Night fell, and the group of slaves began to return to the camp with heavy burlap sacks filled to the brim with light-blue, glowing rocks. Julian naturally assumed they were mana stones.
They remained close together, the slaves following behind Faelyn.
"…"
The night was silent, besides the incoherent buzzing of quiet insects and the irritating chirping of lonely crickets. A full moon cast a soft glow onto the ground, and everything else. It wasn't awfully dark outside because of this beautiful moon.
But there was something strange. An uneasy feeling crawled over Julian, and the hairs on his arm shot up.
I have a gut feeling that something bad is about to happen. But what will I get out of telling them about it? I'm better off running right now and letting them die.
…
But if nothing actually happens, I'll be caught pretty quickly, and then I'll die. So what can I even do here?
An unfamiliar roar snapped Julian out of his train of thought. Approaching him and the group of slaves was what appeared to be a large orc.
It looked just as it would in a video game: large and muscular, with green skin and protruding lower teeth that look like tusks. All it wore was a brown rag to cover its lower parts.
It wielded a large club, dragging it against the gravel path they traveled on.
All the slaves stopped in their path, trembling except for Julian and the slave beside him. Julian turned his head.
A silent slave, with pin-straight brown hair, and thick, round glasses that prevented his eyes from being seen. A mysterious allure. Even Julian was wondering what he was thinking about.
"Argh!" the orc growled. He began running toward the group.
Faelyn walked forward.
He cracked his whip once, then twice. On the third crack, it straightened out completely. Julian was naturally shocked and assumed it to be some mana application.
"Aaaarghhhh!" the orc roared. He leaped into the air.
Julian's eyes could not keep up with where the orc went. It wasn't until a shadow was cast from overhead.
Finally, he looked up.
The orc tightly held his club, ready to slam it down onto Julian. The rest of the slaves had already moved out of the way.
There's someone right in front of you… And you choose me to kill?!?! Bullshit! Damn you to hell!
Faelyn swooped in, grabbing Julian by the back of his shirt. He soared into the air as Faelyn flew away.
Bsh!
The orc crashed into the ground. Cracks formed in the ground around the impact site. The floor rumbled silently, and some nearby leaves fell to the ground.
Faelyn threw Julian back to the ground. He dashed at the orc.
[Cast: Enhancement]
The straightened whip glowed a bright blue. A strange energy wrapped around it, forming the shape of a sharp blade.
Julian looked around.
Why… are none of them trying to escape?
The slaves stood there.
Slash!
Faelyn's blade of energy cut through the orc's thick neck like butter. Blood spun around, along with the orc's head.
The head landed on the ground. Faelyn picked it up and continued walking along with all the other slaves.
. . .
. .
"It's like you slaves have no sense of… anything! You people don't wanna be free? What's up with that? I mean, it's as if you guys want to die. There were so many chances for someone who's not like me, who's weak, to escape."
"There's something you aren't capable of understanding, as a new Slave.."
The next day came by. It was another moment of peace and freedom, when Julian had finished the work he was required to do. There was a moderately sized area of rest, akin to a library. Shelves of books filled this room. There were tables surrounded by seats here and there.
He sat in front of Veind, the young Demi-human girl. With a curious look on his face. Patiently, he waited for her to present a response. It wasn't until 15 seconds later or so that she finished reading the sentence in her book, and stuck her head out of her picture book.
"Conditions for slaves were ruthless until recently. Sadistic slavers took over the market. With these things around our necks, we can be killed in an instant. Most of the slaves here worked when people died at a whim. Died because the sky was clear. Died because the temperature was warm outside. Do you get it, Julian? We've all lost hope in this position. Well, not we. Since I know I'll be able to escape every time," she continued.
Finishing her response, she dug her nose back into her book.
This… doesn't make any sense. If it's such a dehumanizing thing, why is this girl so full of life? Especially being that I assume she's been a slave for the majority of her life.
That kind of optimistic perception of life. Her life is so much harder than mine, yet she thinks like this. She believes she can push through and escape at any moment.
Haah… I'm a little envious.
"How are you gonna escape this time?" Julian inquired.
"Kill whoever controls these shackles. Escape."
"…"
"Haha! You're looking at me like that, like I'm serious. It's not gonna be that simple. But that's the overarching plan."
"Veind. Looks like you've made a new friend."
A third voice joined the conversation. Julian's head turned, locating the source of the sound. A feminine voice. Soft, yet stern.
"Elyse! Oh, this is Julian."
An unbearable scent entered Julian's nostrils, which made him instantly regret having the ability to breathe. It was the type of scent that made one tear up a bit.
The girl was incredibly dirty, so it was hard to exactly discern her features. A filthy face covered in soot and many different materials. Her hair was unkept and brown. The only thing he could really notice was her alluring purple eyes.
When she smiled, sharp canines were revealed.
"Nice to meet you, Julian."
She stuck out her hand.