I Woke Up In Another World As A Slave

"Damn, that Baron!" Emilia exclaimed. "To hell with him!"

Lucille adjusted the towel wrapped around her. "He's sick. That boy is sick in the head."

Stick didn't fully grasp the situation. "Is everything alright?"

"Nothing is alright!" It was Lucille who shouted this time. "He made us—he wanted us to—A child… I mean, you look younger, but most NPCs do nowadays. Why would he want us to do something like that? There are laws against that."

Emilia stood up to embrace the rambling Lucille. "It's okay, honey. We didn't do anything wrong."

Despite the hot steam in the room making the three of them sweat, Lucille was shivering. Emilia comforted her until she calmed down.

"Ew." It finally clicked in Stick's head.

Emilia turned sharply. "What do you mean 'ew'? Does the thought of it disgust you so much?"

He didn't mean to insult the obviously pretty women. "No, no, it's just… The Baron. As a person, you know? Just 'ew'."

"Oh, yeah." Emilia turned back to Lucille to massage her shoulder.

"Why are you two his slaves in the first place?" Stick asked. "You're Players!"

"We're not some cheap sex slaves, you dimwit!" Emilia shouted.

Emilia was about to slap Stick, but Lucille held her hand.

"Stop it!" she said softly. "He's right. We might as well be."

Emilia took a step back. She decided not to participate in the conversation anymore. Instead, she took another towel from the racks and started to clean up the mess on the floor.

"We're not slaves," Lucille began to explain, "but we are serving the Baron and his associates in different ways."

Stick had to readjust his torn rags. He started to get a bad feeling.

Lucille continued: "There's not much one can do in the East with LVL 15. Most jobs Carnifex provides require you to be a higher LVL. And they usually involve occupying the land of the NPCs, unless you're exercising a profession like Blacksmithing for the army in the capital. But you have to be Max LVL to do that."

"Why is there such a big difference in LVLs?" Stick asked, thinking back to the Paladin who traveled to the Front Lines.

"You really don't remember anything, do you?" Lucille asked.

Stick shook his head.

"The war with the Heavenly Union keeps us from going to the appropriate leveling zones," Lucille said. "We tried fleeing to the West, but the border in the South is too fortified. If we tried crossing from anywhere else, we'd be killed by monsters. The only choice we have left is to work here in the Whispering Woods."

"So you're trapped here?"

"No, we are free to go whenever, but there's nowhere else we can safely go to. It's either work the fields or serve in the mansion. But working under the Baron is—"

Emilia started to weep. She was picking up some shards with a sunken head.

"Emilia…" Lucille started to rub her shoulder.

"It's fucked," Emilia sobbed. "Working under the Baron is fucked."

Stick clenched his teeth. So getting out of here is just the first step. Fleeing from Carnifex to the West will be the bigger challenge.

Somebody knocked on the door.

"Five more minutes!" they heard through the door.

Stick was unsure if he should answer the knight. "Thanks!"

"Whatever he wants from you, don't trust him," Lucille said.

"Yeah, I got that already. But thank you for the warning."

Emilia wiped the tears from her eyes. "He likes to demonstrate his power over people. We refuse to offer him our services because he's underage. That's probably why he wanted us to—"

"Seduce you," Lucille interrupted her.

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"I'm sorry if we made you uncomfortable," Emilia said. "He promised us twice our pay if we went through with it."

"It's fine," Stick tried to assure them.

But it was in fact not fine. He was still upset about the whole ordeal. This whole system is broken. It's not their fault; they're desperate for money. But still…

He opened his [Inventory] and retrieved the [Diamond]. It appeared in his hand.

"Here."

"What? What's going on?" Lucille asked.

He offered the diamond to the women. "This is for you two. Thank you for all the information you gave me today."

Lucille was hesitant to accept. "Do you mean it? Are you sure?"

"Oh my God! Look at that baby!" Emilia grabbed the diamond and held it against the light. "That must be at least 1000 gold!"

"Emilia, give it back!" Lucille pleaded.

But Emilia's eyes were sparkling like the gem in her hand. She was transfixed.

"No, take it." Stick smiled. "It's a token of my appreciation. So you don't have to follow every order the Baron gives."

"Thank you so much," Lucille said on the verge of tears. "That's very kind of you."

Emilia slowly got back to reality. "I thought you were just an NPC miner. How did you get it?"

"Well, that's the thing," Stick answered. "I'm not just a simple miner. I'm the greatest miner. I'm Stick Arslan, the man who will become the greatest hero of this world. I'll be the one who will free the slaves."

Lucille's eyes widened. "You really want Carnifex as your enemy? Are you insane?"

"Don't let the Baron catch you say that," Emilia scoffed.

They all shared a laugh together. A knock on the door interrupted them again. Oh shit!

The women were the first to act.

"Coming!" Emilia shouted.

Lucille pushed him towards the marble tub. "Come on, get in there!"

It all unfolded at lightning speed. Emilia left the room to distract the guard, while Lucille swiftly undressed him and thrust him into the hot water. He tried to scream as the water seared his skin, but Lucille clamped a hand over his mouth while she splashed more hot water on his head.

"Stop squirming! He'll know something's off if you're still stinky."

Lucille vigorously scrubbed soap over his upper body before pouring oil onto his head. She worked the oil into his scalp with her fingers, and combined with the excruciating pain from his privates being scalded, tears began to well up. This is torture.

When the door opened again, he saw Emilia entering with fresh clothes while she flirtatiously waved to the guard at the entrance. He locked eyes with her, and upon noticing his muffled cries, she quickly turned away. How could you?

"Alright, that's enough!" Lucille declared. "Out you get!"

He leapt out of the tub, causing water to cascade onto the stone floor. He flailed about like a fish out of water.

"Hot! Hot, hot, hot, hot! Why is this water so damn hot?"

Lucille didn't answer. She simply tossed a towel to cover his nakedness.

"Get up!" Emilia urged. "Put these on!"

As soon as he dried himself with the towel, the women dressed him and straightened his hair. He didn't resist. His limbs radiated heat and pain. He'd faced the mines, starvation, and isolation—yet somehow a bath had broken him the most. This is what I get for trying to help.

"Done!" Lucille announced.

"My, my, you look gorgeous!" Emilia cheered, spraying perfume into his face.

Lucille produced a mirror from her Inventory, and for the first time since arriving, he saw his undistorted image. That's me?

He smiled as he recognized his attire as the birthday outfit of Varyan.

"You could be a young lord," Lucille joked.

He couldn't muster a proper response, as the bath door swung open once more. Timmy and the knight Gallagher awaited him outside.

"It's time!" the knight proclaimed. "Follow me."

He bid farewell to the women with a nod and joined the knight without further discussion. Gallagher led them through a series of smaller rooms in the western wing, each adorned with rich tapestries and polished wooden furniture. One room stood out in particular, where he spotted two red helmets, akin to Gallagher's, perched atop neatly folded comforters on each bed. The room was as immaculately clean as the others, thanks to Lydia, who stood in the center with a feather duster. This must be where Reacher and Becket live.

The group moved on, affording him no opportunity to properly greet the bowing servant. They passed a circular staircase, presumably leading up the tower he saw daily from outside, before ending their tour in a grand hall where portraits of past lords and ladies of the estate adorned the walls around a long, polished oak table. The air was filled with the warmth and aroma of a sumptuous breakfast. The table was set with fine pewter dishes and silverware. At the center of the feast stood a large, golden-brown roasted goose, stuffed with a savory blend of chestnuts, herbs, and winter spices. Its skin was crispy and glistening, promising juicy meat within. Surrounding the goose were platters of thick, honey-glazed ham and slices of rich, gamey venison sausage, seasoned with pepper and sage. Bowls of fruits, like preserved apples and pears, added a touch of sweetness to the spread. The sight of the food made his stomach growl painfully. At the far end of the table, Baron Bonatelli sat in front of the largest portrait in the room, depicting himself in golden armor, raising a sword with a war cry on his face, awaiting him.

"Good morning to the fiery miner," the Baron greeted him with a cold smile, waving Gallagher away. "Enjoying your stay so far?"

Stick stood stiffly, uncertain of what to expect. "I've been welcomed warmly."

The Baron's demeanor was unnervingly calm. "It's a good thing we have plumbing here. Gets all the fluids drained, right?"

"Y-Yeah…" Stick replied.

The Baron gestured to the chair nearest him. "Why don't you sit down and join me?"

His heart raced in an unsettling mix of hatred and fear as each step along the richly decorated meal brought him closer to the person denying him and his friends such luxuries, while the aroma of expertly prepared meat made his mouth water. A male servant pulled out the chair to Bonatelli's right for Stick to sit on. When he sat down, he couldn't help but notice that the chairs on the sides of the table were slightly shorter than the one Bonatelli sat on. From there, he had the perfect view of the Baron's portrait, as the morning light streaming through the glass panes opposite the table bathed the entire painting in a golden glow. What an asshole.

"Why don't we enjoy a bite to eat before we discuss business?" Bonatelli suggested.

With a clap of his hands, a flurry of activity ensued, and six servants, including Timothy, gathered around the two of them.