Chapter 931: Chapter 142 - Slave Market (3)
Demon slaves were ridiculously expensive, the kind of thing only nobles or insanely rich bastards could even dream of buying. That was because capturing one was almost impossible. Demons weren’t like humans or elves you could just chain up—they were monsters in their own right, with power that made even trained slavers piss themselves. But sometimes, there were special cases. If a demon happened to be wandering around alone, cut off from any kind of group or protection, then—rare as it was—there was a chance they’d be overpowered and captured. That’s what happened with Amon.
I was lucky enough to get to her before anything could be done. I’d managed to pull her out of that nightmare before it truly began, and from that moment on... well, the rest was history.
But now, standing here in this filthy, stinking market full of cages and half-broken souls, I was watching another demon who’d been caught and chained like some animal. Whether it was slavers or bandits, I couldn’t be sure, but the sight made my blood boil all the same.
"I want to buy this one," I said firmly, my voice cutting through the murmur of the marketplace.
The slaver’s eyes widened, his greasy face twitching nervously. "H-Huh? B-But she’s already taken, dear customer. We can’t exactly put her to you, since she’s already been promised to someone else." His words tumbled out, shaky and panicked. "A-And besides, this is seven thousand gold coins we’re talking about! Even with the money you have, you probably won’t be able to pull it off. And even if you do... you might not recover financially from this."
Financial recovery, huh? That line made me scoff internally. If he was saying that, then the buyer must’ve been no ordinary customer. No, this had the stink of a high-class brothel all over it. Only establishments that catered to the rich and depraved would have that much coin to casually throw around on a demon.
"I can pay a hundred thousand gold coins," I said flatly, not even blinking. "Just give me the reins."
His jaw practically hit the ground. "A-A hundred?!" he shrieked, his voice cracking like he couldn’t believe what he just heard.
Maybe I was getting ahead of myself—no, I knew I was. But there was something in me that couldn’t let this go. Something about her. I couldn’t ignore the feeling that there was... potential here, like I could actually build something from this, as insane as that sounded. Yeah, the whole thing turned my stomach—I hated that I even had to lower myself to buying a slave—but it didn’t matter. This was the path laid out in front of me.
And if I was being honest, there was another reason. I was fascinated by her strange, unpredictable nature. One moment she was timid, shy and almost delicate according to her date here—and the next she was cold, sharp, and distant, like she could cut someone down with just her eyes. That change in mood swings... it pulled me in. I didn’t understand it, but I couldn’t shake it either.
"Is that okay with you?" I asked quietly, glancing over my shoulder at Artemis.
Originally, we had come here for something very different. The plan was to buy two elven slaves. Not because we enjoyed this filth or supported it, but because doing so would give us valuable insight into how this twisted market really worked. The elves, already trapped inside it, had the kind of knowledge we couldn’t get otherwise. That was the mission—simple, direct, and clean.
But here I was, throwing the plan out the window for a demon slave. That wasn’t part of what we agreed to. That’s why I needed Artemis’s answer.
She met my eyes and smiled gently, nodding without hesitation. She had no complaints and no resistance. Just silent approval.
"B-But still... she’s already branded for someone else..." the slaver muttered nervously, shifting from foot to foot. "I can’t exactly... I mean..."
Unbelievable. Even after I had slammed a hundred thousand gold coins down in front of him, he was still holding back. Didn’t he realize how much that was worth? That kind of fortune could set him up for life—palaces, women, luxury until the day he died. With that much, he wouldn’t have to touch the filth of this business ever again.
I clenched my jaw. If money was the only language he spoke, then fine—I’d drown him in it.
"How about I add another hundred on top of that?" I said, leaning in slightly. "Both the demon slave... and the elf."
The words made him go pale. Two hundred thousand gold coins was a staggering sum. To put it into perspective, the elf was priced at only three thousand. The demon was valued at seventy. Combined, they barely scratched a hundred thousand. By offering two hundred, I was practically tossing away another hundred and twenty-seven thousand just to shut him up.
"Of course," I added coolly, "that doesn’t include the hush money."
"H-Hush money?" he stuttered, confused.
"Yeah. You keep your mouth shut about me buying them. There would be no names, no rumors, nothing." My tone was sharp, leaving no room for argument. "So... how about it?"
"R-Right away, Sir!" he yelped, bowing his head so quickly it was almost pitiful. "I-I’ll show you the products you wanted!"
And just like that, he was leading us deeper into the holding area, the smell of sweat, blood, and despair growing thicker with every step. My gut twisted. No matter how I tried to justify it, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was dirtying my own hands by going along with this. To everyone watching, I was just another bastard lining up to buy flesh. But I shoved the thought aside. We had to play this game to get what we came for. It was the only way.
The slaver stopped in front of the first cell and gestured toward the bars. "Here she is..." he said, almost like he was trying to dress up the words to sound appealing.