The Reunion with My Childhood Friends and Former Comrades Was the Worst
I opened my eyes with a sharp inhale. It wasn’t a nightmare. I had simply dreamed of a bitter past I wished I could forget.
After spending the night at the inn, I realized the academy enrollment registration was approaching and let out a long sigh. The women who had appeared in my dream were childhood friends who had grown up in the same neighborhood as me. By some stroke of luck, we all possessed a bit of ability, and we naturally formed a single party.
With the goal of entering the academy, we set out on adventures, gained experience, and built our strength. We had dreamed of combining our powers and stepping through those gates together one day… but that was nothing more than a beautiful illusion.
Reality was cold and merciless. The moment they decided I was weak, they abandoned me for men who were more capable and far wealthier. That was already two years ago.
I had wanted to form a new party, but back then my non-combat abilities left me with no choice but to grow stronger alone. I met all kinds of people, parted ways with them, observed every kind of human nature, and honed my skills.
Now, it was time to build a team I could truly trust. If I threw together some half-baked group and entered the academy, there was a one hundred percent chance I would fail the entrance exam and be kicked out. And even if, by some miracle, I managed to pass, could I really overcome the academy’s additional tests and graduation exams with such people? Don’t make me laugh.
That left only two options.
The first was to visit the labor market and find a capable woman who also hoped to enter the academy. Honestly, with the gender ratio sitting at one man to four women, I only needed to show a little interest and women would flock to me. But it was still a gamble. I had to meet the right one.
My true ability lay in gathering information, reading the flow of battle, issuing commands, and directing allies. If the women wouldn’t follow my orders properly—or refused to follow them at all—I would become completely useless.
Which left only one remaining option.
To buy a woman from the slave market.
Slaves were branded with the Slave’s Mark, a curse that forced absolute obedience to their master. A slave who would follow my commands without hesitation was the perfect vessel for my abilities.
The only problem was money. While ordinary slaves for everyday labor were affordable, those with abilities were expensive. Many men did enter the academy using slaves, but they were either extremely wealthy or nobles with real power. For an orphan like me, born in some nameless rural village, buying a slave was nothing more than a distant dream.
Still, I refused to let this chance to enter the academy slip away without doing anything. I had saved up a decent amount of money from completing various requests over the years.
The labor market and the slave market. I planned to visit both. For the sake of entering the academy, I was willing to do whatever it took.
“Looking for a sturdy tank who can hold the front line! We already have party members. Just one man needed. If you’re a strong ability user, we’ll even provide support funds!”
“A powerful mage who wields mighty magic! An indispensable woman… and I’m confident in my sex appeal too~ Ufufu~♡”
“I’m a priestess. I can provide blessings and healing. If you take me, I’ll take care of you with all my heart. I’m good at cooking too!”
The labor market was packed. With the academy enrollment deadline drawing near, it was overflowing with people desperate to be chosen. Naturally, the vast majority were women. Because the male-to-female ratio was so low, men never had to chase women. Instead, women competed fiercely to claim a man.
“Oh my~ Handsome sir over there. Are you here to find a woman to enter the academy with? How about us?”
As I stood near the entrance scanning the area before stepping inside, a female knight wearing black bikini armor blocked my path. Behind her I could see the rest of her party: an archer with a crossbow, a nimble-looking female thief, and a mysterious woman wrapped in a robe.
Their proactive attitude was appealing. From the aura they gave off and the items they carried, they seemed like a decent party at first glance.
But… I had recently read an official imperial notice. It warned men to beware of female parties that kidnapped men, turned them into slaves, used them as playthings, or sold them to noblewomen starved for male attention. I didn’t want to believe it, but there was no harm in being cautious.
With that thought in mind, I politely declined and continued deeper into the market.
There were far more women looking for men than I had expected. The problem was that most of them lacked the skill or experience needed to pass the academy entrance exam. Some seemed content to try again next year, but I was determined to succeed this year no matter what.
As expected, the women trying to form parties in the labor market fell into two categories: those lacking ability, or those who seemed suspicious. There had been one party I liked, but the moment I revealed my abilities they shook their heads and refused. I wasn’t exactly in a position to be picky either.
It was time to use my ability.
Observation.
A simple yet extraordinary skill that let me learn information about everything around me. The moment I activated it, basic information about every woman in my field of vision appeared above their heads. Only I could see it.
Fortunately, there were no criminals trying to enslave men, but their abilities were all mediocre at best. The only party that had rejected me was the one closest to the academy’s passing threshold.
Oh well. If the party is lacking, I’ll just have to work harder. I know I’m not one to talk, but when you combine analysis and command abilities, I’m actually quite useful even as a non-combatant.
There was still a little time left. I might as well take a thorough look around the slave market.
Slavery. A system that had once been illegal but became legal under certain circumstances. If I combined all the money I had saved, I could probably afford four female slaves with very weak abilities. The chances of passing the academy entrance exam would be extremely low, but since they would obey my every word, if the test happened to be easier than average, there was still a sliver of hope.
Besides, there was always the chance I might find a slave hiding a useful ability, or one who had yet to awaken their power.
I walked confidently toward the slave market. On the surface, it didn’t look much different from the labor market. Instead of a gloomy atmosphere, it was a clean, well-organized space that looked more like a proper shop than a market. The only difference was that the female slaves wore shackles and handcuffs, each displaying a variety of expressions.
“Hey there, handsome gentleman. Looking for a slave? Bodyguard? Maid? Or… well, we have all kinds of slaves. Why don’t you take a look around? Hehe…”
The moment I entered, a slave merchant began her sales pitch. A voluptuous woman dressed in a bunny girl outfit slipped her arm through mine and acted cute.
Darling Slave Shop. This entire spacious area was one massive slave shop, and a name tag reading “Shop Owner Darling” was proudly pinned to the left side of her ample chest. She was either incredibly passionate about her business or a pervert who simply enjoyed wearing bunny girl outfits. Probably both.
“I can tell at a glance you’re looking for party members for the academy, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
If I showed any weakness here, I would get ripped off without realizing it. I knew that much. After all, I had been through my fair share of hardships.
I deliberately pulled out a separate coin pouch and showed her the amount. It was only half of what I actually possessed—just enough to maybe buy a single slave with mediocre abilities.
“Less than I expected. With this amount, you can only afford regular slaves… Hmm…”
“But I heard that because there are so many women and so few men, the price of female slaves has dropped. I’d like to see if there are any with basic abilities.”
“Haa… Well, that’s true. Have you studied up on this? Or do you know someone who frequents these places?”
“I just heard it at a tavern. Picked up some talk at the request office too.”
At that, she slowly released my arm.
“I see. You look like a young nobleman on the outside, but the way you talk and act is just like a real pro. Alright then. Go ahead and take your pick.”
Some people might pity these slaves. I had thought the same when I first saw them. But the vast majority of slaves were criminals. After the war, people became scarce, so it became common to erase criminals’ memories and turn them into slaves. It reduced crime and increased the workforce—a perfect two-for-one solution.
The slaves wore shabby clothes. The signs hanging around their necks displayed their names, ages, and the reasons they had become slaves. Of course, some of them had probably been sold unjustly, but the empire wasn’t exactly in a position to care about every little detail.
I tucked the coin pouch away carefully and began examining the slaves. I activated my Observation skill in earnest, checking their conditions and abilities as I walked slowly through the shop.
As expected, there wasn’t a single useful slave in sight. Pretty slaves, slaves good at housework or cooking… most of them would make perfect maids. Many had such weak abilities that they might as well have been ordinary people.
If I bought a slave and still failed the academy entrance exam, I would have to wait for the next opportunity while bearing the burden of raising that slave myself. If I was going to buy one, it had to be a slave with at least decent abilities. That way, if things went south, I could sell her without regret.
But no matter how hard I looked, none of the slaves caught my eye. Was this really the limit with the money I had?
Just as I was thinking of showing her more money, I froze.
For a moment I thought I had seen wrong and widened my eyes. But no matter how many times I looked, what I saw was unmistakable.
The four childhood friends—my former party members, the women who had abandoned me for another man—were bound together in one corner of the slave market.