The sun set, and only moonlight lit the road.
Each time the carriage rattled, we endured the pain of our rears hitting the hard metal floor.
“To think they’d prepare a cage like this.”
Reina giggled, looking utterly opposite to her usual self.
A messy black-haired wig over her tied-up hair, an ill-fitting tattered shirt, ripped trousers.
Most striking — her hands cuffed behind her back. Her feet chained the same way; impossible to walk freely.
She looked exactly like a country slave girl being transported.
I’d similarly donned a brown long-haired wig, a half-torn cheap shirt. Hand and foot cuffs in place.
The one difference — I’d snuck something into my pocket that I refused to leave behind.
“Yeah. Comfort is the worst.”
“I miss the carriage Father is in.”
“Truly.”
The iron floor made the seat unbearable.
The everyday carriage’s comfort is appreciated in absence.
“And — no helping it — the smell is harsh.”
“A slave wouldn’t wear clothes smelling of detergent…… let’s endure.”
Reina smiled wryly. She must be feeling the same stench.
We’d deliberately rubbed sand and muddy water onto the clothes and wigs to look the part.
In my past life, hygienically bad — but this world has the universal magic [Heal].
As Reina said — endure until we rescue Alice.
“Both of you, we’ll arrive at Andrews soon.”
The House Veret servant driving our cage-carriage notified us.
The party venue is Andrews’s manor.
…… Chitchat ends here.
Tighten up. Beyond this is a life-stakes fight.
Can’t stay in field-trip mode.
I hunched and curled into a sitting position, playing a youth in despair.
Head down to hide my face…… perfect.
The carriage stopped.
”…………”
Head lowered, I glanced sidelong at the manor.
Hard to see against the black-painted walls, but the building is vast.
Light spilled from every window — utterly out of place in this quiet night.
The interior was apparently lively; even outside near the entrance, laughter and music reached us.
”…… Quite the bad taste.”
“Parties show wealth easily.”
“True…… ah, looks like it’s done.”
While I observed, Father seemed to have completed the registration.
The carriage moved again, around to the back.
There — two muscular silhouettes as gatekeepers. A thin man with glasses as the handler.
“Two of them. House Veret goods, don’t treat them roughly.”
“Of course. Damaged goods means less profit. Lord Juke would want to avoid that too.”
“Fine. We’ll leave them to you.”
“Sure. You lot, don’t make noise.”
We were pulled from the cage, hoisted like luggage on the gatekeepers’ shoulders, and carried in through the rear entrance, then down stairs into the basement.
No need to provoke anger. The goal is Alice’s rescue. Avoid pointless combat.
Unlike the glittering façade, this side was a haunted house.
A dim, dank space with no lighting, stretched along the entire corridor.
Small cell-like rooms ran along it — men and women of various ages chained hand and foot, sprawled inside.
Young women especially. Likely villages raided by bandits.
”…… Help…… God, please……”
”…… Why…… Papa…… Mama……”
“I want to go home…… I want to go home……”
Crying voices from everywhere.
Of course. Bought by strangers, headed for hell.
A world where being worked as labor is the better outcome.
If you draw a deviant noble — every day, used as a toy for their twisted tastes, then discarded when bored.
Crying is reasonable.
“SHUT UP!!”
One gatekeeper smashed the wall and bellowed.
The anger spread; crying ceased.
“Trash making me irritated…… damn.”
Cursing, they pressed deeper, then threw us roughly into an empty cell.
I hit hard. Don’t treat roughly, you were just told……
Brawny brain. Most mass on that side, apparently.
“You sure these are Veret-prepared slaves? The eyes alone are clean, but they brought us serious dud-goods.”
He brought his face close, examined us, then spat.
“Don’t cry. Don’t shout. Obey, and you’ll leave the cell safely. As slaves, mind you.”
“Better keep us in a good mood. Otherwise…… this happens!”
The gatekeeper rolled his shoulders, swung his thick arm — his fist embedded in the wall, cracking it.
“Got it? Stay quiet.”
Apparently the muscle flexing satisfied him.
The two went back to their post.
When their presence had completely receded, I spoke.
”…… What score?”
“Ten points. You’d have punched through, Ouga-kun.”
“Heh heh heh. Right. I won’t do something so stupid though.”
To avoid voices being overheard, we leaned close.
“How do we move?”
”…… Alice was billed as the highlight. She’ll come last in the slave auction. Highlights are saved for last.”
“Cutting it close, we might not find her. This manor is bigger than expected.”
They’ve prepared dedicated slave cells in the manor.
Considering the distance from the rear entrance via carriage, the depth is substantial.
And a basement on top……
Finding Alice through all this is a struggle.
“Then the moment the party starts, we move. Take down the gatekeepers and handler, then search.”
“Are you sure about taking them down? Shouldn’t we keep them alive for when the auction begins?”
“Without proof they’d betray Andrews, same risk. They wouldn’t follow our orders.”
“Understood. By the way, the other slaves……”
”…… Heh. Obvious. Per our pre-agreement with Father, we take them to Veret territory.”
Heh heh heh, future precious labor.
Working in our territory beats deviant nobles’ fangs.
These are people who’ve already lost their homes.
In this world, slaves are commoners only. Only nobles use magic, so nobles aren’t slaves.
Sometimes fallen nobles get picked up, but those are rare and precious.
They wouldn’t be in this dunghill.
So Reina’s presence as a mage means crushing the three — who assume no mages are here — is easy.
“When the party starts, the registration crew comes back inside. We bait the meatheads then.”
“Counterattack timing. The smart-looking glasses guy, I’ll take. Let’s get info on Alice from him.”
“So we need them to unlock and step in.”
The earlier display means provocation will work easily.
The flow’s set. Quiet breath, wait with Reina.
The time came.
”…… Today’s registration is done. We check the products before the auction begins.”
“There were good women this round. Damn, I want to bed one at least once.”
“Right! Damn it. Tired of cheap, ugly whores.”
”…… Always vulgar talk.”
“Shut up, boy-lover. You don’t get to talk.”
The vulgar voices and slam of the rear door reached us.
We exchanged glances and acted.
“[Gear Change].”
Sending mana through my blood, accelerating my heart, enhancing my body.
“Hmph.”
I tore off my own cuffs, forced Reina’s open by widening the rings.
Hands behind backs again — escape complete.
I moved to block Reina’s feet — her foot-cuffs unlocked — from their view.
Then, quietly but clearly:
“You three are vulgar trash — idiots.”
A moment of silence. Then anger-laced shaking voices echoed.
”…… Looks like someone wants to die.”
”…… I’ll grant your wish.”
“Hey, wait! Remember they’re products!”
Hooked.
Heavy footsteps thudded in — two fools.
The glasses guy’s warning ignored.
They reached our cell, unlocked it. The summer bug flies into the flame.
“Hey, brat. I’m gonna beat the…… ah?”
“Sorry. No more cheap whores in your future.”
The moment they entered, I broke my foot-cuffs.
A slave they’d thought captured, freeing his own chains. The fatal opening born from their shock.
I drove a kick into his groin with everything.
”…… Agh…… gopph……!?”
Crunching feedback up through the pelvis.
Unable to bear the unimaginable pain, he frothed and crumpled.
“Reina.”
She slipped through the gap as the man fell.
The next moment — the glasses man’s scream.
The operation effectively succeeded.
“Damn!? You — how DARE you!”
The other muscle-man, who’d just shown off his brawn, wound up a punch.
No sharpness, no speed. I caught the slow blow — a light clap.
This much doesn’t even need [Gear Change]. Pure stat-power wins.
“What!? You caught my right straight!?”
“Don’t be so surprised. There are thousands in the world who can do this.”
I twisted his arm via the caught fist.
180, 190, 200…… slowly, letting the pain sink in.
Bone-creaking pain dropped him to his knees, his earlier bravado replaced by tears.
“Ahh, stop! Please stop! My arm will tear off!”
“Don’t worry. The human body isn’t that fragile.”
“It IS! Please! I’ll let you escape, just stop!”
“Continuing. ……210.”
Another twist — a loud snap of bone dislocating.
“AAAA!? You bastard!!”
He summoned his last strength, swung his remaining left fist.
“Listen. This is what a right straight looks like.”
I drew my fist to my flank like nocking an arrow, pulled the tension, and released.
When fists met, his left arm crumpled, bone tearing through skin.
“Gyaaa! My — my arm!”
“To silence them, you did this, right?”
“Gahyu…… o…… ah……”
Mimicking how he’d silenced the slaves, I hit his temple full force.
His brain rattled in the skull; he toppled, eyes rolled back.
Muscle-heads done. Now the glasses guy……
“I-I don’t know! I really don’t know that person!”
“I see. A pity. Then rest well — you must be tired.”
“No no! The electricity again is bya……ah……!”
Reina’s spell hit. The glasses man convulsed, lost consciousness.
“Ouga-kun. They’re just paid muscle for Andrews, nothing more.”
”…… Of course this level wouldn’t know.”
A predictable result.
Without disappointment, we moved to phase two.
“H-hey, you! Save us too!”
“Please! Me too!”
With the threat gone, the slaves grew noisy.
A light of hope appeared — natural. But noise isn’t desirable.
I put a finger to my lips. The clever ones immediately complied.
I patted down the glasses man’s body…… ah, found it. The cell key.
“Will you obey me?”
“Y-yes……!”
“Good.”
I unlocked each cell, broke their cuffs, and explained.
“Anyone wanting saving — board the Veret cargo carriage outside. It’ll take you somewhere safe.”
“V-Veret!? Then you’re——!”
“Heh heh heh…… no way the man you’re imagining is in a place like this.”
They’d guessed my identity.
The commoners were shocked, trembling.
Joy short-lived. Saved from one noble only to find the savior is the famously corrupt Veret heir.
But I won’t allow complaints.
“Don’t speak further. Everyone, move quickly.”
”……!”
They wanted to say something but I forced them out before they could.
Humans are creatures that depend on others in crisis.
The urge to escape fast strips composure further, narrows vision.
Every slave departed.
Heh heh heh, when we return to Veret, I’ll check each face.
Future gears for my mill.
“Then, Ouga-kun.”
“Yeah. Let’s go rescue the captured princess.”
Backs to the door the slaves left through, we left the empty cells behind.
◇ [The Misunderstood Holy Life of a Villainous Young Master] Volume 3 releases tomorrow!
Pre-order campaign deadline is today (4/9) for paper editions only — note! ◇