Slavery

I knew from the start they wouldn't send us back. Ever since Anna disappeared, I had been tracking numerous similar missing cases. To find them, I hacked into the police database, searched for missing person reports that were dismissed due to the world's correction effect. Then, I took it from there. I installed thousands of security cameras and drones, and I tracked any telephone number that suddenly became unavailable. It was a straightforward process, it just cost a lot of money. And fortunately, for me, even that amount of money was just some drops in the bucket.

In the end, I found out that not only Anna, but there had been hundreds of other individuals summoned to another world in the past 20 years, and yet, not even a single one of them returned to Earth.

But now, I have just discovered the reason why. Many of them had probably been turned into slaves instead.

"So, who are our highest bidders this time?" Sophia asks while preparing the slave collars.

"Well, that handsome guy got the highest bid," the knight with a beard replies. "Even though he doesn't even have any talent to begin with, all the ladies were literally fighting for him. In the end, Lady Arina will be paying us a whopping two million crowns! I guess she's really into him, haha."

"Oh, of course! As always, Lady Arina really loves men like this, doesn't she?" Sophia exclaims. Then, suddenly, she walks towards me, her face pressed against my abdomen and her hands touching me all over my chest and abs. "Oh my gosh, he is so young and handsome, and even has such an amazing body! These muscles… are you sure that he doesn't at least have a Heroic Rank talent? And oh my, what's this?"

Sophia slowly moves her hand down…

"HEY! STOP!" The other knight, the one without a beard, instantly interrupts. "Are – are you even allowed to do that? If you touch him there, he will wake up!"

"Oh, shut up!" Sophia retorts. "There's no way a person can break through my spell once it has been successfully applied, unless their mental resistance is through the roof! And besides," she smirks, "I'm just checking out this man to make sure that he's in good condition to serve Lady Arina! Wait, don't tell me… you are getting jealous of him, aren't you?"

"Haa!? Why would I be jealous of a sex slave? Are you out of your mind?"

"Jeez! So why are you getting annoyed all of a sudden?" Sophia replies. She then turns to Yumi. "Anyways, what about the little girl here?"

"Ah, she will be sold to Count Marevilla for half a million crowns. She's pretty cute, but other than that, there's nothing special."

"Eh? That old man? Isn't he already seventy-five years old? What the heck?"

"Yeah, what a sicko bastard. But well, it's none of our business anyway."

"You… are right…" Sophia sighs deeply. "But I still feel so bad. I'm even getting nauseous just thinking about what's going to happen to this little girl…"

"Hey, just do your job properly," the knight with the big beard replies. "But well, if you think of them as livestock, perhaps you will feel better."

"Yeah…"

Hearing all of that conversation, my stomach churns. One moment, we were welcomed as heroes, but now, we would soon become sex slaves, sold to the worst human beings ever. It is a fate even worse than death. I know the King has secrets that he did not tell us, but never in my wildest dreams would I imagine things like this happening.

Sophia then returns to her craft table to finish her spell. After that, she approaches me again. With a needle in her hands, she pricks my finger. As my blood drips onto the iron collar, it glows once more.

While I'm uncertain about the specifics, deducing Sophia's intent isn't hard. It appears that she is going to bind me through blood, forging a profound connection. Once she secures the collar around my neck, I will undoubtedly become her puppet, forced to heed her every command.

But just before she does that, she suddenly stops for a moment, her hands trembling for some reason.

"What are you doing?" the big-bearded knight asks. "Don't tell me you're feeling empathy with them?"

"Huh? No!! Wh-what are you talking about?" Sophia snaps back, but there is clearly some sort of discomfort in her facial expression.

I wonder what that's about.

Regardless, she still proceeds.

But it's not like I'm going to let her have her way!

Just as she is about to lock the collar in place, I swiftly grab her wrist. With a powerful punch, BAM! I strike her face, and using all the force I can muster, I thrust her onto the ground!

"WHAT!??" The two royal knights are stunned.

They quickly regain their composure in less than a second though. After all, royal knights are all trained to respond to any situation. They draw their swords and immediately charge at me!

"NO!!!" Sophia shouts. "DON'T KILL HIM! WE NEED HIM ALIVE!!!"

Even after having her face slammed down so hard like that, she still has the strength to shout!

But to kill me or capture me again?

Like hell I would let that happen easily! 

Sure, I have trained in martial arts, but squaring off against two royal knights isn't something I'd bet on. So, how can a newcomer like me overpower the two elite knights of the King?

Well, the answer is simple.

BANG!

BANG!

My custom-made Desert Eagles gleams menacingly under the dim light.

Two knights. 

Two bullets, direct hits to their faces. 

Their heads explode, splattering blood everywhere.