After we were led into our room, they gave us a change of clothes that made us look like townsfolk from around here.

I suggested to Yui that we should wander the kingdom.

She nodded and I asked one of the soldiers if we could do so.

Things happened, and we were let out to explore the place.

We walked around the district for a bit until I stopped.

* Hey, Yui. Look over there.

I said as I pointed to the elven boy slaving away.

* And there.

I instructed again, pointing next to the boy.

There was a small beastian child, who was carrying a stack of wood into the house the elf boy was working at.

* And there.

I repeated and pointed to girl who was being yelled at by a guy.

Nobody seemed to help the poor lady, moreover, other guys were staring daggers at her.

* See the correlation?

I asked with a slight frown while pointing a finger up into the sky.

* Of course I do.

She scuffed.

* Who wouldn’t. Even Yuu could tell.

* Me?

I asked, dumbfounded.

My finger curled down like someone had just told me that I was utterly wrong.

After a slight silence for me to figure it out, I realized.

* Oh… Yuu… as in Yumi.

I mumbled to myself in realization.

We continued walking.

Somehow, the place we arrived at was the district market.

* Ah.

Yui made a noise as she stopped.

I stopped as well and looked at what she was staring at.

My mouth can’t help but water.

Juicy grilled meat.

The slices were thin and it sizzled as the fat melted into oil.

My stomach rumbled.

I looked at Yui, whose mouth was also watery.

Her eyes were sparkling with delight.

She turned to me with pleading eyes.

I laughed and pulled out the pouch of coins we got from one of the maids.

In the bag were shiny gold coins that shimmered in the sunlight.

There was also plenty of silver coins, and some copper coins.

There were big and smalls coins, too.

* How much for a box?

I asked and pointed at the sizzling meat.

It smelled great.

But I was still slightly puzzled with how currency worked here.

Hopefully it ain’t hard to grasp.

* Only a whopping two copper and a small copper!

The small beastian boy proclaimed as his ears perked up.

Two coppers, so like, it might be two dollars? And a small copper, twenty-five or fifty cents, right?

…Gah, I don’t have a small copper.

* Would three copper coins do?

I asked, handing out the shimmering coins.

* Yep! Wait a moment and I’ll give ya your box!

The boy cheered and placed the coins in a small container under the shelf-like stand.

That’s probably for people to not steal it, a pretty good idea to add two extra boards for something like a cabinet.

The beast-boy grinned to himself with his sharp teeths and took two wooden sticks.

* Chopsticks…

Yui muttered in a homesick voice.

I looked over blinked a couple of times, then I looked at the boy again.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

…

Yeah, she’ll be happy if I do that. I should do that later.

The kid grabbed a stick in one hand, and another in the other.

They’re basically skewer sticks.

I delightfully thought as I raised my eyebrows to myself.

He flipped the thin pieces, and after an extremely quick moment, the boy got all of the meat on the grill into a cardboard-like container.

He placed the sticks back on the stand.

Then the boy shuffled through the can of coins and brought out a small copper coin.

Ah, fifty cents then.

* Here ya are, mister!

The kid beamed as he hand me the box in one hand, and the coin in the other.

I grabbed the box of thinly sliced meat, then looked at the coin for a brief moment.

* Keep it.

I told him.

His eyes sparkled and his grin was so wide you could see his gums.

But then, his ears sank.

* You sure, mister?

He asked to try to make sure I wasn’t joking, his ears slowly raising to show a sign of hope that I’ll answer with a, “Yes.”

* Yep.

I nodded as I take three skewers from the box that was set out for customers and handed two skewers to Yui, along with the box of meat.

* You’re really nice, mister. Only the ladies and elven people, aside from fellow beastmen are this nice. I’ve almost never seen a male from the human race this nice aside from master.

The boy smiled earnestly as he wipe his sweat.

The boy placed the coin back in the box as I look back at him.

* Ah, is that why you’re much better off than most beast people?

* Yeah, I was really lucky to be picked up by master the day I was out to be sold.

Sold, huh.

* He sounds like a good person.

I complimented with a smile.

* Yep! He even taught me magic.

I almost dropped my skewer.

Right! Magic! Magic!

That was why I stuck around in the first place!

* Magic?

I inquired so that I could learn more.

* Yep, I used magic to cut these thin pieces. At first I only did this for master’s lunch, but he later urged me to open up a stall. It’s really fun, even if scary at times! I’m really thankful for him, so I’m saving up the coins I’m earning to help him with his cause.

The little boy explained to me as he wipe the stand and the small grill next to it.

The grill, by the way, was only a flat, cleaned and smoothed piece of stone heated over fire.

* Hm? His cause?

* Yeah! Master gathers up money to buy enslaved children. He even lets us stay at his mansion to work if they have nowhere else to go! Usually though, the other children would find a job of their own, pay back the master of their purchase’s worth, and then set out to Affradam.

Affradam is probably a place of freedom.

This sounds like our history of slavery.

* Hey, Rodwin, can I get two box!

There was a small and tanned, elven kid standing there with copper coins in his hand, grinning widely like how children should be.

So his name is Rodwin

* Yeah! Hold on a sec!

Rodwin grinned and took the coins, putting it in the box.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

But then suddenly, I felt a pull on my shirt.

I looked back down at the spot.

It was Yui.

* Hm? What is it?

In the corner of my eye, I could see Rodwin cut thin slices of meat with magic.

It sparkled.

Wa… woah...

.

Yui pulled on my shirt again.

* Y-yeah?

I mumbled as my attention focused back on her.

I realized that her eyes became softer.

She didn’t look tensed, nor did she look stern.

It was Yuu, not Yui.

After she knows she had gotten my attention, Yuu pointed to a little, skinny girl being dragged along by a boy, who was, I must not lie, pretty fat compared to her, well, compared to a lot of people.

I blinked a couple of times, then I looked back down at Yuu, who was pulling on my shirt again.

She pushed the box of meat up to my view, and I felt like I went cross-eyed.

* May I… give this to the girl?

I let out a breath in my head, with a proud smile of course.

Wait, what am I, her proud father?!

* Yeah, go ahead, I can buy more.

I grinned.

After Yuu ran off, I frowned.

We shouldn’t just focus on one person.

There are plenty of other people who needs help in this world right now.

Well, I guess every little one counts.

* Hey! What are you doing?!

Hm?

Reality returned when I saw Yuu getting kicked.

* Oi?!

I roared and ran over.

* What do you think you’re doing?!

* What am I doing?! What is this, this girl doing?!

The boy screamed.

* She’s touching my property!

* Your property?!

I screeched, my anger rising.

* Hey! What’s going on?!

A guard growled as he hurries over.

It was the guy who lead me and Yuu to the kingdom, he was the one who told the maid to hand us the bag of coins, too, as well as an extra set of clothing.

The man is a good person.

His name was Kole.

* Well, this, this girl over here tried to do something to my Mira!

His… this is, without a doubt…

I clenched my jaw so hard that it started to hurt.

It wouldn’t be surprising if my eyes were twitching right now.

Kole turned to me, then it turned to the chubby boy.

He sighed.

* I’m sorry sir, this person is new to the laws of this land. His rudeness is mine as well, for I haven’t taught him the slightest of this kingdom. Please forgive him.

Kole bowed.

* You better apologize, this woman could have poison my Mira.

* Hey, hey, hey. That ain’t poison.

I interjected with a frown.

* Why would I eat poisoned meat?!

* Please, great hero, we must leave this matter to a rest. That girl is his property, we cannot touch or harm it, or else there be a great punishment.

It this, property that.

This world really is of that era.

I don’t like it.

I gave a big sigh.

It would be great to stop time right now, or teleport.

I don’t know.

While it wandered, my eyes met Yuu’s.

Then somehow, it felt like everything stopped.

* …

My mouth was agape.

Huh?