GalaxyTL
My earliest memory was – hell.
“Hey, what are you resting for!? Are you tired? Can’t move? …Tch, you’re a useless brat.”
I didn’t know why I was being made to work. I didn’t know what purpose this work served. I wasn’t even allowed to ask, so I just did as I was told every day.
On cold days, hot days, rainy days, snowy days. I’d constantly carry heavy luggage outside, over and over, eat a single flavorless meal a day, and go to sleep.
On days when I couldn’t move from fatigue or fever, I wouldn’t get any food. Instead, I’d just get a bruise somewhere on my body.
Since that was my life from the time I gained awareness, I never even thought about it being hard, or asking for help.
I had no choice but to work, just to live. No matter how much I suffered, it was to live.
I believed I was born to work here like this, and it was normal. That was everything.
“Really, kids are so useless. They’re not even good-looking, they don’t have any special skills. They’re just moving baggage! We’re losing out, having to feed them!”
I worked every day, being told those words. I didn’t really understand what they meant. I understood later, but I’m truly glad I didn’t understand at the time. They say ignorance is bliss, right?
I first realized those days were hell when the big shots here all died at once. It’s not like they were caught by someone or killed.
It was due to an epidemic with high infectivity and mortality.
Thanks to that, those hellish days came to an end, but watching my companions die one after another from the epidemic was hellish in its own way.
It was a wonder that a few of us, including myself, were able to avoid getting the disease. Apparently, we were born with antibodies in our bodies. I don’t really understand, but thanks to that, we survived.
We, who were slaves, were now free. But even when suddenly given freedom, we didn’t know what to do. Because all I knew how to do was work. I had no idea how else to live.
To me, “freedom” was the same as being told to “die”.
And so, the few of us went our separate ways as we pleased. Was I just going to wait here for the slowly approaching death? Wait for “death” to come while standing still, not doing anything, not understanding anything?
It was then that I first learned what “fear” was.
The one who saved me from that “fear” was Gordon.
“Want to come with me?”
“…I will.”
Gordon, who was about 10 years older than me, was reliable. He was short-tempered and rough in his words and actions, but none of that mattered. To me, Gordon was the only big brother I could rely on.
I don’t know how we ended up where we did. I just followed Gordon. And that’s how we encountered it. – A human trafficking organization.
There, we saw the “products” being treated as less than human. Only when we were told they were slaves did we realize that we had been slaves.
Slaves are “things”. If they stop moving, you beat them to see if they’ll move. If they move after being given a little food, you use them, and if they don’t, you dispose of them. Replace them with new things.
That was common sense. We weren’t particularly depressed about it, and we didn’t think much of it.
“Tch. Suddenly, the products from the Demon Continent stopped coming. At this rate, if we just wait for criminals, we won’t be able to do business. Humans who can’t use magic are cheap, but we can’t be picky. Go to poor-looking houses and tell them if they want money, they can sell someone.”
“If they won’t sell, just leave the money and snatch them.”
We quickly completed the tasks we were given. Because if we did, we could eat three meals a day, and we’d even get money when we brought back a lot.
I was particularly good at it. Compared to the men who’d roughly drag people back by force, I learned that if I spoke to them kindly, I could easily bring them back. They valued me because I could get them undamaged, healthy slaves.
“Hey, Seravis. Why do slaves have human forms…?”
Before bed, it was our routine to have a drink and chat a bit with Gordon. One night, Gordon muttered that, looking genuinely puzzled.
“Maybe it’s because it’s more convenient in various ways if they’re in human form…”
Unlike me, Gordon, who worked processing the captured slaves, had no interaction with “normal” people. I don’t know much about it either, but… maybe it was around then. I started to think that maybe Gordon’s way of thinking was distorted.
“We were lucky, Seravis. Even though we were slaves, we got to become humans.”
But I couldn’t say that I think slaves are the same as people too. I had started to realize that from interacting with people.
“Slaves are creatures not permitted to live as humans. It means we were permitted, right? We may not have value as humans, but we must have had value as slaves.”
What on earth could I say to Gordon, who was smiling happily? Value as humans? Not permitted to live? By whom? God?
I don’t believe it. If there is such a thing as God, why aren’t people equal?
The villagers said that the good and bad things in life are balanced out. I don’t believe that either.
Because if that were true, it would mean that I have the most happiness waiting for me in the future. There’s no way that’s possible.
The weight of happiness is different for everyone. I used to think I was happy just to have one meal, but now I feel miserable if I don’t get three meals. There’s no limit to happiness.
I didn’t want something as vague as God, whom no one has ever seen, to decide that for me.
Time passed, and I was nearing 30. Gordon was a handsome middle-aged man. Before we knew it, Gordon and I had become the leaders of the organization.
Even before that, it had changed hands many times. They were all just inept. They’d get caught easily, they were too careless.
I thought I’d live like this forever, and then die. Then one day, I met Licht.
Picking up Licht was on a whim. I happened to be staying in a cabin near the city for work. I picked him up, but he was a nuisance, and I was going to kick him out right away. I wonder why the thought of making him into a good product because he was a child never crossed my mind.
Moreover, when I found out Licht had magic power, I thought this:
Gordon must not find out.
Why was that bad? I didn’t understand my own thoughts well.
No more. A voice said that deep in my heart. I got scared and tried not to get too involved. All I could do was blame everything I felt guilty about on the country and hide the truth.
“Who the hell are you!? Send me back… Send me home!!”
“Yes, yes, then go home on your own. Take care.”
Licht was an annoying brat. He’d say he was leaving, so I’d leave him be, but in the end, he’d come back. …Of course I’d worry. Idiot.
When I got the message that it was about time to activate the teleportation magic circle, I had to brace myself. Living with Licht had made me quite lax.
The magic-wielding children we’d gathered for years and years. Each one only had a little magic power, so it took a long time to gather this many. …I tried not to think about how it would have been quick if Licht was there.
Gordon was skeptical about whether this magic formation could really only gather children with a lot of magic power. I don’t know either. But the guy who stole it had infiltrated the castle as a magic researcher for a long time and thoroughly investigated, so I think we can trust him.
The plan was to have the gathered children with a lot of magic power continuously channel magic power into a different magic formation. This time it’s a teleportation magic circle that just gathers children with even a little bit of magic power. And with the added condition that it can only bring a few people at a time. Because we can’t handle it if a large group comes. I was amazed that magic formations can even do such complex settings.
I thought everything would go well. Licht had grown quite a bit, and I’m sure he could live on his own now. It was about time to say goodbye, I thought. I’d made all sorts of excuses to stay here for a long time.
It was about time for me to return to headquarters. I had made up my mind.
That’s why – when I saw Licht suddenly disappear while he was outside, I turned pale.