Everything will be fine.Because He is behind me.Because the Lord watches over me.Thinking about it, I’ve lived a pretty comfortable life.
‘Even after leaving Yurinel and the village, I never lacked money.’
I wasn’t rich, but I was never in need either.Whenever I needed money, opportunities to earn it would arise. When I suddenly needed a large sum, a chance to obtain it would appear. Like a big quest opening up or encountering a monster that dropped valuable loot.
‘Whether that was the Lord’s will or not, I don’t know.’
Whether the gods were looking out for me or it was just a series of coincidences,I didn’t know, and I never asked the Lord.I knew He wouldn’t answer even if I asked.Human life is for humans to live, and the gods only help us occasionally.
Even though there’s one more mouth to feed, I’m not worried,because there’s still money left, and I know He won’t let this child starve.
“What’s your name?”
Ears the color of lapis lazuli stuck up sharply above her head.The child didn’t answer. She just shrunk into the corner.I reached out but stopped. She wasn’t ready yet. Forcing a conversation would only hurt her more.
‘A child who lived as a slave.’
A slave isn’t a person. They’re just tools in human form.Though it’s said that humans come with nothing and leave with nothing, slaves must remain empty-handed even while alive. They own nothing, not even themselves.
‘The only way to restore their humanity is to treat them as human.’
The way to calm those who’ve been treated inhumanely is to treat them as humans.I had no desire to treat her as a slave. I’ll remove that power-restricting collar someday. My Lord desires for humans to have freedom and will.
The one I serve doesn’t only protect humans.All living things can receive His blessings. That’s probably one reason I was kicked out of Yurinel’s party. My Divine Power, unlike that of the Three Divine Gods, had no effect on the Demon Race.
Their curses. Their evil black magic. It worked on extracting souls,but it was useless against them. Because my Lord doesn’t hate them.Still, I follow Him because I know He’s at least not an Evil God.
Though, it’s impossible for a mere human like me to judge Him with my pitiful sense of good and evil.
Anyway, that child needs time.Time to be treated as a human and regain her humanity after being treated as less than one.
“Do you like cream stew?”
Until she’s ready and opens the door to me herself,I’ll just watch over her. As my Lord did for me.
*
A child born with the potential of the sun.A child born with the power of the moon.The future leader of the clan, more exceptional than anyone.I was once a flower expected to bloom brilliantly.
“You will lead our Blue Wolf clan.”
Father always patted my head and said that,and my siblings would look at me with envious eyes.
But even the brightest full moon wanes into a crescent.Before I could even bloom a single petal, the good days ended. The human army attacked our village. The villagers were brave, but they were no match.
Mages who burned the entire forest.Cavalry charging on horses.Soldiers who kept coming no matter how many we killed. Archers shooting arrows from beyond our reach.They were desperate to kill us.
“Kill them. Kill them. This time, drive these beasts out of the mountains.”“So they can never harm us again.”“So they can never prey on our cattle and sheep again.”“Fight and win. Kill and eliminate. Drive out humanity’s enemies!”
Facing that hatred and resentment, Father only smiled sadly.He patted my head as always and said,
“It was bound to happen someday. It’s my burden to bear.”“Father, why are they going this far to kill us?”“Because we killed them and took their property.”
Once, these fields and mountains had no owner. Bison roamed the plains, and wild boars wandered the mountains. They were our prey. But when humans expanded here, everything changed. They burned the mountains to create farmland and drove the animals to other mountains.
What could be tamed was kept in pastures.The animals dwindled, and we starved. As the clan’s leader, Father made a difficult decision. We raided human pastures, hunting their cattle, sheep, and pigs.
Those who lost their property were furious and guarded their pastures with spears and swords.Casualties occurred in the next raid. Both we and the humans bled.That small stream of blood became a river that swallowed us all. The humans organized an army and hired mercenaries. They even brought mages to attack our tribe.
“The children and women will flee. We’ll buy time.”“Chief… we can’t do that. We’ll defend this place. You flee too.”“Nonsense. This calamity is my decision. This war is my decision. Remember, a wolf never runs from its decisions.”
Father died. I don’t know how.I fled without even seeing how he died.
It was a futile struggle. That day, the human mob caught up to us as we fled.They threw iron nets to bind us, stabbed us with spears, and hacked us with axes. They tried to kill us all. But someone intervened, and some children survived.
“The loss is too great. We should sell these beasts as slaves to recoup the losses.”“But we can’t spare the adults. I lost my family to them!”“The children are innocent. Let’s sell them. We need to buy cattle and sheep again, replace the dead sheepdogs, and pay the mercenaries.”
Mother died. My aunts died. My grown sisters died.They beat and kicked us until we died. At first, we were angry and shouted, but later we begged and pleaded. Please, don’t kill us.
But it was just the howling of beasts.We were only met with kicks.
To them, we were just beasts. They locked us in stables and sold us to slave traders.We were beaten until we were sold. Some were burned with hot pokers.Being whipped with horse whips was normal. The slave traders were merciful compared to them.
Even if it was just mercy for packaging goods,it was still mercy.
Even though we lost our freedom, wore collars, and were shackled in dark cells,we were happy. Because we weren’t being beaten anymore.
They gave us old, smelly sheep roasted as food,but even that was a joy. It was better than being thrown raw carcasses of dead livestock. Better than chewing on maggot-infested eyes when we were too hungry.
I had already become a beast.A beast happy not to be whipped.A beast grateful to be fed on time.I was no longer a wolf but a tamed livestock.
“How much for that child?”“Mr. Rubelt? Looking for a slave? How unusual. For you, I’ll give a discount. Just ten gold coins.”“Why so cheap? Ah, a beastman. Aren’t beastmen hard to handle as slaves?”“Well, something must’ve happened. She’s been docile since arrival. Just raise her like a guard dog.”“Hmm…”
It felt strange to be appraised like that.A middle-aged man with a mustache. Did I want him to buy me? Yes.I wanted to hear that I was excellent. To salvage my shattered pride.It was nonsense, but I truly wanted it. Anyone would do. I wanted praise.
“I’m giving this as a gift to my benefactor, so if she causes trouble, I’ll be in a bind…”“Oh, for an extra gold, I can add a shock-control spell to the collar.”“You saying that makes me think she’s not selling well.”
“Well, beastmen have a strong image of being beasts. They’re not the best-selling slaves. But still, she’s quite pretty, isn’t she? If she were human, she’d have sold for three times the price already.”
The slave trader was being overly friendly.
“Or would you like to see some human slaves?”“No. My benefactor is a priest. He wouldn’t like receiving a human slave as a gift. If this slave can handle chores and housework, I’ll take her.”“I’ve already trained her well. She won’t fail. Right?”
I nodded repeatedly, and then I was sold.He took me to a modest house with a large vegetable garden. There, I saw for the first time the person who would become my master. The first human to treat me warmly.
“Do you like cream stew?”
Someone who didn’t make me cook, do laundry, or clean, but instead did those things for me.The first human to see me as a ‘person.’
