"Impressive! You can actually read it!"
The Young Master clapped loudly, his eyes showing a deep fascination much akin to his younger sister's. They both shared emerald eyes as well, so the overlapping demeanor wasn't so strange.
"Tell me, slave… where did you learn to read and write?" He asked amusedly.
"I never learned. I was just able to."
Rey responded briefly, ensuring his tone remained as respectful as possible.
He had considered making something up before, perhaps to inflate his importance, but there were two reasons he decided to go with the truth instead.
'Firstly, the contract states that I have to be truthful to my Master if he asks me anything, which means once I am bound by it, I will no longer be able to resort to lies. If he were to ask me this same question, it would contradict the lie. The second reason is that I lose nothing by being honest right here. They also won't be too suspicious of me, since Cursed Children are rumored to have special abilities.'
Using these lines of logic, Rey was certain that he wouldn't be suspected.
He wasn't wrong.
"I see. Maybe that's the special prowess you were born with. A shame… since it would have been nicer if you had some useful special combat skills."
"…"
"In any case, pour some of your blood on the parchment and say you agree to the terms." The Young Master said, his eyes fixed on Rey.
Rey nodded, biting his finger to immediately draw out blood.
"I agree." Without flinching for a moment, he completed the task.
"Good. The contract is complete. I already used my blood earlier, so you're now bound to me."
Rey bowed his head.
He made sure not to speak unless asked a direct question or told to do so.
This reduced his level of interaction to the minimum, reducing the mistakes and slip-ups he could potentially make. It also showed a subservient nature, not speaking unless spoken to.
All his actions were calculated.
He had to reap the greatest profit here—no matter what!
"Alright. Leon, you'll be in charge of the slave. Ensure he has a proper bath. Have the servants bring him some undergarments and a fresh change of clothes. He will be accompanying me to the Coliseum this evening, so I want all of those things prepared before then."
"Yes, Young Master." The man with combed hair who went to fetch Rey earlier responded.
'So his name is Leon…'
Although Leon showed a graceful outward expression, Rey could tell that this young soldier was dissatisfied with the role that he had been given.
'Maybe I can use that…' Rey thought silently, not thinking anything more of the matter.
As for his Master, he just had to wait and see.
'The Coliseum is a battle arena. Will I be made to fight? Is that why his slaves don't last?'
Rey could only ponder to himself.
"Listen closely, slave." The Young Master's voice suddenly boomed, echoing in the air like a thunderous trumpet filled with authority.
"My name is Augustus Serith Desgarron… oldest son of the Desgarron Barony, one of the twenty-four Noble Houses in the Land of Nether." He declared boldly. "Be honored that your lowly self has obtained the privilege to act as my slave, and ensure to serve me until your last breath."
Rey knelt, showing complete understanding and fealty.
"Yes, Master." His voice was clear and emotionless. "This humble slave understands."
"Good! Leave now. We will meet later this evening."
Rey was taken away by the Leon fellow, and he returned to his room not too long after.
A while later, some servants arrived, and he was taken to a cramped bath place where he freshened up on his own under their strict observation. At first, Rey found it strange that he would be left alone with these harmless servants, but he quickly understood.
'My Master is the oldest son of this Household. These servants all work under him, so per the terms of the Binding Scroll, I can't harm them.'
After he finished in the bathroom, he returned to his room and found some underwear and a fresh change of clothes waiting for him. He wore them and found the shirt to be a little oversized and the shorts to be baggy.
But he didn't complain, instead smiling at the whole thing.
'A tightly fitted attire will be better for me in combat. This clothing will certainly limit me. Leon is meant to supervise my clothes. As a warrior, he should understand these things, yet he allowed this to happen.' Rey was clear of the situation. 'Leon wants me gone as soon as possible, either because he doesn't want to be in charge of me or because of my identity as a Cursed Child.'
Regardless, this was only a mild inconvenience.
Nothing too serious.
'I can't complain about this—not to the Master.'
Rey waited in his room, stretching and doing light exercises to get accustomed to his body a little more. Before long, evening arrived, and he was fetched by Leon this time.
He was brought to Augustus Serith Desgarron, his Master, and alongside his aides, they walked to the courtyard. This was the first time Rey witnessed the estate in its entirety, and the magnitude made him all the more amazed.
This was quite the house.
'I guess this should be expected from one of the Noble Households in the land. I previously thought this was the Land of Aether, but it's actually the Nether, huh? I see…'
The evening sky was pitch black, but Rey wasn't surprised by this at all.
Even during the daytime, the skies were only bright purple.
It was clear that this wasn't the same world as Earth or H'Trae, so it being the Land of Nether actually made a lot of sense to him.
He could only wonder what the Land of Aether would look like.
The Young Master Augustus entered a grand carriage, where only he stayed, while Rey had to share a carriage with Leon and another servant. There was also a third carriage where Logan and a young maid stayed.
As for the horses that pulled these carriages, they didn't look organic at all.
In fact, they appeared mechanical—as though made of metal and stone.
They had thin lines, like veins on their glistening bodies, which glowed with a myriad of colors.
From red, to blue, to purple.
The carriages also didn't look medieval, but had a certain sophistication to them that made them appear like modern cars—or perhaps futuristic ones.
Rey took in this sight with calmness, absorbing more of this world's peculiarities.
Before long, they departed.
The speed was shocking! It was like the whole world turned into a blur just from the carriage's speed alone. Yet, those within its walls faced no discomfort at all.
They were perfectly safe, having only mild turbulence at best. It was like flying on a plane, or maybe a high-speed train. The experience was brand new for Rey, incomparable to what he had seen in his previous life.
Eventually, they reached their destination—The Coliseum!
Unlike what he had in mind, the place seemed more like a vast theater.
It didn't have the ancient rustic appearance of a gladiator arena, but instead looked polished and noble, like a casino meant for casual sport.
The other servant in the carriage noticed Rey's curiosity and spoke.
"The Young Master has picked up a peculiar interest in the entertainment here. Every night, he brings a slave here and gambles with them, and now it's your turn. Remember that the Young Master has put money on you, so losing is unacceptable. You could be punished."
Rey nodded calmly, his eyes flashing coldly.
'So this is another possible reason why the slaves die. Augustus has gotten into gambling, and he could take out his aggression on me if I lose…'
That wasn't the worst situation yet, considering the solution was obvious.
He just had to win!
"Let's go." After parking, everyone got out of the vehicle and escorted the Young Master to the entrance. After he showed his Identification, he was only allowed to enter with two people.
Naturally, they were Logan and his slave.
The rest had to wait outside until he was done with his business there.
Rey watched all of this and had a feeling of nostalgia, thinking of all those concerts or high-society gatherings on Earth that had a high demand for exclusivity. He got the same vibe from this place, reminding him that this was most certainly a modern world.
Back when he was a chained slave, he thought the world had more of a medieval vibe, but it seemed the pleasures of modernity were enjoyed by the upper echelon.
'Now what other surprises await me?'
After getting into the reception hall, Augustus spoke a few words with Logan before parting ways with him. It appeared the Young Master was going into the main auditorium, but he had an anxious expression on his face.
He did cast Rey a quick glance before departing, as if to say, "You better not disappoint me."
"Come with me, young lad. I'll register you for the event."
Rey followed Logan, who was both quiet and dignified throughout their walk alone. He was taken to a quiet room, and after Logan spoke to a man there, he was brought to another place where other slaves were present.
Logan was also nowhere to be found, as he had likely reunited with the Young Master.
A short time passed, and someone finally entered the room to inform the official who was present among the other slaves that they could proceed.
In his words:
"The last batch has been exhausted. Send these ones in."
Rey felt a tinge of anxiety seep into him, but he told himself to remain calm.
Eventually, they were taken to a much tighter room, like a hallway, and were made to arrange themselves in a single file. At this point, Rey could hear loud noises—like cheers from a stadium.
He knew this hallway connected to the main auditorium somehow.
He heard loud thuds, painful cries, as well as a terrifying roar accompanying the terror that existed just a few meters from where he stood. All of these were quelled by the shouts of excitement or jeers of dissatisfaction that the crowd constantly made.
Looking around him now, he could see many slaves fidgeting uncomfortably or shaking with fear as they readied themselves for their turn.
It was at this moment that Rey truly realized the levels of danger that awaited him.
Whatever stood on the other side… was death!