Melissa and the other slaves, who had changed their clothes, were dressed somewhat coarsely.
　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for when you're looking for a job.
　It's not so different from a vagrant sitting in an alleyway.
　It can be said that the new clothes that have just been handed out have, on the contrary, made their dirtiness stand out.

It's a good idea to have a meal first...or a bath...it's not going to be easy with all these people... No but I don't think I'm dressed like this.

　Liang Shin's sorrow was no surprise.
　A group of slaves stood in front of him with empty eyes. After all, it was a large group of 320 people.
　The clothes and food could still be done, whatever, but the baths were tough to take.
　There are common bathrooms for the general public in the city, but one person may be able to use them for two people, but 320 people is unacceptable.
　First of all, if they are so dirty, there is a high probability that they will refuse to use it, no matter how much you pay.
　I can imagine the sight of ordinary people in the same place running out of the house in a hurry.
　It's not easy to rent out a whole bathhouse, though.
　Of course, if you wear your status as a nobleman, you can push through the impossible, but Yipyros is the fiefdom of Count Salzberg.
　It wasn't a wise decision to push a side car in someone else's territory.

''Let's get them fed first.

　Following Laura's words, Ryoma nodded towards Rionne and the others.

''Okay ... Rionne!　Start it up!

　There's plenty of work to be done.

Here!　You guys!　Get in line here!　

　Following Lionne's words, the kids split up into five places and form a line.
　Although they are not very agile, they seem to follow what we say.
　The children are confused and move while looking at the faces of those around them.
　They are probably still frightened of the pain of the whip. Even if they don't obey, Ryoma doesn't think of using the whip to threaten them, but such thoughts can't be conveyed to them, who are slaves.　
　Even if they obeyed Laura's words and changed their clothes, their eyes were still far from the willing eyes of a human.


'Good!　It's hot. Eat carefully!

　Melissa couldn't believe what Rionne had said. Even as the bowl in front of her was poured with steamy soup and handed to her.
　The bowl was large and deep-bottomed, like a bowl of rice, with a generous amount of soup and garnish poured into it.
　It was filled with carrots, onions, potatoes and meat. It was probably made by cutting beef into 1cm cubes and stewing it.
　It's not a commoner's everyday meal, but it's a gorgeous garnish.
　Most commoners have mostly onion and corn soup.
　The only time they put meat in some kind of vegetable soup is on special occasions.
　At least to Melissa, who lived in a poor fishing village, the soup in front of her seemed like an incredibly extravagant dish.
(What does this...mean?　(Why is this extravagant...)
　Melissa couldn't believe the heat she felt from the bowl.
　Her diet over the past few years of being a slave and waiting for a buyer could only be described as miserable.
　There were only two meals a day, one in the morning and one in the evening.
　The soup poured out on a plate is no more than a little bit of soup stock, and because of the stingy use of salt, it is only slightly tainted.
　Moreover, it was prepared in large quantities, so there was no steam coming out of it. It's like a cold watery soup.
　And then there was the bread that had become hard and tickly after days of baking.
　It is hard to bite off the bread as it is, so they soak it in the soup and eat it.
　Even the lowest commoners ate something a little better. Even meat could be eaten a few times a year. That's how poor and awful slave food is.
　That's why I can't believe the reality in front of me.
　Memories of the time before she became a slave, which she had almost forgotten, emerge in Melissa's mind.
(Warm ... yes ... like the soup her mother made for her ...)
　Even though she was poor, Melissa's mother always served warm soup at the table.
　Of course, it was a poor commoner's meal.
　It didn't contain much in the way of ingredients. There were only a few vegetables in it. Meat and fish are only good for a few times a year.
　Still, for Melissa, her mother's soup was the perfect treat.
　It was always hot, and the taste was soothing....


Hot!

　Surprised words rang out from the boy's mouth beside Melissa, who was staring into the bowl.
　With that, his bowl fell to the ground and the soup inside soaked into the ground.
　Seeing that he was holding his mouth with his hand, he couldn't hold back and put the soup in his mouth without checking his master's intentions.
　I can see the color of fright on the faces of the children who were around me.
　To them, it is the same as laying down their lives to eat without their master's permission. And moreover, if you spill such a sumptuous soup on them.....
　The children who had been sitting around him quickly left the squatting children's side.
　This must be another slave's way of life. You can't anticipate what kind of punishment you'll face if you're next to a fellow whipping. It's easy to disparage that as self-defense, but that's just how humans are.
　So when the silver-haired girl came running up to him, the children around him prayed in their hearts that they wouldn't get away with it.
　Little did they know that their expectations would be betrayed...


Are you okay?　You haven't been burned?

　A gentle, calm voice.
　The boy who had been prepared for the angry voice looked up at the owner of the voice fearfully.

'Are you sure you're okay?　Do you have any soup on your legs or anything?

　Saara said, and grabbed the bowl that had been tipped over on the ground.
　Steam rises from the rim of the bowl.
　All of the contents of the bowl that had been turned upside down with great success were splattered on the ground, spreading an appetizing smell around.　

''Yeah it looks like the burn is only around my mouth for now because I'm going to eat it in a hurry, okay?　We have to be careful... right?

　Saara's words caught the boy by surprise.
　He understood that her words meant that she was genuinely concerned about his body.
　It was the same for the other children who were watching the events around them.

''Yeah ... this time you're going to eat with caution, okay?　....and... what?　Wait!　Wait, wait, wait!

　His soup had already been sucked into the ground, making it impossible to eat the quicksilver.
　So Sarra told him to get a new bowl of soup, but the boy didn't take it. He didn't hesitate to kneel down and gather up the dirt-covered vegetables and meat.
　If Saara hadn't stopped him, he would have put the dirt-stained garnish in his mouth without hesitation.

'Not ... er ... well ... there!　It means you should get another bowl of soup from that red-haired woman over there and eat it.

　Saara was quite upset because she had seen so much unexpected behavior, but she desperately pointed at Rionne, though she was quite upset.
　At her words, the boy turned his gaze to her with a mixture of anxiety and suspicion. His eyes told him everything about their past.
　Saara tried to shake off their anxiety and raised her voice so that everyone around her could hear.　

''It's okay. Hey!　Okay?　You don't have to eat what you drop!　There's something for everyone!　Okay?　Now be careful and eat slowly this time, okay?

　Prompted by Saara's words, they fearfully put their mouths to the bowl they had been holding back.
　At least, they seemed to understand that it's okay to eat.

''Huh.......I wonder if it's really okay.......''

　She understands Ryojin's heart.
　It's never just good intentions to give her a warm meal or new clothes.
　It's about making them have human intentions. It's about reminding people of their desires.
　It's about food, clothing, and a place to live.
　We compare ourselves to others, understand our circumstances, and hate the differences. That's why people strive to improve and strive for excellence.
　Greed is the strongest motivator for people to act. Because of greed, people seek and crave.
　But slaves don't have it.
　That's just as well. At the core of them is resignation. A reality that they believe they cannot change.
　If they have given up on the idea that they will never get it, it doesn't matter how many conditions you offer them.
　After all, if you can't get it, you've given up on it from the beginning.
　But that can change with just one reminder.
　That we are human. We remind ourselves that we are human beings, creatures with the will to move forward.
　Of course, we can't remind them of that right now. Their despair is not so sweet that it can be remedied in the here and now.
　They are different from the Malfist sisters in a fundamental way. They were war slaves, but they were proud members of their families. They had a place in their hearts.
　So, Ryoma plans to educate them in a period of six months.
　That's the grace they were given.
　During that time, it is good if they can regain their will and desire to be human. But if they can't get it back....
I don't know what they're going to do to us.
　Honestly, there is no one who knows the answer to that question right now.
　Even Ryoma himself doesn't have a clear answer.

　After thinking that far, Saara stopped thinking and looked around.
　Everyone was stuffing soup and bread into their mouths as if they were devouring it.
　Except for the fact that they are silent, it can be said to be a truly lively scene.
　There was already a long line of people waiting in front of the cauldron to get a refill.
　At least they had had a good meal and were probably reminded of the joy of eating.
(Apparently........it seems to be a success first.......)
　Laura, who was talking to the children a bit further away, must have been thinking the same thing. She felt her sister Saara's eyes on her, and she nodded silently.
　First, I gave her some candy. Tomorrow, it would be the whip's turn.
　It's a grueling training carried out by Rionne, Bortz and the other red-limbed mercenaries.
　At first, they will improve their basic physical strength and gradually teach them combat skills.
　Mainly spears and swords, how to ride a horse and how to fight with their bare hands.
　For a month, they are thoroughly trained in the art of war. After that, they would train their bodies and learn the legal arts.
　In the last month, they would experience real combat.
　There is no need for a warrior who can't fight, Liang.
　Only the remaining children who kill people, kill monsters, and exchange their lives in this way will be able to obtain their freedom.
　If they can't do that, the only thing waiting for them is the path of escaped slaves or death.
　What Mikoshiba Ryoma wants, is only a strong man.
　In the harsh world of this earth "earth" world, the idea that everyone is equal or that we are helping the weak was just a bad idea.
　We don't have the luxury of helping those who can't make an effort or who don't have the will to live.
　We can help them to become stronger. But it's up to the individual to become strong.
　Our children will die weak or be reborn strong.
　No one knew that.