Chapter 74: Slave

In the end, since it’s not like I can really object to old man Kent’s decision, the black-cloaked trespassers were taken away by the guards. Just to make sure, we had a look at their faces but old man Kent, and naturally Urania and I, don’t recognize any of them. However, when we took off the black hood-like thing covering their faces, I saw a curious black pattern on their necks.

「So they’re slaves eh?」 「Slaves?」 「That’s right. If you remember, there was a black pattern on their necks, correct? It’s evidence of a slave contract. Considering that haven’t been affixed with binding sigils, they’re likely to be illegal slaves.」

According to the old man, the pattern on their necks are contract sigils that will make slaves listen to commands. It shows that the individual is a slave while also causing pain when they go against their to-be master’s orders. It seems that while it doesn’t particularly cause that much pain if the slave only has a light sentence, repeated command violations for major felons and such can be a matter of life or death.

Moreover, in addition to the contract sigil, regular slaves have spell formulas called binding sigils engraved on their limbs as well. This one seems to also have different levels like the previous one and the most severe one can demonstrate so much binding force that it can even stop a fully grown adult from being able to move or so. These two sigils work in synergy, with the contract sigil causing the slave pain while the binding sigil increases the order’s compelling force.

However, they didn’t seem to have don’t have any of these binding sigils on their limbs at all, and in the first place, they were awfully free and agile considering that.1 Slaves legally recognized by this country are absolutely required to have both the contract sigil and the binding sigils on them. From this fact, the three of them are probably illegal slaves.

「Come to think of it, slaves do exist.」 「You haven’t seen a slave before Lily?」

I’ve sold criminals to slavery before. However, for me, it felt more like I was only handing molesters or ruffians and the like to the police, I didn’t really intend to turn them into slaves in the first place.2

After all, I don’t even remember seeing slaves at Motsi town, and since we’ve spent practically most of our stay in Gateskeep only inside this mansion, I barely encounter people that aren’t house servants, much less would I encounter slaves.3

I personally would most likely never have my own slave. This is because, being a former Japanese, I really don’t think that I can accept the existence of slaves after all. Though in my opinion, criminals being obligated to penal labor is absolutely natural. It’s an important opportunity for them to reflect and atone for their crimes. Still, on the question of whether they’re a familiar existence to me, I’d say no.

「I’ve never seen one before, and I don’t particularly want to familiar with them after all.」 「A wise decision. I too don’t particularly have any plans on being familiar with them either.」

While I feel like there’s probably a discrepancy between what old man Kent is saying and what I meant to say, there’s no particular need to point that out. It’s only natural that a noble of this country like old man Kent and me who came from another world would have a different way of thinking.4

「Regardless, it’s not something to worry about. It’s generally hard to catch sight of slaves, you see? Most especially at Motsi and Gateskeep.」

From what old man Kent is telling me, it looks like most slaves are at rigorous mines and pioneer villages. And while there are rare times that nobles make use of them, any noble with decent power and authority wouldn’t employ the unreliable and uncertain slaves, but employ competent individuals instead.5

Matching the old man’s statement, there are neither slaves nor freed slaves among the servants working in the Iglesio manor. It seems that nearly all servants of the Iglesio household are commoners but some of them come from noble families as well, such as Adan’s personal attendants. While I think that there’s something a bit wrong with a household having the high rank of White Peer mostly hiring commoners, I’m told that this is another result of staying away from the political power struggle while not forming a particular faction.

Though the fact that they’re also shunned by the other nobles as a consequence of this still really leaves me speechless.