[Arcels the Teenage Slave, Year 1515]

  Southland, Home of Dogma

  There is a slave living in a foreign land due to a war that left him helpless. Arcels is a slave from Westland who is now a slave in the Southland Country.

  The physical differences between Arcels and the people of Southland make Arcels very easy to recognize as a slave from a foreign country. Arcels' skin tends to be white with blonde hair. Meanwhile, Southlanders have dark skin and jet black hair.

  Arcels was a slave of a master named Dogma. Dogma's family was well-off enough to own several slaves. However, Dogma was famous for his cruelty towards slaves.

  People knew that slaves who worked with Dogma would experience a lifetime of suffering. This is what Arcels, the slave of Dogma, feels like hell every day.

  Morning

  "Arcels! Where are you?" Dogma looked for Arcels around his house.

  Then, Arcels came up to Dogma and said, "How can I help you, Sir?"

  "What took you so long to come? You slave bastard!"

  Bak! Thwak!

  The sound of the wood that Dogma held to hit Arcels.

  Blood flowed from Arcels' temples, dripping onto the dry ground.

  His body staggered, pain radiating from the back that was struck repeatedly by the wood in Dogma's hand.

  Arcels could only squeeze the ground, holding back a scream that almost exploded.

  Since the age of 15, his life has been bound in chains as a slave. Now, at the age of 19, the wounds on his body have become a common sight.

  "I'm sorry, Sir," he said breathlessly, forcing his body to rise even as his legs trembled.

  "You dare to talk back, huh?!" just because of a small mistake, Dogma hit Arcels with wood all morning.

  Nighttime in the Dogma Animal Cage

  The animal stables were the slaves' dark, stuffy, and foul-smelling sleeping quarters. In the corner of the room, Saint Deek Jamess, a 65-year-old former priest from Westland, looked at Arcels with concern on his face.

  "You're back, young man," Deek greeted softly.

  "Old man... why aren't you sleeping?" Arcels came in after being badly beaten by Dogma, so his body and face were covered in cuts and bruises.

  "Don't worry about me. You better sit down," Deek grabbed Arcels' shoulder, helping him sit on the haystack. "If you're battered like this every day, you'll die one day."

  Arcels laughed blandly. "Wouldn't it be better to die than to continue being tortured like this?"

  "ARCELS! No matter what happens, never give up on God!" Deek grasped Arcels shoulder tightly, his voice trembling.

  "We have to trust Him, no matter how bad things get!"

  Arcels cried and wiped away his tears. He looked down, his blue eyes dim.

  "I'm sorry, Old Man... But it seems I no longer believe in God."

  He got up slowly and laid his weak body in the corner of the room.

  Deek was silent. His wrinkled hands were clenched on his knees.

  That night, his prayers were quieter than usual.

  [Past Saint Deek Jamess, Year 1500]

  Gray Village, Westland

  Saint Deek Jamess is a 175 cm tall slave obtained from Westland, after Southland won the war in the South Westland region.

  At that time, a village was attacked by 1000 troops led by a Commander Thousand named Zaladin Abiyoye.

  Commander Thousand is a Commander who leads more than 1000 troops in war.

  At that time, Deek was a 50-year-old pastor of the Gray Church. All residents who resisted were immediately killed and those who did not resist were captured for slavery.

  As a priest, Deek did not want to commit violence, so he surrendered and willingly became a slave. Deek knew that he didn't have the strength to fight a thousand troops, so he preferred to take care of the people who became slaves later.

  Sadly, Gray's Church was burned to the ground, making the church extinct from the face of the earth.

  Gray's Church was the last church in the world, as most people, especially in Westland had already abandoned the teachings of the church.

  This is because the King of Westland, namely King Ortnunder, stated that he did not believe in the existence of God after defeated the previous king named King Knetchle.

  Both of them are huge figures who are often nicknamed Ortnunder The Great and Knetchle The Answer.

  "Everything will be fine," Deek told the other slaves on the way to the North Southland.

  Deek was distributed to slave traders so that it could be resold to people in the North Southland.

  Before being bought by Dogma, Deek had always befriended and cared for other slaves as his personal service mission.

  However, everything Deek did seemed useless as the war continued and slaves kept coming to the North Southland. However, Deek never gave up caring and serving the slaves because of his faith in the God he believed in.

  Basically, people bought male slaves for their strength or bought female slaves for their beauty. However, at that time Deek was just a 50-year-old old man who wasn't even stronger than a young woman. Therefore, for many months, Deek was not sold as a slave.

  On a sunny afternoon, slaves line up in shabby, smelly clothes to show off to buyers.

  "I didn't expect you to be able to drink so much alcohol," said one of the women walking with Dogma in his arms.

  "Hahaha! That's not even close... I'm still not even warmed up," said a drunken Dogma in front of the slave exhibit.

  "Master, look at that! That poor man... he's old, but he's a slave. If only there was a man kind enough to help him," the women holding Dogma looked at Deek.

  "Kind? Of course! Besides being rich and strong in alcohol, I'm also a kind-hearted man! Hey! Who sell this slave? I want to buy him now!" Dogma pointed at Deek.

  A slave seller came and said, "Of course, Sir. It only costs 1 piece of silver."

  "One silver piece? What kind of slave is this cheap? Alright, I'll buy it! Congratulations, old man! Starting today, you become Handsome Dogma's slave! Hahaha!" Dogma laughed while staggering from drunkenness.

  Deek could only look down, clutching the small wooden cross that still remained in his robe pocket.

  "Thank you very much, Mr. Dogma," the slave seller replied with a bow.

  "Mr. Dogma is great and kind! Kyaa... So gentle!" the women hugged Dogma with sparkling eyes.

  [Saint Deek Jamess, 61 Years Old, Meeting Arcels]

  Dogma House, Year 1511

  "Deek! Come quickly!" Dogma's voice echoed in the afternoon, breaking the silence of the estate. The look on his face was always tense, as if time had no mercy.

  "I'm on my way, sir." Deek recited a short prayer silently before running with all his might to Dogma. An old habit that still lingered from the days when he wore the priest's robes.

  Dogma grinned faintly, dragging a young slave whose hands were bound. "You take care of him and teach him to work here. Make him work very hard!" Without much ado, Dogma turned and left.

  The new slave was very young, probably around 15 years old, and seemed to have a lot of energy to work with.

  "Introducing, my name is Arcels—"

  "Save that thing for later, come with me!"

  Apparently the new slave was Arcels, who had just been bought by Dogma. Deek immediately taught Arcels to work, fearing that Dogma would scold Arcels if it looked like he couldn't do anything. He taught Arcels to plant plants, clean up animal waste, and lift sacks that weighed almost more than the teenager's body.

  To Deek's astonishment, Arcels did not complain at all. Whereas usually, newly purchased young slaves would vomit or try to escape on the first day. In fact, some even ended their own lives. However, Arcels only did what he was told without a word.

  "Looking at your shabby and smelly clothes, I can't believe you're such a good person, old man," Arcels said suddenly, his voice sounding relieved.

  Deek chuckled, the look in his eyes warming. "Thank you, young man... Let's get to work!"

  In between times, Deek shared about his faith in God and how he served others, including slaves.

  He also shares his knowledge of history, politics, science, and more.

  "On this continent, there are four major countries: Westland, Eastland, Northland, and Southland. Each has its own distinctive physical characteristics."

  Deek paused for a moment, then continued his explanation.

  "Westlanders, like us, have blonde or brown hair, blue eyes, and fair to tanned skin. This land is ruled by a Queen.

  Southland, where we are now, is inhabited by people like our Master, Dogma. They have black hair-sometimes straight, sometimes curly-with dark brown skin. Their leader is a Sultan.

  Eastland, on the other hand, has people with slanted eyes, brown to tan skin, and straight black hair. They are ruled by a Kaisar.

  As for the Northlanders... They are similar to the Westlanders, but their bodies are larger and hairy. They live in a cold land and are ruled by a King."

  Arcels listened attentively, occasionally asking questions that made Deek pause.

  "If we are all human, why are there still slavery and wars?"

  Deek chuckled a little. "Your question is between easy and hard..."

  He took a breath, then explained, "Slavery occurs as a result of war. Those who lose lose territory, resources, and freedom. The captured population will be turned into slaves. Since each country has different physical features, slaves can be recognized easily.

  In Southland, for example. People with blonde hair or slanted eyes are definitely slaves, because the majority of Southland natives have big eyes, dark skin and black hair."

  "So, we're slaves just because we're blonde?" asked Arcels.

  "Exactly! You're smart!"

  There was an intelligent glint in the young man's eyes, different from most slaves he had met.

  Arcels, who is only 15 years old, looks inquisitive, as if thirsty for knowledge.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  "But remember one important thing," Deek said suddenly, his voice more serious.

  "Never drink demon blood. Many people are tempted by the power they can get from it. But if you drink it, you could die... or worse, turn into a mindless monster called a Trinker."

  Arcels frowned. "Oh... So Trinkers are humans who are greedy for power, huh?"

  He rubbed his chin, trying to digest the new information.

  "I thought that Trinkers were some kind of animal-like creatures that had existed for a long time, not transformed humans..."

  Arcels chuckled a little, feeling a little foolish for assuming that.

  Deek just sighed. "Many think so. But they were once human... before the thirst for power destroyed them."

  Arcels was silent. There was something in Deek's words that made his hair stand up.

  He envisioned humans turning into savage monsters because of powers they shouldn't have.

  "So, it's not just war and slavery that make this world cruel... it's also humanity's own greed," he murmured softly.

  Deek looked at Arcels for a long time before finally smiling slightly.

  "No, it's not. The world is not cruel... If all you see is slavery, wars, and human greed, it means you've never met a good person.

  However... if you can't find a good person, be a good person."

  "Sorry, I don't agree with that..."

  PLAK!

  Deek pinches Arcels' head.

  "Fool! That's the most important thing!"

  Arcels rubbed his head irritably.

  "Look! You're not a nice person yourself! You pinned me down!"

  Deek laughed.

  "Hahaha... Then, you should also forgive me in order to be a good person."

  Arcels snorted.

  "No. Didn't I just say? I did not agree... Hehehe."

  They laughed together.

  The wind blew softly, shaking the branches above them.

  Arcels looked up at the vast sky. Underneath his naivety and mischievousness, there was something beginning to grow in his heart-a thought that perhaps, the world was not as bad as he thought.

  Throughout his life, Arcels only knew slaves who were resigned and uneducated.

  Deek, however, was different. He was once a priest-a learned man who had lost everything.

  Animal Cages, the Place of Slaves

  After work, they rest in the animal stalls. The smell of hay and feces mixes together.

  Deek sat up, looking at Arcels with a questioning look. "So, what made you able to become a slave, young man?"

  Arcels smiled blandly, there was bitter behind it. "Aren't all stories the same? There's a war going on. The losers become slaves, and the winners rule."

  Deek sighed and replied, "I see... Take it easy. As long as you work well, you won't be killed here. That's the least I can say to ease your heart..." Deek tried to smile, even though he knew his words were so fragile

  "Thank you, old man."

  [Back to the Present, Year 1515]

  The next day, Deek woke up and saw that Arcels was no longer in his straw bed. He went out and saw Arcels already working as usual, as if nothing had happened yesterday. In fact, the wound was still not dry, but he still lifted the hoe to dig the soil in the garden.

  Deek walked over to Arcels and hoeing beside him. "Are you okay?"

  "I'm fine," Arcels replied without stopping swinging the hoe.

  Deek remained silent and continued hoeing.

  "There's something I haven't told you yet, Old Man," Arcels said suddenly.

  "Something wha—"

  "Keep hoeing!" cut in Arcels quickly, afraid of being suspected by the slave overseer.

  "First, let me ask you a question. Why in all these 15 years, have you never tried to escape from Dogma?"

  "Are you crazy? Don't tell me you want to esca—"

  "I said keep hoeing!" whispered Arcels sharply.

  "I don't know what you're thinking Arcels, but no one is getting out of here alive. I guarantee it."

  "Just answer my question!"

  "Come on, Arcels... what do you think is left of a 65-year-old old man like me? I've got no one back in Westland either. There's no place I can call home anymore."

  "I see. So you are a loner. No wonder you like to make friends with other slaves so you won't be lonely."

  "Watch your mouth, young man. I'm just... that's all. I'm not lonely anyway!" Deek looked embarrassed and stammered.

  "Listen to me. We can both escape. You can stay with my family in Westland."

  "WHAT? YOU STILL HAVE A FAMILY?"

  Deek was very surprised, because Arcels should have tried to escape long ago if still had a family.

  However, all this time Arcels had never tried to escape even once.

  "Quiet!" Arcels tried to calm Deek down.

  "How have you been calm all this time? Why are you running away now? Why not a long time ago?"

  "I've been looking for my family for four years. At first, I thought they were all gone. However, the new slaves told me that there used to be a slave who was always rebellious and wouldn't submit to anyone. His body was muscular and he was young."

  "So what? What's the connection?"

  "That must be my brother! He's called Follows—"

  "Tell you what. How do you know that the obscure person is your brother? Don't get your hopes up."

  "I'm sure it's my brother. My brother will not obey anyone's orders even if he becomes a slave. My brother only listens to the orders of one person in this world. That is me."

  "Alright . Just say I believe it. Then, how did you get separated from your obedient brother?"

  "We used to be soldiers. Our army lost, so rather than die in vain, we surrendered. Then we were sold separately as slaves."

  "How did you get separated?"

  "My brother is more handsome and stronger than me. So he was sold to an elite slave trader, while I went to a cheap one..."

  Deek tried to hold back his laughter, but failed. "HAHAHA! And you said I was the lonely one? Sorry, that's so funny!"

  Ctar!

  The whip flew at Deek for laughing too loudly. "Hehehe... sorry, Mr. Supervisor." Deek lowered his head and continued working.

  Arcels snorted in annoyance. "The point is, since I still have my brother, I'll try to escape here. How about it, do you want to come?"

  Deek paused, glancing at the watchers on guard. "Are you sure? Look at the number of watchers here. They all have swords, you know..."

  "I'm not good at fighting. But what saved me in the war was... I can run really fast. Hehehe..."

  Deek sighed. "What about this old man? You can't possibly carry me, right?"

  "You will ride a horse. Tonight, all the horses are put in the stable. We kill all the horses, except one for you. Then we run away to the forest with our provisions."

  Deek paused for a moment, then smiled slightly. "Okay. I'm in, Arcels!" He tapped Arcels on the shoulder in agreement.

  [A Day Later, The Executioner Escaped]

  In the morning, Arcels lifted his body from the haystack. His blonde hair was a mess, his blue eyes reflecting a cold determination. He walked out of the animal enclosure, with Deek walking behind him.

  Arcels and Deek looked for a water tap and washed their faces. The cold water jolted them awake. The two looked at each other and nodded slowly.

  Today or never...

  Arcels thought, clenching his hands into fists.

  They worked in separate places-Deek in the stables, Arcels fixing the fence. Occasionally, Arcels glanced at the overseers. There were at least 3 of them, each carrying a sword.

  If we get caught, we're dead.

  Arcels swallowed, but his hands continued to work.

  While fixing the broken fences, Arcels slightly damaged the hinges of the gate, by prying them off so that they would be fragile when hit by the horse later. The 1-meter high fence, made of sturdy wood, was also slightly damaged by Arcels.

  Arcels also buried a bag containing provisions for their escape later in the ground about 4 meters away from the fence gate.

  Meanwhile, Deek takes care of the animal feed, namely cows, pigs and horses.

  Deek walked over to put animal feed for the cows. A pile of straw is placed in front of the cows' mouths so that they eat with gusto. Similarly, for the pigs, a kind of porridge mixed with sweet potatoes and vegetables is given to the pigs.

  Inside the stables, Deek counted slowly. "One, two, three, four, five, six..." Dogma had a total of six horses.

  Deek looked at each horse carefully to see which one had the fastest speed.

  His gaze fell on a burly black horse with hard hooves, long legs, and shiny fur.

  Deek marked the horse to be used to escape later that night. He also prepares the rope and machete he used to work with, to use later that night to kill the horse.

  Afternoon

  The sun was beginning to set. All the slaves, including Deek and Arcels, returned to the animal pens. As they walked, their gazes met again-a brief nod was the cue.

  As night fell and the slaves fell asleep, Dogma and his family were wrapped in dreams. Deek and Arcels only pretended to sleep, waiting for midnight to strike.

  When the time came, they opened the stable door slowly, stepping into the stables. In the darkness of the night, they saw three guards patrolling-2 at the main gate, one walking around the area.

  They quietly made their way to the stables.

  When they entered the stables, the horses were quiet because they already knew Deek and Arcels as their caretakers.

  Arcels took a rope and quickly tied the mouths of the 5 horses.

  Meanwhile, Deek slit the throats of the horses one by one, without making a scene.

  The horses that had been marked earlier were released slowly.

  However, when they were about to exit the stables, dozens of slaves had gathered in front of them

  "If you want to run away, we want to run away too," exclaimed a slave girl of about 18 years old.

  "Yes, we'd rather die trying to escape than live our whole lives here," this time it was one of the male slaves who spoke up.

  "That's right! That's right!" Voices of support rang out.

  "How is it, Arcels?" asked Deek, who was now on the horse.

  Arcels was stunned. "Damn, we're screwed."

  If I refuse to let them come, they'll report us...

  Suddenly, a slave girl of about 17 years old fell to her knees, crying as she kissed Arcels' feet.

  "I beg you, please include us... I can't bear to suffer here. Every day I'm raped by men. I still have a family and a future in Northland..."

  Arcels was silent for a moment. He clenched his fists, holding back his anger. Arcels took a deep breath, then lifted the girl to her feet.

  "All right. You don't have to hold my feet. Everyone, I have an idea! You all escape to the main gate! Deek and I will distract the guards."

  Deek smiled at Arcels proudly and Arcels nodded while looking at Deek's face with a smile.

  The slaves thanked him with sparkling eyes, then hurried to hide about 6 meters away from the main gate.

  Arcels ran breathlessly up to the two guards and said, "Mr. Guard! Lord Dogma's horses are killed!"

  "What? Killed by whom?" asked one of the bald-headed guards with a thick mustache.

  "Killed by a slave named Deek! He was trying to escape on the last surviving horse!"

  "WHAT?! S-SLAVE?" Without thinking, the two guards ran out of the gate, their athletic bodies scouring the darkness for Deek.

  Meanwhile, dozens of slaves who were previously hiding in the dark, soon came out through the gate that Arcels had damaged.

  "Now your fate depends on yourself. Goodbye!" Arcels whispered softly, his eyes following their retreating backs.

  "Thank you very much!" The slaves ran as fast as they could and disappeared from Arcels' sight.

  Just then, the bell of Dogma's courtyard rang loudly. A fat figure standing 190 cm tall appeared, wearing a thin nightgown. Dogma carried a piece of wood, his eyes red with anger.

  "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST DO?!" Wood slammed into Arcels so many times that his vision blurred and blood flowed from his temples. Arcels tried to regain consciousness and get up as Dogma continued to beat him.

  Dogma swung the wood, but this time Arcels dodged, got up, and ran. From afar, we could see Deek being chased by 3 burly guards with a speed almost equal to that of a horse.

  "Hurry up and I'll catch up!" shouted Deek as he rode his horse towards the fence gate followed by the three guards behind.

  Arcels ran with all his might towards the fence gate and made it out of the Dogma grounds.

  However, as he was about to pass through the fence gate, Deek dropped the horse he was riding.

  Crack... Brak!

  The sound of the horse's body falling shattered the wooden fence. With the fence, the shattered wood, the horse's body, and his body, Deek blocked Dogma and the other three guards from passing through.

  "ARCELS, RUN!!!" Deek shouted at the top of his lungs.

  Arcels just ran straight ahead without looking back. Tears mixed with sweat ran down his face.

  Srak!

  The sound of tearing human flesh could be heard behind Arcels, but Arcels kept running as fast as a horse and did not look back.

  In the midst of his hurried steps, fragments of memories appeared out of nowhere.

  A Few Years Ago

  Four years passed, since the iron chains first bound Arcels' wrists.

  "Hang in there, Arcels. It's not the end," Deek's voice sounded gentle, even as blood flowed from the whip wounds on his back.

  Days passed with a weak body and an empty stomach. Deek always shared half his bread with Arcels, even when he could barely stand.

  Cold nights in the animal enclosure. Deek held Arcels close, as if to make sure the boy lived.

  Back to the Present

  Arcels bit his lip, trying to push the memory away.

  "GET OUT OF THE WAY YOU OLD MAN!!!" Dogma punched Deek's body, but he didn't move an inch.

  Desperation came over Dogma's heart, making him shout, "CUT OFF THIS SLAVE'S HEAD!!!"

  "Yes, Sir." Without hesitation, one of the guards took a swing at Deek's head.

  "GOD HAS SAVED YOU!!! NOT ME! REMEMBER THAT! ARCEL—"

  Slash!

  Deek's head flew up, his blood spraying wildly, soaking the surroundings.

  However, his body still stood tall, as if refusing to submit to death.

  What a liar...

  Arcels gritted his teeth.

  If not for you, I would have died a long time ago...

  Saint Deek Jamess' last words echoed in Arcels' ears, hitting his heart harder than anything else, burning his steps further than anything else.

  His tears spilled silently, his feet kept moving, away from the hell behind his.

  Thank you... Father.