As Carlos returned to the sugarcane field, he came face to face with a woman wearing a mask and the letter "F" branded on her forehead. This was Tassi, holding a wooden staff with a brown gem embedded at the top and a smaller green gem just above it.

  Slowly, she walked into the center of the field and plunged the staff into the earth. The moment she did, the sugarcane stalks began to visibly grow, their green leaves rustling and whispering as they stretched toward the sky. The sweet, earthy scent of fresh cane filled the air. Magic truly is incredible! Carlos thought, mesmerized. His trance was shattered by the sharp crack of a whip slicing through the air, wielded by the foreman, Jairo.

  "Stop standing there gawking like an idiot!" Jairo snarled. "Get back to cutting the sugarcane, now!"

  Shaken back to reality, Carlos resumed his work, sweating under the relentless sun until around one in the afternoon when Jairo finally ordered him to the plantation owner's house.

  Upon arriving, he spotted Aunt Vera in the kitchen. The comforting aroma of simmering beans and toasted manioc flour hung in the air. He smiled, and she returned it with a warm nod before he headed up the stairs to the master's study.

  Inside, Jorge was seated before a table cluttered with books and "devil's artifacts." Pedro stood beside him, fanning him with a hand fan, creating a gentle breeze that kept the room pleasantly cool—a stark contrast to the humid, oppressive heat outside.

  "Since you seem to know so much about these artifacts, I want you to tell me about them," Jorge said without looking up. "There's not much to do in this godforsaken corner of the world, so I collect these things, along with the devil's books. I wonder what kind of magic was used to make them. The illustrations are so realistic, and the figurines have such vivid colors... like this one here."

  Jorge opened a drawer and pulled out an anime figure of a buxom, red-haired girl. Carlos's eyes widened; he knew that character well. It took all his willpower not to burst out laughing.

  "But I've never understood their purpose," Jorge continued. "Until yesterday, I thought they were useless, but you surprised me with that fire-making artifact. I used it for a while, but after some time, the fire stopped igniting. Why did that happen? And this statuette here, what is it for?"

  Jorge admired every detail of the figure before fixing his gaze on Carlos, awaiting an answer. Not wanting to explain what an anime figure was, Carlos concocted an excuse.

  "As I said yesterday, I only summon these materials. I know the use of some, but not all. I believe this statuette is like our images of saints—they must be venerated in the same way."

  Jorge didn't seem convinced, but he didn't press further.

  "And the fire-starter? How does it work?" he asked.

  "The fire comes from a liquid inside the artifact. When the liquid runs out, the fire-starter becomes useless."

  The answer pleased Jorge.

  "I see. That makes sense. Fire needs fuel, unlike the fire from a magic gem, which only needs the mana from the gem adept."

  How interesting, Carlos thought. So they use the magic from their own bodies to activate the gems.

  "And these books?" Jorge pointed to two volumes. "They're not in Portuguese like the others. Can you understand the language?"

  Carlos examined the covers: "1001 Inventions That Changed The World," with a lightbulb on the cover, and "Guns and History," illustrated with flintlock muskets and guns. His eyes gleamed.

  "'1001 Inventions That Changed The World'... I really want that book, especially since I'll have to reinvent so many things from it. The other one is even more important—so far, I haven't seen any firearms here, only magical weapons. If I could make one, it would be incredibly useful. I can't just rely on these 'devil's artifacts.'"

  "But at the moment, both are useless to me... I'm just a slave."

  "If I escape, I need to make sure I take this old man's entire collection. Good thing I can read English. But it's better to play dumb—he might become too interested in these books and figure out the real use of a firearm."

  "Unfortunately, I cannot read the language in these books, but it appears to be English."

  I don't even know if the English here is the same as in my world, but if the Portuguese is, it's probably the same case.

  Jorge sighed, disappointed.

  "Very well. It's already a miracle a Black man can read. I was expecting too much."

  As they spoke, someone knocked on the door.

  "Master Jorge, the traveling merchant has arrived. I've already tied his donkey to the tree near the lake. He's waiting for you."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Carlos recognized Jairo's voice instantly.

  I can't stand hearing that worm's voice anymore. He's everywhere! He's another one I'll kill if I get a weapon. I don't believe in an eye for an eye, but in this era and this world, there isn't much choice.

  Jorge grew excited, a grin spreading from ear to ear.

  "Let's go. You're coming with me," he said to Carlos. "I want to see if you truly understand these devil's artifacts. Francisco always brings some for me. If you can explain the use of a few, I might consider buying the items for your supposed summoning."

  Jorge led the way, followed by Carlos and Pedro. They arrived to find the merchant—a short, portly man of about thirty—standing in the shade of a tree with his donkey and cart. Jorge's wife and Aunt Vera were already there, chatting with him.

  The moment he saw Jorge, the merchant—Francisco—flashed a broad smile that seemed utterly fake to Carlos, like that of a supermarket cashier. He knew that kind of smile well; he'd worked as a cashier himself once.

  "Good day, Master Jorge! Your wife has already selected many things—coffee, dried meat, wheat flour, cheese... and the newest novelty: cocoa powder. The governor of the Pernambuco captaincy adores the drink made from it!"

  Jorge cut him off.

  "Francisco, you've known me for ages. You know I don't care for any of that. Note down what my wife took, and I'll pay you later. Now, tell me what good things you brought."

  "Of course, my lord. I managed to get some devil's artifacts. I hid them in a sack of flour so no one would notice."

  While Vera and the master's wife admired the cocoa, Jorge watched Francisco with keen expectation. The merchant pulled a sack from the flour and retrieved a book with green letters: "Plantas do Brasil." Next, he pulled out two smooth, crescent-moon-shaped stones.

  Carlos recognized them immediately.

  "Magnets! It's been a while since I've seen any."

  Both Francisco and Jorge were stunned.

  "Who gave you permission to speak?!" Jorge growled. "But since you've opened your filthy mouth, explain to me what this 'magnet' is. If you explain it well, you might escape a whipping for your disrespect!"

  Damn it, me and my big mouth, Carlos thought. But this could be a chance to show my knowledge.

  "Forgive my disrespect, master. I just find these artifacts fascinating. They are magnets. Every magnet has a positive and a negative pole. Opposite poles attract, identical poles repel. If you allow me to hold them, I can demonstrate."

  Francisco looked surprised. He didn't understand the part about poles, but he grasped the attraction and repulsion.

  Dammit, the merchant thought. I was hoping to impress the old man and charge a fortune for these. Now this slave has ruined it. He's seen others like them somewhere. I can't sell them as one-of-a-kind rarities anymore.

  Reluctantly, Francisco handed over the magnets.

  "You may take them. They are very special items."

  Carlos carefully took them. They were stuck together.

  "See, they're stuck. If I flip one over, they repel each other."

  He inverted one magnet and tried to push them together; the magnetic field forced them apart. Jorge was dumbfounded. He took the magnets and tried it himself, his eyes wide with astonishment.

  There's actual magic in this world, and he's impressed by magnets? Carlos mused. They must be rare here, and they aren't usually this smooth or shaped like this.

  The master's wife approached Jorge, showing no interest in her husband's new toy.

  "I've already gotten what we needed. Pay the good man later."

  Jorge barely heard her.

  "Yes, yes, my dear Alice."

  She rolled her eyes.

  "Vera, start taking things inside. Pedro, help her."

  As the two obeyed, Francisco asked, "So, my lord, do you want the devil's artifacts?"

  "I want them!"

  Jorge handed over the coins, and Francisco quickly counted them.

  Carlos remembered something crucial.

  I need to ask for the bullets and guns. It might cost me a whipping, but it can't hurt to try.

  "Master Jorge, about the summoning artifacts..."

  Jorge looked at him with disdain but paused to reflect.

  Well, he understands the devil's artifacts. I should just find out where he got this knowledge. Maybe I can give this 'summoning' a chance.

  "Wait a moment, Francisco. There's one more thing I'd like to request before you go. My slave here claims he can summon devil's artifacts. But to do it, he needs certain items for the ritual... Saying it out loud makes it sound like he's performing some kind of dark magic... Regardless, do you think you could acquire them for your next visit? I'll pay three times the usual price."

  The merchant looked at Carlos with deep skepticism, then back at the master.

  "And what kind of summoning artifacts would these be?"

  "My slave will explain what these objects are."

  Crap, it would've been better if we hadn't left the gun back in the office. Well, with a stick and the dirt, I can probably draw what they look like. My years playing Pictionary are finally paying off.

  "It's easier if I show you what they are."

  Finding a stick on the ground, he began drawing a pistol in the dirt.

  "First, is this artifact here. It's black and mostly made of iron. There are many types; the more varieties you can bring, the better."

  Then he drew the bullets.

  "The second type is this one. They are very small. Each type matches a specific type of the first one. One is useless without the other, and we need a lot more of these."

  "I believe I've sold you some of these in the past, haven't I, sir?" Francisco asked.

  The master nodded.

  "That's right. I just need more, unless I want to sell my land to buy magic gems—at least, according to this slave's summoning method."

  "I understand. I'll see if I can find any of these artifacts. I can't promise anything, but you'd better be waiting for me with a heavy purse."

  "Hahaha! You don't even try to hide it, do you? Fine."

  Yes! Carlos thought, elated. At least something is going right in this new life. Soon, very soon, I'll have a gun in my hands, and then I can say goodbye to this life of slavery!