Ok so i left my position as a Gladiator of the Arena behind me and as I walked away from the Arena I heeded the managers words, I was once more a regular citizen of the kingdom, but that meant I needed to provide for myself entirely, but the idea of owning a slave was still something I hadn't agreed to.
But with all things you can come to terms with them upon learning more, so rather than rejecting the idea outright and causing myself to fall into a dangerous situation, I went to and found a slave merchant company.
Meeting with the woman behind the entrance desk and indicating my desire to learn more about slave ownership, and depending on how the lesson goes my interest in getting combat slaves.
With my request heard I was made to sit and wait until a man who looked like a butler appeared and led me to a small room, inside was a table with two chairs and a small bookshelf full of what looked like books.
"So young master I understand you'd like to learn more about slavery in the kingdom?"
"That's correct, I... well the concept of owning an intelligent life seems odd to me, perhaps because I grew up in a village without slavery, well except for when captured criminals were shipped off to become them."
"Ah so your village born then. That explains it no worries at all, we are happy to educate our clientele. Simply put there are three kinds of slaves sold within the kingdom."
"Three?"
"Yes, Debt or Temporary Slaves, Then you have True Slaves, and lastly your have War or Criminal Slaves."
"So I have some idea on the war or criminal slaves but what about the other two?"
"Ok so since you have some knowledge of the first type, I'll just give a quick rundown, and simply put any war or criminal slave once enslaved cannot be released, they will serve until their or their master death. Now then when it comes to the other two types, well there are temporary slaves who are people who sell themselves into slavery for a specific fee, they can be purchased for a set price, and are guaranteed a monthly wage, while their rights are still guaranteed under the law as a slave if the slave amassing enough wealth to pay off the 'debt' they incurred when they sold themselves they can regain their freedom no questions asked."
"So that's the part-time slave then, if they serve a good master who gives bonus's their indentured life will be short, otherwise they'd serve for a set time assuming they incur not costs themselves?"
"That is correct. Now the True Slave is one step further, this is a person who voluntarily or by their right as guardian of the family has sold the person into slavery, this could be to escape a debt but the selling price is based off the appraised value and potential growth if the sold personage is a child, since they are being sold off they wont exactly have a place to return to if they gain their freedom and as such they expect to remain as a slave for their entire lives."
"Hmmmm so I guess then the biggest question is, if one gave an order as a master to a temp slave would it still be enforced after their term was up?"
"Actually yes! If for example you told your slaves a secret family recipe but order them never to tell anyone else about it, they would be bound for life unless you recinded the order even after buying back their freedom, this would extend to the point of all forms of revealing the secret, such as writing it down for someone, or making it in front of one who doesn't know it already for them to copy. If they try the former slave seal will activate and bind them, while marking them as a criminal and alerting the nearest Knight order."
"Hmmm I see, well given the types I guess I would have to say I would be more inclined to get true slaves then but you mentioned rights before.?"
"Yes, Slavery used to be probably as you'd expect to hear from rumors, but a few hundred years ago the whole system was revised seeing the actions of unruly masters going to far and leading to large slave rebellions as a result. Now under the kingdom laws, along with other nations slave rights are guaranteed. Firstly a slave cannot be ordered to kill themselves either by their own hand or through suicidal action, nor can a slave be commanded to kill another slave under their master except when that slave is rebelling against the master, but again only when doing so unjustified. Next the master is required to provide a standard of living mainly food, shelter, and clothing now it doesn't need to be the same as yourself or better just to the point that they cannot starve, or die of exposure due to a masters neglect or penny pinching. And lastly there is a 'hidden' slave rule one not told to all masters since it is a safety net of sorts to all slaves except the third kind, and that is should they be purchased and their slave contracts be violated by their master the slave is free to seek asylum with any slave dealer who can overwrite the ownership of their slave seal making it so they are no longer that master's property, and then the slave merchant is required to sent a report to the knight order wherein the case will be investigated and if found guilty the master will be punished, depending on the severity it could be the loss of the slave and a fine, the loss of all other slaves and being blacklisted from obtaining new ones, or in the worst case, the master himself could find himself being turned into a criminal slave or being executed outright."
"Hmmm not exactly verbose but I get the idea."
"Surely the rights are written out more in detail within these tomes, but the general idea is as stated, and lastly as a new slave owner you should be aware of the citizen fees."
"Fees?"
"Oh yes, judging by your looks I would say you're still to young to have had to pay taxes yet, or maybe someone else was dealing with it for you, but depending on your status in the kingdom everyone pays a yearly tax, slaves cost their master one gold per year per slave, and then a registration fee of half the tax so long as the slave has been a slave for more than three years, if the slave has been a slave for less than three their tax and registration are waved having been prepaid by the slave merchant company. Meanwhile for regular people, Serf's pay nothing since they are like a slave and their tax is paid by their lord, then Citizens pay five silver per year for anyone of age (over 16 years old) Freemen pay two gold per year, Low Nobles, Mid Nobles, and High nobles well pay anywhere from ten gold coins and up."
"Ok so then I guess I am still free from the tax but good to know about the fees and tax for slaves."