I Was Reincarnated Chapter 21
Bought Guys
When I return after I buying presents for the four, those guys tied up in chains are making bewildered expressions and standing stock still
(Speaking of, I didn't untie them)
They need to be untied to drink the tea, the spirits wearing handcuffs in particular would have difficulty drinking
"Chains, handcuffs, shackles, off"
With a kachan sound they were untied
I erased the things that fell on the ground
They are no longer necessary
"Ah, Shin-sama! Welcome back"
Just as Rau appeared from the door she started running, and tripped
The tea she was holding spilled and she had a nearly crying face
I approached her and ask if she's hurt, somehow it seems she's not hurt
The next to show their face is Rune
Even though his body should be in some pain he was carrying tea, so I took the tray from him
I pa.s.sed the tray to one of the elves I'd only just bought
It's fine to distribute as you like
I don't intend for them to be slaves, so I don't say their names
I intend to make Dea the mediator for these guys
At that moment Dea and Rona came out
I hand over presents
For Rona was tea to Rona's preference
And as a bonus were some seasonings
It seems he's more happy with the seasonings
For Dea was an antique book and dictionary
Dea who admitted that being surrounded by the knights was scary, tried to maintain his normal dignified bearing but couldn't seemed very cute
Even though he looks like a middle-aged man
For elves, knights are objects of fear
Although you could say the same for beastmen and spirits, due to my incomplete knowledge I've caused him an unnecessary increase in fear
I instinctively pat his head
Next, I pa.s.s Rau her present, a jeweled ribbon
Although it's more expensive that the other things, it doesn't really matter to me
Rune's present caused me the most trouble
Rune doesn't really seem to want anything, so I didn't know what I should buy
(Before, since the time he picked up the armor he's occasionally looked a sad, so would armor be good?)
However, something like that that covered the whole body is unnecessary
So, I made it
Something that won't cover his face that was light and easy to move in
Something that even if I hug him tightly it won't get in the way
Thinking so, the only thing that came to mind was a cloak
The color was light grey
I felt it couldn't be white
A white cloak, somehow seemed dull?
Since it has my magic power in it, no matter what kind of attack it won't go through
Although that may seem unbelievable, but actually just the divine protection on Rune's collar is plenty (to prevent damage)
He's afraid of that knight, but there's no way that guy can hurt Rune
He can't even be kidnapped
He can't be felt up either
Rune can stand up against any guys with malicious intent
Me embracing Rune increased the effect of my divine protection
So, not to say that he must not do it with others, but it's become he can't
Even if he meet some guy he likes, embracing or being embraced, he can't do either
Even just holding each other can't be done (TN:….…)
After petting Rune's head for a while and feeling healed, I spoke to those guys I've just bought
"I'm letting you all live here. Not as slaves, so there's no need to subordinate to me. Aside from flying demons, there should be no threats to your life. There are three rules here, don't kill anyone, don't discriminate by race, and don't touch my things. Any guy who violates them will be thrown into a demon king's castle"
As expected, you have to start off with telling the rules
Later if they started saying various complaints it would be annoying
—I don't feel like saying it though
Even if I say it, is it alright not to question it at all?
When I try to explain things, it seems they don't know what a faucet is
A bear beastman asks about it
I was told by Rune and the others that they got water from a river or well (before)
It seems that other villages were probably the same way
However explaining a faucet is troublesome
"Ah—…… Dea, explain it to them later"
I leave it to Dea
"Yes"
Seeing him nod, I return my line of sight (to the new people)
"If you don't want to live here, quickly escape now. I won't stop you"
For me, even it they escape it doesn't matter
If all of them decide to escape, although going to buy again is troublesome, there's no helping it
Since they were captured, their villages were all probably destroyed so they shouldn't have anywhere else they can go
"Eh, escape you say…..buying this many people, was there no meaning?"
Rune asks
Even though I already said that it was for me to waste time, his forgetfulness is so cute
"No, since choosing seemed troublesome, I just bought everyone"
When I told them so, they couldn't say anything to it and made complicated expressions
However, for me it's not like I'm interested in any of these guys, so I can't help but feel that no matter who it's all the same
"If there's anything insufficient or anything you want, then tell Dea"
There's no way I'll keep them company (to chat about and such)
I just want to watch them go about their normal everyday life, these guys I bought
I will sleep well, and not bother with them as individuals
It's best to hear about them as a group, it's good if it's not troublesome
Rune staggered again so I held him, and went into the castle
"Why did you not make them slaves?"
I heard a voice from within my arms
'Why didn't you subordinate them and give them divine protection?' is probably what he meant
"Even if I made them slaves I have nothing to make them do"
Well, aside from that there's one other reason though
I don't need anymore slaves, Rune and Rau along with Dea and Rona is plenty
And even they say they have too much free time
However, apart from that, I haven't investigated those guys' personality at all, and I just don't feel like letting such guys stay around me
If they're only someone I'm doing it with, then their personality isn't that important, but if I'm letting them live in the castle it's a different story
"From now on I'll probably make the ones I'm interested in slaves"
I'll subordinate them and give them divine protection
Within those, I wonder how many guys I'd do so for?
"Master, where are the farming tools?"
Dea runs up from behind
Speaking of which, I haven't brought any out
"Farming tools, come out"
The farming tools of this world are primitive
Like a hoe or a spade….
Since they are for fields for individuals just that much should be plenty
"Farming tools, to outside"
Since there are a lot of farming tools, it would be difficult for Dea to carry them alone
They are hurled outside by my magic
(There are seeds too, huh. Ah, also food)
How troublesome~
I set Rune down in a chair in the dining room and go with Dea to outside the castle
In front of a large quant.i.ty of farming tools, is everyone with bewildered faces
Exactly twenty one of them
It seems no one ran away
"Is there no one who wanted to leave?"
The gate is still shut so they might be thinking that they can't escape
However no one raised their hand
(So everyone will stay)
Well, it's not like I really care though
The seeds I bring out are the ones that Rune and the others are growing
This much variety should be sufficient
For the food, I once again bring it from another castle
As it appears one by one, they show shocked expressions
"……..could this be, magic?"
A female spirit says
Certainly, for a spirit, my magic must seem rather irresponsible
There's no spell, and I just put magic into the words
"Among humans there are people with a lot of magic power, but that hair color isn't a human's, human's should have blonde hair"
Just now was an elf
He has a younger appearance than Dea
Certainly, this world's humans normally have blonde hair and blue eyes
However among them there exist ones with different hair color as well
Such a guy, would be killed the moment he's born, or sold……
Even if he's left alive, he won't be able to live like the other humans of this world
As expected, elves would know about this since they are rich in higher knowledge
However, it's hard to say that I'm not human
After all, I was previously a human and I still have my memories of that time
"I am a demon G.o.d"
So I can only say it like this
"Demon G.o.d!? W,why has such an existence bought us? You don't need us for world conquest, right!?"
As expected, demon G.o.ds plan world conquest, confronts the hero and is killed is the only legend left around
Though, that wasn't a demon G.o.d but an evil demon that a demon G.o.d created
It seems the previous demon G.o.d didn't ever think about world conquest either
That's right
His lifespan was too long so something like conquest seemed uninteresting
At first it might seem good, but something like conquest is just destroying other races
Doing nothing but killing everyday, as expected you'd get tired of it
"That is not something a demon G.o.d desires, that is a lie that the humans perpetuated. Master does not desire anything like world conquest, if you just watch you'll understand, right?"
In place of me, Dea answers
For some reason he seems a bit angry
It seems he's angry for my sake
He's cute in a different way from Rune
I pat Dea's head and he looks up at me in surprise
Seeing Dea's reaction, I want to try teasing him
I hug him like I would with Rune
Doing so, he's amusingly fl.u.s.tered
Each of his reactions are amusing
However doing too much he might come to hate me, so I quickly let him go
"…if you won't subordinate us, why did you buy us? What do you want from us?"
At that time, I heard another voice
It's that huge bear beastman
His voice is deep and he's even taller than me
Most male beastmen are shorter than me
He's outside the norm
"I bought you because I want to see a village lifestyle, since there's no danger it's fine not to patrol"
Not just the beastmen, it seems elves and spirits patrol as well
Not just the men, but the women make relieved faces as well
It seems they finally feel at ease
"It's fine if we don't do anything special?"
It seems the bear still has doubts
"Aah (yea) as long as you follow the rules I won't do anything to you guys"
I won't make you a slave, or kill you……
If I'm interested in you then I'll probably just take you to live in the castle
"……I've been wondering about this the whole time, but why are you hiding your face?"
Speaking of which, I haven't shown these guys my face yet
"Veil, erase"
The veil was erased
"…..I thought perhaps your face was scarred"
For beastmen because of being raised in a harsh environment, they tend to be straightforward guys
"I won't grow older, so when I go to town I cover my face"
Everytime they see me I would have the same appearance after all
For now it's fine, but several decades from now, if hundreds of years pa.s.s and my appearance stays the same, as expected it would stand out
Well, if it gets too annoying it would be fine to just go to another country though
I have nothing more to say
Like that I returned to the castle
Let's sleep a bit
TN: Can't get with anyone else? What Rune doesn't know won't hurt him, I guess? Well, it'll probably be fine, Rune seems like the type to stay monogamous anyway and Shin seems to think everything Rune does is cute…
I'm a bit worried since this seems to be heading toward harem, but even if it is, it's too late, I'm already invested (Well maybe the author is just characterizing Shin and it's not foreshadowing)
Although I feel like Shin's (unemotional/not emotionally attached?) approach to s.e.x is wrong, but it matches his previous life's experiences and personality so I also feel like suddenly changing it (For Rune) would be even more wrong, story-wise, hopefully it will gradually change (also hopefully this won't go harem in a bad way)