Chapter 61: The Slime’s Gender

“Somehow there are even fewer slaves than last time.”

“Of course. The church isn’t releasing slaves, so people are just buying cursed slaves.”

“Huh.”

Looking around, there were only similar ones to when I visited last time.

All of them didn’t look human.

It’s full of slaves who have become half-monster-like things due to the curse of heteromorphosis.

Of course, bringing a male slave into the house is out of the question, and I want to choose one from among the females if possible.

The problem is that it’s reached a point where I can’t distinguish whether they’re female or male by appearance.

“Could you recommend a female?”

“A female. Hmm. How about that friend over there? She looks timid, but she’s active at night.”

“It looks like a bug… What species is it?”

“It’s a mosquito human. It sucks blood instead of energy. Whether it’s cows, pigs, or monsters, as long as you supply blood, the food cost is relatively cheap. If you talk well to the dismantling shop manager, you can probably get fresh monster blood supplied daily.”

“That’s good, but still, a mosquito is a bit…”

I was reminded of mosquitoes buzzing near my ear on summer nights.

I immediately understood why it moves actively at night.

To begin with, it looked too creepy and I didn’t feel like buying it.

Is this a bust again? Should I inevitably take Olivia into the labyrinth too?

‘No. Even the current party members are labyrinth beginners. If an accident happens while taking Olivia in too, it would be a disaster.’

Outside the labyrinth, I’m living with my brain half removed, overflowing with humanity.

But I don’t act thoughtlessly inside the labyrinth.

The labyrinth is a place where you can be wiped out with just a small mistake.

No matter how well prepared you are, it’s a place where you can be annihilated in one unlucky shot.

Just last time, we almost died because of the insane bad luck called the Great Shift.

And it’s not just that time. There were hardly any times when we weren’t unlucky.

It’s rather strange if accidents don’t occur in the labyrinth.

Am I supposed to take care of the Young Lady and her party members who just got their adventurer badges, and the blind Olivia too, in such a place?

Absolutely impossible. I’m giving up because it’s too hard for me.

For now, it’s right to just leave Olivia behind.

Maybe later when the Young Lady’s party members all grow to Silver Badge level.

It’s too early to take Olivia, who became blind due to sound wave detection, just for her scouting ability.

“Excuse me. Aren’t there any slaves with more human-like appearances? They all look too creepy.”

“The ones that look human-like have all been bought already. What do you expect when you came late? You should have bought 2 from the start.”

“At that time, I was in an excited state, so I didn’t think this situation would occur.”

When I first saw Olivia, I was so captivated by her knowledge about the labyrinth that I just bought Olivia without thinking about anything else.

If I had bought one more then, this wouldn’t have happened.

My thinking was too short-sighted.

“So. What do you want to use it for? Is the purpose sex slavery after all?”

“No, not that. I need a household helper. They need to clean the house. And take care of Olivia who I bought last time too. I need one who works well.”

“One who works well. Then this one is the best.”

The slave merchant dragged me in front of a quite large jar.

“This is… that slime human from last time, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. Her name is Marine and she works well. And I found out a few days ago. This one was a living detergent.”

“What?”

“Although she changed like this due to the slime curse. Thanks to that, the characteristics of slime have manifested. Look carefully. The jar this one is in. Doesn’t it sparkle strangely?”

“Oh. Now that you mention it, it does seem like that.”

“Yes. It turns out she has the ability to clean things she touches. She even removes old stains. I found out recently while cleaning the iron bars. Only the cage this one was in was sparkling.”

“…Oh.”

The slime human sleeping in the jar.

So this one was the best cleaner. I like it. But I shouldn’t show that I like it. To lower the price, it’s important to maintain composure.

“But can’t she only clean? She probably lacks the strength to grip things too.”

“Hmm. It’s true her grip strength is a bit weak. But she really cleans well. She can decompose garbage and process food waste too, you know? Above all, she’s capable of both offense and defense.”

“Offense and defense?”

“Yes. She’s capable of both attack and defense, I’m telling you. Isn’t that amazing?”

“No, I said I’m not using her for sexual purposes.”

“So you’re not going to buy her? This is the best slave I have in my opinion. Don’t you want to experience the true taste of a slime human?”

The true taste of a slime human?

“…Ahem. Then is this one perhaps a virgin?”

“Huh? A virgin? How would I know that? It’s not like a slime has a separate hymen. I don’t even know if it’s female or male to begin with.”

“What? You don’t know the gender?”

“That’s right. What does gender matter? If you say attach, it attaches. If you say detach, it detaches. It didn’t tell me its gender either. Isn’t it fine as long as it tastes good?”

“No, what kind of crazy talk is this! As long as it tastes good? I’m not some horny troll. And what do you mean it tastes good? Don’t tell me you tasted the slave before selling it!? Is your conscience dead? Give me a 10 gold discount.”

“No, no! You’re trying to cut 10 gold again! Are you crazy? There’s no way I would touch a slave I’m selling! We’re a shop that doesn’t touch slaves! What do you take our shop for. If you want to touch, you have to buy. Only shameless bastards taste without buying.”

“Is that so? Well, that’s fortunate then.”

If it was confirmed not to be a virgin, I could have bought it a bit cheaper.

It was impossible to confirm with the naked eye whether it was a virgin or not.

No, but since we don’t know the gender to begin with, does it matter whether it’s a virgin or not?

It’s completely like gacha whether it’s a virgin or not.

What is this, Schrödinger’s futanari? It’s driving me crazy.

“Hmm. This is frustrating.”

“What? You don’t like this one either? You sure have a lot of requirements. I don’t have any more slaves to introduce. No, can’t you just pick any random one? Why are you being so picky?”

“The slave price is at least 20 to 30 gold or more, so of course I have to be picky about everything. Aren’t you trying to sell too cheap? Does 20 gold look easy to you? Huh?”

“Haah. No, it’s not that 20 gold looks easy. It’s just that you’re saying you don’t like anything. If you really need one, shouldn’t you think about buying something? You don’t like this, you don’t like that. I’m having a hard time too. Or wait until the slave supply is released. What’s the rush? Just wait a month. By then, slave control will be lifted. Probably.”

About a month later, the subjugation battle will start, so there will be plenty of slaves then.

“The thing is, I have to enter the labyrinth in two days.”

“Oh my. Then just buy any suitable one. You can use it as an outside slave when you come out of the labyrinth. If you just give it a room and make it work 20 hours, you’ll recover your costs within 2 years. And above all, this slime human cleans well. Think about it.”

A slime human that cleans well.

Capable of both offense and defense.

“I’m not sure if it’s a virgin or not either. But just considering cleaning ability, it’s top class. If you use it for the city cleaning team, the cleaning guys would go crazy for it, you know?”

“Hmm.”

“I guarantee you. This one is the best, I’m telling you. Trust me.”

“How much is it?”

“40 gol-“

“Ah, bullshit.”

“Hm? What did you just say?”

“No, is your conscience really dead to ask for 40 gold? Do I look like some rich person to you? I’m a commoner living day by day. Where would I get 40 gold?”

“No, a person who comes to buy slaves every other week is a commoner? I’m the one who’s dumbfounded.”

“I just suddenly got some money. Anything over 25 gold is a bit burdensome.”

“No, huh. No, come on. This isn’t right. You’re trying to cut 15 gold for free? Is this right?”

“Why are you like this? We were talking nicely and then you hit me with 40 gold. I thought you were a good person.”

“If you thought I was a good person, don’t try to gently touch my conscience. And this one is worth that much because its performance is good. You have to pay 40 gold. I was going to ask for 45 gold but cut 5 gold because you might become a regular customer. This is too much.”

“No, what 40 gold? Anything over 25 gold doesn’t seem right.”

“No, why are you really like this. Fine. Just don’t buy it.”

This 40 gold doesn’t seem right.

I don’t have that much money to begin with.

My sense of money isn’t twisted enough to spend 40 gold just to take care of Olivia.

I absolutely can’t give 40 gold.

“Huh. Alright. Okay. Let’s do this.”

“What?”

“Wake this one up. After confirming whether it’s a virgin or not. If it’s a virgin, 30 gold. If not a virgin, 25 gold. You have a tool for identification, right? I know all slave shops have one.”

“You want me to take that out? No, before that, why did you cut 10 gold from 40?”

“Ah, I’m saying 30 is worth considering. Are you going to do it or not?”

“Haah. This is driving me crazy. 30 gold, huh. Hmmmm. Alright, I understand for now. Wait. I need to prepare.”

The slave merchant went into the office at the back, thinking he could sell the slime for 30 gold if it’s a virgin.

He’s probably going to bring that out.

‘A unicorn’s horn.’

One of the Labyrinth City’s specialties and an item that foreign nobles especially often seek.

Since the hymen isn’t like troll skin, it sometimes gets damaged when training or riding horses.

Especially in this world where there are many female knights and horses are a common means of transportation, virgins sometimes suffer hymen damage.

The unicorn’s horn is used to prove one’s purity and true virginity in such cases.

Since unicorns themselves spawn rarely even in the deep layers of the labyrinth, the price for one horn is enormous.

“Here, I brought it.”

“That’s genuine, right?”

“Can’t you tell by looking? Ah! Where are you trying to touch! Men can’t touch it with bare hands!”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Yes. You have to touch it wearing thick gloves like this to maintain its purity. If you touch it carelessly, it quickly turns black. Be careful.”

I got scolded for trying to touch it.

Indeed, men shouldn’t grab it with bare hands whether they’re virgins or not.

“I’m going to lightly hold it up to her. If she’s a virgin, there will be no reaction. If not a virgin, the horn will be hostile.”

“What happens if it’s hostile?”

“The horn trembles.”

“Huh. That’s interesting. But wait a moment.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Come to think of it, we don’t even know this one’s gender properly.”

“Ah!”

“What if it’s neither a virgin nor not a virgin, but a male virgin? If we hold it up and it turns black.. that’s a bigger loss than the slave price.”

“…We’ll have to wake her up first.”

Since it was a horn off-limits to men, we had no choice but to wake up the slime friend sleeping in the jar.

“Gurgle. Yes…?”

“Marine, what is your gender?”

“Me? Gurgle. What answer do you want?”

“No, this isn’t the time to joke about gender. Speak seriously. Are you female or male?”

“That’s…”

Marine, rolling her eyeballs in the jar, looked at my face for a moment and then opened her mouth hesitantly.

“Um.. I’m female..”

“That’s a relief. So you were female after all.”

“So she was female.”

“Gurgle. Is that the end of the questions?”

“No, we still have something to do. Marine, hold this.”

“Yes…? This is…”

“It’s a unicorn’s horn. You’re a virgin, right?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Then hold it.”

Marine, who had been constantly checking my reaction, soon held the unicorn’s horn.

“….!”

“Good. This is it!”

“Damn it.”

The horn showed no reaction.

It didn’t tremble, nor did it turn black.

Marine was a virgin.

No, how can an adult woman be a virgin?

Ah, Yuria and Lady Lea were virgins too.

Maybe this world has a higher virgin ratio than I thought.

There are quite a few humans who value virginity.

Maybe I’ve just been seeing promiscuous women all this time.

The world was wider than my narrow-minded thinking.

But it was a shame to admit it right away because of 5 gold.

“Hey. Isn’t that fake?”

“Hey. I told you not to touch it!”

“No, wait a moment. I can’t believe it. Let’s test it on that mosquito human from earlier.”

“Huh. You’re a very suspicious friend. As expected of an Easterner. Well, if that’s what it takes for you to believe, let’s do that.”

We approached the mosquito human.

As a result of making her hold the unicorn’s horn, the horn shook mercilessly and we were able to know that the mosquito human was not a virgin.

“It is genuine.”

“No, I told you it was real.”

“Alright, I understand. 30 gold. Haah. Okay. But I really only have 25 gold on hand. Can’t you put the remaining money on credit?”

I couldn’t spend more than 25 gold on a slave.

I need to prepare to enter the labyrinth too.

I can’t spend all the money I have.

I always need to have some spare funds.

“Are you willing to pay back with interest?”

“I’ll pay it back within 2 weeks, so can’t we do it without interest? I’ll come again if I have the chance later.”

“Two weeks later?”

“Yes. I’ll pay it back within 2 weeks. If I can’t pay it back, interest will start from then.”

Lady Lea’s family will give me compensation in a week.

I can pay the remaining money with that.

“Two weeks. Well, two weeks isn’t too bad. Alright. Let’s do that.”

After a dramatic agreement, I was able to bring in a second slave.

Marine, a cleaner cursed with slime.

‘How much could I earn if I use her properly?’

Marine was no different from living, moving bio-bleach.

And this world has many neighborhoods and restaurants with poor hygiene conditions.

‘Slimes for masturbation are sold with their aggressiveness removed, so they’re not suitable for cleaning. Detergents are quite expensive, so it’s burdensome to use them freely.’

But Marine is detergent and bleach that can be used freely.

If I take her on a tour of lodging facilities in the Labyrinth City, I think I could earn quite a bit?

Since she’ll just erase old stains or burnt marks stuck on the bottom of pots.

If used well, it seemed like it could be a good means of making money.