17) Don't you think Sir Plead is rather quite handsome?

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{3rd Pov}

Subaru, upon stepping into the slum, was immediately hit by an overwhelming and nauseating stench of piled-up garbage and unwashed filth.

‘This is far worse than what I thought,’ Subaru muttered internally while taking in the filthy surroundings.

As he followed Karl deeper inside, he noticed just how many unpleasant things were happening all around them.

People were walking aimlessly or sitting against walls, looking completely maltreated.

Many wore torn, ragged clothes that looked like they hadn’t been washed in months, and several of them had visible injuries—cuts, bruises, and some wounds that looked untreated for far too long.

Subaru’s expression darkened the more he saw.

Then his eyes widened in shock when he spotted a few bodies lying motionless at the side of the street.

A horrible, rotting smell drifted from them, removing any doubt about their condition.

They weren’t asleep.

They weren’t unconscious.

They were dead. Completely dead.

Anger flared in Subaru’s eyes, burning hotter with every passing second.

‘Why does no one do anything for them?! Why are the slums ignored like they don’t even exist?! Why does everyone pretend this isn’t happening right under their noses?!’

However, the more Subaru thought about it, the more he realized something unpleasant and ironic—he himself hadn’t done anything either.

He had technically encountered the Lugunica's slums on the very first day he arrived in this world.

Back then, he had noticed the terrible condition of the area, though he hadn’t seen any corpses at the time.

And because he had been too focused on searching for Emilia’s insignia, he simply brushed the situation off with a casual thought like, ‘I guess places like this exist in another world, huh?’

But now, thinking back on it carefully, he remembered that when the five Royal Candidates had made their speeches, not a single one of them expressed even the slightest intention to help the slums—except for Felt.

She was the only one who mentioned anything related to people like this.

Subaru finally understood more clearly just how horribly the people in the slums were treated.

The nobles were beyond disgusting, especially considering how they had insulted Felt simply because she came from the slums.

To them, slum dwellers weren’t just lower-class—they were treated as if they were something less than humans, like their lives held no worth or value at all.

The memory of Rom trying to save Felt only to almost get executed, despite the fact that he was clearly acting to help her, further showed how rotten and scummy those nobles were.

But at the same time, if the guards and officials were supposedly doing their jobs properly, how did Rom even manage to enter such a heavily secured area in the first place?

Subaru couldn’t shake the feeling that something about it didn’t add up.

It almost seemed intentional.

The moment Subaru considered the possibility that Rom’s intrusion might have been part of someone’s plan from the beginning, a cold chill ran down his spine.

‘Reinhardt looks perfect and righteous on the surface,’ Subaru thought, his suspicion growing stronger, ‘but he practically kidnapped Felt, and then didn’t even allow her to meet Rom afterward… Was this all intentional? Was everything arranged so that Felt would eventually get dragged into the Royal Selection against her own will, forced to participate just so she could save Rom, who intruded trying to save her in the first place?’

The more Subaru connected the dots, the clearer it became to him just how wrong and twisted things were in this world.

As Subaru continued thinking about everything, they eventually arrived in front of a small, worn-down wooden hut.

The structure looked fragile, with holes scattered all over its walls and gaps where wood had clearly rotted away.

It barely resembled a proper home, more like a place someone was forced to live in because they had no other choice.

“S-Sister Mia, I’ve returned with food!” Karl called out as he stepped inside.

Subaru followed after him, and the moment he entered, he noticed a woman lying on top of a thick, dusty cloth that was serving as a makeshift bed.

She had black hair along with cat ears and a cat tail, indicating she was a demi-human.

Subaru could immediately tell she was breathing heavily and struggling, most likely sick or injured given her weak appearance.

“Mia, have you returned?” she asked, her voice strained.

When her tired black eyes landed on Subaru, she suddenly jolted upright despite the obvious pain and weakness in her body.

With surprising speed for someone in her condition, she put herself between Karl and Subaru, shielding him while she glared at the stranger.

“Who are you?” she demanded, her tone defensive and filled with suspicion.

“Wait! Aunt Mia!” Karl quickly stepped forward to stop her.

“His name is Sir Plead, and he’s actually a very kind person! He helped me even after I tried to rob him. Not only did he forgive me, he brought food for us and even offered me a small job!” he explained hurriedly, clearly desperate for her to understand the situation before she misunderstood and reacted aggressively.

“Really?” Mia said, her voice filled with doubt as she narrowed her eyes.

“Karl, how many times have I told you this already? This is one of the oldest tricks in the book that slavers use. They act kind, pretend to help, and then rope their targets in step by step until it’s too late to escape.”

She reprimanded him sharply, clearly frustrated and worried at the same time.

“A-Aunt Mia! But— but listen!” Karl protested desperately.

“Sir Plead is actually a genuinely good person. And anyway, he already caught me trying to steal from him, didn’t he? If he really had bad intentions, then what were the chances he would’ve let me go just because I stayed quiet? He could’ve dragged me away right at that moment if he wanted!” Karl argued, and Mia’s sharp retort died in her throat as she fell silent, forced to consider the logic in his words.

Karl continued explaining everything—how Subaru caught him, how Subaru didn’t punish him, how he forced him to eat, and how he offered him a job without demanding anything inappropriate.

As the explanation went on and more details came out, Mia’s expression shifted from suspicion to surprise, then to confusion, and finally to reluctant acceptance.

Everything Karl said fit together, and the reasoning Subaru had given him earlier made complete sense.

“I… I see,” Mia finally said, looking somewhat overwhelmed.

“Then I must apologize for my rudeness, Sir Plead.”

She bowed her head slightly toward Subaru despite her weakened state.

“And… I am ashamed that Karl ended up attempting to steal from you in the first place. I deeply apologize for the trouble he caused.”

Subaru, who had stayed silent until now, finally let out a long, tired sigh before speaking.

“Lady Mia? May I check your body temperature for a moment?” he asked, keeping his tone straightforward rather than gentle.

Mia stiffened immediately, her cat tail shooting upright in alarm as her instincts screamed caution.

For a second, she clearly debated whether this was a mistake.

But after glancing at Karl—who looked at Subaru with genuine trust—she exhaled shakily.

“If… if you insist, Sir Plead… then yes, you may,” she said, choosing to believe him despite her nerves.

Subaru placed his hand near her forehead, comparing her temperature to his own skin.

The difference was obvious.

He didn’t hesitate.

“Just as I thought. You definitely have a fever,” he declared, his voice leaving no room for doubt.

Mia grimaced slightly, but she didn’t deny it.

“I-I know… I’ve been feeling it for a while,” she admitted, her voice weak.

“But we just can’t afford medicine. Not even the cheap ones…”

Subaru clicked his tongue, not out of irritation at her but at the situation itself.

“Honestly, I seriously doubt people who can’t even afford basic bread would somehow have the money to buy overpriced medicine,” Subaru said bluntly, as if stating a basic, unavoidable fact of life in this world.

He then shifted gears, his expression firming up. “

Now, I’ll be honest with you, Lady Mia,” Subaru continued, looking between her and Karl.

“The job I’m giving Karl isn’t anything fancy. It’s simple worker labor. He’ll be trained a little and then put to work doing something straightforward for a product that needs mass production.”

Mia and Karl both listened quietly, absorbing his words.

Subaru continued, not sugarcoating it.

“And the reason I’m offering him this job isn’t charity. It’s because I need to secure his loyalty. I have certain secrets I absolutely cannot afford to leak out. Giving him steady meals and some wages is my way of making sure he stays on my side and doesn’t run his mouth.”

Both Mia and Karl took a moment to let that sink in—the seriousness, the logic, and the blunt truth behind Subaru’s intentions.

Karl already understood that Subaru wanted him to manufacture a very specific component for some sort of item or tool—something that clearly required precision, even if Karl didn’t know the full purpose.

Meanwhile, Mia couldn’t help but worry in the back of her mind.

She wondered if Subaru was planning to build something illegal or dangerous, considering how secretive he sounded.

But then she immediately shut down that line of thought.

She knew she had no moral ground to question him when she and Karl had been stealing just to stay alive.

Someone was finally offering them a chance, a real opportunity, and she wasn’t in any position to lecture or judge.

“I’ll also be buying your medicine,” Subaru said suddenly, his tone matter-of-fact rather than soft.

“But the cost will be deducted directly from Karl’s salary.”

Karl blinked in surprise, and Mia looked down with a conflicted expression.

Subaru wasn’t hiding the truth at all—he wasn’t doing charity out of pure kindness. It was a deal, and a strict one at that.

Subaru himself was fully aware that he was going way too far for some random strangers he had met only today.

He knew it.

He wasn’t stupid.

But he also understood the bigger picture, the long-term advantages, and the psychological impact this would create.

If the slum residents saw him as a strict but fair employer who still provided food, work, and treatment when necessary, then word would spread fast.

More people from the slums would willingly join his company, and they would be loyal to him—not because he was generous, but because he gave them what nobody else bothered to give: a chance to survive.

‘Besides,’ Subaru thought bitterly, ‘I literally died for people who murdered me. Compared to that, helping these two isn’t even close to a burden. And this time, I’ll actually get something out of it in the long run.’

The calculation made perfect sense to him, and he didn’t feel even a bit guilty about it.

This world was cruel, and if he wanted a foothold, he had to build one using whatever resources were available.

It was honestly fortunate—almost absurdly so—that Subaru had run into Karl of all people.

With this single connection, he realized he could finally establish a solid foothold inside the slums.

Without someone like Karl acting as a bridge, Subaru doubted he would’ve made much progress at all.

The slum residents were extremely wary, constantly on edge, and always suspicious of strangers.

Especially strangers offering help.

If Subaru had simply strolled in and said something like, “Yo! I’m here to save you all! I’ve got jobs and good pay waiting for you!” he was absolutely certain he’d be ignored, mocked, or even attacked.

Nobody in the slums would believe such claims, not when slave traders used the exact same lines to lure desperate people away.

In this world, slavery wasn’t just legal—it was everywhere.

Every kingdom, every nation, every major trade route acknowledged it as part of everyday life.

The governments didn’t bother to oppose it because the profit was far too massive, and the nobles benefitted directly from the system.

Slaves filled the gap created by the lack of advanced machinery.

Since industrial tools didn’t exist and everything required manpower, the demand for cheap labor was ridiculously high.

And despite people here being borderline superhuman by Earth standards—especially the demi-humans—slavery persisted, functioning as the simplest and cheapest solution to the labor shortage.

It didn’t matter what world it was; there was always some twisted version of slavery.

Even modern Japan, where Subaru came from, had its own flavor of it through black companies and abusive work environments.

People might not have been chained physically, but mentally and emotionally, they were trapped all the same.

Subaru understood all of this, which was exactly why he knew he had to approach the slums differently.

He couldn’t just walk in and expect blind trust.

He needed a long-term plan, something sustainable that would slowly pull the slum dwellers toward him without force.

He wasn’t planning to hand out generous benefits right from the start.

At most, Subaru intended to provide them with three meals a day and the bare minimum wage.

From a modern Earth perspective, it might look extremely unfair or even exploitative, but Subaru had a specific reason behind it.

He wanted to filter out the ones who would abandon him the moment things got tough.

In his mind, this was the most practical way to separate genuinely loyal workers from those who only cared about short-term gain.

‘As the saying goes, give someone a finger and they’ll try to take the whole hand,’ Subaru reminded himself while watching Karl and Mia whisper to each other.

They were seriously discussing his offer, and although they had already accepted it internally, Subaru wanted them to think it through.

Better that they fully understood the terms now than complain later.

He planned to give his future workers the equivalent of what someone earned doing heavy lifting jobs—one of the lowest-paying forms of labor in the city.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

The real benefit, the thing that would matter the most to slum dwellers, would be consistent access to food three times a day.

For people who sometimes didn’t know if they’d eat even once, that alone was a massive incentive.

As time passed and his company grew, Subaru would slowly raise their pay and improve their treatment.

Bit by bit, in a controlled and calculated progression.

That way he could ensure his workers remained motivated, productive, and above all, loyal.

Subaru had already made up his mind.

He was done giving out kindness without restrictions.

He wasn’t going to repeat past mistakes.

From now on, he would offer help, yes—but always with clear limits and purpose behind it.

“Sir Plead—no, Plead-sama, we are extremely grateful for your offer,” Mia said, bowing deeply along with Karl.

Both of them looked nervous yet hopeful, as if they still couldn’t fully believe someone had actually offered them a chance.

Subaru gave a small, reassuring smile.

“You can join Karl in his work as well, once you’re healthier. I prefer having two pairs of hands instead of one.”

His casual words made Mia jolt in surprise, her eyes widening slightly.

“Is… is that so? Then I truly don’t know how to thank you enough!” Mia replied, her voice trembling with relief.

Her tail, which had been limp moments ago, now swayed from side to side in barely contained joy.

Subaru didn’t say anything for a few seconds, simply watching them.

After Mia managed to finish all the food he and Karl brought—though slowly, since she was clearly weak—Subaru instructed Karl to get ready to take her to a proper doctor.

However, Subaru wasn’t foolish enough to parade a visibly sick woman in grimy, torn clothing through the city.

That would only draw unwanted attention, suspicions, and possibly trouble with the guards.

So he decided on a more practical approach.

“Before we head anywhere, take her to a nearby inn,” Subaru instructed.

“Let her change into whatever clean clothes she has left. And make sure she washes up before seeing the doctor. Otherwise they won’t take her seriously.” Subaru said the bitter truth.

Karl nodded repeatedly, clearly grateful for Subaru’s thoughtfulness.

Mia also seemed relieved, though embarrassed at the same time, glancing down at her dirty clothes.

However, just when they were preparing to leave—Karl supporting Mia while Subaru stood near the doorway—several beastmen suddenly appeared outside the thatched hut.

They formed a loose semicircle, blocking the exit as if they had been waiting for the right moment to show themselves.

Their expressions weren’t friendly, and the atmosphere instantly turned tense.

“Oh? Well, well… looks like the bitch finally found herself a man to sell her body to,” a gruff, mocking voice echoed from outside.

Subaru turned his head and saw the source: a tall man with the appearance of a tiger demi-human, striped fur, sharp teeth, and an expression that screamed trouble.

Behind the tiger-man stood a small group made up of two humans, one lizardman, and one dogman.

All of them wore smug, unpleasant looks, the kind you’d expect from people who enjoyed bullying those weaker than them.

“I seriously can’t believe this, boss,” the lizardman said, clicking his reptilian tongue.

“She refused every bit of help you offered her before… but now she suddenly goes and sells herself to some handsome stranger? What hypocrisy.”

Subaru’s eyebrow twitched violently.

He did not need a compliment about his looks from a damn lizardman.

That was not how he wanted to start his afternoon.

“Hey! You, black-haired brat!” the tiger demi-human barked, pointing at Subaru with a clawed finger.

“Get your ass out of here before I decide to break your spine!”

Subaru let out a long, tired sigh.

His relaxed expression slowly vanished, replaced by a completely neutral, almost bored look—as if he had dealt with this kind of idiocy far too many times already.

“I’m giving you five seconds,” Subaru said flatly, his voice utterly calm yet carrying a weight that made Karl flinch.

“Get the hell out of my sight before I kill you.”

He didn’t raise his voice.

He didn’t posture.

He simply stated the sentence as a matter of fact.

Subaru didn’t have the time or patience to deal with what he mentally categorized as background NPC-level trash.

Hearing Subaru’s words, the group went silent for a brief moment before suddenly bursting into loud, mocking laughter.

“Haha! Can you even believe this?!” the beastman roared between laughs.

“This scrawny little human brat is actually threatening to kill us!” His companions joined in, howling with amusement as if they had just heard the funniest joke in their lives.

However, the next moment, the beastman’s laughter cut off abruptly. His entire body stiffened in place.

Without warning, he spat out a mouthful of blood—far more than anyone expected—and collapsed face-first onto the ground… completely motionless.

Dead.

His companions were still laughing for a second, but their expressions twisted in confusion as the situation finally registered in their brains.

The dog demi-human’s face drained of color as he screamed, “G-Gront! What the hell happened to you?!”

Panic spread immediately as the others shouted in shock, stumbling toward their fallen leader.

The Lizardman quickly knelt beside the corpse, trying to figure out what had just happened, but the moment he saw the massive amount of blood that had poured out and the beastman’s unfocused, empty eyes, he instantly understood.

Gront wasn’t injured—he was already dead, and beyond saving.

“You see?” Subaru said calmly, his voice steady and completely unshaken by what had just happened.

“This is your final warning. Roll out of here right now before every single one of you ends up the same way.”
There was no remorse in his tone, no hesitation at all.

He wasn’t bluffing; he wasn’t trying to scare them with empty threats.

Subaru had real power now, and he wasn’t shy—at all—about using it when someone got in his way.

“Y-You! What di—” The dog demi-human didn’t even finish his sentence.

His words were cut off instantly as his neck twisted a full three hundred and sixty degrees with a sickening crack, and in the same motion, his entire head was ripped clean off his shoulders.

Both the severed head and the collapsing corpse hit the ground almost at the same time.

A violent spray of blood burst out from the stump of his neck, powered by his still-beating heart.

Subaru reacted with complete calmness, casually manifesting several of his Invisible Hands to block the blood from splattering onto him, as if the entire scene was nothing more than an annoying inconvenience.

Karl, Mia, and the rest of the goons stood rooted to the spot, their bodies locked in place.

Shock, terror, and disbelief mixed together as the goons processed the sudden and brutal death of another one of their allies.

Whatever anger or bravado they had earlier instantly evaporated into thin air, leaving only fear as they realized exactly what kind of overwhelming, unnatural being they were provoking.

The Lizardman was the first to scream, his voice cracking with pure terror.

The two rough-looking human thugs followed right after, stumbling over each other as they desperately tried to turn around and flee.

But before any of them could get more than a single step away, Subaru’s Invisible Providence erupted outward from his back—far more of them this time—and shot toward the fleeing trio.

In an instant, the spectral limbs wrapped tightly around their ankles, yanking all three of them off their feet and slamming them onto the ground.

They thrashed and clawed at the dirt, kicking and flailing in hopeless desperation as they tried to escape from Subaru, but it was pointless.

They weren’t going anywhere.

“Spare us! Please, spare us!” one of the humans screamed, his voice cracking from pure terror.

“I—I am even willing to become a slave! Just spare us! Please!” the Lizardman begged loudly, practically choking on his own words.

His two human companions stared at him in disbelief, completely taken aback by how quickly he threw away his pride.

His demi-human instincts for survival were apparently much stronger than his sense of dignity—ahem, very strong, in fact.

Their desperate crying and loud pleas didn’t go unnoticed.

The commotion echoed throughout the slums, drawing the attention of nearby residents.

One by one, people peeked out of their broken doors and patched-up windows; then more stepped outside entirely, curious about the sudden noise.

Soon, a small crowd had gathered.

The slum dwellers stared in shock as they saw the notorious thugs—men who usually swaggered around and tormented the weak—now writhing on the ground like insects caught under an invisible net.

Their limbs jerked helplessly as they were pinned down by forces they couldn’t see or resist.

Subaru clapped his hands sharply, making sure everyone’s attention shifted toward him.

The sound echoed loudly in the otherwise quiet and filthy street.

He looked over the crowd, taking in their appearances—their thin frames, hollow cheeks, and eyes that lacked even the smallest spark of hope.

“Everyone, listen up,” Subaru began, raising his voice so even those standing in the back could hear.

“My name is Sir Plead, and right now, I happen to be looking for workers.”

He spoke casually, almost amused by how the people, despite witnessing bloodshed and the gruesome scene right in front of them, still gathered to watch.

It showed just how far their desperation had pushed them.

When a person’s life is already so miserable that they can’t even imagine a future worth protecting, the fear of death becomes almost meaningless.

For many of them, any scrap of gossip, entertainment, distraction, or even the chance to talk about something unusual was far more valuable than worrying about their own safety.

“Sir Karl here, along with Lady Mia, have officially joined my startup,” Subaru announced loudly, making sure every pair of eyes and ears in the slums caught his words.

“And I have already declared that both of them are under my protection.”

He didn’t bother to hide anything.

In fact, he wanted the entire slum to hear it clearly.

Fear and respect were things he finally understood well—without power in this world, no one cared about your existence, let alone respected you.

Here, only strength made others step back.

“These thugs tried to lay their hands on the people I just hired,” Subaru continued, his tone blunt and unapologetic.

“And as their employer, I didn’t take that lightly. So when they ignored my warning and kept running their mouths, I killed their boss… and also that guy—whoever the hell he’s supposed to be.” Subaru pointed casually at the decapitated dog-man’s corpse, showing absolutely no hesitation or guilt.

Then he shifted his attention back to the crowd.

“My offer is open to everyone here. Once I officially start my company, any of you can come forward and try to join me. But understand this: you’ll need to train for the job you’re assigned. Until you learn the work properly, the only salary you’ll receive is food—three full meals a day.”

“Three times a day?!” someone exclaimed from within the crowd, their voice filled with shock.

For people who considered themselves fortunate if they managed to eat even once every two days, the idea of being guaranteed three meals sounded almost unreal, like a fantasy too good to be true.

“Yes! Exactly. And once you actually begin working, you’ll receive proper wages on top of that,” Subaru continued, raising his voice just a little so the entire crowd could hear him clearly.

“Not just food—actual money. A pretty good offer, right?”

Despite his confident declaration, the slum residents still hesitated. Subaru could practically feel the uneasiness rolling off them.

Their expressions made it obvious—they were terrified he was just another slave trader using pretty words to lure them in.

For people who had lived their entire lives being tricked, exploited, and betrayed, trusting some random outsider wasn’t exactly easy.

Subaru understood that suspicion perfectly well.

“Of course,” he said, his tone shifting into something colder and more unyielding, “to make it very clear that I don’t want slaves, and that I genuinely protect my employees… even when these pieces of trash beg for mercy, I won’t spare them. And I’m not going to drag them away as slaves either.”

The three men being held down by his invisible hands immediately panicked, their bodies thrashing in pure terror.

They screamed, choked, and desperately tried to break free—but the more they struggled, the worse their situation became.

A moment later, all three convulsed violently before coughing out blood, their bodies going limp as life left them.

The slum people were stunned into silence.

Some stumbled backward, others outright turned and ran in fear, unable to process what they had seen.

However, the majority didn’t show fear for long—instead, their gazes slowly shifted to something closer to grim satisfaction.

They stared at the corpses with relief, bitterness, and a sense of long-awaited justice.

“They deserved it! Every bit of it! Those scum finally got what was coming to them!” someone yelled out, unable to hold back their emotions.

“That bastard— that lizardman—he raped my wife!” another man shouted with shaking hands, tears gathering in his eyes but his voice filled with relief rather than grief.

“And because of that guy,” a third person—an older man with a trembling voice—spoke up, “I had to sell my daughter just to survive. I found her dead in a ditch the very next day!” Instead of sorrow, he cried out with a twisted mix of joy and anguish, as if finally releasing years of built-up rage.

The crowd’s reactions made it clear: Subaru hadn’t killed anyone the slums would mourn.

If anything, he had taken out the people they secretly wished someone would deal with.

Subaru stood frozen for a moment as he listened to the accusations being shouted from the crowd. Each claim hit him harder than the last.

‘Damn… what the hell kind of people did I just kill?! I already knew they were bad news, but these accusations—rape, trafficking, murder—this is far worse than anything I imagined!’ Subaru thought, almost questioning whether the slum residents were exaggerating out of anger or if the thugs were genuinely that monstrous.

He had already assumed the men he killed were scum, but hearing these testimonies made it clear they weren’t just typical thugs—they were absolute bottom-of-the-barrel criminals.

Knowing he had wiped out people like that didn’t make him feel guilty, but the sheer extent of their cruelty threw him off.

Another thought bothered him: if those thugs were that horrible, then how had Mia and Karl managed to survive living so close to them?

They were supposed to be prime targets.

He glanced toward Karl and Mia to observe their reactions. Karl was half-hiding behind Mia, trembling visibly, clearly overwhelmed by the situation and frightened by both the violence and the crowd’s emotional outburst.

Mia, however, was the complete opposite. Instead of fear, her face was filled with an expression of genuine joy—almost unsettlingly joyful considering the dead bodies lying nearby.

Her tail was practically wagging, and her eyes held a fierce shine.

‘Why do her eyes look so damn similar to Rem’s?’ Subaru wondered, feeling a chill run down his spine as Mia suddenly spoke in excitement.

(A/N: Cat waifu Meow)

“I cannot believe it! Sir Plead is far stronger than I ever was back when I was healthy!” Mia said, her tail swaying so happily it was almost distracting.

That answered his question immediately.

The reason those thugs had stayed cautious before wasn’t out of mercy—it was because Mia herself used to be strong.

They probably considered her a threat when she was in good health and only became fearless after she got sick and weak enough to be targeted safely.

When Subaru thought back to the earlier clues—the way she moved with almost inhuman agility despite her illness when he first encountered her—it all lined up perfectly.

‘Yeah, that makes sense. People living in slums have to be tough or they won’t survive even a single week. They can get mugged, stabbed, or killed the moment they drop their guard. Being strong isn’t optional here—it’s required just to stay alive.’

Subaru thought, shifting his attention back toward the gathered slum residents, mentally preparing himself to address them again now that the situation had escalated.

By now, the slum residents had fully recognized Subaru’s strength and authority.

The three healthy men he had just killed were worth far more as slaves than dozens of them combined, considering how weak and expendable many of the slum dwellers had been.

They could drop dead from illness or exhaustion the very next day.

Not only that, but the residents were genuinely grateful to Subaru for eliminating such dangerous and vile individuals who had terrorized them for so long.

“Sir Plead! I am willing to join your company! I am fine with only two meals a day—or even just one if necessary!” one man shouted out eagerly, his voice filled with determination despite the meager offer.

“Sir Plead, you have avenged my wife! I am ready to work for you even if I only get a single meal every two days!” another man cried, tears of relief and gratitude streaming down his face.

“Sir Plead, you have avenged my daughter! I am willing to work for free if I must. I will find other ways to secure my meals!” the man who had lost his daughter shouted, voice shaking but resolute.

Subaru found himself momentarily speechless as he scanned the gathered crowd.

Each slum dweller appeared more desperate and crazed than the last, yet each one was now willing to throw themselves into work for him, regardless of how minimal the reward.

The sheer intensity of their loyalty—and the extreme measures they were willing to take—left Subaru blinking in both surprise and awe.

Hearing that one man was willing to work entirely for free, Subaru couldn’t help but wonder if he had somehow maxed out his Charisma stat in this world.

‘Probably not, otherwise I would have managed to charm all of the Royal Candidates on the first day,’ he thought wryly in a mocking tone, a small smirk crossing his face.

With that, Subaru clapped his hands decisively, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Everyone! I am genuinely glad to see that so many of you are interested in my offer. But let me make one thing absolutely clear—nobody’s meals will be reduced as long as you perform your duties and work diligently. However, if you start slacking off, refuse to train properly, or fail to take your work seriously, I will not hesitate to kick you out immediately! My business requires healthy, capable, and loyal individuals, and I will not tolerate anything less!” Subaru declared firmly, his voice carrying across the gathered crowd.

The moment his words sank in, the crowd erupted into cheers, some clapping their hands, others shouting their approval.

The energy and excitement were palpable, and Subaru allowed himself a small satisfied smile.

Karl, standing nearby, muttered softly under his breath, barely audible, “Damn… sister, he managed to rope dozens of people into his business all at once, and he’s become this popular already… despite killing people just moments ago.”

He spoke with a mixture of awe and fear, careful not to let Subaru overhear him.

Without any hesitation, Mia reached over and pinched Karl’s ear sharply.

“Karl, you mustn’t forget what I’ve taught you. Scum like that aren’t worthy of our pity. Do not let their actions sway your judgment!” she said, though there was a faint, dazed smile on her face as she spoke.

After a short pause, she added thoughtfully, “By the way… don’t you think Sir Plead is rather handsome?”

Karl, still rubbing his pinched ear, froze in place completely, his face flushed and his eyes wide.

“Eh?!” he stammered, caught entirely off guard by her sudden question.

The moment lingered, awkward yet revealing, as the bustling crowd continued to murmur and react to Subaru’s presence, completely oblivious to the private exchange between the two siblings, except only that Subaru's shadow hummed slightly as if irritated.

To be continued...