“Business seems good on the coliseum side of things. What kind of competitions go on up there?”

“Fights, for the most part, but sometimes there are other events, such as eating contests. Yes sir.”

“I’d like to get Filo in on one of those.”

I wouldn’t have minded seeing just how far that bottomless pit could go.

“Huh? I’m going to enter?”

“It’s a possibility.”

We could cut our food expenses and even make some extra cash. Then again, I was sure losing would carry significant risks.

“I’m sure that would turn out to be quite interesting. Yes sir.”

The slave trader made some kind of strange signal to the brawny man. He knew I was just running with the conversation he started, right?

“So? How much further?”

“We’re almost there.”

A few moments after he responded, we arrived at the bottom of the stairs. I could see countless cages at the end of a corridor lined with stone walls. There were more cages here than in the slave trader’s tent, and they were packed full of slaves with no regard for their race—human, demi-human, or otherwise. I could see a small room beyond the prison area. Inside, another slave trader stood waiting.

“Ohhh! If it isn’t Melromarc’s—”

“Ohhh! My dear uncle!”

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the man that the slave trader was hugging, evidently overjoyed to see him. The slave trader was an excessively obese, odd-looking gentleman who wore a tailcoat and spectacles, and this other merchant had the exact same figure. Even his face was nearly identical. The only difference between them was the design of their spectacles and tailcoats.

“Mr. Naofumi, I think there’s something wrong with my eyes.”

“What a coincidence. Me too.”

“Fehhh . . .”

He had said it was a family business, but these two were practically clones. Shit. My nightmare had become reality. I’d seen something similar in an anime about a girl at a family-run hospital, but this . . . You wouldn’t be able to tell them apart at all if they wore the same outfit.

“This is the man that invited you here, Shield Hero. My uncle. Yes sir.”

“Well, well, if it isn’t the Shield Hero. Pleasure to meet you. That look in your eyes is liable to steal my heart. Yes sir.”

“Just stop now!”

This was bad. I was getting goosebumps. I wanted to run away immediately. The thought of having come all that way for nothing pissed me off, though, so I resisted the urge to turn around and leave.

“Now that’s a voice fit for a slave driver! How thrilling! Can I interest you in taking my daughter’s hand in marriage?”

I imagined a female version of the slave trader.

“Oh god, spare me.”

“Spare us both! Did you call Mr. Naofumi here just to make such ridiculous remarks?!”