Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are So Hot! [BL]-Chapter 276: Binding Loyalties

"Wait, wait! Hold on!" the merchant called out, stopping them in their tracks.

From a pouch, he pulled out something small and held it up triumphantly.

"How about this, then? This is a talisman made from rare black onyx, mined from a legendary quarry deep in the southern desert! It has the power to ward off evil spirits, and just carrying it will guarantee calamities will steer clear of you!"

The merchant unveiled a perfectly round, jet-black stone, its surface gleaming ominously.

It was mounted in an intricate, jet-black cord weave and had a small loop for hanging.

The talisman was roughly the size of a thumb, and while its craftsmanship was impressive, its dark color and design gave it an unsettling aura.

Even though the merchant seemed confident in his pitch, Damien hesitated.

It looked far too ominous, and after his previous experience of being upsold on overpriced merchandise, he was wary.

Beside him, Lucian’s expression grew even more skeptical.

"And... what’s the price?" Damien asked cautiously.

Damien asked for the price, but it was more of a strategy—he was planning to use it as an excuse to leave.

"It’s a rare item, you know! Ten gold coins!" the merchant declared.

Ten gold coins?!

At that price, Damien didn’t even need an excuse—there was no way he would buy it.

"...Everyone makes that face when I tell them the price," the merchant sighed dramatically. "I shouldn’t have bothered stocking this thing in the first place. Fine, I’ll drop it to one gold coin, just barely covering what I paid for it. What do you say, young master? Will you take it now?"

The price had plummeted to a tenth of the original amount, but it was still high.

More than that, who would even want something so ominously black and foreboding?

...

Actually, there was someone.

Someone who might love it. That black-clad boss.

But still... one gold coin? That was undeniably a waste of money.

Yet as Damien stared at the talisman, he couldn’t shake the feeling it shared a certain nostalgic appeal.

"C-come on, one more price cut," Damien stammered.

The words were out before he could take them back.

Already regretting it, he half-hoped the merchant would respond with, "That’s the lowest I’ll go!"

But instead, the merchant sighed theatrically.

"With you, young master, I just can’t win! Fine—eight small gold coins! But this is absolutely the last price I can offer! Any less, and I’d be losing money when you factor in travel expenses!"

...The price had gone down again.

At this point, Damien felt resigned.

"F-fine! I’ll buy it!"

"Ahh, well, better than throwing it away, I suppose. Please keep coming back, alright, young master?"

The merchant handed over the talisman and tossing it to Damien with a flair.

Damien, prepared for such theatrics after last time, caught it without issue.

Still, a sinking feeling told him he might’ve just wasted his money.

He could only hope the boss would be happy with it. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

...

Although Damien had made a small detour, he arrived at the slave merchant’s establishment on time.

This time, he had properly scheduled a visit, so he was smoothly guided to the usual room.

Well, all he had done was inform them of his arrival time—was that impolite?

Theo had assured him it was fine, but Damien still felt a little uneasy.

In the room, as always, there were some sweets placed on the table.

While the three of them enjoyed the treats, a knock at the door signaled the arrival of the slave merchant.

"Ah, thank you so much for your prompt visit. What can I assist you with today?"

As usual, the slave merchant greeted them with an excessively elegant bow.

Damien still wasn’t used to this demeanor.

"I’m here to purchase Isaac and Miria, the two pe you introduced to me yesterday," Damien explained.

"Well, well, thank you very much," the slave merchant replied with a pleased smile and a polite nod.

"And you’ve secured the necessary consent from their family, I presume?"

The slave merchant glanced at Damien with a probing look in his eyes, clearly trying to gauge the situation.

It seemed like a deliberate gesture to convey, I’m curious about your interest.

Damien wasn’t skilled in subtle social maneuvering, so he responded honestly.

"Yes, fortunately, I’ve received my family permission," he confirmed.

"That’s wonderful to hear. Allow me to call them immediately," the slave merchant said.

With his usual flair, the slave merchant clapped his hands twice.

Almost immediately, as if everything had been prearranged, the door to the stage opened, and Isaac and Miria were brought in.

Both of them raised their eyebrows slightly in surprise when they saw Damien.

Perhaps they hadn’t expected him to return so soon after their meeting the day before.

"So, you’ll be purchasing these two for fifty gold coins, correct?" the slave merchant asked for final confirmation.

Damien nodded—he had no objections.

However, before proceeding, he raised a question.

"May I confirm their willingness one last time?"

In this world, it seemed that people who had become "commodities" as slaves no longer had the right to decide whether or not they were purchased.

Still, Damien wanted them to feel comfortable working for him, if possible.

Given their connection to Augusto, Damien wanted to hear their thoughts before completing the purchase.

"Of course," the slave merchant replied with a polite smile, though his true feelings were hard to discern.

With that reassurance, Damien walked toward Isaac and Miria, accompanied by Thalatha.

As before, the two of them knelt down immediately upon his approach.

"Um, first of all, please relax," Damien said gently, attempting to put them at ease.

However, unlike last time, neither of them raised their heads.

Considering their previous interaction, they likely understood that Damien was connected to Theo, so it wasn’t entirely surprising.

Deciding to proceed, Damien delivered the message he had prepared.

"First, I’d like to inform you that Augusto, the son of the former Viscount Castellani, will be staying with our household."