I had good times with Lena. Even if we didn’t actually love each other, we still enjoyed each other’s warmth, company and embrace.

The night we shared our first times wouldn’t really sound like a good experience if anyone were to hear it.

We were rented out to help a farmer on his farm. The air was cold outside when we rested inside a barn for the night. The ground was wet so we had to stack hay underneath for bedding.

Lena and I embraced each other’s bodies. One thing led to another and we finally did it.

When we finished and laid in each other’s arms, we spoke about our dreams. 

What will our new masters be like?

What if we get married?

Can we even escape slavery?

Those kinds of questions.

“...”

I lifted my aching body.

My master beat me up real good. I could say that it’s fortunate that she used a whip instead of her fists.

I was told to sleep on the cold hard floor while Beatrice could sleep in our master’s bed. I really hate that scum.

While looking at her sleeping face, I felt the rage well up inside me.

She was the one that told me that our master gave me permission to stay outside until sunset. I'd always be ordered to be back by noon. Apparently that rule still stands.

I never should’ve believed her.

She was cuddling in my master’s embrace.

For some reason, I get treated worse than her. Even if we were bought on the same day. She was bought at a different slave market. A much more expensive one.

I heard that her family fell apart after they invested too much money in land development. Her family sold her to lift a bit of their debt. I can’t believe I pitied her back then.

What I’ve come to notice is that each and every individual in this manor is female.

There’s also not a single portrait of the previous kings on her walls. She’s a former imperial princess so I expected that she’d have one of her father at least.

I’m the only male in this entire manor.

Men should normally be excited about having a harem of girls but I’m not feeling that way at all. I can’t build a relationship with any of them since I have the status of a slave. 

No matter how handsome you are, it’s the title that you hold that matter most. That’s how I could describe my situation. That said, I’m not really handsome. I’d say I have average looks.

No. It’s not that there weren’t any males before. Since Sylvia is a man-hater, she bought a lot of slaves to play with in the past.  

I heard from one of the maids when I was assigned to a job in the dungeon underneath the house. Curious as to what she meant, I entered the dungeon back then.

I saw many dead corpses lying in cells. Most of them were intact so I could get a look at them. 

They were males. 

Did she leave them there to die?

 “Hmm…”

I heard a moan and saw my master’s eyes open up.

“G-Good morning, madam…”

“…Grab my robe.”

She pointed to her pink robe on the hanger.

“Yes…”

I quickly went to fetch it and then gave it to her.

She got up from bed making my eyes open wide.

She was naked.

I saw two magnificent jugs and a cleanly cut slit between her legs. Rumour has it that she’s still a virgin. Despite having so many other women around, she never sleeps with any of them. I assume that Beatrice cuddled up to our master when she was asleep. 

I can tell by her gestures that she’s into our master. 

“…What are you looking at?”

My master coldly gazed at me as she put her robe on.

“N-Nothing. Hiirk!?”

She put her hand on my cheek.

“Don’t be late again. Don’t misunderstand this as kindness. I just don’t want to damage my toys too much. You have a lot of duties around the manor so follow your schedule next time."

Was it my imagination? I think I saw her smile for a second…

“Tell Anna to prepare the carriage after breakfast.”

She patted my head before entering the bathroom.

“She’s not falling for you, you know? There are many other women and men better looking than you.”

I heard a snarky remark come from the bed.

Beatrice smirked.

“What? Want to hit me?”

I really felt like punching that face of hers.

“Or do you want to violate me?”

She grinned mischievously and lowered the bedsheet.

Her pale white naked body appeared. Her breasts are modest while her body is fit yet soft.

“Excited~?”

I walked towards the door without a word. She might be cute but the same can’t be said for her personality. She's a sadist who liked watching me get beat up by the maids or our master.

“Kekeke. Master’s smell is still on me....”

I slammed the door shut and made my way downstairs.

**

“What can I do for you?”

The head maid, Anna lifted her glasses as she coldly gazed at me. Despite her cold attitude, she’s fairly nice to someone like me.

In terms of beauty, she’s on my master’s level.

“Good morning, ma’am. Um, master said that the carriage must be prepared for her business later on.” 

“Ah, I almost forgot. The Madam is travelling around so much that I sometimes mess up her schedule.”

Anna sighed.

“Thank you for reminding me. I left some croquettes for you from last night’s party.”

My eyes sparkled.

“Ask Lisa to heal you. Your face is a mess. Go check the kitchen for the food. It’s below the dining table where I always hide it.”

I bowed towards miss Anna. She’s a real lifesaver. If she didn’t leave anything left for me then I might’ve starved today. I couldn’t even eat last night.

After she left, I went outside, finished eating my breakfast and began digging in the backyard. It’s holiday season so some of the servants aren’t around to watch me train.

A wooden sword appeared when I dug a little deeper.  

This is what I do when no one is watching. I have to hide my stuff so it doesn't get confiscated by the maids. Some of them are really sly and take my stuff to keep it for themselves. I even have to hide my expensive sweets I buy in the city. 

I smiled when I pulled out my sword. Since normal practice swords are too expensive, I had to craft one myself. I bought a blacksmith’s guide book to learn how to craft it. 

The sword isn’t anything extravagant but at least it can imitate the shape of a real sword.

Before training every morning, I’d tie up my silver hair and take a deep breath to reaffirm my will to become strong.

I want to become a hero.

I want to become someone strong.

“!!”

I roared and swung down the sword as I imagined a demon in front of me. They frequently attack this city known as Osapolis so I was able to easily craft a figure of a demon inside my head.

“!!”

Fortunately, since I was in the forest near the greenhouse, no one except the gardener could hear me screaming like a maniac. She’s an old woman who doesn’t really mind lending me the area to work out. 

–Sword of light!

I performed a technique I read in a book once before.

It foretold the story of the strongest hero to ever be summoned from another world. 

Siegfried. The Sword King.

He was the first hero to slay one of the fifty demon lords that exists within our world. Sadly, he died on a mountain after falling to despair from having his soul cursed by the demon lord’s negative emotions from the afterlife. He pierced his own chest with the sword that he used to slay many enemies.

I wanted to be like him but I want to change my ending to not match his. 

Even if a demon lord’s overwhelming amount of curse energy threatens my soul, I will not fall deep to despair. I have already seen how humans who fall into depravity end. Hell, I even watched one of my friends get mauled to death by his cell mate over a piece of bread.

What could be more horrible than seeing a human’s real side?

I’m curious what the strongest hero saw as his despair.

–Luther! Where are you!?

‘Ah, shit...’

I barely finished half of my goal for the day which was 100 swings. My original goal was 1000 but that’s impossible to reach with my skinny and weak body.

“Y-Yes, madam! I’m coming!”

I hid the sword behind the greenhouse and made my way towards the manor.

My master was dressed in a fancy formal dress.

“You look like a mess. What do you do this early every morning?”

"I-I catch frogs and butterflies...”

She looked at me strangely before pointing to the barn.

“Go get the carriage. That damn coachman is taking too long. And wipe your body before entering my carriage. It reeks of sweat.”

I bowed before running towards the horse stables.