It was a holiday! That meant it was time for a trip to the capital's South District. Hooray!
The scent of pungent spices filled the air, mingling with the noise of the street stalls along the cobblestone paths.
"Luka-sama, please try not to wander too far ahead," Yuka warned, walking beside me.
Behind her followed Tarinuka, one of our family knights.
"I'll be fine! I'm not a kid anymore, you know!"
Five minutes later, I was hopelessly lost.
"...Huh?"
When I turned around, neither of them was there.
I was surrounded by a sea of strangers, bizarre stalls, and an alleyway I didn't recognize.
"Ah... I did it again, didn't I?"
This was bad. I'd just beaten my personal best for a "getting lost speedrun."
As I stood there alone, trying to figure out my next move, something small slammed into my gut.
The impact was incredibly light. For a heartbeat, I didn't even realize what had happened.
"Ngh..."
The person who looked up at me was a young girl.
She had long, pale pink hair that swayed softly in the sunlight. Her amber eyes were clouded with tears, and her breathing was ragged.
"Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
She didn't answer. She was simply trembling.
Something was definitely wrong. Was she lost too?
"There she is!" a voice bellowed from behind us.
Heavily-shod feet thundered toward us.
Easy there, Dad, I thought. She’s just a kid, no need to get so—
"Grab her! She’s a slave!"
Wait, what?
I turned to see two rough-looking men approaching. They wore the armbands of a slave merchant.
The girl gave a violent shudder and gripped my clothes. Her small hands squeezed the fabric with a desperate, unconscious strength.
"Move aside, brat. That's merchandise. Hand her over."
Merchandise, huh? This was the absolute worst kind of situation.
I looked down at the girl. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. Her eyes were wide with desperation, screaming a plea she couldn't voice.
She couldn't even manage to say "help me." That was how cornered she was.
Leaving a terrified girl like this behind went against every principle I had.
Ugh, fine.
"How much?"
"Hah?"
"I’m asking what her price is."
The men exchanged a glance and smirked.
"You buying?"
"I am. I've taken a shine to her."
As long as I phrased it like that, we were just a buyer and a seller.
"I have the money."
...At least, I hoped I did. Never underestimate a Duke's son's allowance!
The men looked at me like they’d just found a sucker with deep pockets.
"She’s expensive, kid. We spent a lot of time raising her."
In a negotiation like this, the first move was everything. I had to strike before they could set the baseline.
"...Ten gold coins. How does that sound?"
If I recalled, Yuka was twenty gold coins because she was considered "exceptionally high quality." I hated the idea of putting a price on a person, but it was common practice in this world. I might as well get used to the reality of it.
"Forty gold coins," the man countered. "Her condition might be rough, but we nearly died catching her. We won't let her go for a copper less."
Forty?! I wasn't entirely sure of the exchange rate, but I knew gold coins were absurdly valuable. Still, by making the first offer, I’d probably kept them from hiking the price even higher.
I wasn't sure if my plan to control the negotiation had worked, but I didn't care. I didn't actually know how much was in my wallet, though I remembered my mother stuffing it full before I left.
"Fine. I'll pay."
"You... really? Well, alright then. It's a deal."
I opened my wallet to check the contents.
The bag was stuffed so full of gold coins that they were practically screaming for release.
"What the...?"
"Hey, don't tell me you're backing out now."
"...No. I have... just enough."
Seriously, Mother, this is ridiculous. I’d wondered why my waist felt so heavy. Even after counting out forty coins, I still had at least thirty left.
They were so shiny it was almost blinding. Why would you give this much money to a middle schooler?! How many "Yuka-equivalent units" of currency was this?! (My ethics were in the gutter).
I pulled out exactly forty gold coins. The men's expressions shifted instantly. Even the girl looked stunned—though I was probably the most shocked person there.
Realizing the money was genuine, the merchants were all smiles.
"Pleasure doing business!"
They removed her collar and vanished into the crowd.
I turned back to the girl.
"So... um. Nice to meet you?"
She was still trembling. We were left alone in the quiet alleyway.
Maybe we should head back toward the plaza...
"It's okay now. Once you've caught your breath, let's walk together."
The girl slowly let go of my sleeve and looked up. Up close, her features were strikingly beautiful. She had translucent, pale skin and long, delicate eyelashes.
"Wait... is that...?"
I caught a glimpse of something beneath her hair. A pointed ear.
Wait, really?
Driven by curiosity, I gently brushed her hair aside. She flinched, but she didn't pull away.
The hidden ear was revealed—long, slender, and tapering to a point.
No way. There was no doubt about it.
"An Elf?"
The girl’s eyes went wide. They were still filled with surprise and lingering terror.
She tried to say something, but she was still shaking.
I knew it. Elves weren't quite mythical, but they were incredibly rare. They were known for their long lives, massive magical reserves, and physical prowess. I’d never heard of an Elf being a slave; they were famous as one of the three "perfected" races.
So that was why the price was so high despite her being covered in wounds.
I reached out and silently patted her head.
Those merchants must have been hiding her heritage. No wonder they said they'd risked their lives.
I sighed. An Elf, a race that would be prized anywhere, sold as a slave...
"If anyone finds out about this, am I a criminal...?"
The girl squeezed her eyes shut. Did she think I was going to scold her?
"It's okay," I said, kneeling to meet her gaze. "For better or worse, I'm a self-proclaimed good guy."
Her amber eyes wavered.
"Do you have a name?"
"...No," she whispered. Her voice was raspy from all the running.
"Then let's give you one. Can I name you?"
She thought about it for a moment, then gave a tiny nod.
With her pink hair, she reminded me of a spring flower. Sakura? No, too on the nose. Blossom? A bit too aggressive.
"Fia."
It was short, easy to say, and sounded like a name for a girl. There wasn't any deep meaning behind it; it just popped into my head.
"I'll call you Fia from now on."
The girl—Fia—stared at me with eyes that seemed unable to believe what was happening.
"Why...?"
"Hmm?"
"Why did you save me?"
It was a heartbreaking question. Pity might have been the wrong emotion, but I couldn't help it. I gave it a moment of thought, but the answer was simple.
"I just don't like the slave system."
"?"
"I know it sounds weird coming from the guy who just bought you, but that's my reason."
Fia’s throat tightened as she fought back tears.
Just then...
"Luka-sama!"
It was Yuka's voice. I felt a wave of relief, but then I saw her face. She was radiating pure fury. Tarinuka was close behind her.
"Are you unharmed, Young Master?!" Tarinuka shouted.
Yuka's gaze immediately locked onto Fia. She appraised the situation in a heartbeat.
"Young Master... Yuka-dono, did something happen?" Tarinuka asked.
"Explain yourself," Yuka said, her voice icy.
Her eyes were terrifying.
"I bought her."
"Excuse me?"
"I bought a slave. She's an Elf."
Yuka's eyes narrowed into slits. Fia shrank back in fear, and honestly, I wanted to do the same. Yuka stepped forward and pulled back the girl's hair.
"I see. It is as you say." She spoke with a quiet, dangerous calm. "Luka-sama, would you mind telling me how it came to this?"
I knew she was right to be upset. I didn't exactly plan on buying an Elf slave today either.
Elves rarely ventured into human lands. Any noble would give an arm and a leg for one. The royal family might even insist on taking her into "protective custody." She was a walking magnet for trouble.
But I hadn't known that at the time.
I looked at Fia. She was still trembling, the terror too deep to fade so quickly. But compared to a few minutes ago, I thought I saw a tiny spark of hope in her eyes.
"Yuka, I'll explain everything later. Let's go home."
I held out my hand to Fia. She hesitated for a second before slowly reaching out to take it. Her hand was so small and felt incredibly fragile.
And just like that, in a random back alley, I’d picked up my second slave: Fia the Elf.
This is definitely going to lead to more headaches.
But since I've taken her in, I'm going to make sure she's happy. That's the one thing in this world I refuse to compromise on.
I'll make her forget she was ever a slave.