Maybe. In as much as I've actually considered the mechanics of slavery in this world, I think there are some things for which people can be enslaved for life with practically no hope of freedom, and other things (such as paying off debts, as in Becker's case) which have a minimum term, after which they can be freed at their owner's discretion. Good and loyal service, or exceptional acts, such as saving their master's life, may also lead to being freed earlier than expected, again at the owner's discretion. Of course, if their owner chooses to find reasons not to...

I probably ought to think about this in more detail if I'm going to write much more in this series...