I Woke Up In Another World As A Slave

He had been left alone in the foul-smelling Slaughterhouse for what seemed like an eternity, though it was a little more than a day since the Baron and Timmy had been there. Yesterday, he had spent the entire day writhing on the grimy floor, occasionally shedding a tear. Although he recalled nothing of his past, he was certain he had never felt so powerless before. He went to bed, if the least dirty corner of a cabin could be called a bed, sobbing and crying. He awoke not feeling rested at all. His eyes were swollen, and his back was sore, but today felt different. He could think more clearly. All his troubles and the mental fog that came with them were washed away by the morning sun. Reflecting on the previous day, he felt a sliver of pride. The Baron did not like his answer at all. In a way, he had told him, "Even though I am a Player, I'd much rather be a slave than an Adventurer like you." That wiped the smug grin right off his face. Perhaps being a Player has its perks.

He recalled how Reacher's behavior had changed since the knights first noticed his "Status." He wondered how he had been able to see the "Status." After all, it was Becket who had slapped him that day. He figured there must be a way to check it without engaging in a fight. He was curious what the "Status" of the other slaves looked like, as he had missed the chance during the brawl. He also wanted to see his own, if possible. What was it? LVL 1? And PP was LVL 10 or so, while the Baron was LVL 50. Man, that's a lot of stuff to keep track of.

His thoughts soon became unfocused, and he couldn't concentrate any longer. He was bored. And he was hungry. Very hungry. There wasn't much to do inside the Slaughterhouse, and no one had brought him food or water during his time there. By now, he had already fantasized about all the different ways he would prepare the pig hanging in the middle of the room. However, that only made him hungrier, so he resolved to keep himself busy somehow. He had tried opening the door, which of course was locked, paced the room up and down a few times, and attempted to climb the walls to look outside through the slits under the ceiling, which resulted in him falling on his backside. He had to somehow free himself from his wrist bindings first. The knot was tight. He pulled at it with his teeth and even tried wedging a toe into one of the rope's loops, but nothing worked. All that remained was to sit there until the sun set and ignore his rumbling stomach. He somehow preferred working the mines with the others to steaming in there alone. In the end, the Slaughterhouse wasn't as bad as expected. Then again, I am a Player. Cadmun left here bleeding from top to bottom. Who knows what they do to the others?

He had no time to dwell on that injustice because suddenly the door to the Slaughterhouse swung open. The room was filled with torchlight. Two men, Reacher and the servant Timmy, stepped inside. Without a word, Timmy grabbed the pig and took it outside. He wasn't wearing a mask this time. Even though he's bigger than me, he can't be more than 15 years old.

Reacher came over to him and cut his bindings. The Mace took a look at his busted chin, but when the hand was raised to heal it, he turned away. He wouldn't do it if I was like the others.

Reacher lowered his hand.

"Go outside," the Mace said, "we're heading back to camp."

When he stepped out the door, he saw Becket riding one of two horses with a torch in his hand. Beside him, Timmy awkwardly tried to hold the dead pig. The servant was not allowed to place it on the free horse, as that was reserved for Reacher to ride. As soon as the Mace mounted, they set off. After just a few steps, Timmy lost his balance and dropped the pig on the ground. Upon hearing the thud, Reacher turned to scold him but refrained when he saw Timmy hurrying to pick up the pig again. He grabbed the front legs and gestured for the servant to take hold of the other two.

"Let me help you."

The servant looked up to meet his eyes. Timmy seemed surprised and hesitated. He nodded to show the boy it was alright for them to do it together.

"Hurry up, you two," Becket reprimanded them.

This startled Timmy, and he grabbed the hind legs of the pig without a second thought. The pig must have been too heavy to carry alone initially, or perhaps he was just too weak from not eating for so long. Together they transported the pig all the way to the camp. Occasionally, Reacher glanced over his shoulder to check on them. They followed the two mounted knights on the various paths of the manor, crossing some fields until they descended a hill. As the slave camp crept into view, the knights turned toward the mansion without a word. A large crowd gathered around the fireplace. He recognized most of them by their faces and clothes as miners, while others wore the typical red garments for servants. There was a third group of people wearing clothes he hadn't seen before. All in all, there must have been well over 50 people waiting for them. How will that one pig feed us all? It's not even that fresh anymore...

The two boys moved closer to the fire, stepping into the light, and people began to notice them. One by one, they turned around, and as soon as they laid eyes on the pig, they couldn't stop smiling.

"Recruit," he heard a familiar voice call out, "you took your sweet time getting here."

They finally arrived at the campfire where the big bald man was waiting for them. Cadmun directed others to prepare the pig, and a couple of servants relieved them of the carcass from their weary arms. The crowd gathered, turning their attention to the pig as it passed through, swiftly becoming engrossed in discussions about the best way to prepare pork. Hearing suggestions like "roasted" or "in a stew" made his mouth water.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Cadmun! Are you okay?" he asked.

"I should be asking you the same," Cadmun answered. "Looks like we both came out with a few scrapes, eh?"

Cadmun chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. He couldn't even muster a smile. He felt beaten. He felt lost. If only it were just a few scrapes.

Cadmun's demeanor shifted. He glanced over to Timmy, who merely shook his head. He crouched to meet the boys eye to eye. That's what they were, after all. Just some boys.

"They got you good."

The bald man searched for the right words, but he wasn't in the mood to talk about it.

"Hey kid, what happened? You look like shit." Montgomery emerged from the crowd and approached them. "And you smell like it too."

The two men stood in front of him, waiting for an answer.

"I just want to lie down," he told them.

He wasn't tired. Especially not after doing nothing all day, but he wanted to be left alone.

"Well, guess what," Montgomery said, "Sir Frost also wanted to lie down after the Slaughterhouse yesterday. Imagine his surprise when I told him that you took apart his tent to wear as underpants and have been rubbing your privates all over it."

Cadmun sprang up. "Montgomery!"

The authoritative Sir Frost snarled at Montgomery to hold his tongue at inappropriate times like these, but his remark caught the boys off-guard, and they burst out laughing. They were just boys, after all. Seeing this, the former factory supervisor's expression softened.

"If you wanted new clothes, you just had to find a diamond." Montgomery joined the boys in laughter for a good minute.

"Alright, that's enough," Cadmun said, feigning authority in his voice, but the three slaves kept laughing at the misfortune of losing whatever roof over his head he had.

Then Cadmun shouted: "I said that's enough!"

The three of them immediately quieted.

"Now, onto more serious matters." Cadmun lowered his head, casting a shadow that darkened his face. "Is it true? What Timothy told Lydia?"

Cadmun's eyes flickered between him and Timmy as he posed the question. There was only one thing he could mean by that. There's no point in lying here.

"Yes, I am a Player," he ensured he spoke as quietly as possible, so the crowd behind Cadmun wouldn't overhear.

"What?" Montgomery exclaimed, but immediately clamped his hand over his mouth.

Fortunately, the other slaves were too engrossed in their fantasies of dinner to pay them any mind.

Then he whispered: "You mean, you're an Adventurer? Is that what happened with the gems?"

He nodded.

"We need to inform Shadis," Cadmun stated.

"What? No!" Montgomery protested. "You can't do that. The others will tear him apart if they find out."

"This is a significant security risk. What if he's a spy?"

"I'm not a spy!" he proclaimed, but was completely ignored.

"Cadmun, hold on a minute. Let's not waste an opportunity here. Imagine what we could do just by having one of their Inventories." Montgomery gestured wildly. "Or think about all the information we can gather from their Statuses. We can finally see what they see!"

I'm not an inventory either!

Cadmun shook his head. "They're not stupid. They know that we'll know. Don't you find it suspicious that they present us with him?"

Montgomery put his hands together. "Please, don't ruin such a big chance! The others are too narrow-minded to understand the potential."

The two men argued as if in their own world. This was all too familiar. And frustrating. No pleading or begging from Montgomery helped. Sir Frost had made up his mind.

"It's just as big a chance that we're getting tricked," Sir Frost said sternly. "How can we trust him? We don't even know his name!"

"You can't seriously believe he wants to harm us? He's just a boy!"

"Bonatelli is also just a boy."

With that, the discussion ceased abruptly. Montgomery was at a loss for words.

"I'm not the Baron. I'm not like the other Adventurers!" he tried to defend himself.

"I surely hope so," Cadmun replied.

Something had shifted in the bald man's expression. His face seemed more sour, more… hostile. An uneasy feeling welled up in his stomach. Apart from Montgomery, he had no allies. If that was the case, then he wasn't safe anywhere anymore. If the other men saw a reason to fight him for being a Player, then he was sure to be beaten up again. And PP might join them too! You can't be serious, right? How am I the enemy after everything I've been through?

Montgomery looked at him as if he read his mind and agreed. There was no reason for hostilities. Cadmun had to understand that, but something in his past had made him distrustful of Adventurers. Is that what Bonatelli meant? That a lot of people won't like my decision?

In the end, it was Timmy who broke through to Cadmun. The boy, who he had never heard speak before, softly took Cadmun's hand and looked into the man's eyes with determination. Cadmun's tense face softened, and he turned to Montgomery.

"Monty, this will come out eventually. If not by us, then by Reacher or Becket."

"Monty?" Montgomery blinked. "It's been years."

Cadmun waved him off. "Besides the point."

Monty?

"I know. We just have to let it simmer and serve it to the others carefully, before those idiots drop the oil into the fire." Montgomery smiled slyly. "Speaking of food, let's not spoil everyone's appetite with heavy topics. Let's not ruin today's celebration."

"You're impossible." Cadmun let out a laugh. "Now I'm hungry."

"Come on, the pork's starting to smell really good. We'll talk about this another time."

Cadmun's eyes shifted from Montgomery to Timmy and back. "You're right. Let's discuss this another time."

The faces of Montgomery and Timmy lit up, and he felt the weight being lifted from his shoulders. Thanks, you two!

Cadmun turned more serious for a moment. "That does not mean you'll be treated differently."

He straightened his back. "Of course not, Sir Frost."

"Let's go then!" Montgomery said, jumping up and down with anticipation as he made his way through the crowd.

The other two turned towards the campfire and followed Montgomery. When they turned their backs on him, he let out a sigh of relief. Timmy noticed he hadn't joined them and waved him over.

"Recruit, go get yourself cleaned up!" Cadmun ordered with the bravado he had come to expect from him. "It looks like the food will be ready any minute now."

"That's a great idea! Just ask Lydia if she can wash your back like she does the Baron! That'll wash all your worries away!" Montgomery winked.

He blushed at the thought.

"Montgomery!" Cadmun yelled and began to chase him, but Montgomery had already vanished into the crowd.