Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are So Hot! [BL]-Chapter 144: Parade of Chains

"I... I didn’t think that far ahead," Damien admitted, the weight of Cedran’s words sinking in. He had only wanted to help someone he found pitiable. Nothing beyond that.

"You didn’t realize?" Elyon said, smirking. "That crying? It was all an act."

"What?!" Damien stared at him in disbelief.

"And giving him those coins? That tore his pride to shreds. Honestly, you got off easy with just a bit of spit on your face," Elyon added.

Damien froze, realization dawning on him.

By handing over those coins, he had effectively said, I’m the one in a position to give, and you’re the one who must receive. In doing so, he had humiliated the boy, even if it wasn’t his intent.

He sighed deeply, feeling the shame settle in.

He’d acted without thinking. The money wasn’t even his to give—it belonged to Theo.

"I’m such an idiot..." Damien thought, sinking to the ground.

"My foolish and naive little Damien," Elyon teased, crouching next to him. "But adorable, all the same. Today was an excellent lesson for you. Now, get up. You’re in the way of the crowd."

Elyon extended a hand, helping Damien to his feet.

"Tonight," Elyon announced with mock solemnity, "we’ll host a grand feast with Theo and the little ones to commemorate Damien’s growth!"

Damien’s eyes widened in horror. "Wait, Elyon, stop! Cedran is looking at us weirdly—please, just don’t!"

Elyon grinned mischievously at Damien, his expression softening.

Damien sighed, wiping his face one more time. "Thanks, Elyon..."

And despite it all, Damien couldn’t help but feel grateful for the strange, chaotic family around him.

Damien, thanks to Elyon’s antics, managed to pull himself out of his bad mood, though the cheerful energy he had on the journey out had all but evaporated. Now, on their way back, he trudged along in silence, lost in thought.

Elyon, on the other hand, clung to Damien’s arm, occasionally giving him a playful squeeze or even a cheeky pat.

It seemed like Elyon’s way of cheering him up—or so Damien hoped.

...Probably.

Cedran, however, watched them with a bemused expression, making Damien wish Elyon would tone it down.

What did Cedran think of this? Did it look like Damien was being strung along by some spoiled noble brat?

Sorry, Cedran, but it’s the other way around—I’m the one stringing him along.

As they walked down the main street toward the bridge leading to the nobles’ district, a commotion started up ahead.

"What’s going on?" Damien asked, noting the growing buzz. Something resembling a parade from a certain famous theme park seemed to be heading their way.

"Of all times," Cedran muttered, frowning.

"Cedran, what exactly is that?" Damien asked. Elyon looked just as puzzled.

"We should step aside for now," Cedran said briskly. "It’s best not to get in its way."

Taking his advice, they moved to the edge of the street. The nearby merchants hastily packed up their wares, clearly familiar with whatever was approaching.

Damien glanced around. The crowd seemed to be split: about 80% watching in excitement, while the other 20% looked decidedly displeased.

Then he saw it—and his mood instantly lifted.

"A dragon!" Damien exclaimed, his enthusiasm soaring.

The sight of it made him forget everything else. A real dragon, the kind that graced countless fantasy stories in manga, anime, movies, and novels.

This particular dragon wasn’t the flying, fire-breathing kind. It was a grounded species, like something out of a certain iconic quest series. The dragon, enormous and powerful, pulled a massive cage on wheels behind it.

Inside the cage...

"What’s in there?" Damien murmured.

"A slave trader’s victory parade," Cedran explained. "They must’ve won a skirmish near the border with the neighboring kingdom recently. This is their way of celebrating."

Damien’s excitement faltered. Slavery... Another staple of fantasy settings, as common as dragons.

But the people inside the cages didn’t match the bleak image he’d imagined. In fact, many seemed oddly energetic.

The first cage carried muscular, half-dressed men adorned with various accessories, proudly flexing their muscles to the crowd. Several similar cages followed, and then came one holding elaborately dressed women and children, who waved charmingly at the onlookers.

"The ones at the front are the star attractions," Cedran explained. "Skilled warriors, performers, or beautiful person. The better they present themselves, the higher the price they’ll fetch—and the better their eventual treatment."

That made sense, Damien thought. The crowd cheered loudly as these "main attractions" passed, turning the parade into a spectacle.

"Next up are the more ordinary slaves," Cedran said.

Sure enough, the next group looked entirely different. These people wore nothing but tattered rags, their heads bowed. Many sat listlessly in the cage, devoid of energy.

The further back the cages went, the worse the conditions became. The slaves near the end were emaciated, their hollow eyes staring vacantly. Some even lay motionless on the cage floors, making Damien wonder if they were alive.

"The quality decreases as you move back," Cedran continued. "Children are at the very end because they aren’t useful for labor. Those with any ’special value’ would’ve been placed in the earlier cages."

Though Cedran kept glancing at Damien to gauge his reaction, Damien was surprised by how unaffected he felt. Perhaps because slavery was so far removed from his experiences in his old world, he could rationalize it as "just how things are here." All he could do was hope the slaves ended up with kind owners.

"The people watching carefully here are likely actual buyers," Cedran noted, gesturing toward a few people scrutinizing the slaves intently.

The excitement and grandeur of the earlier parade faded here, replaced by the stark reality of the world they were in.

"Hmm? That’s unusual," Cedran muttered, his attention drawn to the rear cages.

Damien followed his gaze and noticed shouting coming from one of the cages.

No, not shouting—pleading.

"Help us! We were tricked! Can no one here understand me? Let us out!"

It was a voice unlike any other they’d heard so far.