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Chapter 25: What a Wonderful World

When we arrived at the slave trader’s manor, the steward came out to greet us.

Even here, the master apparently has no intention of dealing with us barbarians directly.

「We’ve gathered the requested Barbarians slaves. Right this way, please.」

The steward led us outside the manor.

As we walked, I addressed him in the Empire’s language, Vaffancrowian.

「How many did you gather?」

「Around fifty.」

Fewer than I expected.

I thought we’d get at least a hundred…

Seeing the grim look on my face, the steward added:

「We collected Barbarians slaves mainly from the Imperial Capital. I believe more can be found if we search the provinces, but…」

He trailed off.

In the provinces, there are places like mines—hazardous environments where life hangs by a thread.

And if they’ve been sent to war as slave soldiers—

「Many have already died, haven’t they?」

「Yes, indeed. The Barbarians tend to be large and strong, so they’re often forced into hard labor. Naturally, that leads to deaths from accidents or combat… It’s… an unfortunate reality.」

「I understand.」

In short, they were used up and discarded.

Worked to death.

(「An unfortunate reality,「 huh… Like hell I can accept that.)

The part of me that’s Japanese understands the situation logically. But the part of me that’s Barbarian rejects it with all his heart.

I cut off the conversation and fell into a brooding silence.

Rosso, of the Great Lizard Tribe, and Jessica, of the Elves—who were traveling with me—don’t understand the Vaffancrowian language.

That’s a relief.

This wasn’t something I wanted them to hear.

Outside the manor, a large group of slaves sat on the ground, all wearing collars.

Every one of them was a Barbarian.

「Steward, what kind of work were they doing?」

「Well…」

The steward began listing their former occupations.

All were forms of manual labor.

Some were even rowers on galley ships.

A few women were among them. Some had worked as house servants, while others—Elves—had been forced to work in brothels.

Elves live long lives, so it’s hard to guess their actual age from their appearance.

But aside from looking worn out, they were beautiful.

「You managed to buy back the Elves too?」

「Yes, well… Their appearance is lovely, but their lack of charm made them difficult to manage in the brothels. They were nearly—ah, never mind.」

「Nearly what? Go on.」

「Ah, well… They were almost sold to someone with… peculiar tastes.」

「Peculiar tastes, huh…」

What could someone like that want with a sullen Elf…

I’d rather not think about it.

Once I’d finished my round of questions, Uncle Athos began negotiating prices with the steward.

「I see there are some elderly among them. As slaves, they’ve lost their value. Please lower the price.」

「Sir Athos, please look more carefully—there are also young women in the group. Young women fetch a high price, so I’m afraid discounts would be…」

Uncle Athos kept pressing as usual, leaning hard into the negotiations.

I’ll leave that part to him.

「Um… Are you our new master?」

An older man approached me and spoke in Vaffancrowian.

I responded in Barbarian.

「I’m Gaia, chieftain of the Blumunt tribe. I’m not your master.」

The man looked visibly relieved when I spoke in Barbarian.

「With that toga, I thought you were a Vaffancrowian.」

「I’ve been making a lot of visits today, hence the clothes. But look at my face and build—I’m clearly a Barbarian, right?」

「Indeed you are. I’m from the Blumunt tribe too.」

The top of the man’s head was bald, with only a fringe of white hair clinging to the sides.

His beard was snow-white, and deep wrinkles carved his sun-darkened face.

He must have been working in places far from his own kind.

His eyes, looking at me, were filled with a warm sense of nostalgia.

「What will happen to us now?」

「You’re going home.」

「Home?」

「Yes. You’re going back to your homeland.」

Even after hearing me, the man didn’t react for a moment.

The words must not have registered.

Eventually, he managed to squeeze out a voice, trembling from deep in his throat.

「R… really? We… can go home?」

I took his hand.

His hands were knotted and rough, covered in scars.

His hands told the story of a lifetime of hardship as a slave—and the weight of that life hit me like a blow.

「Gaia! Deal’s done!」

Uncle Athos called out from a distance, waving at me.

He was handing a leather pouch full of gold coins to the steward.

The deal was done!

I held the old man’s hands tightly, looked him in the eye, and spoke slowly.

「It’s true. You’ve been freed. Come back with us to the Barbarian Forest. Let’s go home—home to our land.」

「The forest… home…」

Around his neck was a faded brown leather collar.

A slave collar.

He didn’t need that anymore.

I reached around his neck and undid the clasp.

With a soft clink, the collar detached and slipped from his neck.

「You’re free now. Come on, let’s go home!」

The man stared at the collar lying on the ground.

Then, looking to the north—where the Barbarian Forest lay—tears welled up in his deeply wrinkled eyes.

「O… oh… ooooh…」

He cried quietly.

The lush green of his homeland.

The wildflowers blooming crimson across the fields.

He must have been remembering it all.

To this man who had suffered so much—

To this man who had endured so much for so long—

I offered, not words of consolation, but the same words I had repeated many times today:

「Let’s go home. Our homeland is waiting for us.」