BATTLE FOR STARS

Ding Yufei leaned closer to Belina and whispered, “Why is raising a slave so complicated? I always thought it’d be like raising livestock—just feed them and let them grow.”

Belina gave him a calm glance. “The slave companies invest years and enormous resources. If all they produced was someone who could only eat and drink, who would buy that? A robot would be far more cost-effective. This world has no place for useless things—same as anywhere else.”

A chill ran down Ding Yufei’s spine.

He understood the logic. But seeing it laid out so plainly, so coldly, was something else entirely. Deep down, he still believed that people were different—that everyone had the right to live and develop, not to be judged by their utility.

Yet here, human beings were treated like commodities. That kind of thinking… it was something he’d only ever associated with how humans treated animals—or objects.

“What exactly is a ‘scholar slave’?” Ding Yufei asked, recalling the unfamiliar term Jill had mentioned earlier.

“Those are slaves with exceptionally high intelligence,” Jill replied. “They’re extremely rare and highly sought after by research institutions across many planets. Most are either reserved in advance or purchased immediately after evaluation.”

“Wait—there are slaves doing scientific research?” Ding Yufei was genuinely shocked.

The idea of buying someone outright just to do research felt absurd. But on second thought… perhaps not entirely. Even on Earth, geniuses like Einstein or Euler appeared only once in centuries. With such large-scale cultivation, it wasn’t impossible for slave programs to produce individuals of extraordinary intellect.

No wonder they were in such demand.

After a moment, another thought struck him.

“So… does that mean you can buy a slave starting from the embryo stage?”

“Yes,” Jill confirmed. “You may even provide the fertilized embryo yourself, and we will cultivate it according to your requirements. Naturally, the cost would be borne by you. Since this is a customized process, it is typically more expensive than purchasing a standard slave.”

“You may also customize appearance and certain personality traits. The exact cost depends on the duration and complexity of the development.”

“You can customize appearance and personality too?” Ding Yufei asked, surprised.

“Of course. Appearance can be adjusted through genetic modification or later surgical refinement. Personality is more complex—it is influenced by both genetics and environment—but we can still guide it toward a desired range.”

Ding Yufei nodded slowly, then asked, “So are underage slaves more expensive?”

“Not necessarily,” Jill replied. “Unless they are custom-developed, ordinary underage slaves are actually cheaper than adults.”

“Oh?”

“That’s because the company has invested less in them so far, so the price is lower. However, within the Resk Empire, very few people choose to buy underage slaves.”

She noticed Ding Yufei’s confusion and continued:

“Once a slave reaches twelve and is purchased, they can begin generating income immediately. At the moment of purchase, their redemption price is set. From then on, the owner is not required to cover living or training expenses—the slave simply needs to generate sufficient profit each day.”

“But if you purchase a slave under twelve, you must pay for their living and education costs. Additionally, since they begin earning earlier, their redemption price is set lower. In the long run, their return is significantly less than that of a fully trained adult slave. They are also harder to resell.”

Ding Yufei frowned slightly. “If a slave changes owners, does that affect their redemption price?”

“No,” Jill answered. “Selling a slave does not change their redemption value—it only transfers ownership.”

“However, a new owner may assign different work. A slave who earns little under one master might generate far more under another. Also, each owner holds certain privileges over their slaves, so such transactions can sometimes represent a transfer of those privileges.”

Ding Yufei nodded, then suddenly asked, “Then… could I buy a service slave like you?”

He was curious—could a visiting guest purchase a slave who already belonged to someone?

“In general, trading adult slaves within the Resk Empire is unrestricted, as long as both owners agree,” Jill said. “However, since you are not a citizen of the Empire, purchasing an owned slave would require the slave’s consent.”

“Wait—*their* consent?” Ding Yufei blinked in surprise.

“Yes. Because interstellar policies on slavery differ between nations, and our redemption system is not universally recognized, such transactions become more complex. Therefore, the slave’s agreement is required.”

“That’s… unexpected,” Ding Yufei muttered. “So how do other countries handle this?”

Jill answered smoothly:

“The Hill Empire does not recognize slavery at all—any discovered slaves are immediately confiscated and the owners arrested.”

“The Duir Republic also rejects slavery, but instead declares slaves free citizens.”

“As for the Klamik and Hania Federations, they partially recognize our system, but lack proper oversight. Whether slaves can redeem themselves—or even survive afterward—is uncertain.”

Ding Yufei finally pieced it together.

Even where redemption policies were recognized, enforcement varied wildly. Outside the Resk Empire, a slave’s fate—freedom or death—was far from guaranteed. And in the other two nations, slavery was outright denied, though the outcomes of “confiscation” or “liberation” were hardly reassuring.

“So… how long does it usually take for a slave to buy their freedom?” Ding Yufei asked.

Jill replied calmly, “On average, one year of a slave’s upbringing and training requires about five years of labor to repay.”

“In simple terms, a slave typically needs around sixty years of earnings to fully redeem themselves.”

She added politely, “I would recommend purchasing unowned slaves directly—it is the simplest arrangement.”

Ding Yufei fell silent.

Sixty years.

That meant most slaves wouldn’t gain their freedom until they were well into their seventies. And given their enhanced yet heavily taxed bodies, their lifespan averaged just over a hundred years.

By the time they were free… most of their lives were already gone.