Vol 1 Chapter 12 – The Impotent Man【Vol 1: A Man Who Wants to Buy a Slave】

On our way to Lake Hounien, we talked about all sorts of things. Come to think of it, even though we’d been living together for a month, this might’ve been the first time we’d really spent this much time together.

“But that’s so stupid! When they told you to choose between working or leaving home to become an adventurer, you picked adventurer! Well, maybe it was the perfect profession for you, Nemu!”

“Mmm… Yuuki’s more stupid than Nemu. Doing adventurer work just to buy slaves isn’t normal. Nemu’s definitely more normal.”

“Don’t make fun of slaves! They’re my dream! I’m absolutely going to meet my ‘destined slave’ someday!”

We shared our reasons for becoming adventurers, then continued arguing about which of us was the more normal adventurer. Objectively, Nemu might seem more normal, but the thought process of “I don’t want to work so I’ll be an adventurer” wasn’t normal either. Then again, continuing as an adventurer just to buy slaves probably wasn’t normal for me either.

As we continued this silly conversation, Nemu suddenly went quiet and stared intently at me. Not backing down, I stared back at her. After staring at each other for about ten seconds, Nemu furrowed her brow and spoke.

“Does Yuuki… dislike normal girls?”

At her sudden question, I couldn’t help but let out a “Huh?” But Nemu’s expression was serious, so I decided to answer seriously too.

“What’s with the sudden question? It’s not like I hate them. I mean, I’m here with you right now because I listened to your request, aren’t I?”

When I answered that way, Nemu looked down with a worried expression.

“Yeah… that’s true. But Nemu’s a little worried.”

“Huh? What’s wrong, seriously! Did I do something weird?”

At Nemu’s words, I stopped walking and stared at her. Had I done something strange? Maybe I’d unconsciously done something that made Nemu uncomfortable. As I was thinking this, Nemu started talking while staring at my crotch.

“Nemu’s so cute, but Yuuki never gets aroused at all. You don’t smell like a male at all. Only when Nemu wore the maid outfit did you smell a little bit like a male. So maybe… you’re impotent?”

The word I’d heard at the real estate agency struck my son once again. But unlike the teasing tone from before, Nemu now seemed genuinely concerned about my body.

“…Wait, you’ve been thinking I’m some poor impotent man this whole time?”

“Yeah… Nemu’s being helped by Yuuki. So if there’s anything Nemu can do, she wants to help. Should Nemu wear the maid outfit more often?”

As someone staying in my house, receiving food and shelter, her genuine desire to help came through clearly. I never imagined Nemu would worry about me this much.

But I had one thing to say. I am absolutely not impotent!!

“I appreciate that! But like I said before, I like slave girls! Normal girls are the same as vegetables growing on the side of the road! So I’m not impotent or anything!”

To make sure Nemu understood properly, I had to cast aside my shame and speak from my heart. I’m not impotent at all. My fetish is just a bit twisted compared to other people, that’s all.

Maybe my passionate feelings got through, because Nemu finally showed a relieved expression. But then, thinking about something, she put her hand on her chin and started pondering with an “hmm.”

After several minutes of contemplation, Nemu—with a light bulb appearing above her head—looked at me with a confident face and proposed something outrageous.

“I see… Then should Nemu become a slave for you?”

Nemu looked at me as if she’d come up with a brilliant idea. I stared back at her with the most serious gaze I’d ever given. Then I chopped down on her defenseless head.

“Ow… What was that for?”

“Don’t say stuff like that, even as a joke. People don’t become slaves because they want to. That’s disrespectful to everyone who’s actually enslaved right now!”

I didn’t know what feelings Nemu had toward slaves, but using the expression “fall into slavery” showed she understood what kind of status it was.

That’s exactly why her words were incredibly disrespectful to actual slaves. Slaves had lives too, and they’d chosen to live even if it meant falling to slave status. I couldn’t let her sully that resolve.

Hearing my earnest appeal, Nemu seemed to realize her statement was problematic and pursed her lips apologetically.

“Mm… sorry.”

“As long as you understand. Don’t ever say something like that again, okay?”

At my words, Nemu nodded vigorously. After that, an awkward atmosphere enveloped us for a while. Only the sounds of rustling grass and gravel crunching underfoot echoed around us.

I should bring up a topic. Something about food? Or maybe monsters?

While I was pondering various options, another light bulb lit up above Nemu’s head. Worried about what it might be this time, Nemu started speaking with slight embarrassment.

“Yuuki… if Nemu did become a slave, would you like her then?”

“Huh? Ah… well, that’s… you know. It’s like, you know.”

“Like what? Like what?”

At my stammering response, Nemu swung her tail back and forth vigorously.

If Nemu became a slave for some reason, she would possess the conditions for me to have feelings for her. She would, but that didn’t mean I’d actually like her. You couldn’t know something like that until it happened.

“L-Look! That’s ‘Lake Hounien’ over there! Let’s quickly gather the moonflower grass and head back!”

Conveniently pointing at the lake that had come into view, I jogged ahead, leaving Nemu behind. Somehow I couldn’t continue this topic.