A week has passed since the promise they made to the Abtal Chamber of Commerce.
　Ryoma and the others have pulled out of the inn they were using as a base in Ipylos and have set up their camp in a flat area about 3 kilometers outside the eastern gate.
　Before entering the peninsula, they had to conduct a minimum amount of training. However, the only space in the city of Iphiroth where we could conduct training was the Count of Salzberg's private military establishment.
　You can't ask the count to lend you a place, so Ryoma and the others chose to camp outside the town.

''For now, preparations are complete........now we just have to see how many people are left.......''

　In the sunshine pouring down from the sky. Ryojin's eyes stared at the walls of Ipyros.



　Gen Ou, standing behind him, said to Ryojin's back.

''Well........''

　At Yan Ou's words, Ryouma replied, cowering his shoulders.
　Even though he understood that he had no choice, his expression did not clear.

　What we are going to do now is selection. The stronger one. The wiser ones. And one with a stronger will.
　Only the chosen child will be promised freedom in the future.
　Shouldn't we all be free?
　Only the strongest people can gain freedom in the Earth world.
　Still, the children who were bought this time were the lucky ones.
　I'm not sure if they will be able to get their freedom or not, but at least they will have the opportunity to do so.　

"Do not mind me........if you don't buy these children, most of them are doomed to be killed.......

　Ryojin frowned at Yan Oo's words.
　I don't need to be told that, but I know enough to know that. But even if you understand with reason, your heart cannot be divided.
It's a good thing that we're not so bad at this.
　Such a thought arose in Ryoma's mind.
　But I can't stop walking now. The wheel has started to turn.

'Young man!　Now, the merchants have moved into the camp!　

　Bortz calls out from behind me.

'I get it!　I'll be there in a minute.......let's go, Gen-O.

　Ryouma said that and started walking towards the square. There is not a hint of hesitation in his face from earlier.
　Because he understands better than anyone else that reality is harsh and merciless. And even if you are worried about it, nothing will change in reality.


Thank you for your interest in Abtal Chamber of Commerce. I have prepared the items you have promised. Please inspect it.

　With that, the shopkeeper bowed politely to Ryoma, just as he did the other day.

''Looks like I gave you a lot of trouble?''

　This is the kind of thing that comes out of Ryoma's good character. He never forgets to say a word of appreciation to any person.

''No way, sir. It's also a business........Besides, at my age, it's hard to get a buyer in any store, so I was even thanked for it......after all, I don't have to waste my money on food.

　To the shopkeeper who denied Ryoma's words by waving his hand in front of his face, Ryoma turned his gaze coldly to the shopkeeper.
　As far as he ran his gaze a little, the slaves standing behind the shopkeeper seemed to have a large number of women.
　Ryoma asked the shopkeeper in a strong tone of voice, the

Well, that's good. So?　I assume the number of people and ratio is what we requested?

''Yes........Actually, we've brought 320 people in total this time. In terms of the ratio of men to women, it's seven to three, and the women are....

Are there many?

'Yes ... by all means, men are easier to sell as labor slaves ... so the fact that there are more men than the promised three hundred ...'

　Ryoma didn't hide his displeasure at the stammering shop owner.

''Are you trying to apologize for being less of a man?''

　The owner smiled affectionately in silence.

'Well okay you didn't let anyone in that wasn't five bodies, did you?

'Yes, sir. That's a very good question. No one is sick.

　It seems that most slaves have scars from being whipped, but they only seem to have wounds that are within the range of recovery potential.
　I'm sure the slavers are fully aware of the fact that their trust is at stake.

I'm sure you'll be able to tell. I'll trust you then I'll take them all in. The rest of the money is seventy-five thousand baht, right?

Yes, sir, on your left.

　Ryoma nodded lightly and held out the bag he had prepared to the store owner.

''Thank you for every time.''

　The owner tucked the contents of the proffered bag into his bag without even bothering to check it, and then bowed politely.
　Then he held out two documents to Ryoma.

It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for," he said, "and to have your signature on this handover form. One copy is yours and the other copy is our copy.

　After confirming that Ryoma's name was written on the paperwork, the shopkeeper nodded with satisfaction and put the remaining documents in his hand into his bag.

It's a goodbye to you. I hope you will continue to patronize the Abtal Chamber of Commerce.

　After disposing of the slave who hadn't arrived at a buyer, the hokey-faced shopkeeper bowed again and left the camp with the shopkeepers in tow.　


''Well ... Rionne!　Distribute the outfits to everyone. And after that Laura!　You're ready to eat, right?

　The climate in the earth 《earth》 world seems to be warm, but as expected, it makes one sick to be naked.
　The other day, after seeing how slaves were treated in the storefront of a store that lined a back alley, Ryoma had prepared clothing, underwear, and a warm meal for the slaves.
　When handing over, I thought that the store would at least prepare the slave's clothes, but it seems that such a service does not exist in this world.
　First of all, the slaves, who are still naked, must be clothed.
　The members of the Red Lion's group will distribute the clothes to the slaves who stand there like puppets with no will while being collared, like they have no will.

''Boy!　I finished handing them out anyway, but...

　Rionne, who had finished distributing the clothes, looked at Ryoma with a troubled expression.
　The cause is clear. It's because of the children standing around with the clothes in their hands.
　In general, if you are given clothes while you are naked, you wear the clothes you are given first.
　At the very least, they ask if they can wear the clothes or not.
　However, the children who are present here stand in silence with a puzzled look on their faces.
　They received the clothes that were handed to them with open arms, but they didn't do anything with them in their hands.

''This guy... why isn't he wearing his clothes?　Don't tell me you don't know how to put it on, do you?

　I'm not three or four infants. Even though they are slaves, how could they possibly not know how to dress?

''Ryoma-sama please leave it to me.

　As Laura said this, she walked over to the children and spoke softly to them.
　Her voice was calm and gentle.
　Then the children's faces changed.
　At first, they were surprised and then doubtful. But as Laura proceeded to speak, they began to put on the clothes in their hands, though they were frightened.
　The children spoken to by Laura started to put on their clothes first, and it was instantly contagious to their surroundings.

'What did you say?'　What the hell...?

　It was no surprise that Ryouma let out a cry of surprise.
　The slaves' children's expressions were still dark. However, after hearing Laura's words, they seemed to be a little more interested in us.
　It was really only a slight hint, but it seemed to Ryoma that they had come a little closer to being human than their previous expressionless, doll-like state.

It's simple. I told you that the clothes I gave you belonged to you.

What do you mean?　Isn't that obvious?

　Ryouma's doubts were natural. To him, the clothes they gave out were already given to the children.
　But Laura shook her head.

'Slaves don't think that way. They think it was only given to them when they receive a clear word from their masters... we sisters have been living that way for a long time...''

　If you think about it for a minute, you will understand.
　They have been treated as objects, always listening to the faces of others and killing their own will.
　Until they are bought, the slave traders' intentions, and after they are bought, their masters' intentions will determine whether they live or die.
　It is not that they have no will. They just restrain themselves from having a will.
　They don't want to be killed by displeasure.

'Oh I see....

　At Laura's words, Ryoma finally understood the situation.
　The children can't do anything unless they clearly get permission from Ryoma. No, they are convinced that they shouldn't.
　Ryoma had to first tell the children that they were human. That they are human beings. They are people with a will.
　He had to say it out loud. To remind them that they themselves are people....
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　Melissa's fate changed dramatically that day, for the second time in her life.

　It was three years ago that her fate first changed dramatically.
　Born in a small fishing village in the Kingdom of Zaruda, she was poor, but surrounded by her parents and siblings, she lived a reasonably peaceful and happy life.
　However, her life came to an abrupt end.
　The pirates who call the Woltenia peninsula their home base, and who are plundering the area....

　She had heard even as a child that pirates had been attacking trading ships on the peninsula for several years now.
　But as expensive as the goods on board were, there was little to be gained by attacking a fishing village like this.
　In fact, not once had her village been attacked before.
　The fact is, her village had never been attacked before, and who would come to attack a village for dried fish?
　But such thoughts are powerless in the face of reality.
　The thought that they couldn't possibly be attacked has no meaning in the carnage that is unfolding in front of us.
　My parents were pierced to death by spears wielded by pirates. Her siblings and childhood friends were scattered, and it's not even known what happened to them.
　She was 11 years old at the time, and the only thing she could do was to escape. All she could do was to run away from the scene.
　The village was set on fire by pirates and the black smoke filled the air, and she was desperate to get away.
　Just to survive.

　She doesn't remember anything about what happened after this.
　All she remembered vividly was that she had run out of the village, but her memory was cut off there.
　The next thing she remembered was being picked up by a man in a corner of a town somewhere.
　And before she knew it, she saw herself with a collar around her neck and laid out naked on the front of a store.
　She had no idea why she had been subjected to such eyes.
　But gradually an irreversible reality hit her.
　The reality is that no matter what you say, the whip will always whip you.
　Even if she cried, she was whipped; even if she screamed, she was whipped; even if she pleaded, she was whipped.
　In this way, each time the scars created by the whip on her body increase, she learns how to handle herself.
　The only way for her to live was to kill her own emotions and play the role of a doll who felt nothing.
　And those thoughts were all the more disturbing as she continued to watch the merchants dispose of slaves who had no takers for all time.
　As a woman, she was not blessed with physical strength by any means. Although her face was pretty, she was not the most beautiful woman in the world.
　Had she been a little older, she might have been sold as a s*x slave, but she was 14 this year.
　Years of slavery had emaciated her body, and she was never in the shape that would inspire a man's bestial desires.
　Perhaps she would have been killed for being an unsold defective product if Mikoshiba Ryoma hadn't purchased her.
　But fate had given her room to live on a whim.


(These clothes ... what?　(What do you want me to do?)
　Melissa was brought in with her friends by the slavers, and the bearded man gave her a set of clothes and underwear.
　Everyone around her got the same clothes, but everyone else had a puzzled look on their faces.
(What's this?)　(Can I wear it?)
　All Melissa was wearing now was a pair of underwear that she had been wearing for months and a shirt that had been torn apart by the whip and looked like rags. That was all.
　She wanted to change her clothes. Of course she has that desire.
　But there is no way to make it come true. Because she is only a thing.
　It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you're going to be able to get your hands on a new one.
　But at the same time, a feeling of denial that this can't be true fills Melissa's heart.
(No.........I am a thing......no one gives clothes to a thing.......)
　We've seen something like this before.
　They deliberately toss the half-eaten meat in front of the girls. I'm sure it's not a bad idea for a slaver to say, "Come on, eat. If you pick up the meat and bring it to your mouth, a storm of whips will be waiting for you.
　It's a scene Melissa has seen many times in the past.
　The only thing the slaves are given for their daily meals is a piece of hard bread and cold salt soup.
　Even if heaven and earth were turned upside down, there is no such thing as meat being served.
　It is in such a diet. Even if the meat was on the ground, it was natural to want to eat it.
　Foreseeing this, the slavers deliberately hang their meat in front of their slaves.
　I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to do anything about it.

　All the children in this square have seen such a scene many times.
　So, no one moves.
　They just stand there.

　But things start to take an unexpected turn.
　As the blonde stood in front of them, she said the words she hadn't expected to hear.

'It's cold, isn't it?　They are your clothes. They were given to you by my master, Ryoma Mikoshiba. Wear them at ease ... the Lord wants you to wear them too.

　When Melissa heard those words, she couldn't believe her ears.
(Giving clothes to a slave?　Really?　(You dressed this well?)
　It's not that they are made of silk. It's not made of silk, but it's something you can buy at any clothing store in town.
　However, this clothing woven from linen is not the kind of clothing that a slave would wear. It's the kind of thing that the common man of the town would wear on a daily basis.
　It is also new. They are not old clothes.
　It's an excessive amount of material to give to a slave.

　Melissa looks around.
　Everyone seems to be skeptical when they hear the woman's words.
　But the woman's tone is calm and unstagnant. It didn't seem like she was lying at all.

''It's all right ... come on, get dressed quickly!　We'll have food for you all afterwards!

　Prompted by those words, one of the boys put on his clothes and looked at the woman. And as she nodded to the boy, the slaves around her began to put on their clothes as well.
　And when all the slaves have changed their clothes, a man stands in front of them.
　He is as imposing as their king....

　On this day, after spending their days as slaves, their fate changed.
　It was the beginning of a harsher and freer life.