The three idiots who couldn't become heroes are preparing a man's meal today as well. - Chapter 6
Episode 6: The Slave Girl and the Yakiniku Stall
Slave.
In this world, it’s a “system” that exists as naturally as breathing.
Run out of money to survive, unable to repay debts—
For reasons like these, people are “sold.”
What shocked me the most was how normal it is for parents to sell their own children.
According to the receptionist, nobles have children to continue their family line,
while commoners raise children with the general understanding that they can be sold off in times of need.
It was yet another reminder that this really is a different world.
Children who are raised normally grow up as citizens,
while those who are sold are treated as “tools.”
It’s a terrifying reality.
“And so, here we are at the slave market!”
“Nishida… how can you say that so casually?”
“I know, right? It’s hard not to feel sorry for them. I guess that makes me a hypocrite.”
With our moods all over the place, we stood before a building known for dealing in slaves.
Apparently, slave shops are pretty common here, with buildings that look just like regular apartment complexes often being places where people are sold.
Incredible, really—this world is just overflowing with human trafficking.
I guess there’s demand for it, though.
Even within the term “slave,” there’s a wide range.
Those who fight, those with specialized skills, those who handle household chores—
and, of course, those used for… other things.
Because of this, “slaves” are used in all sorts of situations in this world.
Buy them when needed, sell them when they’re not.
That’s just the norm here, apparently.
“So, with that said—Kou-chan, I’m leaving it to you!”
“…Oi.”
“You’re our fearless leader! We’re counting on you!”
Nishida, who had been striding confidently just moments ago, suddenly ducked behind me, pushing me forward.
How did this become my responsibility?
Am I seriously supposed to handle this human trafficking transaction?
A heavy sigh slipped out before I could stop it.
Ah… Japan might’ve been a hassle in many ways, but it was a blessing, wasn’t it?
Muttering such thoughts to myself, we stepped inside the building,
carrying a letter of introduction from the guild branch manager.
??? POV
“At this rate, you’ll be dead soon anyway, right? So you don’t need this food.”
With a sneer, a fox beastkin girl snatched away the meal that had been given to me,
leaving only a piece of bread behind out of some twisted sense of “courtesy.”
This was nothing new.
This was a shop that dealt in slaves.
And even among slaves, there was a clear caste system.
Higher price tags meant higher status.
Slaves were ranked explicitly based on their monetary value.
I was at the bottom.
Too scrawny, underdeveloped compared to the others, and a beastkin on top of that.
As a member of the Neko-jin (Catkin, Cat-people, Cat-person, Cat-Demi, you name it)) tribe, I was seen as nothing more than a pet—
even other beastkin looked down on me.
That’s why even food rations, meant to be distributed equally, were stolen from me without hesitation.
The scornful gazes from others trapped in the same cage were part of my daily life.
Of course, there were slaves with far greater value than me.
They were given private rooms instead of being crammed into cages like this.
In the end, it was all just a pointless contest.
Out of the dozens of us trapped here, who held the most “status”?
It was over such meaningless hierarchies that I was constantly tormented.
This world is truly rotten…
I thought that every single day.
“If you’re looking for cheap slaves, this is the room—but I wouldn’t recommend it. They’re often useless or die quickly.”
“Well, um… looking at the expensive ones gives me a headache, to be honest. Haha…”
A merchant entered the room.
Judging by his demeanor, he probably wasn’t someone with much money.
No one would willingly come down to this underground prison unless they had no other choice.
Most likely, he was looking for someone to exploit for menial labor or use as a disposable decoy in battle.
And yet, despite that grim reality, the other slaves desperately began to grovel.
“I hold a title in ‘embroidery’! Please, consider me!”
“I don’t have any special titles, but I’m more developed than the others!”
Everyone shouted, trying to catch the buyer’s attention.
They knew—even if it meant being treated horribly,
it was still better than rotting away in this dungeon.
Sure, they might die the same day they were purchased.
But even so, it might still be a better fate…
than staying here forever.
The three men who entered the room looked like bandits.
In response, everyone began to make their appeals, some even lifting up tattered clothes that could only be called rags to show their underwear.
I couldn’t help but be impressed by how far they were willing to go as I bit into the bread that had fallen to the floor.
Even if it had fallen and gotten dirty, even if it had been sullied by someone else’s hands,
this bread was the nutrition I needed.
Without eating this, I wouldn’t be able to survive.
Though I was sold as a slave, I had no intention of dying in such a dungeon, being cursed and degraded.
I had to live…
With that thought in mind, I continued to chew the bread.
“That girl in the corner. Who’s she?”
“Her… well, I really wouldn’t recommend her. Considering the cost of her meals and all, it’s two gold coins, but she can only do basic animal dissection… nothing else.”
“Oh, seriously? Then I’ll take her.”
“…Are you sure?”
I heard the strange conversation and instinctively turned my gaze toward them.
They were looking straight at me.
I was a Beastkin, thin and frail.
Because of that, my value was extremely low.
Beastkin, with their superior physical abilities compared to humans, are mostly used for labor like carrying goods, but these men seemed more like walkers, or bandits.
So why were they looking at someone like me?
“We need her skills, and the price is within our budget. Is there a problem? Oh, but the guild leader will cover the cost, right?”
“Hey, Kou-chan, let’s use our money for this. Maybe they’ll take it back later, but let’s cut the flag off before it stands.”
“It’s a bit of a painful expense, but… yeah, it might not be a bad idea. Besides, getting scolded later would be a hassle. And I don’t think the flag will be cut unless it’s actually standing.”
“…Well, then. Shall we proceed with cash payment right here?”
“Yep.”
The slave merchant muttered that and opened the cage, walking toward me.
Eh? Huh?
While my mind was filled with questions, I was grabbed by the arm and pulled out of the cage.
Just when I had been determined to escape one day, I was taken out so easily.
And from the “inside,” I felt several jealous, resentful glances.
Honestly, I felt a bit smug.
It wasn’t any of you who tormented me that were chosen, it was me.
Serves you right, I thought, feeling some sense of satisfaction.
But when I saw the men up close, those fleeting emotions instantly disappeared.
“Are you sure about this slave? We won’t issue a refund if she dies in a few days.”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
Though their words were polite, their appearance was terrifying.
The three of them wore armor stained with blood, so caked on that it had become a dark, almost blackish color.
It didn’t smell like they hadn’t bathed in days, like bandits often do, but their appearance was brutal.
Their whole demeanor screamed that death was part of their everyday life.
It wasn’t just their armor being a little bloodied.
They wore full plate armor, but it was covered in blood from head to toe.
It had probably once been silver, but now it was a dull, dark color—completely soaked in blood.
They were people who lived while bathing in death.
“I… I-I didn’t mean…”
Fear made the words slip out.
As a slave, such words should never be spoken—ones that I should never dare utter.
The slave merchant, noticing, raised his hand, veins bulging on his forehead.
“You—what did you just say, slave?”
I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the pain that would surely come.
But the blow never came.
“Violence against a girl is a bit much.”
The man in full plate armor, who was radiating a strange sense of pressure, grabbed the slave merchant’s wrist.
Who were these people?
The other two men glared at the slave merchant with murderous intent.
They were acting as if they were protecting me, a mere slave.
Such people hadn’t existed before.
“Well then, we’ll take her. Is there any paperwork to do?”
The man in the front said, and I was held in his arms.
If I had been scooped up by the bloodstained gauntlet, I might have felt terror, but strangely, I felt a sense of comfort, as if I were being protected.
From the bottom of my heart… What is this?
“Th-then, please sign this document. And if you could drip your blood onto her collar, the slave contract will be complete.”
“Uh, is it okay if I do it? Or would you guys prefer to?”
““Go ahead, Leader.””
“Since when did I become the leader?”
And so, the slave contract proceeded smoothly.
Why was I even purchased?
With that lingering question in mind, I was led away from “hell” by their hands.
The “hell” where I once thought I might spend the rest of my life.
I am a slave, an inferior being who must obey my Master’s orders without question.
That’s why I mustn’t hold on to hope.
I kept telling myself that, always striving not to harbor any hope.
Or at least, I thought I had… until right after leaving the slave trader.
“Alright, first things first—food. You were gnawing on that nasty bread earlier, right? Gotta eat something tasty.”
“Do you have any foods you don’t like? Or anything you really enjoy? Just let us know, okay?”
“Oh, look, yakiniku. Let’s check it out. You should eat a lot and regain your strength!”
Without really understanding what was going on, I was led into a shop, and before me was a mountain of food.
The person who seemed like the leader was busy grilling, and while everyone else ate heartily, they kept piling food onto the plate set in front of me.
Am I… allowed to eat this?
“U-um…”
As I hesitated, my stomach let out an embarrassing growl.
“Go on, eat up, eat up. You’re too scrawny to survive camping out like that. Oh, maybe you should start with some soup to warm up your stomach? Excuse me! One pottage, please!”
“Yeah, eat up, eat as much as you like. You probably never got to feel full back in that place, right? Here, I was planning to eat this short rib, but you can have it. Though, it was Kou-chan who grilled it.”
“Ah, here’s the soup! Go ahead and eat as much as you want, okay?”
With their warm words, more and more food kept piling up in front of me.
Am I really allowed to eat this?
I haven’t done anything to be useful yet.
“A-um…”
“Before eating, we say ‘itadakimasu’ and put our hands together. Like this…”
““Itadakimasu!””
“Just like that.”
After showing me, the two of them went back to eating, and even the one grilling occasionally popped some meat into his mouth.
I can… really eat this, right?
“I-Itadakimasu…”
Just as I was taught, I put my hands together and took a small sip of the soup in front of me.
And for some reason, tears began to spill from my eyes.
Delicious. It’s just… delicious.
Completely different from the food I ate inside the cage.
It had real flavor, and it genuinely satisfied my hunger.
Is this what food is supposed to taste like? It felt like I was remembering something I had long forgotten.
“Come on, eat the meat too. You’re still growing, don’t hold back.”
They handed me a small plate.
It was already piled high with meat. I stabbed one piece with a fork and popped it into my mouth.
I’ll say it again—I am a slave.
Even having a tiny chunk of meat in my soup would’ve been considered a luxury.
And yet here I was, eating a piece so big I had to open my mouth wide to fit it in.
Is it really okay for me to eat something like this?
That thought vanished the moment the meat’s flavor spread in my mouth.
It was so delicious that countless emotions surged through me.
This is the taste of meat. The slightly spicy sauce blended with it made me feel nothing but happiness.
And above all—
“It’s warm…”
It wasn’t cold. The food I was eating now was warm.
The meals I’d been given as a slave were always cold and hard.
But this food… it was warm and tender.
“Ugh… Uuu… sniff“
“Hey now, no time for crying. Eat up, or these guys will snatch it all away from you.”
“Y-Yes!”
That day, for the first time in my life, I ate as if competing with someone.
Meat, vegetables, soup—everything they gave me was delicious.
It was my first time feeling so full I thought I couldn’t eat another bite.
Before I knew it, my tears had dried, and I was completely engrossed in the meal.
My stomach was full, everyone was laughing.
It was a scene I could’ve never imagined back when I was underground.
And there I was—existing as part of that scene.
Maybe this is what people mean when they say it feels like a dream.
Ah, I was bought by these people.
From now on, I’ll be with them.
Thinking that made me feel at ease, and I felt my heavy eyelids slowly drooping.