A knock on the door wakes me up, then a female voice calls out, "Breakfast is ready!"
My body is light, but my soul is heavy.
I don't want to get up.
I can still smell the orc's blood. It has been imprinted upon my heart.
I didn't dream of the Gargling Goblin, but now I think I might have acquired a bigger trauma. The scene of stabbing the orc in the neck keeps flashing in my eyes when my mind wanders. The fear of something coming to attack me from my back assaults me repeatedly, giving me chills with each attack.
If it weren't for Nour, the orc would've grabbed my head and crushed it…
Eventually, hunger wins over fear, and I go down to eat.
The meal is a simple vegetable soup with Rabid Rabbit meat and toasted bread. The vegetables are savory this time, so it goes well with the meat.
Selina comes to my table and concernedly asks, "Say, what was all that blood you had on you yesterday?"
I give her a slightly bitter smile as I answer, "It was from an Orc Headhunter. I had a very unfortunate encounter with it yesterday."
Her jaw hangs in surprise, then she takes a seat and looks at me worriedly. "The one inside Royd's Kerfuffle? Why did you fight it? I only heard stories of people running away from him."
I nod. "It was a runaway. I met it on the sixth floor."
She gasps and covers her mouth with her hands.
How cute.
"Did you fight him alone?!" She exclaims, and I see a few customers start to listen intensely.
Please lower your voice, Selina.
I shake my head while smiling wryly and answer, "Heavens, no. I fought it with three other people. We were cornered and couldn't run away, so we were forced to fight it. I ended up being the luckiest one and got hit the least while one guy got poisoned, and I'm sure that he broke a few ribs since the Headhunter kicked him twice."
"Wow. But to come back that bloody… did you have a knife fight with him, or something?" She giggles softly.
Please stop being cute, I'm not in the mood to smile.
My faint, involuntary smile gains a subtle smugness to it as I reply, "Actually, I did. My sword got stuck in its body, so I had to use my knife to stab it in the neck."
I won't say that I got it stuck in his groin, that's a sight I want to forget.
She lets her jaw hang loose again while she stares at me with shock in her eyes.
Did I brag too much?
I awkwardly massage my neck and explain things properly, "Well, the most important person was the magician woman. She cast [
Ice Lance
] and pierced the Orc's shoulder so it couldn't use its shield arm anymore, then she used [
Shocking Touch
] and fainted. With that, I had a good opening to stab it until it died. There was also another guy who helped by throwing himself onto the arm of the orc and holding it in place so that I could finish it. Then there was the poisoned guy who fought while weakened and got kicked twice. It really was a desperate fight."
She closes her mouth and her eyes shine while she smiles. "Wow. That sounds amazing…" She whispers in wonder.
I knit my eyebrows in worry at her sudden shift. "Really? Is fighting so interesting?"
She nods repeatedly, and rests her elbows on the table, leaning a bit too close to me as she stares with dreamy eyes. "Yes! I know that I'm not strong, and I don't like fighting, but to think that there are people who work so hard, who can achieve so much to protect us, that makes me really happy."
Oh, boy, stop, my heart is melting.
Even the eavesdroppers smile at her innocence.
I become awkward again and reply, "I-Is that so… well… your enthusiasm makes me a little happy."
She giggles girlishly and gives my hand a comforting squeeze, surprising me. "Thank you for your story. I gotta continue working now, so come back later to talk." She winks then gets up and leaves.
Honestly, that conversation healed my heart, just a little, but still healed.
I guess this is why some people fight, because if it weren't for us killing that runaway, then someone else would have to suffer.
I finish my meal and go back to my room.
--
I have some time to kill, so I think about what I should do with my new skill points. I open my "Status" and see that my "Willpower" increased by 1 (now 12), my [Sword Use] also increased by 1 (now 8+2), my MP increased by 20 (now 135), and my "Magic Power" by 5 (now 190).
How does this magic increase work? It just increases with use, or do I have to "exercise" something within my body like a muscle?
I put my four unused points in [Reduced Mana Cost] because I need to be able to cast magic more often. Perhaps at the next level, I should get more [Mana Efficiency] to balance things, then later improve my melee skills again.
I think I'll waste another hour here at the inn. Nour said to be at the hunter's guild just before noon, so there are still a few hours until then.
I really have to steel my heart because that won't be the last time that I have to fight so desperately. I'm going for the life of a warrior, so my weak and soft Earth-born heart won't survive. This is a brutal world, and after thinking about Selina's words, I understand that there's a need for strong people who protect others.
This skill system gives me the potential to grow quickly and become extremely strong, and I think that whatever god threw me here probably won't let me lead a peaceful life, so going for the crafter's route might not be the best idea. Besides, it's a bit "romantic" to be a warrior in a monster-filled world.
My motto has always been: "do the thing you won't regret in the future," so, becoming a selfish hermit hoarding all this power to myself doesn't sit right with me.
Well, saying is different than doing. Even after this period of reflection, I still feel pain and fear, which is a bit laughable. Perhaps I need some time to let the fear subside. I'd already decided I should take a week off, anyway, so there's no need to keep thinking about this.
I spend some time massaging my sore muscles, and it actually feels good.
Is there perhaps a massage parlor around here? I know that there's a [Massage] skill, so it could be a common profession. I'd definitely go there if I found one.
After relaxing for a while, I decide to go meet Nour.
--
The hunter's guild has its usual rough atmosphere, but the number of people around the hunt report boards is larger than what I expected. I quickly find Nour at the tables along with his companions. Liam and Rania are drinking something while Nour is simply chatting with them.
They notice me and wave as I approach.
"Good day, Mr. Ryder," Nour greets casually.
"Good day, Sir," Liam greets formally as usual.
"Morning, Mr. Ryder," Rania greets more energetically than the last time we talked.
"Good day, everybody. I hope you all slept well," I respond with a smile.
Nour grins and confesses, "I don't even remember going to bed, I just blacked out from drinking too much. We partied a bit too hard, and even Liam was quite drunk."
"We have to let it out once in a while. It's not every day we fight so hard," Liam calmly defends himself.
"Well, little brother, it seems that your next lesson is about how to hold your own liquor," Rania teases and shows her tongue cheekily.
Nour's eye twitches, then he smiles with a faint pout as he replies, "That's…
not
true. I can hold it just fine."
"You
did
just admit to the contrary a few seconds ago," I comment with a wry smile.
He turns to me and exclaims in disbelief, "Even you…!" Then he grits his teeth and declares dramatically, "You know what, I'll drink every day until I learn my lesson!"
"Please, don't!" Liam suddenly pleads.
"I retract my previous statement," Rania calmly replies and chuckles.
I let out a few shy chuckles along with her. Seeing them all like this makes me feel a little silly I got so scared.
Nour calms down and his expression softens, then he continues, "But anyway… let's get down to business. I wanted to reward you, and I knew that you were going solo, so I prepared this." -He pushes a sealed letter towards me with a sly grin- "You see, I'm a stupid son of a wealthy merchant, and although I decided to take on adventuring, I still have my own connections, so I made a letter of reference. This will open the doors to you to the most expensive Blood Slave trader of this town, and I obtained a
heavy
discount for you there, so you might be able to choose among the best that they have to offer."
I lift my eyebrows in surprise, then I tense up a bit as I awkwardly reply, "Oh, wow… that's incredible, but… I don't really know much about Blood Slaves…"
I know that level 1 in [Slavery Magic] there's the spell called [
Contract of Servitude
], then at level 10 there's the spell [
Mark of the Master
], and at level 20 there's the spell [
Tongue of Obedience
], but that's absolutely all of the information that I have on it.
Rania raises an eyebrow and curiously asks me, "Your parents didn't teach you about Blood Slaves?"
I force a smile and look away. "They did… I just didn't pay attention," I lie and try not to blush in embarrassment.
Nour and Rania chuckle, while Liam holds back a smile.
"It's why I'm here. I'm a bit… 'free-spirited,'" I lie again and chuckle at myself. My own awkwardness and embarrassment only serve to improve the character I'm trying to sell.
"I see…" Nour mutters while smirking, then he leans back on his chair and taps his temple in thought.
Rania clears her throat and starts, "A Blood Slave is a specialized servant that you buy to perform a specific duty. Their performance is assured by the seller, while their loyalty is enforced through [Slavery Magic]. They ingest your blood, and then a spell is used to bind them to your Fate."
"Fate"? What's that? Can I eat it?
I hold back the urge to ask about Fate, and instead ask about something else, "What types of 'duties' do they perform?"
Nour shrugs as he answers, "Anything. If someone thinks that they're skilled enough in something and that they're worthy of becoming a servant, then they could sell themselves as a Blood Slave. Take Liam, by example." He pats the older man's shoulder, then smiles at me proudly.
Rania pats his other shoulder and continues, "Liam has a real talent for the sword and protecting others. He cost a lot, but he was worth every coin." She smiles warmly at him, and I get suspicious about these two.
Liam stiffens for a second, then nods respectfully towards me and adds, "I was having trouble making money through adventuring, so I decided to sell myself for ten years. By the end of my contract, I'll have a small fortune, so I'll go back to my hometown in Faium and inherit my father's smith. If the smith fails, then I'll still have enough money to live comfortably for a while."
"
Contract
?" I reflexively question. It seems slavery has some sort of structure or possibly laws behind it.
Rania rolls her eyes at my question while Nour smiles. I believe they're thinking I'm a country bumpkin due to my lack of knowledge.
Nour leans forward and happily answers, "The person selling themselves stipulates limits to what their duty entails and the length of their servitude. Usually, the fewer the limits, the more expensive the slave is, but few put strict limits because if there are too many, then it's easier to just buy a traditional slave, instead. A lot of women sell themselves as sex slaves, so the most common limitations are related to that."
Uh… sex slaves…?
I glance at Rania, but she's just casually sipping her drink, she doesn't show a single reaction.
"With the discount in this letter, you can get yourself a young female warrior, if that's your thing, of course," Nour adds, then he smirks when he sees my awkward reaction.
Holy shit.
"You're pretty versatile yourself, but I recommend you think carefully about what kind of warrior will work well with your style," Rania casually advises.
Nour nods and continues, "You got some good skill with the sword, you can heal yourself, you can sense monsters, and you have a spell you can cast chantless, so you can choose basically whoever you want and they'll still be useful to you."
Ah, shit. I guess mages should chant before casting their spells, but I know nothing about that. At least now I know why it took Rania so long to cast her spells and why she screamed their names.
"You're not very tall or physically strong, if you forgive my bluntness, so I recommend someone more robust instead of a mage like Dame Rania," Liam adds and lowers his head respectfully.
"No offense taken," I reply and politely smile.
Rania's gaze becomes slightly stern and measuring as she gives me another piece of advice, "Keep in mind that the Gods watch over the Blood Slaves, so if the master is being abusive, they can interfere and nullify the contract without the intervention of a priest. It's rare, but it happened before."
I stiffen instinctively and nod.
The 'Gods'? So it's god-sanctioned slavery? That's… a little concerning.
Since they're already thinking I'm a dumb peasant, I'll just lean on it and ask whatever I'm curious about. "What's [
Tongue of Obedience
]?"
Rania doesn't seem to have the patience for this, so Nour answers, "That spell prevents the Blood Slave from spilling your secrets. There are a few others, like one that prevents the Slave from hurting you, or another that gives you full control of their body, allowing you to even kill them with a word, but that's illegal, of course."
Full body control seems worse than normal slavery, but my curiosity makes me want to ask questions like: "Can I control their intestines?" Can I control their eyes? Can I stop the blood flow of certain veins?" Maybe I can perform surgery without the need for anesthesia or blood loss if I can cut blood flow or nerve response at will.
"That sounds a bit much," I comment with a wry smile.
Nour shrugs, Liam chuckles once, and Raina nods in agreement as she takes a sip of her alcohol, then she explains, "Yeah, but it's really useful. Most aides of nobles and Lords are Blood Slaves because they're much more reliable and trustworthy than free men."
Nour happily takes Raina's hook to interject, "Of course, there are loopholes to their contracts and these spells, but they're so roundabout and require so much effort that you need a slave who
really
hates their master for them to do that. It's easier for them to concentrate the effort in breaking the contract than for them to go around those limitations. Any contract can be broken by a slave that hates its master enough, by the way."
"Which is why it's important to treat them well," Rania adds and glances at Liam, who nods subtly.
So, leaving the moral question aside, I guess this is a really thoughtful gift from Nour. He put some thought into what I needed and delivered something that's really valuable.
After allowing me a few moments to think things through, Nour gets to the final point, "I know that you got some good money from yesterday's rewards, so, with my discount, you can get yourself a pretty good fighter. You might even get lucky." -He shrugs- "Sometimes there are Blood Slaves with specific circumstances, and these sell for much cheaper than they would normally go for."
Well, I got a trump card: my rose coin. It should be really valuable. Well, at least I hope it is.
I nod in understanding and smile gently as I express, "Thank you, Nour, I really appreciate this. I think this will help me a lot."
Nour gives me a wide smile, and even Rania seems pleased. He tells me where the slaver is, and I write it down on my rough map of the town.
Nour loudly hits his palms against the table and announces, "Now, then. With this business done, I have a personal request for you." -His face turns serious- "How about you join us? A man with skills such as yours is a rarity."
I smile bitterly. I knew that this was coming. I honestly would like to join them because they're good people, and even if I don't know what their goals are, I'd like to spend more time with them. But no, I can't. They already saw a lot of my skills, so I can't really show them more.
"I'm sorry, but… I'd like to walk my own path," I politely answer and lower my head for a second.
"Told you," Rania mumbles to Nour and they both smile bitterly.
Nour shrugs, and his tone gains a hint of sadness as he replies, "Well, I had to try. It's a shame that we can't walk together, but I don't want this to be the end. I'm going back to my hometown for a short trip, but I'll come back here later and continue my adventuring. When I come back, I'd like to meet you again, if you wish."
"Oh, yes. Please, let us meet again," I eagerly agree and give him a genuine smile.
"I live in Hurfa, the capital of the Faium Principality. If we don't cross paths again, then come visit me. My family runs a magic tool shop, and we produce a lot of the Wind stones used in the country. My last name is Asaf, so you can search for my family with this. You... shouldn't have much problem finding the family shop there." He smiles awkwardly.
I have no idea where Faium is, but I'll write it down later so that I don't forget to look for it on a map. Also, his last name sounds Arabic, but he's as Caucasian as they come.
I nod and affirm, "Understood. If we don't meet here again, then I'll search for you. I don't really have plans to leave this place for quite some time, though."
He taps the table loudly and gets up. "Then it's decided! I look forward to meeting you again. For now, we have to prepare for our trip, so we must take our leave. See you again sometime, Mr. Ryder." Then he gives me a quick bow.
I immediately get up and return the bow. I have no idea if this is the custom here, but it seems to please them, so whatever.
Nour grins and gives me his blessing, "One last thing, Mr. Ryder. I wish you good luck in the future. You'll need it since you seem to be making waves already." Then he points towards the small crowd near the hunt reports.
I wish I wasn't, Nour, I wish I wasn't.
Rania and Liam also bow and say their goodbyes, then I'm just left with a few curious gazes, a letter, and a head full of thoughts.
--
I leave the guild and take a stroll along the streets looking for books while thinking about what they told me. A companion would certainly be helpful. If I had someone to watch my back, then there'd be no need to fear the Orc Headhunter crushing my head. If I had someone like Nour to help me, then for sure I'd feel much safer, and it's not because of his skill, but because of his actions. I might be considered the one who saved
them
, but the moment that Nour threw himself at the orc's arm was when he saved
me
.
And it's not like Blood Slaves are completely miserable people. They seem to have their own rights, the ability to escape abuse, and they need to be treated well. Take Liam, for example, he seems pretty proud and content with his job, and he seems no different than a knight or a retainer with the task of protecting his lord. If I just hire someone for a few years, then it might be the same as hiring a bodyguard, or something like that.
The concept of depriving someone of their freedom might put people off, but I'm a bitter realist. Blood Slaves are merely mercenaries that come with a magical contract. Hell, even the gods are monitoring us so that they're not abused.
Oh!
I found a small book telling the Tale of Creation. It even has a lot of cute drawings in it.
It's just two silver, I'm buying it!
Now that I think about it, I should ask Ciel about what the gods think of slavery. It seems odd to me they are getting involved with Blood Slaves, but if the gods themselves say it's okay, then who am I to go against them?
But this also means that society won't really progress. This world might be safer by having the gods watching over the people, but it's like an overprotective mother. The people won't suffer, but they won't learn.
Adding that to the skill system, and I think that the social progress here might be slow. I want to take a look at the chronology of this world, and I bet that it'd show how slow this world develops in comparison to Earth. This world's "Cycle" is called a "Playground," after all. If things change too much and too fast, the genre of the game changes to sci-fi while you're not looking.
I think the best thing about Blood Slaves is that I can prohibit them from talking about me. This way, I don't have to worry too much about my abilities showing. I could even tell the truth that I'm not from this worl-…
What the hell?
I see a man flying around on a literal carpet, darting up and down the street repeatedly while making quick turns and barrel rolls.
What's the matter Aladdin, looking for Jasmine?
Once the passersby start to stop to stare at him, the man lowers the carpet close to the ground and stands up.
"Good day, gentlemen and gentlewomen!" He exclaims in a loud voice that has the characteristic buzzing of someone talking on a microphone. He waits a moment to make sure that everyone is looking at him, then he continues, "I have shown you all just a small glimpse of the newest magic tool developed! The true [
Fly
] crystal! This gem is incomparable to that common fake jewel that only allowed you to slowly float around. Now you can fly as gracefully as a bird, turn so fast a dragon would be envious, and make tricks that could impress even the Emperor! This gem is the bleeding edge of technology. Even the imperial army is buying it in droves to construct a new generation of the dream of every adventurer: the airships!"
Ooooh, airships, my nerd heart is pounding.
"Come to the Quizzical Emporium at the Bazaar for the latest [
Fly
] gems. We have magic tools so big you can build airships that can hold as many as eight people! I hope to see you there, honorable citizens!" And he darts away, this time for good.
The street starts buzzing with people excitedly talking, and I even feel like clapping my hands. I add this flying gem to my notes as research options. Airships and the [Golemancy] skill are the two things that I'm most eager to research.
Wait what was I thinking about?
Uh… oh yeah, I think that I could even tell the truth about my origin to the Blood Slave. It's risky, but if I make a contract of at least twenty years, it might be enough to get the trust or goodwill for them to keep quiet about it. At that time, I might even find a way to deal with it if the word gets out, and if I acquire enough power, I might be able to squash the rumors, too.
But do I
have
to tell the truth…? It's not like a slave
needs
to know everything about their master, they're just there to serve. I also can't just tell them that I came from another world and leave it at that. If I tell them the truth, then I'll need to tell a lot more than just that to answer their doubts. It's not a kind of conversation that I'm looking forward to.
Regardless, I see little reason to
not
buy one.
I don't really have an idea of the price a good slave might go for, so I should go look for the value of the rose coin.
The banker is near the Nobles' Quarters, so I need to go across the town. I'll first go to the temple, eat something nearby, talk to Ciel about the gods and slavery, and then go to the banker to see the value of the rose coin.
I think I might visit the slave trader tomorrow morning. It's near the castle in the north, so it's another long trip there. It's a bit tiring walking everywhere, so maybe I should look for the price of that magic carpet. I also don't feel like paying for a Space mage transport; I always hated taxis.
--
I look for a better restaurant this time, and I find one serving Great Boar meat. They aren't commonly found here, but a hunter expedition deep into the Sea of Trees found a pack there, so some restaurants have a lot of Boar meat to offer for the next few days.
The beans are good, but I miss rice, too. I'm a Brazilian who immigrated to Canada, and I miss the staple food of my homeland once in a while: rice, beans, and Brazilian-style barbecued meat.
I waste some of my time in a tea shop. They serve something similar to black tea with an unidentified citric fruit. Is this Earl Grey? It tastes similar, but it's closer to the average orange than the bergamot. They serve a few simple butter cookies that go really well with it.
Then I go to the temple and search for Ciel. I take a walk around the outer ring looking for her while also taking a closer look at the statues, but she's not down here. I ask a standby priest and he tells me that she's at the orphanage. Luckily, today isn't her free day.
The orphanage looks exactly the same as the priests' living quarters, with the only difference being that instead of priests, there are children entering and leaving all the time.
The orphanage is a large, box-shaped white building with a brown tiled roof, which looks a little expensive for a religious institution. It has flowery carvings covering all of its walls, and the channels are filled with a gradient of colors. The orphanage and the quarters seem to be the only buildings where some decoration is allowed. It's quite pretty and makes me feel like I'm looking at one of these "trendy" and "artsy" places back on Earth.
There's only a brown picket fence surrounding the orphanage and the priests' quarters, but is it really okay for me to enter uninvited?
The orphanage is in the middle of the plot, covering most of the available land. At the front, there's a simple grass garden with a cobbled path towards the entrance, but I can see some sort of small flower garden behind the building. On this grass garden, there's a metal swing, a merry-go-round, and a raised goal where the children are playing some sort of game of hot potato with a small leather ball.
I gather some courage and enter the area. A few boys look interested in my sword while the rest ignore me. Then I quickly enter the building and look around. The inside is made of gray square stone while the floor is made of light brown wood with the only decoration being some wooden pillars around.
Just as I finish observing my surroundings, an old male priest walks by.
"Oh, hello, can I help you?" The chubby priest asks as his small eyes look at me warmly. His voice is so gentle that it tickles my ears.
"I'm… looking for Miss Ciel," I reply, a little mesmerized by him.
His expression brightens and he smiles. "Oh! The sister is in the kitchen. I'll call her over for you. What's your name?"
"Wolf Ryder. Uh, if she's busy, I'll just come another time; it's not an urgent business."
He shakes his head gently. "She's not really busy, so don't worry. Wait here in the guest room while I call her over."
Then he takes me to a really cozy room. There are a few simple sofas around a low coffee (do they even have coffee here?) table; a small fireplace that crackles with burning logs, yet I smell no smoke; and a "Last Supper"-style painting of the multiple Humanoid Gods hanging above it. I like this painting more than Earth's because it's full of different, colorful races and people, and has both genders instead of just boring, bearded men.
After a few minutes, Ciel comes into the room carrying a tray with a tea set and cookies.
Oh, no, I just drank tea, but I don't want to deny her hospitality, so I'll just pretend I'm not full.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Ryder. I was wondering when you'd come back," she greets as she sits, then immediately pours tea for me.
"I spent the last few days training in a dungeon, and I only came back last night," I respond with a gentle tone.
She nods and smiles warmly. "I'm glad you're okay. Every day-cycle, we have news of someone disappearing inside a dungeon, so please, be careful."
I smile awkwardly. "My motto is 'don't die,' so I have no plans of dying soon."
She chuckles softly and lays back on her seat, then sips her tea. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
I swallow heavily. There are a few things I want to ask, but I'm sure she'll be thinking I'm a weirdo after I tell her.
Fuck it. Curiosity wins.
I clear my throat and start, "There are a few things I want to understand better. The first thing is, what's a day-cycle?"
She exhales loudly in amusement and raises her eyebrows in surprise as she replies, "Well, a day-cycle is a period of ten days and a half-cycle is five days. Every day-cycle you are advised to deeply bathe once, to pray once, and to make merry at least once; every half-cycle you're advised to make love to your partner at least once and to change the ingredients of the meals, and that's also the time between the monster cullings that the Townsguard is responsible for."
"How about months and years? How many days a month has and how many months a year has?"
"A month has thirty days and a year has ten months, so a year has three hundred days."
So, a day-cycle is equivalent to an Earth's week. Perhaps ten days is chosen because of the ten "base elements" in the Tale of Creation. I don't know why thirty and three hundred are chosen, though. Maybe it was made this way just so it's somewhat similar to Earth. I don't think the Japanese believe there's anything special about the numbers three or ten.
I look at Ciel and see that she seems both amused and confused by these questions.
I nod in thought and reply, "Hmm, I see. In my homeland, we say weeks instead of day-cycle and it was seven days, not ten."
She knits her eyebrows and holds back a chuckle. "How curious…" She mutters.
I quickly change the topic to not let her think too much about it. "Anyway, I also heard about Blood Slaves, and I got curious about
why
the Gods would get involved with this matter."
Her face softens as she starts thinking more seriously. "An interesting thought…" She spends a moment thinking, then assumes a teaching tone as she answers, "The Humanoid Gods are chosen to be our guides. They keep us on the correct path so we don't make a mistake so terrible that we destroy ourselves. We need to keep united and strong so we can always put a front against the Monster King. Therefore, it's their reason for existence to get involved with every aspect of our lives."
I'm not sure how safe it is to push these sorts of questions to a priest of all people, but I need to get a "feeling" about how slavery is treated in this world. "But why do the Gods accept slavery?"
She raises her eyebrows in surprise for a moment and asks back, "What do you mean by that? Why
wouldn't
they accept it?"
I awkwardly scratch my head as I rethink this question.
It's better to be direct.
I breathe in and start my speech, "Isn't it cruel to chain innocent people into servitude regardless of the reason? Isn't it too much to have absolute control over someone's life? To be able to toy with their bodies, to force them to do anything and everything you want against their wishes? Even if it's not immediately harmful, why should anyone have this much power over others?"
She leans forward and her face becomes serious as she asks, "Do you believe people should be able to sell their bodies?"
I'm taken aback a little. "You mean… like… prostitution?"
She shakes her head. "No, not just that. A bodyguard is someone who sells their sword and their health to protect someone or something important. A craftsman is someone who sells their hands to their employer. A slave is someone who sells their time and loyalty to their master."
"But… are all slaves voluntary?"
She nods, and her face softens. "Most are. Debt slaves, criminal slaves, and war slaves are involuntary, but they make for bad workers and they lack loyalty, so they aren't as popular."
Wait… it's like this world's slavery is the inverse of Earth's chattel slavery.
I blink blankly and immediately ask, "Why wouldn't they be popular? It's free labor."
She knits her eyebrows in worry as she responds, "They're being forced to work in something they don't like and to a master they hate, of course they'd be horrible workers. Because of this, the masters have to spend more making these slaves happy than voluntary slaves."
Make them… "happy"…?
I awkwardly retort, a bit uncomfortable with what I'm suggesting, "Can't they 'motivate' the slaves to work harder with lashings? By that I mean, can't they punish the slaves if they don't work hard enough?"
She frowns and her tone becomes slightly indignant, making me think that I might be pushing too far. "I sincerely hope you aren't thinking that slaves should be treated like that, Mr. Ryder. We aren't in Bestiaram; committing the Sin of Torture is punishable with death."
I force an apologetic smile and quickly deny, "N-no, no. I was just asking to satisfy my curiosity. It's hard to truly understand things without asking questions from all angles."
She opens her eyes wide in surprise and looks away as she coughs awkwardly. "I-I see. It's always good to be curious…" -She turns to me and lowers her head for a moment- "I apologize for doubting you. I didn't realize what you were doing, and it's bad form to assume the worst of someone during a discussion."
I wave my hand. "It's fine, it's fine. I should've been careful with my wording." And we share an embarrassed smile.
Her tone becomes more casual and amused. "Are you sure you shouldn't call yourself a scholar? I remember going through these same arguments when being taught about philosophy and morals."
I blush faintly. I only have a surface-level understanding of philosophy, but it might be above the average for the commoner in this world.
I shake my head and deny, "I'm not a scholar, I'm just a curious person."
She smiles warmly and takes another sip. "Then continue as so. The Gods like people like you."
I nod and bring us back on track, "So, why would anyone sell themselves voluntarily?"
"To have a better life; to serve a better purpose; to aid a better person. The reasons are endless."
I frown. "A 'better person'? What do you mean by that?"
She assumes a teaching tone again as she explains, "We aren't all born as equals, but we all have a capacity to grow. Some people grow faster and further than others, so it's your duty to find these people and aid them. Those who can protect others, lord over those who can't, and the weak aid the strong, so that the strong can protect the weak."
Okay, I like the last part, but…
"Why is it our 'duty' to aid others?"
She smiles smugly like a teacher about to lay unto their students a long lesson. "We are all children of the God of Creation. Regardless of where you're born and what you believe, our mission is to survive and keep the Cycle going. That is our main purpose, our reason for existence, but we're still subordinates of the God of Creation, so our second purpose is to create as many new and interesting things as possible. Lastly, we've also inherited the will of the God of Change, so our third purpose is to keep civilization moving forward and progressing.
"Do you understand it now?" She kindly asks with expectant eyes.
I nod confidently. "It's the will of the God of Change. If you can't aid others yourself, then at least aid someone who can."
She smiles brightly like a mother who's proud of her son's school grade, making me blush again. "Perfectly stated."
I cough and recompose myself, then I continue, "But what if we want to abolish slavery and institute a democracy?"
She chuckles once, amused at my suggestion. "The strong serving the weak? That wouldn't work very well. The Gods won't stop you from trying, but you'll have to face the consequences if you fail."
"'Consequences'?"
She nods sternly. "The nobility exists to protect us, but if they fail, they have no reason to exist anymore, so they're deposed, if not outright killed as punishment. The same will happen to anyone trying to bring about change."
Oof, that's harsh…
She seems amused with my surprise and continues, "Remember that, just like the God of Creation is a subordinate of the God of Change, we are subordinates of the God of Creation, and the slaves are subordinates to us. To abolish slavery would be meaningless since we'll always be compelled to serve our betters due to our reasons for our existence. You can run and hide from that reason, but the gods will find a way to guide you back to the path or simply kill you. 'Slavery' is just a system to aid us in fulfilling that purpose."
"What do you mean by 'kill you'?" I ask with a worried frown.
Her tone becomes so gentle and certain that I feel a chill due to the contents of her explanation, "Exactly that. The Genderless God of Existence is a subordinate from the God of Creation that watches over us and kills those who stand in the way of our reason for existence."
"What do you mean by 'stand in the way'?"
And her tone becomes serious again. "Those who only want to spread chaos, those who cause the realm to wither, the Sinners who go too far, and the heretics that stand against the Gods. These are the kinds of people that are killed by the God of Existence."
So, being smited by the Gods is a real possibility. I better not antagonize them… but wait…
"If they can do that, why don't the Gods govern us like a king does?"
She leans back on her chair, seemingly slightly amused by my question. "Because that goes against the main purpose of the God of Change: to keep things moving forward. If a God, who exists only for a single purpose, is given the power to govern us, then civilization will be forever bound to that God's mentality, impeding us from growing or evolving."
"And that would be the wish of the God of Order? To have things stagnate and decay?" I question tentatively.
She nods and smiles. "Indeed, but remember, the God of Order and Destruction are still Gods, so we can't ignore their wisdom."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
She chuckles softly at my confusion, then she assumes her teaching tone again and explains, "They may be trying to destroy us, but the principles they're based on are still very important to us. Just because our purpose is to create, it doesn't mean that we can't destroy. It's necessary to kill a monster or an animal before you can cook a delicious steak. Just because we are to cause change, doesn't mean it has to be in every single aspect of us. We're encouraged to kill bad kings, but a kingdom still needs peace to be allowed to grow and thrive. The Overseer created the Gods to maintain the balance on the realm so that the Cycle could continue, therefore, we must preserve this balance, too."
Oh, I understand… they don't see the God of Order and Destruction as "evil," only as an "opponent."
I grab my chin in thought and deliberate, "So it's all a hierarchy. No matter how we're pitted against one another, we're to keep the balance, not eliminate the other."
She nods emphatically, very pleased. "Precisely. It goes from the Overseer, to the God of Change, to the God of Creation, to the Genderless God of Existence, to the Humanoid Gods, to the royalty, to the nobility, to the commoner, to the Blood Slave, to the normal slave, and finally, to the criminal slave.
"The God of Order rules over the God of Destruction, who rules over the monsters. They're opposed to us, but that's just their nature, so we accept that their presence is necessary to force us to adapt and grow."
Though there's a certain amount of freedom, the overall structure of this society is still controlled by the gods, and if I want to change it, I'd basically have to destroy half the gods in this world. Social progress must be truly stagnating because of this.
"Going back a little, do the gods specify when they intervene?"
She takes a sip and observes me intensely as she answers, "To prevent people from abusing the line if the criteria are known, we're never told exactly why someone received Godly punishment."
This is a bit worrying, but I kind of understand the reasoning.
"So, the only safe choice is to keep being as good as you can to avoid punishment?"
She smiles warmly and hums, "Exactly."
"But what does it mean to be a 'good person'?"
She becomes quite happy and energetic, and I feel like her demeanor is quite cute. "Well, you basically follow the teachings of the Humanoid Gods. Don't waste food, don't hurt others against their will for pleasure, don't commit crimes like theft or extortion, help others whenever you can, things like that. It depends on the God, and there are many, many teachings, but you aren't required to follow them all
perfectly
. The Gods are reasonable and understanding, so you won't be punished just because you wasted a piece of food, but if you keep doing it, then the Gods will send messages and warnings, and if you still defy them, then you get punished."
Alright, reasonable, but inflexible. Morality really is defined by the gods, but since they're chosen from the mortals, then, in a way, morality is actually defined by
us
. It just depends on the criteria of how the gods are chosen.
"Are there any known criteria for the Humanoid Gods being chosen?"
She shakes her head."That's not known to prevent it from being exploited, but we know that all Gods were once people who achieved something great."
Eh, maybe it isn't so bad.
I massage my neck to dispel some of the tension that has accumulated. Talking about religion to a priest where you don't know what their reaction to questioning will be is a little frightening.
I finish my tea and start to wrap things up, "Well, I think that's enough about slavery for me today, but I have one last question: I want to choose a god to worship, so can you tell me a quick resume of the Humanoid Gods?"
She suddenly brightens up and giggles. "That's a good idea! Most people choose around three that might help their lives the most, but if you have the time to study what they represent you could choose more.
"Anyway, their names are quite self-explanatory, they are: Genderless God of Existence; God of the Sun and Sister Goddess of the Moons; Goddess of Fertility; Goddess of Piety; Goddess of Will; Goddess of Love; Goddess of Growth; God of War; God of Law; God of Festivity; God of Endurance; God of Luck; Goddess of Knowledge and Brother God of Intelligence; Goddess of the Plants and Twin Brother God of the Animals."
"Moons" as in, there's more than one moon? I've realized I haven't seen the night sky yet. I had no reason to since I immediately went to sleep after getting dark, but now I have to remember to check the sky tonight, otherwise, my curiosity will kill me.
"What does the Goddess of the Moons and the God of the Sun do?"
"They were the first Gods, so their teachings are broader and more general because of that. These days, their focus is bringing happiness for those who work below the sun or the moons, but they aren't worshiped as much as they were before, though they're still the ones who talk the most to their worshipers."
So, I guess I should choose one of them if I wanted to talk to a God.
I hum in thought, then I lower my head for a moment and express, "Thank you for your time, Miss Ciel, this is really enlightening. I'll think about choosing one for now."
She giggles cutely and replies, "Thank you for choosing me to talk to. I enjoyed talking to you quite a lot because you made me remember the basis of my faith and stimulated my thoughts."
I smile back and get up. "Then I'll be off. I'll see you another day."
"I'll be waiting." She waves goodbye, and I leave.
As I make my way out, I see that the old priest I talked to when I first came here is in the room beside ours, casually reading a book. Perhaps he was eavesdropping? Well, it doesn't matter much to me.
Now, I have to go to a bank and look at the conversion rate for the rose coin. The bankers are all over the noble quarters as a safety measure, and since it doesn't matter which one I go, I'm just going to choose the closest one.