Chapter 2.5 (1/2)

Chapter 2.5

2.5 Slaves and Sora

The maid guides Sora to a tall, wooden, door numbered 169.  “We’re here.”  Finished with her task, she leaves.

Sora and takes a deep breath.  “Fuu~”  Having to share a dorm room with a stranger for the first time makes him a bit nervous.

He gives the door a resolute knock.  I can’t just stand out here forever.

From inside comes, “Just a minute~”  The door opens after a couple of seconds and out emerges a male with dyed brown, imposing, hair similar to that of a frivolous person.

Uwa, there really is someone like him in every cla.s.s…  But he’s a bit shorter than me.  About 175cm[1]?

“Oh, you’re already here!  How fast.  Name’s Jin.  Right, come in, come in.”  He pulls Sora into the room before he can introduce himself.

The room is, in a word, normal.  It has bunkbed, a round table in the center, and a pair of desks next to each other in the back.

Jin says, “Welcome, Sora!  You’ll be staying here as of today.  By the way, you don’t need to use honorifics with me.”

“Yeah, nice to meet you.  By the way, Jin, how do you know my name?”  The only people who should know his name are the board chairman [Lydia], his teachers, and his cla.s.smates.

“The board chairman-san told me herself.”

“Really?  Well, alright then.”

Jin then says, “Top bunk or bottom bunk?”

“I’m good with the bottom bunk.”  Climbing up and down each time is way too annoying.

Since there is nothing to talk about, Sora sits on his bed.  He then recalls the day’s lessons and asks Jin about slavery.

“Hm?  Slaves?  We own a few at my house, b.u.t.they’re pretty much just property.  Oh, don’t get me wrong, we don’t neglect them?  Buying a slave is a pretty serious issue.”

Sora asks, “I see.  Then, what would you do if I brought a slave here after buying one?” to hear Jin’s opinion.

“Nothing much, it probably be like getting another roommate.  Are you going to buy one?”

“No, I don’t have any such plans.  But I am gonna go take a look.”

“Hou~  You realize slaves are expensive?  Even if you got a cheap one, it’d still be about 30 gold coins…”

“Wow, that’s a lot…”  But if you think of it as 30 gold coins to save a life, then it’s cheap.

Afterwards, Sora and Jin enjoy themselves by exchanging foolish stories and in the blink of an eye, evening falls and dinner time arrives.  Sora says, “Going to the school cafeteria is too annoying…” so Jin treats him to his home cooking.

Once they finish eating and cleaning up, Sora lays down on his bed while Jin does homework.  Sora drifts to sleep with the thought, do I have homework in this world too?

“Or…. Sora….  Wake up, Sora!”

“Mn?… Who’s….”

“Eeeh!  You’re roommate, Jin!  You’re gonna be late!”

Oh yeah, that’s right.  I’m in the dorm.  Sora only has to take an hour’s worth of lessons, so he isn’t worried about being late.  Regardless, Jin took the effort of waking him up.  Might as well go…

Sora hurries to prepare himself despite being lightheaded due to being weak against the morning.  Having slept in his uniform, he only needs to wash his face.  For some reason, Jin watches

over him with an amused smile.  Sora says while wiping his face, “Why are you so happy for?”

“No, watching you somewhat reminds me of my little brother.”

Sora is surprised to hear Jin has a little brother.  “Have you not seen him in a while?”

“He died a long time ago…”

“I see.”

“Eeh!?  This is where you say, “I’m sorry to hear that…” right?”

The average person might say that, but Sora’s head is still loopy from having just woke up.

Jin adds, “Well, that’s fine.  Looks like you’re finished, so how about we get going?”

Sora parts with Jin partway to school and heads for his cla.s.sroom.  He’s the last to arrive.  Well, I did leave at the last minute.

Once the dull lecture ends, he entrusts Yami with Sura and leaves.  That’s when he realizes, I left my clothes in the board chairman’s office, but decides getting it is too troublesome.  I’ll just go to the slave market like this.  He leaves the academy and enters the city where he walks past various shops.  Many people crowd the streets despite midday still being some time off.

Sora enters a dim alley devoid of human life.  According to Jin, the slave market is down this road.  He continues forward until he comes across a makes.h.i.+ft door consisting of an ominous, ash grey, drape.  Written across it is, Slave.

I guess this is the place.

Sora hesitates, but then waltzes straight in.  While the place isn’t, boro boro, ragged, it isn’t well kept either.  He continues down a long pa.s.sage and pa.s.ses underneath another cloth into a somewhat chilly room.

Children and adults from various races are stored within the many cells.  Some are frustrated, gari gari, while others have dead eyes.  Others quiver with fear.  This isn’t pleasant too look at…

A short, white haired, jii-san says, “Seeing a student-san come buy slaves is pretty rare.  Do you have any money?”

A Dwarf.

Sora says, “I have money, but right now I’m only browsing.”

“Hou, alright then.  In that case, take your time.”

I’ll go crazy if I take my time!  The slaves wear gray, ragged, boro boro, outfits with holes exposing important places here and there.  Sora tries looking only at the faces as much as possible.  Oops… my bad.

Once he finishes looking around, he notices a cage separated from all the others.  He turns to the Dwarf and says, “What’s in that cage over there?”

“Ahh, that one?  Best leave it alone.”

“How come?”

“There’s a ferocious Dragon Newt inside.”

“!?”  Dragon Newt, beings that grow dragon tails and ears in place of beast tails and ears.  How’d such an incredible, legendary, being get stuck as a slave?

The jii-san begins speaking just as Sora’s question arises.  “Dragon Newt are a bit different from Beasts.  They can hide their ears and tails.  As a result, a certain slave trader mistook that Dragon Newt for a human and made her into a slave.  I don’t know the details, but apparently the slave trader thought she’d sell for a high price and slipped her sleeping pills.  The slave trader found out she was a Dragon Newt mid route, panicked, and brought her to me.”

In other worlds, a slaver dealer made someone into a slave for money, judged that a Dragon Newt was more than could be handled, and turned her over to this jii-san?  All of that for money…?

Sora says, “Does no one want her?”

Dragon Newts are a legendary race.  Even if they are somewhat fierce, I’d imagine a lot of people would want one.

The jii-san says, “Ahh, plenty have taken a look, but all of them gave up.  One person tried to touch her and had his arm broken, another had his ripped off…”

“She really is ferocious…  So, what would happen if you can’t sell her?”

“It’s regretful, but she’d be disposed of.”

Disposed…  As in killed?  d.a.m.n!  It would have been better not asking.  If my guess is right, no one is going to by that Dragon Newt and then she’ll be killed.  This is just too cruel.  Slaves really are just possessions.  Dispose of one for being unsellable?  Don’t joke with me!  That’s way too selfish.

Sora says, “By the way, when will you dispose of her?”

“That Dragon Newt, she’s been here for a year now today.  It’ll be any day—”

“How much?”  Sora didn’t come with the intention of buying a slave, but he can’t just stay quiet and abandon the Dragon Newt.

“Are you serious?  Weren’t you listening—”

“Shut up.  I’m a customer.  Tell me the price.”

“…In all honesty, it’s 60 gold coins, but as a service, I’ll charge you 30.”

Sora says, “Bought,” and hands the money to the jii-san.

The jii-san says, “You understand, whatever happen, it’s your responsibility?”

“Yeah.”

Sora enters the Dragon Newt’s cell and faces her.  She glares at him with emerald green eyes through her long, beige, hair.  He can’t tell because she’s sitting, but she looks about 178 cm[2], just like me.