Volume 5 Chapter 1 Reminiscence 1️⃣
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
My name is Soyuz. I am a 6-year-old slave.
Since I was a baby, I have lived in this slave house.
I do not know if my parents were slaves too, or if they were sold, or if someone brought them here. It does not really matter to me.
What matters most is that I listen carefully to what the adults say, study hard, and become a respectable slave.
If I can become a respectable slave, I will serve a respectable master and find happiness, that is what the adults and older slaves say.
I want to be happy. I do not like being beaten or having meals taken away from me.
So, I am determined to study hard and become a respectable slave.
* * *
I turned 8 years old.
I have not been sold yet. It is unfortunate.
Nick, who is said to have the “cutest face” among us children, was bought by a wealthy man. He will become a “pet,” they say.
Slan, who is called “cool” because of his large body, was bought for “summoning.”
Both seem to have difficult jobs, but if things go well, they can live happily. I envy them.
Sometimes, people say I am cute too. But that is only because I am still small; I do not have Nick’s confusing face that girls like, nor Slan’s cool face.
For some reason, I study better than everyone else, so I work hard learning reading and calculations.
But it will not matter much unless I am sold to merchants or others.
Like most slaves, I will probably be sold as a labor slave.
If that happens, I will end up living and working hard, which I do not like.
However, I am the only one who is bought because I am good at studying.
* * *
After some time, at ten years old, I was finally sold.
Though I am still small, I can now study a little.
I hope the reading, writing, and calculations I learned will be useful.
But I was not the only one sold.
All the children around my age—six of us in total—were bought at once by my new master.
This new master, Vintenica, told the slave trader, “I want as many healthy boys as possible to stay.”
So, I, an ordinary child who studies better than others, was sold.
What kind of person buys so many slaves at once?
We were taken to our master with mixed feelings of excitement, hope, and anxiety.
My first impression of Vintenica, my first master, was
”Not good at all,” I thought.
She was a tall, thin woman dressed in a deep purple robe, showing she was a magic user.
To my surprise, the right half of her face was covered by a white mask.
The other half was a normal human face, beautiful yet strange, like a young woman mixed with an old lady, and her lips were red as if painted with blood.
Lady Vintenica looked at us, the children brought before her, and said,
”Oh my, what cute little ones. Yes, my dear husband, I will take them all. Please take them to my mansion immediately,” she said cheerfully.
Everyone else looked anxious, but their happiness at being bought as children, not labor slaves, was stronger than their fear.
However, I had a very bad feeling and could not feel joy.
Meanwhile, we children who were sold were chained together and put into a carriage.
* * *
The mansion we arrived at was old and very large.
When we were brought inside, the slave traders removed our chains one by one, and finally said,
”Do your best to be beloved slaves. Take care,” they said before leaving.
I felt a complicated mix of happiness and sadness.
Just then, Lady Vintenica arrived.
”Now, boys. From today, this is your home. Think of me as your mama,” she smiled sweetly, her half-hidden face shining as she said this.
She hugged each of us tightly, one by one.
But with every hug, Lady Vintenica smiled, looked disappointed, or bored.
When it was my turn, standing at the very back, I felt like I was being judged, and I grew very scared.
Perhaps she noticed my fear.
Lady Vintenica stopped before me, looked closely, and said,
”…You are a little different from the others, aren’t you?”
I became even more frightened and hurriedly knelt down to show slave respect, afraid to meet her eyes.
”I-I’m called Soyuz. I will work hard, so please take care of me, Lady Vintenica,” I said quietly.
She listened silently, then suddenly chuckled softly and crouched down to hug me.
”Oh dear. Didn’t I tell you to think of me as your mama?” she said, smiling, but to me, it felt terrifying—like being held by the Grim Reaper.
Not wanting to show my fear, I tried my best and said,
”…Yes, I’m sorry, Mama Vintenica.”
Her eyes sparkled differently from before, like a kitten finding something fun.
”Hehe, I like clever children like you,” she whispered just to me, and kissed my cheek.
Then she stood and looked at all of us,
”Now, boys, today is a celebration of you becoming my children. I have prepared a feast you have never eaten before. Eat as much as you want,” she said, smiling on her half-hidden face.
Thus, I became Mama Vintenica’s child to raise.
* * *
Life after being bought was very different from before.
I am treated to lavish meals every day, and there is no hard labor.
Since Mama Vintenica is a magic user, she can summon fire, water, and whatever we need. So, there is no chopping wood or fetching water.
Therefore, we have nothing to do.
Why did Mama Vintenica buy us?
But this good life is not perfect.
Each of us has our own room, and we are not allowed to leave them.
The mansion is large, so naturally, the rooms are fancy, with beds that reach the ceiling, like those used by nobles.
The rooms have books and toys to stop us from getting bored. But except for me, the other kids can hardly read, so I wonder if it is useful for them.
I spend my time reading books and studying the calculations I am good at.
Though I lived like that in the mansion, it did not last long.
Every day at breakfast and dinner, everyone gathers in the dining hall to eat.
However, day by day, one by one, the children began to disappear.
My anxiety grew more and more.
When I asked Mama about it, she said only,
”Those children are doing an important job. It is a very important job only you children can do,” Mama said calmly.
The other kids were worried too, but we could only meet during meals, and Mama forbade us from talking much.
As those days passed, I became the only child left.
— Soyuz (he/him), Nick (he/him), Slan (he/him), Lady Vintenica (she/her)
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Notes:
• Nick – He is a cute-faced boy, appeared as one of the children sold early to a rich man, destined for the role of ‘koshou’ (repairman), envied for his looks among the children.
• Slan – He is the biggest and ‘coolest’ boy, appeared as one of the children sold early to a summoner, meant to work as ‘danshou’ (a kind of fighter), admired for his physique and charm.
• Vintenica – She is a tall, slender magic user, appeared as the new mistress buying six boys, wearing a deep purple robe with her right half face hidden by a white mask, half beautiful young woman and half eerie with blood-red lips, mysterious and slightly frightening.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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