i don't know if they're still 'debt' slaves or whatever but considering how loyal they are know he could still say "i'll free you and pay you as equals" or so since he doesn't need the contract magic or so unless they're accidentally able to blab about it
This is kind of where it gets weird, because he wants to protect them and is trying to push them away and we get that, they worry about him and don't want that, but... he could still just free them and pay them right?
Seems like the girls fetishize their slave roles, which kind of sucks the fun out of the story because what the fuck.
It explains back in chapter 9 the different slave types, debt slaves are the most common and are freed from enslavement when the debt is repaid.
That won't be the case for Maria who was kidnapped and became an illegal slave, where there is no formal method of release, but they can buy their freedom.
Sofia is a different matter entirely. She is a war slave having been captured in a war against the elves some 50 years ago. She would need someone like the king to sign off on releasing her from slavery since even regional lords don't have that authority.
Reva is a debt slave that chooses to remain a debt slave to continue sending money to her family instead of gaining freedom. And Kaede is of course a tamed familiar so the slave title doesn't apply.
Sofia is the weird one in all of this, she doesn't seem to want manumission and the author has her in love with the MC, her master and savior. Which is kind of the oldest fantasy of every slaver.
The last few chapters really sucked and could only be written by an author from a country that never experienced actual slavery and is completely ignorant of any repercussions of institutionalized slavery. He's desperate to make it OK.
Sorry if this post sucks the fun out of the air here, I just needed to say it.