Moravia Outskirts, the narrow cobblestone road was soaked in mud that refused to dry, the stench of rot hanging thick in the air.
On both sides, hooded merchants set up their stalls along the paths formed by foot traffic. Most only had some straw mats and a simple mat, while those with a bit more means had constructed rudimentary wooden shelters.
Here, there were all sorts of strange goods—not entirely the contraband that Su Yao had imagined.
At a glance, the merchandise included priceless antiques whose value was uncertain, rare materials taken from magical beasts, and some odd trinkets whose functions no one could discern. Of course, most items were just “bait” made to look old.
Like an antique street in the modern world, people came here to try their luck.
No wonder Miss Hilvi was such a regular here.
However, for Su Yao and Clorel Greenville, this was no place at all.
She had been careless—she should have brought the Brown-haired Maid to buy a cloak before coming.
From the moment they arrived, the hostile gazes of merchants and passersby had been stabbing at her, making her almost ache.
Under her instruction, Clorel had broken their previous pact and clenched a dagger in her hand.
The Brown-haired Maid’s vigilant eyes were tinged with anxiety.
They had arrived at their destination—the Slave Market.
“Crack, crack…”
The sharp sound of whips came from ahead. Slaves wearing collars were either bound or locked in cages; a few obedient ones sat on straw mats.
The black, oily whips struck repeatedly on slaves who had made mistakes, but they only tensed their bodies out of habit, opening their mouths blankly.
Those slaves probably didn’t even have the strength left to moan.
Unknown flying insects buzzed around the slaves, occasionally landing on their bodies. They seemed to be flies from another world.
When they passed the third wooden stall selling slaves, Clorel suddenly stopped. She trembled as she looked at a slave being beaten.
The dagger in her hand scraped audibly as Su Yao followed her gaze.
The female slave’s rough white hair was stained with yellow filth; her eyes were tightly shut, and the chains on her body were more numerous than all the other slaves combined.
She was likely the very reason Clorel had come here.
“Don’t be impulsive. Leave it to me.”
“Mm.”
The Brown-haired Maid’s voice was barely audible, but compared to before, she had improved a lot—at least she wasn’t acting rashly.
“Boss, I want some slaves.”
The slave owner holding the whip looked somewhat surprised at the blonde loli addressing him. After hesitating a moment, he said, “Sorry, these slaves aren’t for sale. They’re criminals sentenced to be sent to the mines.”
According to Miss Hilvi’s explanation, there were three types of slaves.
The first were those “stolen” by slave hunters, which was illegal and rare, though the Black Market usually turned a blind eye.
Very few slave hunters specifically hunted humans unless the person was extraordinarily rare and completely alone.
They generally preferred hunting elves and vampires—the former for their natural beauty, the latter for their undamageable bodies and vitality.
As for beastkin girls with animal ears? Their physical abilities were too abnormal; normally, no one dared to provoke them. Even if brought back, they were hard to control and couldn’t fetch a good price.
No buying, no harm.
The second type were “debt slaves,” forced into contracts due to their debts. They would be freed after working a corresponding time under their masters. Their masters could change according to the transfer of debt.
The last type were “criminal slaves,” those who committed serious crimes but were spared the death penalty. These slaves were supposed to labor in official facilities until death—at least officially.
In secret, nobles had the right to purchase them, and working under nobles was considered, in a sense, to be “official facilities.”
Fortunately, Su Yao had prepared well and showed the Lord’s Crest she had obtained from Miss Hilvi.
Originally intended to facilitate their entry and exit from the city, it unexpectedly came in handy here.
“So you’re people of the Lord. My apologies, my apologies. Which kind of slaves do you want, sir?” The man immediately showed much more respect.
Although most of the locals disliked Wilrey Ashley, his name still carried weight on the Black Market.
Without his protection, trading here would not be so easy, not to mention he was one of the biggest clients of slave dealers.
The man had never seen Su Yao before, but he knew the Ashley Crest too well to mistake it.
“What crimes do these slaves have?”
Though Su Yao only wanted to save Clorel’s acquaintance, buying only one would be too conspicuous. Her identity was already problematic, so it was better to mix things up.
“The ones in the cages over there are murderers. The twin sisters’ crime is seducing noblemen. The one bound in chains is a war criminal.”
Listening to the slave dealer’s explanation, Su Yao immediately understood.
A war criminal probably meant some kind of prisoner.
“I’ll take all except the murderers.” They all looked pitiful, but she couldn’t afford slaves with blood debts.
“Alright, sir, five gold coins.”
So expensive! Three barely clothed slaves for five gold coins? She suspected the dealer was trying to cheat her.
“Sir, I’m not overcharging. The collars on criminal slaves suppress magic, and once worn, they basically never come off. Each collar is worth at least one gold coin. You can’t expect us to sell at a loss, can you?”
The man smiled warmly at the blonde loli. A noble brat new to the city didn’t even know common sense. He was just too lazy to make trouble; otherwise, he could have squeezed her for more.
“Fine.”
Thanks to Miss Hilvi’s gift, she was now somewhat wealthy and could afford this.
Speaking of which, saving Clorel’s acquaintance was all thanks to the information Hilvi provided. A single meal really had turned this shrewd young lady into her friend?
It still felt a bit unbelievable.
But to be fair, she was cuter when drunk than usual.
Finally, after signing who knew how many times, Su Yao successfully handed three chains into Clorel’s hands.
As for the other ends of the chains—of course, they were connected to the three female slaves she had just purchased.
In this state, there was no way to go to the Adventurers’ Guild now.
She would have to buy some furniture to settle Clorel’s acquaintance first.
“Let’s go, Clorel. Buy some furniture, then let’s head back.”
Their group had already drawn too many stares since earlier. No wonder—the blonde loli with a beautiful Brown-haired Maid by her side, followed by three half-naked slaves chained behind. Curiosity was unavoidable.
——
Nightfall, inside a brightly lit villa.
“Young Master Norton, I’ve found the person you asked me to investigate.”
In the European-style living room, the man who had been screaming hysterically in Miss Hilvi’s room was now quietly seated on a crimson sofa, frowning as he examined the information on the parchment.
“So? There’s nothing but her name and the places she’s recently visited? You call this having found her?”
The man glared at the Intelligence Dealer before him with a sinister gaze.
“Please calm down, Young Master. I have another piece of information here that might interest you.”