Chapter 433: A Difficult Choice
"U-Um... but I... my legs—"
"Not a chance. You just want to trick us and hurt us, don’t you?"
The older sister cut him off sharply, but Qiong Xing had already expected that kind of reaction, so he was not particularly bothered.
"There is something else I would like to ask of you. Don’t worry, there are plenty of jobs that can be done even without strength."
What he mainly had in mind was handicrafts.
To be honest, Qiong Xing himself was not good at sewing, and he could not really teach it.
Since the children were still growing and often played rough, someone who could mend torn or damaged clothes would be greatly appreciated.
"I’m not capable of it myself, but the old lady would be able to teach you. So what do you think?"
It was foolish to call someone useless just because their legs were weak.
Beastmen were valued for their strength, yes, but that did not mean they had nothing else to offer.
Strength alone was not everything; they were still capable of everything humans could do, which made them highly capable.
"As for you, I would like you to help take care of the old lady. She is getting on in age, and her legs and back hurt, so it would be helpful if you could assist her if she ever falls or struggles."
"Why don’t you just do that yourself?"
"If we were living together, I would. But that is difficult for now. Most of the others are still children who haven’t fully grown, so they can’t support her properly. ...So, what do you think?"
He continued to respect their opinions above all else.
He did not like forcing people to do things they did not want to do, and he did not believe good results would come from orders given under coercion.
"Your sister’s condition would also worsen if she stayed here like this, wouldn’t it? If she eats warm meals in a comfortable room and builds up her strength, it may not cure her, but it might at least improve her condition."
Even if she was locked in a cold room like this, improvement was impossible.
If anything, it would only get worse.
"...If you do anything to my sister, I’ll kill you."
Although her words were extreme, it seemed they had accepted the proposal, and the contract procedures began.
...
From behind, Rolamd had been quietly observing the situation the whole time, but every time, he found events unfolding in ways he could never have predicted.
He had been contacted just a few days ago, asking him to help purchase slaves.
Roland had wondered why he was chosen, but Qiong Xing had explained that it was not for his own benefit, but for the children, and that he wanted to choose people he could trust.
If that was the case, he had agreed without hesitation.
He had also agreed when told that they would need someone for physical labor, preferably a beastman, and another human who would be easier to communicate with in case of problems.
However...
"I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. I’ve decided on these two beastmen."
Seeing the two beastman girls he had brought back made him want to ask if he was truly sure about this.
Frankly, Rolamd had assumed he would choose men.
Among beastmen, there were clear differences between men and women, and if strength was needed, it was natural to choose men.
And yet, he had chosen a young girl who might not even be an adult, and another child whose legs were likely injured.
It was hard to call this a good decision.
"...Are you really sure about these two?"
"Yes. These two are the ones I want."
Qiong Xing who is noticing that Rolamd likely had something to say simply smiled as always and nodded, unchanged in his resolve.
"Since this turned out to be two people instead of one, and there are various things we’ll need to discuss, would it be alright if we choose the human candidate another day? I apologize for the inconvenience."
Having watched everything, Roland understood the situation well enough.
The younger sister was one thing, but the older sister’s hostile attitude was concerning.
There was even a chance she might become violent toward Qiong Xing, which made it difficult to fully accept the situation.
"If anything happens to you, I’ll end up getting beaten up by those two."
"Are you talking about Sarin and Katarina? Hmm... good luck."
"I was really hoping you would deny that."
Despite how worried Roland was, Qiong Xing just smiled and said nothing like that would happen.
Even after hearing their earlier conversation, Roland still could not understand why those two had been chosen.
Far from being helpful, they seemed like they might even become a burden.
However, Roland also understood that he would not be able to change Qiong Xing’s decision.
"Qiong Xing, I have one request."
"What is it?"
Roland could not deny that there was a selfish motive behind the proposal he was about to make.
He could not deny it, but of course, that was not the only reason.
"As for the human candidate, if possible, would you take one of my own slaves with you?"
"...May I ask the reason?"
Qiong Xing’s smile did not change, but his eyes seemed to probe him, and for a brief moment, Roland felt a chill run down his spine.
"It’s because I’m worried about you. I have no intention of complaining about your choice of those girls, but we don’t know what might happen, do we? It would take time to teach someone from scratch, but if it is one of ours, they have worked before and should be able to handle things to some extent."
"...I see."
Even while saying thank you for your concern, Qiong Xing did not seem inclined to accept Roland’s suggestion, which made him tilt his head in confusion.
"Hmm, I do appreciate your concern... but is that really the only request you have?"