Remus needed a little over an hour to gather all the necessary information. So, without wasting time, the whole group — Remus, myself, Night, and Sadeena — headed to the designated location. As it turned out, Fohl didn't belong to anyone in particular. His owner was a local slave trader who, when needed, would rent the fighter out or occasionally send him into battle on his own behalf, though that was less common.
As for the possibility of a full sale — that remained unclear, but I hoped it would go smoothly.
Zeltoble, as I've mentioned before, is a city of mercenaries and coliseums. Because of that, slaves could be seen everywhere, including on the arenas themselves. Slaves were used in all sorts of ways, but... even here, slave markets were typically kept in more... shadowy places.
The market we were heading to was located beneath one of the "legal" arenas — which, in truth, served merely as a front, much like the "monster trade" operation run by a similar slave trader back in Melromarc. Without Remus, I would've had a hard time finding the place, and even if I did — I wouldn't have been allowed in without the proper code words.
Inside, the moment we crossed the threshold, we were met with the gloomy decor of a basement full of cages containing slaves of all kinds and species.
"Welcome, honored guests! Oh yes." As soon as we stepped in a bit deeper, a man came out to greet us… the slave trader himself.
"The hell…?"
"Oh yes? Is something wrong, dear sir?"
"Nott-chan? What's going on?"
No, hold on — let's be logical about this. The slave trader from Melromarc was definitely supposed to stay in Melromarc. That's how it should be. And that's how it is. But… what was I seeing right in front of me?
A round man, wearing pitch-black opaque round glasses, a mustache, dressed in a tailcoat and top hat. I mean… he looked exactly like Beloukas — the slave trader from Melromarc.
"Just to be sure..." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, raising a hand in front of me. "You're not Beloukas, are you?"
"Oh? So you know my nephew? No, wait — aren't you the Scythe Hero himself? Oh yes, this changes everything! My nephew told me all about you!"
"Your nephew? So you're older?"
"Oh yes. And these eyes of mine are not so easily deceived — you're clearly a top-class slave owner!" The trader began circling me with enthusiasm, his glasses catching the light. "That gaze! That bearing! That aura! Without a doubt — oh yes!"
"Ahem." While I was still processing all this, Remus politely cleared his throat into his fist. "My friend, perhaps rein it in a bit. We did come here on business."
"Oh yes! Do forgive my enthusiasm. So, you've come for a slave, correct? One of my gladiators?"
"Exactly."
"Then please, follow me." The slave trader gestured cheerfully and strode deeper into the basement.
"…"
"What's wrong, Nott-chan? You look totally out of it." Sadeena still hadn't figured out what had me so shaken.
"This is your first encounter with the slave trader family, isn't it?" Since I remained silent, Remus — unlike Sadeena — gave a knowing smirk.
"Up until now, I'd only seen the one from Melromarc. Strange. I definitely have resistance to mental attacks, but this... this one hit hard."
"Can someone please tell me what's going on?"
"You see, Melromarc also has its own slave trader…"
"Oh? So what? They're everywhere — there's one in every city."
For some reason, after Sadeena said that, I froze again, staring into the void.
A slave trader… in every city…
"Brrr…" I shuddered. "The problem is, the slave trader in Melromarc looks exactly like this one. Down to the last detail." I paused for a second. "Well, maybe the cut of the tailcoat is slightly different."
"Ooooh… But I still don't get your reaction, Nott-chan. People that look alike do exist."
"No, you don't understand… Actually, it's easier to show you. One day, you'll see him for yourself."
Having recovered somewhat from the psychological damage, I began walking the dungeon corridors with a clearer head. And yes, it really felt like a dungeon — way too big for just a basement.
"Perhaps the esteemed Hero is interested in other slaves as well? I have quite the selection, oh yes. In fact, I'd say the best in the entire country! Oh yes."
"Wouldn't say I'm particularly interested, but… I'll be getting my own residence soon, so I guess I should consider getting some servants?"
"Oh yes. And what kind of servants would you be looking for? Service, as you know, comes in many forms…"
"Ohoho," Sadeena's eyes sparkled with understanding and mischief as she waited to see my reaction.
"Versatile ones. I don't want broken or crippled slaves. I won't need a steward, so just a few maids who can keep the place in order. Cute maids," I added, importantly. "Cute maids with cat ears." Another crucial clarification. "Or fox ears. Or tiger ears. Or…"
"Ooh… So that's your type, Nott-chan."
"Beast girls are wonderful," I nodded firmly. "And if I ever see a loli with cat ears… I fear I might lose myself completely. Sadeena, I'm counting on you to bring me back to earth if that ever happens."
"U-uh… Got it, Nott-chan. I'll do my best!" She raised her fist, full of determination.
"I believe in you."
"Master… likes ears…"
Meanwhile, behind us, Night — with a strange mix of emotions — reached up and touched the top of her own head.
"So the esteemed Hero is looking for demi-humans with attractive appearances... I have plenty of those, oh yes. You're not interested in their combat abilities, are you?"
"Not particularly. But if some of them can fight, I wouldn't mind taking a look."
"Splendid! In that case, please follow me!"
We passed one cage after another. Along the way, we saw slaves who were still relatively "intact" — and others clearly nearing the end of their lives, something I could confirm with a surface-level reading of their Qi.
As we moved past one such cage, something suddenly made me stop. I couldn't see what was inside right away, but… something inside me yanked on the emergency brake. When I looked more closely, I saw a girl behind the bars… or maybe a woman? She looked a bit older than Mirellia.
Something stirred within me at the sight of her. The only visible trace of anything inhuman were two small black horns on her forehead. When I stepped closer, the woman lifted her lazy gaze, met my eyes… and her pupils slowly began to widen.
"Has this individual caught your interest, Hero-sama?"
"She's not bad or anything, Nott-chan, but are you sure? She doesn't even have ears."
"What species is she?" I ignored the comments and asked my own question instead.
"Oh, she's one of the demonkin. Born warriors, they are. Although this particular specimen… is a little defective."
"Demonkin, huh?"
The woman was staring at me, unblinking, her eyes filled with awe — and a hint of madness. Now I understood. The Qi in her body, just faintly, bore a resemblance to mine. That tiny speck of "kinship" was what caught my attention. But...
As a demon, she was incomplete.
Maybe that was the case with all the *-kin types — I didn't know. But it made sense that "lookalikes" could never be identical to their progenitors. The same was true for the finfolk like Sadeena, the raccoonkin like Raphtalia, and others. It was true for this "demoness" too.
I had no idea what she'd been through, but she didn't have much time left.
"Come here." I crouched in front of the cage and beckoned her with my finger.
Like she was under a spell, the woman slowly crawled toward me on her knees. When her hands gently gripped the bars, and our faces were suddenly far too close…
Leaning close to her ear, I whispered:
"Release yourself."
Her eyes, which had widened at first, slowly returned to a calmer state. Her facial features relaxed, her expression becoming distant and serene. Her hands slipped from the bars, resting gently on her knees. Then she slowly backed away from the cage, leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes with a peaceful look on her face.
"Oh? What did you do, Hero-sama?" The slave trader tilted his head in confusion.
"She's still alive. For now. I simply eased her suffering — until the time comes."
"Oh yes. Even the condition of a slave cannot escape your gaze... My admiration for your abilities continues to grow by the second!"
"…"
No one else said a word, and a moment later, we resumed walking.
Ever since I'd spent time in my inner world, I'd started to understand my abilities a little better. Truly grasping their nature and potential would take a long time still, but at least now, I held a few threads — something to start unraveling the knot.
Death Whisper, for example, didn't just compel obedience, as I'd initially assumed — it worked on a much deeper level. So much depended on my own emotions, intentions, and will. Just now, the word "Release yourself" had carried the wish to grant the woman peace. To free her from pain. With her mind and soul already shattered, there wasn't even the slightest resistance left.
"And now, esteemed Hero, the hakuko boy you came for is just a bit further ahead. But before that… allow me to show you the selection that fits your other request."
Shaking off unnecessary thoughts, I turned my focus back to the "merchandise." With a sweeping gesture from right to left, the slave trader presented three cages for inspection.
The first one didn't stir anything in me. The second contained bunny girls, a girl with orange tiger ears, one with a few elegant scales on her face, and a woman with wolf ears — all quite charming in their own way.
But when my eyes moved to the third cage, the trader practically bounced in place, clutching his top hat.
"Oh yes! If the esteemed Scythe Hero isn't too concerned about the price, I may have just the perfect option for you!"
"Oh? And what would that be?"
"Here! Please!" The man scurried over to the opposite row of cages, stopping in front of one in particular. "A slave that meets all of your requirements!"
As I stepped up to the cage, I found a small girl inside with a blank expression… and long, pointed fox ears.
"Quiet, obedient, not fussy, and capable of fighting! One of the few things she ever said is that she comes from a ruling family of some faraway country, but there's no reason to believe that — oh yes. Still, as for her other qualities, I assure you there's no room for doubt!"
"From a ruling family?" My brow rose on its own. "Then again… the world is full of kind souls."
The girl, noticing the attention on her, lazily turned her head and gave me a disinterested look.
"You… are buying me?" she tilted her head slightly.
At that, I glanced back at the black-haired girl behind me. Then turned to look again at the girl in the cage. Then once more at Night… then back to the cage…
"I'll take her."
"Magnificent! You clearly have an eye for quality, Scythe Hero-sama! Oh yes!"
There's no point describing the entire seal application process again, but in the end, I purchased two more slaves alongside the fox girl. One was a tiger-eared demi-human, the other had wolf ears. Both were young women, while the fox girl looked to be Night's age — maybe even a little younger.
Roughly… like Raphtalia when she was first bought, perhaps?
"Now then… time to focus on what I came here for." I gave my new acquisitions a glance. They were all standing awkwardly in place — except for the fox girl, who didn't seem to care at all — and I let out a sigh.
"Oh yes! We're almost there."
And indeed — after just one more turn, we reached another cage. Inside were… only two slaves. The boy was clearly someone I already knew, but the girl lying in the back — I didn't recognize her.
"Huh? You…" Fohl frowned when he saw me, then sniffed the air. "Hidan?!"
"Interesting… You figured it out by scent?" I knew demi-humans had a strong sense of smell, but I didn't think it was sharp enough to recognize someone after a single encounter.
"Well yeah… Wait, hold on — what are you doing here?" His gaze grew wary. "And you too…" Turning his head, he spotted Sadeena, who waved at him cheerfully.
"Hi there, Fohl-chan!"
"I came for you, little tiger. Your skills caught my interest — and I can give you a chance to develop them even further."
Ever since our battle, the quality of his life energy hadn't changed at all. And now, with other demi-humans nearby for comparison, I no longer had any reason to doubt my initial conclusions.
Yeah, that's what I thought… right up until I saw her.
"Hey, slave trader."
"Yes, yes?"
"Who's that girl?" I nodded toward the child lying in the back of the cell.
"She's the hakuko boy's sister. A very effective pressure point, oh yes. The brother takes care of her and spends all his prize money on medicine for her."
"I see…"
"What are you planning?! Don't you dare touch Atla! I'm not leaving her behind!"
Completely ignoring the little tiger, I focused on examining his sister. To a normal eye, she was a mummy — nothing but skin and bones. Small, so thin and fragile she looked like she might fall apart with the slightest breeze. Judging by her size and build, she appeared even younger than Night. But when I looked at the Qi swirling within her…
This wasn't what you'd expect from a walking corpse. Yes, her condition was clearly critical — that much was obvious. And yet, the quality of her Qi far surpassed what I sensed from Fohl. Maybe not just by a little — maybe by a lot. If she could be healed… What kind of monster could she become?
"Both the brother and sister are from a rare demi-human lineage," the trader went on, slipping into full sales mode. "Hakuko — a high-tier subspecies of their race. Their level cap is 60, with class upgrades available at 50. After upgrading, the cap increases to 120. On top of that, they're renowned for their combat prowess. They were once the backbone of resistance against the Sage King, oh yes."
Ah, that's right. Back when I had free time, I occasionally skimmed not only magic books but also general history texts. At the very least, I'd looked through the major events of this world — including the last war between Melromarc and the demi-human nations. That was where I'd first seen mention of the hakuko race.
"Yeah… now it all makes sense. How much for the two of them?"
"Ah?! What are you planning?! Don't you—"
I was no longer listening to the little tiger. But before I could fully ignore him, a faint voice echoed from the back of the cell.
"Brother? Are we… being bought?" Despite the bandages wrapped up to her mouth, the girl turned her head toward Fohl.
"Atla…"
"This ma—" She paused, falling silent for a moment. "Is this gentleman the one buying us, brother?"
"Y-yeah…"
Wait a second… Why didn't she use the word man? And what was that feeling just now… like something had peered directly into my soul? The moment she looked at me, the girl began to sit up.
"A-Atla, don't! Stay still!"
"It's all right, brother. My wounds are nothing compared to the scars of the one standing before us."
Her voice… was it calm? Soothing? Even to the naked eye, I could see fresh blood beginning to stain several of her bandages, yet not a single muscle on her face twitched.
And… what did she mean by scars?
"The boy's initial price is one hundred gold, but I would be delighted to offer both of them to you as a gift — in light of our future fruitful cooperation. Oh yes!"
"No need. I doubt I'll be buying any more slaves. I'll pay, but I'll keep your eagerness to cooperate in mind."
"Magnificent! Such prudence and caution, paired with a desire to avoid even the slightest illusion of debt… I am simply trembling with admiration!" His round body literally rippled from the intensity of his shudder…
After settling the payment, our noticeably larger group made its way back to Pelgue's mansion. Technically, I could probably start moving into my own residence already — most of what remained was paperwork — but I'd rather wait until everything was fully finalized.
First, I gave the future maids simple instructions to remain in "passive standby." Then, looking over at the still-sullen Fohl standing in the hall with Atla in his arms, I started thinking about what to do with them.
Well then… looks like it's time to play doctor.