As Gab and his group approached the gates, a familiar voice called out.
"Ohhh! Mr. Merchant!" Captain Scumly recognized him instantly.
Gab quickly put on a polite smile. "Ah, Captain, thank you again for your help yesterday. I managed to reunite with my workers from Sigfried. Luckily, they brought along some of our valuable items. I have twenty fine swords here for trade."
The captain's eyes lit up. "Interesting… Very interesting." He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "How about this? I'll take you to meet the City Lord directly. He'll definitely be interested in buying these. In fact, he noticed the sword on my waist yesterday and told me to bring you to him if we met again."
The other guards nearby couldn't help but stare enviously at Scumly's sword, their eyes gleaming with desire. For them, it would take at least two years' worth of wages to afford a blade of such quality.
Gab nodded politely. "That would be a huge help. I need funds to purchase slaves and livestock for my village."
"Ohhh, that's perfect," Scumly grinned slyly. "My younger brother is a slave trader in the main street alleys. He's got all kinds of stock. He even has elves white and dark they will obey all things you want, perfect for sex slaves.
"You could get one for just forty silvers."
He whispered the last part like he was sharing a juicy secret.
Gab forced a chuckle and waved him off. "No, no, Captain. I'm looking for dwarves or construction workers, not… exotic slaves. I need people who can build houses."
"Uhh, right, right. My mistake," Scumly said, scratching his head with an awkward laugh.
(So this idiot became captain through connections, huh? Still… he might be useful,) Gab thought as he paid the entry tax for his companions.
Soon after, Scumly led them to the sprawling estate of the City Lord, Fredrick Kuzar. The mansion was enormous, with manicured gardens and a gazebo where the lord himself lounged comfortably.
"I've brought Mr… uh, what was your name again?" Scumly whispered.
"Imu," Gab replied smoothly.
"I've brought Mr. Imu, as you requested," the captain announced.
A maid called out for them to enter, and the gates swung open.
Inside, Lord Fredrick welcomed them warmly. "Sit, sit. Don't be nervous. I'm not a bad man," he chuckled. He even gestured for Gab's companions to sit beside him. "Ah, your boys have manners too. Good."
Then his expression sharpened. "Now, to business. I heard you have twenty swords for sale. I'll buy them all for thirty silvers each."
Gab shook his head politely. "I'm truly honored, Lord Fredrick, but I can't accept that price. These swords were forged in the Sigfried Kingdom. We barely escaped bandits while transporting them. Selling at that rate would mean a huge loss."
Fredrick raised a brow. "You mean they were made by Lord Tido, the master dwarven smith?"
Gab smiled faintly. "Not Lord Tido himself, but one of his disciples. Even so, I guarantee the quality. These blades can even absorb traces of mana."
He didn't know who this "Tido" was, but it worked.
Fredrick's eyes widened. He tested a sword, and sure enough, it drew in a thin stream of mana from his hand. His eyes gleamed.
"Incredible…! This is a real treasure," the lord whispered. Then he coughed, regaining his composure. "Forgive me, Mr. Imu. I underestimated you. I'll raise my offer forty silvers each."
Gab calculated quickly. (Six silvers profit per sword. That's fair.)
he muttered.
"I'll accept," he said. "But, in exchange, I'd like your help securing a carriage."
800 silverd total!
Take this.
Fredrick clapped his hands. "Done! 25 gold coins and fifty silvers for the swords. Butler, bring the payment."
Moments later, a servant delivered two sacks one small and heavy with gold, the other clinking full of silver.
"As for the carriage," Fredrick added, "I'll give you one of the old ones we used for soldiers. Take it as a gift. You'll only need to put two horses on it."
Then he smirked. "No take three. Consider it my token of goodwill."
Gab rose and bowed slightly. "Thank you for your generosity, Lord Fredrick. You've truly helped us."
With the coins secured and a carriage granted, Gab and his group left Lord Fredrick's estate.
They had their carriage now, but no horses to pull it yet. Gab decided to leave it outside the Lord's mansion with Baki standing guard.
"Stay here and watch over the carriage," Gab ordered. "We'll be back in about two hours."
"Yes, sir," Baki replied firmly.
Outside, Captain Scumly was waiting for them, looking as pleased as ever.
"Thanks for your help," Gab said, handing him a silver coin.
"Ohoho, thank you for your generosity, Mr. Imu!" Scumly beamed. "Now, I'll bring you to my brother's slave market. I can even convince him to give you a discount."
Gab smiled faintly. "Lead the way."
They went straight into a narrow alleyway where the air felt heavier. The smell of sweat and despair hung thick. Rows of iron cages lined the walls, each filled with people in chains humans, beastfolk, demi-humans.
"Oh, Gaston!" a gruff man called out. He was short, thick-necked, and greasy clearly a slave trader.
"Here's my friend Imu," Scumly said. "He wants to purchase some slaves. I'm here to help him."
The slave trader grinned. "Expect a commission later."
The captain just smirked, showing his true colors again.
"I'm Tapad," the trader introduced himself. "We've got all kinds of stock humans, beastfolk, demi-humans like dwarves, even elves. Warriors too. Kijin, ogres… you name it."
As they walked, Gab kept his face neutral, but his eyes flicked over the cages. The slaves were in terrible shape thin, bruised, and hopeless. There were even children among them.
Tapad leaned closer. "I even have untouched females from the Taysia Kingdom. Not a single Sigfried soldier touched them. Seven silvers each. I have eleven of them right now, plus sixteen males from the same kingdom."
A surge of killing intent rose in Gab's chest, but he forced it down. (Not here. Not yet. Play it cool.)
He cleared his throat. "Uhm… it's been almost a month since these girls arrived, hasn't it? And those boys too look at them, thin as sticks. In a few days they'll be dead. You'll lose money either way. How about this: I'll take all the girls for five silvers each, and the boys for four silvers."
Tapad blinked. "Huh… you're a sharp one." He pulled at his hair in frustration. "Ahhh, whatever. Fine. Take them. They're unsold goods anyway. Those girls were returned after being sold once they resisted their masters. The boys are too weak for hard labor. Nobody wants them."
Gab nodded. "Good. Darius, hand him four gold coins."
Darius counted the coins and handed them over. Tapad gave back a single silver in change.
Gab continued. "Not just workers and… other slaves. I need dwarves for construction."
Tapad grinned again. "That'll cost you. Ten silvers each for dwarves. No less. If you don't like it, go somewhere else."
Gab thought for a moment, then said, "Fine. I'll take ten dwarves five male, five female. Preferably married couples."
"Married couples?" Tapad raised an eyebrow. "That's an odd request."
One of the workers struck a cage with his club. "Wake up! Which of you are couples?"
"Sir?" one dwarf asked cautiously.
"This gentleman wants to buy male and female slaves together."
A stocky dwarf stepped forward, clutching his wife's hand. "There are six of us here, sir. We've been separated for too long. Please, take us with our wives. We'll serve you loyally if you do."
Gab smiled faintly and waved. "Granted."
He counted them quickly. "One, two, three… thirteen. All of you, come out. I'm buying you."
He handed Tapad another four gold coins and ten silvers.
The trader pocketed the money greedily. "All yours now."
Gab straightened, his voice calm but firm. "From this moment on, you're under my protection. I am your new master. Greet me."
The dwarves and rescued slaves knelt as one, their voices weak but full of hope. "Thank you, Master!"