Free The Rising of the Shield Hero Volume 01 by Aneko Yusagi Page A

just like you’d imagine.
    “It is a beast-man. Here, we consider them, in most respects, people.”
    “A beast-man?”
    I recognized the idea, as beast-men characters appeared often enough in fantasy games.
    “I realize that I’m a hero and all, but I still don’t know all that much about this place. Can you tell me a little more about it, please?”
    Unlike the other heroes, I didn’t really know anything about this place. I didn’t even know what I was supposed to know.
    When I was walking around town I noticed some people, occasionally, with “dog” ears, or cat-like ears perched on their heads. Every time I saw them, I’d realize that I really was in a fantasy world. But there didn’t seem to be very many of them.
    “The Melromarc Kingdom tends to consider humans as higher order creatures than these other types. It can be a tough place for beast-men and demi-humans to live.”
    “Huh…”
    Sure enough, I saw demi-humans and beast-men around town, but, just like the slave trader was saying, they were normally adventurers or traveling merchants. So it sounds like they were discriminated against, and were only able to obtain lower-level work.
    “Ok, fine. But what exactly are these demi-humans and beast-men?”
    “Demi-humans look just like humans from the outside, but they have some differences on the inside. They are considered a type of human. Beast-men are technically a type of demi-human, the sort whose beast-like characteristics are particularly powerful.”
    “Gotcha. So they are in the same category.”
    “That’s right. And because the demi-humans are, at least in this country, considered to be one step away from monsters, it’s hard for them to live here, and they often end up sold into slavery.”
    I guess every world has its dark side. And because they weren’t technically humans, they were perfectly suited for slavery here.
    “So yes, and these slaves have this particular feature…” The slave trader snapped his fingers loudly. When he did so, a magical aura appeared around his arm, and at the same time, some shape on the chest of the werewolf began to glow.
    “Arrrgggh! Awooo! Awooo!”
    The werewolf began howling in pain, as if something was restricting its chest. The slave trader snapped his fingers again, and the glowing shape on the wolf’s chest slowly faded away.
    “… Punishment is as simple as a snap of your fingers.”
    “How convenient,” I whispered, my eyes on the werewolf, now sprawled, face up, on the floor of its cage. “Can I do it too?”
    “Naturally. It can even be arranged so that a snap of the fingers is not necessary. It can be worked right into your Status Magic.”
    “Huh…”
    It did seem very convenient.
    “However, a ceremony is necessary. The owner’s information must be shared with and absorbed by the slave.”
    “So that the slave can always understand the owner’s intention?”
    “You have a very good head on your shoulders.”
    The slave trader flashed a sinister smile.
    He made me uncomfortable.
    “Sounds fine to me. How much does this one cost?”
    “Well you must understand how useful a beast-man is in a fight. Naturally this affects the price.”
    No doubt, gossip concerning my finances had reached the guy’s ears. He could say whatever he wanted. I wasn’t going to start throwing money around. Think about it: He knew I was in trouble, and he approached me. There was a good chance he was going to try and swindle me.
    “How about 15 gold pieces?”
    “I don’t know anything about the market price, but I assume you’re giving me a good deal?”
    One gold piece was apparently worth around 100 pieces of silver.
    There was a reason the king provided our funds in silver, not gold. The gold pieces were worth so much that they were very difficult to exchange. It was much easier to buy and sell in silver, and so the vast majority of commerce in the town used silver, not gold.
    “Of course.”
    “…”
    The slave trader met my silence