Finding Freedom

He had gotten up, although feeling weary he made it to his feet.

Why does this place feel so familiar yet so foreign to me?

He could tell it was still early in the morning, with the sunlight streaming in from the small windowpane. The light dappled the side of his mother's face, a face bent on concern and worry.

"You were asleep for two days, I believed you would wake up even when others didn't"

He looked at his mother and gave her a hug.

"You won't need to worry about me anymore"

And with that he put on a tattered black cloak, and went to head out on his own. But before he could move past the door, a guard had stopped him right in his tracks.

"And where would you be going—slaves are not yet to leave their rooms"

The word was like an arrow to one's heart, and the glare of the guard made him go on back to the room that he had planned on leaving.

"I should've told you. You might not remember everything but it is true that we are slaves"

"I see. If that is the case then I will make sure to it that we're no longer slaves anymore"

I have to accept the way things have turned out to be—if I can't get back to my little sister then I'll just have to deal with my own problems from now on. My mother on Earth died so unexpectedly but here it is as if she never left my side.

"What about father?"

"He's still sick, unlike you, I don't believe he's going to make it—"

So even in this world my father is beyond repair.

After waiting some time the guards finally permitted them to leave the slave quarters. There weren't many slaves except for him, his mother, his father and a girl and her mother. His mother had informed him of the duties that he was in charge of. She did so covertly as not to attract any unwanted attention to the fact that he didn't have an idea of his duties as a slave.

"Dravis, you are a personal slave to the second princess, Leona"

So that's my name in this world—

The place wasn't all that extravagant, but one could see for themselves that it was certainly high society. He was escorted to the second princess Leona. He passed through the halls, looking at each portrait being the subject of the same woman. Once they had found Leona, the guard had left his sights.

She had the likeness of his little sister, only with a different hair color, he couldn't help but stare at her face. Small lips. Wide eyes and pointed ears.

She's an elf?—she must be.

"I was told that you were weren't going to wake up and I thought of how you couldn't be replaced—"

There seemed to be a lack of authenticity in her voice, he could see right through this ploy.

"Is that right?"

"Of course not—I could replace you without thinking, and yet I have yet to do so"

“I don’t wish to be a slave—

Seriously? Slavery is still a thing?

I thought people had come to terms with slaves being often a racist and outdated philosophy.

“Is that so?” Her eyes took a mischievous turn.

“There’s a way that I would allow it—if you became my weapon”

“That would of course mean that you are bound to me—”
This is sounding more trapping than a marriage proposal, If this is my only chance at becoming a free person then I know that I must take it.

“Okay, on one condition”

“What would that be—shouldn’t your freedom be enough?”

He knew not to push the situation further but couldn’t help but speak his mind freely.

“You let me become an adventurer, Afterall what is a weapon to use if it has become dull?”

“Hm, you do have a point, fair enough, I shall let you become an adventurer. I just don’t think you’ll get too far on your own—you should join an adventurers guild, being a solo adventurer just wouldn't do"

And with those words, she had agreed to it.

“I will accompany you to the adventurers guild”

They both left the manor, it almost looked like an abandoned castle, each face of it being unkept for, vines crawling along its sides one would only come to that conclusion. Dravis turned his head away and focused on the task at hand—becoming as best an adventurer that he could be and saving his mother from both poverty and somehow freeing her from being a slave. A carriage was awaiting them both, but the horses were made out of smoke.

“Never seen a shadow steed before?” She had noticed that Dravis was looking at it with awe.

“They travel two times as fast as a normal horse”

“Magic is quite convenient,” she said.

"Let's not waste any time,”

The carriage traveled along with haste, once they came into the capital city, she ordered the carriage driver to head to the adventurers guild. They both stepped out and walked across the cobbled street to come inside the adventurers guild. He approached the desk while Leona waited for him near the door.

“I’m looking to join an adventurer’s guild”

“Do you have any ID?” she had asked.

Leona had shown her the only ID of Dravis she had with her, and that was his slave ID.

“I’m afraid there’s only one adventurer's guild that will accept such ID”

The woman's eyes remained distant, as if telling Dravis to leave and that it wasn’t worth his time.

“Sign me up—”

“Are you sure…?” She said as if she thought that he’d be aware of things which he had no clue about.

“Yes”

It’s my only option. I wasn’t given much of a choice. 

It looks like even Leona knew about this particular guild, but she didn't speak out about it. Before they had left, he was given an adventurer bronze pin.

The name of this adventurer’s guild would be everything I needed to know.

After I returned to the desk she told me the name of the adventurer’s guild and I couldn’t believe my ears—