Shackled and Made a Slave

Seeing that the other slaves were behaving fairly well, Matthews realized the voice had come from him. He, too, had been given special instructions from above: he was valuable merchandise, not someone lowly guards like them could toy with as they pleased.

"What are you making all that noise for? Don't think I won't do something to you just because you're a noble!"

Only after the cruel-looking man spoke did Matthews realize that he wasn't on peaceful Blue Star anymore. He used the few words he had learned and said, "Let—me—go."

The cruel slave trader looked at Matthews with scorn, thinking that the man still believed he was in a noble's manor, where he could throw his weight around.

"Hehehe, you're not a noble anymore. You're here now, so behave!"

Matthews did his best to calm himself and his voice before repeating, "Let—me—go."

"Damn it, you're asking for it."

After cursing him, the cruel slave trader turned to his companion and said, "Open the door. I'm going to make him understand the situation."

"Is that wise? The deputy leader said he's high-grade merchandise. If we damage him, we'll both be in trouble!"

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I'll give him a few lashes. I won't ruin his face."

"As long as you know what you're doing."

Once the door opened, the slave trader approached Matthews. As the man swung his whip, Matthews dodged, stepped in, and drove his elbow straight into the man's heart.

It was obvious he'd been sold out by the group that had led him out of the forest. This place was clearly a dungeon. He'd either been brought here as a prisoner or sold as a slave.

So Matthews didn't hold back. His first strike was a killing blow. The lackey was only a second-level warrior, strong enough to bully ordinary people without warrior talent, but little else.

Matthews had a sixth-level physique. Even though he'd never trained in Battle Qi, he had learned a few practical fighting techniques. His strength alone was enough to kill a warrior like this.

Sure enough, when the man with the keys saw Matthews kill his companion with one strike, he ran.

"Someone's escaping!"

Fei Angsa was in a good mood that day. Their latest haul included a high-grade mage, and he was delighted to have unexpectedly acquired another high-grade specimen of the sort noblewomen liked.

Suddenly, he heard one of his men shout, "Someone's broken out!"

"Hmph. Useless. You can't even keep an eye on these fools who don't know what's good for them."

He rushed into the courtyard and saw Matthews fighting there. His hands and feet were restrained by chains, but he could still fight back to some extent. The man with the keys, however, had run too fast. Matthews hadn't found the key to his shackles on the body of the man he'd killed.

Looking at Matthews, surrounded by the others, Fei Angsa said with interest, "I didn't realize I'd misjudged you. You're a powerful warrior too."

"Let—me—go."

Matthews had meant to say that he bore them no grudge and would reward them handsomely if they let him leave. But they didn't speak the same language, and there was little chance they'd let him go anyway.

Sure enough, after Matthews spoke, the man who looked like their leader shook his head.

"You may be high-grade merchandise, but I don't mind giving you a beating. I'll teach you to behave!"

As he spoke, he lunged forward. Matthews's hands and feet were restrained, and against Fei Angsa, who was also sixth-level, he was sent flying into the stone wall with a single kick. He spat blood and passed out.

"Take him away and keep a close eye on him. If anything else goes wrong, you'll take the place of anyone we lose."

The slave traders' men shuddered at his words. They carefully carried Matthews back into the prison. A young man nearby glanced at him and shook his head.

"What a fool. This isn't how you escape. He's clearly a hothead!"

The young man mentally labeled Matthews a hothead. He'd been unlucky too, lured in by beauty. He figured Matthews, like himself, was probably a noble who'd been enticed by the slave traders with a pretty face.

The next morning, the head of the slave den, a mage, finally arrived. He asked Fei Angsa, "Did anything happen while I was away?"

"Nothing much. I acquired another noble with a sixth-level physique."

"Oh? How much did he cost?"

Fei Angsa answered respectfully, "Not much. Five thousand five hundred gold coins."

"Not bad. Any trouble with the sixth-level mage?"

"No."

"Good. We'll make a profit on this trip. Get ready to leave!"

The next day, Matthews was loaded into a specially made iron cage. He and the young mage were placed at the front of the slave caravan, one behind the other.

He'd tried to escape several times along the way, but he couldn't open the shackles on his hands or feet. So he had no choice but to wait for another opportunity.

During the evening rest, his cage was close to the young man's. The young man whispered, "Hey, find a way to open my Magic-Sealing Shackles."

As he spoke, he lifted the shackles on his wrists. They suppressed his magic, and with his weak physique, he had no chance of breaking them. But the warrior opposite him might be able to open them. With both their abilities, one of them might be able to escape. Who got away wasn't something he could worry about.

A warrior with his hands and feet bound would be the perfect cover for him to cause a commotion and escape. Afterward, the most he could do was pray for Matthews from time to time.

Matthews didn't understand what the young man had said, but he could tell he wanted to escape too. He raised his own bound hands to show that he couldn't help.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

The slave trader guarding Matthews and the young mage noticed their movements. He rapped on the iron cage, cutting off any chance for them to communicate.

Matthews and the young mage fell silent and turned away, each lying down in a comfortable position.

They found no other chance to escape along the way. Soon, they were being taken into a large city, and after that, there would be no chance to get away.

"Next, we'll be auctioning a sixth-level mage. As everyone knows, great mages are the very embodiment of power and elegance. Anyone who owns a sixth-level mage as a servant will be the envy of others!"

Seeing the crowd downstairs grow excited, the auctioneer announced the mage's starting price. "The bidding starts at sixty thousand gold coins. Each bid must be at least one thousand gold coins higher."

Before long, the sixth-level mage who had been brought to the city alongside Matthews was sold to a noble for two hundred thousand gold coins.

"Next up is a noble whose physique has reached the sixth level. He possesses both elegance and a powerful body. Owning a servant who was once a noble is no less impressive than having a mage as a servant!"