“Delicious!”

“…It’s good.”

With shining eyes, the fox-eared child—Phonia—cheerfully expressed her delight, while the bear-eared man—Ivan—gave a curt but approving response. We ended up talking with them for a while.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were getting involved in something troublesome, but I had already been won over by Phonia’s sheer cuteness. Rio, too, was completely smitten, fluffing the fox ears and refusing to let go, while Phonia, unbothered, continued devouring her grilled fish.

Since staying here too long after obtaining food would risk getting caught, I had cast a perception-blocking barrier around us. Ivan had been skeptical at first, but seeing me activate it before his eyes seemed to convince him.

“So, why did you run away?”

“I heard that even slaves must be provided with proper food, clothing, and shelter—otherwise, it’s a crime, isn’t it?”

As Rio added her comment, Ivan grimaced as if he had swallowed something bitter.

“Yeah… but all that means is that we’re kept alive. It doesn’t mean we’re given anything close to a human life.”

“…What do you mean?”

His brief response wasn’t enough to understand the full story, so I urged him to elaborate. It turned out they had been treated like pets—if not worse. Their meals were mostly raw and unprepared, their clothing consisted of a single tattered rag, and even now, Ivan had to layer multiple scraps of cloth just to stay warm. While living at the mansion, they had been practically naked.

“The worst part was the abuse.”

As he spoke, he lifted his shirt to reveal a body covered in scars. Cuts, bruises, and other wounds marred his skin, but his back was particularly horrific. Their master seemed to have been a true sadist.

“Phonia even stopped smiling for a while…”

His gaze turned to Phonia with a sorrowful expression.

Right now, she was happily eating delicious food, her face lit up with joy. I couldn’t fathom how anyone could abuse such an adorable child.

“Still, I’m surprised you managed to escape.”

“Yeah. I thought slaves couldn’t disobey their master’s orders?”

“Well… it turns out our master never explicitly said, ‘Do not run away.’”

“…Seriously?”

Apparently, the fact that they were treated more like pets worked in their favor. They were usually left alone in a secluded part of the estate, and one day, they took advantage of the opportunity to flee.

“You could say we were ‘free-range.’”

Ivan gave a self-deprecating laugh, but there was nothing funny about it.

From what he told us, their master was a noble living in the imperial capital. I could remove their collars, but I had no way of ensuring their future beyond that. Especially with their master being nobility, things would only get more complicated.

On the contrary, runaway slaves were probably worth a bounty. If a slave were to commit a crime, their owner would be held responsible, so it was in the master’s best interest to recover them quickly.

Still… if we could just remove the collars, maybe things would work out? No, Rio and I would be fine, but could Ivan really manage to protect Phonia and stay ahead of pursuers? Besides, was it better to be a fugitive or to remain a slave? In some ways, being a slave at least ensured their lives were protected by law… I couldn’t make sense of it.

“I’m full! Big brother, big sister, thank you!”

Before I knew it, Phonia had finished her meal and was smiling brightly at us.

“Ah… yeah. Glad you liked it.”

“Thank you for your kindness. We’re in your debt.”

Ivan bowed deeply before standing up.

“We can’t impose on you any longer. It’s time to go, Phonia.”

“O-Okay.”

After one last bow, the two disappeared down the alley before I could gather my thoughts enough to say anything.

“Ugh…”

The whole thing left an uneasy feeling in my chest, but I had no idea what to do about it.

“Was this really the right choice?”

Rio tilted her head in thought, but after I explained my reasoning—that remaining a slave at least ensured they wouldn’t be killed—she seemed to accept it.

“It’s complicated…”

“Yeah… But standing around here won’t change anything. Let’s head back to the inn.”

We knew nothing about their noble master. Without more information, there was nothing we could do. Still, the unresolved feelings weighed on me as we returned to our lodgings.

The next day, we visited the guild to report the completion of our ship escort request. After submitting the report and receiving our payment at the second-floor reception, I decided to ask about runaway slaves.

“Runaway slaves? Well… Slaves are considered private property, so there’s no direct punishment for escaping. However, the owner can take measures, such as increasing their debt or extending their servitude.”

“Oh, I see.”

That was somewhat reassuring.

“Yes. Also, since a master is held responsible for any crimes committed by their slaves, most owners put out bounties to recover escapees. In fact, our guild currently has a D-rank request for capturing a runaway slave.”

“What…?”

Rio and I exchanged uneasy glances.

Could it be Phonia and Ivan…?

“Of course, most runaway slaves don’t commit serious crimes, but some turn to theft out of desperation.”

That made sense. Runaways wouldn’t have any way to find legitimate work, making survival incredibly difficult. Either way, it was better for them to avoid being spotted by the townsfolk.

“Since capturing a runaway slave often involves resistance, there are no legal consequences for injuring them. However, if the escapee has a particularly bad history, the request might change to ‘capture dead or alive.’”

“Seriously?”

For now, I was relieved it was just a retrieval request. …Not that we knew for certain it was Phonia and Ivan.

“Also, be aware that unlawfully freeing a slave is a serious crime. Not that it’s something easily done…”

“Hypothetically speaking… if a slave were freed, what would happen to them?”

“Huh? Oh… well, they would no longer take orders from their former master, but the public would still see them as a runaway slave. In fact, without proof of ownership, they might be even more vulnerable.”

“…I see.”

The guild staff shrugged as they spoke, and with that, we had all the answers we needed.

But all it left us with was an even heavier feeling in our chests.