Welcome to the Slave Kingdom
There was a nation of mercenaries, so there was no reason there couldn't be a nation of slaves. After a week of long rest, Kairan's party—now four strong—stood in front of the adventurers' guild.
With the magic map Eli had requested spread out, Nia diligently crammed the party's suggestions into her head.
"Pushing straight north like this is gonna be tough, huh."
"Because of Rahatrik?"
"Yeah. With no idea where she is right now, charging in blindly doesn't seem smart."
Eli was always the one deciding the party's path. From the days when it was just her and Kairan adventuring together, even after recruiting Karni and Nia joined, that hadn't changed. Eli would throw out the first idea, and everyone would pile on, fleshing it out.
"Then we loop east."
"Yeah, I think skirting through the border kingdoms is best."
"That's gonna make it longer than expected."
"Then... ah, here. Tailran Kingdom."
On the mana-blue map, Kairan pointed to Tailran Kingdom's location.
A fairly sizable kingdom in the northeast of the empire. Sure, it wasn't even as big as a single duchy, but that was because the empire was abnormally massive, and its duchies were freakishly huge too.
"Even accounting for that, it's not small, right?"
"Well, all the kingdoms bigger than duchies got smashed by the elves anyway."
"Elves again."
"Whenever history feels off, it's usually the elves."
Karni slapped her own waist with a thwack as she answered. She winced slightly at the faint pain from her waist. Even after repeated reinforcement spells and blessings to recover fatigue, it lingered. Trembling at the endless stamina of the hero and saintess, Karni shook her head with a small sigh.
"Nia, you good?"
"..."
"Nia?"
"Uh-eh?"
Eli called out to Nia, who was blankly staring at the map. Nia floated a question mark above her head and looked at Eli.
"You didn't get that, did you."
"Uh..."
"You totally got it."
"Nope, didn't."
Eli gave Nia a deadpan stare before sighing. Was she shocked that a mage, symbol of intellect, acted like this? Or had she suspected but not to this degree? Seeing Nia awkwardly accept and move on, Kairan figured it was the latter.
Priestess thing, maybe.
Well, Eli was a saintess, even if she didn't seem it lately. In this world, it was common knowledge that clerics had no discrimination. Eli's lack of it showed in weirder ways, but whatever.
Kairan patted Karni's head after she prepped the carriage, then hopped on.
"Oh yeah, heard about the currency reform?"
"Already? Faster than I thought."
"Banks are collecting old coins. Bring 'em in, get new ones at the same value."
"Treasury's pulling all-nighters for a bit, then."
Kairan gazed out the window while listening to Eli and Karni chat. Hard to believe they were at war—the place was so peaceful. Even on the front lines, the streets brimmed with laughter. Maybe because they were winning so overwhelmingly.
"Peaceful."
"...Looks that way."
"The power gap is insane."
Karni nodded flatly.
"This war drags on only because of the Four Heavenly Kings."
"...They're strong, yeah."
"Even those Heavenly Kings are down to two. If new ones pop up, imperial intel will catch it, and it'll come straight to us."
Eli glanced out the window before speaking.
"Not that it better happen."
"Yeah."
Kairan sighed. A week ago, the battle with Rahatrik. She'd casually blocked a combined assault from powerhouses a rank or more above her. The fight ended not by annihilation but a time limit. She hadn't gone all-out till the end. Humiliating, but flip it: that was the dullahan race's trait, and Rahatrik's personal flaw. It took her forever to ramp up to full power. Short, decisive battles were key to taking her down—end it before she peaked.
She's ridiculously strong even before that, though...
Kairan circulated mana through her body. A low hum, mana spinning fast. Feeling the flow, Kairan had one certainty.
My talent's beyond imagination.
The Sword Saint, Karni's parents and Duke Norderbalt, said battling overwhelming foes awakens bodily talent and opens paths to enlightenment. Spot on. Just one fight, but a life-or-death one had leveled up this body.
'Kairan Borg's' talent was great, but the Rahatrik clash was decisive.
"Anyone know what Tailran Kingdom's like?"
As Kairan slowly checked her condition, Eli spoke up. Kairan shook her head.
"Nah, what's it like?"
"Mm... simply put, it's a slave nation."
"Slave nation?"
"Yeah. The whole country's one big slave market. Slavery's fully legal, all markets state-run."
Slave nation. She'd heard of mercenary or corporate nations, but slave nation? First time. The awkwardness faded quick, replaced by one question.
"...And the elves left that alone?"
Word was out: a dark elf got kidnapped by humans, elves tearing the continent apart searching. Sovereignty be damned, they were flipping every country. Leaving a 'slave nation' untouched? Didn't add up.
Karni and Nia nodded, sharing the doubt, eyes on Eli.
"...Yeah, why?"
Eli frowned, deep in thought. Tapping her thigh, ahoge swishing side to side—her habit when pondering hard.
"Maybe 'cause the state handles slaves directly? No way they'd snag an elf."
"Not just 'cause catching the perp early kills their rampage excuse?"
"..."
At Karni's jab, Eli looked away. Kinda racist, but no one could argue.
⁎ ⁎ ⁎
A few days by carriage, and they reached the slave nation, Tailran Kingdom. Quick checkpoint at the gates, then inside: streets blending magic and tech, medieval vibe with magitech everywhere. A fresh thrill.
They'd amassed wealth via slave trade, grown fast using near-free slave labor. Absorbed shredded elf victims as 'slaves,' granted titles to standouts, became what they were. Eli said nearly all nobles—from king to dukes—were ex-slaves.
"Cheap! Super cheap! Fresh slaves just in!"
"Household slaves for sale! Cooking, cleaning, errands—anything!"
"Buying combat slaves! Fighters 100! Mages 200!"
Slave markets everywhere. Sellers, buyers, slaves. Only three types. Streets buzzed. Sights galore: slaves protesting low prices, merchants dueling—loser becomes winner's slave. Ex-slave nobles falling back to slavery.
"Let's check that way!"
"You're way too excited."
"Pussy everywhere—how not to be?!"
"You're a saintess..."
Eli grinned ear-to-ear, eyes sparkling around. Kairan followed. Karni and Nia trailed with awkward faces.
Most slaves women. Some futanari, not tons. Harpies, beastkin, even undead.
"Goblins."
"Goblins, yeah."
Shocker: goblins. Sorted for onahole, dildo, body pillow use. Wild scene.
"Eli, this..."
"Yeah, feels more real the deeper in."
Skimmed outskirts, headed center. More multi-use slaves—sex slaves, basically. Dominated shops.
"Today only! Try our pussies and asses!!"
The clincher: public onahole slaves. Limbs bound, asses gaped fist-wide. Pussies leaking cum—someone used and ditched.
"Not slave nation. Sex slave nation."
Of course, they used the slaves.