"Accept that label, willingly become a 'slave'..."

Misuzu muttered the answer softly.

"Uh, although this country has 'slaves', in reality, there is no stipulation that 'slaves' must obey someone, meaning they all sell themselves willingly in order to survive."

"Then they are auctioned off repeatedly at the marketplace..."

Misuzu's words sounded calm, but her inner turmoil was evident, as indicated by her tightly clenched hands grasping her skirt.

It was due to this that there appeared to be many talented slaves among them, which explained the abnormal phenomenon.

Moreover, the number of auction houses was just the tip of the iceberg, as for the majority of other 'slaves'...

Thinking about this, Ryuto involuntarily narrowed his eyes, but his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden voice.

"Amagi... Lord Ryuto... I've already begged you, please... please don't sell me."

The speaker was the young girl who had answered Ryuto's questions earlier, pleading with Ryuto with trembling eyes and a quivering voice.

Despite her best efforts to conceal it, the trembling couldn't be suppressed. It wasn't something only Ryuto noticed after careful observation. In fact, everyone present must have noticed, except for the girl herself.

Ryuto was well aware that this trembling indicated fear, but what exactly was the girl afraid of? This was something Ryuto couldn't answer.

Though he could make a rough guess, Ryuto still couldn't provide an answer. Despite usually passing things by, Ryuto had at least a modicum of self-awareness.

To them, he was merely an outsider, someone who knew nothing. Although he had learned some truths hidden in this country, it didn't change the fact that Ryuto was just a bystander.

As a mere ignorant bystander, he had no right to pass judgment or preach to them without sharing the same pain to understand each other.

Thinking he knew everything, showing sympathy and pity casually was simply arrogance, insulting their will. Ryuto had enough shame to realize that.

While others might act that way, Ryuto couldn't bring himself to do the same.

Also, even though he could argue that he was doing it for their own good, to make them face their fate and deliberately force them to say so, it couldn't make it right. No matter how many flowery reasons he put on, Ryuto couldn't deceive himself, and deceiving himself was wrong.

He indeed had hurt them, an unchangeable fact. Ryuto had no refutable excuses and no intention to refute them.

Although the others remained silent, they all looked at Ryuto almost identically, waiting for his response. Even though he had already received the answers to his questions, they couldn't relax.

Well, at least they had answered. After all, Ryuto was relatively trustworthy.

Finally, it was almost over, Ryuto thought to himself.

Spilt water couldn't be retrieved; in that case, they could only continue onwards.

Well, Ryuto didn't have any intention of backing down from the start.