Chapter 1: Slavery

People typically experience one of two feelings in the world. Either you're happy or miserable. There is no denying it, and it is not awful to believe that more than half of the population of the globe is unhappy. Being happy, however, is not as simple as it may seem, and money, without a doubt, is the only thing that may actually make you happy. Without it, you'll feel empty, worthless, and nothing without it. Being miserable too isn't what it looks to be; while some people experience misery for only a little period of time, most people experience it for the remainder of their lives.

Being forced into slavery, however, is significantly worse. Furthermore, the cause was that your parents sold you off in order to at least pay off their debt after they lost everything to a gambling addiction. For those who are grown enough, it will be manageable for a while, but for a youngster, especially a young child of just nine years old, it is simply too much. For young Kael, that is the situation.

The House of Silva, which he belongs to, is well-known and is even regarded by some as the richest family in Antelandja. The family historically existed prior to the Wrath of Erebos, therefore it is not just known for its wealth but also for its long history. The family is also well renowned for having attractive looks and intelligence, which helps to increase their money, influence, and even ego.

Then came the misfortune—the present Silva generation, blinded by fame and power but even more so to greed. The family patriarch and his wife have wasted the riches that has been passed down through the generations on revelry, gambling, politics, and a variety of other pointless activities throughout the past three decades.

The family's wealth and generally stellar reputation have both mostly crumbled. The family fully acknowledged poverty in 413 PE, precipitating its ridiculous demise. Being heavily in debt, it is agreed that they will sell their youngest child, the seventh child, with the patriarch's consent.

There are nine slaves inside the wagon, all of whom are unkempt and ragged with the exception of one. A boy sporting an elegant black and white leather outfit, with unkempt yet dazzling ash hair, brilliant and attractive green eyes yet convey agony and pain. Their only shared thought is to be released, but they also share the desire to at least be able to see their surroundings. Heavy rain is falling, the wind is whistling from its strength, but the air is still damp. It is quite hot, which is what caused them to sweat so much while being covered in the wagon as though they were things.

Despite being so brief, their shared wish has been fulfilled. Each day, at around midday the slaver opens up a section of the wagon and scatters small portions of food to feed the slaves. The slaves quickly grab the food and eat it, feeling as though they will soon die of hunger.

They appear to be travelling to a distant location because they have been on the move for what feels like several days. Except for the boy with white hair, they all appear to be severely underweight at this point. While the boy still has quite a bit of flesh despite having a small meal once a day, the others appear to be all skin and bones. The boy has quite a problem with this because he has to deal with the other slaves' constant glares, which have given him a reason to be wary of them.

One day, from what appeared to be early morning, a young slave, who appeared to be more than ten years old, desperately attempted to flee. He was quite intelligent, considering his age and the way he appears. He suddenly shouted while attempting to escape, shocking even the other slaves next to him. The slaver stopped the horse to see what was going on inside the wagon since he was curious as to what was happening in the back. He pulled back a portion of the cover, and at that instant, a fist sprang out from the interior. He had stumbled backwards due to shock rather than the strike. Despite being weak and little, the boy was nonetheless able to exit the wagon.

But it was unfortunate. His efforts and the courage he mustered despite his predicament were in vain. The child was dragged back just as he was about to run away after jumping out of the wagon. “Damn, boy!”, the slaver yelled, striking the boy in the stomach with a clenched hand. The slaver was enraged and repeatedly cursed the child while striking him in the stomach. It makes sense considering that before being loaded onto the wagon, the slaves' hands were all bound together with a rope. It would be practically impossible for a man to have such a small chance of escaping, let alone a child who is frail and malnourished. The slaver then carried the boy, and just as he was about to open the wagon's cover, he focused his attention on the child. Eyes closed and body motionless, he appears to be unconscious. He lowered his body to the ground and placed his hands on his chest with a severe expression, despite what he had done to the young lad. The child is not breathing – he’s dead.

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The ride went on as if nothing had happened a short while later. The slaves remained silent inside the wagon as previously. However, they are contemplating the fate of that other slave who made an escape attempt in their minds. Whether he was successful and actually made it out alive. However, since the child was not placed back in the wagon with the rest of the slaves, they assumed he had actually escaped.

After a few days, voices from outside are now audible as time passes by second by second. They've reached their destination. Conversations can be heard, albeit not very loudly or clearly, which gives the slaves some cause for optimism. A little while later, the wagon's entire back was opened. The slaves within the wagon, who had only seen darkness inside, were briefly rendered blind by the intense sunlight of noon. Their expressions are rather startled, as though they have never before seen the sun. While others are sobbing, some simply sit there motionless and grinning subtly.

Then, while still restrained by rope, they are placed outside the wagon and into the ground. One, who was so weak, crumpled to her knees as she was lowered into the ground outside the wagon. She appears to be incapable to rise up where he is lying. They turn to look, and it appears that they are located in the middle of a town. Despite being crowded, the town where they are seemed to be in decline. There are no roadways, just a dirt path, and the buildings are all dusty and damaged. The people have varied appearances. Given their attire, they all appear to be fairly impoverished. Strangely enough, though, none of them appear depressed despite the situation of their lives; instead, they all appear contented.

Even the lowest of the poor may afford the dried fish being sold by one man across the street in a stand situated in front of an abandoned, ruined building. He doesn't appear dissatisfied at all; in fact, he smiles as people go by his stand. One can observe kids playing and running about the street in unkempt attire, one of them even without a top on. Laughing and conversing with each other were two old men with damaged teeth and worn-out clothing. A bunch of adolescents is seen moving along the street while smiling and singing while laying their hands on each other's shoulders. However, it is dubious that slave trade appears to be widespread not just in this area but also around the world.

It is also only a child, a female child at that, who is the ground-bound slave who cannot manage to stand. She was repeatedly kicked by the slaver when he demanded and cursed at her to get up. When telling the other slaves to move on, he dragged the unfortunate girl behind them by the rope. Finally, they have reached the slave market, a wide-open area not far from the town's main marketplace. There are just two other slavers present, in addition to this one. The two other slavers don't provide many slaves, and they appear to be in considerably poorer shape than the other eight slaves. Hours went by as the slavers advertised their sales and a large number of people walked by to inspect the slaves; nevertheless, they chose not to purchase either due to the slave's poor condition or the high price.

The slaves remain standing still, albeit with shaky knees and legs, nearly five hours later at quarter to seven. The little female slave who was removed from the wagon a short while ago but hadn't been able to stand up is still laying on the ground. After several minutes had passed and the time reached seven, a man who was distinct from the other inhabitants of the somewhat underdeveloped town arrived. A man with slicked, shining silver hair who appeared to be in his middle age. He's dressed in a pair of gleaming leather shoes, a black walking stick, and a velvet suit featuring golden embroidery. The slaves displayed a very eager expression after spotting an elegant man, wishing they would be chosen to serve the fancy man.

The man waved his hand as he approached the slaver who is sitting on a crate.

“My dear friend, it is so good to be able to meet you again.”

Immediately after the man finished speaking, the slaver rose up and gave him a handshake. “As you, sir. Sir Alaric, I apologise for the long wait but I had other pressing matters to take care of a few years back.”

The elegant man, whose name is Sir Alaric, then set both of his hands over the slaver's shoulders. “One Eyed Orin, my dear friend, there is no need for apology.”

Then, Sir Alaric focused his attention on Orin's attire—a pretty soiled, ragged suit—and straightened it. “After all this time, I suppose you brought me good ones, correct?”

That was a yes, according to Orin's giggle. Sir Alaric's hands were seized, and it was off of his shoulders by the man. He indicated the eight rather than the nine slaves he was selling here. “They are quite obedient, I can guarantee you, sir.”

“Indeed, but the poor girl's lifeless body lying on the ground, I assume, was not.”

With a smile, Orin told how the girl was so frail at the time she had been sold to him. Sir Alaric, in contrast, didn't seem persuaded. He skipped over each slave without so much as giving them a second glance and instead checked the boy with the white hair. He gave this one a careful inspection. He examined his arms and stated, “Fleshy one, yes,” before stroking his hand through his hair and asking, “Where have you acquired this, Orin?”

“Ah, in Lagun, sir.” Orin continued, “You won't believe what I have to say.” He introduced the boy as a member of the House of Silva, described the circumstances in which his family finds itself, and criticised the patriarch of the Silva family by saying that he would have handled things differently if he had been in his position.

Sir Alaric seems to have comprehended what Orin had said while not paying much attention to it. “Now, tell me how much this boy is,” he grinned and turned to face Orin.

“I'd love a discount, you know,” he added.

Once again grinning, Orin did. In order to make up for the length of time he has not sold Sir Alaric, he claimed that it is no big issue and that only Sir Alaric is eligible for a discount on his purchases.

“Five Wyverns.”

Sir Alaric chuckled and clapped his hands, “You haven't changed a bit, I see.”

Sir Alaric turned back as soon as he gave five Wyverns, a coin of gold bearing a depiction of a winged wyvern with wings spread wide. He clicked his fingers and added, “I trust you are still capable to move about, I hope, Silva,” as he turned to go.

He was going to assert that the rope was still fastened to him when he realised that his hands were untied. He looked at his hands again, still unable to understand how the bound rope had disappeared, and then he ran after Sir Alaric, grinning as he left the other six slaves behind, their bodies quivering, weak, and malnourished.