I love time travel the most!

Before, I couldn't sense anything at all. If it weren't for Ryuu using the [Imaginary Number Mechanism] to arouse hostility from the people in the shadows, I probably wouldn't have discovered that someone was following me.

However, that somewhat restless atmosphere ultimately did not manifest itself in any way, but instead transformed into threats and hints.

'If you dare to make any strange moves, your head will roll on the ground in the next second!'

They are conveying this message.

Without a doubt, it must be the eight executives of the Freya Familia. They must have been searching for the goddess's trail and then desperately chasing after her. However, after discovering the goddess, they didn't reveal themselves but chose to protect her silently. If it weren't for Ryuzu's extremely strange and dangerous abilities, they might have remained hidden in the shadows. The fact that they haven't appeared yet is very likely the result of the goddess's orders.

Being stared at by eight men felt a bit strange.

Sudden--

"She's not human, is she? No, to be precise, she's not even a living being."

The goddess's words brought Kobayashi back to his senses, and they were like a bombshell.

She pursed her lips, unsure how to answer.

Freya was not annoyed by Kobayashi's silence, but continued bluntly, "You should have realized it just now, I can see through souls. But she... this girl in the gorgeous dress is not human, she has no soul radiance."

"--What?!"

A scream pierced the air, a shrill sound that interrupted the conversation.

Kobayashi turned his head and saw Boffman, and a small, ornate box with gold trim that he was holding in his hands.

The goddess's slight reproach and Kobayashi's indifferent gaze made Boffman smile awkwardly.

"Is there something you need, Boffman?"

"Yes, Goddess! Actually, I came here specifically to thank this... Lord Kobayashi. I thank him for his help in saving the ship from disaster and ensuring that you were unharmed."

He is very smart.

The gratitude was genuine, but the clever part was bringing Freya along.

This immediately changed the meaning from him expressing gratitude to him expressing gratitude "on behalf of" Freya, inadvertently putting the goddess in a debt of gratitude. Moreover, getting to know a powerful person in the process was definitely not a loss for him.

For businessmen, vision and investment are of paramount importance.

However, his little scheme had already been exposed to the gods with billions of years of experience. Xiao Lin didn't point it out, but nodded, took the small box that was handed to him, and then handed it to Liu Zi.

"You're too kind, Mr. Ship Owner. I'm just returning the favor for your help."

“Boffman, please call me Boffman! And this is what you deserve, Lord Kobayashi. This ship is far more important than a token of your appreciation, so please don’t refuse.”

That respectful and polite demeanor made people uncomfortable.

It seems that Liu Zi's actions and her offending him earlier have indeed frightened him greatly.

“Boffman, I still prefer your initial rebellious self. Try to revert to your old ways.”

Hehe, hehehe—

Boffman gave an awkward laugh, but quickly returned to his usual demeanor.

“Speaking of what we were just discussing,” Boffman glanced at Ryuu, then asked curiously, “Lady Freya just said that this… this Miss Ryuu isn’t human, what… what did she mean?”

This guy thought he arrived at the perfect time and would let the topic pass, but he didn't expect him to bring it up again.

Freya also said with interest, "Can you tell me, Kobayashi?"

"You have such keen eyes! Goddess, your insight is truly admirable. Both body and soul are laid bare before your eyes." Kobayashi's words were a mix of praise and sarcasm, but he ultimately explained, "As you said, Ryuu is not human. As a doll girl, she naturally lacks the radiance of a soul."

"A human...a doll?! She's actually a doll?!"

Boffman cried out in surprise.

After all, in his eyes, Liu Zi's movements, expressions, and speech were no different from those of a human. Subconsciously, he didn't believe that she was a doll.

But since it was said by the goddess, even if one is extremely unwilling, one can only believe it.

"Such a lifelike doll is truly a novelty." The goddess stared intently at Liu Zi and murmured, "Hehehe. It seems that choosing to head southeast was indeed the right decision."

The goddess was in a great mood and couldn't help but giggle.

Boffman's mouth was slightly open and his eyes were fixed on Freya, clearly captivated by her beauty.

Incidentally, it's her physical beauty.

After all, Freya didn't need to use her divinity to deal with these small fry; she simply knelt down at the feet of the goddess of beauty.

Fortunately, Freya wasn't too interested in Ryuzu, or perhaps she noticed Kobayashi's stiffness and tense, wary demeanor, so she didn't ask for it or examine it.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

If the other party is truly interested, Kobayashi isn't sure if he can escape the full-on onslaught of "Beauty"—beauty that could make even the gods fall for her!

On the contrary, Boffman was very interested in Ryuu. After learning that Ryuu was a doll and also Kobayashi's servant, he actually made a request to trade.

"Lord Kobayashi, I wonder if you have any intention of selling her?"

"what?"

"5000 million! I'll offer 5000 million Faris!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't..."

“8000…no, 1 million Fali! This is my limit, Lord Kobayashi, what do you think?!”

The fact that Boffman was willing to spend 1 million to buy Liu Zi made Kobayashi take a slight look at his boldness.

But in Boffman's mind, there was a different story: this doll girl was incredibly powerful, capable of instantly annihilating even giant worms that could easily capsize ships. With her around, he could roam freely in this desert without any hindrance! And most importantly, this doll was also very beautiful!

Don't get me wrong, he won't lay a hand on Liu Zi, but rather treats the girl as a commodity.

Beautiful, powerful, and incredibly realistic dolls like these are the most lifelike ever seen – they're sure to fetch a high price!

pity.

"I'm sorry, I have no intention of selling them."

"Is it because you don't have enough money? If it's money, I can add more! 150 million! 150 million Faris, you...!"

"I told you!"

Before Boffman could finish speaking, Kobayashi forcefully interrupted him. He stepped forward, his taller frame blocking out the sunlight and casting a shadow over him, his cold voice reaching the ears of the speaker.

“She is my proudest waitress and my most trusted companion. I’m sorry, I have no intention of selling her.”

"...Is that so? That's a real shame."

Boffman couldn't help but take a half step back, creating some distance between them.

He is really afraid.

“However,” Kobayashi suddenly said, stroking his chin, “I can still get some secondary dolls. Although they are not as outstanding as Ryuu, they are still invaluable assets.”

"Really?! If Lord Kobayashi can bring it, I, Boffman, am willing to give you half of the profits! Trust me, the strongest merchant in this desert will not disappoint you! Hehehe—"

Boffman left satisfied.

“Don’t let his appearance fool you, Boffman is actually a very talented businessman,” Freya said.

“I know,” Kobayashi said. “Merchants are only afraid of no profit or too little profit. Once they have a reasonable profit, they become bold. If there is a 20% profit, merchants will be eager to make money; if there is a 50% profit, they will take risks; if there is a 100% profit, they will dare to trample on all human laws; and if there is a 100% profit, they will even sell the rope to hang themselves!”

"...I'm truly astonished. I never expected you to say something so philosophical. If it were Hermes, he would definitely invite you to join his kin. After all, he is both the god of commerce and the god of travelers, which is a perfect match for you," Freya suddenly said.

Kobayashi shook his head and said very seriously, "What I just said was said by someone else, and I was just borrowing it. Besides, I already have a god to serve, so I will not join the kin of another god. I'm sorry, I cannot meet your expectations."

He was emphasizing it, and he was also making it explicit.

Freya wasn't angry. She hadn't had any strange feelings for Kobayashi to begin with; her earlier comments were simply because she felt Kobayashi and Hermes were a good match. Since Kobayashi was unwilling, she wouldn't force him. But if it was someone she had her eye on, that would be a different story.

"But I didn't expect that you weren't angry about Boffman's rudeness just now."

"We should be happy to see Liu Zi's value. Of course, that is, provided that he doesn't continue to cause trouble."

"Indeed. He has a keen eye for things; he must be a talented businessman."

"...except for that laugh that was anything but pleasant."

"you're right."

Freya and Kobayashi smiled at the same time.

But the next second, eight auras locked onto him again, the threat obvious. Xiaolin's smile froze instantly and then slowly disappeared.

Tsk.

It seems the goddess's charm, even unintentionally, is quite powerful; even he couldn't resist it, completely forgetting that there were eight extremely jealous and possessive admirers around him.

"I never expected such a lifelike doll."

"Compared to the dolls, I'm more curious about the ships that can sail in the sea of ​​sand. What powers them, and how can they move through the sand and travel across the desert? I'm very curious."

"Now that you mention it, I'm curious too."

Freya beckoned to Boffman, who was in the distance, and asked him to explain.

"—It operates on magic!" Boffman said with a hint of pride, pointing to the area directly below the deck. "There are thirty slaves at the bottom of the ship who provide a constant supply of magic to power the ship."

Furthermore, there are multiple crystal balls at the bottom of the cabin, which can be infused with magic when a person places their hands on them.

Unlike boats that are propelled by oars, this is a true magic ship.

"Slaves? Is your merchant guild also using slaves?" The goddess, however, focused on another key point.

“It’s not so much me, but the entire Caios Desert Circle does it, since slavery is legal here,” Boffman answered cautiously, unsure whether Freya, living in Orario, cared about slavery.

In order to make Orario a cradle for heroes, the gods strongly reject any unjust laws.

Freya simply nodded slightly.

Although she was a goddess, she had no intention of criticizing this act as inhumane. She had seen far too much of it; the culture of slavery was deeply ingrained in the lower realms.

Kobayashi shared the same idea.

Whether it's "Akatsuki no Akame" or "Machine-Doll", there are slaves, and even the cheerful "Konosuba" is no exception, so I just made a familiar expression and remained silent.

“Slaves…” Freya pondered for a moment before saying, “There must be a lot of children coming and going from places nearby, and they’re probably mostly slaves. In that case, let’s go take a look.”

"As you wish, my goddess."

Boffman urged the ship onward toward the town with the most slaves in the distance.