- We got a healthy Young boy from the slums of Branbrock, Albuni!
The salesman's voice boomed through the giant, lavish room.
He looked unto the rows and rows of masked clients with glazed eyes. He was certain this boy would rake in the sale of his career.
Noticing some hesitant to place bets, the man yanked the boy's face forward into the crowd.
The shackles on Forty-ones ankles clanked heavily against the stage's wooden boards.
-With eyes that shine like the emperor's crown jewel, he can cook, clean and even attend to your nightly requests! Remember, place your price onto those clickers and whoever pays the highest wins!
The boy hazily looks around the room with a stoic gaze.
The bright lights blinded him and his legs felt like giving out from the weight of the metal around his arms.
He tried to remember how it came to this but it was all a blur. Everything was when you lived a life as long as he did.
-Number forty-one has now been sold! As you know the pay will be upfront with no copper accepted!
The boy's eyebrow slightly twitched.
'This is a bit… familiar?'
Before the boy could ponder any longer, two men escorted him into a yellow room in the back.
While being dragged away he could see a new child placed in the same spot where he once was.
-To your seat boy.
The child slowly sat onto an empty wooden stool and silently watched one of the men wrap a yellow band around his neck.
'Which life was it that had the same plot going on?'
- So you got to be expensive merchandise like me, huh?
The boy snaps out of his thoughts and turns towards a girl around his bodies age.
- Not one to talk much ain't ya?
The boy stares at her dirtied face in response.
The little girl sighed and observed Forty-one.
Though he probably didn't know of her, she knew him even though he wasn't in the novel.
Everyone did.
The boy with eyes that outshone any jewel and gem.
Her eyes raked over his feeble body and pale skin but she did not look into his eyes.
She did not want to become like the adults who have gone crazy over Forty-one's eyes.
- At least answer! We've been bought by the same people so let's get chummy for the sake of our sanity. My name's five.
"...Five. " Fourty-one repeated, slowly grasping the situation.
The little boy's face adorned a stiff smile.
Five's nose wrinkled from the uncomfortable grin on his face. It was almost like the boy was using his face muscles for the first time.
'If this is what I think this is then it should be around here.'
Forty-one pulled something out of his pocket with an excited gleam in his eyes.
A handmade shank.
This was the item he made once long ago.
He turned his head towards the girl.
'And this is the little girl who I met during-'
"My first life."
-Your confusing me.
'This was all strangely familiar because I… have done this before.'
For the first time in hundreds of years of his life something repeated, something had twisted.
'But why now? And why this world?'
"...Date."
Five cocked her head slightly.
-Date?
"What is today's date?"
Five went silent in thought.
-Today is… Nastma the 3rd! I heard the guards talking about their birthdays today.
The little boy's hands twitched erratically in anticipation.
'Today the Missionaries will arrive, they will barge in, save most of us and take over 30 nobles to court for their sins.'
The boy looked at the clueless face of five.
'And she, as one of the world's main characters, will be saved by the demon duke.'
"Five."
-Hm?
Five looked at the boy's face, his eyes were closed shut as if he was annoyed by something.
His long eyelashes began to flutter gently, she looked away before he could open his eyes back again.
"Do you know what candy tastes like?"
The boy pulled up his sleeves, his face held no emotion but the warmth from his voice filled her body.
Five shook her head no.
They barely ate anything, much less something like candy.
It was something she was not allowed to long for and to keep herself out of trouble she continued to think she never wanted any.
"Do you want to try it?"
Five never wanted to do such a thing. She never wanted to be like the happy kids on the street eating candy with their parents. She did not care that their smiles spread so wide that she worried for their cheeks.
Five realized that she really wanted to try it.
She wanted to try everything she was not allowed to try.
- I want to!
"Here."
The boy slipped his hard earned shive into her pocket.
"Make yourself useful and don't fall behind. You cannot try new things if you are dead."
Five's eyes burned fiercely, she could not be scared, because she had survived all this time.
-Alright I'll listen but only because we are friends.
The boy slightly nodded his head but was too busy to see the scary gaze of five.
Forty one stuck his chain and ball under the heavy desk next to them.
-And that concluded today sales, please head to the assigned box rooms to-
The salesman's loud, booming voice stopped immediately. Though forty-one could not see, he knew that man was shot right in the middle of his head.
'There here'
Panicking clients were heard rushing out as the dead body of the salesman dripped red warm liquid onto the stage.
-The mercenaries… Get the merchandise!
Forty-one looked toward five.
- When he unlocks my chain, stab his neck with all your grit.
Five nodded and braced herself as the loud footsteps made it to their door. It was just Five and forty-one in the small yellow room, that is how forty-one met five in the first place. Though orginally for character development fourty-one was meant to die to teach her a life lessson.
The rooms were color coded, yellow always held the most expensive items. Of course they would take them first.
-BaM!
-Move it and give me your hands!
Five walked towards the burly man trembling in fear but fourty-one could see her twirl the shive behind her back.
'That's the main character for you.'
"Mister-Mister, My chain is S-stuck!"
Forty-one stumbled and tripped to flaunt that his chain wouldn't let him go.
The boy looked towards the man tearfully with wide eyes.
"Motherfu- ha..."
The man stomped towards the small figure of forty-one and yanked the boy's cuffed wrist.
-CLICK
"There! Now move it or i'll-
Stab!
Five thrusted with all her might into the man's neck as he bent down.
Fives shaking hands pulled the shive out. She felt guilt.
What if this man had a family? What if he wasn't that bad?
"To survive, to be free will always have a price. This," The boy leaned down towards the body and searched for the fallen key, "Is just the price you pay for that freedom."
'Here it is.'
"Give me your hands"
Five lifted her arms towards him with clear eyes.
'There lesson learned.'
-CLANK!
"Let's go."
The two children walked out the open door and into the stage.
The blood of different people wet the children's feet as they walked to the end of the stage.
Below, they could see the masked buyers being tied down. Some were fighting to escape but they were no match for the mercenaries.
Cries and screams were heard and in the middle of it all was a large figure cutting down those who opposed him.
-What about the other kids?
Forty-one looked away from the powerful sight and shrugged.
"They'll be fine, I guess."
-You guess?
"I know."
He answered quickly as five's judging gaze burned his skin.
-Why are we waiting here?
The boy's lips lightly twitched.
"To get your fast pass of unlimited candy."
-Eh?
"Get ready. Don't show any reaction to this person."
Before five could ask anything a large black sword was thrown in the middle of fort-one's feet.
Five didn't even flinch just like forty-one asked .
The large figure who threw the sword walked towards the stage.
Forty-one's eyes landed on the man's uniform of purples and blacks. It was hazy but forty-one remembered a person who did not like to make eye contact.
'The Demon Duke Entrinch.'
"It seems as if potential only grows in shit holes like this."
The large man muttered to himself but Forty-one couldn't help but hear the Duke's ridiculous words.
"Well this shit hole prodigy would like to be saved now."
Forty-one gestured to five in a dramatic stance.
"...What?"
"Mister! Why do you take so long to save two children?"
Five added as if unsatisfied.
'She catches on quick.'
The duke in an instant stood before forty-one and pulled the sword between the boy's two bare feet.
"The blood on your bodies belongs to another. You are murders, yet you wish to be saved?"
The duke grabbed forty-one chin and forced eye contact.
Murderous Scarlet eyes met forty-one's mature purple amethyst eyes.
The boy smiled as pure as a priest.
"This murder who breathes in front of me has no right to test others."
"...your names."
At the Duke's release, Forty-one rubbed his sore chin with an annoyed brow.
"Mister you should not touch Forty-one like that."
Five glared at the Demon duke brazenly.
Forty-one gasped in admiration internally.
He turned to the duke to see his response which will obviously be…
"What a peculiar thing you are."
The duke put his sword into the scabbard and turned to five with an amused face.
Novel rule #1: The main character always catches the attention of others with her bravery.
Novel rule #2:If there is a demon duke he will either be the male lead or the heroine's adoptive father.
Forty-one nods to himself as he recalls the rather common trope.
"You will be going with me."
'Yes, please take her to your huge mansion and feed her to the brim. Buy her ridiculously expensive dresses and fall for her innocent happy smile. The become and overprotective father with a severe case of-'
-Forty-one
The boy turned his head towards the heroine.
She was looking at him for permission.
"Five, do what you want."
The little girl nodded and scooted closer to the duke.
"Please buy us candy to eat."
The duke scooped her up gently with furrowed brows.
'The guy is confused by her isn't he? The man was probably thinking "Why isn't she scared of me?" "Doesn't she feel like I'm yada, yada, blah, blah?" '
The heroine was transported here from her old world. She already knew from the novel she read that the duke was actually not that bad.
If forty-one could re-call correctly the novel version of the duke was a person who was lonely but refused to let anyone in.
Looking around forty-one found a group of children being rescued and quickly began to head toward the group.
"Where are you going?"
The demon duke lifted the boy in the air and faced forty-one towards him.
"Am I not allowed to go to the others? You trying to control everything I do? Are you some sick adult who like to cage children and-"
"Shut your mouth before I shut it for you."
Forty-one stared at the man unimpressed.
"Forty-one your coming with me aren't you?"
Five stared at him with big eyes that shined a hopeful gleam.
"No."
Forty-one didn't plan on entertaining this world's flow. If he stayed next to the main characters he would die and most likely be reborn again.
The boy grabbed the dukes hand and began to push himself off.
"Let go."
The duke watched the boy whose movements expressed an exhaustion that only lonely people could understand.
"Well too bad, cause your going!" Five shouted, unfazed by his cold reply.
The duke turned toward his advisor, Celine, and threw the boy over his shoulders.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Forty one asked, shock in his voice.
"These two will be with me. Make sure the ones who were purchasing are properly disposed."
"Yes, Duke."
"Ah, let go."
A small hand patted forty-one's back as if to console him.
"Thank you for saving us."
The duke nodded towards five and walked towards the exit.
"Hey! I said let me go."
Forty-one's voice filled the big room before fading away as the duke walked further out.
'Why do these type of people always do whatever the hell they want?!'
Forty-one just wanted to help the heroine just a bit before leaving. They usually left him alone or forgotten about him as the story continued.
"You both will come to my residence so stay quiet."
Forty-one felt as if his soul had left his body.