Part 1

“Aaaa.”

“You’re finally awake?”

The moment I opened my eyes, all I saw was darkness and wood.

For some reason, it smelt like the forest and everything was bumping.

Wait, let’s collect my thoughts…

Torture, Useless…

But that’s right, Rose’s father barged in and helped me in the end.

I turned over and saw a weak arch wooden ceiling, we’re in a carriage.

And the person riding it was Rose’s father.

“The hell do you want?”

I was all right now, the injuries from that pig Head of the Tyrat House was somehow healed, I’m assuming it was from some sort of Healing Magic or at most a scroll.

But despite Rose’s father helping me in the end, it’s his fault that I’m in this situation in the first place.

But I have to thank him, for reminding me how useless I am.

“Calm down kid, I’m not your enemy, at least, not anymore.”

Letting go of the ropes, Rose’s father took a step in the carriage and sat in front of me, he probably used magic to keep the horses under control.

So not only is he a skilled swordsman but he’s a magician too.

“…”

I kept silent.

I was still reminded by when I was crying and despairing about my uselessness, that pig Tyrat dog barged in and began to beat me up.

What the hell is wrong with him?

What was his problem?

Go to hell, piece of trash.

…But I can assume why:

Probably because he hated the Cinage family, but even so, he’s stupid foolish and a stupid idiot. Beating me up will do nothing but incur the wrath of the Cinage House, unless they’ve abandoned me.

Right now, I was confused between the emotions of despair, emptiness and anger, frustration. Despair from how stupid I am, Anger from that Tyrat Dog.

But what can I do?

Wait, let’s think about the present moment.

I’m in a carriage.

Rose’s father in front of me.

What the hell is happening anyway?

“Ah, I get it now.”

I always get it, I understand everything.

“-Hm? What do you get?”

“Which town or city are you going to throw me away at? No- I should say, which town’s garbage dump.”

Rose’s father’s eyebrows rose as he smirked.

“As expected of the rumoured genius, you catch on quickly. I’m sending you to Eastern side of the Continent-ah, that sounds like an overstatement, well, you’re going to be sent to a city in the East called Ross.”

“And what’s stopping me from casting a spell at you right here and now and running away?”

“Me, the forest, monsters and not knowing the way back.”

After getting my response, I lied down and heavily sighed.

I could technically find my way back and fight- No, I’ll just freeze up like I last time.

“…Where’s Aerich?”

I asked him.

“Aerich, you mean that swordsman kid? He should be tied up and covered in blankets right beside you.”

I looked to my side:

“Aerich!”

I didn’t even notice him!

But before I could uncover him, I was suddenly knocked out by a hit to the back of my head. 

Part 2

I woke up in an alleyway in trash. It was an extremely dark alleyway, with only the light from the opening shining inward and brick walls surrounding me, leaving the entrance as the only exit. 

Trash of leather bags filled with trash sat around, along with other throwable materials. 

What happened? I don’t care anymore.

It was in the middle of the day and we were probably in the city of Ross, according to the Tyrat Servant. 

More importantly, where’s Aerich?

“Aerich, Aerich, Aerich?!”

I quickly stood up and began to look around.

He was nowhere to be seen.

Why didn’t he drop Aerich with me?!

I searched for about 5 minutes in the same alleyway, after that I gave up and sat down beside a wall.

Feeling the coldness of the wall transfer to my heart I curled myself into a ball.

“Wait, why am I curling up? I need to find Aerich! I’m so fricking useless.”

First off, let’s clear up some information.

That servant from the Tyrat House seems to have thrown both me and Aerich into the City of Ross, East of the Aorath Kingdom.

Right next to me, is my wand and money… He’s at least sympathetic, huh? Asshole.

Aerich was with me in the carriage, but I can’t seem to find him anywhere.

“Argh-“

I got up from the trash, and investigated the alleyways much more deeper. Aerich wasn’t there….

If only I was decisive… I wouldn’t have been beaten up like that, and Aerich would be fine.

I recalled the moment of Iwrys Tyrat beating the life out of me. I put my hand on my already wounded chest, and still felt subconsciously the thunderous punches and kicks onto my body.

Almost like my muscles were moving by themselves, mimicking the action of being hit by him.

Of course, that wasn’t happening.

All I had with me was my wand, and a bag of coins.

Among this, one thought lingered in my mind.

{I’m indecisive}

“…”

No matter what I thought of, those words kept echoing within my mind, it’s because of that trait that I’m so useless…

I put that aside, and heavily sighed.

As I tried to leave the alleyway, I heard footsteps.

With a lingering shadow, two men appeared right in front of me.

What made them look so surprising, were their bunny ears. One was a white bunny Demi-human, while the other was black in fur.

Demi-humans? It’s weird to see Demi-humans without any chains, where are their masters?

“Oh hey, we found another one.”

The white one muttered to the black one.

The black one stepped forward, and pulled out a knife.

“Hey kid, if you know what’s best for you, stay still.”

He approached me menacingly.

Does he plan to kidnap me? Sell me? Steal my money?

I would usually be frightened, and scared. I still am, sort of. But, I looked at my hands, and closed my eyes.

“Hey kid, did you hear me?!”

The black rabbit Demi-human lunged at me, holding the knife in a way where I’d be hit with the blunt part of it.

I kept my eyes closed, and took a deep breath.

“[Wind: Wind Bullet].”

I shot two Wind Bullets toward both of the Demi-humans, hitting their stomachs.

“ArgHHH” x2

The sounds of two bodies hitting the floor vibrated through my body, they both groaned out in pain.

I need to start relying on myself. Or I’ll be useless.

The fear within me immediately dissipated as I saw the pitiful state both of the Demi-humans were in. The blood puddled among the stone floor, seeping into the cracks. And they made sounds of groaning.

...I'm strong, I can do it, I can protect myself.

I won't freeze when conflict gets to me, not anymore. 

I hit their vital points, on purpose.

Without Advanced Healing Magic, they would die.

But they don’t matter now, I need to find Aerich, and get back home.

“H-How…”

The Black Demi-human groaned out a stutter.

I stepped over the bodies of the two Demi-humans, and walked out.

Part 3

I slowly blinked twice, no, three times as I looked at my surroundings.

“Huh?”

My expression contorted in confusion, I clenched my entire body as my mind began processing the information in front of me.

“Why are there a lot of Demi-humans? And not in chains? Isn’t this the city of Ross, a city just to the East of the Capital? There’s no way Aorath Officials would see this demi-human freedom and let it slide, right?”

This isn’t normal. There shouldn’t even be a city in the Northern Human Continent where Demi-humans could walk this freely. If this is truly Ross, then something serious must have happened. 

In the midst of the cobblestone flooring, there were stalls lined up across the street owned by Demi-humans, but there were some humans too walking around.

The ratio of humans and Demi-humans were around 60:40, Humans being on the lower end.

Within the Human Continent, the further up north you go, the more hated Demi-humans are along with the more lack-of. The more south you go, the more prosperous they are along with their acceptance.

I was thinking out loud, but no one was close enough to hear me properly.

I put the bag of money in my pocket, so I wouldn’t be stolen from in broad daylight.

I looked into the sky, it was around midday.

Well, I'm not gonna figure out anything by just thinking. I need to go around and ask where I really am. I don't believe this is the city of Ross, we must be somewhere down south. But I don't believe we're down south either, that journey is too unrealistic. And if we were, it would be deep down south, which is even more unrealistic. 

I began to look around and saw a lot of figures. Most of them were demi-human, but I wanted to approach humans. I saw a well-dressed man and approached him.

“Do you know where City Ross’s Adventurer’s guild is?”

Asking “Is this the city of Ross” would be pretty suspicious, so I asked him an indirect question, which would lead me with my answer. 

His answer would tell me whether or not if it’s the city of Ross, or perhaps another city to the East of the Aorath Kingdom. And if it is the City of Ross, a city so up far into the North and in the Aorath Kingdom, then something weird happened.

I just need to know my location.

The man tilted his head and raised his eyebrow.

“Ross’s Adventurer’s guild? Don’t you mean Noer’s? It’s to your right, and into the Main Street.”

…This isn’t the city of Ross… So we're in the city of Noer? I've never heard of that in the map of the Aorath Kingdom. 

Did that Tyrat servant mess up, and bring us to another city?

“…”

…Fuck.

Suddenly, it came to me.

Understanding.

“Something wrong, kid?”

“What nation are we in?”

“Huh? Obviously the Aricoruth Empire.”

My eyes widened as I felt a tremor go down my spine, like a circular headache my mind seemed to go numb. I had to lean against a stool beside me to stay standing.

The Aricoruth Empire….

“Hahaha…”

“Eh?”

It all makes sense now.

Holy shit.

The reason why those attackers were rabbit-men, and why almost everyone around here are Demi-humans…

The Aricoruth Empire wasn’t located toward the North, near the Aorath Kingdom…

It was to the complete and utter south, near the Demi-human continent, and where they all thrived. 

Thousands, tens of thousands of kilometres away from home…

How the hell did we travel that far. 

But, it’s such a long distance away. Suddenly we were travelling at the North of the Human continent, now that Tyrat servant suddenly landed us in here…

It would take months, if not an entire 2 years for a carriage to go that far.

Something isn’t adding up.

How did I end up here? There’s no way that Tyrat servant could have travelled that far, it’s completely unreasonable.

I'm confused...

I need to go find Aerich, and that stupid servant. If they’re still here. And ask them questions.

Right now, the current situation is: I’m suddenly stranded down south of the Human Continent, borderline demi-human borders with no one with me.

“…Thank you for the information.”

I quietly nodded, and walked off, leaving the well-dressed man be.

Right now, I need information. On anything, really. Where Aerich could possibly be, or even that stupid Tyrat servant.

And the best place to find information, is an Inn.

Part 4

Inside the Inn was all wood, even the seats and tables. It was medium-sized but was packed with people. The stench of alcohol made me wanna puke along with the constant screaming and shouting.

The bartender over the counter was a wolf-man, and half of his customers were bulky humans who looked to be mostly adventurers and the other half Demi-humans of various breeds.

As a ten year old boy, walking into the inn is pretty intimidating.

But no one is looking at me.

I quietly took a seat beside some Demi-humans, and chimed into hearing.

“…”

They were talking about some adult stuff.

Let’s go to the women then.

I stood up and took a seat on a table next to some girls’s table.

“…”

They were talking about how big a Minatour’s privates are-

I stood up, and sat as far away as possible from them.

I didn’t need to hear that.

Disgusting.

By now, I grabbed the attention of a few people as I noticed a few gazes on me.

It wasn’t normal to see a kid at an Inn full of adults. Maybe I should have bought some sort of robe.

“Child, are you lost?”

“?!”

A woman wearing almost nothing but an armour bikini suddenly appeared right in front of me. The bouciness of her breasts made me jump in my seat.

She had a toned but thick body, especially her hips and chest. With black her and googles.

Since I was a boy, I couldn’t help but continue looking at her body-

“You don’t need to be scared, I’m a B-Class adventurer! Tell me where your home is and I’ll bring you right back!”

Knocking myself out of my lewd thoughts, I shook my head and looked straight toward her.

“Uh well… Have you seen a 16 year old boy with an eyepatch anywhere? He also has a sword and is pretty fit for his age… I’m lost because I can’t find him, he’s my older brother and he takes care of me a lot… My name is Reign.”

I was talking about Aerich.

This is probably the best way to find hints onto where he is, or if he’s even in this city.

But I don’t even know how we got here in the first place, so I’m unsure.

I don't think I would get any information from her though, but it's a good start. 

“Aww, cutie~ Don’t be scared, your new older sister will protect you.”

Oi, I asked a question. Answer it!

As I protested her reaction in my mind, she suddenly wrapped her arms around me carrying me up with that tight, suffocating hug and saying stuff like “It’s okay! I’m here for you.” And stuff.

My face was completely buried in her chest, so I couldn’t say anything.

“-Ayo Sylene, you’ll kill the brat if you hug him like that, Thick-girl.”

“-You going for kids now? How predatory.”

“-Leave that kid alone and suck my cock already, bitch.”

The men and Demi-humans in the Inn had their attention on us, and gave out snickering comments. The last one was weird though. It came from a minotaur demi-human, who seemed to be the leader of an entire gang of other minotaurs because they all laughed in response. 

I used all the strength from the muscles of my neck to look upwards, and get a gasp of fresh air.

“Sylene, right? Do you know where my older brother is?”

Sylene put me down, and looked at me with an empty expression before saying:

“No, I don’t, but we can take you home!”

I could feel my upper body inflating as I quietly sighed.

I wasn’t expecting anything much from her, this reaction is expected.

“-From that description, I think I know who you’re talking about.”

A man came from the side of Sylene and spoke to me, saying that.

“Really?!”

My heart jumped as I looked at this man.

He had a headband, with brown hair pointing upwards. He wore a warrior’s uniform of plated iron and leather. What was most noticeable about him was his incredible jawline and chin.

“Yes, if you’re description is right, then it might be your older brother. By the way, I’m Alex, Sylene’s adventuring partner.”

The man, named Alex, looked at me in the eyes as he said such reassuring words.

“Where do you think he is?!”

My eyes were sparkling as I slammed my hand onto the table for support, leaning toward where Alex was.

“Haha, relax kid, calm down. You’re not gonna like what I’m gonna tell you.”

“What do you mean by that?”

I raised my eyebrows.

Did something bad happen to Aerich? Did he die? Is he hurt?

“-If it’s him, he’s the most famous slave being bidded on right now. All the nobles within the city gathered up to buy him. The auction is coming up in two days. He was captured very recently, but his skills and strength are of top-quality for a combat slave. He should be at the commercial-slave district.”

“Huh?”

Aerich was being sold in human slave market?

I need to see for myself if it’s really him.

“If that’s the case, we won’t be able to help you. You can’t steal a slave, the person who technically owns him now is a High-Class Noble, strong ties to the Emperor of the Aricoruth Empire.”

“Can you tell me about the Noble?" 

I smiled gently as I sat back down maturely. 

Alex seemed to be confused by my attitude, and information gathering attitude, but he obliged either way. 

"Ah- well, he's pretty famous around here, but a kid like you wouldn't know. I won't say much, cause it won't matter to you, but he's a very successful merchant and runs an entire slave company that's even backed by the entire Empire. A lot of influence, and power. That's all you need to know." 

"...I see, I wanna see my brother now. Where’s the slave market?”

I stood up from the Inn desk, and asked them to show me directions.

Aerich was of course, not really my brother... Well, he kinda is. I love him as my brother. 

That's why, I must find him. 

Part 5

Being in the Deep Southen Continent, near the Forest Continent, the sights to see in the slave market was unusual, but natural for its culture.

In cages, humans sat within, naked, sold for different tasks and reasons. A women would be bought for entertainment, or as a maid. A male would be bought as a combat slave, or a servant. And children would be raised up as heirs, servants or slaves. The stench in this part of town was disgusting.

We walked in a muddy dirt path and surrounded by stone-poor buildings. But this place itself with a commercial district, just for slaves. People ran businesses here, and made money. 

“After seeing him, you’re best going home to your parents, there’s no way you can take him back. We’re only helping you cause you’re a lost kid. Nothing else.”

Alex said as he walked beside me.

Sylene interjected:

“Don’t be so harsh on him, his older brother’s a slave… Well, we don’t know for sure yet.”

“What? It’s the truth though, there’s nothing he and we can do about it except look.”

Alex nodded toward the side, looking at the female slaves.

“Just let me see him.”

I ignored everything they said and straightforwardly demanded, what was most important now was finding Aerich.

But despite this, Alex looked at my waist, and musingly questioned.

“Reign, why do you have a wand. Are you an Academy-Class Magician?”

Alex pinpointed his gaze into me.

“Pffft, there’s no way that’s possible. He’s just a kid. Maybe he was playing around with a make-shift wand.”

Sylene giggled and shrugged off what Alex said.

“Haha… Yeah.”

A soon while of walking, we apparently reached our destination.

“Over there, he should be in there. That's the noble-merchant's tent. ”

Alex pat my back and pointed toward an extremely, mansion-sized huge tent.

The size of the tent cannot be underestimated. It was big enough for me to notice as the first thing I saw when looking up within the city. From the distance, it might have looked like a big Villa but a tent. 

It was just, huge. 

I was wondering why these two adventurers were helping a kid like me, well, they are adventurers after all.

Toward where the huge tent was, peeked out a whole bunch of cages filled with humans, male, female, young and old.

These cages were peeking out from a tent, and beside the tents were other merchants selling their slaves behind stools or carriages.

But this tent in particular looked much more luxurious than the other businessmen's stools and carriages.

It stood out, giving the impression that the merchant who owned this had quite the influence and power, along with riches.

“Aerich is in there?”

“Yes, now you should go in, look, and get out and back home. We’ll wait outside.”

Alex hushered me.

I immediately ran into the tent. And my heart sank, air freely flowed through my throat as my jaw dropped. I was awed by the warehouse-like stocks of cages of humans inside. Separated by isles and isles of columns of cages, filled with human slaves. 

I walked toward the nearest cage, and saw a sickly little girl.

"P-Please don't hurt me..." 

The little girl muttered very weakly, curling herself into a ball. 

"I wont..."

She had a serious wound on her right arm, a cut. It looks like her family was attacked, and she was captured right after by Demi-humans.

I began walking down a line of cages, observing the individuals within.

“…What a sick reality.”

I muttered under my breath, as I observed the conditions these humans were in. Feces in each corner of their cages, smelling up the entire place.

The stench of iron-blood wasn’t ill-familiar either.

They all said things as I walked past: 

"Please, help me... I have kids."

"It hurts, it hurts so much." 

"I beg you, please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please."

"Where's daddy? Mommy?"

"..."

I ignored all their pleas and continued walking, and observing. 

I need to find Aerich, and only Aerich. 

Smacking my face with my palms, I heaved a heavy sigh:

“Now, where’s Aer-“

“-Where’s whom?”

I felt a hand rest on my shoulder along with a nerdishly high-pitched formal voice.

I quickly faced my back toward the cages to look who was standing behind me.

I was greeted by… Knees?

Seeing as though I was looking at someone’s knees, I cocked my head all the way up, making a 90 degree angle with my neck and my chin. And saw his entire rectangle-like body. 

…This guy is seriously tall!

He’s tall enough for his knees to reach my face!

Along with this unnaturally tall height, this man was wearing a purple and yellow striped suit, and from below he had a large black muscle and was wearing a top hat.

Who is this guy?

He must be the noble-merchant Alex was talking about. 

“I’m just looking for someone. Who are you?”

I stood a few steps to the side and back, creating distance between me and the tall man.

“Me? Ohohoho~~~ I’m just a humble merchant, who owns all these beautiful and precious slaves.”

Uwah… He’s so creepy.

“-And one of them is to your liking? Well well, child, you shouldn’t be here. Didn’t your parents warn you to not come to the slave district? Oh well, no matter, as long as you have the coin I shall allow you to buy. Who is it you’re looking for?”

He speaks too fast, I can’t keep up.

But he doesn’t seem hostile, except for the fact that he might own Aerich.

“Just let me see and decide.”

I began to walk away from the tall man, and continued looking.

He didn’t follow me.

I walked columns and columns and saw no sight of Aerich. All I saw was the same sight of a struggling human, one had his eyes gouged out, some were missing their limbs and had serious wounds.

My stomach growled in cringe as I looked at those pitiful states.

As I came to the back of the tent, I noticed a larger cage, it was much bulkier than the other cages.

Compared to the light grey and weak structures of the cages within the Columns, this one stick to be darker, grimier and stronger.

It even had a magical seal.

The insides were dark, so I couldn’t see what was inside.

Footsteps echoed within the mansion-sized tent as I walked toward that cage, I could feel my boots vibrate every time they hit the ground.

My eyes widened as they scoured the cage.

“…Aerich.”

“-Ah, so this is the boy you’re looking for.”

The tall merchant suddenly appeared behind me, I didn’t turn to see him, but I knew he had a grin on his face.

Despite the sensitive ground, he somehow approached me from behind silently.

Some sort of practised skill, or special shoes?

Nevermind that, what Alex said about Aerich was true.

He was being bid as a combat slave, and he was extremely popular too…

I turned around, to see the now owner of Aerich.

“I don’t care if it’s your family, that precious combat slave is mine now~”

The tall merchant muttered with a giddy tone

...I need to find a way to get Aerich back.