Slaves of all kinds danced gracefully on the stage. They were dressed in fine silks and expensive jewelry, yet that did little to hide their horrible state. Some were bruised, and all were malnourished. The rattling of their tambourines and the clinking of their bracelets covered up the sound of the chains on their feet dragging on the floor as they danced. What stood out to Norman was that they were all human. That could only mean one thing: these were criminal slaves.

  Knowing that they had committed crimes made him feel less queasy, but only a little bit. None of the other patrons seemed bothered in the slightest; they cheered and flirted with the dancers as the host introduced them. Rowboat was right when she said that prostitutes had a certain type of name. There was a Soft, a Beautiful, and a Dashing, to name a few. The host listed off basic information about them, such as their names, ages, and what crime they had committed. He also listed a price.

  “Here we have Plump! This lovely lady has just turned 27! She was arrested in the north for the crime of smuggling drugs to the capital! What a naughty girl Plump is! She can be yours for only 200 Lapis!”

  “Look at how strong yet agile Smooth is! He is a dashing man of 23 years! With those looks, he had a bright future ahead of him! Smooth! Why did you ruin it all by stealing from a noblewoman? 400 Lapis for this stud!!”

  “Our oldest showing tonight is Warm! A lovely 45-year-old lady for all you cougar lovers in the crowd! Don’t let her looks deceive you! We’re selling this old nag for only 150 Lapis!”

  Slavery was completely legal in the world of Silvae, and Norman knew this. He even lived with two former slaves. Still, placing a price on humans was so alien to him. On Earth, it was something talked about in reference to a horrible past, not an uncomfortable present. Some of these people deserved to be punished for their crimes, but there had to be a better way than this. Norman’s discomfort turned into full-on disgust when the final dancer was introduced.

  “This last one is special! Unlike our usual product, this one is not a pleasure slave! This one has been raised as a dancer and life companion! His only crime was being abandoned by his mother. How tragic! He has been educated in the art of dance, tea ceremonies, playing instruments, and even playing chess! He is pure as snow! Untainted by the world and the hands of man! An exotic beauty of only 15 years could be yours! It’s the hybrid oni, Shimmer!”

  A boy with long white hair and equally white skin walked on the stage. He was wearing ornate blue robes and hundreds of pieces of jewelry. He was too small for his age, like he had been forcefully malnourished to stunt his growth. The only sign that he was a hybrid was the horn on his forehead. It looked like a unicorn horn. All of him looked like a unicorn personified. He danced with folding fans while singing a haunting melody about love, loss, and winter snow.

  He hadn’t committed a single crime, yet here he was, dancing in chains alongside murderers and drug dealers. His eyes sparkled like opals, and they were filled with sadness as he danced. Norman didn’t even want to think about what the poor boy had gone through. He couldn’t save everyone in the slums, but he could save someone, and he decided that that someone would be this boy. His price tag was more costly than the house, but Norman didn’t really care. They would have to eat watery soup and hard tack for a while, but that was a small price to pay to bring an innocent child out of such a horrible situation.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Norman was the only one who raised his hand when the host asked for interested buyers. Everyone else muttered about empty coffers or the outrageous price for a single boy. He could see Shimmer’s eyes light up in despair as he was sold off. He knew how he must have looked, and he couldn’t blame him for being scared. Still, he signed the documents and handed over the money. It didn’t feel good to give money to a seedy place like this, but slaves were legal, and the boy would be treated as stolen property instead of a person if he just took him away.

  Shimmer had been led to a side room and told to serve his new master with tea and entertainment. His hands were shaking, and he wanted to cry, but he hid it under the gentle smile he had perfected over the years. He had been raised as one of the lucky ones. He was neither sent to do hard labor nor to be a prostitute. He had received an extensive education about how to entertain a noble, how to meet their gaze, how to talk to them, and how to take their beatings.

  He had never interacted with a customer before, much less his new noble master. Shimmer had heard stories about how horrible and lecherous noble men were, and how he would be lucky to last more than a few years before they got bored with him. He took a deep breath and entered the room, laying his eyes on his master. “Good evening, master. My name is Shimmer. Your wish is my command.” Shimmer bowed deeply. His voice was soft and feminine as his growth had been stunted to the point that his male characteristics were severely underdeveloped.

  Shimmer served tea with practiced ease, though his hands were still shaking ever so slightly. He willed his hands to stay stable, fearing a potential beating if he spilled anything. He didn’t even dare look up as he handed the man a cup of tea. Instead, he knelt on the floor and kept his head to the ground. He practically jumped out of his skin when his master spoke for the first time.

  “Don’t call me master. I am not your master. My name is Norman, but you may call me whatever you want. Other than master.” His voice was strange. It was monotone and deadpan, but it strangely calmed his raging nerves. “I bought you to free you. You may go off and live your own life, or you may stay with me and my family. I can even offer you a paying job, if you wish.”

  Really? That wasn’t what he expected. Was that really true? Every slave had a dream of a kind person buying them their freedom, but it was nothing more than a fairytale for most. Shimmer wasn’t stupid enough to buy it. There had to be some sort of catch somewhere. “What’s the catch?” He asked, hiding his nervous expression behind his folding fan.

  “There is no catch. I was looking for an employee and ended up here. Seeing you being sold like that made me angry, so I bought you to set you free. Any parent would do the same.” His master calmly explained, a bit too calmly. His voice never changed, did it?

  “Ha! Everyone only cares about their flesh and blood, and nobody bats an eye at abandoned ones like me!” Shimmer felt himself getting defensive and quickly calmed his nerves, getting angry in front of a noble was never a good idea.

  “My children aren’t my flesh and blood, but they’re still my family. Every member of my family is half human, like you. I’m sure you would get along well with them.” The man gently slid the cup of tea over to Shimmer, offering him the drink instead. “Drink it while it’s hot.”

  Shimmer sheepishly complied, taking a sip of the hot tea. It was nice. The stuff for nobles. Not the cheap dirt water reserved for tea ceremony practice. “I don’t have anywhere to go, and I will probably be captured again if I go alone… so if… so if what you’re saying is true, prove it. Rip up the contract.” He whispered into the cup of tea, looking at his tired face in the reflection. He only looked up when he heard the sound of magic paper being ripped in half.

  “You are free. Would you like to come with me? I have cookies at home.” The man, no, Norman, held out his hand in an awkward gesture. For the first time in his life, Shimmer was allowed to decide his own fate. To grab this man’s hand and believe his words and promises, or to walk away and take the chance of making it on his own.

  The man’s hand was warm.

  +1 SP

  Synopsis for chapter skippers!