I Bought a Girl Chapter 3

Chronon: Last chapter from this series tonight. Since someone very kindly donated some money to modern weapons, I’ll post the last chapter of that volume tonight.

Chapters like this are difficult to translate, but I wanted to get these ones out of the way so we can introduce one of the main characters!

_____

「Welcome. How many of you is there?」
「Oh, well, you see….」
「…?」
「I’m coming by introduction of Yos.h.i.+nori Takeda (Name of grandfather)」
「Oh, is that so? I’m sorry, please come with me」
「Thanks…」

The waiter behind the bar directs me inside the store.
I’ve just arrived at the place written on the note.
From the outset it looks just like an ordinary bar.
I only mentioned the name of my grandfather and was instantly told to come in. I guess what he said before was true.
I’m brought to a room that looks like an office.
There was only one slightly plump man inside. He looked like the owner according to his att.i.tude to the waiter.

「Please please. Sit over there」
「Well, excuse me」

It feels as if I’m here on some sort of interview.
As I sit on the sofa I was directed to, the man begins to speak once more.

「Is your grandfather doing well?」
「Yes. He’s doing fine」
「Yeah, well. There’s no way that person wouldn’t be healthy」

The man laughed out loud.
From his appearance, he seems like quite a frank person.

「Ah, you didn’t come here today for small talk, right? Shall we enter the main subject straight away?」

I felt a sharp pain in my spine.
Due to the charm shown by the man, I had completely forgotten where I was.

「Well, did you get a brief explanation from your grandfather?」
「Yes….you sell slaves…right?」
「If you understand it like that, it’s enough. It’s a little more detailed than that though」

The man placed a piece of paper on the desk, which I glanced at.
The slave’s names, ages, weights, genders and even backgrounds were written there.

「Which one?」

I heard the word and shuddered.
Can you really decide so easily? I had been told about this somewhat by grandfather, but do people really decide that quickly?
I didn’t fully believe him before, but now I don’t even doubt what he said.
My hand holding the paper trembles unconsciously.
Seeing this, the man breathed out a small breath.

「It looks as though you weren’t listening to your old man」
「…eh?」
「Well…remember that I’ve met your grandfather before?」
「Ha, yes」
「Your old man was saying『He’s a friendly child』that Masachika-kun」

Well grandfather probably said that. I’m just a mere hetare after all.

「That’s why he was hoping you would buy someone here」
「Ah, but, that….」
「When you hear the word slave, what kind of image do you come up with?」
「What kind?」
「Yes. Tell me what you think」
「Poor…..I see a poor image」
「Uh-huh. Then shall I tell you the reality of it?」
「The reality?」
「Most of the people coming here are here to buy s.e.x slaves or to buy slaves to do hard servile work, some are even smuggled elsewhere」

Are you serious?
I couldn’t say a word. Words just wouldn’t come out of my mouth.
To think that such a thing is occurring in j.a.pan….
In terms of anime, this would be the point where the main character realises that『The impossible has become possible』.

「So try and changed your way of thinking. You said when you thought of slaves, you had a poor image. But if that’s the case, can you tell the difference between a child in an orphanage and a slave child?」
「…no」
「The main difference between the two is that a child in an orphanage has either lost their parents or been left by them. A slave child has literally been “betrayed” by their parents and sold. Changed from being a person to being money. They would become tools from such a young age」

Tool…
I think I can understand grandfathers aim.

「In other words. Grandfather wants me to buy a child and raise them to prevent them from becoming a tool?」
「Uh? Well it depends. If you like you can torture them and neglect them. Or you can raise them and give them affection. The choice is up to you 」

Is this why grandfather always used to say『Grow into a gentleman』?

Then.
I’ll buy someone.
I’d like to buy someone in order to respect grandfather’s feelings.
I also want to grow as a human being and as a man.

「Oh? It seems that you’re ready」
「…yes」
「Then, who have you chosen?」

The man asks the same question he did in the beginning.
I hear the question and eye the paper one more time.
There are various things written.
I also noticed some figures written down.

「What are these numbers? 20 and 30」
「Well, that’s the price. This is a business you know? 1 is equal to 10,000,000 yen」

So in other words, 30 is 300,000,000 yen?

「Oh, um…」
「Uh. So you’re surprised after all. Have you checked who it is?」
「Who it is….」

Different slaves have different prices. Isn’t it wrong to judge a person on their price?

「Would you like me to help?」
「How?」
「Amongst these, which child is the most pitiful?」
「Pitiful…..well, this child? She’s pitiful to some degree」

「Then, buy that child」

The man seems to have decided for me.
Someone as indecisive as me probably wouldn’t have chosen anybody, so I’m thankful.

「Thank you very much. We’ll collect her so please wait a moment」

He said so and opened the back door before disappearing.

「Haaa….」

My fatigue came quickly and I sank down into the sofa.
What do I do now…
I was pretty much forced to choose this one. Just what was grandfather thinking?

10 minutes later.

The man returns and opens the door.
A small girl was standing next to the man.