Odan.

  That was his name. Odan, the man who had just bought me—or at least, that was what I assumed, given how the slave trader repeatedly gestured to him while saying the name.

  The slave trader then motioned toward me, prompting an introduction.

  "Jonas," I responded.

  Odan smiled and repeated my name twice, as if trying to familiarize himself with it.

  Odan didn’t seem cruel. Unlike the slave trader, whose every word dripped with arrogance and greed, Odan carried himself with a quiet confidence—measured, almost deliberate. There was no smugness in his expression, no gloating over his purchase. He was rich, rich enough to buy both me and the girl, who I assumed hadn’t cost much. Yet, despite his wealth, he lacked the air of superiority I had come to expect from men in his position. His gaze wasn’t filled with malice or indifference but something else, something harder to place. Pity, perhaps? Or was it just practicality? I couldn’t tell.

  Still, I couldn’t shake the gnawing suspicion in my gut.

  He had bought both of us, after all.

  The trader then turned to the girl beside me. She had been silent this whole time, her amber eyes locked onto the ground. He proceeded to introduce her to Odan, and just as I had learned the old man’s name, I discovered hers.

  Iris.

  Even in her dirt-stained, tattered clothes, her beauty was undeniable. If this were a normal situation, I probably would’ve fallen for her at first sight—only to confess and get rejected, like always.

  I wondered where she came from, what her background was. Maybe she was a noble’s daughter who had been demoted. Maybe she was just a regular girl who had been dealt a bad hand, like me. But without knowledge of their language or how this world worked, I had no way of knowing.

  I stole a glance at her, watching for any kind of reaction. She gave none. Just a vacant, exhausted stare, as if she had already accepted whatever fate awaited her.

  As for me? I was… kind of giddy.

  It was like when the teacher rearranges the seating chart, and you end up sitting next to your crush. You don’t say anything, but you’re secretly happy because you know you’ll be near her for a while.

  Yeah. That’s exactly what this felt like.

  And yes, I admit it—I was already developing a crush on her. Just like that. I was hopeless.

  The slave trader pulled out a stack of papers covered in strange markings—magic circles, symbols, and words that I couldn’t even begin to decipher. But I had read enough isekai stories to know where this was going.

  The trader retrieved small iron brands that glowed faintly with an eerie blue light. I tensed. The thought of something burning into my skin made every fiber of my being scream run, but where could I go? The doors were guarded, and even if I escaped, I wouldn’t survive on my own. Not until I learned how to speak their language.

  He grabbed my arm. I instinctively jerked back, but a sharp glare from him stopped me.

  The brand was pressed against my wrist.

  I braced myself for searing pain. But… there was none.

  Instead, a cold sensation seeped into my skin, sending shivers up my spine. The glow of the magic circle spread across my arm before fading into a faint, silver marking.

  I clenched my teeth as the same process was repeated on Iris.

  "Hrm!"

  She let out a small, startled noise which I found unexpectedly cute. Realizing there was no pain, her unease gradually faded.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  *****

  Odan ordered the trader to remove our cuffs now that we were branded. We were then escorted outside. The front of the auction house was packed with slave owners and their newly acquired slaves. Some still had their cuffs on. Some were being whipped for moving too slowly.

  I gulped.

  In an alternate timeline, that could’ve been me.

  I glanced at Odan. His face carried a look of pity.

  Now you’re feeling sad? I wanted to tell him. You’re part of this system, dude. Don’t act like you’re above it.

  And yet… deep down, I was grateful.

  Because of all the people who could have bought me, I had ended up with him.

  A wooden carriage waited at the side of the street. It was fairly large, and the carvings on it were surprisingly intricate. It wasn’t extravagant like the ones I’d seen in movies or fantasy illustrations, but it was still cool to see one in person.

  Standing in front of it was a young man with gray hair, clean-shaven and about the same height as me. Judging by his features, we were probably the same age.

  Unlike Odan, who dressed modestly, this guy wore vibrant-colored clothes that looked expensive—maybe not noble expensive, but definitely beyond what an average person could afford.

  His narrow eyes followed me, scanning me from head to toe, as if judging my worth.

  Then his gaze shifted to Iris.

  His expression changed immediately. His eyes widened, and a grin spread across his lips.

  Odan called out to him.

  "Ugid."

  So that was his name. Ugid.

  He and Odan exchanged words, but Ugid kept stealing glances at Iris, looking way too happy about all of this.

  I didn’t like it. Not one bit.

  The slave trader shook hands with Odan, sealing whatever deal they had made, and we were ushered into the carriage. I was about to sit beside Iris but Ugid forced his way in between us. He muttered something to me—probably an insult—before swatting me toward the other side, next to Odan.

  As the carriage started moving, I cast one last glance back at the auction house. The slave trader was standing there, waving goodbye.

  I hated that man with every fiber of my being. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be a slave.

  But I knew that anger wouldn’t help me. I didn’t know anything about this world—not even where to begin. For now, I had to bide my time. I needed to learn the language. Then, I could plan my next move.

  Ugid attempted to converse with Iris, but she only responded with brief replies like 'Ein' and 'Sàn.' From my nearly a week in this world, I had gathered that these meant 'Yes' and 'No,' respectively. Odan watching his son be a jackass reminded me of my own family.

  For the first time since I had been thrown into this world, I let my thoughts drift back to them. I had been too preoccupied with survival to really stop and think about what I had left behind.

  What had happened back there? Were they searching for me now?

  Even with our strained relationship, even after all the fights and resentment, I knew deep down they must be worried sick. My mom, my sister… Maybe even my father. Would they blame themselves? Would they think I ran away?

  None of that mattered anymore. I wasn’t there. A part of me selfishly hoped that time had stopped when I was transported here, that my world had simply frozen in place, waiting for my return. That way, no one would suffer because of my disappearance.

  But I knew better.

  I exhaled quietly. I wasn’t ready to face those thoughts yet. Not when I still had no idea how I was going to survive this world.

  I turned my gaze to the window, watching this unfamiliar city blur past. I didn’t know its name. Heck, I didn’t even know what country we were in. But judging by how developed it was, I figured it was a major one. There were blacksmith shops, apothecaries, restaurants—hell, even brothels.

  So many places I wanted to visit.

  But first, I needed to regain my freedom.

  And maybe… maybe I could help Iris regain hers, too.

  As we traveled, we passed some kind of checkpoint. A guard, not fully armored, approached the carriage and spoke to Odan for a bit before letting us through.

  The dirt road stretched endlessly ahead, fields and trees rolling past in a blur. I had no idea where we were headed.

  But when we finally arrived, one thing became clear.

  Odan wasn’t some noble.

  He was a farmer.

  The land before me stretched wide—a massive farmstead, complete with golden fields, grazing animals, and a large wooden house in the distance. Barns, silos, and storage buildings dotted the landscape, with workers moving about, tending to crops and livestock.

  The sight was overwhelming. Not because I had never seen a farm before but because this place was huge. Bigger than any family farm I had ever seen back on Earth.

  And this was where I was going to live and work for the foreseeable future.