"Master," Anastasia's voice pulls me out of my thoughts, "have you really decided to buy her?" She looks up at me, her expression a mix of curiosity and mild concern.
"Yes, that's the plan," I confirm with a nod. "She seems like a great addition to our labyrinth group. Although she is inexperienced, with my skills, she will become a powerhouse in no time." I emphasize the potential benefits, skilfully hiding the more perverted reasons behind my decision. "Don't you think so too?" I ask, turning to the purple-haired beauty beside me.
"Yes, definitely... she will be a great addition," Anastasia replies, offering a wry smile. Then, almost under her breath, she sighs, "Sorry, Sherry-san, I tried."
Hey, I heard that! Did Sherry put Anastasia up to this? Did she tell her to keep an eye out for me adding new party members with bigger boobs? Oh, she is so getting some of Master's special punishment later.
"Do you think I made a mistake by showing so much interest and outright declaring my intent to win the bid?" I ask Anastasia, trying to gauge if my enthusiasm might backfire.
"Hmm..." She taps a finger to her chin. "I don't think it will be much of an issue with this particular slave merchant. He seems honest enough. But some merchants do use underhanded tactics during auctions. For example, they might hire people to bid and drive up the price when they know a wealthy customer has set their sights on a product," she warns, lowering her voice.
"Yeah, I had a feeling that might happen," I admit with a sheepish smile. I had been impulsive earlier, trying to reassure Vesta and instill confidence that I would buy her. It didn't help that her room seemed so empty—like no one else was interested.
"Master shouldn't worry too much," Anastasia reassures me. "This tactic is risky and could easily backfire. Besides, guilds keep a close eye on auctions like this. If someone is caught using such tricks, their business could suffer severe consequences. That said, it is more likely to happen during auctions for popular slaves with high demand, where there's intense bidding—like that Mage we heard about." she adds thoughtfully.
"Well, that's somewhat comforting," I reply with a nod, feeling a bit more at ease.
The auction hall bustles with activity as we move through the crowds, heading toward the next room. My plan is simple: finish exploring all the rooms on the right side before moving on to those on the left.
The next room, however, is disappointing. There is only one human woman, and unfortunately, she doesn't look particularly appealing. After asking a minimal number of questions, we move on.
The room after that contains a female catkin, but I am disappointed once more as she pales in comparison to my Miria.
Seeing the catkin makes me pause, a flicker of worry crossing my mind. Is Miria okay? Fishing alone in such a remote area… It's strange how this feels like how parents must feel when their child goes out on their own for the first time. I shake my head slightly, trying to push the concern aside.
Anastasia notices my distracted expression but doesn't comment. We leave the room swiftly, making our way to the next.
"It seems like most of the slave merchants here are displaying women," I note, finding it peculiar.
"Yes, that's typical. These auctions are mainly attended by men, so the merchandise caters to them," Anastasia explains calmly.
"That makes sense," I reply, glancing around. Most of the attendees are indeed men, with the few women present accompanied by someone—either another woman or a man.
Another thing catches my attention: none of the people here had arrived with their slaves. It also made sense; most wouldn't want to spend 1,000 Nars just to bring a slave inside, given that it was the entrance fee. In fact, unless someone explicitly noticed the collar, Anastasia could easily be mistaken for my regular companion—or even my young wife—with how well-dressed she was. Because of this, I wasn't receiving any strange looks. However, the Slave Merchants would definitely notice that I was wealthy enough to bring my slave along.
As I pondered whether I would find anyone else as pretty as Vesta or Setsuna in this auction, I stepped into the next room—and froze.
Not one, but two stunning beauties sat in chairs before me.
My eyes widen, and I almost came to a halt in the doorway.
"Oh, welcome, welcome, esteemed customer!" an obese Level 19 Slave Merchant greets me enthusiastically, his face beaming.
The two identical looking beauties immediately rose to their feet, perfectly in sync with the Merchant's words. Both wore maid outfits, though there were two distinct differences between them: their hair colour and their bust size.
As my gaze fell on them, two names pop into my brain. My breath catches as I glance at their heads, praying Appraisal would prove me wrong.
[Ram
Oni Warrior Level 3]
[Rem
Villager Level 4]
"Welcome, Sir!" they say in perfect unison, bowing gracefully. Even their timing was impeccable.
"Come in, customer, please," the Slave Merchant urges with a sly grin. "Our store is currently showcasing these two lovely Oni girls." He leans forward, smirking knowingly. "And yes, before you ask—they are twin sisters."
I wanted to shout at this old man, No, that's not what I was thinking of asking at all! You have no idea where my thoughts are right now!
I was utterly shocked. The girl on the right had short pink hair, and her name was Ram. The one on the left had short blue hair, and her name was Rem. I confirmed this again with Appraisal, and my heart nearly skipped a beat once more.
As these were the names of the Oni sisters from Re:Zero, the anime!
Not only that, but their appearances matched perfectly with the characters from the show.
An intense déjà vu was washing over me, the same thoughts and panic surging through my mind as when I first came face-to-face with Anastasia—yet another character from Re:Zero.
Anastasia, standing beside me, looked at me with a perplexed expression, no doubt confused by the way I froze in place.
I take a deep breath and step into the room, even though a big part of my brain was telling me to turn back. But avoiding this wouldn't help. If this wasn't the original universe of the Slave Harem novel, then it was entirely possible that Re:Zero's dangerous world somehow existed here too. I could only hope that wasn't the case. After all, unlike Subaru, I didn't have the power of 'Return by Death,' nor did I have a powerful, love-struck Witch to protect me—at least, not that I was aware of!
The obese slave merchant sticks near me, grinning. "Customer, this one here with pink hair is named Ram. She just turned 15 and is in her first year as a slave," he explains, gesturing to the girl on my right.
Now that the initial panic was starting to subside, I take a closer look at the girl. She was wearing a maid outfit, one even more intricate than the one Roxanne had worn when I first met her. This outfit featured a daring cleavage cutout, though she didn't have much to display in that department. A maid hairband adorned her head, completing the look. I mentally noted to ask the Slave Merchant where he had gotten this outfit—I could already imagine how stunning Roxanne would look in it.
The girl stood straight with a small grin, seemingly unfazed as I inspected her. She had medium-length pink hair with bangs that partially covered her left eye. My gaze shifted to her one visible, large, dark-reddish eye, above which a single horn protruded. The horn, about the size of a finger, was the same fair tone as her skin, making it look more adorable than menacing. Her overall appearance leaned more toward that of a cute, petite girl, with an undeniably adorable face.
"And this one, with the blue hair, is her twin sister, Rem. She is also 15 years old," the Slave Merchant adds, gesturing to the other girl standing to my left.
Rem wore an identical maid outfit, though as I had noted earlier, they weren't identical twins—and the minute differences between them were striking. My eyes couldn't help but notice her prominent cleavage displayed by the dress. She was definitely more... gifted than her sister.
She smiles at me with a warm, almost flattering expression as I examine her. Her medium-length, sky-blue hair featured bangs covering her right eye, contrasting with her sister's left. Her visible eye was a large, light blue, and above it, a single horn protruded—just like Ram's. The key difference was its placement: Ram's horn sat above her right forehead, while Rem's was above her left.
She looked just as cute as, if not slightly cuter than, her sister.
If I ignored their breasts, they were practically mirror images of each other, like twins with a colour filter applied. Height-wise, they both stood around five feet tall, similar to Miria, just a bit shorter then Anastasia herself.
Seeing me inspecting them seriously, the Slave Merchant grins and continues, "Ram here is an Oni Warrior already. As you may know, Onis are renowned for their strength, and Ram is no exception. She can easily overpower and defeat Labyrinth monsters. In fact, she is one of the most talented individuals in my establishment," he declares with evident pride.
I frown slightly, unsure of how much of that was exaggeration. 'I am not very knowledgeable about Onis. Honestly, I didn't even know they existed until now. Anastasia, do you think he is telling the truth?' I ask through the party link.
Truthfully, I had a dozen more questions I wanted to bombard her with, especially to confirm if she recognized any of the characters or terms from Re:Zero. That lingering sense of unease about this strange coincidence just wouldn't go away.
'Master, even I have never seen an Oni before,' Anastasia replies quickly. 'They tend to live in isolated tribes far from the capital. But I have heard they are indeed very strong. However, I have also heard that adventurers and explorers avoid forming parties with them. They are infamous for their hot tempers, and there are plenty of rumours about Onis attacking or even killing their own party members in fits of rage.'
Her response was thorough but not particularly reassuring. She continues, 'There is one more thing, Master. If I am not mistaken, Onis are supposed to have two horns, but both these girls only have one. You should definitely ask about that.' She glances skeptically at the two girls as she finishes her observation.
'Thank you, Anastasia,' I reply gratefully, appreciating her detailed input. Our mental conversation had only taken a few seconds, far quicker than speaking out loud.
"Have you been to a labyrinth, Ram?" I ask the pink-haired girl directly.
"I have, sir," she replies calmly. "I climbed up to the fifth floor with a party."
"Nee-sama is very strong! She defeated the most monsters in that party!" Rem interjects earnestly, balling her fists.
"Oh, is that so? And what about you, Rem?" I ask, smiling at her.
"I... I was in the party too," she says softly, lowering her head.
"Ah, Customer-san," the merchant cuts in, his tone placating. "Her sister is not yet an Oni Warrior, but it is only a matter of time. Talent runs in one's blood after all, and with a sister like Ram, she is bound to develop quickly too."
Rem's face dips further, her bangs concealing her expression.
"Sir, Rem is very talented in housework," Ram says, her red eye fixed earnestly on me. "She is also skilled at needlework and cooking, and she cleans exceptionally well."
"Nee-sama..." Rem murmurs, looking at her sister before turning her large blue eyes to me. "Yes, sir, I am confident in my housework. I will do anything you need perfectly."
"If necessary, I can even handle double the work in the labyrinth for both of us," Ram adds, her tone filled with conviction.
"Both?" Anastasia queries curiously beside me.
"Ah, yes, Customer-san," the merchant chimes in slyly. "As twins, they are being sold as a pair. You can't bid for one without the other."
He leans closer, lowering his voice further. "And, customer-san, these twin Oni sisters have just turned 15 and they are virgins, they also have consented to be sex slaves. If you win them, you can enjoy both of them... together!" His grin turns lecherous.
***
Cedric NGOUBY has used his points to claim an extra chapter!
I sincerely thank you for your support!