Chapter 103

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Hey guys,

mranon here (again).\n

With another chapter of Slave Harem.\n

Although I was planning on ending the week with this chapter and leave you guys on cliffhanger till next week, I ended up with a promise to release one more chapter on Sunday.\n

So expect next chapter tomorrow.\n

Now without further ado, enjoy the read.

Yours truly,\n\n<hr>

Coming across

We have cleared 14th floor of Haruba’s labyrinth.\n

When it comes to labyrinths, Haruba’s and Quratar’s are the best.\n

There’s no such thing as finding the boss right at the entrance.\n

Exploring a floor takes time.

While there are instances of finding the boss room in the left having started the exploration from the left, there are instances of finding the boss room in the right having started the exploration from the left, too.\n

The time required to clear a floor depends mainly on luck. Nothing can be done about it.\n

In case of 14th floor of Haruba’s labyrinth, the time required was short.

The objective of our party is not just exploration.\n

Because we have Roxanne in our party, we can hunt efficiently as well.\n

For this reason, we keep moving from here to there to somewhere else.\n

Which increases the time required to clear a floor.

But there’s no knowing when you may find yourself at a dead end, so gaining experience in the meantime is efficient.\n

There’s also a possibility that we can’t take out monsters on a floor.\n

Therefore, efficiency aside, you have to keep leveling up or the floors may become too difficult to clear.\n

Even though we are stronger by the standards of this world, the difficulty increases with every floor.

That said, there’s no such thing as safety margin.\n

Even if you’re adequately leveled, one wrong step in labyrinth may lead to your undoing.\n

It is also said that you can be surrounded by multiple groups of monsters if you take too long to exterminate a group of monsters.

If you laugh at incompetence of others, others will soon laugh at you.\n

In labyrinth, survival is the top priority.\n

It’s a noteworthy horse that can return its rider to safety.

“Can we perform well on higher floors with the level of our strength?”\n

“Umm… well, that’s…”

Sherry finds it difficult to answer my question.

“Forget about it, what about other parties?”\n

“If there are combat slaves in the party, they go for higher floors as much as possible.”\n

“Is that so?”\n

“Yes.”

Roxanne answers in Sherry’s stead.

“Umm… they try to go for higher floors as much as possible. The higher the experience you gain, the quicker you become strong. Although the danger on higher floors is great, it doesn’t mean that total annihilation is the only outcome of failure. Owner of the party normally has access to recovery magic and recovery medicines, therefore, the danger to the owner of the party is not as great.”

Sherry explains.\n

In other words, slaves are sacrificed in emergency situations?\n

Although the danger is great on higher floors, combat slaves are subjected to most of that danger.\n

The risk to the owner is minimal.

Now I know why sherry was hesitating.\n

If the owner doesn’t know that, it’s better for the slaves.\n

Combat slaves have it tough after all.

“But there will be no such thing in our party. It will be troublesome for me if Roxanne, Sherry and Miria are not there.”\n

“Thank you very much. Still, it’s better to go for higher floors.”\n

“Okay, thank you very much.”\n

“Party members are irreplaceable.”\n

“…Thank you, desu.”

Miria was the last to express her gratitude because she was waiting for Roxanne to translate.

The boss of Haruba’s 14th floor was Nepenthes which we had already defeated on Quratar’s 12th floor.\n

The Nepenthes couldn’t land an attack on Roxanne, the dodging ability of whom had increased even more due to Hard Leather Shoes of Willow.\n

I was in charge of attacking the boss.

“Which monster appears on 15th floor of Haruba’s labyrinth?”\n

“Bitch Butterfly.”\n

“Its weakness is wind magic, right?”

After defeating the boss of 14th floor, I ask Sherry.

“It is.”\n

“Because we have already fought against Bitch Butterflies on Quratar’s 16th floor, we can afford to skip trial, Roxanne.”\n

“Try to search for groups with more Bitch Butterflies than Sarracenias.”

Sherry interrupts.

“Why?”\n

“Have you forgotten that Bitch Butterflies are resistant to fire magic?”

They are?\n

I don’t remember hearing such a thing before.\n

She always briefs about the attribute of magic which the monsters are weak against.\n

Or perhaps I didn’t pay attention to any information more than that?

If I use [Fire Storm] against a group of Sarracenias and Bitch Butterflies, I may be able to take out Sarracenias but Bitch Butterflies will still be standing.\n

I need to be more careful regarding composition of monster groups, it seems.\n

Since I’m a Wizard, I’m surprisingly able to use my head.

“I see. As expected of Sherry. From now on, I will ask for your input before issuing instructions.”\n

“Okay.”\n

“Well then, Roxanne.”\n

“Understood.”

The first group Roxanne guides us to comprises two Bitch Butterflies and a Sarracenia.\n

I first take the Bitch Butterflies out in six [Breeze Storm]s.\n

With three more [Fire Ball]s, the remaining Sarracenia drops down.\n

The monsters seem to be becoming stronger which is within expectation.

“Sherry, do magic attacks not work at all against magic resistance?”\n

“I don’t think there’s such a thing. But I don’t know exactly how effective it is. And it also differs from monster to monster. I’m sorry.”\n

“Should we test it then? Roxanne, search for a group with more Sarracenias than Bitch Butterflies.”\n

“Understood.”

I ask of Roxanne.\n

We find a group of one Bitch Butterfly and two Sarracenias.\n

The Sarracenias drop down in six fire spells. The Bitch Butterfly collapses in four more wind spells.\n

Four spells huh?\n

Not as much as I thought.

“Guide us to groups with more Sarracenias.”\n

“I see. Understood.”

There are a maximum of four monsters in a group on 15th floor.\n

If Sarracenias are more, Bitch Butterflies can be no more than one.\n

If there are two of each, we first take Bitch Butterflies out.\n

The higher the floor, the more difficult it gets. With the number of attacks required increasing by one, duration of battle increases as well. It may become quicker with [Transcending Life and Death] but it’s not useable for the time being. (TN: Ignore Life and Death has been changed to Transcending Life and Death.)

“Thank you, Sherry. Had I not tested it, I wouldn’t have got it.”\n

“Not at all.”

Six fire spells inflict damage to Bitch Butterflies equivalent to two wind spells.\n

It’s quite a difference now that I think about it.\n

It’s important to take magic resistance into account as well when shortlisting combination of monsters.

I try to use [Meteor Crash] next.\n

I was able to take out Sarracenias in one shot but Bitch Butterfly is still standing.

As a result, I have understood one thing.\n

To confirm it, I undertake another experiment.\n

I move to 12th floor of Haruba’s labyrinth and use [Meteor Crash] on Grass Bees.\n

Grass Bees turn into smoke in just one [Meteor Crash].

Because I have leveled up, I was able to take out Grass Bees in one shot.\n

Is that why I was able to take out Mabream Lv12 in one shot?\n

So it wasn’t due to attribute of magic.\n

To confirm my notion, I have to try a floor where I can take out Sarracenias or Fly Traps, but not Bitch butterflies or grass bees, in one shot.

“Which reminds me, I once fried the goat meat dropped by Pan after marinating it in fish sauce.”

I talk to Miria.\n

It’s the Tatsuta-age I made back in the days.

“Okay.”\n

“If I do the same with fish, it’ll be delicious, right?”

It’s believed that bream tempura is so delicious that Tokugawa Ieyasu deteriorated his health from excessively eating it which resulted in his death.\n

It will be a similar dish.\n

Moreover, it will be a whole fish.\n

It will surely be delicious.

“Eat, desu!”

It was an expected reply.

“But we can’t eat it tonight because it has to kept for some time after applying fish sauce. We will have it for tomorrow’s dinner. It will be to celebrate our clearing 14th floor. Roxanne, Sherry, are you fine with it?”\n

“Yes, thank you very much.”\n

“I think it will be delicious.”

With the approval of the two, we move to 12th floor of Bode’s labyrinth.\n

I take Mabreams out in four [Sand Storm]s.\n

Four spells without Monk?

The monsters turn into smoke.\n

And dissipate.\n

One of the dropped items was whole fish.\n

This fish will be for the tomorrow’s dinner.

“Wow, desu!”

Miria jumps at it and brings it over to me immediately.

“It is quite rare for Mabream to drop whole fish. As expected of Master, you have got a whole fish at the first attempt.”

The reason as to why I don’t have Monk is that I had already replaced it with Cook.\n

Cook has a skill that increases drop rate of rare items.\n

Even then, I was quite lucky to have got a whole fish at the first attempt.\n

I don’t mind it, however, for Miria respects me even more now.

I receive the whole fish from Miria.\n

Although it’s whole fish, it has neither bones nor internal organs.\n

Also, how can a monster, Mabream in this case, remain after it’s dead.\n

How can this be possible?

“It is believed that every Mabream has a bream in its body. Therefore, it’s also called Bream’s Bream.”

Sherrys tells the puzzled me.\n

Is that why it looks the same as the monster?

Oh well, it doesn’t matter.\n

We carry on hunting.\n

We have collected two whole fish after hunting about ten Mabreams.

“Whole fish, desu!”

Miria brings it over.\n

She seems to have learned this brahim word.\n

I put it in my Item Box.

“I have heard that whole fish doesn’t stay good to eat for too long.”\n

“Miria is saying the same. As expected of Master.”\n

“Ah, but I have also heard that it stays good for long if cooked.”

Sherry, who seems to be hesitant, is correct.\n

As you would expect from Sherry.\n

I nod to Sherry and decide to leave.\n

With two whole fish, Miria will surely be satisfied.

“Umm… Master, I’m sorry.”

When we were about to leave, Roxanne apologizes all of a sudden.

“What happened?”\n

“I can smell an acquaintance. They’re coming here from the entrance.”\n

“Acquaintance?”

This is such a convenient ability she has.

“You should better leave. Because I’m in close proximity to them, they must have smelled me. If I leave, they may get suspicious of me.”\n

“Are they not a friendly acquaintance?”\n

“Sort of.”\n

“Is that so?”

This acquaintance is someone Roxanne doesn’t want me to see.\n

However, using [Warp] now doesn’t seem to be a wise decision.\n

If Roxanne can smell them from here, they must have smelled us from there.\n

If I run away now, they’ll find out.

This can be such an inconvenient ability at times.

If they ever visit 12th floor of Bode’s labyrinth, we may encounter them again.\n

Miria will surely want more fish.\n

If they have smelled us on 12th floor of Bode’s labyrinth, Haruba’s labyrinth won’t be safe either.

“If they are close to us, they must have smelled me, too.”\n

“There’s no helping it then. Let’s wait here.”\n

“I’m sorry. They may say strange things, please don’t pay any mind to them.”\n

“Are they really that despicable?”

Roxanne seems to detest them.\n

She will hate to meet her acquaintances after becoming a slave even if she doesn’t hate them.\n

And if she hates them, she will hate to meet them even more after becoming a slave.

“They are a sworn enemy from back in the days.”\n

“No matter what happens, Roxanne has allies now.”\n

“Thank you very much, Master.”

I try to provide support to Roxanne.\n

I gently put my hand on her shoulder.\n

I put the Rod of Offerings back in my Item Box and wait for this acquaintance of Roxanne.

“Ohoho~ if it isn’t Roxanne.”

A party of six appears before long.\n

A party of four beast warriors, an adventurer and a monk.\n

Their levels are quite high.\n

Beast Warrior… Lv99!?

“Long time no see.”\n

“Even though it has been such a long time, you’re still a stupid woman as ever.”

The one having conversation with Roxanne is a female Beast Warrior Lv29.\n

Appraisal shows her as a female.\n

She’s 19. Three years older than Roxanne.\n

Is this woman the acquaintance of Roxanne?

About her looks, no comments.\n

There’s no comparison with Roxanne.

“You haven’t changed either.”\n

“Don’t you compare the now-me with the previous-me! I have been gaining strength for all these six months!”\n

“Really?”

This woman’s social status seems to be higher than Roxanne’s for she has slightly lowered herself.\n

She seems to have a family name as well.\n

A person having a family name seems to be rare in this world.

Her pride seems to be bloated, too.\n

Her long hair is curled into drills.\n

Her hair is shiny like a doll’s.\n

Doolittle was the first ever air-raid on Japan. (TN: Romaji for ‘shiny like a doll’ looks like romaji for ‘Doolittle’.)

Women of low social status can’t grow long hair.\n

Hair care being the reason.\n

It’s a proof that she can spend on her hair.\n

It’s a proof that she’s wealthy.

“Albeit faint, I caught your seedy smell while we were on our way to the labyrinth. This much is nothing for me.”

Didn’t Roxanne say that they were at the entrance?

“What brings you here?”\n

“Roxanne, you’re still an illiterate woman who knows nothing. I feel so pity for you that I can’t help but tell you. Simon the mad dog has become active as of late. His wanted posters have been circulated as well. My family don’t want anything to do with him but they can’t ignore the prospect of bounty.”\n

“Simon the mad dog huh?”\n

“Simon the mad dog was one of the two experts of wolfkin tribe. He defeated Sabo once but this time, we will prove that Baradam family is the strongest in the tribe.”

Sabo Baradam is the male Beast Warrior Lv99 who is standing beside her.\n

He does look strong.\n

He’s Lv99 after all.

“Err…”

Roxanne appears to be troubled to speak.\n

Because Simon is already dead.\n

It’s impossible for Sabo to defeat him now.\n

But there is no evidence.

“You’re still an undisciplined woman as ever. Although you are able to speak Brahim somewhat, you don’t seem to be fluent at it yet.”

This woman seems to have misunderstood the reason as to why Roxanne was faltering.\n

She thinks that Roxanne is unable to speak because she’s not good at Brahim.

“Err… not at all.”\n

“Your turning into a slave was actually helpful. I must thank you for that. It’s regretful that, due to various reasons, your family couldn’t earn enough.”\n

“To do such a thing… you!”

Roxanne is at a loss for words at the woman’s revelation.\n

I have heard about it before.\n

That Roxanne was sold into slavery because her family couldn’t pay tax.\n

So it was all plotted by this woman?

“It was easy for me with the influence of my Baradam family. The reason as to why I did this is because you, Roxanne, are a bitch who seduces men!”\n

“I don’t.”\n

“Although you’re denying with words, your actions speak louder. How many men have you seduced already?”\n

“I know because the eyes they look at you with are totally different from the eyes they look at me with! I know because he was my fiance!”\n

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

I see.\n

So it was same for the men of wolfkin tribe, too.\n

Her chest is just that alluring.\n

It was inevitable.

“Now that you’re a slave, you have seduced a weak human. Well, this is what you were famous for. Seducing, that is.”\n

“Please refrain from using ill words for my Master!”

Roxanne raises her voice.

<hr>

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