The Sleeping Devil

"Mia, have you calmed down a bit?"

"I...I'm sorry for earlier. Even though you saved us..."

"It's okay. So, where did you two come from? What about your parents?"

After sipping a warm drink and calming down a bit, Mia began to speak about their situation.

They were the children of peasants living in a remote part of this territory. However, their parents had passed away due to an epidemic, and the impoverished village couldn't afford to care for them, so they were brought to this city to be sold as slaves.

However, while they were going through the procedures in the slave market, Leo was taken away while she briefly looked away. She had heard that sometimes child slaves were kidnapped and sold at black auctions. So, she had come here all by herself.

"I see, I understand now. There shouldn't be any major issues if we take you from the slave market."

Sergio, who had apparently finished the post-processing while we were talking, appeared behind us.

"Father, why is there a system of slavery in which even such young children are sold as slaves?"

"It benefits both sides. By the way, how about visiting a real slave market tomorrow? You might find some hidden gems there."

Whether he had no intention of answering my questions, couldn't relate to my distaste for the slave system, or simply ignored my protests, I found myself being taken to a legal slave market. Even if it wasn't my intention, Sergio didn't seem to pay much attention to what I had to say. With a cheerful grin, he returned to the carriage.

It seemed we were returning to Beriard's territory tonight, and we would be camping. I never thought that on the second day of the journey, we'd be camping, but a splendid tent, almost like a Gel, was set up, and it was more comfortable than I had anticipated.

"Come on, Julius, can you set up a barrier here?"

"Father! Professor Julius isn't a jack of all trades, you know!"

"Heh, it's okay. We didn't have much of a lesson today, and we can make this Sheriel's educational material."

"Is that really okay?"

So, I found myself learning advanced magic for the first time.

Once we were outside, Julius marked the four corners surrounding multiple tents with runes, and he began reciting spells in order. The spells were more complex than intermediate magic but shorter than incantations, and although there were several standard phrases, the structure wasn't all that different. I learned it quite quickly. It wasn't a very high-level barrier since the guards were on watch all night.

"If you can save the barrier, we might be able to layer it. It'll consume some magic power, but it should be fine for a night."

Saying this, Julius used a slightly different incantation to move around the four corners. The first one was a barrier to repel intruders, and the one he was currently setting up seemed to be a barrier to ward off magical attacks.

"How do you distinguish intruders from us?"

"We can't distinguish them, so you won't be able to leave here until tomorrow morning. Once you step outside, you'll be camping with the knights."

The barrier was apparently the final line of defense, as everyone was already inside their tents, and the knights were stationed outside. They checked the barrier as if they were grading it and taught us about its intricacies and how to deactivate it.

"See you tomorrow."

The class ended quite quickly, and Julius left immediately. I didn't feel like I had learned much because all I did was chant the spells as instructed, but I had apparently acquired an advanced magic spell.

When I returned to the tent, Sergio and Didier had changed into more comfortable clothing and were having tea.

"Sheriel, welcome back. You were fast."

"Yes, once you chant it once, you just repeat it."

"No, it's advanced magic. It takes quite a bit of concentration."

"Is that so? I imagined a glass box, so molding the magic power was easier."

I had made the glass slightly thicker to prevent it from breaking easily. Julius had tested its durability several times, so it should be fine.

Sergio and Didier both tilted their heads for a moment, but they didn't seem particularly interested, so the conversation quickly shifted to our future travel plans.

"Is there anywhere you'd like to go, Sheriel? We have a rough idea of the towns we'll be stopping at, but other than the Zorad family, we haven't given any prior notice."

"Are you sure it won't be an inconvenience if we suddenly show up?"

"People might be a little surprised, but most towns would welcome the lord. As long as there's nothing sinister going on."

He chuckled mischievously, bearing a striking resemblance to Didier. Despite their differences in appearance, it was clear that they were father and son. Even when asked where I wanted to go, I didn't know much beyond the history and contemporary faction issues that I had learned in class. I'd prefer to go somewhere enjoyable, especially since I might feel down after visiting the slave market tomorrow, but so far, the only thing that came to mind was wanting to see a big animal.

"I'm looking forward to the Northern Forest the most."

"Since you like animals, Sheriel, I think you'll see many of them when we pass through the forest."

"Really? Are there dragons there too?"

"D-Dragons, huh..."

Sergio and Didier turned away, looking somewhat bitter. Perhaps dragons weren't their favorite creatures. If the dragons I imagined were the same as in this world, they were quite reptilian, so not everyone might be fond of them.

"Dragon extermination is a matter for the Royal Knights, you know. I can't handle that on my own..."

"I'm not talking about extermination! I just want to see one from a distance, that's all."

"Hmm, even just seeing them from a distance... You know the saying 'let sleeping dragons lie,' right?"

Fairy tales often featured dragons, so I had assumed they were familiar creatures in this world. However, it seemed they were more like natural disasters, and you didn't see them often---more like, you shouldn't see them at all. Still, in a magical world, who wouldn't want to meet a dragon?

"I thought I might see them, even if it's just a brief glance... But I guess it would be a pity if it turned into a dragon-hunting commotion, so I'll give up."

"Sheriel, you really get upset over strange things. Even though you're not very sensitive about people's feelings."

"Anyone would feel down if they were told it's impossible to meet someone they admire."

After soothing the fatigue of the journey, we got into our beds. The large tent was divided into sections by fabric, so it wasn't quite a mass of people sleeping together, even though we were a family. I wondered how they had transported the smaller beds here, but soon, I fell into the world of dreams.

In the middle of the night, I woke up with a sensation of being shaken all over, and there was quite a commotion outside.

"Father... Are you awake? It's noisy outside."

"Hmm... It is noisy. It'll stop soon, so just sleep."

The shaking was a one-time event, and it seemed like there was some kind of festival happening nearby. I thought, half-asleep, but my drowsy head quickly fell back into slumber.

The next morning, when I woke up, everyone was getting ready as if nothing had happened.

"Today, before breakfast, we'll go to the slave market. We want the rescued children to have some rest, and we can't run very far until breakfast anyway, so it's a good use of time, right?"

Almost all the attendants and guards had been left behind, and only we were heading to the slave market. It was still sleeping time at the castle, and here, it was still morning, so I felt quite sleepy. I had been given a robe like the one from yesterday, and when I covered my hair with the hood, my eyes seemed even more inclined to close.

However, I immediately woke up when I realized we would be riding horses.

"I'm riding a horse for the first time!"

"Do you like it? When you get a little bigger, should we start horseback riding training?"

Sergio let me ride his horse, and we headed back to the town we had visited yesterday. The atmosphere was different from last night; it was lively from the morning, more like a market selling vegetables and meat than food stalls.

As we traveled on horses, avoiding the bustling market, we could hear the voices of people again. We reached a large open space enclosed by a low wall. There was no gate; the entrance seemed to be open like a gap in the wall, and anyone could come and go freely. I saw a stage, tents, and mansions in the distance, making it look like an amusement park, circus, or festival grounds.

We tied our horses outside and entered the lively area. Bright voices could be heard from all around. Women gathered at large tables, sewing, and in the square, several men were splitting firewood, lifting heavy objects, and performing various tricks.

"What is this place?"

"I told you, it's the slave market."

"Huh, so what about those people?"

"They're aspiring slaves. They show off their skills and try to find a master. They have to go on stage once a day, and the rest of the time they're free to stay inside the grounds."

Most of them were commoners, but about twenty percent seemed to be nobles.

"Nobles are here too, but why as slaves?"

"They are probably those who couldn't inherit a title or territory and couldn't find employment in official positions. Licht was also bought by someone here, so it's not unusual. Well, they are considered to have issues due to not finding a proper job."

It seemed that Licht was readily accepted not only because everyone at Beriard Castle was nice but also because of his noble background. However, when it came to my slave background, I had been worried, to be honest. I had temporary memories of being despised for that.

Nevertheless, the atmosphere here, among the slaves, was surprisingly bright, lacking any traces of desperation. People were either silently working or even presenting themselves with a smile.

"It's quite lively here."

"People with fragile hearts accumulate corruption quickly, so they act cheerful even if it's forced. I doubt anyone would buy someone who becomes useless immediately."

"But even so, do people here really aspire to become slaves?"

"Some are sold off by their parents, but generally, it's their own choice, I think. Only the person themselves can make a contract."

Didier seemed knowledgeable about slaves and explained various things as we walked around the venue.

Until a few hundred years ago, the slaves were mostly powerless commoners, including defeated citizens, orphans, and children from kidnapped villages, with no consideration for their personal will. But with the increase in the number of slaves, and the accumulation of corruption, they experimented with various methods, eventually leading to the current form where the contract is made with the person's will.

As the population grew, more people couldn't inherit farms or family businesses, and that problem extended to lower nobles as well. Such people come to this slave market in search of employment.

"What form does the contract take?"

"Usually, they set a trial period of about a year, and many people want a lifelong contract after that. Those who don't want to be kicked out after ten or twenty years, even if they get released, might make a contract with a lump sum for independence. If they're evaluated well in their work, they can be promoted from a slave to a servant, receiving wages, which even allows them to start families."

It was incredibly generous. It felt more like being an independent business owner than a slave. The slave market here seemed like a combination of an agent and an employment agency.

The sale and purchase of slaves involves the full payment as a contract fee, but the selling city provides meals and sleeping quarters until the contract is made. However, if they don't sell for several years, they might be expelled.

"Why is the term 'slave' still used here? There should be better names like a vocational guidance center or something."

"Well, even if the treatment is better, it's still essentially a subservience contract, right? When you make a subservience contract, you can't escape or betray your master. So, it's also advantageous for the masters."

I see, indeed, 'slave' is the correct term. It made sense. What Sergio mentioned about it benefiting both parties must refer to this. We had no intention of actually buying someone, so we were here just out of curiosity, but I was glad to have seen this place directly.

I had some preconceived notions and biases due to my unwarranted assumptions from my previous life's memories.

"Hey, it's great, isn't it? You're trying to hide it well, but you seem quite desperate."

At the end of Didier's gaze was a young woman with a calm smile embroidering. I prayed from the bottom of my heart for Didier not to do anything bad even though he had that smile that had recently become rare.