Chapter 21: The Slave Trader’s Stronghold

It’s time—the climax of this operation.

Noli gripped her longbow tightly, fully prepared.

Lucas stood by her side, ready to handle any unexpected situations.

“That bastard who betrayed the Elven race… I’ll kill him with my own hands…”

Noli muttered quietly before they ventured deeper into the slave trader’s hideout.

The underground slave market was much larger than everyone had anticipated.

Lucas even began to doubt whether Ivina had brought enough people for this mission.

Massive cages filled the entire underground space. In this cramped, filthy area, countless slaves were imprisoned.

What surprised them further was that these slaves came from various races—Orcs, Dwarves, Dragonkin; almost every race existing in Morovira could be found here.

The only absence was Elves.

Lucas speculated that the man named Kone must have kept the Elves locked away separately somewhere.

Naturally, slave traders guarded this place, and as expected, their numbers were considerable.

But soon, these men experienced firsthand the power of the Kingdom Knights.

A few slave traders tried to resist, only to be swiftly knocked down by two knights—one punch and they were knocked unconscious on the spot.

“Leave some of you here to clear out the slave traders and rescue these people. Stay and guard this place. The rest, follow me inside.”

As Ivina led the way deeper into the hideout, Lucas glanced at the slaves trapped in the cages.

They looked sickly, pale and emaciated—on the brink of death.

Clearly, they were treated terribly here.

Descending to the second underground level, the conditions changed dramatically.

Though still prisons, the environment was surprisingly decent.

There was no stench of rot; everything was kept very clean.

However, the slaves imprisoned here were exclusively Elves.

Noli scanned the Elves locked up here and even recognized some who had once lived with her in the same tribe. Relief washed over her—she could still save them.

Despite the better conditions, the number of guards stationed here was significantly higher.

As Ivina and the others stormed in, the slave traders raised their muskets and aimed at them.

Noli lifted her longbow and used her ice manipulation power to form arrows, shooting them straight through the slave traders’ throats.

Several arrows pierced through their necks with precision.

Ivina, Lucas, and the other knights drew their weapons and fought, subduing all the slave traders present.

What good are muskets?

Against absolute strength, such weapons are useless.

“Don’t move, behave yourselves.”

Ivina pressed her sword against a slave trader’s neck.

“Where is Kone? What are these slaves used for?”

“I… I don’t know…”

The slave trader stammered under Ivina’s threat.

“I’m only ordered to guard here… We’re not allowed to touch these slaves. As for Big Boss Kone, he’s… on the third underground level…”

Ivina immediately saw that the slave trader was telling the truth.

She withdrew her sword and kicked him aside.

“Keep an eye on these people.”

Ivina said to the other knights.

“Lucas, Noli, come with me.”

They descended the spiral stone staircase to the third underground level.

It was just a lavishly decorated room—obviously someone’s office.

Strangely, the room was empty, only the crackling fire in the fireplace making noise.

“Not here?”

Ivina hammered the wall beside her in frustration.

“Damn it, are we too late?”

Lucas also found it strange.

There was no way the slave traders could have known about their raid in advance.

So why was nobody here?

He searched the room, his gaze finally resting on a cup on the desk.

The tea inside still steamed—it was freshly brewed not long ago.

If Lucas was correct, the slave trader must have hurriedly left after hearing the commotion.

A thorough search found no other clues.

“This person shouldn’t be far away.”

Lucas pointed at the steaming tea.

“He must have left in a hurry.”

“But we came through the front door and didn’t see anyone suspicious.”

Ivina rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

“How did he get away?”

“Maybe there’s a secret passage.”

Lucas suggested.

“Let’s search the room.”

The three agreed and began to look carefully.

Lucas knelt down and tapped every tile on the floor, trying to find a hidden passage beneath.

Ivina inspected the walls, while Noli squatted in front of the fireplace, staring blankly at the flames.

“Hmm, what’s this?”

Noli covered her hand with a thin layer of ice and reached into the fireplace, feeling around until she pulled something out.

It was several pieces of partially burned paper—still legible despite being singed.

A name was written on them—Sephi.

“They really have connections with the Eight Sins.”

Ivina’s face darkened.

“Sephi… Could it be that these people were sent to Sephi for live experiments?”

Noli covered her mouth, nearly retching.

The thought was too shocking, especially for an Elf like her who hadn’t seen much of the world.

On the remaining unburned paper, she barely made out some fragmented notes.

The only valuable detail was a place name.

“We’ll deal with this later.”

Ivina folded up the papers.

“Have you found any clue of a secret passage?”

Both Lucas and Noli shook their heads.

There was no secret passage in this room; the only ventilation shaft was too small for a person to pass through.

Unless this person vanished into thin air, there was no way to escape this room.

No… Lucas’s mind suddenly latched onto a possibility.

The only way this slave trader could disappear from this room.

“Elves… Noli, can Elves create spaces undetectable to outsiders? Like in your tribe?”

Lucas’s words triggered Noli’s realization.

“You mean…”

“Yes, that’s very likely. As an Elf, Kone must have the ability to create an Elven space.” Ivina nodded in agreement.

“Noli, can you open that space?”

Noli nodded.

“Although Elves live in different tribes, as long as there’s an Elven mark, you can enter spaces created by other Elves. I’ll try now.”

Noli raised her hand, and a bright green mark appeared on the back of it.

The space around them rippled like water.

When the distortion ceased, they found themselves standing in an open field. In front of them stood a wooden house.

“There really is an Elf.”

A man cursed loudly.

A finely dressed male Elf holding a staff embedded with a ruby stepped out from the wooden house.

“And you even found me.”