The Slave Market

After deciding on their next objective, Loren left his room and called for Fiana and Anor.

The moment Fiana saw Loren, her brow furrowed.

She felt that something about him had changed, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

"Anor, prepare the carriage. And get Robert, too. We're going to the slave market."

Loren's steady voice interrupted Fiana's thoughts.

"Yes, Lord Loren."

Anor answered respectfully, then immediately turned and led the way.

The girl stared at Loren's back and pondered for a long while, but couldn't figure it out. In the end, she gave up thinking about it.

The three of them set out again.

For some reason, Anor couldn't shake the feeling that being near Loren filled him with a deep, instinctive fear. It was as if Loren weren't a person at all, but some ancient dragon that sent a chill down his spine.

After awakening his Bloodline Power, his senses had become sharper, and unease constantly weighed on his heart.

The carriage arrived at the Jasmine Flower Merchant Guild amid a strange atmosphere.

Robert had only just returned when Anor called for him. He joined Loren on the trip to First District, the largest slave market in the entire northern Silver Moon Kingdom.

"Decker City lies on the Endless Wasteland, where people can capture orcs, half-orcs, Dungeon Race members, Lizardmen, and all sorts of others.

"That's why the slave trade in Decker City has always been so prosperous.

"If you need to buy slaves, Lord Loren, it would be better to buy them from a merchant guild under the city lord, in the name of the Orchid Family.

"The city lord controls the largest slave-trading channels. Given your status, they'll certainly offer you the finest slaves."

On the carriage, Loren listened to Anor and nodded slightly. "Let's look at the Jasmine Flower Merchant Guild first. If we can't find what we need there, we'll see.

"Have slave prices changed recently?"

Anor shook his head.

"Because the slave trade is thriving, and the Endless Wasteland—the source of many slaves—lies just outside the city,

"slaves in Decker City cost far less than those bought elsewhere in the Silver Moon Kingdom."

"How much do they cost?"

"A Black Iron Grade slave costs around twenty thousand Puke. Bronze Grade slaves cost fifty thousand, Silver Grade slaves cost between one hundred and fifty and two hundred thousand, and Gold Grade slaves are around two million. As for Platinum-grade slaves..."

Anor glanced furtively at Fiana's impassive face, then instinctively shrank back and lowered his voice.

"Platinum-grade fighters are terrifyingly powerful and extremely difficult to capture, so they cost around fifty million Puke."

"And that's only for slaves who haven't awakened their bloodline. Once they do, the price often doubles."

Fifty million for a Platinum-grade slave? And the price could double after awakening their bloodline?

Loren nodded thoughtfully.

Slave prices were directly tied to strength. That put an end to his idea of simply buying a few Gold Grade slaves.

He had twenty million in cash and a five-million credit at the Jasmine Flower Merchant Guild. Even if he spent it all, he could only buy ten Gold Grade slaves—or fewer than two hundred Silver Grade slaves.

It wasn't worth it.

He couldn't spend all his money on slaves. After buying them, he'd still have to get them weapons and equipment, which would be another major expense.

The thought made Loren wince. He'd have to find a way to earn more money. Twenty million really wasn't much to work with.

More than half an hour later, the carriage came to a slow stop in front of a complex of buildings with pointed roofs, grand as a palace.

The outer walls were carved with reliefs of sky knights riding griffins into battle against a horde of twisted, filthy monsters. The architecture looked ancient and imposing, steeped in the mournful grandeur of epic tales.

Loren had little interest in the building itself. After getting out of the carriage, he focused on surveying the people nearby.

Robert took the initiative to explain.

"Lord Loren, this is the largest slave market in the north. These buildings were constructed two hundred years ago, when Decker City was first established.

"It has the widest selection of slaves around. If you want, you can even buy sea folk from ten thousand miles away, mummies from the Golden Desert, or bone dragons from the dimensional planes!"

"Our Jasmine Flower Merchant Guild also has a shop here."

He puffed out his chest, clearly very proud of that fact.

Loren found it amusing but ignored him. After taking in the exotic architecture for a moment, he nodded.

"Lead the way."

"Yes, my lord. Believe me, you'll find any kind of slave you want here."

Loren's calm reaction did nothing to dampen Robert's enthusiasm. He immediately sent two guards ahead to clear the way and make sure no one bumped into Loren.

When the people around them noticed Loren's noble robes and the crest on his chest, they hurriedly scattered to either side, wary and careful. None of them dared approach.

In this world, where status and hierarchy were rigidly enforced, ordinary adventurers like them couldn't afford to offend nobles, the ruling class.

The slave market bustled with people: warriors carrying greatswords, thieves darting their eyes around suspiciously, and sharp-eyed archers with longbows on their backs.

Some of these professionals had brought tightly bound slaves to sell, while others had come to buy.

As they ventured deeper inside, Loren realized the slave market was even larger than it had appeared from outside. Shops lined the streets, one after another, and slaves locked in iron cages were the most ordinary merchandise of all.

Some wore resentful expressions, others looked numb or indifferent, while a few brimmed with killing intent.

Whenever passing nobles or merchants took a fancy to a slave, they would immediately wave handfuls of Puke and have the slave owner bring the captive out of the cage.

The slaves sold in the shops were mainly orcs and Lizardmen.

There were two kinds of orcs. Some were powerfully built, with animal heads and human bodies, like Lionkin, tigerkin, and wolfkin. They were well suited to battle.

Others had only a few animal features, like catfolk. Apart from their long tails and two furry ears, they were no different from humans.

After the orcs, the Lizardmen were the most numerous.

These medium-sized, cold-blooded beings were hideous. Their gaping maws were packed with fangs and gave off a nauseating stench.

Their coarse, sandpaper-like skin seemed like natural armor, and their claws gleamed with a chilling light that made people recoil.

The strongest Lizardmen could even tear through a human warrior's armor with their claws.

The Silver Moon Kingdom bordered the Lizardman Empire, and the two were often at war. The Endless Wasteland was another battlefield where they fought one another.

These Lizardman slaves had served the Pioneer Lords of the Lizardman Empire. They had become slaves after humans conquered their territories.

Besides these two main groups, there were also some rarer races, such as dwarves, half-elves, Medusa from the Dungeon Race, and Blood-eyed Minotaurs.

There were even some bizarre races whose names Loren couldn't identify.

The strange and varied races opened his eyes and gave him a profound appreciation for what a fantasy world was.

After wandering around for a while, Robert led Loren to a shop in a remote spot where few people passed by.

"Lord Loren, this is the Jasmine Flower Merchant Guild's shop."

The dozen or so employees inside hurried out to greet Robert. When they saw Loren in his noble robes, they all bowed their heads at once, trembling too much to say another word.

Loren didn't mind. He looked at the iron cages on either side of the room.

There were several dozen slaves locked inside.

To his surprise, most of them were human. Only seven or eight were half-orcs.

Seeing Loren's puzzled expression, Robert explained.

"My lord, these human slaves were bought from other cities. Some came from places that were conquered during the Bloody Day and sold themselves into slavery just to survive.

"Others are prisoners of war.

"Don't let their low strength fool you. These slaves all have useful skills. Some are tailors, carpenters, or blacksmiths. They'd be a great fit for your territory.

"And since they aren't strong, they're cheap—only twenty thousand Puke each. There are sixty-seven in all. A flat million will cover them."

Loren turned to look at the slaves, their faces numb, and felt a jolt in his heart.

So this was the real world?

After thinking it over, he couldn't help feeling wistful. It wasn't just this world. Even in ancient Huaxia, countless commoners had sold themselves into slavery during years of famine.

The common people at the bottom of society and the nobles had always lived in entirely different worlds.

The slave system should have been thrown into the trash heap of history long ago. Using people as tools of production is terribly inefficient.

Loren shook his head, keeping the thought to himself.

Once individuals possessed supernatural powers, society was bound to become more extreme. The pressure of facing the Bloody Day every month only made matters worse.

After a moment's thought, he turned to the thief beside him.

"Anor, would it be feasible for us to recruit displaced people from Decker City to go to our territory?"

Population was the foundation of a territory's development. Without people, nothing else mattered. But how much money would it take to build up the population by buying slaves alone?

He'd spent more than a million just on these few dozen people. Wouldn't it take thirty to fifty billion to get the population he wanted?

Anor's eyes lit up, but his expression soon turned troubled.

"Lord Loren, Decker City has no shortage of displaced people, but opening up land on the Endless Wasteland is far too difficult.

"Few displaced people would risk going to a newly established territory. No one wants to throw their life away.

"That's why Pioneer Lords usually buy slaves first."

Loren didn't seem discouraged. After a moment's thought, he turned to Robert, his eyes gleaming.

"Guildmaster Robert, if a High Noble from Silver Moon Capital came to establish a territory on the Endless Wasteland,

"bringing a large amount of money and a top Platinum-grade fighter,

"how many people do you think would be willing to join him?"

The three of them brightened. It seemed like a good idea—until, a moment later, they changed their minds.

"And suppose that benevolent noble decided that every commoner who followed him would receive land to farm for free.

"He also wouldn't charge them any taxes for two years.

"That ambitious noble, backed by his family and determined to build a second Decker City on the Endless Wasteland, would be none other than a descendant of the Orchid Family—Loren Grant."

At that, Fiana, Anor, and Robert all stared at Loren in shock.

"Free land? And no fees of any kind for two years?"

Robert sounded incredulous.

"Lord Loren, if word of this gets out, it'll cause a huge sensation!"

Anor looked at Loren in even greater shock.

Once a Pioneer Lord had established a territory, the quickest way to raise funds was to sell land and collect taxes. That was the foundation of a territory's development.

"Lord Loren, this goes against all rules and common sense."

The lord provided protection through force, and the residents paid taxes. That was a rule that had never changed in countless generations.

Land and taxes were a lord's greatest sources of wealth. Once Pioneer Lords secured a foothold, they usually sold off land in their territories to raise funds.

Nobles and commoners who could no longer get by elsewhere would then buy land from powerful Pioneer Lords.

Now Loren wanted to give away land for free and charge no taxes for two years. It directly challenged everything they had always believed.

Even Fiana, who usually paid little attention to such matters, looked at Loren in confusion.

Robert couldn't help trying to dissuade him.

"Lord Loren, if you do this, your territory may have no income for a long time. Your costs could increase tenfold or even twentyfold."

Even if Loren was a descendant of the Orchid Family, he couldn't act so outrageously. Give land to those lowly commoners? Why should they get it?!

And without land, why even become a Pioneer Lord?

Goddess above, the devil must have clouded his eyes!

Loren looked at them, his gaze deep, and showed no sign of wavering.

People themselves were the most valuable asset.

Everything in Gray Eagle Territory was still a blank slate. Only with people could he build anything.

As the most important means of production, people were worth more than anything else.

Still, he didn't argue with them. Some rules weren't necessarily right—in fact, they could be deeply unjust—but if they had endured for generations, there had to be a reason they existed.

Besides, he didn't need to change rules that had taken generations to establish.

He only needed to make use of their advantages and grow stronger. That was enough.