Graveyard of Life (II)

The inside of the mysterious building is dark and dreary.

There is a cold air within that chills me to the bone.

Without any torches or lighting, I struggle to even see my own feet in front of me.

“Where are we…?”

“Shhh. Quiet.”

Freila quickly hushes me, even though I was whispering, and puts a hand to her ear.

I do the same and soon also hear the sound of approaching footsteps.

“Tsk. Bad timing. A guard’s coming. Hide!”

Freila pushes me up into a corner and covers the both of us with her dark gray cloak. In the unlit darkness, we immediately blend into the shadows.

The footsteps draw nearer, and I soon also hear the clanging of metal.

I can’t see it from under the cloak, but it’s easy to imagine the guard wearing some sort of armor or holding a metal weapon.

I spot a faint light – likely from a portable lantern – come near us, but eventually turn the corner and disappear before reaching our location.

Freila waits a few more moments, before finally letting go of me.

“He’s gone. We should be good now.”

“Phew…”

I let out a relieved sigh. I couldn’t take that much longer. Not the hiding part but rather being pushed up against a wall by Freila… dangerous, dangerous stuff.

“Stay sharp, Mamoru. Let’s keep moving.”

“G-got it.”

We continue onwards, using the walls to guide our feet.

Seemingly familiar with the layout, Freila leads the way while I follow closely behind.

After maneuvering through a few hallways and down a treacherous flight of stairs, we finally enter an area with some actual windows that provide some much-needed lighting.

Thanks to that, I’m finally able to see what this place actually is.

At first, I mistake it for a prison. Under the peering twilight, I find myself in a long passageway with rows of cage-like rooms on either side. Inside each one is a person sitting or lying down on a straw-like mat. The rooms themselves, if you can even call them that, are very small, not big enough for anyone to walk around in.

I recall images I saw of so-called capsule hotels from my world. The way these people are being packed into these crammed spaces is similar, but without any of the modernity or comfort.

And the moment I realize that every single person in these cages is a demon, it all clicks for me.

“Satanya… is this place…?”

I turn to her for confirmation, muttering my question so Freila won’t hear.

“Yes. It must be a slave holding camp. It’s where the city keeps slaves that haven’t been bought by anyone yet.”

… I knew it. I just had a feeling that was the case.

Even still, a part of me was hoping Satanya would disprove my suspicions.

So, this is where the demon slaves stay… to be honest, it is actually better than what I was imagining, but only because the very word made me imagine the absolute worst conditions. This is still no way for any person to live.

“There’s so many of them… and these are just the ones that haven’t been bought?”

“Most likely. You haven’t been seeing them since you’ve only stuck to public streets so far, but the number of slaves working behind the scenes is likely innumerable. Otherwise, none of it would be possible.”

“What do you mean? What wouldn’t be possible?”

“Think about it. I told you how many humans died in the Great War, right? The kingdom lost a huge portion of its able-bodied labour force during the war. That kind of loss can easily cause massive destabilization in a nation’s work force. So, what do you do? How do you compensate for such a large labour shortage?”

“… by getting more labour from elsewhere.”

“Exactly.”

And there is no form of labour more efficient and exploitable than unpaid labour.

For the human kingdoms who took immense damage during the war, there was nothing better to help them rebuild than the very enemies who caused that damage to begin with.

That does make some sense to me.

But what doesn’t make sense, though, is what Freila is doing here? Why is she infiltrating this slave camp?

“Mamoru. This way, come on.”

She urges me from ahead, after noticing me slow down.

“Y-yeah… sorry. I’m coming.”

Still not knowing what we’re doing here, I follow her.

There are a hundred questions racing through my head, but I decide to just trust her. I’m sure she has a good reason for everything…

As we walk past the rows of cages, I take a look at some of the slaves inside. There are all sorts of varying appearances, but they all look battered and dirty. Many are already asleep, while others are just sitting in unnerving silence.

Some notice us pass and take note of our strange appearances, but they say nothing to us. I can’t tell if they’re just used to strangers walking past or if they’re simply in a state where they don’t care anymore.

Curiously, I keep an eye out to see if there any demons here that I recognize. Specifically, I try to see if the demons inside that slave wagon I saw are here. I’m not even sure if I want them to be or not, but in the end, I don’t find them.

And then, at last, the two of us come to a stop in front of a specific cage.

“Sashily. I’m here.”

The moment Freila speaks out, the person inside the cage immediately perks up and lifts her head.

“Freila! You came!”

She exclaims in a hushed voice, managing to lower her volume while still being ecstatic.

The person in the cage looks to be a girl a few years younger than me.

She has short brown hair with a particular lock of white in the front.

And most notably, she has a pair of horse-like ears on her head.

“It’s been a while, Sashily. Sorry I haven’t come by recently. Has it been two weeks already?”

“Don’t worry. I know you’ve been busy with the wedding stuff. I’ve been really busy with work too, so it was good timing. Oh wait, I’m always busy with work! Hahaha!”

Despite the dreary atmosphere, the girl named Sashily is remarkably jovial. It almost feels unnatural to see her joke and smile inside the cage.

Just then, she notices me standing behind Freila and her eyes sparkle.

“Oh? Who’s this? Don’t tell me… is he Mr. Husband? Do I finally get to meet your one-and-only?”

“No, no, not at all. He’s nothing like that.”

Um, Freila. You didn’t have to deny it so quickly and firmly. I’m standing right here you know.

“Sashily, let me introduce you to Mamoru. He’s a friend of mine.”

“Oh, uh, nice to meet you, Sashily. I’m Mamoru.”

I do a little awkward bow, not knowing what the decorum for this kind of event is.

“And Mamoru, this here is Sashily. One of my very best friends.”

“Hello! Nice ta meetcha, Mamoru! Any friend of Freila is a friend of me, so let’s get along!”

“Y-yeah…!”

Sashily cheers and flashes a V sign at me with such vigor that I can only nod along.

“Hey, hey, when did you two become friends? I’ve never heard you talk about him before.” Sashily excitedly asks.

“Oh, well… it was very recently.” Freila answers.

To be honest, I’m not sure the two of us even qualify as friends just yet. We still barely know each other. But I understand why Freila would introduce me as one, for simplicity’s sake.

“Wow, you just met and you’re already taking him on thrilling illegal adventures? You must really like this guy, Freila. You sure he’s not the one you should be marrying?” Sashily chuckles.

“Geez, don’t tease me. It’s obviously not like that.” Freila pouts.

Meanwhile, I can only laugh awkwardly at the topic.

“Come on. As your bestie, I reserve the right to tease you about your love life. And yet, you’ve never once brought your fiancé for me to meet! It’s unfair! I want to be able to see you blush and squirm as I tell him all your embarrassing secrets. Hmph, hmph!”

“That’s exactly why I can’t bring him. You’ll kill me of embarrassment before the wedding even happens.”

“Well, if he can’t even accept all of your embarrassing sides, he doesn’t deserve to marry you. I’m not giving my Freila to an intolerant guy like that.”

“Since when did I become yours? Silly.”

The two trade jabs and banter like old friends chatting at school. The entire atmosphere around us feels colorful and sweet in the face of their friendship.

Despite all her pouts and complaints, Freila looks like she’s having the time of her life just chatting with Sashily. They couldn’t seem anymore different, yet here and now they looked like they were always meant to be next to each other.

“Umm… sorry if this is rude to ask, but I was wondering. How did you two become friends?”

“Oh, well, it’s actually quite the story. It happened about 7 months ago.” Freila answers happily, her face lighting up just from recounting the memory. “I was visiting the shipyard when an accident happened, and an entire shipment nearly fell on me. Thankfully, Sashily was working there that day and she managed to pushed me out of the way just in time. She completely saved my life.”

“All thanks to my awesome speed and reflexes!” Sashily proudly boasts. “But after that… well, you know Freila. She said that she owed me her life, and she just wouldn’t leave me alone until she repaid the debt. So, starting from that day, she’d come visit me all the time while I was at work. She’d do things like bring me food for lunch or tell me stories of other parts of the city or distract the foreman for me so I could take a break. You should’ve seen the look on all the higher-ups at the shipyard, watching this high-class lady grovel to a slave like me. It was a riot!”

“Well, of course. It doesn’t matter what position you have. A life is a life. I needed to show my gratitude to the person who saved me.” Freila explains full of certainty. “Of course, I still feel like I haven’t paid back my debt yet. There’s still so much I want to do for Sashily.”

“And I’m telling you that you can forget stuff like that. We’re friends now and I ain’t gonna cash in a life debt from my best friend.”

“No. Friendship is one thing. Gratitude is another. You’re both my friend and my lifesaver. There are things I want to do for you as a friend and different things I want to do to repay you. For me, doing both without compromise is the right thing to do.”

She declares with both warmth and resolve in her voice.

Even with her best friends, she’s this upright huh. She really never changes.

“Oh, and speaking of which, I have one of those things I want to do for you right here with me. Here, Sashily. A token of my friendship.”

Freila reaches into her cloak and pulls out a familiar box.

Inside is the small cake that she baked earlier.

A decadent and fluffy carrot cake made with love.

“Wow! This looks delicious. Thanks, Freila!”

“Fufufu. Save the compliments for after you try it.”

With a spoon that Freila brought, Sashily digs in.

She eagerly takes a bite of the cake. And then another. And then more and more.

“Mmm! Good! So good! This is freaking the best thing ever!” Sashily exclaims as she shovels down more and more cake, unable to stop herself.

“Hey, hey, no need to rush. It’s not going anywhere. Hahaha!” Freila laughs elatedly at the sight.

At that moment, I think back to seeing her baking the cakes. Both the determination and pure joy as she poured her heart into every ingredient and step. It was all for this. To be able to see the happiness of the one eating her food is her greatest reward.

“Mmmm, this is so delicious. This might be the best one you’ve made so far, Freila. It’s amazing. It’s… it really is.”

Sashily finally slows down halfway through the cake.

Her spoon suddenly stops, and she looks at the cake with a satisfied smile.

“… yeah, I’m glad I got to try this before I left.”

Huh?

“… so, it’s been decided?”

“Yeah. Someone finally bought me. I’m being shipped out of Adamsale tonight.”

“I see… I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, what are you apologizing for? I told you not to worry about that.”

“But… but… if only I could’ve convinced Papa to buy your freedom sooner, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Hey, don’t make it sound like I’m dying. I’m only going to another city. It’s barely any different for me. C’mon, cheer up.”

“S-sorry… I’m sorry… I should be the one cheering you up and giving you moral support and yet…”

“Heh, it’s fine. Seeing your tears has given me strength too. But, I think I’d still prefer to see you smile, Freila.”

“R-right.”

Freila took a few moments to recompose herself and wipe away the tears starting to pool.

Once she’s calmer, Sashily lets out a complex sigh and then notices me still standing there.

“Oh. Sorry, Mamoru. Forgot you were there. Hope that wasn’t too downer for you.”

“No, I don’t mind… but are you going to be okay?”

What does it mean to be bought instead of being here? Is there that much of a difference?

“Hmm. Probably. It’s not like my position’s any different. I’m just being traded somewhere else. For me, the worst part is that I can’t see Freila anymore, that’s all.” She explains casually. “But hey, I hear that having a master can actually be better, so maybe it’s a promotion.”

“Is that true?”

I ask, not only her but also the demon on my shoulder.

Sashily just plays it off with a nod and a “yeah, sure” while Satanya states solemnly.

“It depends. The difference is that the conditions for public slaves under the city are all standardized, while private slaves owned by people are subject to their master’s whims.”

So, it’s more up in the air when you’re bought. A good master will provide better conditions, while a bad one may be even worse than the city.

For a slave, being bought can be both a moment of hope and a portent of fear.

“Speaking of which, any idea who bought me, Freila?”

“Mm, well, I snuck a look at the receipts the other day. The buyer seems to be a noblewoman from Sodan.”

“Oh, a noble household. That’s not too bad. I get to live in a fancy manor. Any info on them?”

“Not much. Sodan’s a minor territory and I’m not very familiar with it. But I saw that she’s been buying a lot of slaves recently. So, at the very least, you won’t be lonely.”

“Hey, that’s good. I’ll need someone to fill the void of separating with me bestie. Oh, don’t get upset if they end up taking my #1 spot, okay? Hahaha!”

Sashily grins brightly as if she heard nothing but good news.

She’s strong. Ridiculously strong. I can’t imagine how much mental strength it must take to smile at a time like this. Or perhaps it’s because she’s smiling that she can make it through.

Seeing that bright grin, Freila’s face stiffens. As if being able to sense the emotions lying beneath that grin, she looks disquieted for a moment and then suddenly clasps her hands around Sashily’s by force.

“Sashily! Listen. We won’t be apart for long. I promise I’ll come for you really soon. Whatever it takes, I’ll get you back and buy your freedom. That’s a promise.”

Freila smiles brightly, as if trying to mimic Sashily’s grin, and impart her own positivity onto her.

“There’s nothing to worry about either, Sashily. My husband is very kind and very powerful. Once we’re married, I can convince him to buy you back. It’ll barely take anytime. A month at most! And then, the two of us will be back together again. And you can live with me and we’ll be able to spend everyday together. So just hang in there and wait for a bit, okay?”

“… hah. Living together huh… the way you say it makes it sound like you’re marrying me instead! Hahahahaha! Your husband’s going to be so pissed when I become the most annoying third wheel ever!”

Sashily guffaws strongly, forcibly setting the atmosphere back to jovial.

“Sashily…”

“Hey, look, there’s no need to try and reassure me, Freila. Don’t worry, I have full faith we’ll see each other again. I’m sure we will. But don’t be in a rush to get me back either. It’s your important moment. Go and enjoy your honeymoon first without worrying about me. Only after that should you come and pick me up. Seriously! If I find out you spent your entire wedding and honeymoon worrying about me, I’ll get mad! I won’t forgive you!”

“Fufu, I suppose you would… and I always hate to see you mad. I guess it can’t be helped. I’ll have to see you when I see you.”

“That’s the spirit! I’ll be looking forward to your wedding pictures!”

They smile at each other, both warmly and painfully.

There is no guarantee that they’ll ever actually meet again, yet they put on smiles to comfort the other. Hiding their own pain yet trying to sooth the hidden pain of the other… a bond that can only exist between truly great friends. And yet, a bond that can be so easily broken.

Seeing it makes me wonder…

“Hey. Sashily… what if…”

I start to mutter, as the thought reaches my mind.

“Hm? What is it?”

“Mamoru?”

The two girls turn to me curiously as I interrupt their warm moment together.

“What if… What if I could break you out of here right now? Would you want me to do so?”

I ask her in a hesitant yet hopeful voice.

I wasn’t intending to reveal anything about my true powers today or even do anything bad at all. A part of me was hoping that I continue to just be the innocent and selfless Mamoru when I’m around Freila.

But this changes things. If I can help her by saving Sashily, then I want to do so. If I can get Sashily out of here and stop her from being sold to begin with, then they won’t have to wait to reunite. They can be together from now on. Nothing will ever separate them again.

That’s the best outcome I could think of to make Freila happy. And yet—

“Don’t you dare!!”

Sashily suddenly roars at me in unrestrained anger.

Her usually cheerful and friendly face turns into an expression of pure fury and wrath out of nowhere. She looks at me with sheer animosity, as if wanting to break out of that cage solely to bite my head off.

“Don’t you even fucking think of doing anything like that! Don’t you realize that if you do something stupid like that, you’ll get Freila in trouble! Are you an idiot!? I don’t know who you are to her, but I’ll never forgive you if you cause her harm. I’ll kill you!”

“Huh? Uhh, umm…”

“H-hey! Sashily, it’s okay. Calm down, calm down. Look, Mamoru didn’t actually mean it. Right, Mamoru?”

Freila swiftly gets in between us and forcibly smothers the air with her comforting voice.

As for me, I am left stunned and speechless by the sudden unexpected outburst. Of everything, that was the last reaction I ever expected. I never thought I’d see the amicable and lively Sashily get like this…

She herself continues to glare daggers at me, even as Freila continues to speak calming words to her. Only after she sees my shellshocked expression does she slowly start to settle down.

“… sorry. I got carried away. My bad.”

She murmurs sullenly, like a child who just got punished but doesn’t actually think they did anything wrong.

“N-no, I’m sorry too. I… shouldn’t have said that.”

I apologize as well, not knowing how to act after that outburst.

“Umm well… yeah, you shouldn’t say stuff like that even as a joke, Mamoru. And well… I am sure you were just joking, but in case you were even a little serious, let me be clear. Please don’t do anything rash like that. It won’t help anyone.”

Freila lectures me in a gentle, scolding voice. Against it, I can do nothing but lower my head in shame and listen.

“I know that you’d be acting with nothing but good intentions, however it would still be wrong to do such a thing. The best way to handle things is through the proper methods. That way causes the least trouble and hurts the least people. That’s the right thing to do. Do you understand?”

“… yeah, I do. I’m sorry.”

The right thing to do, huh…

I should’ve known.

Of course Freila would see it that way.

I wish I still did…