'First of all. Where am I and what is this place? Those people had swords, and they were talking about some kind of magic cores. Did I seriously become a character in a novel?'
'Status.'
'System.'
'Super Saiyan Mode?'
'Maybe mana?'
'...'
'As expected. Nothing. But... it was worth a try.'
'Okay... Calm down, Grey ... Don't panic... You just woke up after death in the body of a child, in a strange world with swords and magic, and you've been sold into slavery. Yeah, you don't have a system... But it's not that bad... Everything is under control... Everything is under control... You're an educated man from a developed civilization! You won't panic and shut down like the two little girls next to you...'
'Right! I'm in the body of a child! Shouldn't I be awakening some memories? To my predecessor: I'm so sorry for taking over your body. I didn't want to steal your life... I'm not that kind of person. But... But... since it happened, I'll make sure to carry out your final will...'
Convincing himself that he hadn't done anything wrong, Grey closed his eyes, trying to concentrate and summon the memories of the body's previous owner.
He expected to see glimpses of someone else's life, images of unfamiliar people or places. He needed to know at least something about this strange world. But instead, only his own memories surfaced in his mind.
He saw his childhood in a small apartment, his mother cooking dinner in a tiny kitchen. He remembered his first day of school, his first computer, the first lines of code. He remembered little, radiant Bella, whom his mother had introduced him to.
These images were so vivid that for a moment, Grey almost forgot where he was.
Opening his eyes, he returned to the reality of the cage and the two silent girls beside him. This reality dealt him another slap in the face—no memories, no skills—just the weak body of a ten-year-old boy.
Either he really had somehow moved into the body of a child from another world.
Or... this was his own body, somehow transported through time and space.
He realized he couldn't count on the experience of a "predecessor." All he had was his own mind and the knowledge from his past life.
'Okay, so is this actually my body? At least I didn't kill a kid. Right? Right?!' Grey thought. 'No memories, no system, no superpowers. I'll have to do things the old-fashioned way.'
He ruffled his hair, trying to focus. This simple gesture helped him gather his thoughts and bolster his resolve. Information—that was what he needed most right now.
Before thinking about escape, he needed to find out where he was and what kind of world this was. There was no point in taking risks only to end up in the middle of a desert without food or water.
Steeling himself, Grey turned his gaze toward the two girls locked in the same cage with him.
"Hi. My name is Grey . What can I call you? I think we should at least introduce ourselves," his voice, despite its childish tone, sounded confident and friendly.
The succubus completely ignored his question. She stared silently at the floor, as if his presence had nothing to do with her.
The girl with rabbit ears timidly raised her head and looked over her new neighbor with curiosity. Before her stood a handsome boy with black hair and blue eyes. Observing his fragile frame and exhausted face, she felt a need to respond.
"Sheryl is named Sheryl, and she is Lily," the girl introduced them in a strange manner.
Her voice turned out to be a bit muffled, as if she were pouting slightly. Furthermore, she referred to herself in the third person. Her behavior seemed unusually cute to Grey . Although there wasn't the slightest bit of enthusiasm in the girl's voice, her pitiful and innocent appearance was very disarming.
With an effort of will, Grey decided to count this as a good start and continued his questioning.
"How did you end up here? Were you kidnapped too?"
"Sheryl was born and raised here, and Lily... Sheryl doesn't know. Sheryl and Lily have always been together, so probably Lily too," the rabbit-girl continued to answer.
"You were born here? How is that possible? Where are your mother and father then?"
"Stupid... If Sheryl had a father, Sheryl wouldn't be here. Mama... Sheryl's mama was sold a week ago. And... she hasn't been seen since. Sheryl heard the overseers say that a woman from 'Venus's Embrace' bought her. But Sheryl is still little, so she can't follow mama."
The girl's voice wavered. "Sh-Sheryl hopes her mama is okay and will come back for Sheryl. Maybe... maybe she'll get lucky with a good job? Sniffle... If a place has the name of a god in it, it can't be anything bad? Right?"
Grey wore a strange expression, because he knew exactly what kind of establishment that was from overhearing the bandits' conversation, but he didn't shatter the young girl's illusions. She was too sweet and too innocent to face the harsh reality.
In any case, he gathered several important details from her monologue.
First, slavery here was a matter of course. This business seemed completely legal and didn't bother anyone in the least. Second, he was in a combat zone. Third, the girls' mothers would be working here in this city. Perhaps they could care for their own children... at least a little.
"Right, you're right, Sheryl. Don't worry. Your mama will be fine. Maybe she'll even be able to visit you from time to time..." Grey tried to encourage the girl.
Sheryl gave a weak smile. "Sheryl thinks so too, but..." she glanced at Lily and added quietly, "Lily says Sheryl will never see mama again."
Grey felt a flicker of irritation.
'How can you say things like that to a child?' he thought to himself.
To distract her from the dark thoughts, he quickly changed the subject. "And what do you know about this place, Sheryl? Where are we?"
"Boy, you are quite strange," a raspy voice drifted from the adjacent cage.
Grey flinched in surprise.
He hadn't noticed any other neighbors, as the cage was draped with a thick cloth. He had assumed that the only living beings nearby were Lily and Sheryl.
The elderly voice made him realize his mistake and reminded him of the need to be more attentive to his surroundings.
He slowly turned toward the voice, trying to catch a glimpse of the speaker through the fabric.
"What... what do you mean, elder? What's wrong with wanting to know exactly where I am?" Grey asked, trying not to betray his agitation.
"We are in the Harmon Chamber of Commerce, in the Thorn Slums. Didn't your parents teach you anything before they sold you off?" the old man replied, sticking his head out to get a look at the newcomer.
Despite his advanced age, grey hair, and the deep wrinkles lining his face, the old man's eyes were sharp and clear. He seemed entirely unfazed by his surroundings. Either he didn't take his status as a slave seriously, or he had grown accustomed to it over years of hardship.
He looked at the boy with curiosity, as if observing an amusing little animal.
"I... I don't remember my parents," Grey lied, trying to sound natural. After a moment's hesitation, he continued with feigned childish curiosity. "Mister, could you tell me what the Thorn Slums are? I've heard people call our city that, but I never knew why."
Even though Grey found the old man strange and even repulsive, he quickly realized the man could be a valuable source of information about the world—far more reliable than two frightened girls.
He was incredibly nervous, trying to hide his total ignorance behind a mask of childish curiosity. He hoped the old man wouldn't be too perceptive or suspect anything unusual about his questions.
The old man scrutinized Grey , as if evaluating his behavior. Then he sighed and began to explain.
"The Thorn Slums, boy, is the nickname for our Thorn Kingdom. As you might guess from the name, it's a place where only outcasts and beggars live. The land here is barren, and water can only be pulled from the depths of the canyon. That's why the main business here will always be slave trading and smuggling," the old man began.
"Then why do the authorities allow such a city to exist?" Grey interrupted, genuine confusion in his voice.
"What makes you think the authorities are idle? Recently, King Orion's ninth concubine was sent here to oversee things. Since then, they've called the city the Thorn Kingdom instead of the Slums," the old man smirked, but his laugh turned into a cough. "They say she's a beauty like the world has never seen, though she's quite young."
Grey nodded, memorizing every word. "And why is this place so important?"
"The city's strategic location," the old man replied. "It sits between the Barbarian Plains, the Pass of Loss, and the Thorn Thickets. You won't understand this, you're still too small. Just know that if enemy troops want to go through the Pass of Loss to the sea, they'll have to cross the Thorn Slums one way or another. The locals here will call for help from the Magic Empire, and its warriors will easily set up an ambush while the enemy army is marching through the canyon."
"Wait, wait, old man! I might be small, but I'm not a total idiot. I can see perfectly well that our city is a dump. No matter how important it is, it's no place for royalty. Why would King Orion send his own concubine here if she's as beautiful as you say?" Grey cut him off sharply, trying to act like he wasn't completely clueless.
The old man chuckled, a flicker of approval in his eyes.
"Not bad thinking for a little one," he said. "You're right, this is no place for royalty. Но you see, that's exactly the point."
He lowered his voice, as if afraid they might be overheard.
"They say this concubine is a cripple from the Blackthorn barbarian tribe. Beautiful, smart, but... unwelcome at court and completely useless to the King. Sending her here is an elegant way to get rid of a nuisance without staining his reputation."
Grey frowned, trying to process what he'd just heard.
"So, it's... an exile?"
"Exactly, boy. Officially, she's here to 'protect the interests of the state.' In reality, she's here to rot in this hole. Besides, you can't forget that barbarians are very touchy about outsiders, but they won't just cause trouble if the ruler of the city is a native of Pratos."
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