In the following weeks I still manage to burn through my savings either by getting the shop up and running or by researching potion making. I got plenty of lesser potions to sell, and even some medium strength potions to sell. By medium strength potions I mean potions with mid level regeneration of my regeneration skill. Most are level 5 but a couple are level 6. I should be able to recoup some of my expenses if they sell, but the main benefit is what I have learned regarding potion making.
All parts of the process influences the quality of the potion, and I think I have manage to find the optimal combination of herbs and plants to stimulate the healing effect. The regeneration effect of the potion which is similar to my skill seems to mostly depend on the magic side of the process, but I don't know enough about healing magic or magic in general to get any further in my research. With the medium strength potions I can now make I should be able to make a tidy profit, but if I improve my magic, I should be able to reach the strength of the high level potion I bought.
I really should go on that wyvern culling mission in the south. Should have some time before then. Pia is proving very helpful around the shop, but Lawra is clearly in charge. Pia does not seem to mind, but behind her constant smile, I can't help be feel something is bothering her. I haven't seen any of my wives be overly harsh with her, but they make it very clear that she is at the bottom of the pecking order. Though I am not too happy about them treating her like a lesser person, I am not sure I am in a position to correct them.
One morning I find myself alone with Kira walking from the farm to the shop in town. She is the de facto leader of my wives, though she always shows consideration to Mari before herself. They really did take the order I married them serious. "Kira, do you ever wonder about my past and why I am a bit different?" Seems like a fair question. It should be obvious to her by now that my values are different than what is common.
"Didn't you say you had a mysterious background?" Did I say that? I seem to remember saying that I had a lot secrets, and that my background was one of them. Does that make me mysterious? I wasn't trying to be. "Well, I just want you to know a bit more about how I look at things, because to me a lot in this world is very different than what I am used to." That seemed to get Kira's attention. She clearly wants to know more about my past.
"The place I originally come from is actually quite peaceful." Well I guess that is relative depending on where in my old world you go. "My upbringing was peaceful at least. I did not have to fear hunger or danger to life and limb. It was a much kinder world than this. One thing in particular is very different and that is how people view slavery. In my world slavery itself is considered evil." Kira looks at me with interest, but she does not seem to understand.
"Why is slavery evil?" Even though I kind of expected her question, it still surprises me. "The idea that one human can own another is abominable to the people that I grew up with." Kira still does not seem to get it. "So you value freedom above all else." She does get it. "What do people do with that freedom? Do they make good use of it?" This isn't going anywhere. The truth is I know how many people make bad decisions, and generally make a mess out of their lives with that freedom, but that is also irrelevant with the values I grew up with.
"How do you feel about the fact that only women are slave, and no men are?" There is no way she can defend that. It is clearly a result of men with power not wanting to see other men enslaved. "If men do anything wrong that is serious enough, they are executed, women on the other hand are enslaved. If they are lucky they get a good master and can still have a good life. Many women sell themselves into slavery rather than starve to death. To me the men got the worse deal." Well I sort of get where she is coming from, but it is more complicated than that.
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"Is there anything about slavery that you don't like?" There must be some common ground. "Similar to Lawra I do not like that a father can sell his daughter into slavery if he pleases. However, any daughter old enough to make the decision to sell herself into slavery to save her family is doing a noble thing." Finally something we can agree on. How did this almost turn into an argument? I wanted to probe her about how Pia is treated.
"Why did you start this conversation?" Kira reads my mind again. "The reason I brought this up is because of Pia. She seems unhappy, and I know you have different views about slavery than me, so I just wanted to find out what is making her unhappy." At this Kira bursts out laughing. "You think she is unhappy because of how me and the others are treating her? You should ask her yourself, with the slave mark she will tell you the undiluted truth." Why didn't I think of that? Even if she feared repercussions for saying the truth, the slave mark would force her to tell the truth regardless, but why is Kira finding this so funny?
As we approach the shop I ask Kira one more related question. "You mentioned that women who starve sell themselves into slavery, what do men do when they are desperate?" Kira looks at me like I am asking a dumb question, but instead of giving me a hard time, she tells me the answer. "If they are starving and they don't resort to crime, they join some lords army to become meat for the next meaningless battle fought at the lords whim."
What about the ones too injured to fight? And why haven't I seen a single beggar? My thoughts are interrupted by Lawra and Pia joining us. We are making the final preparations to open the shop. Mostly marketing and raising awareness of its new ownership. I tried to apply some modern marketing techniques, but ultimately local knowledge wins. A lot of people can't read so shops use signs, pictures and a set of symbols to communicate their services and products.
The shop has been renamed The Hunters Emporium. Under the bow and arrow sign is association mark of The Guild. Having the mark is a status sign for any shop, and provides protection from criminals, as no one wants to mess with The Guild's own. It took a few days to get the authorization for the mark from the Guild even with the owner being an active hunter. As long as I have the favor of The Guild the shop can keep the sign.
Later in the day I manage to catch Pia on her own, and decide the time is right to follow Kira's advice. "I have noticed you seem troubled lately. I want you to tell me the truth no matter how inconvenient it is. Why are you troubled?" At first Pia seems stunned, and her mouth start talking before her body relaxes. "I don't want you to think I am ungrateful for how well I have been treated. I even get the same food as everyone else, and I never get beaten. The other girls are nice to me even though I am the only slave. They feel to me more like older sisters than masters."
I guess I owe Kira an apology, it seems like the girls have treated her nicer than normal for my sake, but I just didn't notice. But then how would I know? "So what is troubling you?" "Well you called me Pretty Pia and then you just left it at that. You never once took me to bed. You shouldn't lead a girl on like that." The last part is said with an uncanny sass I did not expect from Pia, but even as I sense her tone is true to her emotions, her body language is telling me that she is fearful of what I might think of her unveiled thoughts.
I should have realized that a slave will not take imitative, and my passive approach is what led her to be troubled. It still is a bit eerie for me as I am very much in a position of authority and control over her. It would be scarily easy to order her to do anything I feel like. Not sure if I trust myself with that power.
Putting on my most apologetic smile I finally make up my mind. "Well from now on I would like you to be open and honest about your feelings, though you should probably consult my wives before crawling into my bed. I think they got a rota going that I frequently upset with my own actions. Just know that I will not kick you out of my bed if you really feel like staying."