I’m surprised he didn’t try to escape after being bought. Probably because he knew it would have been futile anyway.
She brushed the cloth over her head and went inside only to be met with a pair of brilliantly glaring eyes seething with hostility.
“I heard crying from the other wagons. What did you do to them, you savage human!” He made an attempt to get up, wavering as his legs failed to support the sudden movement, but did nothing to stop the hatred from boiling over.
To the humans who caused such traumatic experience for this fellow, I thank you for making my job easier.
Robin quickly assisted him but was swatted away. “I gave them a health potion and all cure potion,” she simply affirmed, a bit frustrated at how he always jumped to conclusions. “And as for why they were crying, I think it was because it seemed like a miracle?” she shrugged passing the potions out.
She acknowledge the hate was due to the traumatic experiences inflicted by her own race, but Robin was no psychologist to deal with the annoying behavior. Rather she was someone who helped for the benefit of herself or for her loved ones. Dealing with him and his hostility was something she was not often accustomed to. However, she retained her level-headedness and sucked in a deep breath.
She brought out two potions before placing it on his lap. “Drink this. It’ll heal most of your injuries.”
And maybe your personality too.
Ignoring his suspicious stare, Robin continued passing out the potions. Compared to the earlier carriages, the suspicion and unease caused by the fiery man, caused a tentative urge to drink the potions.
None dared to be the first, thus the situation became a stalemate for quite some time. It was fine because Robin could be patient if it meant they would eventually lower their guards.
Eladis glanced at the two potions resting on his lap. He knew very well the expense of these outrageous potions. A red health potion of high grade like the one he had received costed around 500 gold a pot. However he had no idea what the other magenta potion contained.
It seemed that the plain girl in front of him hid more secrets than himself. The question remained: why go through so much trouble and expense to offer slaves these invaluable concoctions.
Eladis removed the glass cork before sniffing for any potential spikes. When it seemed nothing was out of place he stole a quick glance at his “Master” finding no change in expression, before swallowing the red liquid.
The dull pain from his old scars on his back eased considerably. A light airy feeling surrounded his body and he quickly touched around his chest. Flakes of dead skin from where his large scab resided came off to reveal a new patch of smooth skin. Even the scars on his arms prior being enslaved faded away as though it never existed in the first place.
Upon seeing Eladis miraculous change, the other slaves followed suite.
Robin turned to leave the last wagon before being stopped.
“What is your purpose in helping mere slaves and what are you intending to use us for?” he interrogated, tossing the empty health pots at her.
She caught the empty glass with ease and stored it in her messenger bag. “Don’t worry about it,” she smiled and left.
A loud sigh escaped her when she sat down on the cushioned seat. The wagons were neatly lined up all carrying around 250 slaves to the entrance of the town. She raised her arm to sniff at the fabric and let felt relieved she did not smell. She did not outwardly show it, but she could not stand the stench emanating from inside wagons. There is no fault in how they smelled, mostly because they were slaves and it ushered Robin to suggest they take a bath before being fed.
“Ibaraki, please message Quinn to prepare a two large separate baths and a banquet enough to feed 250 people. Also, make sure the food is mellow and digestible for victims of starvation,” requested Robin. It deemed troublesome if they were to die from refeeding syndrome.
“Yes Master.”
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Moei on the other hand had taken the reigns of the carriage and headed off to the front gates. Before long they arrived at the front where the same soldier, Abel who Robin had first met and greeted them with a nod. They showed Abel their ID, notified him about the dummy drivers, and showed him the receipt she received from the slave market before making their way out of town.
Uneased spread throughout the soldier's body as the shadow puppets he had been initially warned passed by him. It seemed powerful magic casters would occasionally pop into town, but never did he regard the plain girl who registered for an ID card would possess such unseen magic. Luckily he was kind enough to keep his mouth shut as per the contract term of confidentiality.
As they headed their way towards the landmark, Robin compiled a To-do list with number one being the most important. It was hard for Robin to keep track of everything, and as a habit, she created an agenda or some sort of organizer that allowed her to compile her thoughts. Consider it as a milestone goal, much like what she did when advancing to her CEO position. Of course, she made sure to burn the book, if authorities tracked her.
To do List
1. Find information about any branch of magic that has a possibility to aid in returning home.
2. Go find the book keeper in the next month and attend the magic school.
3. Structure foundation
4. Try to cultivate the land and grow cash crops?
5. Research surrounding natural resources.
6. Create a source of income in the Xaexaviel’s capital as a leverage to assimilate to politics.
7. Educate the slaves, and hire skilled workers from other kingdoms.
8. Create a secret intelligence and spy network.
9. Achieve branch control in the Adventurer’s Guild
Long Term Goals
1. Find a way to return home.
Robin had thought of plenty more ideas, but for now, her To-do list sufficed.
Glancing at her notebook, she estimated number six to be her biggest asset in infiltrating the royal city and eventually its politics. Her prior knowledge during her time as a blue collar worker, manager, and eventually a CEO would make it doable. Manipulation and strategizing were her prowess, but sometimes she would make hasty decisions due to anxiety or deadlines.
Well as long as I review and carefully plan them, I don’t think I will have an issue...
Regarding item six, she intended to make a shop with no particular focus in the commodities she planned to sell, as long as they were unique and different from this world, fulfilling the production possibility curve. Health and mana potions were on the top list of commodities that she estimated would make up 65% percent of the shop’s income. After all, a world where magic and unknown dangers exist especially if the context came from novels, potions were a necessity for survival.
What other commodities were popular back on Earth, but expensive luxuries in the early days of history.
The goods also had to be easy to uphold consumer demands too. Cacao beans, tea leaves, silk, and paper were historical goods back then. Cacao beans and tea leaves were an excellent choice in introducing tea and coffee. If the world had them, selling them cheaply would shift the demand far right, and still bring in more profit. Silk would provide a renowned revolution into the European-like civilization unless they already had contact with an oriental civilization. Even so, silk had been ancient China’s most guarded secret and their cash cow. However, a problem persisted in that Robin would have to expend resources to create all of these commodities and even she was unsure if her brother’s endless storage carried these materials on hand. After all, Robin still hadn’t had the chance to check the storage space just yet.
At least, even though the resources needed for such goods may turn up scarce, there was a chance to plant cacao beans, tea leaves, trees, and maybe culture silkworms for their materials. She could simply ask a few servants to till the land and create a sample garden in order to continuously culture raw materials needed for production.
After opening the shop and putting her goods on display for potential customers, her business practice would come into play.
“Master, we have arrived.” Ibaraki got off from the wagon and assisted her down the wagon. Her thoughts were cut short, but she had more time later to think it over more thoroughly.
The shadow puppet drivers created by Ibaraki dissipated in the air as though they never existed in the first place.
The slaves exited the wagon curious to why suddenly stopped and the dense forest created a covering that allowed even the bulky wagons to be concealed.
Ibaraki went to destroy all the wagons with his black flames, with flawless precision it engulfed each wagon as if they were wrapped in a thin veil leaving not even ashes behind.
A few uncontrolled gasp escaped from the crowd and Eladis narrowed his eyes at the large display of magic.
Elves in general had far better sensitivity when it came to magic, yet he had been unable to detect it from the strange individual. However, his new owner was a different story. It was as if the magic was coming off in waves, rather than continuous ripples to beings inferior to magic.
Eladis unintentionally became alert. The amount of control demonstrated rivaled even a grandmaster no less the unusual type of magic. He forced his prying habits down, less he may accidentally demand answers about their strange origins. It was not good to probe into dangerous individuals especially now that he was bound to one.
“Brother!” A young girl barely in her teens approached him. Her eyes were like warm molten honey and her smile gave away to her adorable dimples.
Upon seeing her, the tension in his shoulders lessened a bit. “Did the human do anything to you?” His eyes had soften at the sight of his younger sister. It’s been too long since they were able to have proper contact with each other even if they were held in the same dirty location.
She shook her head she as a way to reassure him. “She's not bad as you think she is. Actually, she gave a really expensive health potion and another potion that cured even the scar I got when we played near the river and tripped myself over a rock!”
Eladis smiled patting her head, "Don't let down your guard. Humans are the most deceitful race and will kill their own kin just to satisfy their unrelenting ambitions.” He quietly warned.
Ibaraki frowned overhearing their little conversation and went to relay it to his Master.
“Master...that slave,” he began only to stop shorty after seeing her shake her head.
“Don't worry about it. He's not fully wrong,” reassured Robin. The elf was quite sharp, she'd have to give him kudos.
Upon noticing Moei finish preparing the teleportation landmark, Robin ushered every single slave to walk over the magic seal. After all the slaves had entered into the magic array, Robin and her companions were the last to enter.
“Brother this couldn't be…” his sister quickly glanced at him, disbelief written all over her face.
Eladis could not even utter a word as the large group suddenly disappeared from the forest leaving not even a strand of hair.