Chapter 930: Chapter 142 - Slave Market (2)
"Well," I said, keeping my composure, "can I take a look at a list? Something that shows what’s available. What kind of... uses you have on offer."
"Of course," he replied eagerly. "Here, browse as much as you want."
He handed me a book. The thing was thick, far thicker than any book I had ever seen in other markets. The weight alone told the story. Every page was filled with the lives of people reduced to property, every detail catalogued, sold, and stripped of humanity. It was no surprise, really—this was the Empire’s largest slave market. If anywhere was going to have a record this massive, it was here.
When I opened the book and started flipping through the thick pages, my eyes froze on something that almost made my chest tighten. Three hundred elven slaves.
I lifted my gaze slowly toward Artemis. The moment our eyes met, I could see the way her face twisted, her jaw clenched, and the rage boiling behind her eyes looked like it could spill out and burn the entire market down. She looked like she might explode at any second. Three hundred of her people, locked up, catalogued like objects in this filthy ledger. Her kin reduced to nothing more than lines on paper, lined up for sale, and paraded like livestock. And worst of all—they couldn’t do a damn thing about it. They were trapped in this nightmare, bound by chains, and stripped of their dignity.
The sight alone made my gut churn.
Of course, I had the wealth to buy them all. Every single one. I could snap my fingers, throw down the gold, and free all three hundred of them in a single sweep. I had enough money to not only purchase their freedom but still walk away with more than anyone here could ever dream of. With my fortune, I could end their suffering right here, right now.
But reality was cruel. Doing something like that would be reckless beyond reason. It would be less of a rescue and more of a declaration of war. It would shine a blinding spotlight on me, and that was the last thing I wanted. One move like that would throw our mission straight into chaos. It would undo everything we had prepared for. Sure, it might feel righteous in the moment, but it would also be the dumbest decision I could possibly make.
For now, I had to keep my head cool. I’d settle for two elves.
"I want to buy this one," I said firmly, tapping the entries in the book.
The first one was a former elven warrior. She had been listed under the warrior slave category, and from the description written down, it was clear the slavers had a rough time capturing her.
"Ah, this one, huh?" the man said, a sly grin spreading across his face. "She’s a little feisty, but she’s a good catch. An elven warrior, caught by some of our best. We actually planned to break her in as a sex slave, but she’s too wild. No one can even get near her without risking serious injury. Still, if you’re interested, we can provide a certain drug that’ll help soften her up."
An aphrodisiac, plain and simple. They were already handing me the option of drugging her into submission.
"Well, I can take that," I replied calmly, even though the bile in my throat was rising.
"Also, because of her untamed behavior, we haven’t managed to train her at all," the man continued, leaning forward like he was whispering a secret. "There’s a high chance she’s still a virgin. But, naturally, that makes her even more expensive. Virgins are rare and are very highly sought-after. Combine that with the fact that she’s a fighter, and her price skyrockets. We can’t put her on a cheap tag. You understand what I mean, don’t you?"
I could see the twisted logic in it. Even in the world of prostitution, a girl’s first time was always sold at an inflated price, valued like some kind of prized commodity. Her worth wasn’t measured in who she was—it was measured in how much gold people would throw away to be her first.
"Then if you’ll follow me..." he started, already rubbing his hands together like the greedy pig he was.
"I still have one more to buy," I interrupted.
His eyes widened. "Oh, y-you want another?" He hesitated, his voice faltering. "But the elf you picked is already extremely costly. I’m not doubting your financial strength—you clearly look well-off—but, well... let’s just say most people wouldn’t dare ask for more after that one."
He was trying to gauge me now, weighing if I was bluffing or if I really had the means. From the look on his face, he thought I was out of my mind. He couldn’t even imagine someone throwing that kind of money around.
If only he knew the truth. I had more than enough to buy not just two but every single slave in this cursed place. I just wasn’t stupid enough to do it.
"You don’t have to worry about it," I told him flatly. "I can pay."
"I-I... if you say so, dear customer," he stammered.
Sweat trickled down his cheek. His confident smirk had already cracked, replaced by the unease of a man who suddenly wasn’t sure if the ground under his feet was safe anymore. He probably thought I was insane. Nobody sane dropped that kind of gold so casually.
Still, he swallowed his doubts and let me continue browsing.
And then I saw it.
Not an elf.
A demon.
My eyes narrowed as I leaned closer to the page. This was the first time I had ever seen a demon listed in this place.
"What about this one?" I asked, pointing at the entry.
"Ohhh, the demon slave, huh?" His lips curled into a grin that screamed greed. "Now that’s a prize. A flawless catch. No blemishes at all. Untouched. She’s a virgin, as you can see from the records. Though I’ll admit, I don’t actually know what kind of demon she is. Doesn’t matter much, though. She’s valuable either way. In fact, we’re already preparing her for her first customer. A high-class prostitution establishment is ready to buy her for around seventy thousand gold coins. That’s how rare she is."
Seventy thousand. The number hit me like a weight. That was enough to build ten grand mansions, enough to live in luxury for a lifetime and still have more left over. That kind of gold could change entire cities. And yet, they were throwing that value on a single person’s body, as if she were nothing more than an investment to be auctioned off.