L bottle of water. He took one that was already opened since he planned to give a test drink.
He put his hand back into the backpack and quickly checked his Inventory.
[Inventory]
Weaponry:
1x High-quality hunting knife.
1x boot knife
Equipment:
1x high-quality sleeping bag (1x Pillow)
3x portable stove ( 12x gas canister small )
1X 2-person tent
1x outside heater ( 1 Gas canister medium )
1x Medkit
1x Foldable was basin (1x Soap with fragrance, 1x neutral soap, 4X towel)
1x potato peeler
Food
9x Can of tomato soup.
24x Can of mais.
30X Snibba
20x lolipop
5x Loaf of bread.
1 Kilo of cheese.
1x Cheese slicer.
10 Kilio of potatoes.
28x Bottle of 1.5L water.
5X Jarred beans in tomato sauce:
10 kilos of green beans.
1 bottle of honey.
Misc:
4x morning after pill.
1 month worth of birth control (1 person)
Clothes:
6x T-Shirts
2x Hoodie
3x Jeans
10x underwear
Max put his hand inside the backpack and withdrew a can of mais and a Snibba as well. A snibba was basically a chocolate candy bar with pieces of peanut. Once that was done, he put the bag back on the ground; during this process, he made sure no one had a chance to peek into his backpack, nor did he keep the backpack open once placed down.
He had already gotten rid of all the dates earlier, Using a marker for the Snibba while using sandpaper for the cans. So when the goods were placed down, he grabbed the bottle of water. He gently gestured to Alice for her glass, and after chugging down the liquid that was still inside, she handed it over. He gently cleaned it with a little bit of water and drank it up so as not to look wasteful in front of the merchant. He then filled the glass and handed it over to the merchant, who took a sip, and as the professional he was, he didn't showcase the surprise on his face. However, he couldn't help but show it in his eyes, At least for a second, that is. He didn't say or comment anything further and simply asked.
"Do you sell in bulk or individually?"
Max thought for a while before responding.
"I am able to sell up to 5 2L bottles right now; I do however have a stable supply line and will be able to sell much more in the future."
Max, of course, could sell many more bottles, but it would be weird if he took 10 bottles out of Alice's backpack, even if it was a big one; he also wanted to take a lot more Mais out of it. So, for the time being, he settled for 5 bottles since this was something he could explain. Considering the large backpack and the limited number of personal supplies she had in them,
"How much do you want for it? "
To which Max responded.
"What do you think is a fair price?"
The man pondered for a moment.
"How about two medium crystals a bottle in bulk?"
Max thought it was pretty decent, but before he could respond, he was cut off by the bandit girl.
"Although two medium crystals stocking for bulk might be fair in a normal market, with New Haven being a trade hub and crossing point, you should be able to sell them for a higher price. Especially since you stated you use the route regularly, You should've built up some connections. Normal trashy water is already one small crystal per liter. These bottles are 2 liters, and although the difference between 2 small crystals and two medium ones is massive, it doesn't change the fact that this is a luxury good that's easily worth more to the right client. Clients and contacts that you should already have; besides, If your contacts run deep enough and you can arrange a meeting with the Newhaven council here and sell them directly, then that'd be quite the boon for you. Forget the increased profits. The connection itself is already valuable and should give you an edge over normal merchants in the area."
She paused for a moment before continuing her barrage.
"Besides that, Like my master previously said, although he has a supply line and can normally sell in bulk, his current circumstances don't allow him to, which leaves him with a limited available number of bottles to put on the market. So we shouldn't be discussing bulk prices; we should instead be discussing individual prices and treat them like the valuable, limited available goods that they currently are."
The merchant gave the girl a nod and started directly negotiating with the girl, Which Max didn't mind since, as far as he was concerned, 2 medium crystals sounded pretty good; he was about to accept it before the bandit girl took over the reins. He didn't feel bad about the fact that she had interrupted him as far as he was concerned. If she could do it better, Then let her. The merchant spoke directly to the girl and said.
"Although your observations are correct, a merchant's connections aren't built up in a matter of days, Especially not in a place like this. The market and competition are fierce, which makes building the right connections, Ones that last, hard. That on itself should be worth something, and luxury goods themselves should have a decent profit rate for both parties. Besides, Like you said, the bulk sales are just currently unavailable. I can't exactly sell my goods as limited and have my clients see the same market flooded with said product later. You shared with me the facts of bulk sales currently being unavailable, but you cleverly avoided giving me a date or estimation, which leads me to believe that you are either not sure or not willing to share said information because it isn't favorable in this deal."
The bandit girl gave a shrug and responded pretty frankly.
"That's correct; only my master knows about his business. I'm merely stepping in as someone more... Local, Although I don't know the details, I'm pretty sure he's from overseas, considering his lack of local knowledge and the weird products that you just don't find anywhere else.... You might think the bulk amounts to more than it actually does because you received a generous glass of water, Something both of us would've filled with a quarter If not less, when taste testing. Master was simply being generous for the offered discount and the shared information. The product is and remains a luxury good that's available in limited quantity. The fact that you received a full glass doesn't make it worth any less, even if it might seem so..... Three medium crystals as well as the promised five small crystal discount on the collars master wishes for, Take it or leave it."
The merchant's gaze shifted towards Max, who simply smiled at him, Not adding any further input. The merchant, seeing the slave girl apparently had the final choice, couldn't help but release a disappointing sigh. He instructed one of his men to bring something over, and after receiving some weird type of scanning object and scanning the water content left in his glass, he accepted the deal with a slight surprise on his face.
After that, they moved over to the Mais cans. The merchant asked how many of them were available, to which the bandit girl didn't respond, Instead looking at Max.
"10, including the one on the table."
The merchant was, of course, quick to ask.
"Can we taste test this as well?"
The bandit girl, however, interjected once again before Max could answer.
"Unlike the water bottle that was already opened for master consumption, this can can't exactly be opened and closed off. It, once again, is a quality product of the highest order, so How about we open this, have a taste test, and then negotiate the worth? If we come to an agreement you will still have to pay for the can although with a 25% discount. In return for this, both you and I will taste test this; as a slave, I haven't had the honor of tasting this one of my master's products, so it's hard for me to negotiate in a fair manner without testing them. Of course, the rest of the product, Besides the taste testing, is all yours to enjoy."
Of course, this was all bullshit, The bandit girl had no idea whether or not this was of equal worth to the water, but she simply assumed that it was. Based on how generous Max was with the water and the previous high-quality candy, she believed this product to be of similar worth. The fact she hasn't tasted it yet is the truth, but she wasn't sure whether that was because they hadn't had dinner yet or because it truly wasn't for slaves. Based on what she observed from Max previously, she assumed it to be the former; if he shared high-quality candy and water with a slave like her, why not dinner? She, however, still chooses to display her slave status and claims she hasn't had the chance to taste this product because of it for the sake of negotiating.
The merchant agreed under the condition that he didn't have to pay if he decided that he didn't want to buy the product, to which the bandit girl agreed.
Max said the product was best tasted heated, and after he said so, one of the merchant guards took the can downstairs to get it fixed; about 10 minutes later, he came back with a hot can folded around in layers of cloth so he could bring it up. He was careful not to spill its contents as he placed it down. Max, however, was quick to comment.
"I'm pretty sure the water should've been drained before heating... Or not? I'm not exactly sure, honestly. I don't use this specific product too often."
Max wasn't a cooking expert, nor did he eat mais regularly, and when he did, it wasn't mais out of a can, so he had no idea whether or not the water contents had to be drained. The merchant was a little surprised the man hadn't tasted his own product and wondered whether it was due to value or something else and was quick to ask. If it was because of value, it meant he wasn't as big or influential as he thought he was.
"Have you not eaten it because the product is too precious?"
Although Max was thinking about lying, he decided it wouldn't be fair to the merchant who had been so generous with him. So unknowingly, He prevented himself from losing a lot of face thanks to his honesty and slight nativity considering things such as kindness and honesty are rare in the wasteland.
"I just don't like mais as much and usually eat different products."
The man was surprised by the frank answer and wondered whether or not the product might be inferior to other products he had.
"Do you have any other canned products for sale?"
To which Max simply smiled before responding.
"Not at the moment."
The water was drained in a separate bowl since they didn't want to waste the high-quality fluid, something Max decided not to comment on. The merchant scanned the product before commencing the taste testing and was once again surprised; just like with the water, the product lacked any form of radiation. Although the water purity could be explained simply by someone having lucked out and stumbled upon a somehow not irradiated underground water source, the food was a different matter. It was widely known that all ground was polluted, and although cultivation through high-tech equipment was possible, it was barely seen in this world except by the elite of the elite. Products of similar quality as this mais simply couldn't be gained without such a thing, and even if someone managed to find less polluted soil deep underground, Fertilize it, and grow crops that way, the product would still be of low quality. Often small and shrimped and generally just not as healthy looking since truly unpolluted ground simply didn't exist.
They taste-tested the product, and upon doing so, a big happy grin could be seen on the bandit girl's face; truly, she had hit the jackpot, especially if Max wasn't really into eating this so-called " Mais," meaning he had better products somewhere. Or at least things that were more to his tastes, although the girl absolutely wasn't as much of a glutton as Alice. She knew that this food and one's accessibility to it equaled power, which meant Max had power. So, as long as she could keep this boy's interest and prove her worth, she would most definitely live better than she had before, especially considering his personality.
So, with a grin, she decided to start high.
"30 medium crystals"
The merchant almost choked on his food, and after coughing a bit and drinking some more of that sweet water, he managed to calm himself down,
"30 medium crystals would mean fresh food, and although this is indeed of the highest quality, Without any form of radiation and tastes heavenly, there just wouldn't be a market for that price. Your master said he could sell in bulk at some point, and we both know that you can't get rid of bulk for such a price. Thirty medium crystals a meal. The elite likes to eat two to three meals a day, which would equal 420-630 a week, assuming we're talking about stock in price, not about my profit margin. Besides that, As fresh as this can be considered, it's still canned food, not the same product the elite of the elite takes from their fancy high-energy farms... Newhaven mutant fish is considered a delicacy and goes for one medium crystal, and although that product can't be compared to something like this, especially if it gets seasoned.... I just can't get rid of it for that price. I don't have the right type of connections for that. I doubt even the Newhaven council would be able to buy bulk for that price; after all, Considering what it costs on a weekly basis..... In the end, it's still food, Something you eat and is gone....."
The bandit girl chuckled before responding.
"It's a luxury good the likes of which isn't available on the market, Who says the elite would have to eat three meals of them a day? I'm pretty sure this can be considered a luxury good for the elite themselves, so instead of eating it daily, how about special occasions? The bulk is currently unavailable anyway...."
The merchant simply shook his head.
"If I add my profit margin to such a price and the products later on show up on the market when the bulk is available, I likely lose my head..... Even if I'm honest and say bulk might be available later on, who says they'll buy? Especially without taste testing, which means sacrificing a can since said elite would likely feel insulted if I asked him to pay for a taste test...... 10 medium crystals?"
The bandit girl simply shook his head towards the offer.
" 25 sounds generous enough to be. "
The merchant kept eating his food, Thinking it was a waste to let it turn cold.
"15 sounds like the best I can do.... It's a product with a really limited customer base, and you require the right connections to make a profit without giving up too much profit to multiple middlemen. As good of a merchant, as I might consider myself to be, I'd have to grease some palms to get it to the council. Haven't you seen my caravan? I'm using mutant cows for fuck sake, Not cars or any form of armed transport...."
Although the man could afford himself vehicles, even armed ones, he decided not to, Simply because the trade route he used was relatively safe. There was also the problem of needing multiple vehicles after all. He already had a bunch of carts, and they simply couldn't keep up with a vehicle. His vehicle had limited storage as well, so unless he upgraded his entire convoy, it was better to simply stay with the mutant cows, which were Cheaper to maintain, too. Hell, The cows produced milk, so they took care of their own maintenance, and when one was too wounded or died, they could eat it up as a delicacy they would otherwise have to pay a fair penny for. If they were close enough to a city, they could even get it sold as a luxury product. So he was bullshitting right now just as hard as the bandit girl was earlier; he did have the money to get himself some mechanized stuff in his convoy. He just weighed his options and decided it wasn't worth it. Of course, he simply pointed out the fact that he didn't have any out to the girl; he didn't share the fact that he could have if he wanted to.
The girl simply shrugged.
"Newhaven isn't that far, so I'm sure we can consider our options; maybe try the auction house? I doubt it'll be as effective without taste testing, though..... Hmmm."
The girl started to visibly ponder, after which the man made a final offer.
"20 is really the most I can do, with 15 being the future bulk price."
The bandit girl gave him a chuckle, Which clearly displayed that this is what she was aiming for. The man was experienced and quickly noticed it. He, however, didn't mind. This truly was his final price, but he could still make a profit, so in the end, it was fair. If he played his cards right, he might be able to sacrifice his profit for new connections, which would be quite something in the long term. Speaking of connections, The young man in front of him might be the biggest one he'll ever be able to get. So, he couldn't help but state.
"Who would've guessed that the young man I entertained was a secret big shot, huh? I would really love to cement this cooperation with you further. I would've offered you my daughter, but she's quite pregnant, as you can see; besides that, You have plenty of beautiful friends already, and I wouldn't want to upset them with such an offer."
The last part was said a bit playful, but in the end, he shrugged his arms before continuing.
"All I can promise is a fair price as well as your ensured privacy as well as the connections I've obtained over my years in this area. I'm willing to change my trade route around to meet whatever spot is suitable to you in order to work something mutually beneficial out."
The man didn't have much to offer compared to other medium or even big merchant companies, so he decided to aim for the security and flexibility route. Offering Max to anonymously sell to a merchant who came to him, Offering him a fair price, and keeping his identity hidden. Besides that, He had been working this route for quite some time, so he did have connections in the area.
They talked a bit more while the mais deal finished, Coming to a total of 20 medium crystals a can, which equaled 200 Minus the test can that was discounted by 25%, making the grand total a whopping 195 medium crystals. At last, they shifted towards the Snibba's, and after taste testing it, they agreed that it was a highly lucrative candy bar, and although extremely delicious compared to your average wasteland options, it still remained a small product compared to a big can of corn. So they settled it on the same price as the corn, 20 medium crystals like this, and 15 when buying in bulk. So the snibba deal also got settled for 200 medium crystals.
Max decided that he wanted to buy 3 of the advanced slave collars, and with the five small crystals promised discount, it cost him 13.5 medium crystals. As a thank you for the business, he threw in the bandit girl's old collar as a gift. He then collared both the taped-up males and registered them as his slaves. He also changed the bandit girl's collar to the more advanced one, and after receiving a little tip from the merchant, he found out he could change the registration names of the collars. Which led him to the realization that he didn't even know the name of the girl he had just recently had sex with.
This realization caused quite a shocked reaction, which surprised everyone; upon hearing the reason for his shock, the bandit girl couldn't help but laugh aloud while Alice simply shook her head. It was the wasteland, and addressing a slave by his or her name was a kindness; feeling shocked or bad for forgetting, especially if the slave would've treated you much worse if given the chance, is just stupid. Then again, It was this stupidity and kindness that Alice had grown to like.
The bandit girl was quick to introduce herself in a playful manner, Biting into his earlobe and whispering into his ear.
"It's Luna."
Max, by now, was already back in his seat, and under the slight pout of Alice, it was Hannah who once again conquered his lap. They all drank together with the merchant; even Max, who didn't truly enjoy the alcohol, decided to join in. The man was kind and nice, and he frankly missed it. Everyone he met so far was a bit fucked up, If not the person, then the way they met. Alice quite literally tried to stab him with a knife or, at the very least, threaten him. The bandits used an innocent girl as bait who Mr rapist forced himself on. The so-named innocent girl apparently isn't that innocent and is used to it; having lived like that all her life and the beautiful silver-haired bandit that submissively offered her body to him is quite frankly someone who has been a victim of consensual forceful and abusive sex who, Knowingly choose to do the same with others.
He was pretty sure that Hannah was the most innocent person in their group, At least the only one besides Max who hadn't spilled blood one way or another. The girls he took a liking to were both murderers, and one of them was pretty much a rapist or, at the very least, someone who allowed such a practice..... Then again, Everyone in the wasteland that survived so far probably had murdered someone or, at the very least, something. It was all rather bizarre and fucked up if he thought about it. Although Max hasn't seen Alice murder anyone or attempt to, Seeing how she handled things and how efficient she was, he was confident that she had killed before. Probably multiple times.
So they chatted and drank some more; Max finally met someone he could consider normal, At least by wasteland standards, and quite enjoyed it. The elderly man was nice, kind, and frankly honest. The man had seen his lack of knowledge but still made fair offers, Even before Luna got into the conversation. Although he didn't directly offer his Max price, which merchant truly did? He didn't underbid him at any moment and remained fair for the most part. Even when he didn't know about his products, he gave him the same price for his slave collars as he sold bulk in the city. This pretty much meant the man sold to him for the stock in price, which he had no reason to do, considering he could've just sold it at the city for the same price without wasting time with Max. He also could've asked Max the market price, but he didn't do such a thing.
Besides that, the man treated him like some youngster; he was the typical elder who, although old, was still someone you could have fun with. Although everyone called him an elderly man, the guy was still in his sixties. Then again, That probably was quite old, considering the world we live in. We talked some more, and even the man's pregnant daughter joined in the conversation at some point.
He talked some more with Luna and learned that she, too was once a merchant's daughter. It's just that her father didn't put the most coin into guardsmen. He was also a small-time merchant it's just that he was unlucky enough to encounter a bandit group. Thus sealing his daughter's fate as a victim that got brutally raped by the group and sold into slavery afterward, Together with his father and her other siblings, which she was quickly separated from considering how pretty she was. They were all young when it happened, and unlike her sisters, she bloomed rather early and obtained quite the assets at a tender age. Her body wasn't one that got treated as a knowledgeable merchant, Even though she could read and write and do math and other such stuff. She simply got sold for an entirely different purpose than his father and sisters did.........
Although it was quite a touchy subject, It appears Luna has grown mostly over it. It has been a few years, after all, and it also took her quite a while to get out of the bandit group. Even though she did search around a bit near the cities where it happened, she couldn't find him, and she wasn't too surprised. This was the wasteland, and although his survival chances as a merchant slave, One that could read, calculate, and write, were bigger in the end, it's still a cruel world where death is never far away.
They eventually put the somber topic behind them and continued having fun, Talking some more with the elderly man who apparently had lost his wife in quite an unfortunate accident. Max didn't want to pry too much since it clearly was a sensitive topic, so instead talked about brighter things. This continued until later in the afternoon when they decided to put an end to it. They finished up the last details, and Max promised to be in the same location next week with a new shipment of goods.
The merchant took kindly to this and even offered him the VIP room for himself and the girls so he could enjoy himself a little more privately; he had taken notice of the boy's embarrassment when his girls were sexually suggestive. Max thanked the man for it, and Luna was quick to jump in teasingly.
"So, Is master gonna reward me for my services tonight?"
Hannah to moved up from her half asleep state, Hearing the word ' Master ' and ' Services tonight ' managed to peek his interest. She placed her hands on her shirt and started to pull on it softly, showcasing that she was hoping for such a thing. Alice refused to be left out and came up from behind, Placing and resting her breasts, Covered by just her shirt and a bra, on top of his head in a suggestive manner.
"Master better doesn't forget his promise.... For the gold bar, that is..."
Max couldn't help but chuckle, and although he was pretty confident in his libido, he still thought that all 3 of them might be a bit too much of a challenge. Besides, He remembered the conflict from earlier and wanted to put whatever was brewing in the background to rest.
"I'll be sleeping alone with Alice tonight. "
His gaze turned towards Hannah and Luna.
"I will have the both of you on a later date. Is that alright with you?
Luna simply gave him a playful wink and stated in a rather seductive tone.
"Master can use this lowly slave whenever he wishes. "
Hannah, on the other hand, simply pouted,
" Hhmpf.... Fine. "
He considered her adorable and gave her another head pat, after which he gently lifted her off him and instead placed her on top of Luna's lap. The bandit girl took her on her lap, not because she was particularly fond of Hannah but simply because her master had guided her to do so. Max took one last look at Hannah's cute, pouting face and couldn't help but be amazed at how she went from an object-like being who didn't even dare to sit on the equal height of her master to someone who pretty much demanded his lap for herself. He finally turned towards the breast that was resting on top of his head.
"Misses Alice junior lefty and righty, Shall we go?"
Alice couldn't help but chuckle at the childishness displayed by Max, although in Max's defense, he didn't drink often, and he had his fair share this afternoon. William, The elderly merchant, also stood up and spoke to his men.
"It's time to go. We're going to a lower level."
