Mog and his new masters walked through a long tunnel for around 5 minutes until they reached outside. It was currently dusk outside, with the moon and stars still visible in the sky. It was apparent that Mog was only knocked out for an hour or two before he got tossed into the auction. From the words of the auctioneer, he could glean that he wasn't planned in the auction. He was, apparently, added out of convenience.

Waiting outside the tunnel, a few hundreds of guards were stationed along with horse-drawn carriages, waiting for their employer's return. 6 tough-looking fully-armored guards holding shields and spears saw Aulus and Consentia and immediately went to greet them, "Young master, young miss! We await your orders!"

Aulus waved his hand dismissively and said, "Let's go home. it's late."

They all went to a wide and luxurious-looking carriage, drawn by 4 black and two-horned horses. They were a type of domesticated monster called the bicorn horse. Unlike normal horses, they were stronger and faster and were considered D+ rank monsters. Only the rich could afford them.

Aulus and Consentia got up on the carriage while Mog waited outside it, not daring to step inside. He knew better than to enter the carriage of the aristocrats.

Consentia noticed that Mog didn't enter the carriage and looked outside and called, "Mog, come inside!"

Mog instantly felt a pull in his mind as his feet moved by themselves towards the carriage. Under the envious looks of the guards outside, Mog entered the carriage.

The inside of the carriage was even more luxurious than the outside. It was padded with many pillows and linens, and there was even a magic gem embedded on the ceiling to provide light. Aulus and Consentia sat while facing each other. While Aulus wore a mixed look of disgust and helplessness, Consentia had a bright smile as she looked at Mog.

She gestured, patting the seat next to her, "Come, sit my little Mog. You don't need to walk outside. You are my pet, after all." 

Mog felt uncomfortable while being stared at by the piercing gazes of 9 men, but he couldn't do anything about it as he went and sat next to his new master.

Two of the soldiers went to the coachman seats and started driving the carriage. The other 6 guards walked outside it while accompanying the carriage.

As the carriage moved, Mog noticed an anomaly. Other carriages would be rocking hard, producing loud sounds and noises. This carriage, however, was driving rather quietly. The sounds of the hooves of the horses and the guards' armor were louder. Also, the inside was exceptionally comfortable, and he barely felt any movement. It was unlike what he heard from Rizor and other people about carriages.

He wanted to ask about it, but as a slave, he was afraid of being punished. As a Lamarian, he naturally knew of the nature of being a slave and what an owner can do to his slaves. If he annoyed his master, he could get beaten up or whipped!

Consentia noticed Mog's hesitation and said with a smile, "My little Mog, you are my pet. When we aren't in a public situation, I permit you to speak freely."

Naturally, Aulus wasn't very content about it, but after one look from Consentia, he knew that he had to relent. He then shut his eyes and started resting. It would take them some time to reach home.

Mog hesitated for a moment before he asked, "Why is the carriage so stable and not rocking?"

Both Consentia and the resting Aulus were surprised. They were surprised that Mog was observant enough to notice this, especially as a child growing on the streets and not from a merchants background.

Although she was surprised, she didn't dwell on it too much as she replied, "Unlike most common carriages, ours use a marvelous invention called a spring to absorb shock. It is of dwarven import and only started being used in the most expensive carriages two months ago. Ours is one of the first. I am surprised you noticed it, considering your less-than-ideal background."

She then asked Mog, "So tell me, my little Mog, how is life in the slums? I only heard what my teachers taught me, and I don't know the situation myself."

Aulus knew that it was not a random question and knew that his sister was asking it for his sake, so he listened quietly while pretending to sleep. He and his sister were like two flowers in a greenhouse. While they knew some superfluous knowledge, they didn't know about the actual situation. Aside from hearing some superficial knowledge, he didn't know much. As a scion and heir of one of the 8 great families of Lamaria, he naturally needed to know the situation in the slums since it reflected on the entire cities circumstances.

Mog didn't see any reason to hide things as he said, "Slum life is tough and grim. Every family there usually lives in the insulas, renting an apartment on a monthly payment while always scared of getting kicked out. A family of 7-8 usually lives in a single room, with a shared toilet for all the residents of the insula. In summer, the house is hot. In winter, the house is cold. Every day, unskilled workers usually work on a day-to-day basis as laborers, only receiving 1 silver a day and having the risk of being fired at any moment. Those with a not-so-lucrative profession can barely make ends meet, earning around 40-50 silvers a month. Many of us rely on government food stipends, but even that isn't enough. Starvation and overpopulation are a concern, and criminals and thieves are abundant. The risk of a fire breaking out is also like a sword hanging on our necks, always threatening to cull our lives in our sleep.

Those among us with strong bodies usually try and join the army or become adventurers, while the smart ones among us try and get apprenticed to some professional. A few talented children in mana would occasionally be born, leaving the dreary slums and into the temples or the mage towers. Many children don't manage to get apprenticed and end up doing grueling manual labor and unsophisticated work with no future, continuing the cycle. Many of the families, not able to keep providing for the family, end up selling one or two of their children, although they prefer selling a beautiful and grown daughter since they sell for far more.

Orphans like me usually either get adopted or are left to fend for themselves on the streets. Humans usually get adopted to more well-off families. Of the other orphans, pure-bloods normally get adopted by other pure-bloods of the same race, while we half-bloods usually end up fending for ourselves, usually dying as a result. I got lucky and got adopted by a kind old halfling thief when I was just a baby. Until last winter, he taught me all he knew about fending for myself being a thief and a pickpocket. At the very least, I managed to survive to this day, unlike many others who died around me."

As Mog spoke, the two siblings listened quietly. The situation was worse than they thought. As the scions of the Fidelis family, they were taught about hunger rates, unemployment rates, overpopulation, fire outbreaks, death rates, crime rates, and general satisfaction of the masses. However, they didn't know specifics, such as how the poor lived, discrimination, and the cycle of stagnation in the masses. These things were not obvious to the siblings who lived away from the masses. They were born with golden spoons in their mouths, while Mog was born with a wooden one. Things that were common to the privileged and the rich were luxuries to the poor and needy. This created an almost unclimbable gap between the two classes.

However, they were also surprised at Mog's mature overview of the situation in the slums. It was rare to have such views even as an adult, let alone as a 10-year-old, and especially so to a simple pickpocket.

Consentia asked curiously, "Mog, did your father teach you this?"

Mog nodded his head and then shook it, "He taught me some, and the rest I learned from my own curiosity and observations."

Consentia smiled and petted Mog's head appreciatively. It was naturally better to have an observant and smart slave than a stupid and dim one.

Mog had mixed feelings about the comfort he felt from being petted by her like a pet. However, he decided to let go and enjoy it. There was no need to make himself feel uncomfortable for nothing. He was her pet now, after all, and he didn't know when he would be a free man once again, if ever.

While petting him, Consentia asked, "You said you were adopted. Do you know who your parents are?"

Mog wanted to lie and say that he didn't. But the moment he did, he felt a wave of pain from the slave crest. He understood that it was the power of the slave crest at work, so he decided to say half-truths instead, "I know that my mother was an orc and my father was a half-human half-drow."

The pain in his chest was gone. It appeared that telling half-truths counted. As long as she didn't give him specific questions, there was room to circumvent.

Consentia gently smiled and nodded as she asked, "I see, I see... Did your father tell you this?"

Mog's eye twitched. He wanted to lie and say yes, but he felt another wave of pain. He realized that he had no way of lying, so he could only relent and say, "A soothsayer told me. I helped her out a bit, so she gave me a reading."

Consentia smiled and asked, "Ah, a soothsayer. She gave you a fate reading, then?"

Mog had no wiggle room, so he could only answer, "Yes, she did. Like reading my birthday and the such."

If Mog only said yes without explaining, Consentia would have asked specific questions. The more questions she asked, the more likely Mog would have a slip-up and say something he didn't want. He wanted to avoid her knowing about his parent's demigod status and hidden talent at all costs. He knew that although he could receive better treatment if he did, it could also spell his doom.

Consentia smiled, "Oh, she gave you status reading, then?"

Mog's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly thought of a loophole and said while feigning excitement, "Yes, she was nice enough to give me one! I could actually see my skills!"

Consentia nodded and thought, An advanced reading, hah? That's normal.

She naturally didn't suspect anything. Ignoring the probability of meeting a powerful soothsayer, what were the odds of receiving a perfect reading from one, especially to some poor kid. Naturally, if she was a more experienced slave owner, she would have tried to ask what type of reading he received.

She quickly lost interest in the topic and asked, "Are you tired, Mog?"

Mog didn't lie and said, "Yes. I didn't get to sleep much."

Consentia smiled and patted her thighs, "You can lay your head on my thigh and snooze a bit. We will get home in around 15 minutes."

Although she didn't order him, from her expectant tone and actions, he knew that he didn't have room to say no, so he lay his head on her lap. She then started petting him, causing a wave of comfort.

Mog couldn't help but think - Perhaps it isn't so bad being a pet... At least I am not abused like other slaves.

With that, he fell asleep under the comfort of Consentia's petting. It lasted until the carriage stopped.

Mog heard his master's voice, "We arrived, wake up."

Mog woke up and saw that Aulus also woke up and looked at Mog with discontent in his eyes. Clearly, he didn't view a dirt-blood sleeping on his sister's lap in a positive light.

Aulus and consentia left the carriage first, and Mog followed them. When he saw the Fidelis estate, Mog was filled with awe.

It was a large-scale Domus, the size of a mansion. There was a majestic 4-meters-tall wall with an open metal gate. Through the gate, Mog saw an inner courtyard surrounded by a stone peristyle. The peristyle was lighted by magic lamps, giving out a gentle glow in the night. Mog could spot armed guards patroling through the peristyle along with monster-type dogs of some breed, granting security to this otherwise seemingly defenseless yard. The courtyard was large and contained many plants, some even magical. In the center, there was a large fountain with a marble statue in the center of a refined-looking man wearing robes, holding a staff in one hand and the other holding a fire. Mog didn't recognize this figure, so he guessed that it was probably the statue of a Fidelis ancestor.

Behind the courtyard was a huge building, its size about half of that of the main temple of the gods in the plaza. It was about 50ft tall and 120ft wide with three stories and was built out of white stone, making it look grand and majestic. Except for the emperor's palace, this was the second-largest private house he has ever seen.

Consentia saw Mog's awed look and couldn't help but pat his head with a smile while saying, "Do you like it? This will be your new home from now on."

Mog was shocked as it dawned on him - This is where I will live? It's huge! I wonder what is my master's status in the Fidelis family...

Seeing how shocked Mog was, Consentia could only order, "Follow me."

Mog could only follow Consentia like how a chick would follow his mother hen. As they walked through the peristyle, two guards and a guard dog glanced curiously at Mog. The guards obviously understood from how Mog dressed and acted that he was a new slave of their mistress. The mistress only had two handmaidens as slaves now, and they also heard about their mistress's unique and notorious kink. As such, they remembered the half-orc boy as someone they shouldn't belittle or offend easily.

The guard dog, which looked like a 1.2m tall black cane Corso with red strips, smelled Mog to imprint his smell into its memory before it ignored him. As a tamed Canine-type monster, which was as intelligent as a grown human child, it was naturally smart enough to realize that Mog was part of the household property now.

Mog continued to follow his new master to the huge mansion. After entering through a large double door, Mog saw the interior of the mansion. It was majestic.

It was about 20ft tall, 40ft long, and 50ft wide. Various statues of animals and people, strange yet beautiful plants, luxurious furniture made out of expensive metals, exotic wood, linens, ivory, stone, and marble were arranged elegantly. Two small fountains spewing clean water into two small ponds were placed in two corners of the room. Wall paintings covered the hall, depicting humans and monsters combating each other. It also had magical lamps creating a luminous light in the main hall, creating a beautiful scene.

Mog couldn't help but blurt out, "Amazing..."

Consentia, who heard it, couldn't help but say, "If you think this is amazing, you should see the hall of the main estate in the countryside. That place's entrance hall is a few times as large as this one. This place can only be considered a small branch in the city."

Mog could only numbly nod his head. This level of luxury was shocking, and it was merely a small branch. He failed to imagine the main branch.

Consentia - "Come on, my little Mog, follow me."

She led Mog unto a large flight of stairs leading to the first and second floor. Consentia did not stop at the first floor, directly going up to the second floor. With a glance, Mog saw that the first floor had many rooms, their use unknown to him.

Consentia explained as they walked, "The ground floor of the mansion is where the family's common slaves and staff live in groups of 6 in each room. The first floor is for common guests and high-ranking slaves and staff, and they live either alone or as a pair. The second floor is for the masters of the house and honored guests. We also have a barracks for the guards down in the basement. As my personal slave, you qualify as a high-ranking slave, and as such, you will get a first-floor room for yourself. However..."

As she spoke, they already reached the third floor, walked to the left, and reached a large and expensive-looking door.

She turned and smirked at Mog and stroked his cheek, "... As my pet, you will be sleeping together with me sometimes."

Mog had a strange look on his face. As a Lamarian, even as a child, he knew the common knowledge that a slave would never sleep in the same room as the master... Unless the slave would be serving his master that night.

Although he was young, Mog was not naive and ignorant. Ignoring the fact that he was a half-orc, Mog was a 10-year-old that didn't reach puberty yet and didn't even have his first erection. As such, he found it odd that his female master would want him in her bedroom.

Seeing Mog's strange look, Consentia understood what he was thinking and almost burst out laughing while she stated, "Hah! Brat, you are still not grown up enough to sleep with me. I will be giving you 3 or 4 years to mature before we rediscuss this topic. Because it's already the middle of the night, tonight I will make an exception and allow you to sleep in my room, and tomorrow, I will arrange a new room for you."

Mog immediately understood and quickly bowed his head, "Thank you, master, for your consideration."

He knew that she could have made him sleep in the hallway on the hard floor if she wanted. Getting to sleep in his master's room was very generous of her.

Consentia nodded and smiled, "Good, at least you know that what I give should not be taken for granted. Now then, come along."

Opening the door, they entered her room. After Consentia touched some sort of crystal embedded on the wall, the room lighted up. The room was large, being around 25ft long and wide. There was a large window to the right covered with cloth blinds. On his side, to the left, there was a door that led to another room.

It had an exquisite large double bed made out of carved wood and adorned with gold and pearls with two soft mattresses, pillows, and linens covering it.¹Historically inaccurate, don't take what I just wrote at face value.

There was exquisite and unique furniture, like a dresser and a vanity table. The room also had a polished marble table and chairs with appropriate metal tableware.

There were also decorations to the room. Aside from decoration plants and wall paintings, there was also a large marble statue of a naked and beautiful woman. The woman looked exactly like Consentia, minus her clothes.

While Mog was looking around the room, Consentia undressed and removed her red stola and white subliguculum²A type of loincloth that men and women wore in ancient Rome. Women also had a bra type., leaving her perfect body naked. Her lithe and graceful body was well-maintained and as flawless as that of an elf. She had sensual curves in all the right places and could stir the lust and imagination of men. Her untied hair cascaded smoothly on her body, creating a mesmerizing beauty. 

Consentia struck a pose and asked Mog with a smirk, "So, what do you think? Is the statue accurate?"

Mog turned to look at Consentia and widened his eyes. Mog has seen naked women before, but they were far away and were a bit dirty and average-looking. Even the best of the female slaves he saw were only considered pretty. The especially beautiful slaves were always auctioned in auction houses, so Mog never chanced to see them. Except for Menvi, the demigod soothsayer, he truly never saw a woman as beautiful as Consentia, and especially not naked.

Even though he didn't even reach puberty, he couldn't help but blush and stutter, "Y-yes, it is very, a-accurate, master."

Seeing that she made the poor young boy flustered with her beauty, a victorious grin flashed across her face. She then said to Mog, "Thank you, my little Mog. I had it especially made two months ago, and I was afraid it was inaccurate. Now then, undress. You're a bit dirty now and need a bath."