----------------------------------------

“…”

“…”

This is awkward… and a colossal waste of time.

After we managed to brush off the pretty tense introductions, the loopridae girl, Friell, moved us to the living room. Unlike Gael’s decent housing, the home of the rabbit girl was more fitting with the neighborhood she was living in. It wasn’t filthy, per se, but it looked a bit too dilapidated for my taste.

The sofas we sat on had stains on them, but from the warmth I was feeling from it, it seemed it was just washed and dried with something hot — fire magic for example. Still, I was kinda jealous of Tasianna, Alikar, and Anivh, who chose to stand out of respect for their respective mistresses. It was ‘cause of my tail — I still had it wrapped around my legs to hide my identity, but it made it hard to sit down.

After everybody sat down, Friell chanted the spell [Ignite] and lit up a candle on a table stand. With Tasianna’s [Air Shield] down, since it would cause a mess, I could smell the suffocating smell of burning animal fat. Still, it was like perfume compared to the smell outside.

“If you made them yourself, you could add some herbs or flowers to it. The scent would hide the stench,” I said out loud, accidentally.

The loopridae looked at me. Except for Saori, the rest of us had not removed our cowl nor did we give them our names. “… I’ll scrounge some up, thanks.” Friell seemed polite to me.

But that was all before we descended down into awkwardness once again. Gael had to step out to do something quickly, but that meant he left us in this situation where nobody wanted to talk. I mean, these were two Yanderu Eluseuss members, people from a black mercenary company. Pretty much a criminal syndicate.

We let this situation stew for too long for my taste until Gael finally came back, blowing the awkwardness out of the door.

“Alright, got somebody to deliver a message to Mister Vangrim and Lady Grengar. Things should be clarified with them, and I wouldn’t bet on Sewer Maintenance caring one copper about what we’re about to do,” Gael stated, motivating me even more. If there wouldn’t be any consequences for my actions if I kept it to just freeing the kids and ruining the slave auction, then I won’t need to hold back my anger.

“Mister Gael, I know this might be a bit late to ask, but who exactly are you? I thought you were simply the spymaster for Sir Farron,” Ellaine asked.

It was a reasonable question; it seemed weird that Gael not only was so chummy with the Blackreach Guild thugs, but also the animosity between him and the Yanderu Elusuess seemed to have kinda dissipated. I thought he was on a hitlist or something.

“He didn’t reveal much to you, either, huh?” Friell responded instead of Gael. “Typical. Keeps secrets even from the people he should care for.” There was obviously some history between those two; it was evident enough from the way she glared daggers at him.

The pantherae, on the other hand, seemed to be less disturbed by it. “This guy used to be a pretty big deal when he was still sleeping and eating with us rats, you know? Got awfully friendly with Blackreach, to the point he became one of their Trusted, you know? Means he was valued by the boss of a top guild. Down here, loyalty and trust are golden, worth more than a vault full of actual gold… or at least, that’s what I heard, haha!”

I remember. Saori told me this guy was once a bandit and he fought against her students. A former member of that bandit group we had fought to rescue the villagers from Carine village.

Saori growled in a low tone, loud enough for Kaian to shut his mouth and glare at Saori, clutching his spear in caution. Seeing this, Gale sighed.

“Well, it’s like they’ve said, ladies and sir. I then joined Yanderu Eluseuss and tried to make my way up as an executive for Blackreach, before, well, I ran away with Farron and Yorshka. Pretty much was exiled after that, but things cooled down and I’m here now just as a ‘friend’ of Mister Vangrim. This brings me to the main topic.” Gael took a seat on the only rocking chair. “We are busting Hamil’s slaves out, the kids they kidnapped from the orphanage upstairs specifically. Friell, we need help.”

The rabbit girl groaned at Gael’s demands, looking unwilling to help. “Yeah, I know. Of course, you would do that. No need for pay. Of course, I keep an eye on them. Valelor can’t forgive those slavers anymore than I can, and he’s been putting the skills you taught him to good use. There is an auction about to happen tonight at midnight, over in the Stinkfish District. Too large for us to hit, though.”

“How many enforcers? Any executives? Mercs?”

“Enough enforcers to make everybody else scared. One of them is that fucker Helmut — he left the company after the new boss settled in — and, without a water mage, I’m not fighting against that fire fanatic.”

Aren’t you a fire mage, yourself? I thought but I kept it to myself for now. I didn’t want to interrupt.

Friell continued, “One executive, thankfully he’s a bookwizer, uhm, a scribe for you surface dwellers. Not a threat, probably just there to make sure things work since our sabotages have hindered past auctions. As for mercenaries, though, they hired a lot. One of them is supposedly a pretty famous C rank merc, but I’ve never heard of him before. Anyways, they probably have a big haul, which I guess is all coming from Lecartiglio or Atadoro.”

“Excuse me.” Ellaine raised her arm to speak, causing both Friell and Kaian to squint and Gael to smile wryly. Did she do something wrong? “Considering it’s forbidden to possess slaves within Artorias, who would be mad enough to disobey the King?”

“… Gael, how many manabloods did you bring down here?” Friell looked at Gael in annoyance from guessing our hidden identities. [“Did I do something wrong?”] Ellaine asked us through telepathy, but even we couldn’t say.

Scratching his forehead, Gael shook his hand in dismissal. “Don’t ask, Friell. You don’t want to know. Just stick to answering for now, since some of my guests are a bit too impatient to get those kids back.”

Friell nodded without hesitation. When you’re in this business, you learn how to shut your mouth, I guess?

“To answer your question, missy, yes, some nobles of our ‘illustrious’ kingdom do buy slaves. They just keep them hidden and the slave tattoos hard to find.” I could see Ellaine clenching her fists at the answer, but she didn’t interrupt. “Of course, people from other countries come to Shaturein, as well. Pedophiles and perverts, all of them. Incognito, of course, but still a bunch of rich merchants and manabloods crowding in the same place.”

“And I suppose you do this every once in a while?” Saori was the one to ask this time. “Why?”

“Personal reasons, wolfkin. Just know that I’m willing to burn any slave traders I meet, especially pedophiles.”

“There is also the small detail that the Blackreach Guild approached Friell and a few others personally since they know how much they hate Hamil’s ‘entrepreneurship,’” Gael added. “You aren’t working with Yanderus right now, if you’re worried about that. Just a few beastman kids scarred from experiencing the real world.”

Friell scowled, sneering at Gael, “Fuck off, Gael. Mind your own business. We aren’t people you need to care about anymore.”

Yuuuuup, definitely history… we wasted too much time. Midnight or not, we’re doing it now.

Having heard enough, I leaned forward. “So, how are we doing this? Front gates?”

“Huh? Didn’t you listen, girlie, we ain’t doing the raid. It’s too dangerous to go with the direct approach.” Friell addressing me as “girlie” felt a bit weird, as if she was treating me like a kid. At 157cm tall, I might be shorter than the rabbit girl with her long legs, but it wasn’t like I was tiny. I was just average!

“Then how are you planning on doing this? I don’t think you need to be scared with us around the front gates. We’ll just punch through.”

“ ‘Punch through?!’ Are you seriously thinking about fighting all of them despite all that I said? That’s insane! Honestly, you sound just like a destructive Danterno fanatic. Always dealing with problems by destroying or killing stuff!” It was surprising to me that a fire mage like her wasn’t a follower of Shiterno, but that still didn’t give her any right to call me one. Being compared to Keith and his cultists was insulting and demeaning.

“Don’t call me a fucking Shiterno worshipper! I am not one of them nor will I ever be one! I am doing all of this for one single goal — the kids. I made a promise to their siblings that I would rescue them and I. Never. Go. Back. On. My. Promises!”

Irritation and hostility were filling the air. With me letting out my pent-up anger which I had suppressed up until now and Friell’s annoyance at my stubbornness, the discussion seemed to be going nowhere.

“… You two lasses are fighting over nothing right now, so how about you both cool down your fiery tempers, huh? Bladdarg, fire slingers, seriously,” Grimnir expressed his displeasure. The atmosphere got to him, too, it seemed.

“He is right, let us calm down. You, too.” Saori grabbed my shoulders, pushing my back onto the sofas. “If I’m reading your intentions correctly, you are intending a stealth operation, right, Miss Friell?”

“Friell is fine. I don’t care about formalities.” Friell had calmed down, crossing her hands as she leaned back. “And yes, my plan is for you and Gael to sneak inside. I can’t risk my own for this, the danger is just too high, but if you want to do it yourselves, I can help.”

“I thought so,” Gael exclaimed. “Going through this method would be the smoothest. We can sneak into the facility and extract the kids with our dark magic.”

“What about the other slaves?” Ellaine asked.

Friell shook her head. “Too risky, the security is too tough. International Desires hunts a lot of slaves and they will try to sell them all in a single night, since having a back catalogue would be risky. It attracts unwanted attention from the other pillars.”

“On the other hand, child slaves are kept in a separate space, less secure since kids aren’t strong enough to break out by themselves,” Gael continued for Friell. “The target audience for this group is… let’s say they are finicky with the purity of the kids. Virginity. Slavers don’t risk such a ‘marketable’ feature by putting them with desperate men and women. Even with the slave tattoos on, you don’t know what can happen before the slavers activate them.”

A chill ran down my spine. Some people really were like dirt.

“…” Ellaine stayed silent as she heard this. Her question was answered.

It left a sour taste in my mouth. I didn’t consider myself a hero, but choosing to not help people kinda went against what I wanted to do. Sure, being less greedy would make this mission a cinch, but I would regret not doing something I had the power to do so.

“Come on, girls and Master Dwarf. You need to decide. Are we going with this decision?” Gael demanded an answer. Time was running out.

There should only be one answer to this, right?

“If I may, I would like to decline this idea.” However, the one to speak these thoughts out was neither me nor my party. It came from Eshe, who unfurled her cowl, revealing her face. “As the Goddess is my witness, and by my title as one of Her blessed, I will not allow these slavers to persist. This world can use one or ten fewer slavers.”

The fury in her eyes was all I needed to know I was about to make the correct decision. I stood up, revealing my face to Friell and Kaian. “I don’t need to be from Artorias to hate slavers, and in my opinion, they brought this on themselves. They endangered my friends, and for that, they will pay. Hamil provoked the wrong people.”

Everybody from my party stood up from the couch. The party leader had made her decision.

[“Hedonism might be a sin, but it is not a crime, Hestia. Go, make me want you even more!”] The wailing of a demon was a strong motivator.

Friell facepalmed and was about to shout at us, only to be held back by Kaian. “Haha, now that's what I wanted to hear from you, Saori! Friell, put a sack on it. If you want to rumble some uptight fuckers, you need to take it away from them with force! What’s the plan, lizard girl?”

I smirked. “Get ready. We’re about to make International Desires and Hamil pay for becoming our enemies.”

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[Humanize (Major)] inflicted on [Young Sunfang Dragon, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor]

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Despite it not being in the center, the streets around here were clean. No puddles of blood nor piles of ripped-off fingers. Trusted enforcers, the gang’s made men specialized in being muscles, were patrolling the streets around here, kicking out any normal Shaturein citizen. By force, if necessary.

Aside from those people, there was currently a line of masked men and women in front of a building furnished with dazzling lights and decorations, totally conspicuous despite the fact that this was supposed to be a “hush-hush” kinda event. It reminded me of a disco. With no sun looming over Shaturein, it was honestly hard to say if it was time to party, but I was pretty sure it was midnight right now.

I walked down the streets. My heels were producing audible knocks against the stone pavement, echoing throughout. Three others were walking behind me. Two of them were knights dressed in traditional Sarkafiina armor — Alikar and Anivh. The last person was an enchanting brown-skinned woman in a beautiful cocktail dress, slightly bashful at how much more skin it showed than her usual robes — Eshe.

I was the person leading them forward. Only the four of us. I, too, was in a dress, the same ballroom dress I had at the ball. Dressed up like this made me feel like my entire balance was off; my head felt lighter and I couldn’t feel anything dragging itself from my behind. The reason was simple; I’d decided to go forward as a [Humanization Lv. 10] human.

Urgh, thankfully I still have [White Flames] and [Corrosive Fire]. My poor dress, though…

The enforcers naturally stared at us, but they didn’t do anything. They knew exactly from the way I was exuding my confidence that annoying us would give them nothing but trouble. The mercs I saw a few steps further ahead also glossed over us. They weren’t paid enough to annoy nobles — their client’s potential customers.

In my holier-than-thou attitude, which I’d learned from my etiquette teacher, I gave the line in front of us a quick glance before letting out a loud “Hmph!” and walked past it. The people waiting showered us with confusion and furious whispers of “How impertinent!” I could feel Eshe was not used to all of this, but I told her telepathically that she had to keep it up. The plan was about to unfurl.

“Hold it.” As we approached the doors of the auction house, two bouncers blocked our way, looking less than enthusiastic about us cutting the line and trying to enter the auction without a security check. “Guests, please line up starting at the back of the line. We will ask for your invitation once your time has come.” They kept up appearances, though.

Naturally, events like these were too prestigious to not have any invitations, right? Of course, neither Gael nor Friell had any invitations for us to use, and getting a forged one would take too long to get. Nevertheless, we had an alternative. Something these guards cannot speak back to.

An obnoxious, pompous noble.

“Tch, must I really answer to common rabble like you? I see that Hamil barely took his time to educate his servants, or is the welfare of his guests such a meager consideration? Prizes himself as a businessman, but he is nothing but a rat in the end. Move it, peasant.” My mind cringed at what I said, but my mouth knew exactly what I had to say, so I allowed it, even if it was tearing my soul apart.

“P-P-Peasant?!” I could see anger contorting the faces of these two bouncers, but it seemed they were trained well enough to not suddenly blow up in my face. It seemed I made my point clear that I was noble, I think. “Young Mistress, even if you are a nobl—”

“‘Your Highness.’ Learn your place, peon, or I will have the Lycerepth uproot your master’s little business.” I stretched my hand backward to Eshe, gesturing to her to give me that. Taking the item out of her purse, Eshe handed me a golden badge of the Lycerepth Order. “Did your master not tell you anything about this? By the Goddess, an empire entourage has been in Griffonpeak for a month now, and you still dare stand in my way still?!”

The businessmen and nobles in the line were restless as they saw this golden badge, surprised at the sudden appearance of an Empire representative. Seeing them act this way, the bouncers began to realize what was going on, looking at me with horror and dread.

Suffice to say, I wasn’t really one, but the badge was as real as it got. This was Eshe’s badge meant to be used when she got separated from the rest of the Lycerepth. It was to ensure her safety and identification to anybody who would dare harm her, as showing it was like flaunting the might and authority of the Folschreck Empire.

I look back at the line, noticing three masked men among them. While I couldn’t remember nor was I sure if I had met them before, I did notice their expressions underneath their masks — they showed a stronger fear than anybody else. While the others worried and were surprised to see me, these people knew if I recognized them, it would be the end for them in this kingdom.

They knew my real identity, even without my draconic features. My face was pretty famous, I gotta say!

[“I give you one chance, leave this place and never, ever come back to Shaturein. In the Goddess’s name, if you do not use this chance to better yourselves, prepare for his Majesty to know all about our encounter here. Now, leave and repent!”]

Their heads nodded like those wobbling head toys before they sneaked away from the line with their bodyguards. Friell was correct. There were nobles and merchants in Artorias who skirt around the king’s laws. Hopefully, they will change, but it’s not like I knew their names. I forgot to appraise them!

I turned back to the bouncers after handing Eshe her badge back. “Move,” I ordered.

“Y-Your Highness, please, have mercy. We can’t just go disobey our orders,” the two bouncers begged. It was weird to see these large, muscular men cower before a girl like me.

“I do not care what your orders are. Do you believe your lives are worth more than my growing impatience or that of your uncaring masters, huh?” I began to exude my [Draconic Aura] while Alikar and Anivh placed their hands on their weapons. Thankfully, my auras were unaffected by my transformation. “Make way!”

“Yes!” Their bodies moved instinctively, standing still like stick figures. The moment we walked past them and into the building, a man with a clean suit walked towards us and bowed, telling us he would lead us to the auction and our seats. From the way he was sweating, he seemed to have heard everything.

I detected that those two bouncers also entered the building, but that they ran in the complete opposite direction. After a while, a man in a fine suit led a group of muscular men toward us, kneeling down the moment they saw us.

“We from International Desires apologize for our tardy actions! My name is Estas, and I am the humble auctioneer of this event. Please, forgive me and allow us to present to you the finest that our Master Hamil Czecsics can provide you, Lady—?” They were trying to get my name, but revealing myself now wasn’t good.

“Do you not see a mask on my face or my lady-in-waiting? What idiocy do you ask of me to reveal my name in an anonymous auction? Is this what you call ‘finest’? Or was this whole apology just bark?”

“N-No, I would never disrespect you like this, Your Highness! It-It’s just that we require a form of address so we can safely assign a number to you. We also need this for accounting, so please, allow us one pseudonym.” He bowed his head deeply.

Hmm, I shouldn’t antagonize them too much. Hmm, this should give me a good reason to ask even more. But, what could be a good nickname? Hmmmmm.

“Licht. You shall now address me as Lady Licht, do you hear?” The German word for light was “Licht.” I thought it was fitting, since I had a title called [The Light]. “Now, if you wish to show penitence for your servants’ actions, then bring me to a room where I can enjoy this auction to its fullest. Send enough people to ward off the needless squabble these lesser nobles and wealthy peasants will present to me. I wish to enjoy my time.”

“Yes, of course, Lady Licht. Please, this way. The auction will only start when everything is up to your standards, Your Highness.”

Good.

As I saw this Estas ordering a few enforcers to call for reinforcement, I looked down at my shadow.

[“Sarasa. Quatre. Follow them.”]

[““Yes, Alpha’s Master!””] Unbeknownst to everybody, two shadow garms were currently stalking in the shadows, beginning their mission to scout out the grounds now that we had made our way in. To rescue all the slaves, we will need all the information we can get.

The room we were led into was the VIP room, previously reserved by another person but, unfortunately for them, they wouldn’t be able to enjoy their time today. As I made myself comfortable on a seat with Eshe, Estas unfurled the curtains, revealing a brilliant view of the whole auction.

“These are the buttons, Your Highness. The right is for you to bid while the left is there for you to call for room service. Your lady-in-waiting has the same options on her seat, if she wishes to participate.” These were most likely manatech of some sort.

“I understand. Now, you have presented me with a room, where are my additional guards?”

“I have stationed them all around the room, Your Highness. Only those our guild trusts are here. In other words, our Trusted will be protecting you. The mercenaries we hired have been stationed elsewhere, and they will not be allowed to disturb you in any way.”

That wasn’t ideal. I could feel a ton of signals surrounding the outside of the room, to the point I believed they sent the majority to patrol and stand guard for me. This should help the others out but I could guess the mercenaries took over the positions with the slaves. Still, I managed to narrow down their numbers.

Part one done. Now to wait for the garms and the auction to begin.

“If there is anything you may need, please do not be shy with buzzing in our room service. I shall be acting as the auctioneer, Lady Licht, so I must bid you goodbye until the end.” Estas bowed, waiting for me to relieve him. He definitely had experience working for nobles.

“I am satisfied. Procure me something to drink. Anything you consider is worth my status, Estas.” I gestured my hand in dismissal.

“You humble us, Your Highness. Please, excuse me.”

[“Song, did you hear that? Off to Saori now.”] I gave my order to the last garm which followed me inside.

[“Of course, Master Hestia.”] And with that, we were alone. I was surprised that Song would, unlike her siblings, address me as “Master,” but I guess I’ve spent the most time with her.

With the coast clear, I slumped into my seat, melting from all the stress. “… I hate doing thiiiiiis.”

“Hiehie,” Eshe giggled. “But you did a fine impersonation of an Empire noble, Lady Hestia. I only needed to describe them once, and you fully assumed the role.”

“Haaaa, you may thank my etiquette teacher, and all those movies I watched. Making a persona when you already know how it works is easy.” Acting what was shown on film and youtube is something anybody could do, since it’s just imitation. “Haa, tell me, Lady Eshe. Was rescuing those children as hard when you first did it the first time?”

“I would like to say ‘yes’ since I did it before the Goddess granted me her blessing, but this is a far larger organization. Then again, it was only Sir Alikar, Dame Anivh, and me back then. My knights were only simple guards back then. However, today I have the help of you and the rest of Aurora, Lady Hestia.” A genuine smile formed on Eshe’s pleasant face, most likely it would have enchanted any man who saw it. The fire in her eyes, though, was that of somebody who couldn’t hide her anger for this place.

Eshe’s title as the “Saintess of Orphans” was fitting, but not just ‘cause she had a soft spot for orphans but because of how she lost her position as a priestess. While most of her story that people heard was true, there was something most retellings left out. It was the fact that Eshe freed orphan children from the clutches of slavers.

From what she told me when I explained my plan to her, in that village she was sent to perform her duties, Eshe noticed the villagers selling the orphans of dead hunters and warriors. Seeing as feeding them would harm the village, the chief decided it would be best to sell them to slavers. In the Empire, slavery was rampant and entirely normalized like in ancient Rome.

Although Eshe knew this, she still disliked the mindset of the chief. Eshe herself was practically sold off like a slave to the church, but at least her family had the decency to ask Eshe where she wanted to go. Her family had no choice but to give her away, but at least she was able to go somewhere she wanted. These kids, on the other hand, wouldn’t.

Something sparked in Eshe on that day, causing her to convince her guards at that time — her current knights — to aid her. By their hands, the slavers were slain and the children freed. She managed to bring the children to Sarkafiina’s orphanage, but a week later, Eshe learned that the village she’d rescued the orphans from had been burned down by these slavers.

Apparently, these slavers thought the villagers were hiding the children after taking the money and slaying their comrades. With no children or answers, the village was destroyed and everybody else there was enslaved. When the church heard about this, they stripped her of her rank and standing, having guessed it had to be her. There was no trial, for she was a commoner by birth.

Until this day, Eshe did not regret her decision to help those orphans, but she did feel guilty that she couldn’t save the villagers. She had a kind heart. Her love for the Goddess grew while her fear and hatred for the nobility increased. I did wonder if what she told me was an exaggeration of how the nobles in the Empire acted.

Am I glad Artorias is laxer in that sense.

After waiting for a bit, the knock came from the door accompanied by a loud, “Refreshments!” I allowed them inside, only for me to see a thin katzune woman walking in. She was wearing ragged clothes that showed too much skin from all the tears. No chains were around her legs or hand but a large blue glowing tattoo could be seen on her bosom.

That was the mark of a slave tattoo.

“Your wine and treats, Your Highness— eh?” As the woman was about to serve us, she suddenly froze in place, looking at me with absolute bafflement. “A-Are you possibly, Lady Hestia?”

In a single second, Alikar and Anivh drew their weapons, causing the katzune woman to shriek, nearly dropping the tray. With my reflexes, I managed to catch it before it dropped, instantly raising my hand to stop the agitated knights.

“Lady Licht?! Is everything alri—” A guard was about to open the door but I immediately raised my voice to stop them.

“Who allowed you to enter this room!” The door shut as I could hear the sounds of somebody apologizing behind it. “I am a noblewoman. You do not enter a lady’s room without her explicit permission saying you may, or do you wish me to cleave your head for such a rude gesture? How dare you make me raise my voice like this!”

“I-I apologize, Your Highness.” I could still hear the voice from outside. “I-It is just that we are responsible for your safety. We must know what is going on.”

“The servant was scared of who she was serving. Make me raise my voice once more to lecture through the door and I will personally take your head, worm.” I then cast [Air Shield] around us and laid the tray on the side table. I helped the katzune woman up and asked how she knew me.

“I-I was at your music festival, My Lady. Even without your lizardmen features, your face is still the same. I saw your performance with my brothers,” she answered. “We very much enjoyed it. It was like a gift from the heavens when we were allowed to eat those delicious bread and pastries while enjoying the music. It was wonderful.”

I see, so she is one of my fans, I guess? Still, how did she end up here?

When I brought it up, the woman’s eyes squinted and tears began to form. “I-I was captured on that night. My brothers tried to defend me but they were — huek — were killed by some thugs. They dragged me and some other girls down here and gave us this tattoo. We-We were told we were going to be sold.”

Killed?! Wait, hold on, then on that day, when I lost those two fans, those that mean—?! Goddess Aurena, answer me, can I lose living followers?!

My question lingered for a while, unanswered. While acting like I was waiting for the woman to calm down, Aurena gave me her answer.

Hestia, if they become your fans once, as long as they live, their souls will count towards your follower total. Once they die, however, their souls will be cleansed, and they will no longer serve as followers for [The Light]. Be careful, if you lose too many, you will also lose milestone rewards. I apologize for the delay, I am busy right now.

That answered it.

After the katzune finished crying, I asked her one simple question. “What is your name?”

“Haati, M’Lady.”

“Haati, I cannot do much for your brothers right now. I apologize. However, in the name of the Goddess, I can do something for you now. Do you wish to be freed?” I looked her directly in the eyes, urging her to answer truthfully.

“Yes. Yes! I do, M’Lady! Please, help me.” I pressed her hands before releasing them. I pulled out a chair from my storage and told her to sit down, handing her the wine and treats to strengthen herself.

“Then sit, and enjoy the show. Tonight, you and every other slave here shall be freed, Haati. Stay with us for now, and watch.” I then turned to Eshe. “I shall begin appraising the guests, getting their names for later. Are your knights ready, Lady Eshe?”

Eshe closed her eyes for a moment, opening them only to reveal them glowing with holy light. “I pray for the souls who will depart for today, for in the Goddess’s name, I shall bring righteousness to our world.”

Holding their khopeshes on their chests, Alikar and Anivh copied what Eshe said. Their weapons and armor shone with a bright light. ““We pray for the souls who will depart for today, for in the Goddess’s name, we shall bring righteousness to our world!””

“Ladies and Gentlemen! I humbly welcome you to the slave auction hosted by Hamil Czecsics of International Desires!”

You angered the wrong people, Hamil.