Harem in a Labyrinth

"This mutton soup is really delicious, Lillia," Roxanne said as she dipped her bread into the steaming bowl.

"Thank you, Roxanne-san," Lillia replied with a smile, her cheeks tinged with pride.

We were all having our breakfast while seating in the large dining room with over twenty seats. Lillia had some experience with cooking, so she took charge in making a dish for breakfast, with the other girls helping her.

What surprised me the most was her choice of dish—mutton soup made from the [Sheep's Meat] drop which we had obtained during our morning labyrinth run.

I couldn't help but glance at her, a Sheepkin with Sheep horns, happily slurping the soup made from, well… Sheep. Everyone else seemed to find it perfectly normal, but I alone was grappling with the peculiarity of the scene.

"Yeah, it tastes great, Lillia. Good job," I said, swallowing both the tender meat and my growing unease. Was this... cannibalism?

"Thank you, Master!" Lillia beamed, visibly delighted by the compliment. Around the table, the other girls were enjoying the dish with equal enthusiasm.

"Mmmmm!" Miria, however, was in her own little world, thoroughly engrossed in munching on roasted fish.

That was her reward for a job well done today. Honestly, I couldn't help but spoil her. She was like my personal cat, and her reactions when eating fish were so endearing that it was impossible to resist.

As I savoured the soup, I noticed its flavour was mellow and lacked the spice I was accustomed to in my previous world. Perhaps it was time to find substitutes for those spices and cultivate them in the mansion's garden.

I shared the idea with Roxanne, who eagerly agreed, already envisioning the possibilities.

While the others chatted about their plans for the day, I decided to check my levels. 

[Job Setting

Acquired Job: Villager Level 25, Thief Level 20, Hero Level 20, Farmer Level 1, Explorer Level 32, Swordsman Level 4, Warrior Level 31, Merchant Level 20, Wizard Level 31, Herbalist Level 1, Monk Level 19, Alchemist Level 20, Sex Maniac Level 13, Knight Level 1, Bounty Hunter Level 1, Cook Level 1

Set Job: Explorer Level 32, Hero Level 20, Swordsman Level 4, Alchemist Level 20, Sex Maniac Level 13, Monk Level 19]

"Ugh... so close," I muttered to myself. A few more monsters, and both Swordsman and Monk would have reached the levels needed for a Level up reward! 

Still, there was no rush. Tomorrow's labyrinth run would undoubtedly do the trick. While I was at it, I decided to check on the levels of the other girls.

Using Appraisal, I reviewed their progress:

[Roxanne

Beast Warrior Level 13]

[Sherry

Master Smith Level 10]

Both Sherry and Roxanne's level went up by one. I sigh mentally lamenting how hard it was to level up racial jobs, even though they were levelling up at x40 or x20 speed. 

Maybe I am just impatient, as this should equate to going to the labyrinth daily for approximately a month and that too on the lowest floors. 

[Lillia

Master Tailor Level 7]

[Anastasia

Merchant Level 15]

[Miria

Warrior Level 7]

Lillia has grown two levels, from 5 to 7, it must be because her's is also a racial job. 

Anastasia's Merchant has grown 4 levels from 11 to 15. Miria's Warrior has levelled up three levels from 4 to 7. 

I share the news with them and they all have smiles on their faces, happy to know about their personal growth.

"Atleast it was all worth it" Anastasia murmurs quietly in happiness. 

I then share my levels with them, making their jaws drop. 

"As expected of Master!" Roxanne says proudly while the other girls nod along in shock.

Well my levels aren't shocking but their rocket like increase definitely is, especially when I have cheat skills that are able to help me level up multiple jobs simultaneously and that too at an alarming rate. 

But I am still very glad to have these systems with me, especially now when my own knowledge of the original novel won't be of much help going forward. As this is my reality and I would never complain to have more cheats to help me live well in this fantasy world! 

After breakfast, the girls were busy washing dishes while I decided to take stock of my finances. Of course, I already knew the total amount by heart—money, for me right now, was even more critical than levels—but there was something satisfying about physically counting it all.

I began stacking the coins on the big bed, withdrawing them from my Item Box. It was the safest place to store my wealth—impossible to steal and easy to organise.

First up were the purple Platinum coins. These were simple to count, as I only had three. Still, the value was mind-boggling—each coin was worth 1,000,000 nars. Just one of these could cover the purchase of both Roxanne and Sherry, without any discounts, and still leave me with over 150,000 nars to spare.

I could almost imagine Sherry shaking her head in disbelief at the absurdity of it.

Next came the gold coins. These took a bit more time to count, so I arranged them in stacks of ten. In total, I had 123 gold coins—a nice, easy number to remember. Each gold coin equaled 10,000 nars. Most of my steel equipment, like armour and swords, were valued at around a single gold coin. Despite the Platinum coins being 100 times more valuable, the sight of these yellow coins filled me with a nostalgic sort of glee. Perhaps it was a holdover from my Earthly life.

One day, I mused, I might fill a large room with gold coins and swim in them, Scrooge McDuck-style. Given the fantasy world I was in—complete with magic—that dream didn't feel so far-fetched.

Then came the silver coins. These were the most tedious to count. Again, I stacked them in piles of ten, eventually totalling 412 silver coins. The shine of silver was striking in its own way, though it couldn't compare to the golden gleam. Each silver coin was worth 100 nars—not an insignificant amount. If it weren't for the Level-Up system, I would have needed to sell labyrinth drops daily just to accumulate this many.

Finally, I pulled out my Explorer's Bag for the copper coins—the one type I couldn't store in my Item Box since they weren't labyrinth drop items. Keeping copper coins was always a hassle, which is why I made a habit of spending them as quickly as possible.

I had 200 copper coins, neatly stacked into 20 piles. These coins were still essential, as most daily necessities were priced in copper coins. 

So in total, I had:

3 Platinum coins

123 Gold coins

412 Silver coins

200 Copper coins

A quick mental calculation rounded my wealth to a grand total of 4,271,400 nars.

I couldn't help but smile, feeling an odd sense of pride as I admired the bed piled with coins. However, as I began considering putting them back, I noticed a familiar purple head peeking around the doorframe.

Anastasia.

Her gaze was locked on the bed, her lips slightly parted. Was she… drooling?

"Ahem!" I cleared my throat loudly, snapping her out of her trance. "Would you like to come in?" I asked, barely suppressing a smirk.

"AAAH! N-No! I-I'm sorry, Master!" Anastasia yelped, flailing in panic. "I-I wasn't… I didn't mean to…" She started bowing repeatedly, stammering out desperate apologies.

Being part of my party, I could sense her presence when she approached the room. She had been standing there, frozen in place, for a while now.

"Alright, come in," I said with a resigned sigh.

"Y-Yes, Master," she replied, bowing again before stepping inside. Her gaze, however, kept darting back to the bed, betraying her fascination.

"As punishment for sneaking on your Master…" I began, letting my voice drop into a teasing tone. Her eyes snapped to me nervously. "You will be disciplined tonight. On the bed."

I smirked, watching her expression shift as the meaning sank in. My fingers itched at the thought of her bare skin under my touch.

"Y-Yes, Master," she stammered, rubbing her backside with a pitiful pout.

"Would you like to be punished... on a bed full of coins?" I asked with a smirk.

"Wha—?" Anastasia's eyes widened as her gaze drifted to the bed. Her cheeks flushed slightly. "...doing that on a bed full of coins..." she murmured, as if caught in a trance.

I chuckled, amused by her obsession with the coins. "If you perform well at the auction today, that will be your reward," I teased with a playful grin. The idea sounded intriguing, though I doubted it would feel as glamorous as it seemed—those metal coins would probably hurt against bare skin.

"...I will do my best," she murmured, her head bowed in determination.

It would be a unique experience, no doubt. I leaned forward, gesturing at the pile of coins before us. "This is our budget for today's auction," I said with a small smile. "What do you think?"

Anastasia's eyes widened slightly at the sight. "This is a lot of money... But, Master, the slaves at the auction are always sold at premium prices. If you aim to buy a lot, or if there are bidders with deeper pockets, we might still face trouble," she said, her voice cautious.

"So, even this much might not be enough?" I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

"No, Master," she quickly clarified, shaking her hands in denial. "I was just mentioning unlikely scenarios. Generally, you should be able to buy whatever you want with this much capital."

That definitely felt like she just planted a flag. I narrow my eyes at Anastasia, wishing she hadn't said that.

Maybe I was just overthinking it. With a sigh, I started packing the coins back into the item box. Anastasia watched wistfully as the piles of money disappeared one by one, her disappointment evident.

Not long after, the other girls joined us. They began changing into their outfits for the day, opting for simple clothes rather than the expensive ones. I didn't want to force them, so I let it be. 

"Sherry, let me drop you off at the Imperial Capital's library first," I said after donning my own silk attire.

"Yes, Master! I am ready!" Sherry replied eagerly, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

I turned to the rest of the girls. "Why don't you all come with us? You can see the library for yourselves. If anyone wants to join Sherry, I will cover your deposit and entrance fee. It won't count in your allowance," I added, anticipating that cost might deter them otherwise.

"Ehh, it won't?" Sherry asked, blinking in surprise. "But that would be unfair to the others, Master," she protested.

"That's why I said anyone can go to the library," I explained with a smile. "If I didn't have this auction to attend, I would be there too. Knowledge is something I want all of you to have." These girls, if they had been born into my world, would have been high school students at this age. I didn't want their curiosity to be buried just because they were now slaves.

"Master..." Sherry's voice softened, and she gazed at me with emotion brimming in her eyes.

"If Master wishes, Roxanne will read books!" Roxanne said, making a dramatic face, as if steeling herself for a battle.

"Me too..." Lillia chimed in, clenching her fists with determination.

"For fish-desu!" Miria added enthusiastically, after hearing Roxanne's translation. 

"Ugh." I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Girls, I am not forcing you to study. This isn't a school!" Though, considering the world I am in, I doubt they even have schools here.

After clarifying that the decision to study was entirely theirs, I handed out their pocket money.

10 silver coins for each of them, I also gave them a drawstring pouch so they can keep their money in it. I had bought many of them before knowing that it would come in handy. 

"Alright let's head to the Imperial Capital!" 

***

The Poll on Patreon for the Day off (POV) chapter after the Auction arc, has now considered ended and I am pleased to announce that Roxanne has won with more than half the votes!

Please comment and give me more ideas to conduct polls about!