章 3: I’ll Let The Actions Speak for Me
On a clear blue morning, the sun gently illuminated the world as Nikos stood under the soft shadow of a mansion before him.
From the information he had gathered, this building was one of the most respected and well-known slave traders in this town.
As Nikos took his first steps into the building, he was immediately greeted warmly by two professional-looking human butlers.
"Please follow me, good sir," the butlers said, guiding him towards a specific room.
The room was adorned with luxury items and designs all around, with a couple of ornate chairs perfectly placed in the middle, their detailed carvings catching the light.
The butlers gestured towards the chairs. "Please wait for a moment; Master Lukas will be here soon."
Nikos responded with a single nod and took a seat.
After a few minutes, a tall wolf-man with broad shoulders and dressed in luxurious attire made of rich fabrics emerged from the door. Following him were maids, butlers, and bodyguards, each wearing a collar around their neck.
"Welcome to my humble palace. My name is Lukas Wolfsbane. May I know your name, good sir?" Lukas said in an unhurried, polite manner as he sat down across from Nikos, while his slaves stood behind his chair.
Nikos gave a simple nod. "I'm Nikos Aarav."
During their brief conversation, Lukas glanced at the magic inventory bag strapped to Nikos's hip. "Are you perhaps a merchant, good sir Nikos?"
"That's right, Master Lukas. I'm a merchant."
"It's always good to gain a new acquaintance," Lukas smiled. "You must be here for the slaves, right? What type are you looking for?"
Nikos glanced at the slaves standing behind Lukas. "Where do you get all these slaves?"
Sensing Nikos's curiosity, Lukas tried to reassure him. "No need to worry, good sir Nikos. My business is legitimate and officially approved by the Kingdom of Verixia. As for the slaves we have here, they were either war prisoners, people who couldn't pay their debts, those with criminal records, or individuals who sold themselves for their families to survive."
This was quite similar to the medieval times on Earth.
"So, what type are you looking for, sir Nikos? We have common slaves, fighters, and even some educated ones if you're interested," Lukas listed.
"Show me the fighters and those who know how to read and do basic calculations."
Lukas clapped his hands once, and the butler left the room for a few minutes, leaving Nikos and Lukas to continue their conversation.
After about ten minutes, the butler returned, bringing a group of fighter slaves of various races. A second butler soon followed, bringing some educated slaves with him.
The slaves were lined up on the side of the sofa, waiting for the master slave trader to give instructions.
Nikos glanced at all the slaves in their ragged clothes. Surprisingly, their bodies looked healthy, and there were no apparent wounds. This was far different from what he had expected.
Nikos turned to Lukas. "You treat them better than I expected."
"Happy to please my customers," Lukas said with a polite bow. "Besides, the Kingdom of Verixia has rules for us slave traders to take better care of the slaves."
"Go on, choose whoever you like," Lukas invited Nikos.
Nikos nodded, slowly stood up, and walked towards the row of fighter slaves, activating his skill.
— Talent Eyes
Information about each slave was displayed clearly before Nikos.
He examined all seventeen of them thoroughly. The slaves were of diverse races, including dwarves, humans, elves, beastkin, and lizard-folk. Unfortunately, each slave had only one talent, and their talents were of average level. Then, his eyes landed on the last slave, a lizard-folk.
------------------------------------
<!Information>
Jarek Bladetail – Lv. 41
Race: Lizard-folk – Class: Expert Warrior
Talent Potential:
1. Master Warrior.
2. Elite Berserker.
Health Point: 2500/2500
Mana Point: 1900/1900
Stats:
Strength: 26 | Agility: 17 | Vitality: 25 | Intelligence: 19
------------------------------------
This one was better than the others. Satisfied with the talent and stats, Nikos pointed at the lizard-folk. "I want this one."
The butler nodded and led the rest of the fighters out of the room, and the second row now stepped forward.
Nikos turned to inspect this new group. This time, it was the educated ones. Unlike the fighters, who numbered seventeen, this group consisted of only five people: one male human, one female human, one female dark elf, and two male dwarves.
Having educated workers in this medieval times is a bit hard, since the education was circulated only to the elite.
As Nikos quickly glanced at this row, a fleeting sense of unease washed over him, almost like the shadow of a memory brushing against his consciousness.
He frowned slightly, as if trying to grasp the elusive thought, but it slipped away as quickly as it had come. Shaking off the feeling, he continue on assessing their talents.
Checking the talents of the human male and the two male dwarves, he found the results were not up to his standards since they didn't possess any fighting talents. Then, his attention turned to the female human.
The woman stood there, appearing mature, perhaps in her forties, yet her beauty and alluring, shapely physique defied her initial age, making her look as if she were still in her mid-twenties.
------------------------------------
<!Information>
Marielle Dovehart – Lv. 8
Race: Human – Class: Novice Healer
Talent Potential:
1. Master Healer
2. Expert Accountant
3. Diva Singer
Health Point: 700/700
Mana Point: 800/800
Stats:
Strength: 6 | Agility: 7 | Vitality: 7 | Intelligence: 8
------------------------------------
Nikos gazed at the woman a bit longer than the others. As he tried to speak, no words could be formed, so he turned his head away.
A novice healer. With my skill to produce potions instantly, I don't think I need a healer right now.
Having finished examining her talents, Nikos turned towards the last one, the dark elf.
This dark elf was quite different from the typical ones who usually had dark brown skin. Her complexion was a pale of bluish color, and combined with her silver hair cascading down, it perfecting her elegant charm.
------------------------------------
<!Information>
Liriel Nyx – Lv. 9
Race: Dark Elf – Class: None
Talent Potential:
1. Grandmaster Assassin
2. Elite Assistant
3. Elite Spy
Health Point: 600/600
Mana Point: 800/800
Stats:
Strength: 7 | Agility: 9 | Vitality: 6 | Intelligence: 8
------------------------------------
Nikos's pupils dilated upon seeing the talents she possessed. This one was a true gem.
"I want this dark elf," Nikos said.
Lukas smiled at Nikos's choice. "That's an excellent choice, sir Nikos."
The other educated slaves were led away by the second butler. As Nikos took one last look at the line of slaves, another flicker of uneasiness passed through him.
As the group headed towards the door, Nikos suddenly spoke, "Wait a minute," he stopped the butler, stealing a glance at the female human, "I'll take her too."
The butler nodded and left the female human and the dark elf in the room. Along with the lizard-folk, Nikos had now chosen three individuals.
"These three, that will be 1500 gold," Lukas announced the price
Nikos turned to him, "That's a steep price for them, Master Lukas."
------------------------------------
> Main < | Merchant System | Class | Inventory
Nikos Aarav – Lv. 7
Race: Human – Class: None
Gold: 1007
System Credit: 0
---- SC Converter
------------------------------------
"I believe it's a fair price, good sir Nikos. This lizard-folk is a skilled fighter and has won many battles. The dark elf, besides being young, possesses great intelligence and can grasp complex knowledge faster than you can teach. And the female human—she is quite beautiful, don't you think?"
Lukas didn't mention any of their hidden talents, this mean he was unaware of them.
"Educated slaves and fighters not supposed to be on a same price, since it's harder to educate someone," Nikos argued politely.
Lukas and Nikos continued their negotiation for hours until they finally settled on a fixed price of 1330 gold.
"This is fair. I'll take the dark elf for now and return next week for the others after selling some of my products. Is that acceptable?"
Lukas smiled. "That's possible. In that case, I'll need an upfront fee for the other two. 500 gold for the dark elf plus 150 gold as a holding fee for them."
Nikos nodded, reached into his magic inventory bag, pulled out a coin pouch, and paid for them.
------------------------------------
| > Main < |
Gold: 357 (-650)
------------------------------------
After the transaction was complete, Lukas pulled out several scrolls of 'Magic Contract.' One scroll was for the contract on the remaining payment of 680 gold, and the second scroll transferred possession of 'Liriel,' the dark elf, to Nikos.
Lukas placed a drop of his blood on the scrolls. "Your turn, sir Nikos."
Nikos slashed his palm with a dagger, placed his blood on the scrolls, sealing the contract.
"Sir Nikos, here is a little gift from me for our first meeting." Lukas handed him three more 'Magic Contract' scrolls.
"I'm thankful for the gift."
Then they walked out of the mansion to the gate.
"I'll look forward to your next visit, good sir Nikos," Lukas said with a polite smile. Behind him, the lizard-folk and the female human bowed to Nikos.
Nikos nodded at them and walked towards the street with Liriel following behind.
The two walked through the bustling market, Nikos leading the way with Liriel trailing behind him.
As they navigated the street, despite Liriel's head being lowered, Nikos could feel her eyes quietly observing him.
Why had Nikos chosen her? What did he see in her that was worth the price? Despite her best efforts to remain unnoticed, she couldn't help but steal glances at his back, trying to decipher his intentions.
"You know, I don't really have a need for slaves," Nikos's voice cut through her thoughts, " what I need is a capable subordinates to carry out my plans to perfection."
Liriel's heart quickened at his words. Subordinate? Was he truly offering her a different kind of freedom?
"I've been bought by Master Nikos, Now, I am your possession to do as you wish." she said masked in a monotonous tone, while her eyes fixed on Nikos's back.
"Where I come from, slavery no longer exists. Everyone is free to pursue whatever they want."
Her face remained expressionless as she stayed silent.
Nikos smiled slightly. "It's hard to believe, right? I understand that."
She remained silent, as she doesn't take his words seriously.
Finally, they reached the inn and headed straight up to Nikos's room.
Inside the room, Nikos turned around to face her, moving closer. His handsome face looked directly into Liriel's eyes.
"For you to carry out my plans flawlessly, we need to build a proper trust," he paused, "and I fully understand that words aren't enough, so I'll let the actions speak for me."
Their eyes locked, and Liriel didn't know what to expect from his gaze.
Nikos drew out the 'Magic Contract' scroll, its parchment crackling with energy as it activated, hovering in the air beside him.
"I, Nikos Aarav, appoint Liriel Nyx as my subordinate. I will look after her and pay her fairly for her work. In three years, if her work is deem satisfying, she can buy her freedom from me for the amount of 1 gold."
Nikos's words appeared as written text on the parchment of the scroll. Then, he dropped his blood onto the scroll.
Liriel's head was thrown into confusion, she glanced between the scroll and Nikos, suspicion gnawing at her. Was this a trap? The prospect of freedom dangled before her like a tantalizing mirage, but the fear of deceit was equally strong.
Her past had taught her hurt and cruelty of the reality.
"Go on, put your blood on it."
Her eyes capture Nikos's entire body, hoping to catch a lie in his words, but she found none.
With trembling hands, she bit her thumb and added her blood to the scroll, sealing her fate with a mixture of dread and fragile hope.
With her blood the scroll accepted the new contract and dissipated into thin air.
Liriel turned to Nikos. "W-why?"
"I want to build trust between us. Besides, as I said, where I come from, slavery is prohibited and no longer exists," he replied casually.
"I-is that true?" she asked. Which Nikos responded with a single nod. "Yes, it's true. Well, back in my place, some people… let's just say some even willingly to become slaves for fun."
"No way! Who would want to be a slave for someone else?" Her response shattered the inexpressive mask she had been wearing. Her breathing became ragged.
Seeing her reaction, Nikos moved closer to hers, till they're faces mere inches apart. Seeing his face so close, Liriel was rooted in her place. Her ragged breaths turned into a long, held one as she closed her eyes in tremble.
Nikos's lips moved to her ear, whispering, "Yes, they exist. Usually, they do all of it in bed."
Pink flushed across her cheeks when she realized what Nikos meant. Quickly, she pushed him back, turning away in a fluster.
Finding her response amusing, Nikos let a chuckle. "You're cute."
Liriel turned back to face him, trying to protest, but her mouth couldn't formed any words.
"Okay, that's enough." Nikos said, pulling out a set of clothes and adventurer gear from his magic inventory bag. "Here, change into these," he handed her the set.
She took it and nodded slowly, doing as he ordered.
Nikos moved to sit on the table next to the window, pulling out papers to check his plans while waiting for Liriel to finish changing.
After she was done, she spoke softly, "Sir…"
"You done? Come, I'll show you our plan." Nikos said.
Liriel walked towards him slowly, her steps steady.
-- 贈り物
が届きました 
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット