**BGM: Atomic Music Audio - Far Away by David Micheal Tardy**
Three hours after the kidnapping.
The carriage travelled along the rough road at a fast pace for a long time. The bumpy country path proved not to be much of a hindrance for the horses and their heavy cargo.
Sakura was scared. Shirou had long since disappeared behind them. She didn't know where they were taking her, nor what they wanted.
She curled up into herself, trying to hide from the assailants. These people just beat up Shirou like it was nothing. They weren't afraid of attacking children.
Tears wanted to pour out of her eyes, if she had any left. One hour of sobbing had left her empty of tears. The emotions within her bottling up as her despair worsened each minute she was brought further from home.
She was alone, and Shirou was nowhere to be found.
Sakura opened her eyes and peeked at the view outside the carriage. The familiar Northern Mountain Range looked the same, but the knowledge that she was being taken away scared her.
Nightmares danced across her mind. What would happen to her? But more importantly, would she ever be able to return home? Shirou…Taiga…everyone. They were all left behind.
With a heavy heart, Sakura watched the growing distance between her and home.
Twelve kilometers later, the horses started slowing down.
The carriage had driven for another two hours after sunset. The sun had disappeared under the horizon long ago. In exchange, the moon started climbing from the east.
Sakura, who had been watching the Northern Mountain Range, noticed the massive change of scenery. For once in her life, the Northern Mountain Range looked smaller. A large shift in distance actually made the scene look more impressive in her eyes.
The Northern Mountain Range basked in the beautiful moonlight, looking the same as ever. They were already domineering up close, but the increased distance only made their appearance even greater than before.
Were the mountains so big that Sakura would still see them wherever she was taken? The thought brought pain to her heart. She would always be reminded of her home, but would probably never return.
The coach slowed to a stop. Then Sakura heard the men in front jump off the carriage. The man who stayed with her inside unlocked the door and motioned for her to exit. Frozen in fear, she stared at the captor without moving. Annoyed, the abductor grabbed her arm and started pulling her out of the carriage.
As Sakura was pulled out the carriage, her eyes beheld a large fleet of wagons. Unlike the small caravan she saw at her village, this one was around five times as massive. Lots of men walked around and in between the numerous carts and wagons. Torches brightly lit up the entire caravan like a small village in the night, acting as both assistance for the activities taking place, and as protection in the night.
Then Sakura saw the large camps of huddled people around some campfires. They were being guided into lines and handed wooden bowls. There was a station near the back providing some sort of soup for the people waiting in line.
But what stood out the most was the condition these people were in. They were very thin, dirty, and dressed in rags.
Sakura did not know it yet, but she had been kidnapped by slavers.
She was led to a separate camp from the others. This smaller camp was filled with children like her, but unlike the other camps, they were kept in a slightly better condition. These kids wore dirty clothes instead of rags. They also had more food compared to the rest. The same soup was provided with additional dried corn and bread.
"From now on, you'll be staying with this group, young girl." The man grunted before passing her along to some men who stood watch over this group of slaves.
"Eh? You definitely caught a beauty in this one. Is she really qualified to be with others here?" The guard questioned in return.
"Make sure to take care of her properly. She's our best haul in years! Can you believe this girl has 80 mana pathways? She's going to fetch a rich buyer later."
Many eyes turned towards Sakura in shock. Both from slaves and their guards.
"If you still don't believe me, you can ask the other mages with me. We were specifically called in to capture her."
Sakura stepped back shakily. Was she really that special? That they would go that far for her? It was a scary thought.
"Can one of you grab some food? We need to make sure she doesn't try to run. The first day is always the worst for them."
One of the guards left to grab food for Sakura. That was when she understood that they were making sure that she wouldn't try to escape. Not that she could. The camp was large and there were lots of men going around. She wouldn't be able to run a few meters before getting caught.
Another guard nudged her to join the group of slaves in front of her. Sakura trudged a few steps and plopped down alone at the side. She didn't want to come close to strangers. Thankfully, none of the others tried approaching her either. Everyone was content to distance themselves from one another.
The second guard returned with a bowl of soup, corn, and bread. The food was placed in front of Sakura before he returned to his post.
Sakura thought she wasn't hungry. The turmoil of emotions had kept her mind busy from thinking about much else. But now that food was in front of her, it reacted to its instinctive demands.
As she touched her food, it reminded her of the lunch she had with Shirou hours ago. Sakura's heart trembled in pain. She wasn't going to be seeing him or the others for a long time. Maybe never again.
Sakura brought the bowl of soup to her mouth and took a sip. The soup was bland. Her mind briefly interpreted that the bare minimum of ingredients had been used for the dish, but that was ignored in favor of consuming the food. Her hunger was slightly abated, but the soup was only half the meal. Sakura turned towards the dried corn and coarse bread that was handed to her and also ate them.
They were barely edible. The dried corn was hard, only brought because it was easy to carry around. While bread was seen as a delicacy in the village, the bread fed by the slavers was coarse and dry. Similar to the dried corn, it merely existed as a cheap source of food.
The food brought another degree of realism to Sakura's situation. She would never be able to eat the food she loved. Food cooked by Taiga and Shirou.
After eating, Sakura laid on the dirty ground and cried herself to sleep that night.
The following morn.
Sakura was nudged awake by one of the sentries. Apparently, the mages had wanted to see her again. She blinked her tired eyes open while following one of the sentries towards another part of the camp.
Sakura observed her surroundings. Most of the slaves mirrored the emotions within her. Slumped forms and blank stares greeted her back. A few tried to comfort the others but their efforts proved lacking to surpass that difficult challenge.
The guard led her to a large purple tent near the middle of the camp. This tent was different compared to the others. Most notably, the material looked different, perhaps of a higher quality? But upon closer inspection, the cloth was covered with weird markings. Unknown to Sakura, these were runes made by the mages.
The guard stopped in front of the tent and announced their arrival. "I am here with the girl as you asked, the one with purple hair."
Some sounds came from the massive tent before the flap opened. One of the mages peeked outside and confirmed her appearance. "Good. Come here girl." He motioned for her to enter.
Sakura nervously set food into the tent. The interior looked ominous for her. It was dark and filled with many objects she didn't recognize. Mages were sat around in the middle, enclosed within a magic circle, similar to the one she was appraised on before.
Realisation and fear gripped her heart. The mages wanted to appraise her again? But she had already been confirmed to have 80 pathways…what more could they want?
Sakura stood away from the circle. She didn't trust the mages after learning that they had been the ones to order her abduction. But she didn't have an option. The mage who fetched her dragged Sakura towards the middle and forced her to sit down.
"Let's confirm if she really has 80 mana pathways like you said." One of the mages uttered.
She shied away from their hands, but they were too many. Resistance was futile. One by one, each of them performed the appraisal spell and checked Sakura's circuits.
This was the beginning of a path that Sakura would undertake for years to come.
The appraisal spells had a side effect that the mages were unaware of.
Similar to Shirou, it began to awaken Sakura's circuits.
Each small injection of magic into her body was intended for observation of her sleeping mana pathways. These injections acted as a sort of jump start mechanism for the slumbering circuits.
But unlike Shirou, Sakura's pathways didn't awaken from the first contact with an external force of prana. This was because she doesn't have external assistance like what Unlimited Blade Works did for Shirou.
Except this time was different. Sakura was being appraised repeatedly. Slowly but surely, her mana pathways began activating one by one.
Then…one circuit awakened.
The sensation was crystal clear. Sakura felt something click and unlock within her.
The chain reaction started.
One…two…three…and another, then another.
"Quick! Her mana pathways are awakening! Someone prepare the slave brand! It would be harder to apply it if she's fighting us later!" One mage shouted.
Appraisals were dropped, mages scrambling left and right to collect the required materials for the branding of the slave seal.
Sakura watched them in fear. The mages were calm a few moments ago, but suddenly shifted to a chaotic bunch around her.
"Already? She doesn't even look close to the age when kids awaken their magic!"
"She was already a monster with 80 circuits. But unlocking her core and pathways now means she's going to be worth more!"
"Stop ogling and start working, you idiots! The faster we place the seal on her, the safer we are!"
Shouts erupted as the mages argued in front of the scared girl. One mage brought a jar of animal blood towards the circle, followed by another bringing a papyrus scroll and some brushes.
"Girl, take off your shirt and lie on the ground if you know what's good for you." One of them threatened.
Sakura bit down the threat of tears spilling from her eyes and removed her top. She quietly laid on the ground, scared of what the mages would do. Fighting them wouldn't work at all. Outnumbered and weak, all she could do was follow the orders.
Sakura watched one mage dip the brush in animal blood and begin inscribing what she assumed to be a slave seal. Another mage did it differently. He submerged his fingers into the jar then brought it to her back. Wet fingers danced across her back, forming a runic seal that would force her submission.
She laid still for some time, not daring to move an inch even after they stopped working on her back.
"Don't move for a few minutes. The animal's blood needs to finish drying."
The mages performed a few more checks before finalizing the slave branding. The scroll and the slave seal both glowed as they activated the contract.
Sakura was now a slave.
The thought was terrifying. It was as bad as losing Taiga and Shirou.
It was too much. The dam broke and tears started streaming down her eyes. Quiet sobs echoed inside the tent while she laid on the floor.
The mages started packing away the materials used. She was pulled up and brought to the guard outside the tent to be returned to her slave group.
"Bring her back to the slaves with magic. She's marked already."
The guard nodded and grabbed Sakura's shoulder. He led the crying girl through the camp.
To Sakura, the world seemed to darken a few shades. The slave brand on her back a warning to the future horrors that she would undergo. She didn't understand how her life reached such a low. Sakura was a good girl, she had never done anything to deserve this fate.
They arrived back at her group and she was passed back to the others. The rest of the day passed without any remarkable events. Not much can be done when you were a slave. The slavers were busy doing their duties, and the job of slaves were to avoid making trouble.
But things changed the following day.
Early the next morning, Sakura watched as the slavers shifted momentum. The movements around camp quickened as the slavers packed up their tents and other belongings. Horses and wagons were readied by the people as the slave caravan prepared to travel. The slaves were ordered to mount the wagons, each group of slaves being watched over by their respective guards.
In the span of a few hours, the caravan started moving south. The large fleet numbered in the dozens when it came to transports. There must have been hundreds of people, most consisting of slaves taken from towns and villages.
To where would they be taken? Sakura could only guess.
She sat near the opening at the back of the wagon, staring at the Northern Barrier Mountains. It was the only familiar thing that remained with her. Watching the mountains stay in her sights protected the little hope that remained in her heart.
That as long as she could see the Northern Barrier Mountains, then she knew where to return if she escaped. If she ever escaped, that was.
One plank of hope in a sea of despair.
Looking to the other slaves didn't prove to be helpful. Many mirrored the same look of anguish on their faces just like she had. Although, Sakura believed that a few were hoping, just as she was. All of them must have come from the surrounding areas. Which meant that they were all familiar with the sight of the mountains.
Hours passed and the fleet continued travelling at a slow pace. The bumpy road filled with rocks and the hard texture of the seat under Sakura was uncomfortable. Her legs were starting to become numb from the long time spent sitting.
The scenery was unfamiliar, but after the first few hours, it had become monotonous and repetitive. The same trees, the same road, the same sky.
Sakura's stomach grumbled. Lunch had not been provided by the slave caravan. She saw guards and the other slavers eating snacks like bread and corn, but was afraid to ask for food.
A few hours before sunset, the fleet stopped beside a river. Slaves were barked out of the wagons to sit on the grass. The fleet cooks and some people started setting up the cooking ware for supper. Groups of slaves were organized in order to be led towards the river. A brief respite to drink water for parched throats.
Sakura imagined a possible scenario where she could try for an escape during their turn to visit the river. But that was thrown away after some reconsideration. They had seen no towns or villages during the day's journey. Running now would result in getting lost in a place she wasn't familiar with. She would also lose her only source of food.
It was too dangerous.
It seemed that giving up for now was the best choice.
That night's dinner was the same. Bland soup with dried corn and coarse bread. But Sakura noticed that her group was being given special treatment with more food compared to others. The other slaves weren't served corn nor bread. It seemed obvious now why her group looked healthier in contrast to them.
After dinner, she couldn't sleep. Sakura's mind had imagined her happy days back at home. The comfort of a straw bedding underneath her, and the warmth of a cottage. Especially companionship. It may have been only one day, but Sakura was starting to miss everyone already.
Two months. That was the duration for which the caravan travelled.
The rest of the journey would remain the same. The slave caravan would travel south during the day, and pause during the night. Breakfast and dinner were the only meals served. Lunch and water was not supplied for the slaves. It was during this time that Sakura suffered many bouts of hunger and thirst.
They passed by towns without stopping. Or rather, select groups of men would be sent to towns to gather supplies while the fleet continued travelling at a slow pace. Those men would return at a faster pace to catch up with the fleet.
On the last day, the slave caravan arrived in sight of a feudal city. The outskirts were filled with rice paddies and many small cottages for the farmers. Further in was the small city walls with watchtowers on the corners.
For the first time in her life, Sakura saw a city. The roofs of the buildings within were a different shape compared to the roofs of her village. From afar, the colors of the city appeared bright with a large majority being red, white, and black. In the center looked like a massive palace built on top of a hill. The palace was several stories higher than the rest of the large city.
A wide river flowed along the right side of the city. Several boats could be seen fishing in the waters. There was also a stone bridge that spanned the width of the river, crossing from one side to another. People, carts, and animals were walking on the bridge, some towards the city, others leaving from it.
The fleet caravan parked around two kilometers from the bustling feudal city. Sakura noticed that there were already many people awaiting for the arrival of the slave caravan. It was obvious that they were the people buying slaves, or people who would be selling them inside the city.
Group by group, the slaves were passed along to the strangers who would lead them into the metropolis. Their group was the last one leaving the caravan. They were handed to a rich looking person garbed in a bright yellow robe.
The slaver who led them conversed with the wealthy-looking man.
"These are the slaves with magical talent. Most of them have a decent 60 mana pathways, but you should pay attention to the girl with purple hair. She's special."
"Special? What makes her different from the usual then? I assume it must be good."
"Not just good. She's your once in a lifetime prodigy I would guess. 80 pathways, and she's already awakened her magic. Any smart mage looking for prodigious talent would pay a fortune just to get her."
"You've been a good source of magical talent for many years now, but I won't believe it until I have this batch checked by our mages at the auction. As usual, we will provide you with a 30% cut of the proceedings once she has been bought."
The two men shook hands and a new set of guards traded places with the slavers who guarded her group. The slave mages brought the chest containing the contract scrolls which controlled their slave brands and gave them to their new owners.
Sakura bit her lips in hesitation. She and her fellow slaves were hungry since early that afternoon. All she could think about was food. The slave caravan did not care about the slaves and a few had died of hunger during the journey. It was a horrifying experience when Sakura saw the dead get dumped far away from camp. She could not sleep for several days afterward.
Their new keepers led them into the bustling city. Guards flanked in formation around them, making sure to keep watch should any try to escape. Not that any of them would try, they had become thin from the lack of proper food. Which resulted in them losing most of their energy. They even considered themselves to be lucky. The regular slaves looked worse off.
Sakura's hunger was distracted by the views around her. The noise was a new experience. The city was alive with chaos as people walked every which way. Horses and their carts were led in the middle of the street while people like her stayed on the side. The street they were on was easily the size of 4 houses from her village. Large buildings with 2 floors lined up the sides, colorful banners adorned their fronts as they advertised themselves to the people.
Her head turned to look in many directions as she took the cityscape around her. Even her fellow slaves were staring, absorbing the atmosphere around them.
They were led to a large 3 storey building on a road off to the side of the main avenue they entered the city from. The property looked extremely high class for Sakura. Was this really the place they were going to be sold at? She had never seen anything quite like it.
The front of the building was an elaborate entrance. The base looked like marble and the pillars at the entrance were of polished granite, reflecting her stupefied face back at her. Her fellow slaves also looked shocked at being brought to such an elite establishment.
A side gate opened for them and they were ushered in quickly. Inside, people milled about carrying wares, weapons, armor, and many other objects Sakura did not recognize. Chests were brought in and out by different workers dressed in some sort of fancy black uniforms. A elderly man stood in front of the entire area with a checkbook in his hands.
The leader of their group approached the man.
"We've got 20 slaves with magical talent from our usual source here. We can confirm it on the list before I have them checked by our mages to estimate a starting value for each of them." He informed the older male.
"Good, bring them to the second floor and have them appraised. We have buyers coming in by the week's end for the auction. It would be smart to include them to increase the profits, since we don't have any big wares to sell this time."
Immediately, their group was led through some large hallways within the establishment. The hallways mirrored the front in terms of grandeur. Marble covered the floor and the walls, combined with similar polished granite pillars at intervals. The middle of the halls were laid with red carpets of a material Sakura did not recognise. All she knew was that they were soft to walk on, a sharp contrast to the rough ground she had grown accustomed to in the past two months.
They entered a large room behind some large black wooden doors. Inside, several mages were going over chests and some magical wares. Sakura assumed they were magical, considering that each time an object was touched, they lit up in the hands of the mages.
"I'm here with the slaves for appraisal. They said that we have a diamond in this batch." The man informed the mages working inside the room.
The guards lowered the chest containing the slave contracts inside the room then stood guard outside. Sakura was starting to see a connection here. During her two appraisals, the guards had stayed outside of the room, allowing the mages to work in peace.
Her group quietly shuffled around into a line. Nobody wanted to risk any problems with the new mages. Everyone was still apprehensive in regards to their new masters. Are they better than the slavers? But they saw them as bad people because they were used for profit.
"Everyone calm down. We won't hurt you! One by one, approach a free mage and we'll just quickly appraise you. Afterwards, we will hand you over to the caretakers for some meals. You want food right?" One tried to calm the hesitant group.
The thought of food changed everyone's minds, including Sakura. Once they finished their appraisals, food would be provided. Hunger always proved to be a good motivation.
5 mages split from the others and called for the slaves to enter the appraisal circles individually. Each slave taking a few minutes to be evaluated and listed by another mage on a small booklet.
Soon, it was Sakura's turn to be checked. She nibbled on her lips nervously. How many times would she be appraised? All of their reactions scared her and she didn't understand why. Would it be possible for a different result this time? But the last few appraisals always went the wrong way she hoped. Asking for a different result seemed like an impossibility at this point.
She sat in the circle and ignored the uncomfortable chant the mage uttered. Sakura focused on the prized rewards of food while the mage injected some prana into her body.
Followed by another response that she hoped wouldn't come.
"Fuck me. She's insane! They weren't lying about that diamond!"
"What are you on about? Just get it over with."
"How? You can't appraise her easily anymore. She has 80 activated pathways. I could barely check her mana system because all of them have been pushing back my mana."
Mages who overheard the conversation paused and turned towards the commotion.
"We need our best mage here to properly examine her. We can't evaluate a proper amount for the auction if we don't get him."
"Seriously? Someone double check her. Then we'll send them to the caretakers to be fed. If the girl's as crazy as he said, then have her guarded along with the premium items in the third floor. We'll just have to send food up."
This time a female mage approached Sakura and performed the evaluation.
"What the fuck?! He's not lying! She's insane! 80 pathways and they are already awakened at such a young age!"
Sakura sat nervously in the middle of it all. Was it really that special? She didn't even know what to think about magic yet. It had been the source of her misery so far. Sakura would gladly trade her magic if it meant returning home.
"Alright, one of you escort her to the third floor. Put her in one of the rooms if you have to. I'll call the leader to deal with this."
The same mage who appraised her the first time nudged her shoulders excitedly.
"Follow me little girl, I know you're hungry but we need to go somewhere first. If you really want food I'll just call for someone to fetch it ok?"
Sakura nodded silently. As long as she could eat, then she could deal with the other problems afterward.
She walked behind the man through the building's hallways and up a flight of stairs. The third floor was an upgrade compared to the second one. The walls and floor remained the same. What differed was the quality of the decor. Paintings lined the walls encased in gold, some glass chandeliers adorned the ceiling above, and the rugs increased in variety. She even spotted a bearskin rug in one of the large rooms showcasing items behind a layer of glass on top of a pedestal.
Sakura watched everything in wonder. To think that there was a world like this away from the village. Everything was shiny, pristine, and exquisite. Something that she struggled to comprehend.
She did not fit in this world.
Then again, she was already a slave. She heard stories about how slaves were treated in the cities from travellers. They were the bottom of the system. People like her aren't human.
But Sakura wasn't a slave before. She would cling to her belief that she was still a human. Not some animal only used for entertainment.
Then they arrived in front of a room. The doors were made of dark mahogany with beautiful carvings all over. Handles made of silver, reflecting brightly in the afternoon sun. As Sakura stood in front of the door, a shiver crawled up her spine. For some reason, someone or something behind the door felt dangerous.
This was a testament to the potential Sakura had. Her magic nerves had started to acclimate itself to external energy, due to the large exposure it had from several mages over the course of 2 months. Constantly being barraged by a variety of prana had slightly developed her magical sense.
Normally, mana systems don't receive external projections of magic. Each mana system is isolated from other systems with the exception of the ambient mana coming from the world. After all, they still need the ambient world mana to perform magic.
But with Sakura being constantly examined, her mana system's progression accelerated as it sought to expel the foreign energy it felt. Currently, she's slightly ahead of growth compared to the awakening age of 13.
5 years younger. Sakura was 5 years ahead of the curve.
The doors opened and her eyes took in the office in front of her. A matching mahogany table sat in the middle of the room, an old mage sitting behind it. Some couches were arranged in front of the desk and in the middle sat a rug that was made from the pelt of a large white wolf. The walls were adorned with even more paintings just like the rest of the establishment.
Sakura's eyes were drawn straight to the old wizard at the desk, at the same time he looked up at his work to eye her.
Brows scrunched down as the sorcerer inspected her critically.
"Where did you find this girl?"
Straight to the questions. This wizard wasn't wasting any of his time.
"Sir, this was part of this year's first batch of magic slaves. She was a hidden gem that they found in the north."
"Hmmm…allow me to ask the girl some questions."
Sakura's eyes widened. The lead mage wanted to talk directly to her. For 2 months, the only other people she had spoken with where her fellow slaves. They didn't form a tight knit group, but everyone still tried to talk to each other to pass the time. Spending such a long time travelling would bore anyone since they had nothing to do.
Her escort moved her in front of the old sorcerer.
A minute passed, followed by another minute, and a couple more.
Sakura was starting to fidget in place under the elder's observation. He didn't look threatening, but she had a feeling that there was more to him than just being a good mage.
"Would you like to tell me your name?"
"M-my name is Sakura…"
"No family name?"
"I-I am an orphan…"
"How old are you, little one?"
"I-I'm just 8."
Sakura whispered her answer. The faster she answered, the faster she could get her food.
"Is it alright if I gently hold your hand for a little bit? I need to check your system. I can feel that it's already awake, but I need to see more."
His voice was gentle. Reassuring. Sakura didn't feel as hesitant as she did before and allowed the sorcerer to scan her mana system.
It only took a few moments for him to confirm his suspicions. He was the best mage the establishment had after all.
She was an undiscovered prodigy. Her magic tried to push his energy back, but his exper control over his magic allowed him to dance around hers with ease. Allowing him to examine her nerves and magic in action. Not only was it awakened, it was already advanced. Even for beginners. For a magic system to start pushing back external energies at 8 years old was very rare. He was sure the city's youngest prodigy awakened at only 11 years old, and that was already a long time ago.
That child went on to be invited to one of the many magic academies at Areophea, one of the leading magical cities in the world.
The wizard released Sakura's hand gently. "Have her stay at one of our guest suites and feed have our caretakers treat her like a customer. She's going to be the Grand Item sold at the auction."
"Grand Item? But it takes a long time to prepare for auctioning an item of that level! It would be too hasty to announce without sending interested parties invites."
It was a reasonable question. Grand Items were the best wares sold in their auctions. They always sent out letters to the major groups in the city. More often than not, these parties would send representatives to bid on wares.
"No. She is one of a kind. All of them would want to know about her as soon as possible. Nobody would delay any chance to bid for her. Putting her as the Grand Item for this weekend would be the best. Not to mention that he is in the city. This is our only chance to gain his favor if we sell during his stay. At the same time, we can also reason that we gave everyone a chance to bid. We keep our usual customers satisfied while winning."
Her escort looked uncertain, but didn't ask any more questions. It was obvious that the wizard's words weighed heavier than his opinion on the matter.
"Go on, Miss Sakura. You should go and rest now. Feel free to pick any room you want for the duration of your stay here." The sorcerer smiled lightly at the girl.
"I'll show you to the guest rooms, Miss Sakura."
The escort turned to lead Sakura out of the room. Sakura was still confused about the change in her circumstances, but followed as her escort led her to the accommodations. At that point, she was eager to receive the food that was promised.
As they walked through the hallways, the conversation kept playing in Sakura's mind. There was a certain individual that they were trying to pander to inside the city. Someone so important that they would hasten the normal preparations. Preparations took time, Sakura herself had experienced that each time she helped cook dinner.
Who could be so important that they were eager to sell her to that person?
Upon reaching their destination, Sakura was stupefied. The room they took her to was every bit as grand as what she had seen so far.
A very large bed took the center of the room. A chandelier with glowing crystals radiated light from above. There was an empty wooden wardrobe off to the side that was ten times larger than she was. A rich dark mahogany table and some exquisite rugs decorated the floor. It was becoming clear that mahogany was a chosen theme in the building.
It was all starting to suffocate Sakura.
She didn't belong here. Much less deserved to be here. She was a simple girl enjoying a simple life from the countryside.
She never dreamed for any of this.
The escort locked the room and left her behind. She was offered the finest of accommodations, but she was still a slave. Considered to be the most important item for the auction, yet still lower in status than the average person.
The duality of life.
Sakura moved to the large windows at the right side of the room. A beautiful scene overlooking the city presented itself to her. The sun was setting and lights were being lit up one by one across streets and inside buildings. Sakura had never seen such a view before. The city basked in the orange rays of the disappearing sun, reflecting its light off ornate roofs, decorated walls, and busy roads. Usually, her village would be preparing dinner at this time. But the city continued to be alive as the sun left the sky.
The door behind her unlocked, followed by an opening as one caretaker wheeled in a cart of food.
Sakura turned towards the long awaited food and blinked in surprise. There was so much food! A variety of cooked meat and vegetables, soft-looking bread, steaming hot soup, and more that she did not recognize.
The woman who pushed the cart arranged the food on the table and left the room quickly.
Then Sakura was locked in again.
But she couldn't care less. Food was here.
Sakura immediately dove in. Two months. For two months she had been subjected to eating the same stale food. She had no other choice if she wanted to feed herself. Especially when meals were only provided twice a day.
The first bite of meat took her breath away. Emotions held back broke free and Sakura cried. Thankful that she could enjoy delicious food once again.
For a short while, she could perhaps enjoy herself. Before she would be sold to whoever wanted her. The thought dropped her mood. She wasn't free anymore. Anything provided to her now was only special treatment because of her innate talent. Nobody had explained why her talent was special yet.
Sakura made sure to taste everything. Once she had eaten her fill, Sakura returned to sitting at the windowsill to watch the vibrant city nightlife.
Days later, the auction was ready.
Sakura had been returned to her slave group. The last day they would all see each other.
The auction they were being sold at was run by the Black Fortune Guild. Which they all had found out on the last day of their stay under them. Apparently, the Black Fortune Guild had one of the best reputations for the standard of auctions they present, both visually and quality of the items.
Including slaves.
Everyone had been provided with a clean set of clothes to wear during the auction. Simple white shirts and shorts were provided for the boys, while girls like her were given a short white dress. It made for quite the sight, all of them wearing clothes that matched the design of the establishment they were going to be sold at.
It looked like they had turned from rags to riches in the span of a few days.
All of them had undergone a sort of preparation stage for the auction. Some mages and doctors were brought in for medicine and enchantments to make them all recover better from the two month journey they had. Now, they all looked like healthy young children.
Investing in such lengths for an auction? The Black Fortune Guild took their reputation seriously.
Selling children wasn't much of a reputation in Sakura's eyes. Especially when these people are directly involved in abducting them for profit.
The auction was set to start late at night. The sun had set long ago and the city had returned to its peaceful nightlife once again.
But nightlife for the Black Fortune Guild meant business.
Workers moved items around, arranging them by order at the backroom of the auction stage. The children had all been moved early, giving them time to watch as the people double checked the items for tonight's auction. They were going to be sold last, as a build up towards Sakura.
Invites had been quickly sent out and many positive replies returned. Many people were eager to see this auction's "Grand Item". It had been announced that the best item tonight was a slave with prodigious mage talent.
Anyone would be interested to check it out, even if they didn't intend to bid. It was all a part of Black Fortune Guild's reputation in the city. Even visitors were allowed to watch the auctions. Provided that they had status of course.
The last few workers confirmed that all wares were accounted for then left the room. Specially dressed auction women would instead roll the wares out to the stage one by one as they were called out later.
Then music started to play, revealing to all of them that the auction was about to begin. Followed by a magically enhanced voice welcoming the audience.
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen…to the Black Fortune Guild's Auction!"
Time was a blur. Sakura and the other slaves watched as items inside the room decreased one by one. Armors, weapons, crystals, and many other items both magical and rare were sold.
And then…it was their turn to be sold. Every one of them was announced in order of mana pathways they had.
Until Sakura stood alone inside the empty room. Soon, it would be her turn to be sold. For what price she wondered? The other slaves were sold for extravagant prices of 50 gold per slave.
50 gold was worth 5000 silver, and 5000 silver was worth 500,000 bronze coins. Sakura couldn't even fathom such a price. If Sakura could survive on 15 bronze coins per day, then the amount they were being sold at could feed her village for one and a half years!
It was insane. What kind of world did Sakura get dragged into, she wondered. These people were willing to pay this much for slaves with aptitude for magic. Then magic was a bigger deal than she thought.
The beautiful stage women appeared to collect her. Looks like Sakura missed the announcement during her contemplation about the kinds of people bidding for her.
Each step closer felt like another step further away from home. Where would her new master take her? Would she still be able to see the Northern Barrier Mountains? It was the last hope she had if she hoped to return one day.
Sakura emerged from the side of the stage accompanied by the woman. It was larger than she imagined. The auction stage could easily fit a hundred people and more. Around it, an amphitheater that was equal in scale. Three floors appeared in front of the stage, two balconies above and a ground floor. Rows of seats sloped upwards and away from the stage in a circular pattern.
And there were hundreds of people in attendance. Some spectators, others as interested bidders.
The audience volume raised slightly during her walk towards the auction host beckoning for her from the middle.
"Here we are folks, this auction's Grand Item. Well isn't she a beauty? Quite a surprise to have a slave for a Grand Item this time around, but I assure you, she's the real deal."
"This young girl's name is Sakura and she is 8 years old. Blessed with 80 magical nerves and an awakened system already! I tell you this one is a prodigy."
This time, the audience burst into loud discussions. She had been announced as the Grand Item inside invites. But to finally see her in person was an entirely different thing altogether.
Her child-like charm alone already was enough to guarantee her an expensive bid to win. Everyone could see that she would grow into a beautiful flower in the future.
But with exceptional magical talent like that? Her price just skyrocketed for the audience.
"If the other slaves were worth 50 gold coins…this one's bidding starts at…250."
Shouts erupted from the audience as bidders jumped to action.
250…300…350…400…
Sakura's face reflected the horror within her. Five times. They labeled her base price at 2,500,000 bronze coins. Enough to feed her village for seven and a half years, nearly equal to her current age.
…and people continued to bid higher.
500…600…650…
The bids were slowing down now. Competition was getting weeded out as her price increased.
"I bid a thousand gold coins for her."
The announcement ceased nearly all noise within the amphitheater.
Sakura blinked and looked towards the origin of the bid. It was an old foreigner in his 50s dressed in a black suit and tie. Compared to the rest, his clothes were nondescript. Looking at him, her nerves felt the same pressure as when she met the lead mage of the guild. But unlike the last one, his presence felt….stronger. She wasn't the only one to feel the overwhelming force, many other guests also did. His presence made people around him disperse, creating an empty space only for him.
"Going once for one thousand gold!"
The crowd murmured, silently discussing the insane bid. It seemed nobody else could raise a challenge.
"Going twice for one thousand gold! Are there any more bidders?"
The foreigner leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes, confident in his bid.
"And Miss Sakura is sold! Sir Garamm El-Melloi Archisorte wins the girl!"
Sakura was led across to the other side of the stage as the auctioneer announced the ending of tonight's sale of wares. Slowly, the crowd of people began leaving the amphitheater.
She was left inside a side room with a guard. A few minutes later, the foreigner and the Black Fortune Guild leader appeared, along with her slave contract.
"Sir Archisorte, I hope you enjoyed tonight's auction. It really was a pleasure to accommodate your visit."
"Your reputation is well earned. To find such a talent like that girl in this far place."
The guild leader smiled and bowed towards the foreigner.
"We do not deserve such compliments from one of your stature sir, we were merely doing our best as we have always been."
"Then you have done a great job. Be proud of your efforts and achievements."
The two arrived in front of the guard and Sakura. Garamm observed the young girl fidget and shuffle nervously. She was definitely too young to have activated her mana system, and yet here she is.
Garamm had no questions about the authenticity of the Black Fortune Guild's claims. Once their eyes had met during the bidding, his trained senses were able to pick up on the girl's fledgling mana despite the various other mages and adventurers present.
He was, after all, an S-rank mage. Especially when boundary magic was one of his talents.
Garamm's hand moved to his side and magically pulled out a bag out of thin air and handed it to the head of the guild auction.
"Please wait a few minutes while we confirm the amount sir." The owner said before hurrying out the room in excitement.
"Guard, leave the girl with me. You may go now."
Sakura's guard who had been barely holding his nerves in Garamm's presence exhaled a sigh of relief and practically ran out the room.
She was left alone with her new master. Sakura had noticed that the presence he emitted in the amphitheater was gone. Now, she would've never noticed him aside from his foreign looks. But Sakura remembered the power she felt earlier. This elderly man was different from the others.
The door opened and the same guild leader from earlier had returned with Sakura's contract.
"Once again, thank you for dealing business with the Black Fortune Guild. Here is Sakura's slave contract Sir Archisorte." The guild owner eagerly handed the slave contract to him before leaving the room quietly.
Garamm El-Melloi Archisorte, a branch family member of the El-Melloi Family. One of the major families in the New World Association. A human faction consisting of thirteen legendary families leading a new form of magic in the world.
The magic did not have any official name since it was considered new compared to the established arts, but the most apt name used by everyone would be the so-called Original Thaumaturgy of Man, followed by its title as Homos-Apienne.
Unlike traditional magic based on the arts passed down from gods and other races like demons and dragons, this art had been recently created in the past few hundred years. While some roots could be connected to previous magic forms, the structure and other components were original. Most importantly, this form of magic was functional for all humans. Whereas arts from other races needed explicit training or the consent of said race.
Similar to how the arts of gods needed people to be faithful to their religion. Demon magic needed contracts with the demon race. Dragons raised humans to become pseudo-dragons since dragon magic slowly changed their form the longer they used it. Several other races also had special conditions to utilize their magic.
You could say that humans were a prime resource for many species. Humans were flexible and capable of being conditioned to use any kind of magic.
How convenient for a race with the weakest magical ability in the world.
In exchange for the ability to use special magic, these humans became tied to each of the respective magics they practiced.
That was why the New World Association was such a large achievement for the species of Man. They had managed to create a magic of their own. A small human faction, leading the charge against established magics of eons.
Of course, there were people against this New World Association. Primarily, the people who followed different religions and other races. But these forces were fragmented as they could never work well together due to their different faiths.
Instead, it was the relatively unknown human factions that posed the greatest competition to the New World Association. These were the Atlas Ruins and the Wandering Sea. No information was known about these rival human factions, but they were considered equal in strength by the Thirteen Families who created the Original Thaumaturgy of Man.
Even the other magical races proved this. As some had fallen when faced with the wrath of Atlas Ruins. They were particularly known for bringing down an existence thought impossible to kill: Rehgis MoRTrhnmm. A corrupted mana leyline that had warped its form into that of a monster. A walking abomination of a leyline. The leyline had slowly been corrupted from a war eons prior between gods and devils. Resulting in the surviving negativity of the dead souls merging with the world leyline.
It should have been impossible to kill contaminated magical energy right?
That very impossibility turned into improbability.
Humans had very much proven themselves capable of being threats to other races.
And now, one branch member from the founding thirteen families of the New World Association was her new master.
Author's Note
AHAHAHAHA I went crazy again with the introduction of major factions in world building! HELP ME.
For anyone confused about Shirou's total prana output, please refer to TYPE MOON WIKIA. Also my first author's chapter helps explain how I planned him out thanks! Reading the author's chapters will help flesh out any details that I might need to change. But so far I don't need to make any major changes yet for the world.
I've decided to give two story narratives a try. Let's see how well I can build Sakura's journey. Unlike Shirou, this one only began starting from this chapter. I'm still thinking about what events to go for with her. I have to thank that one subjective review for criticizing my cruelty for the pair, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have thought about forming a story for her too.
As always, I hope you all enjoy your weekends!
