BATTLE FOR STARS

“Master, please grant me a name,” the slave girl said, still lying prostrate on the ground.

“Xiao Fei, you should name her,” Belina said, turning to Ding Yufei.

Ding Yufei didn’t know the customs of slave transactions—normally, whoever gave the name would become the slave’s owner.

To him, naming someone who looked like a fully grown adult felt awkward. But in the Resk Empire, he decided not to overthink it.

“Let’s call you Dong Jiaqi.”

The name came from a childhood memory—back in elementary school, there had been a girl with that exact name. She was sturdy and strong, and she used to bully the skinny, frail Ding Yufei. Choosing that name now felt like a small, private act of revenge.

“Thank you, Master,” the newly named slave said, still bowing deeply before him.

Even so, Ding Yufei couldn’t quite get used to being called “Master.”

“By the way, are there many slaves who fail to sell before the deadline?” Belina asked, turning to Jill.

“There have been quite a few in recent years… but this year, especially many.”

“Why?” Ding Yufei asked, puzzled.

“Because the war with the Hill Empire has intensified. Many visitors didn’t come to the carnival this year… and some slave traders didn’t either,” Jill explained. “However, male slaves have been selling extremely well.”

“Really?” Ding Yufei was surprised.

“Many countries and private organizations are buying male slaves as soldiers. With the war escalating, demand has surged. Some even purchase female slaves to train as soldiers,” Belina added, clearly familiar with the situation.

“Isn’t that just… cannon fodder? Would they even agree? And are they capable?” Ding Yufei frowned.

“Cannon fodder?” Jill repeated softly, unfamiliar with the term—modern starships no longer used anything resembling traditional cannons.

“It’s a term from my home,” Belina explained briefly, then turned back to Ding Yufei. “Slaves don’t get to choose. But those who join the military are usually included under the redemption policy, so for them, it can be an opportunity. As for capability—basic military roles only require minimal training. Critical positions are never entrusted to slaves.”

“Does your kingdom also purchase slaves as soldiers?” Ding Yufei asked.

“No. While we recognize slaves as property in some contexts, we cannot legally assign them a formal status. So we don’t use slaves in our military.”

“I see…” Ding Yufei paused, then looked at her. “So you’re really planning to take all the slaves the Emperor gave you?”

“If they stay here, their fate won’t be any better,” Belina replied, glancing at Dong Jiaqi, who was still kneeling nearby.

“Alright…” Ding Yufei sighed and said nothing more.

What Belina didn’t mention was that a large portion of the Resk Empire’s slaves were sold off-world. The redemption policy only applied within the empire itself.

While some interstellar nations had relatively humane policies, countless autonomous planets existed beyond their jurisdiction. On those worlds, slaves had virtually no protection. Their owners held absolute power—deciding their fate based solely on personal will.

---

For the rest of the tour, Ding Yufei and Belina chose not to step off their transport again.

The earlier scene had drawn attention. Nearby slaves, having witnessed what happened, began desperately showcasing themselves—some even kneeling and pleading, hoping to be chosen. It caused a small but noticeable disturbance.

Not wanting to repeat that situation, the two limited themselves to brief stops whenever something caught their interest, avoiding prolonged attention.

As they continued, Ding Yufei gradually formed a clearer picture of the facility.

The building had ten floors. Each floor contained dozens of corridors like the one they had just seen, each lined with identical rooms. Altogether, the center housed hundreds of thousands of slaves.

There were three such major trading centers on Boman Planet, along with numerous smaller ones. Every year, tens of millions of slaves were traded. During the carnival, demand surged as visitors from across the galaxy came to purchase slaves.

In fact, aside from replacing internal losses, most slaves “produced” by the Resk Empire were exported. As for what became of them afterward—the empire neither knew nor cared.

---

At a major junction, Ding Yufei noticed a red door.

All the doors they had passed so far were white and marked with numbers. This one stood out sharply—and it hadn’t opened automatically.

“Is this also for displaying slaves?” he asked, pointing at it.

“Yes,” Jill replied. “Inside are special slaves—some custom-made for specific clients, others specially trained by the company.”

“Oh? Custom-made?” Belina’s curiosity was piqued. “Can we take a look?”

“Even with VIP access, I’m not certain you have clearance,” Jill said, glancing at their wristbands.

“How can we find out?” Belina raised her hand slightly.

“No problem. We’ll approach. If you have permission, the door will open.”

“Alright.”

Jill guided them forward—and sure enough, the red door slid open smoothly.

Inside, the layout was similar to the other sections, but each room was noticeably larger. There were fewer slaves, and many rooms were empty.

As Ding Yufei followed Jill slowly down the corridor, he observed the occupants carefully.

These slaves were clearly different.

Most were older—not old by absolute standards, but compared to the youthful ones earlier, they appeared to be in their thirties or forties. A few were even elderly. Unlike before, they didn’t rush to the front to display themselves. Most simply sat quietly, watching as the visitors passed.

“Wow… these girls look almost identical. Are they twins?” Ding Yufei said, noticing several nearly identical women in adjacent rooms.

“No. They were cultivated separately—their appearances were simply designed to be the same,” Jill explained.

Ding Yufei turned back—only to notice Belina’s expression had grown increasingly grim.

“Belina? What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“No…” she replied quietly. “I think I know who these slaves were made for.”