Chapter 1: Off to Another World

THE SUN WAS STILL SHINING AS I WALKED THROUGH the city, but dusk was fast approaching. I could almost smell the cracked asphalt beneath my feet. My gaze was fixed firmly ahead.

I was born and raised in a remote seaside region with ample mountains and rivers. It wasn’t until college that I moved to a city with a population of over 500,000. I got a license to drive a midsize motorbike and enjoyed my romps through the concrete jungle. The college recruiter had jobs back in my hometown, but for whatever reason, I chose to stick with city living.

After a few years, I found myself homesick beyond endurance. At work, I was praised for my diligence and given more responsibilities, but that meant I spent extra hours slogging in the office. I woke up, went to work, came home at night, and went to bed. That was my everyday life. I lost a ton of weight, wasting away. The best part of living in the city was riding my bike around at night, but I was too tired to even do that.

The long days continued until one night, at around ten o’clock, I came home and dropped my stuff off. I decided to go for a ride. It had been a while, but I’d kept up with maintenance, so it was no big deal.

A little ways into my ride, I hopped onto the highway, picking a route that’d let me savor the nighttime vista. I stopped at a restaurant facing the ocean, enjoying the view with a cup of coffee. The location was a fairly famous tourist spot, so the buildings and ships nearby were lit up and the atmosphere was buzzing. Most places were closed, but the restaurants with terrace seating were largely open. Not too long after that, I realized it was already closing time.

I don’t particularly recall what happened on the way home. All I remember is riding across a long bridge over the sea, the distinct final snapshot in my memory.

 

When I came to, I was lying in bed. Even though I’d been on a bike moments before, I found myself at home. The ceiling seemed oddly high, and the bed was soft—and so large that it couldn’t possibly have been for a child.

There was no mistaking it: I was in the corner room on the second floor of Lord Fertio’s small castle. My room. The stone walls were familiar, as were the evenly spaced wood beams. A glowing magic crystal provided the room with light. Outside it was still dark, a beautiful starry curtain pulled over the sky. Its beauty struck me as profound, as though this was my first time seeing it. I sat up, drawn to the view outside the three-meter window.

What is this strange sensation?

I could make out the lush, green garden and stone walls. Beyond that was the southern part of the city. The main street sliced through its center, and a tall city wall and gate loomed beyond. Right when I stood up on the bed and reached out to the window to get a better look, I heard a voice from behind me.

“Ack, Lord Van! That’s dangerous!”

Whoever it was, they sounded a bit scatterbrained. When I turned around, I found a girl with long, brown hair and droopy eyes. She wore a black maid uniform with a frilly white apron. It was my personal maid, Till. Despite her apparent ditziness, she was in a panic. She was probably trying to stop me as best she could.

“Right, sorry. Uh, good morning, Till.” With that, I sat back down on my bed.

Till, however, froze up. “Huh?! Er, n-no, it’s fine! Thank you for listening to me! B-by the way, Lord Van—just what were you trying to do?” she asked nervously.

I tilted my head and pointed at the window. “I was merely admiring the quaint landscape.”

Her eyes went wide, and her lashes fluttered in bewilderment. “Lord Van, um…where did you learn such difficult words? You’ve only just turned two…”

Two? I’m nearly thirty years old. What is Till talking abou—wait, thirty years old? And how did I get here? I went to college, started working, then got busy… Did I quit my job? No, that can’t be right. Is this even Japan?

I had yet to leave the castle, but I was fairly certain I hadn’t met anyone who looked Japanese. The people here weren’t particularly tall, but there were many flashy types around. Everyone had distinctive facial features.

Are they all half Japanese, then? No, that’s not it either. Besides, does Japan even have any castles made completely of stone? This isn’t a church or a cathedral, and the soldiers walking the halls are wearing armor and wielding swords. They’re clearly breaking the law when it comes to firearms and blade possession.

“Erm, Lord Van?”

I’d fallen silent to mull things over, so Till had called out to me with concern.

Hrm? Right, my name’s another problem.

“My name is Van Nei Fertio, right?”

“Wow, you can already say your house’s name? How wonderful! You sure are wise beyond your years.” Till overflowed with praise, but I could barely focus on that.

“My father is the marquis, Jalpa Fertio… My brothers are Murcia, Jard, and Sesto… Am I right?” I asked, cocking my head to one side.

My maid’s eyes nearly popped out of her skull. “C-correct. The current head of the family is the marquis, Lord Jalpa Bul Ati Fertio. Your brothers are Lord Murcia Elago Fertio, Lord Jard Gai Fertio, and Lord Sesto Ele Fertio. I’m shocked you know Lord Jard and Sesto’s names… You don’t see them very often.”

I folded my arms with a grunt. “Where exactly am I?” Till blinked at me, too stunned to respond.

 

It was time to eat, so I was escorted to the dining room. The room was stupidly huge, the table so long it would be hard to converse without shouting. Jard, Sesto, and my father were already seated. Beside each of them, a maid helped with the meal. Other servants set the table, and our butler, Esparda, stood in silence next to Father.

I, however, had three maids at my side. I was only two, after all. Jard was ten and Sesto was eight, so they didn’t need much assistance. They seemed uneasy in Father’s strong presence, eating without a word.

The maids kindly cut the meat and root vegetables in my soup into smaller pieces. They also blew on it to make sure it wasn’t too hot for me.

Mm-mmm. Well done, ladies.

Jests aside, I had apparently been reborn in this world with my memories of life in Japan. I couldn’t understand what had ​happened, nor did any of it feel real—but the carrot-like vegetables here sure were delicious!

“Wow, my lord. I see you ate your vegetables.”

“Amazing. He eats with such composure! He’s not spilling any either.” Till and another young maid rattled off compliments as they fed me.

Is this some kind of hostess club? Am I some high roller? I’m willing to go as high as 30,000 yen!

Jard and Sesto side-eyed me with envy.

“What will you be learning today, Jard?” Father asked abruptly.

I didn’t know if this was a nobility thing or what, but children generally did nothing in the morning. In the afternoon, they took lessons suitable for their age and trained in swordplay. My ​oldest brother, Murcia, was already fourteen years old and basically treated like an adult. He was busy with on-site training.

In any case, everyone under ten years old had roughly the same schedule. Father used mealtimes—once in the morning, once at night—to ask after our routines and our studies. This was just part of everyday life for us.

Regardless, Jard was flustered by the question as he faced Father. “I-I’ll be studying flame magic and military formations.”

Father nodded. “I see. And you, Sesto?”

Just the other day, Sesto had been appraised and his flame magic revealed.

For whatever reason, he responded happily that he would be studying magic.

Then our father turned to me. “Van, what will you be doing today?”

He normally never asked, so I spoke without thinking. “There’s so much I

don’t know. For starters, I’d like to study up on this peculiar country.”

Father, my three brothers, the maids, and Esparda all froze in shock. Then Till’s whisper tore through the tense silence of the dining room. “I-I knew it… Lord Van is a genius!”

 

The world I’d found myself in had three continents—one to the west, one to the east, and one in the middle—and a seemingly endless number of islands. A port with a narrow channel connected the three main lands, with another island between the central and eastern continents. This particular country was part of the western continent.

As far as I’d heard, culture here had developed to about the same level as the Middle Ages or early modern period on Earth. One major difference: this world had beasts called monsters. Fearsome giant creatures lurked in the sea, attacking any ships that dared set out, so the Age of Discovery would never happen here.

When I asked about what races inhabited this world, I was told there were all sorts. Elves, dwarves, and even demihumans existed here, much to my surprise. Most formed insular communities, rarely interacting with other races.

The existence of offensive magic also meant gunpowder hadn’t really taken off. Some people were developing rudimentary guns, but the lack of research funds kept progress at a standstill. When it came to regular weapons, people fought with swords, spears, and bows. Crossbows did exist, but they paled in comparison to the potency of offensive spellcasting.

In terms of travel, it was either on foot or by horse—though there were also bipedal mounts that resembled Komodo dragons. Needless to say, the steam engine did not exist. Supposedly, other countries had transportation methods that used magic tools.

What the heck are magic tools?

Till explained them as best she could with what vague knowledge she had.

Some crystals, gems, stones, and other minerals had the power to store magic.

By charging them, you could make all kinds of magic tools corresponding to different aptitudes.

Our nation was the Kingdom of Scuderia, tucked away in the southern region of the Grant continent. The king’s name was Dino En Tsora Bellrinet. The sovereign’s bloodline went back some 300 years, and the ruling family had steadily spread their influence since then.

Recently, His Majesty had ordered the nobles’ forces to invade a small country and claim its territory. It was through this battle that my father earned his title of marquis. As nobles in a militant nation, our position was safe while we remained at peace. Should we lose our fighting prowess, however, that would almost certainly change.

That said, ours was a marquis’s house. We were highly ranked among the nobility, and we had an influential voice in the kingdom due to being a warrior house. My future was nothing if not bright!

 

In the time that followed, I peppered Till with all sorts of questions and studied magic on my own. Rumors of my actions gradually spread throughout the house. The maids spoke as though I were a prodigy, and those words soon reached Esparda, the butler.

One day, out of the blue, he came poised to lecture me.

“You are only two years old, my lord, yet you’re learning your letters and basic mathematics. How much do you know?”

Esparda peered down at me, eyes narrowed and lips pressed thin. His white hair was swept back, and he was rocking a black butler uniform. The man was quite tall, likely in his late fifties. Supposedly, he’d served my father for many years. I hadn’t spoken to him until this very moment, but my first impression was that he looked like he did good work. Problem was, he was terrifying.

“What is the matter? I’d like you to tell me how much you know.” That’s no way to speak to a two-year-old!

Suppressing fearful quivers, I considered my answer. “I can speak and understand people just fine. But I’m not very good with my letters…” “Then what about numbers?”

“Um, I-I can do a little bit of addition and subtraction?”

Esparda went rigid. The silence stretched out so long I nearly fled the scene, but at length he held up both hands, lifting a few fingers.

“Two here, and three here. How many total?”

“F-five fingers.”

He displayed seven fingers this time. “Subtract two fingers from a total of seven.”

“Also five.”

Esparda froze again.

Our conversation that day ended there, but apparently Esparda went and told my father something about it, as he ended up lecturing me twice a week.

It was hell. This was work clearly not meant for a two-year-old, and there was too much of it. Moreover, he was mechanical and indifferent about everything.

Is he an android? Actually, since this is a world of monsters, does that mean he’s a golem?!

With that in mind, I continued my lessons and eventually learned how to read and write. I also studied the rules of war, the peerage system, and territorial government.

They’re seriously teaching a toddler this stuff…?

For two whole years, that was my life. When I turned four, I was handed a stick and forced to do something barely resembling bladework. But that…that was fun.

I’d done judo in my past life, and I’d attended a karate dojo in junior high. I was a big fan of martial arts. I swung my stick around, hit the one planted in the ground, and whacked the stick a cute maid was waving in my direction.

“Come on, my lord!”

“Wow, you’re so fast! Great reflexes!”

“I knew you could do it, Lord Van!”

I smacked the maid’s stick over and over as she sang my praises. This feels like some form of geisha entertainment. Seems like it should be taking place in a tatami room or something.

Till also picked up a stick, eyes sparkling with anticipation, and held it low enough for me to hit.

“Hiyah!”

I put my all into swinging, but Till leapt to the side, causing me to miss.

“Hah! My victory, Lord Van!”

What is she, a little kid? In a fit of rage, I struck out at her again.

At the end of the day, I was but a four-year-old child. There was no way I could stand a chance against a fourteen-year-old. As I furiously chased after the giggling Till, waving my stick at her, two of the older maids grabbed her.

“Oh, Till…”

“You dare insult Lord Van? Do you not value your life?”

The two maids wore deadly serious looks in their eyes, and the smiles on their faces only made them more terrifying. Till blanched, her joy vanishing completely.

“Now then, Lord Van. We shall hold her down. Deliver punishment to this foolish girl!”

Till stared at me with tears in her eyes.

Punishment? My heart went out to the poor thing.

Smiling, I gripped my stick tightly. “Okay! Punishment, right? Leave it to me.”

I swung down, only to give Till’s butt an ever-so-gentle tap. Light though the blow had been, she still gave a little shriek of fear. I felt pretty bad once she started apologizing, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Man, sword practice is awesome. I’m gonna do it every single day!

And so I wound up reveling in the art of the sword. I only spent half a year sparring with the maids. After that, a young boy—a soldier-in-training—was assigned to be my partner. We mostly hit each other’s light shields with sticks, so it was more like play-fighting than anything else. The rules were simple: the first to land a strike won each match.

Other aspects of swordplay were surprisingly intricate. In judo, breaking someone’s stance was extremely important, as was procuring an advantageous position. In karate, range was key; you p​redicted your opponent’s reach and calculated the range so you could hit them with an effective attack. I could use those two skill sets in my swordplay.

Sure, my partner was a kid, but he was about ten years old. He was taller than me, with longer limbs—even more difficult to reach with the added length of the stick. Still, his size advantage ultimately meant little. His attack style was simple and boyish. After facing him multiple times, I could read his tells and pick out his best moves.

By the time I was five, I could fight other soldiers-in-training on equal footing. Soon, even the knights themselves said things like “Looks like Van has some real talent with a blade.”

A middle-aged knight came to me one day, drenched in sweat. He was Dee, deputy commander of the Chivalric Order and my father’s best fighter.

Removing his armor, he said to me, “Lord Van, may I ask you a question?”

Beneath his simple clothes, the man was ripped. Less impressive than it sounds, though, since his clothes soaked up all his sweat and clung to his muscular body. The gray cloth was so drenched it had darkened to black, which kind of grossed me out.

I took a swig of water. “What is it?”

Dee extended both hands, a dead serious look on his stubbled face. “I’d like you to show me your hands.”

“Uh, okay. What are you gonna do?”

Feeling somewhat uneasy, I reached a hand out. Dee reverently took it in his and examined it.

“No calluses. Your skin is still soft. Hrm, your nails are a bit long.”

“S-sorry. I’ll train harder when I’m an adult,” I said, tugging my hand back.

Dee groaned, a deep crease in his brow. “Here I thought you spent every single night training after my apprentice beat you, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.”

“Studying’s tough, but I’ll do it when I have time. I also like the way of the sword, so…” I attempted to make excuses, thinking he was mad at me.

The knight narrowed his eyes, then looked up at the castle. “I heard that Esparda was told to make you study three times harder than normal. If you wish to get better at the sword, I can make an appeal for you.”

“Oh, that’s why I’m always studying? I thought it was weird that I was the only one hitting the books from morning to night.”

This fresh truth was a real blow, and my head drooped.

Dee nodded. “That big brain of his is too devoted to scholarly pursuits. As someone with an impartial view, I believe you should head down the path of a swordsman, my lord. You have a natural gift. First, you need to learn proper form and build muscle. After that, we can have you practice daily. I will make you into the greatest swordsman in the kingdom!” he declared. The look in his eyes told me he was beyond serious.

If Esparda was an egghead, then Dee was a meathead. All he did was swap out studies for sword training. They both skewed things too far in a single direction.

“I like sword practice, but I also like studying. I’m gonna work hard at both,” I said, but that only served to disappoint him.

“Grr… Fine! But when you train, I shall instruct you directly. Understood?”

First Esparda, and now Deputy Commander Dee was offering himself as a teacher. He peered into my face, waiting for my answer.

“Uh, ha ha… Just be gentle, okay?” I said with a forced smile.

“Ah ha ha! Lord Van, you are still only a child. Of course I’ll go easy on you.” So he said, but that later proved to be a complete lie.

“Come now! A hundred upper swings, a hundred mid-sweeps, and a hundred thrusts! Let’s go!”

“L-Let me rest… I just finished running!”

“What are you saying, Lord Van? Resting comes later. Let us practice together!”

He’s no swordsman—he’s a demon!

I somehow managed to get through the swings without bursting into tears, then plopped myself down in a chair to rest.

Dee suddenly lit up. “I have a great idea, Lord Van! Resting is such a bore, is it not? Try taking your breaks in a seated position without using the chair!”

No, he isn’t a demon. He’s just stupid. How is that resting? You big dummy.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the energy to even complain, so I just hung my head.

 

Just like that, a year went by. Now six years old, I barely ever lost to the boys in soldier training. There was quite the size difference between a six-year-old and someone who was twelve or thirteen. My partners’ range and build surpassed mine, and they had the ​upper hand in strength and speed. But when it came to observation, reflexes, and knowledge? Well, the boys tried copying my strategies, but they had a long way to go.

You see, the knights prioritized speed and power—they had no concept of a feint. A knight with fast swings could force an ​opponent to block high, then strike at their waist in a flurry of blows. A powerful knight could restrict their opponent’s attack window, then bring their sword down from above. That sort of thing.

Right when my partners were poised to strike, I’d pull back or move diagonally and lead them around by the nose. As they swung and missed, it opened them up for the perfect counterattack. Kids weren’t good with strategies that required patience, so I took my time dealing with my opponents. The ones who came at me with sequential attacks subconsciously braced themselves for a block or a parry. I’d let them miss once or twice to break their rhythm.

Opponents who prioritized brute force were all about range and surprise attacks. When they thought they could land a hit, they would put an excess amount of power behind their biggest swings. Those were easy enough to dodge. As for the surprise attacks, they came in three forms: a rare sweep at the legs, an upward slash from below, and a strike from behind after circling from the front.

Being both short and clumsy on my feet, I wasn’t an easy target. The “first strike” rule also worked to my advantage. While my days may have been hellish, they were nonetheless enriching.

One day, Till flashed me her usual smile and said something wholly unexpected. “You’ve grown so mature as of late, my lord. You’re book-smart, a sword savant… You might very well surpass all of your brothers to become the next head of the family!”

My breath caught in my throat at that. I’d learned from Esparda that the

world of nobility was a vicious one. Only the strong survived. Unfortunately, the same principle held true among myself and my brothers.

Becoming the next head would completely change our course in life. Money, status, honor, power… Whoever took up the mantle of marquis would inherit it all. Being second best would mean nothing. If we were close, it might be possible to serve the head as an underling, but most noble children who failed to secure their parents’ title left the house for good.

It was not unheard of for blood to be spilled over inheritance. All too often, a younger brother would surpass his elder brother to become head of the family. Nothing fueled an older sibling’s rage more than their status being snatched away right under their nose. To prevent this, noble heirs would murder whichever sibling looked to be the most likely candidate for the spot.

Unfortunately, I had very few interactions with my brothers. If anything, Jard and Sesto made sure to turn away from me whenever our eyes met. We certainly were not close. Murcia frequently showed up at the soldiers’ training grounds, so I had at least ​exchanged greetings with him, but who knew what would happen in the future?

Setting aside my candidacy for marquis, my odds of getting snuffed out would go up the more I stood out from the rest. I had already garnered too much attention—this was not good. During my strolls through the castle, the maids, butlers, and guards would go out of their way to say hello. From my brothers’ perspective, I probably looked like a little brat getting a big head.

I had to do something.

“Hey, Till?”

“Yes? What is it?” she asked, smiling warmly.

“I want to play outside.”

“Huh?”

I’d made my choice: I would become a man who lived for fun. I’d goof around until I was level twenty!

 

The carriage swayed to and fro as it rolled down the path. It was a sturdy vehicle, large enough to comfortably hold six people. The interior was brown and white with red accents. Gazing out the window, I saw all the hustle and bustle of the city. Wooden buildings and a stone structure akin to a church were within view. Horses and carriages traveled every which way. As far as I could tell, there were no elves or demihumans to be found, only regular humans.

I never got tired of seeing merchants or knights. I assumed that the guys wandering around in old clothing or robes were sexual deviants. Dang pervs were walking around with grins.

Till, who’d been gazing out the window along with me, broke the silence.

“Where would you like to go, my lord?”

“I want to visit a big store,” I blurted out.

“A big store…” She looked upward, thinking. “Then shall we visit the Mary Chamber of Commerce? It’s an enormous company with locations all across the kingdom. You can get just about anything in one of their stores.”

“Ooh, that sounds great! You sure know a whole lot, Till.”

“Hee hee.”

Till giggled and bashfully poked her tongue out. Satisfied, I turned back to the window. Hawkers called out to passersby, and the citizens laughed loudly among themselves. The world outside was brimming with life and vigor.

I enjoyed some more people-watching, and soon the carriage came to a stop.

“We’ve arrived, sir.”

The driver’s tone was a bit curt, but given the way he kept his head bowed low, he probably just wasn’t used to dealing with nobility.

I smiled at him. “Thank you.”

The man scratched his jaw and nodded his head repeatedly. “Of course. Uh, right this way.”

He opened the door for us, and Till got out first so that she could take me by the hand. Normally these things were supposed to be the other way around, but maybe an onlooker would’ve seen her as an older sister helping her little brother.

After I disembarked from the carriage, the two knights who’d followed behind on our journey lined up on either side of us. I made sure to thank them.

I peered up at the large stone building in front of us. And when I say large, I mean huge. If I were to describe it in terms of modern-day Japan, I would’ve likened it to a supermarket. It was two floors tall, so perhaps more like a gymnasium. The big double doors were wide open, and the window frames were intricately designed, lending it all a very classy feel. I was quite the fan.

Before I could step inside, an angry shout sounded from the main street.

“Get your ass over here!”

The speaker clearly had no intention of hiding their scorn, so I whirled around to gawk. A man on the other side of the street was yanking a rope while he walked. On closer inspection, a heap of dirty old rags was moving at the end of the rope. I squinted to get a better look—and discovered that this heap was in fact a human child. Certainly older than me, though.

When the man noticed our eyes on him, he took a fearful step back. Face flushing, he scowled at us. “Wh-what’re you looking at? This ain’t no show!”

Our two knights reached for the hilt of their swords. Despite clearly being afraid, the man didn’t back down, and I could feel the atmosphere growing heavy.

Looking to dissolve the tension, I said, “Hey, why do you have that child on a rope?”

His brow furrowed. “Came here to sell him on the slave market.”

I glanced at Till, who then made a complicated expression. “Is that boy yours?” she asked him.

“Er, yeah! He’s my son and he carries my debt, so I’m sellin’ him. Got a problem with that?” The man spoke as if it were obvious, jabbing a finger at the child behind him.

“Your debt?” I echoed, puzzled.

Till stepped in to explain, her voice heavy with sadness. “According to the law, there are only two recognized reasons for someone to be sold into slavery: when they’re in deep debt, or when they’ve committed a crime. That being said, there’s a long history of poor families selling off their hungry children in exchange for living expenses. It works via transfer of debt, getting around the laws even though they’re just kids.”

Everyone around us looked on with cold stares. The fact that no one else said anything or looked remotely upset spoke to how ingrained this slavery system was. People here were used to this.

Someone else spoke up then. “Well, if it isn’t the marquis’s son!”

The voice belonged to a woman in her thirties who emerged from inside the store. She’d greeted us, but how did she know I was part of the marquis’s family?

I tilted my head and looked to Till for clarification.

“Right you are, ma’am! This is the famous prodigy, Lord Van Nei Fertio! For proof, look no further than his crest!” Till declared with a nod, pointing at my back.

What’s she talking about?

Curious, I checked to find that the coat I had over my shoulders bore a bull and a blade on the back. It was our family crest—the monstrous behemoth and the magic sword used to defeat it. For the record, this was just a tall tale, as there was no magic sword at home.

Anyhow, enough about my family’s crest.

“I was wearing this the whole time?”

How did I not notice this when they changed my clothes? How embarrassing.

Before I could get too down in the dumps over the unwanted fashion choice, the woman from the store beamed at me.

“I knew it! Now, now, come right in! What are you searching for? We have everything you could possibly need! Ah, I am Rosalie, by the way. It is an absolute pleasure to meet you.” Rosalie offered an animated curtsy.

“The marquis…?” The man groaned, and I glanced over at him. His face was pale, and he inched away from the scene. Considering his unscrupulous use of the law to sell his own child into slavery, he was probably nervous he might get arrested.

With that in mind, I turned back to Rosalie. “A question, if I may. That man came to sell off his own child. How much would the boy go for?”

Rosalie glared at the man in question. “A boy of about eight… What’s his magical aptitude?”

The man shrank in on himself. “Th-thieving magic.”

“No more than three large silvers,” Rosalie answered immediately.

Despite his apparent confusion, the man fought back. “W-wait just a second! This store is supposed to offer five large silvers or more no matter what kind of slave it is! This brat’s still young! He’ll be good for years! He should fetch a higher price!”

Rosalie snorted and folded her arms. “Any shop is going to ​offer half or less of his value. You should be happy your child would fetch you three large silvers. That said, the shop’s going to sell him for six or seven large silvers. You’d probably get double or more if he were a girl, but boys aren’t useful when they’re small. They have to be raised and taught, so that factors into the pricing.” she explained, causing the man to grind his teeth and look down at the child.

“Damn it all!” The man ground his teeth, and his head snapped toward the boy. “Useless brat! Fine, I’ll take three large silvers! Cough up the cash!”

He shoved his son forward with brutish force. The boy stumbled, sprawling on the ground with a groan.

Rosalie stared daggers at him. “How can you treat a child like that? Isn’t he your son? Can’t you be more—”

“Shut up! Stay out of my business!”

That was enough to push her over the edge. Her shoulders quaked as her anger reached a fever pitch. “Do not make a fool of me! I can just as easily decide I don’t want him! If you’re really trying to sell him, then even if you have to lie, you could at least—”

“All of you bastards look down on me! I wasn’t planning on sellin’ him to you people anyway! C’mon, we’re goin’ to another shop!”

“Aah!”

The man’s face was bright red with rage as he yanked on the rope, causing the boy to cry out in pain. His eyes shone with tears, and Rosalie was fuming.

“I’ll buy him,” I heard myself say. “How does five large silvers sound?”

If the boy continued down this path, he might suffer an early death. When that thought flashed through my head, I couldn’t stand by any longer.

The man and Rosalie both gaped at me, but instead I turned to Till. “Do I have the money for that?”

Till quickly pulled out a leather bag. “Um, yes! The money is right here!” She retrieved a handful of coins bearing the raised image of a horse—but they were gold.

“Do we have any silvers, Till? Five of them, to be exact.”

My maid rummaged faster, but Rosalie reached a hand out to stop her. “We can do an exchange at the store. Leave it to me.”

She stepped inside, and soon she returned with ten large silvers and gave five back to Till.

“You’d best be grateful for Lord Van’s kindness,” she spat, tossing the money to the man who’d just sold his son.

He looked furious, but when the coins landed on the ground, he scraped them all into his hands and left the scene. The poor boy he left behind had no clue what to do, so he simply squatted down in terror.

“Hey, what’s your name?” I asked him.

The boy looked through the opening of his long, unkempt hair and whispered,

“Khamsin.”

While I’d certainly never planned on it, I had bought a slave. I felt like a terrible person, but I’d just have to live with that for the moment. “Khamsin, great. And Rosalie, since we caused you so much trouble, we’ll buy him some clothes and necessities from here, all right?”

Rosalie lit up. “My, thank you very much! I would be delighted to select something nice for him. Come now, Khamsin. Let’s pick out a new outfit together. Ah, but before that, the slave contract…”

She brought Khamsin to his feet and over to me, then took both of our hands. Immediately after, a gentle sensation flooded through my whole body, and my hand began to glow. The light spread across the back of my hand, sketching out a symbol. It turned out to be a seal of some kind, depicting a winged horse.

“What is this?” I asked quietly.

“That’s the symbol of a slave contract. I am a contract mage, you see. There will be no contract fee this time around, since this is your first time here,” Rosalie told me, puffed up with pride.

I never intended to form a contract, but oh well.

“Thanks,” I said with a smile.

After her moment of glory, Rosalie snapped back to her senses with a shout and gave a reverent dip of her head. “My deepest apologies, sir! N-now then, follow me! I shall lead the way!”

Evidently, she’d only just remembered that I was a member of the marquis’s family and snapped herself back into customer-service mode. I trailed behind her, my smile growing wider.

“Here’s the food section, and these are our spices. Daily necessities can be found over there. We also sell tableware and sundries. Oh, would you like to pick out Khamsin’s clothes first?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Come along, then!”

She escorted us to the clothing section, which had all sorts of attire: Westernstyle garb, traditional dress, and simple sack gowns with holes for one’s arms and head.

“This is fairly standard for slaves, and it’ll run you one copper coin. Anything with fine needlework and good-quality cloth will cost one to five silvers.”

Going by the groceries, a single copper was equivalent to about 1,000 Japanese yen as far as I could tell, which meant a silver coin was something like 10,000 yen and a large silver 100,000.

So Khamsin himself cost me roughly 500,000 yen?

I perused the clothes as I pondered the value of currency in this world.

“I like this one,” I said, pointing at a particular set. “If he’s going to be around

Till a lot, this will help him blend right in.”

Rosalie’s smile went taut. “Um, those garments are made with a rather fine cloth, so they cost three silvers.” Her gaze slid over to Till, as did mine.

My maid thrust out her chest. “Leave it to me! I have Lord Van’s money right here!” she cried, as though the money were her own.

I took the bag from her with a smile and withdrew the appropriate amount.

“All that’s left is some underwear and shoes, I think.”

“Thank you so much! In that case, we have shoes that match that outfit perfectly!” Rosalie said.

Thus, my very first day out consisted of me buying both a boy and his wardrobe. To call it unexpected would be an understatement.

 

“Um, Lord Van? Deputy Commander Dee has been looking for you,” Khamsin said, looking fidgety even in his sleek black butler uniform.

I handed him a cookie. “Take this and tell him I’m not here.”

Khamsin scrunched up his face. A solid scrubbing had washed away all the dirt, revealing his plain features, scrawny build, and deep-blue hair. Much to my surprise, formal attire suited him well. Darn.

“I think he already knows you’re here, though.” Nevertheless, he chomped down on the cookie and slipped out of the room. When he spoke next, his voice was muffled. “Erm, Lord Van is not in at the moment.”

“Is that so? But I heard he went into this room earlier!”

“I looked for him, but he wasn’t there.”

“Huh?! Young man, are those crumbs around your mouth? There was nothing there a moment ago!”

“…I have no idea what ‘crumbs’ you’re talking about.”

“You just ate them! Argh… You’ve been paid off! You have a lot of nerve ignoring the orders of the deputy commander of the Chivalric Order!”

“I-I’m Lord Van’s slave, so…”

Khamsin refused to bend the knee to Dee’s pressure, plainly proclaiming himself my ally.

Dee groaned loudly. “Fine! Talking back to me takes guts, you know. I think I’ll train you in his stead! Consider it an honor!”

“Wait, m-me?”

What a delightful conversation.

Dee ended up dragging Khamsin off, which meant he was going to endure the hellish training in my place.

Poor kid.

Feeling guilty, I quietly followed them.

After Khamsin had turned into a pile of mush, I appeared in front of Dee to take on the rest of the training session. From here on out, I’d have Khamsin do the first half, then I’d handle the second. It was unfortunate that I couldn’t leave Esparda’s lessons to him too.