Chapter 1
“YOU BOUGHT QUITE A FEW BOOKS TODAY, LORD Lucianus,” Kaira the servant said.
He was walking through the Levidem district, which was lined with bookshops and shoe stores, alongside his master. Kaira’s arms were filled with a large, bundled stack of parchments and scrolls, making it difficult for him to see where he was going.
“With all these great finds, I simply had to buy them. I didn’t think I’d find the chronicles of the Peralus Kingdom, and I’m eager to head home and unpack my goods,” Lucianus Carusso Emilius replied. His steps were graceful; the joy of finding a book that he’d been desperately searching for was unlike any other. He was on cloud nine.
“Your wish is my command. Let us rush home,” Kaira replied, his tone sounding like he was trying to pacify an unyielding child.
Lucianus had recently turned twenty-two, but to Kaira, who was six years older, perhaps Lucianus was yet to mature into a fully-fledged adult. Kaira was the child of a slave, but his hard, earnest work had been viewed favorably. Five years ago, he was rewarded with his freedom by Lucianus’s late father. Since then, Kaira chose to serve the prestigious House Carusso of his own free will, and took care of his young master, becoming a butler of sorts. Lucianus, who had no family but had been served by Kaira since he was born, saw the former slave less as a servant and more as a close older brother.
As the pair neared the market, there were more people buzzing in the streets. Stalls were lined on either side of the road with vendors selling meat, vegetables, beans, fruits, seafood, cheese, honey, and a myriad of other goods. People would often crowd the market in the morning, and today was no exception.
Lucianus did not particularly appreciate crowded areas, and the hustle and bustle of the crowd made him weary, but above all he feared his precious books and scrolls would be squished by all the clueless people.
“It’s the long way, but why don’t we go through that alley?” he suggested to Kaira.
The alley allowed the pair to avoid the crowd, but it was walled within the housing complexes—Lucianus wasn’t spared the noise. A peddler carrying a wooden rack of fava beans on his back was playing the flute while walking along, and kids scampered around, engrossed in a game of tag. From the top floors of a building, the screeching voice of a woman could be heard, perhaps arguing with her drunken husband.
“My lord, please be careful,” Kaira warned. “Anything could rain upon our heads in a place like this.”
Lucianus nodded at the warning as he gave an internal sigh at the sorry state of this place. Fragments of shattered plates and vases were scattered over the ground of the alley, and the putrid stench of human waste hung in the air. There weren’t any toilets on the upper floors of buildings, and many used chamber pots instead. Some fiends would then dump the contents of these pots out the window and onto the streets.
Dyna was the capital of the massive, flourishing Balmain Empire, which placed provinces it conquered under its wing. The empire was touted as the supreme ruler of the world, and wealth from around the globe flowed through the capital. It was claimed that the world’s riches had been gathered within Dyna, but when one was faced with the daily lives of citizens who lived on the streets, it was difficult for one to maintain their splendiferous image of the capital.
Sixteen years ago, the senators chose Emperor Azerius to ascend the throne. At a glance, it seemed as though the citizens of Dyna were leading a life of pleasure under his rule, not living in starvation or poverty. Residents were rationed with more than enough grain to feed themselves, and a public bath was open to all at affordable costs.
The public bath of Dyna was the epitome of luxury, and this recreational facility was imperative for citizens to socialize. It was fully equipped with a thermopolium, where hot meals were sold, and a massage parlor, as well as a playroom, an athletic field, a library, and even a lounge where one could engage in philosophical discussions. It was routine for a majority of the citizens to spend a few hours of their afternoon relaxing in the public bath. To earn the favor of the citizens, the emperor and senators would sometimes reserve the bathhouse for an entire day and open it free to the public.
However, these higher-ranking officials would often put most of their resources into athletics. Nearly every week, the Damascus Colosseum would host battles as entertainment, and many would eagerly visit the place in hopes of catching a good show. Some days, they would pit unusual beasts gathered from around the world against each other, and on others, gladiators would battle to the death. While the programming changed frequently, hosts would generously pour their wealth into these events, trying to gain popularity.
It wasn’t all good. Foreigners flooded into the capital, leading to overcrowding, and the lack of housing had always been a problem. In addition, streets in urban areas were poorly maintained, and there was a constant traffic jam for cargo carriages. The gripes of the citizens had been obscured by how oddly abundant their entertainment was, and truly important matters were placed on the back burner. Lucianus was absolutely fed up with how trouble was swept under the rug by officials as they partied about atop it. That was truly the current state of Dyna.
Past the alleyway was Bilios Square. A crowd had gathered and formed a ring, their gazes fixated on the young men and women standing upon wooden boxes with only a dirty rag tied around each of their waists. Each person had a tag hung from their neck, simply noting their birth and their characteristics, but that was all—this was the slave market.
“This slave is an absolute steal of a deal!” a slave merchant shouted. He was desperately trying to make a sale to a man that was pondering a purchase. “Healthy, strong, and perfect for carrying your wares!”
Beside the merchant stood an overweight man. He was touching the breasts of a young woman slave and requesting to see her behind.
Slaves of various races were on sale from pale-skinned to dark-skinned to those of Asian descent. A vast majority had been dragged away from nations that the empire had conquered, but some had also been sold by their previous owners. Slaves were treated as their master’s possessions. They were not only easily sold off, but they could also be killed by their master if so desired.
A very small fraction of philosophers protested that slaves required human rights too, and Lucianus was in favor of this idea. Unfortunately, this was a minority opinion in the current era. It was an issue that went beyond providing humane treatment; this nation would soon fall without slaves. Not only were there slaves that served the citizens, but there were also public slaves used for official government business. They were a necessity in the empire, and Lucianus believed that their hard work was the true irreplaceable treasure of Dyna.
“How old is this kid?” a vulgar, husky voice asked the slave merchant. “Do you have any other children?”
Lucianus glanced at the voice and spotted a chubby man with only a formal toga draped over his body. He had stopped in front of a young slave boy with an innocent face.
“He’s ten, good sir,” the merchant replied cheerfully. “Unfortunately, he’s the only child I’ve got today. But he’s quite handsome, isn’t he?” He placed an arm around the boy’s shoulder and added, “Please take him with you back to Bertiaka Palace. I’ve no doubt that he’ll become popular in no time.”
“I want someone younger. Recently, I’ve been getting quite a few clients who’ve taken a liking to children.”
Lucianus furrowed his brows with malaise. “What’s Bertiaka Palace?” he whispered to Kaira.
“It’s a brothel,” Kaira replied. “That man, Baramona, is the owner of the place. Bertiaka offers both women and men for prostitution, and there have been rumors that young children like that boy are also forced to handle customers.”
Lucianus was aware that there was a recent uptick in the trend of secretly using children as sex toys, but he couldn’t understand this nasty hobby. The mere thought of toying with innocent children to fulfill the ugly desires of adults gave Lucianus an explicable sense of repulsion and rage.
“Very well, I suppose I shall make do with that child,” Baramona said with resignation. He tried to negotiate pricing next. “But 200 derrita is too much. Make it 150.”
This child had no way of avoiding the grisly future that undoubtedly awaited him. He could only purse his lips and face the ground, trying his best to hide his emotions. The moment Lucianus saw that expression, he couldn’t stay silent.
“Wait,” Lucianus called. “I’ll buy that child.”
Baramona whirled around and spotted Lucianus. “Well, well, well,” Baramona said. He narrowed his eyes unpleasantly. “I wouldn’t have imagined that the wealthy son of a noble was personally on the hunt for a young slave. How passionate you are.”
Lucianus was enveloped in a pale purple toga reserved only for higher-ranking nobles. Anyone could tell at a glance that he was of noble birth. Baramona’s tone sounded polite, but his words exuded insolence.
“Sir, I’ll pay the original price. I won’t negotiate you down,” Lucianus said to the merchant. “You’ll sell him to me, won’t you?”
The merchant rubbed his hands together and nodded. “Most certainly!”
“But I tried to buy this boy first,” Baramona grumbled. “I should have the right to purchase this slave.”
“He hadn’t yet accepted your haggling,” Lucianus countered. “As long as the negotiations haven’t ended, you’ve got no right of purchase. The one who ultimately decides is the seller.”
Baramona glared at Lucianus, his gaze implying that he wouldn’t back down even against a noble. “Then I won’t negotiate and I’ll buy him at 200 derrita,” he retorted. “Sir, then surely you’ll sell him to me? I asked first, after all.”
The slave merchant must’ve had a friendly relationship with Baramona, and felt forced to concede. “Dear noble, I’m terribly sorry,” the merchant said.
“Then I shall pay 250 derrita,” Lucianus replied.
“Then my offer is 270!” Baramona shouted. He swung his fist around, growing more stubborn by the second.
“I’ll pay 300.”
“320!”
“350.”
“380! How about that?”
A fierce bidding war broke out, gathering the interest of a crowd. People were watching on, curious as to who would become the victor. Lucianus wasn’t fond of being the center of attention and wanted to end this fuss at once. He raised two fingers in the air and pointed them at the slave merchant.
“I shall offer twenty alekka gold coins,” Lucianus declared.
The crowd murmured with awe. Twenty alekka gold coins were equivalent to 500 derrita silver coins. Baramona wasn’t willing to pay such a high expense and his face turned a deep scarlet.