-Recap of previous chapters-
Just three men.
"Nice to meet you... I'm Fitz."
When Senior Fitz met Zanoba face to face, they were a little nervous.
You'd think a senior would carry themselves with more confidence...
But then again, being shy around people really was a thing.
Zanoba stepped forward with a flourish.
"I am Zanoba of the Kingdom of Siluone, Third Prince!"
At his pompous display, I kicked his knee and folded him right down.
I'm not one to harp on hierarchy.
But when meeting a senior for the first time, you ought to bow a little lower.
"Zanoba, it was Senior Fitz who proposed this arrangement. Show proper respect."
At my words, Zanoba bent at the waist in a bow.
"Understood, Master... It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Zanoba of the Kingdom of Siluone, Third Prince. I look forward to your favorable regard."
"N-no, it's fine, really. Please don't bow to someone of the royal family like that."
Senior Fitz waved both hands dismissively and took cover behind me.
Zanoba, seeing this, stared wide-eyed.
Senior Fitz really was a gap between appearance, rumors, and behavior.
They were called "Silent Fitz," feared as a Chantless magician...
Wore sunglasses and looked a little... well, but talking to them revealed someone age-appropriate.
A good senior who looked after their juniors.
"Now then, since introductions are done, shall we go?"
At my signal, the two of them started walking.
--- The slave market existed in the commercial district.
Slave trading was only practiced in small amounts across the southern Central Continent and the Millis Continent.
But here in the northern lands, things were different.
In this region, slave trading was fully legalized and even encouraged in nearly every country.
The slave industry was one of the major commercial enterprises of the northern Central Continent.
Countries couldn't function without it.
People became slaves for various reasons.
Children orphaned by war.
Families who couldn't make ends meet due to crop failure and had to sell their children.
Those who sold themselves to save their family.
There were even rumors that slave ranches existed in the dark underbelly of the Thieves Guild.
The "Three Great Magic Nations," including the
But venture further east, and you'd find numerous impoverished villages that regularly sold their children to slave traders.
Such slaves were purchased by warrior bands and mercenary companies in the northern lands, or by nations themselves, and sometimes used as disposable war slaves.
Some slave traders had connections with the
A portion of slaves with beautiful appearances or exceptional abilities were sold off to the Asura Kingdom.
The Asura Kingdom was a land untouched by poverty.
Even the poorest never went hungry.
A slave who could go there was one of the lucky ones.
Though I suppose becoming a slave in the first place meant you'd already lost.
Additionally, northern slaves were known for being tough and capable, so buyers from other countries came specifically to purchase them.
When humans were being sold, there were plenty of buyers.
"This is the place."
I had actually gathered information in advance at the Adventurers Guild.
In a city this large, there were multiple slave markets.
Five, in this city.
And even among those five, quality varied.
There was one place that people specifically told you to absolutely avoid.
An untrustworthy market that would nonchalantly try to sell you slaves on the verge of death from illness.
Well, even such places occasionally had hidden gems, but hidden gems weren't something a beginner like me would be able to spot.
So we headed to a market suited for beginners with money.
"Hmm, quite different from those in my homeland."
Zanoba nodded with interest.
The slave market looked like an ordinary building at first glance.
A structure made of earth and stone, common in this area.
By this world's architectural standards, it was on the large side.
Three such buildings stood in a row.
Above the entrance door, it read "Rium Trading Company — Slave Sales Division."
A fire burned at the entrance, and a man in leather armor over cold-weather gear stood guard.
Bearded, but didn't look particularly threatening.
...Maybe after two years as an adventurer, I'd gotten used to that kind of look.
Back in the day, I'd have had a different impression.
"It's inside, not outside...?"
Senior Fitz's surprised voice.
In the northern lands, slave markets were often held indoors.
The reason was simple.
"Let's go inside."
When we entered, a wave of humid heat enveloped us.
Fires were burning everywhere inside the building.
And on about eight raised platforms, naked slaves were laid out on display.
The reason they didn't hold them outside was, simply put, the cold.
Slaves would catch cold.
Though the place people told us to avoid apparently did hold theirs outside.
"Hmm, there are quite a few sales floors. Master, what shall we do?"
"This is my first time buying too, so let's just look around casually."
We started walking at random.
All eight sales floors belonged to slave traders under the Rium Trading Company.
Slaves gathered from various locations—or purchased—were lined up and offered for sale.
Once all the merchandise was sold, or a designated time elapsed, they'd swap with someone else.
It was quite a bustle, with crowds gathered near every sales floor.
Clothing varied widely—from adventurer types like me, to aristocratic-looking ones like Zanoba and Senior Fitz, to merchants, townsfolk, commoners, and students.
Some were probably merchants intending to resell.
Away from the sales floors, there were people who'd already purchased slaves, chatting with each other.
Those in shabby clothes were probably pickpockets.
No, I doubted pickpockets could infiltrate this guarded market.
Maybe they were other slaves sent by their masters to buy new ones.
That said, I tightened my grip on the gold coin purse beneath my robe.
I was holding the funds for today's slave purchases.
If something got stolen, we'd be in real trouble.
"U-uh, oh my... they really are all naked..."
Senior Fitz stared at the sales floors, eyes wide with shock.
Their face was bright red.
Hard to tell under the cloak, but they seemed to be standing with knees together, fidgeting.
"Th-they're so big... they look like that..."
Following their gaze, I saw a warrior-type slave being presented as a star attraction.
Men and women, every single one was built like a mountain of muscle.
The female warrior in the center was particularly nice.
Big.
Not just in height, but that bust was drool-worthy.
You'd think something that large would be a hindrance in combat, but in this world, apparently it wasn't a problem—something I'd learned from
"Senior, is this your first time at a slave market?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah..."
Senior Fitz scratched behind one ear while awkwardly pulling their cloak together in front with the other hand.
Worried about their position, probably.
A perfectly otaku-like response.
I'd been through that phase too.
Was I still now?
Well, now it was for a different reason.
"R-
Senior Fitz was a senior but apparently still inexperienced.
That thought made me want to gloat a little, but I'd only done it once and the partner had escaped on me.
Nothing to brag about.
Still, going through that experience had helped me calm down a bit.
Too calm, in fact—it was becoming a problem!
"Once you gain some experience, Senior, you'll probably get used to it too."
"R-really? Wait, Rudeus-kun, you have experience...?"
Senior Fitz seemed a little deflated.
Young, truly young.
"Master, there's no need for warriors. What we're looking for is a dexterous race that can use magic."
Zanoba, for his part, tilted his chin as if to say he had zero interest in such things.
This guy apparently had no interest in women whatsoever.
He had been married before, so it wasn't like he had absolutely no sexual drive, though.
"A dexterous race... so the Coal Mining Race, I suppose?"
"Indeed. A Coal Mining Race member who can use Earth Magic would be ideal. Although, I don't think we need to be fixated on a particular race."
As we talked, we surveyed the sales floors.
Even in a slave market this large, Coal Mining Race slaves were rare.
Most slaves had combat ability, so finding ones with dexterous hands was nearly impossible.
"Um, if Rudeus-kun is going to teach magic, I think a young child who can't use magic would be better."
Senior Fitz offered advice.
"Why is that?"
"Chantless magic is easier to learn when you're young."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yeah. By the time you're around ten, it's almost impossible to learn."
Is that right?
Come to think of it,
Could age have been a factor?
"Does age really make that much of a difference?"
"Yeah. It's based on my own experience, Master's knowledge, and what my school teachers said, so I might be wrong but...
Oh, also, if you start using magic around age five, your total mana capacity explodes with growth.
If you're going to make dolls using Rudeus-kun's method, more mana is better, right?"
Starting magic around age five causes explosive mana growth.
I'd once theorized something similar, but this was the first time I'd heard it from someone else.
"In this world, people say total mana capacity is set from birth, right?"
"That's a mistake. It is written in textbooks that way, but that's because growth mostly stops after ten, so people got the wrong idea."
I see. Start magic young, and it explodes with growth.
That would explain why my mana capacity was so high—I'd been using magic since I was two or three.
And Senior Fitz, who spoke from personal experience, probably had a tremendous mana capacity as well.
"Senior Fitz, you've been using magic since you were little too, then?"
"Yeah. Well... a long time ago, I was helped by a teacher, and I asked them to teach me."
"Oh really?"
They'd probably been attacked by monsters or something in the forest.
Actually, for a young child, kidnapping was more likely.
Kidnapping was booming in this world, after all.
Without those sunglasses, Senior Fitz would be a beautiful young boy—no wonder they'd be targeted.
"And this teacher of yours knew Chantless magic?"
"Yeah. An incredible person. I still respect them to this day."
"Is that so? I'd love to meet them myself."
Someone who could teach Chantless magic.
If I could meet them, maybe my own magic skills would improve.
Either way, there had to be something I could gain.
That was what I thought, but Senior Fitz smiled wryly.
"Um, that's probably not possible..."
"I see. Because they're a VIP, perhaps?"
Senior Fitz was a royal guard.
Maybe they were a court magician or something.
Got lucky and was helped by a court magician somewhere, leveraged that connection to become their disciple.
Then grew stronger and became a royal bodyguard.
Something like that.
An Asura Kingdom court magician would surely know Chantless magic.
"A VIP... not exactly, but, um, they're from the Fittoa Region."
"Ah..."
Caught up in the Teleportation Incident, perhaps?
And now their location was unknown.
"Well... I hope they're alive."
"They are alive. They've already been found."
Come to think of it, wasn't that why Senior Fitz had started researching the Teleportation Incident—to find someone they knew?
And recently they'd been found...
"Huh? Then why can't I meet them?"
"Hehe... that's a secret."
Senior Fitz smiled coyly.
...Why did that smile make my heart race?
I could fall for a 2D trap, but I definitely wasn't gay...
Could this be some kind of aggressive therapy?
--- Following Senior Fitz's advice, we searched for a slave.
Around five years old (younger than that and they might not understand language), Coal Mining Race (in case of emergency, I'd use the method of sculpting from clay, so dexterous hands were a plus), and a cute girl (my preference).
"A girl? I don't really mind either way, but Master, aren't you getting your priorities mixed up?"
"Rudeus-kun..."
As I listed my conditions one by one, the last one drew critical stares from both of them.
"Huh?"
I'd thought being surrounded by guys would actually win me agreement.
Well, maybe they weren't that kind of crowd.
Elinariel might have agreed with me.
She might even have suggested a cute boy instead.
Seemed like she'd recently awakened to a certain preference.
"However, at five years old, we can't expect much education. They might not even understand the language.
If they only speak Beast God Language, teaching them magic would be out of the question."
"I can speak Beast God Language too, so I'd handle their education in that case."
"Master can speak Beast God Language as well? Impressive."
"Hmph, well, yes."
At Zanoba's admiration, I puffed out my chest proudly.
I was multilingual, after all.
I'd even taught a five-year-old before.
Come to think of it, how was Sylphie doing?
Just looking at Elinariel and Senior Fitz, the Long Ear Race had features that were exactly to my taste—or rather, to the taste of a Japanese person from the fantasy generation.
A lineup of delicate, beautiful men and women.
Sylphie was the same age as me, so she'd be fifteen now.
She must have become quite beautiful.
I'd probably hear rumors about her somewhere, and I'd recognize her immediately.
I never heard any, though...
Where was she now, I wondered?
"Anyway, we've settled on the conditions, so let's talk to a merchant."
I moved to the area marked "Consultation Desk."
The man at reception was a muscular guy with a slicked-back bald head and a mustache.
He looked puzzled when he saw Senior Fitz and me, but nodded in understanding when he saw Zanoba.
"Um, excuse me, actually we're looking for..."
The muscular guy ignored me and spoke to Zanoba behind me.
"Well, hey there, brother. Welcome.
What are you looking for?
A warrior for guard duty? We've even got someone who can teach sword skills right now.
There are mages too, though you'd be better off going to the magic university.
Or maybe you're interested in... other services?
No no, don't give me that look. You don't exactly look like a ladies' man.
We've got a plump twenty-something in the back. Former prostitute, so she's got skills in every department.
Of course, she's disease-free, no complai—GAAAH!"
And then Zanoba had him in an Iron Claw, lifting him up.
"Don't ignore my Master. I'll rip out that wagging tongue of yours and split your jaw."
"H-hey! What do you think you're doing?!"
The guards nearby immediately moved to restrain Zanoba, but he didn't budge.
He merely gave his body a slight shake and sent them flying.
Well, he was high-powered after all.
A scrawny, otaku-looking guy tossing around burly guards.
Surreal.
Was this the power of a saint?
Was raw strength the ultimate power?
Oh wait, now wasn't the time to spectate.
"No! Zanoba, stop! Down!"
"Yes, sir!"
At my shout, Zanoba released his grip.
The sudden halt caught the guards off guard too.
I turned to the guards and bowed.
"I'm terribly sorry. He just got a little excited."
"No, it's fine... but try to keep him from causing a scene, yeah? Next time I'm drawing my sword."
They let us off easy enough.
The fear in their eyes was subtle, but I chose to ignore it.
No point poking at that sore spot.
What surprised me was that the moment Zanoba was grabbed, Senior Fitz had stepped in front of me with staff raised.
An extremely fast reaction.
Truly worthy of being a royal bodyguard.
Or maybe I was just useless.
Though really, there weren't enemies worth that level of vigilance around here...
The guards here, in adventurer terms, were C-rank at best, maybe B on a good day.
Oh well, let's continue.
"We're looking for a Coal Mining Race child around five years old."
I spoke to the muscular guy again.
"A five-year-old...?"
The muscular guy grew nervous, his eyes darting to a catalog-like document in his hands.
He flipped through pages rapidly, squinting.
"The Coal Mining Race is rare around here to begin with, and at five years old..."
As I suspected, the conditions were tough.
The Coal Mining Race were primarily inhabitants of the Millis Continent.
Unless they'd been kidnapped, they wouldn't end up in this area.
"For a race with dexterous hands, it doesn't have to be the Coal Mining Race specifically.
Ideally young, but I won't be too picky..."
"Oh, here—there's one."
The muscular guy tapped a section of his catalog.
"Coal Mining Race, six-year-old girl. Whole family enslaved due to parental debt. Health is a bit poor—malnourished, but feed her and she'll bounce right back. Can't speak Human Language—obviously, at six—and can't read either."
"I see. What about the parents?"
"Both parents have already been sold off."
I'd heard in bars during my adventurer days that some among the Coal Mining Race believed they could get by as long as they had mountains.
Leaving the Millis Continent to work in the Red Dragon Mountain Range was fine, but some would get confused and head too far north, ending up unable to enter the mountains and completely stuck.
To drag your family into it too—worst parent of the year award, right there.
"Well, let's go meet her, shall we?"
--- At the muscular guy's call, after a short wait, a merchant appeared.
A dark-skinned man.
Not just a tan, presumably.
Probably from the Begaritt Continent, or one of his parents was.
Slightly overweight and drenched in sweat.
He kept dabbing at himself with a cloth draped over his shoulder, but the cloth was soaked through too.
The smell of sweat wafted over, but the market was hot, so there was nothing for it.
I'd removed my robe earlier, and Zanoba had taken off his cloak.
Only Senior Fitz maintained their usual appearance, looking cool.
Face bright red, though—for a different reason.
"Good day. I'm Febriite, branch manager of the Domemi Shop, under the Rium Trading Company."
The merchant introduced himself.
He extended his hand toward Zanoba.
Zanoba's hand reached toward the merchant's...
face, so I forcefully grabbed Febriite's hand and shook it.
"Good day. Rudeus of the Swamp."
Intentionally introducing myself that way, Febriite looked momentarily confused, but quickly broke into a grin.
"Oh, you're Rudeus of the Swamp! I've heard of you—you took down a stray dragon before winter set in, yes?"
"Just lucky. The dragon was weakened, too."
A-rank adventurer Rudeus of the Swamp—the name was at least somewhat known in this area.
It hadn't been for nothing that I'd worked to build my reputation.
"So today you're looking for a Coal Mining Race member...?"
Febriite glanced between Zanoba and Senior Fitz.
"Yes, these two are funding me to start a business. I'm looking for someone young enough to have skills drilled into them from an early age."
I said something suitably vague.
Not a lie.
"I see, well... I wouldn't call this an ideal item, but... anyway, please take a look. This way."
Following Febriite, we moved from the back of the market into the adjacent building.
To the slave warehouse.
Warehouse was generous—they were just iron-barred cells with pulleys, each containing one or two slaves.
Each cell was roughly the size of a single tatami mat.
Before display, they'd probably be washed and oiled to look presentable, but right now the smell was acrid and harsh.
Inside, some children were sniffling and crying, while others glared at us with murderous intent.
In the warehouse, we could see several other people doing direct business with the shop staff, like us.
Febriite walked smoothly between the iron-barred cells.
He called out to someone standing in the aisle.
A subordinate, perhaps.
Deeper in.
He stopped in front of one cell.
Inside, a girl with hollow eyes sat hugging her knees.
"This one here. ...Hey, get her out."
"Right."
Febriite's subordinate nodded, opened the iron bars, and dragged the child out.
A child fitted with an iron collar and shackles.
A skeletal body concealed by a meager rag of clothing.
Her hair was a reddish-orange, perhaps.
Matted, with white strands mixed in.
Her complexion was poor.
She hugged her body, trembling—tchk, tchk, tchk.
This area deep in the warehouse was somewhat cold.
Her gaze, directed at us, was completely vacant.
It was painful to look at.
Febriite's subordinate, indifferent to all this, casually stripped away the girl's rag.
Her skeletal, malnourished body was fully exposed—the kind of image that belonged in a Pulitzer Prize–winning photograph.
Seeing this, Senior Fitz grimaced.
"Rudeus-kun..."
Rest assured.
Even I wasn't aroused by this sort of thing.
What surged up was the desire to buy her quickly, feed her, and put her in a warm bath.
But the girl's eyes troubled me.
That vacant look.
I'd seen it somewhere before.
"As you can see, Coal Mining Race. A child. Six years old, so no skills to speak of.
Both parents were Coal Mining Race. Father was a blacksmith, mother made accessories.
As for dexterity, I'd expect it if it's in the blood.
However, she only understands Beast God Language.
We didn't expect her to sell, so her health hasn't been well taken care of.
We can offer a discount for that."
Senior Fitz, wearing a difficult expression, approached the girl and touched her cheek.
After a few seconds, the girl's complexion seemed to improve somewhat.
What had they done?
"Naturally, she is a virgin.
There's no concern of disease, but as you can see, she may be somewhat sickly.
We'll administer a detoxification treatment upon purchase, but..."
Senior Fitz was looking at the girl with the eyes of someone who wanted to rescue an abandoned puppy.
She did match our conditions, so I was going to buy her regardless.
'Hello, young lady.' I crouched down and spoke in Beast God Language.
First, an interview.
'I'm Rudeus. What's your name?' '.........' 'Actually, there's something we'd like you to do for us.' '.........' 'Um...' The girl just stared at me with those vacant eyes, saying nothing.
Febriite's subordinate reached for the whip at his waist, but I stopped him with a hand gesture.
"Master, what's wrong?"
"She's pretty far gone. Those are the eyes of someone with no hope, no anything—who wants to die."
"...Master, you've seen someone like that before?"
"A long time ago. Many times."
Zanoba and Senior Fitz wore strained expressions.
Well, maybe I shouldn't bring up too much from my past life.
Nothing good ever came of it.
I stared at the girl for a while.
Those familiar eyes.
In my past life, I'd had eyes like that too.
Let's see... probably after I'd turned twenty.
No education, no prospects, no part-time work experience.
Just thinking, from now on, I'd simply eat, shit, and keep living.
That was the look in my eyes back then.
Looking back now, the me of those days still could have done something.
But I'd despaired at my situation and thrown everything away.
A few years later, I'd resigned myself to being a NEET and developed an even worse expression.
But back then... yeah, I'd had no hope at all.
I wanted to die.
'Do you want to die now?' '.........' 'It's the kind of thing where you feel helpless. I know how you feel.' '.........' The girl's eyes slowly locked onto mine.
'If you want, I could put an end to it for you?' I meant it.
The tone was casual, I think.
I'd genuinely wanted to die at one point.
But I didn't die then, and went on to live the rest of my life in a half-assed way.
A long, long period of regret.
I couldn't save this girl's life.
Of course, I could buy her here, give her work.
I could buy her clothes, feed her, say kind words to her.
But I knew full well that wasn't salvation.
Being forced to do things you didn't want to do was never salvation.
If anything, it would have been better to end things for her.
If, like me, she could walk a different life after death.
Throw away this life and start fresh in a new one.
There were definitely people like that.
"Just try your hardest" was empty encouragement.
Whether this girl was that kind of person, I didn't know.
From my eyes, she still had plenty of fight left.
She was young—or rather, small—and depending on how hard she worked from here, anything was possible.
But being told that hadn't helped me.
I was an idiot right up until death.
It was up to the individual.
And I wasn't the one to decide.
'.........' 'Say something.' The girl didn't move a muscle.
But slowly, she parted her cracked lips.
'—I don't want to die.' The girl murmured.
A faint voice.
A negative answer, but fine. That was enough.
I'd been the same way. It was enough.
Not "I want to live"—that wasn't necessary.
"I don't want to die" was enough for now.
"I'll buy her."
I threw the robe I was holding over her.
Used magic to create warm air and heat her body, then recited a detoxification spell.
Healing Magic wouldn't restore stamina, so I'd feed her later.
"Febriite, how much?"
One Asura Large Copper Coin.
That was her price.
--- After purchasing her, we washed the girl at the cleaning area in the corner of the slave market.
Then we bought clothes and other necessities for her in the commercial district.
We ducked into a suitable café.
Not a restaurant.
A café with a nice atmosphere.
If it were just me, this was exactly the kind of place I'd avoid.
It was Senior Fitz who'd chosen it.
A place like this suited Senior Fitz, so that was fine.
But it made me feel out of place and restless.
Zanoba, being royalty or what have you, was perfectly composed.
The girl we'd just bought was shoveling food into her mouth with single-minded focus.
I was the only one fidgeting awkwardly.
Senior Fitz seemed to be in a good mood.
"Good for you," they said while stroking the girl's head.
"Oh, Rudeus-kun, what's this child's name?"
Asked that, I realized I still hadn't asked for her name.
Febriite hadn't told me either.
'Hey, what's your name?' The girl looked at my face with a puzzled expression.
'...Name?' Huh?
Was my Beast God Language not coming across well?
It had been about three years since I'd last used it, but it had worked fine in the Great Forest.
Maybe back in the Daldia village, they'd been looking at me the way people in Tokyo looked at Michael—an American who claimed to be fluent in Japanese.
No, that couldn't be...
It shouldn't have been that different from how Luigeldo had spoken.
'Um, what were you called?' '...Son of Holy Iron Bazal and Beautiful Snow-Ridge Liliteira.' Not getting anywhere, I relayed her words to Senior Fitz as-is.
"Oh, I see," he said, nodding with a knowledgeable look.
"The Coal Mining Race don't receive an official name until they turn seven."
"An official name?"
"Right. Until they're seven, Coal Mining Race children don't get names. When they turn seven, they receive a name based on something they admire, something they aspire to, or something they're good at."
So that was how it worked.
Senior Fitz really was well-informed.
"I see. It must be inconvenient without a name."
"Her parents are gone, so we'll have to name her ourselves."
Indeed.
'We're going to decide your name now. Any preferences?' I asked her directly, but she just tilted her head.
Was I really going to be able to make figures with someone like this?
I was starting to worry.
"She's a girl, so let's give her a cute name."
Senior Fitz said something utterly girlish.
That actually made me want to give her a fierce name instead.
No, no.
"Zanoba, what do you think?"
At my words, Zanoba turned to face me.
"Hmm? I may decide?"
"I'm not the one putting up the money."
"Then... Julius."
Zanoba said it quietly.
No hesitation.
"That's a boy's name, isn't it?"
"Yes. It was the name of a poor younger brother I once killed by mistake."
I must have made a strange face.
Senior Fitz looked confused, not understanding the reference.
"She'll be staying in my room, correct?
Then I'd prefer a name that feels familiar to me."
The girl was indeed set to live with Zanoba.
His room, designated for royalty, was spacious enough.
If I got permission, I could house her in my room too, but the royals had an easier time getting approvals.
So while my room was fine, the original plan had been to keep her with Zanoba, who had the money.
Though if she didn't understand language, my room would work too.
Or I could stay over at Zanoba's.
"If you feel strongly about it, I'm fine with that, but since she's a girl, how about we at least make it Juliet?"
"That works for me. Let's call her Juliet."
"Juli...et. Hehe, nice name."
Senior Fitz laughed happily, apparently amused by something.
At that age, everything was funny, wasn't it?
With the decision made, we informed the girl.
'From today, your name is Juliet.' 'Juli...?' 'Juliet.' 'Juli.' She said it and gave an awkward smile.
She only remembered "Juli," but that was fine.
--- And so, Juliet—aka Juli—came to be in Zanoba's care.
She was taught various things by those around her, and she followed close behind the perpetually sloppy Zanoba, helping and supporting him.
At night, she'd study Human Language and Chantless magic with me.
Before bed, she'd sit through Zanoba's lectures on figures, absorbing them relentlessly—brainwash... education.
That was the labor she performed.
Incidentally, we decided to have Zanoba continue his training of carefully moving his fingertips.
He'd probably want to make one himself someday.
--- Our figure project, Zanoba's and mine, began to inch forward from here.
And the first signs of my true objective being achieved were still nowhere in sight.