“Fuu~”
I Close the book I had just been reading, placing it on top of the 3 feet tall pile.
I had hoped that after resolving to help out the next few days would be hectic, and filled with schemes and conflict, but truth be told… It has been hellish in a whole different sense.
Studying.
Ever since I found out that Goldberg company has a claim on the local library, I have been stuck here marinating my brain with relevant history.
To put it simply, it seems within the last…. X amount of years. Earth has been essentially transformed into a pathetic excuse of a fantasy world. Complete with multiple races and magic. And it has remained that way for at least 3 centuries.
...Well, atleast the world doesn't seem to be a total rip off, there are a plenty of races, but save for the obvious human race there doesn't seem to be any other common cardboard cut outs… Or well, I suppose there are demons.
..It seems the people of this world, much like a jrpg, like to divide races into two groups.
On one side there are the humans.
And then there are the Demons.
...Yeah.
Apparently any nonhuman race is demonic. I am honestly shocked there is no racist church trope in this world.
/That is good right?/
…Yeah.
/Instead there are racist gods!/
...Yeah.
Basically it seems there seem to be 4 “Gods” supporting humanity. Able to carry out almost any deed.
According to Leo, the “Gods” the humans worship are most likely monitoring interfaces for the Routing system…
...Ah that is important too… Routing system.
… From the information I absorbed, it seems Routing system before was basically just a fancy type of World-Wide-Wifi that could be used to transmit most data.
Even a consciousness like mine.
But-
NO FUCKING WAY IT COULD MAKE WALLS OF FLAME!
…
..
.
*Cough*
What I mean is… Through one way or another, the “Routing system” that Leo and myself rely on, Seems to have been fundamentally changed. And it seems the crux of that issue is this “Mana” mages seem to love.
The books I read all babble about mana being the
“fabric of the universe”.
or
“The favor of gods made manifest” .
Or if you read a non-human author “TTete, Demon Scholar of Red iron’’:’s book on the subject:
“The strong projection of your will that you send out into the universe”.
...Basically no one has any clue on what this “Mana” is. And according to Leo. It doesn't even exist.
/There are no measurements of any such material shown to be present within the range of the routing system./
...Frankly I am almost tempted to agree, if not for the fact that my current Uplink can sense Mana… Making the fact that it exists painfully obvious.
...Well, nevertheless. The proble-
*Knock Knock*
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
The sound of knocking interrupts my inner ramble.
“Enter.”
Opening the door, a blonde maid with a bandage over her left eye entered the room. After a quick bow she said:
“Mr Gretnovich is here to see you sir.” Her quiet, delicate voice informed me.
She is Viv, “My” personal maid. It seems she has been serving young Adam Goldberg for 3 years now… it also seems the bandages over her eye are due to a punishment for letting “Me” fall into danger during the last mine inspection at Rennon Village. Apparently she was made blind in one of her eyes as punishment.
After thinking for a moment I replied with a nod,
“Show him in.”
“Yes.” She said, giving a graceful bow. One could easily miss the look of disgust hidden in her eyes as she looks at Adam. Well, knowing the ‘originals’ personality. It would be weird for this body to be liked.
Soon, a familiar old clerk entered the dusty library room.
“Ah, Young master! Thank you for seeing me so suddenly” He said. Yeah, as always when I meet him. The slippery personality is clear. Yup.
Arnold Gretnovich. The clerk in charge of the finances for the Rennon Branch.
By the way It seems that despite the houses getting burnt down, the village was able to get back on its feet… I may have secretly contributed some of the Goldberg finances on that…
“Yes yes, What is it?” I asked, arrogantly flipping pages of the book in my hand.
“Ah, yes. As always your confident approach is awe inspiring!” I just casually wave my hand to indicate *hurry up*.
“Ah Yes yes of course, Young master Is a busy person after all” he says smiling his usual flattering smile… If only his teeth...well..
...Someone invent a toothbrush, please…
“It’s just that the new shipment of labor slaves that was purchased has arrived and I was wondering if you would like to ensure their quality yourself..?”
...Yeah, another thing that has become painfully obvious to me… It seems that the Goldberg mining company, and especially Adam Goldberg, is rather...deep in the slave economy.
...That is to say, the Goldberg company owns and makes use 30% of all non-sexslaves sold in the nation with more than 20 mining sites across the nation. It seems they are rather strongly tied to the nation’s royal household.
...Oh and for the record. The nation is called “Imantia”.
Focusing on the conversation again, I replied to the eel with
“Yes, seeing to the quality of the laborers is important after all”
“As you say. Young master.” he responded, giving a me a bow..and what I swear was a knowing wink… I get a bad feeling about this..
I watched as Viv showed the old clerk out. Trying to decipher the meaning of his wink.
“Shall I call for a carriage?” Viv asked in her usual polite manner, while her disgust towards “me” sucks, I don't think it is worth trying to rectify.
“Yes.”
…Soon after, I made my way down the bustling streets of the city, towards the holding facilities built outside the city.
This city, “Col”, was a strange place, one I assume is the base type for most cities in this post-sane world. The city walls were made from stone, as would any self-respecting fantasy city’s, the houses around the fringes of the city were built from rough wood and clay, whereas the central buildings used finer materials like cut stone and carefully cut wood, the difference between where I usually resided and where peasants would was like night and day.
Yet despite this there were no slums, nor dissatisfied peasants protesting their fates, it had puzzled me quite a lot at first, until I figured out the reason.
Slavery.
It seems the “Magic” of this world is as frighteningly potent as you would guess, and from a moral point of view, in the entirely wrong hands. With the use of magic, any unwanted trouble was taken care of, anyone falling into debt without ability to pay or found loitering without Identification or home would ruthlessly be captured and sold to work for the highest bidder.
As such when you think about it, it is understandable that the technology is not advancing in this world, the use of magic to enslave the weak has made reaching the industrial age meaningless for the people in power, and the people who aren't In power are enslaved. So, no one is around to further the field of industry.
Soon, we reach the holding facility.
Essentially the “Holding facility” is a large stone warehouse built outside the walls of it is used by companies and merchants to store… “Living” merchandise, The extent of slavery in Imantia is to that extent.
After greeting Arnold, who was waiting outside the building, we were taken to the slave batch.
“Ugh..”
“One never gets used to it right young master?” Arnold responded to my gagging reaction as I entered.
“The smell of unwashed disgusting barbarians”.
...In this case he is right, the smell is truly horrid, albeit I don't think it because the slaves want it this way, or don't know hygiene.
..It is a strange smell, a mix of sweat, rotten food, and pee and shit.
/Also detecting a 5% portion of fermented semen mixed in the smell./
… I am not sure which is more disgusting, what you just said, or the fact that you know how that smells…
..After some more walking we arrived to the cages containing the goldberg slaves. 3 Large holding cells, all containing numerous dark skinned, spiky eared slaves.
As soon as we arrived, The guards, as if by routing, started banging at the cell bars with their shields. The instructions they loudly proclaimed were clearly conveyed, even to my ear.
“Males to the back wall, females forward”
Looking at the lineup of sobbing, mistreated women made me realize what this visit was actually about.
I do recall, apparently Adam acquired Lalailu in a similar fashion… It seems the ‘original’ had some rather disgusting habits.
“Well young master, what is your opinion of this times wares? I think we found some rather fine ones, even if I say so myself” Arnold told me, chest filling with pride.
...Albeit I would love to stab the human eel next to me repeatedly with a jagged sword laced with salt and alcohol, I have to stay in character here. The identity of Adam is too valuable to discard yet.
Eyeing the group of sobbing women, I ended up picking one at random.
“Ah, after all, you had your eyes on her after all young master? Your taste is as impeccable as always.” Arnold praised me with his tongue still laced with shit from my backside.
/Recording host preference./
...Oi!
“Oi, that one. Prep her.” he continued to a guard.
“SIR.” the guard responded, saluting.
Soon, I was escorted to a room near the side of the building with a far more tolerable room air. I assume it was because of the strange greenish red burning candles in the room.
...Ok, no offence… but…
ROUTING SYSTEM CANNOT MAKE ANTI-SMELL CANDLES!
/It seems, it can now./
….I don't even care anymore… I get the feeling that if I keep questioning it, I will go crazy before figuring out an answer…
After finishing my mental breakdown over the impossibility of magic candles, I looked around the room properly.
There were various tools on the table, varying from scissors to knives…
...Jesus fucking christ.
Oh yay, I did not notice before, but I still remember blasphemous swearwords!
...
...Ignoring my escapism over what was at the center of the room, my day seemed ever stranger.
The girl I picked before was tied to a center with a rag in her mouth.
And on the tables around us were obvious mutilatory torture-devices.