The 41 ordinary female slaves and one elf slave purchased from the Vailen Slave Market were immediately confined to the basement upon arriving at Eugene's mansion.
It wasn't a prison. A separate prison was being built a short distance from the mansion. The basement of the mansion was a space created for the slaves, essentially a training area.
The elf slave, Elona, was isolated in a special training room equipped with a mana suppressor.
The other 41 slaves were sitting quietly in the cold basement room, waiting.
"…Do you think it's true that they'll use us as maids?"
One of the women cautiously spoke up. She couldn't believe what she had been told. In this world, working as a servant in a mansion is not an easy job to get.
Even if someone wants to become a servant, it's rare for the employer to accept them so easily.
"…Who knows. They're not ordinary maids. There's no reason to use slaves like us as maids. At best, we'll probably just be playthings for the nobles."
Such a magnificent mansion could only be owned by a noble. And the servants working in the mansion are at least commoners. Especially those who assist nobles closely are either noble children or educated commoners.
Common sense dictates that there's no way they would use uneducated slaves like us as maids for household chores.
"I'd rather be a plaything."
One of the women spoke. Everyone's eyes turned to her.
She had navy-blue hair. Her name was Kelly. She was from the far north, where it snows almost all the time.
"Do you know how serfs work? They have to wake up early in the morning to feed the livestock and then go straight to the fields to work until sunset. Then they have to sleep with their master, and if things go wrong, they could be sold as prostitutes."
Kelly was a virgin. She had heard this story from an old woman who was locked in the same cell as her in the slave market.
"But if you become a noble's plaything, the story changes. At least you don't have to live as hard as a serf. If you gain the noble's favour, you could even become a commoner. Being a noble's plaything is much better than being a serf."
"...."
"And you've all heard about slaves who are treated worse than serfs, right…?"
"...."
The female slaves quietly bowed their heads. Being from the slave market, they couldn't possibly not know. Some slaves are treated so badly that death would be preferable.
Thud, thud!
Footsteps were heard. The slaves tensed and stared at the door.
The door opened, and a maid appeared. The maid, with long silver-blue hair and icy blue eyes, scanned the slaves once.
The slaves were overwhelmed by Yuria. Her beauty aside, the charisma she exuded bound the slaves.
"I trust that all of you are aware of your situation and are not foolish enough to act recklessly."
"...."
"I am Yuria Grace. I am the personal maid of Eugene Pruckus, your master, and the head maid of this mansion. You may address me as Head Maid."
"...."
"This mansion will be your home and workplace. There is much to do from now on. Follow me."
The slaves followed Yuria.
They arrived at a bathhouse built in the basement. It wasn't just any bathhouse. It was at least three times larger than the bathhouse in the Pruckus Count's residence. It was so large that even 100 people could comfortably fit inside.
There were over five baths, and on one side, there was even a swimming pool.
The facilities were so good that even modern public bathhouses couldn't compare. Additionally, magic ensured that the water was always clean.
On one side, there were four sauna facilities: wet, dry, salt, and ice.
Eugene had put particular effort into this bathhouse. While he enjoyed bathing, he also had ulterior motives of bathing with many women.
"Please remove your clothes. The first thing you need to focus on is the master, followed by hygiene and cleanliness. Place your clothes in that trash bin."
Yuria removed her maid uniform and spoke to the slaves.
The slaves followed Yuria's instructions without protest. They were well aware of their situation. Moreover, Yuria had already undressed, so they couldn't insist on keeping their rags.
"I'll start by showing you how to use the shower."
Seeing is believing. It's better to show once than to explain.
"Always shower before entering the bath. Do not enter the bath during your period. Is anyone currently on their period?"
A few raised their hands. Yuria nodded and began explaining how to bathe properly.
The slaves, having heard the explanation, started washing themselves as instructed.
Yuria walked around, thoroughly checking their cleanliness.
"There's still dirt on your back. Wash properly. If it's difficult to do alone, ask someone nearby for help."
"Serin. Wash your hair two more times. Don't forget to use the rinse."
"Aisha. The genital area is important. You must maintain cleanliness, especially during your period."
Yuria paid extra attention to the young girls.
"Nephea. There's still foam in your ears."
"Lora. I know you're inexperienced. I'm not scolding you. Don't cry. Come here. Let me wash you."
Meanwhile, Yuria carefully observed one woman. She was particularly good at helping the children. Her name was Fatima. A widow in her mid-twenties who came to the mansion with her daughter. She was full of maternal instinct and took good care of the children.
After an hour, all the slaves had clean faces and bodies.
"…There's still a bit of grooming needed, but we'll let it slide for today. Now, let's go outside. Your clothes are prepared in the changing room."
"This is…"
"A maid uniform. Maid uniforms must always be neat. Don't forget that and put on your uniforms."
Yuria nodded as she watched the slaves put on their maid uniforms.
She then took them to the dining room on the first floor.
The first-floor dining room was for the maids. It was quite spacious, able to comfortably accommodate dozens of people at once.
"There wasn't enough time to prepare a proper meal today."
No matter how capable Yuria was, she only had one body. Preparing meals for over 41 people alone was impossible. Of course, Eugene's meal was perfectly prepared and served first.
"This… isn't a proper meal?"
Fatima looked at the food on the table with wide eyes.
Bread, soup, and fruit.
Even though the bread was cold, it was incredibly good for slaves' food. The bread looked very soft, and the soup had large chunks of meat floating in it.
"Yes. The bread wasn't made by me but given by the master. Probably bought from Earth. The soup was hastily made. Please eat before it gets cold."
The slaves began their meal. Fatima scooped some soup with a spoon and put it in her mouth.
"It's delicious! It looks like an ordinary meat soup, but…! Is there something special in it?"
"Monosodium glutamate."
"…Huh?"
"A seasoning commonly called MSG."
"Seasoning…?"
"Think of it as similar to spices."
The meal ended. The slaves ate everything without leaving a crumb. It's a slave's basic instinct to eat as much as possible when they can.
"I'm thinking of selecting a few of you to be in charge of the kitchen. If you're confident in kitchen work, please raise your hand."
Nearly 20 women raised their hands.
"…More than I expected. I'll select the kitchen staff through a test tomorrow."
Afterwards, they returned to the basement for training.
"Just because you wear maid uniforms and do maid work doesn't change the fact that you are slaves at your core. Eugene Pruckus is your master. His commands are absolute, and you must devote everything to him."
Yuria intended to conduct this training thoroughly.
Even the children were no exception. In fact, because they were young, they needed even more careful training.
After the training, Yuria assigned them to rooms in the basement. Five to six people per room. There were no beds. All they were given were pillows and blankets.
"The children will use the rooms on the second floor from now on. And… Fatima."
"Yes… Head Maid."
"From now on, you are an official maid. Your job will be to manage and teach the children. You could say you're a nanny. If you don't like the assigned task, you can say so."
Fatima looked at one of the children. It was her daughter.
"…No. It's fine. I'll work hard."
"Good. As an official maid, your room is not here but on the second floor. Next to the children's room. This is a good opportunity, so let's all go up and see the official maid's room."
This mansion had rooms for maids on every floor from the first to the fifth. While it didn't mean much, if anything, it was for Eugene's protection. For reference, Eugene's bedroom is on the fourth floor.
The slaves who saw Fatima's room were amazed. It was much larger and nicer than they had imagined.
It had a comfortable bed, a wardrobe, a desk, a mirror, a clock, and all the basic necessities.
"Inside the wardrobe are five maid uniforms. Two for going out and three for the mansion. Always take care of your clothes. And you'll receive a monthly salary. I don't care how you use it, but remember that any disgraceful behaviour will tarnish the master's reputation."
"Um… What's that white and black thing on the ceiling?"
"It's an air conditioner. It can cool and heat. I'll teach you how to use it. Next to it is a camera that monitors your every move, so live honestly."
For reference, the cameras and air conditioners could be controlled from the computer room on the fifth floor.
The children's room next door was nothing special. It had small beds and desks sized for children. The children would live communally here until they became official maids.
Yuria glanced at the clock.
9:40 PM. It was time to prepare for bed.
"There are enough rooms for all of you. If you become official maids, you'll each be given a private room. Outstanding maids will be rewarded, and those who break the rules will be punished."
The slaves' eyes sparkled. They sensed that they might enjoy a more prosperous life than before they became slaves.
"How you live in this mansion is entirely up to you. Now, return to the basement and go to sleep. You must wake up at 6 AM tomorrow."
They followed Yuria's orders without complaint and returned to the basement.
"Fatima."
"Yes. Head Maid."
"You have a task to perform tonight."
"A task… What is it?"
"Serving the master."
Yuria pulled out clothes from her shadow.
It was a maid uniform. The skirt was extremely short, and the chest area was cut so deeply that it was almost exposed. It even included a revealing red panty with a split center.
"I'll be in the basement for a while. Change into this in the meantime."
"Wearing this to serve… Surely not."
"It's serving the master by offering your body. Surely… you're not refusing?"
Yuria asked with a smile.
She was clearly smiling.
Her face was still beautiful.
But Fatima felt a chill run down her spine as she saw that smile.
"N-No. I'll serve."
"Fatima. I trust you, as a widow, will do well. You are a maid and a slave. The master owns you and your daughter. Don't forget that."
"...I'll serve diligently."
Yuria nodded and headed to the basement.
***
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