My name's Bill. I'm seven. I have a three younger sister.
　My parents ...... don't remember them anymore.

　When I was five years old, my ...... money was gone and my shitty father was happily telling his friends over drinks that he was selling me and Cassie to the slavers.
　I overheard the conversation and ran off with Cassie without a second thought.
　I couldn't allow our lives to be ruined just to pay for my father's booze.

　But the world outside was different than I thought it would be.
　You could only get one meal a day, every day, and it was cold to sleep outside. ...... Wouldn't it have been easier to be a slave?　There were many times when I thought, "Why not?

　While I was living that life, I learned that there were other people in the same situation as me in the slums.
　Each was desperate to find food for themselves or their sister or brother.

　When I saw that, I thought it would be easier if we all worked together.
　So I started asking people who were in the same situation as me to join me.

　We'd have an easy meal, my sister and brother would be safe.
　When I said those things, it was easy to get them to go along with my offer.

　And so our group was born.
　Our main activity as a group was to attack rich people who wandered into the slums and steal their money and food.
　We wouldn't have been able to do this by ourselves.
　With enough of them, a child could easily defeat an adult.

　This plan worked.
　Now everyone can go through two meals a day.

　I know that's a bad thing.
　But we can't live without it.
　And that's how I'll do anything to live.

　And it's been about a year since the ...... group formed.
　There were a few groups that imitated us, and we had some tiffs and disagreements with them, but we had no problems.
　But that day was a turning point in our lives.

　That day we earned our bread and butter for the day by attacking anyone who wandered into the slums, as we always did.
　And just as we were about to finish our quota for the day with one more attack, that man came along.

　He looks about ten years old, dressed like an adventurer, but his clothes are nice, so he's got some money.
　At first we felt lucky today because of the way he looked.
　A kid with money is a sitting duck.

　And then ...... we were so careless, that the guy beat us up in an instant.
　I couldn't even get my hands on him. .......

　In the past, no matter how strong a person was, you could always get one or two people killed, but never all of them.
　That's why I was so upset at that moment.
　I thought I had to protect my friends, so I talked to her.

　And then she said something incomprehensible.
　An orphanage?　You can eat for free?　A warm bed?　Well, can they teach you magic?

　No, you don't.
　You've learned so far not to trust people so easily.

　Huh?　Just to see if I'm alone?
　d*mn it, ......, what to do?

　No, I'm just glad I'm not the only one who gets hurt.
　Guys, look after Cassie for me.

　Yeah?
　Did the place change in an instant?
　Huh?　What a mansion!

　There's a big bathroom, a really big bed, and a place to play.

　Can we live here?
　Funny!　Why are you being treated so well?
　Are you sure you have nothing to hide?

　So, but what if ...... is really an orphanage?
　And I don't think he's a bad person: .......
　Yeah...... my gut is telling me to trust this guy.

　What should I do...... rely on my intuition?
　No, wait. Think about it.
　What happens if I say no?

　I forgot. She's incredibly strong.
　And it has the ability to move at a moment's notice.
　If I said no, he'd just force me to go with him.

　All right, now it's better to follow him.

　Then I decided to follow him, joined Cassie and the others, and we went to live in the mansion.
　A group of other people soon arrived, but we didn't get involved in each other's lives any more than we had to.
　We didn't want to get into a fight and get punished, so we kept quiet for now.

　Besides the maids who look after us, the house is patrolled by creepy armorers who don't talk.
　They're all quiet because they're scared of this armor.

　The maids say they are ...... guarding this place, but I think they are watching us.
　Also, there was a collar on one of the maids.
　Maybe they're her slaves.

　There were also ...... maids with ears and tails that I'm not familiar with.
　They were very beautiful and I wondered how they were brought here.



　And, as promised, I got to eat three meals a day without having to do anything.
　And it wasn't just any meal.
　It was the most delicious food I'd ever had.

　It made us all think we could live here.
　But I was the only one who didn't believe it yet.

　When everyone was asleep, we decided to break into the area she told us not to go.
　I hid from the armor, but I got to the place where I needed to be without being seen.

　The place was lined with rooms where the maids really lived, just like that man had said.
　I found a room where I could hear more than one voice, so I quietly peeked in.

''Anyway, good job on your first day!　Thank goodness everyone was so quiet.
　There were four maids inside, one wearing a collar, one beautiful person with long ears, and two ordinary women .
　Apparently, they were reflecting on the day .

''Well, I feel like I'm simply scared. It's a new place, so it's only natural to be nervous.

Besides, I'm sure the golem Master Leons left behind would be scary too.

Yeah. It's true, it's scary for kids who don't know anything about it . Armor that walks around in silence, even if you know it's a golem, is scary to me.
　I don't understand what they're saying about golems and all that, but aren't these people misunderstood in some way?
　We're not kids like you think.
　We're not scared, we're cautious.

But we need it, don't we?　We won't be able to handle a robbery or a break-in. Besides, we can't have a man in here, can we?
　What do you mean?　Were the armoured soldiers really just providing security?
　And what do you mean by not letting a man in?
　I'm a man and I'm not a man in my armor?

I know. Come to think of it, Anne, are you and your friends okay with boys?

He's okay. I haven't felt anything other than pretty all day.
　Okay. So that beautiful woman hates men and we kids are the exception so we get to live inside.

"Yes. That's good to hear. Sure, the kids were cute. They were a lot more fun to work with than all the time we spent tending that pig.
　Pigs?　The woman wearing the collar has been taking care of pigs for some time now.

Pigs are ......

You can't be wrong, can you?　He only cares about what he eats and what he gets up to. Really, thank you, Master Leons.
　Oh, I see.
　So you're talking about a pig like a pig.

　You worked for a hard master.
　Hmm?　So ...... are you thankful for that man who is now your master?
　As I recall, they said his name was Master Leo, so I'm pretty sure he's the master now.

　So, is he really a good man, then?
　I'm not sure: .......

'Speaking of which, why does Camilla still wear a slave collar?　You could have asked Leo-sama to take it off for you, right?
　You can take a collar off: .......
　I mean, she's wearing a collar of her own accord!

'Well, ......, why is that?　When I was a pig slave, I hated this collar so much: ....... When the time came that the pigs were gone and they could take the collar off, I got scared.
　Scared?

What's that for?
　Yeah, what are you afraid of?
　Slaves are just slaves being controlled by other people, right?

'Fear of being abandoned?　I don't know, ...... actually, I'm already a slave in my thinking. A slave is basically someone's property and has a master, right?

Yes, sir.

'I've been trained in the slavery trade to think that being my master's property is like a purpose in life . I didn't think that much of it when I was that pig, because my master was a piece of crap. ...... Master Leons is a nice guy, isn't he?
　Training: ....... I knew it was a good idea to run away from my dad .
　But still, is Master Leons a good man .......

Yes.

"When I was aware of it, I started to think I wanted to be Master Leons' property. And I've been afraid to take the collar off because I felt abandoned. How's that?　Do you agree?

'Yes, yes ....... Wait, what kind of training did you do?
　I'd really like to know what's going on.


　I'm sure it's a hell of a lot of content: .......

"Maybe it's better for both of us if we don't listen. I don't feel like this is a good thing to say or hear. Wouldn't you rather forget what happened to you when you were a slave?
　Well, you don't want to say: .......
　Huh?　Was that beautiful woman a slave too?

'Yes, ...... I'm sorry for asking you to go off on a tangent.
　Apparently, it's true.
　Surprising: ....... Maybe that's why you don't like men?

"Don't apologize to me. I'm sorry I made it sound like it bothered me too. Well, I think we're done talking for today and we should go to bed for tomorrow.

Yes, sir.

Come on, we'll do it again tomorrow.

Yeah.
　Then I saw that everyone was on their feet, and I rushed back to my room.
　I don't think anyone knew.