Gulp!
Konfarod swallowed dryly. His entire body was tense. He didn't feel this nervous even when meeting Vailen, the lord of this city.
The reason for his tension was the woman following behind him.
'The back of my neck feels cold. This woman is dangerous.'
Konfarod has over 50 years of experience as a slave trader. His father and grandfather were also slave traders, and he started helping his father with the business from a young age, continuing until now.
Over the years, he developed one particular skill: the ability to observe people. He prides himself on his ability to read and understand people, believing no one can match him in this regard.
That skill is now telling him that this woman is dangerous. If he makes a single mistake here, not only he but most of the people in this place will die by her hand.
He had that premonition.
'When her master, Eugene Pruckus, was around, it was somewhat bearable.'
Even though he felt she was dangerous, it wasn't as intense as the current feeling of having his head in the mouth of a beast.
'The woman Eugene Pruckus keeps by his side… She must be his personal maid. Her name was Yuria, right…?'
Eugene Pruckus wasn't just any ordinary noble, so Konfarod had memorized his information. Vailen is relatively close to the Pruckus territory, after all.
"It seems we've been walking for quite a while… How much further do we need to go?"
Yuria asked Konfarod.
Two burly male slaves were standing guard around him, eyeing Yuria warily.
"We're almost there. This is where the female slaves are kept. By the way… the slaves here aren't just mine."
"I already know that, Mr. Konfarod."
This place is under Konfarod's overall management, but other slave traders also operate here.
The shares of this slave market are divided as follows: Vailen holds 20%, Konfarod holds 40%, and the remaining 40% is held by other slave traders.
Konfarod opened a door.
Creak! Clang!
The area was filled with connected rooms, reminiscent of a market floor. There were dozens of staff managing the slaves.
"This is the Vailen Slave Market. There are over 80 slave traders doing business here, and more than 1,000 slaves are sold here."
The mansion-like place they were in earlier was a special area for VIPs, where unique and rare slaves were gathered.
"This is where the general slaves are kept, but you can still find some special ones if you look carefully."
"That's enough explanation. The slave I want is a young and beautiful female slave. Age doesn't matter. I don't care about her background, but I'd prefer a virgin."
"Hmm. That's quite a broad condition. You'll be wandering around here for a while… Is that alright?"
"It's fine."
"What's your budget?"
"10 billion Nerl."
"...That's quite a lot. But the slaves here are quite expensive. I hope you understand that."
Yuria nodded.
Since this is an illegal slave market, it's inevitable that the slaves would be more expensive than usual. And given the higher quality, it's understandable.
"Mr. Konfarod! What brings you here?"
A male slave trader approached Konfarod and greeted him.
"Long time no see, Sutron. An important guest has arrived, so I'm personally escorting her. Can we take a look at your slaves?"
The slave trader glanced at Yuria. She was wearing a cloak, trying to hide her appearance as much as possible, but the part of her face that was visible was very beautiful.
However, the slave trader quickly averted his gaze. Working in a place like this, you learn certain things. One of them is that unnecessary curiosity only hastens your death.
"Of course. What kind of slave are you looking for?"
"A female slave. Young and beautiful would be ideal."
"I have a few good ones. Let's take a look."
The slave trader pointed to a cell. Inside the cell, 12 women were sitting, shackled and chained. Unlike the slaves in the mansion, they were dressed in rags.
"I'd like to see their faces and bodies properly."
At Yuria's request, the slave trader immediately ordered the women in the cell.
"You heard the lady! Take off your clothes and show your bodies! If you don't obey, you'll be thrown into solitary confinement."
As the slave trader barked his orders, the female slaves began to undress.
Yuria frowned slightly. The hygiene conditions were worse than expected.
Fortunately, it wasn't at a serious level.
The ages of the women varied, but they all seemed to have reached adulthood.
"Are they all virgins?"
"All but four are virgins."
"...."
Yuria narrowed her eyes. By looking at their faces and bodies, she could roughly guess their personalities. Their eyes and expressions told a lot.
"That slave looks good."
The most important criterion for judgment was appearance. If their appearance was below average, she had no intention of buying them as slaves.
The slave trader mentioned the name of the female slave.
"It's Rizel."
Konfarod, who had been watching from the side, looked at Yuria with surprise.
The slave Yuria had chosen was a girl with orange hair. Her body was emaciated, far from being called beautiful. Her eyes were dull, making her seem lacking in some way.
"That's unexpected. Wouldn't the girl next to her be healthier and better?"
The girl next to Rizel had a more outstanding beauty. Her age was a bit older, but it was only a 3-4 year difference.
"I've decided on that slave."
"Hmm. Are you looking at the future rather than the present?"
Yuria nodded.
As Konfarod said, Yuria was thinking about Rizel's future. If she were fed properly and taken care of, she would surpass the beauty of the girl next to her.
And most importantly, her bone structure was quite exceptional. To Yuria, who was a top-tier aura expert, Rizel's talent was evident.
Even with his excellent people-reading skills, Konfarod, being just a slave trader, couldn't see this aspect.
"It's 120 million Nerl. Haha. Since Rizel is a virgin, the price is a bit higher. I hope you understand?"
Yuria immediately paid the amount.
"Haha. Thank you! Do you need any other slaves?"
"There aren't any good slaves here."
If she wanted, she could negotiate the price, but there wasn't enough time. She needed to buy at least 10 more slaves.
"Mr. Konfarod. Let's move on to the next one."
Yuria held the slave certificate in her hand and led the shackled slave, wandering around the market.
Most of the slave traders treated Yuria respectfully. However, some of them looked at her with disrespectful eyes.
"Mr. Konfarod. This woman… seems quite valuable… Can't we make her a slave?"
"Are you out of your mind? This lady is a noble. You can't treat her carelessly."
"Ah. She's a noble. My apologies. Hehe."
The rude slave trader quickly stepped back at Konfarod's scolding.
Yuria frowned. She was being followed. Armed men were tailing her from a distance. They were skilled slave hunters. The moment she left the slave market, they would attack.
"Why have you stopped suddenly?"
"These pests don't know their place. I don't want to trouble my master with unnecessary matters, so I'll handle this here."
"Huh?"
Konfarod asked, not understanding. But Yuria had already disappeared from his sight. He couldn't see her movements at all.
Konfarod looked around in panic. Then he found them. Three slave hunters with their throats slit, dead.
"...."
Konfarod's face turned pale. It wasn't because of the corpses. It had been less than 10 seconds since Yuria moved. In just 10 seconds, three skilled slave hunters had been killed.
Konfarod ordered his slaves to guard the area and hurriedly moved. It was obvious where Yuria had gone.
As expected, Yuria was killing the rude slave trader.
"P-Please spare me! I beg you! I've given you all the money!"
"Who would believe that 300 million Nerl is all your wealth?"
"That's all I have! The rest of my wealth is in slaves..."
The slave trader's head fell to the ground.
Konfarod saw it. The black aura wrapped around her right hand had taken the shape of a blade.
'To be able to create such a technique with aura… She's at least a high-level expert.'
He had expected it, but seeing it firsthand sent chills down his spine. If he made a mistake, she might kill him too.
"Mr. Konfarod. The management of the slave traders under you is a mess."
"I-I'm sorry. I'll manage them properly from now on."
"We don't have time, so let's move on."
Konfarod wiped the cold sweat from his forehead as he watched her walk away.
Then he asked the air.
"Can you kill her?"
A small voice whispered in his ear.
"Impossible. She's not only aware of my presence but also my location."
"...You, the best assassin in Vailen, have been discovered?"
This assassin was secretly called by Konfarod when he came here. Not to harm Yuria, but to protect himself.
"To be honest, I missed her movements when she killed those three slave hunters. Currently, the best assassin in Vailen isn't me, but her."
"Aren't you a high-level aura expert?"
"She's beyond that."
"Beyond that would be the highest level..."
"If I have to kill her, I'd rather give up the contract. Forget the contract, I just want to live… Damn it."
"Why, why is that?"
"She's signalling me. Probably… telling me to stay in her sight. If I run, I'll be dead for sure. Konfarod, where did you find that monster of a woman?"
"…I didn't find her. She came to me."
Konfarod swallowed dryly. She had stopped and was looking at him. It was a signal for him to hurry up and guide her.
***
"The last one will be this child."
Yuria looked at a young girl who didn't even reach her waist. The silver-haired girl stared at Yuria for a moment before turning her head away.
"Nephea! Don't take Nephea! If you take her, take me too!"
A brown-haired boy was screaming from inside the cell.
"...Sister. Can't Terius come with me?"
"No."
Yuria said firmly.
"I'll do anything. I want to be with Terius."
"No. Your friend doesn't have the same value as you."
"...."
"Uwaaaaaah!"
"Wait… Can I have one last talk with Terius?"
Yuria nodded.
Nephea approached the boy in the cell. Nephea and Terius were childhood friends from the same village. Their village had been targeted by bandits and turned into ruins, and they were captured and sold as slaves.
They had relied on each other and survived, but that was the end of it.
A moment later.
Nephea approached Yuria. Terius, who had been screaming in the cell, shouted at Nephea.
"Nephea! I'll definitely! Definitely come find you! Keep that with you!"
Yuria looked at the ring Nephea was holding.
A shabby iron ring made by bending and twisting thin wire.
It seemed she had kept it hidden from the slave traders. Perhaps the slave trader had pretended not to notice. Such a small iron ring would be considered trash, not worth taking even for free.
"Is the conversation over?"
"Yes. Terius said he'll come find me later. This ring is the proof... Can I keep it?"
"It doesn't matter."
Yuria, who spoke briefly, started to leave with Nephea.
"Nephea! Don't ever lose that ring! As long as you have it, I'll definitely find you!"
"Okay. Terius. I'll wait!"
Yuria had purchased a total of 41 female slaves from the slave market. Among them, 10 were children. They had quite good potential, so they were worth raising.
Before loading the purchased slaves into the carriage, Yuria gathered them. They were women of various ages and appearances.
"You will all become maids. Maids are beings who serve their master in every way. Never forget that."
***
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