After leaving the mansion, the group of four split into two teams.

Kriemhild and Roland took the twin elves and the spoils from the mansion back to "The Stallion Banner" first.

Siegfried took Bobo and Kortman to their trading company to "discuss business."

"Lord Hero, what exactly are you planning to do?"

"I told you, to discuss business with your company."

In the carriage, Siegfried and Kortman sat facing each other.

Kortman was completely bewildered, as this Hero had been speaking in riddles the whole way.

Business? What business? Would a Hero ever be short of money?

These divine-like figures could get whatever they wanted - local lords would rush to welcome them with their entire families, eager to fulfill any request. Was there any need for business?

Kortman strongly suspected this man simply wanted to follow him to the company headquarters and then take over the entire operation.

Thinking of this, Kortman broke into a cold sweat, his bladder threatening to give way again.

Siegfried noticed Kortman's concerns and pointed at Bobo, who was driving the carriage.

"Don't be so tense. I'm not against slavery - see him? He's a slave. Isn't that right, Bobo?"

"Yes, yes, my lord! I am your faithful servant!"

Bobo immediately turned his head with a fawning smile, his demeanor so subservient it made Siegfried sick.

This was supposed to be an act, but Bobo was clearly being genuine.

He was no longer a slave, but the servile nature ingrained in his bones remained unchanged.

This Garden Person made Siegfried very uncomfortable, as if he was deliberately degrading himself. Siegfried couldn't understand why he had developed such a personality.

Siegfried believed that while a person didn't need to be clever, kind, or capable, they must have dignity.

He thought highly of this Garden Person scout - according to the Wanderer's Manual, Bobo had B-rank leadership ability.

In his plans, if Yang Jing ever left, the position of Intelligence Director would be given to Bobo.

Loyalty could be cultivated, skills could be trained, but if this Garden Person degraded himself like this, what was the point? What subordinate would follow such a worthless superior?

Siegfried's mood darkened, but across from him, Kortman felt like the clouds had parted.

(So this Hero doesn't oppose slavery after all. That makes sense - many past heroes had companions who were former slaves. Is he here to negotiate the price of the formula?)

At this thought, Kortman wanted to slap himself. The boss had actually given him two million gold Moen in funds, telling him that if there were any good items at the auction, he should acquire them at a low price and resell them through the company.

The more money Kortman saved, the more he could keep for himself.

So greed had led him to try to snatch the formula at a low price and pocket the remaining funds.

Who knew he'd end up losing more than he gained, pulling the tiger's tail instead of wool.

"Lord Hero, for that formula, I'm willing to offer..." Kortman gritted his teeth, "three million gold Moen! Would that be acceptable?"

Siegfried's eyebrows twitched - it seemed this slave merchant had misunderstood again. He waved his hand:

"I'm not here to discuss the formula, though since you mentioned it, have the three million loaded onto the carriage later."

"Huh? Then what did you want to discuss?"

"When meeting a slave merchant, naturally it's to buy slaves."

"You... you want to purchase slaves?"

A Hero wanting to buy slaves? Had finding companions become so difficult for heroes these days?

(Could it be that this Lord Meilan isn't very likeable? Well, looking at his arrogant demeanor, he probably doesn't have many friends...)

Siegfried could tell at a glance that Kortman was thinking something impolite. He gave Kortman a cold look, making him immediately sit up straight.

"How many slaves does your company have?"

"Uh, I'm not sure of the exact number, but around two hundred or so?"

(So many! What a jackpot, this is going to be profitable.)

"Take me directly to your market. I need quite a few."

"Um, Lord Hero, may I boldly ask what you need so many slaves for?"

(What for? To form an army and take over the Earl's territory, of course.)

Siegfried raised his eyelids, giving Kortman a strange look: "You... want to know?"

Kortman felt his heart turn cold. He hurriedly shook his head, his fat jiggling violently with the motion.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"No, no, no! I don't want to know, not at all!"

"Oh, then hurry up and lead the way."

...

67 Golden Wheat Street, Hoover Trading Company Headquarters

Hilton Hoover lounged in his executive chair, gleefully counting today's profits for the company.

He was once the largest slave trader and human trafficker in the Kingdom of Moen, controlling several powerful mercenary groups.

These mercenary groups would capture people from all over the continent, and the Hoover Trading Company would then categorize these slaves of various races.

Some were sold to the Empire as cheap labor, some to the royal family as loyal assassins, and others to nobles with peculiar tastes.

In that era when slave trade was both reasonable and legal, the Hoover Trading Company surpassed the Galloway Trading Company with its strong hard power and extensive trade network, becoming the undisputed number one trading company in the kingdom, enjoying unparalleled prominence.

However, all of this vanished into thin air twenty years ago when the Rose Queen took control.

That iron-fisted queen mercilessly cracked down on the Hoover Trading Company's branches throughout the kingdom. His once-powerful mercenaries, who had ravaged various regions, were no match for the Rose Knight Order. Hilton Hoover himself nearly died in the crackdown.

The vast commercial empire collapsed overnight, and the Rose Queen used the blood of the Hoover Trading Company to prove her determination for reform to the world.

Those were Hilton's darkest days. He cowered in dark, hidden corners every day, with that bright red rose like a curse clinging to his bones. Every night, he would dream of those death-bringers wielding rose-emblazoned shields bursting through his door to chop off his head.

But he finally made it through!

The Rose Queen died.

She died so suddenly, so unexpectedly, that Hilton initially thought it was a trap to lure him out of hiding.

"Hahahahaha, you're dead after all! No matter how much power you wielded, how brilliant your strategies were, how vigorous you seemed, you still died before me!"

This was the first thing Hilton said when he finally basked in the sunlight again.

Hilton resumed his old trade. He gathered his surviving old subordinates and, with the strong support of Earl Konstantin, re-established his company in this remote region.

This time, he was smarter. He didn't just deal in slave trade; he also used legitimate businesses to cover his underground trade.

He was confident that even if that queen could crawl out of her grave, she wouldn't be able to catch him red-handed again.

The more Hilton thought about it, the happier he became. He stretched lazily in his chair, letting out a comfortable moan.

"Ah, I wonder how much today's goods sold for."

Those twin elf girls were obtained through special channels. He didn't know exactly how they were captured from under the nose of that terrifying Ice Elf King.

But that wasn't important. What mattered was that they could bring him profit.

Hilton's body grew hot.

Although he was nearly sixty, he could never suppress his desires when thinking about those pitiful twin sisters.

In his mind, he fantasized about how he would indulge with those two beauties tonight.

Yes, he never intended to sell the elf twins. He was just using this auction to scam those foolish nobles out of their money.

When they jubilantly thought they could take the girls away, the Hoover Trading Company's mercenaries would pose as bandits and ambush them halfway.

Money, people, and lives - they wouldn't be able to take any of it away.

Hilton's power, or rather the power behind Hilton, was just that formidable.

As Hilton was immersed in his sweet dreams, the office door was suddenly pushed open with a bang.

"Master, something terrible has happened!"

"What are you doing! Haven't I told you to knock before entering?"

Hilton angrily glared at this brainless female secretary. If it weren't for her decent looks that provided some relaxation after work, he would have fired this useless woman long ago.

The female secretary was startled by Hilton's loud rebuke and froze in place, momentarily flustered.

Seeing her frightened again, Hilton shook his head with amusement.

Timidity and high obedience were among the few merits of this female secretary.

Hilton walked up to the female secretary, softened his expression, and wrapped his arms around her waist.

His hands restlessly kneaded the secretary's body.

The night was still young, and Hilton decided to have some fun with this secretary before the two elves were sent back.

So, his voice softened as well.

"Alright, stop crying. Remember to knock next time; you never learn. Now, tell me, what happened this time?"

It was probably just some trivial matter like a slave dying or escaping.

This secretary was completely incapable of filtering the importance of matters, always reporting everything to him.

The secretary's face flushed red.

This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened, but she dared not resist, nor could she.

"Master, the goods sent to the auction... they've been... they've been... stolen."

Hilton was unfazed, his hands already caressing the secretary's smooth thighs.

At times like this, a man's brain tends to react slowly.

(As expected, it's just another minor...)

"What did you say?!"

Hilton suddenly reacted, almost screaming. His mind instantly cleared.

"What happened?! Where's Kortman? Wasn't he in charge of delivering the goods?"

Hilton's wrinkled old face was filled with rage. His hands gripped the secretary's shoulders so tightly they almost dug into her flesh.

The secretary was in so much pain that tears fell, but she still didn't dare to resist.

"Ugh, I don't know either. I heard it from an employee who escaped from the auction site."

"Escaped? What do you mean escaped? What exactly happened?"

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Hilton turned to look. A fat man with a large belly was standing there.

His face still showed traces of fear, his flab trembling slightly, and there was a wet patch on his pants.

It was Kortman.

"Kortman?"

"M-Master, I'm back."

"You're back? Where are the goods? What's with your appearance? What exactly happened?"

The enraged Hilton fired off four questions in succession, frightening Kortman so much that he shook even more violently.

"M-Master, perhaps you should come out and see for yourself."

"No need to trouble yourself. I've already come in on my own."

A voice full of mockery came from outside the door.

Hilton looked towards the source of the voice. Standing there was a young man with black hair and black eyes, holding a book in his hands.

He wore an elegant smile on his face and politely bowed to Hilton.

"Mr. Hoover, I have some business to discuss with you."

At that moment, Hilton felt his blood run cold.

"""