Yuuta stepped out of the gate first. To his surprise, Rudon looked like an old western town from his old world. A single dirt road went straight through the town with shops and wooden buildings on either side. With houses scattered around the Main Street and shops.

He was half expecting cowboys to come out shooting at him and his party. Ria grabbed his hand pulling him out of his daydream of an old fashioned standoff.

“I was expecting more,” Yuuta said plainly to Ria.

She didn’t respond just nodded her head. She seemed to tense it took a moment for him to find out why. On the main road, there was a slave in front of almost every shop. The long chain that wrapped around there necks clearly visible. Yuuta ground his teeth together. Yuuta made Emery outlaw slaves in Yuart when he agreed to be the next heir. He almost forgot they existed but this sight made it painstakingly obvious.

Ria was tense but he could tell she was trying not to show it the grip on his arm made it clear. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close trying to comfort her.

Terra took her position guarding Ria and Gildi followed up on his left side. The slaves all stared at the newcomers they seemed to be on edge like their eyes were begging the newcomers to stop by the shops they were standing in front of. It made the whole situation 10 times more creepy.

“Let’s hurry I don’t want to be here longer than I have to. My skin is crawling.” Yuuta said with a paranoid look.

The three girls nodded their heads in sync picking up the same vibe he did. They walked along the main road till Gildi spotted the adventure guild sign. It seems it's attached to the general store. Of course, there was a slave standing by the door.

It was a red-headed girl who looked around the same age as Milly wearing a potato sack for clothes. She was covered in bruises and had a purple eye. At this point, Yuuta was seriously considering burning this town to the ground and freeing the slaves himself.

He understood slavery was apart of life in Hartford but that didn’t mean he liked it or really even tolerated it. In major cities, slaves had basic rights almost like pets they had to be fed and have a place to sleep away from the elements. They could only be beaten if the owner could prove they were disobeyed attentional. It wasn’t much but it seems the farther you get from a city the less the rules applied.

Yuuta walked up the rickety steps with Ria and the red-headed girl put on a fake smile and introduced herself.

“Hello welcome to Rudon my name is Rena I am here to escort you inside feel free to ask any questions.” She avoided eye contact and looked down at the ground. Yuuta felt a tinge of pain in his heart. He walked closer to the girl and slowly lifted her chin up to look at her black eye and the bruises that trailed down her face an body. She winced when he touched her but did not resist.

“Who would do this to a little girl!” Yuuta growled out of his teeth. Ria had her head in his back it was clear this was bringing up old memories she wished to forget.

“This is the way of life here Yuuta it’s best to leave it be, they are property and not people,” Gildi said plainly she has traveled the world and seen all kinds of cultures and this was tame to somethings she’s seen.

Still holding Rena’s chin he tried his hand at healing magic he has only tried it once before so wasn’t sure how much mana to put it into it.

A dim green light traveled from his hand to the girls face. She tensed up and grabbed his hand out of shock. Her eyes darted around looking for help like something bad was about to happen.

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Not long after she felt a warmth radiate through her body and her aches and pain she was all too familiar with started to dull. Soon her closed swollen shut purple eye started to open. The bruises started to disappear and her body felt better than it had in a long time.

“Who has food on them?” Yuuta asked sternly.

Terra pulled out bread and jerky she had for her journey from the capital. Yuuta quickly snatched it up and held it out to the bewildered Rena. She couldn’t comprehend what was happening why was this man being so nice. Her eye was healed and now she was being offered real meat. She couldn’t remember the last time she tasted meat.

“Sir there’s no way I can accept that!” She stated quickly. Yuuta frowned deeply not giving up started waving the jerky in front of her nose. Rena’s stomach betrayed her words when it roared loudly for all of them to hear. Yuuta and his group started laughing. Even Ria let out a giggle now looking at the girl with a small smile.

“I insist” Yuuta stated matter of factly. “If you don’t take it I’ll leave it on the ground in front of you.” He said teasingly. Rena gave a look over her shoulder before quickly snatching the food up and devouring it as fast as she could.

Ria walked closer this time pulling out her water pouch. “Eat slower or you will choke it’s not going anywhere.” She said with a comforting smile. Yuuta couldn’t help but smile at his beautiful fiancé playing mommy for the little girl.

Rena quickly snatched the pouch up to and took a big gulp and went back to eating. Gildi tapped him on the shoulder. “ I don’t think that was the best idea.”

“Why?” Yuuta asked.

“Look around every slave is staring daggers at the little girl. My best guess is it’s the other slaves and not her owner that beat her that bad. You might have put a bigger target in her back. She’s the only women I’ve seen so far it seems they have been neglecting her on purpose.”

Yuuta gave a quick look around and notice all the eyes on him most of the slaves where much older than the girl and all of them where men. He was not liking what he was seeing.

“Hey Rena who did that to your eye you can tell me?” Yuuta asked as softly as he could. Her eyes shot up and gave a quick look at the closer slaves to her before she dropped the remaining bread on the ground and quickly standing back in position.

“Nobody Sir its of no concern to you.” Her attempt at lying was pitiful at best. She looked more scared than before she ate and her eyes were darting between all the slaves still staring at her with a nasty look. It looked like she was about to cry.

Yuuta made his decision right then and there. He stormed into the half general store/ adventure guild and talked to the man behind the counter.

“Who owns the girl outside your shop?” He asked sternly with a clear tone of anger.

The shopkeeper almost jumped out of his seat at Yuuta’s presence. “Umm all the slaves belong to Sir Desmir you will have to talk to him if you have any questions about them.”

“Where is he now?!” Yuuta yelled at the scared man Ria jumped a little too but she was happy that her love was being so adamant about the little girl.

“His residence is just north of the town it’s hard to miss.” The man said timidly.

“Gildi get the details for our request Terra stay with Ria if anybody tries anything take their head off. I’ll be back.”

Yuuta gave Ria a hug and kissed her forehead.

“I love you I’ll be right back.” He said softly in her ear.

“Hurry back please.” She whispered back and Yuuta walked out of the store and turned to face Rena. He grabbed her hand softly and pulled her towards him. She let out a yelp but once again didn’t resist.

“Come with me were going to talk to Sir Desmir,” Yuuta said as calmly as he could. Rena got a little frantic and started dragging her feet. But followed none the less.

“I’m sorry if I offended you, sir, please don’t take me there I will do anything you want!” She was now pleading for him to stop she was scared of Desmir that was for certain.

“My name is Yuuta and I want you to come with me.” You said flashing her a smile. It didn’t take long to get to the big White House that stood out like a sore thumb in this shit hole.

Two guards were standing in front of the door.

“What business do you have here boy.” The right guard said.

“My name is Lord Yuuta Vermillion and wish to talk to Sir Desmir,” Yuuta said confidently letting some of his mana leak out showing the guards just how strong he was.

The guards apologized and bowed then quickly parted and escorted him inside with the now petrified Rena. What would a Lord want with her thousands of scenarios went through her mind with each step?

The guards made it to a back room and knocked quickly announcing Yuuta to the man. A soft “come in” could be heard. Yuuta set his eyes on the man he was easily 80 years old and looked as if he was a moment away from dying. He was lying in bed and it was clear he hadn’t been out of it in a long time.

“What do I owe the pleasure of a lord coming and visiting me?” He asked.

“I have been ordered by the king to handle your dragon problem but that’s not why I’m here. I’m told you own all the slaves in town I’ve come to buy this girl from you.” Yuuta more stated and lest asked no matter what this old man said he was taking her with her.

Desmir didn’t say anything for quite some time he seemed to be thinking. Yuuta interjected his long thinking session “It wasn’t a question I’m buying this girl and that’s the end of the discussion! I don’t know if you noticed but she was being beaten by her peers and was not being fed I have half a mind to bring you to Yuart if I didn’t think you would drop dead getting out of bed.

Rena felt like she was dreaming a handsome Lord coming to her rescue was any girls dream she almost pinched herself in disbelief.

Desmir let out a laugh that quickly turned into a cough.

“As you can see I don’t get out much these days I leave the day to day to my son. I was unaware of this young slaves conditions I’ll be sure to speak to him immediately. As for purchasing her consider it a gift for your understanding in this matter.” The man yelled to his guard to get her papers for Yuuta.

“I'll only forgive this situation once if I catch wind of something like this again you and your son will be held accountable. I’ll take my leave I’ve been in this shit hole less than an hour and I’m already drained. Let’s go girl.”

The girl quickly followed behind her savior as he snatched the papers out of the guard's hand. In less than 15 minutes her life has been changed forever. She was still trying to figure out how this happened all she knew was she was happy for the first time in her life and her smile was real this time.