"Hm? I’m being called for?"
Rey was stunned by the situation he was faced with. He had been resting for some time, preparing to head out for training really soon, when a servant suddenly brought him the news.
A Young Lord from another Noble Household wanted to see him.
’What could this be about?’
Rey didn’t hesitate to make preparations and leave his room. He made sure to wear his best garment and appear as polished as possible.
He couldn’t afford to disgrace his Master.
Thankfully, he had mirrors in his room now, and with the most recent wardrobe change he had, there were many fancy clothes in his possession.
He put on the best and appeared stellar.
In the eyes of even the most ordinary nobles, he would appear unimpressive and simple. But for a battle slave like him, this would suffice.
Rey walked out of the room and asked the servant for more information on the matter.
Due to his newly elevated status, he could ask questions like these without fear, and unless he openly disrespected the wishes of their Master, his questions were always answered.
Thus, Rey quickly knew of the situation.
’I’ve been reading more about the powers of this world, but I have a rudimentary understanding of the political structure in this Realm. The Cheshire Household is higher than the Desgarron Family in rank, and the visitor is a Young Lord who is also Augustus’ friend.’
This was all surface level reasoning.
But the more Rey thought of the matter, the more he began to make sense of the situation.
He didn’t have a good feeling about Alistair Cheshire.
’Could it be...’ His eyes widened for a moment. ’Does he want to buy me?’
Getting bought by a Count Family didn’t sound so bad on paper, but it was actually not good news for Rey.
Unlike the Desgarron Family, which—despite its wealth—was still quite limited, the Cheshire Family had a lot more expenses to spare.
Rey wasn’t naive enough to think that their wealth translated to his benefits.
In fact... it was the opposite.
’They can afford to foster many more slaves like me. I’m not that special in the grand scheme of things. I only make up for my deficiencies with my skills. But in such a great family, skill doesn’t matter since they have resources to raise their slaves in the most optimal manner.’
Rey sighed deeply, realizing how greatly disadvantageous his predicament was.
’Better to be the head of a snake than the tail of a dragon. Better to rule in hell than serve in heaven.’ He embodied this philosophy.
The truth was that he wouldn’t be as valued in a Count’s manor, which meant his plan to foster freedom would not be effective.
All his efforts would go to waste.
Right at this point, Rey still didn’t know that he was being optimistic.
He wasn’t aware that Alistair actually intended to kill him and that he was being led to his public execution.
Like lamb to the slaughter, he gracefully proceeded toward his death without complaints.
What other choice did he have?
In the end, he reached an indoor garden, where Alistair was being hosted by Augustus.
Both were seated, but the perceptive Rey could easily detect the power imbalance even from afar.
As he got even closer, he noticed a sharp difference in physique and looks between the two people.
Although Augustus was remarkably handsome, he held no candle to Alistair, who had a grace unlike any other he had ever seen.
He had a full-black suit and a long coat that covered most of his tan body.
Yet...
’He’s like a work of art.’Rey silently noted as he finally crossed the distance and greeted the people present.
Of course, he greeted his Master first.
This didn’t please Alistair too much, especially since he knew the servant would have informed Rey of his status.
Rey also knew he should have greeted Alistair first, per the norms, but he simply couldn’t.
He had to bear the risk and appeal to his Master, so that he wouldn’t be sold off. It was a very dangerous move, but he reckoned Alistair would likely not make a move against an ignorant slave who could be useful to him.
How wrong he was!
Although Alistair was still smiling, the truth is that he wanted to kill Rey even more now.
No one...
’No one looks down on me and gets away with it!’ His mind flared as his grin widened.
He was more than fired-up now.
Slowly rising to his feet, he took his gaze off the nervous Augustus and stared into the gray eyes of the nearly mute slave.
"I hear you have a great contest coming up. I’d like to give you a quick lesson in the form of a sparring match." He spoke to Rey, his voice smooth as silk.
"What do you say?"
’What is he trying to achieve? Does he want to decipher my value by testing my mettle? In that case, I should hold back considerably so I don’t stand out too much."
"Give it your all..." Augustus seemed to have noticed his hesitation and told this to Rey.
That was more of a request, but Rey still had to obey the words of his Master, so they were more like an order.
’Looks like he has made his decision. But why is he wearing that look?’
In the end, Rey simply couldn’t figure it out.
He could only act on what he knew, and that was that the opponent had been the one to suggest the duel, the opponent was a high-ranking Noble, which meant he was powerful.
Likely more powerful than Amara, especially since he was a graduate of the Academy.
’Okay...’
As the two of them made it to the outdoor sparring area, a vast field that also served as a general training ground for the Desgarron Family personal forces.
These soldiers were currently absent since they were dispatched to protect the border.
In fact, the Desgarron Head and wife had gone to the battlefront to give the soldiers morale and get direct reports on the war.
Now, on this very soil, two stood.
One, a Noble
Another... a slave.
"Let’s begin!"