– Day 6 –

The Slave Market

We head out of the manor to a carriage waiting for us. It seems we will be taking this carriage to the centre of town before the 'tour' can start. As I get onto the carriage, I see Mira is sat there waiting for us.

“Mira, are you joining us too?”

She nods hesitantly. 

I wonder if this is Katharine’s or Amelia’s doing. Katharine looks at me in an unusual way, but I’m not sure how to read it, so I just take my seat beside Mira, opposite Katharine.

No sooner did the coach start to move did Katharine begin to speak.

“I asked her to come along as there was something I wished to ask her that couldn’t be done in the manor.”

Mira tilts her head to one side and looks at Katharine with a ‘Am I in trouble’ look. +five cutey points.

“I’ll get straight to it. Did mother ask you to lay with sir Draconis?”

Oi oi oi! What the hell is with that question!? M-Mira, you can’t just nod you know, she’s a woman too, she’ll misunderstand–

“I see, Draconis, you should be ashamed of yourself. I had thought you were different but clearly you’re not as noble as you appear–”

“N-No wait, p-please…He, he didn’t do anything to me… He just allowed me to stay in the bath until he was done. He didn’t even allow me to wash him and insisted…to wash…”

As Mira trails off back to silence, Katharine’s face has gone bright red. It seems she doesn’t know where to go next. As much as I am enjoying this scene as it was her own damn fault for jumping to a conclusion, I guess it’s boorish to let this go on.

“Katharine. Allow me to be so blunt and forgive what I am about to say but considering what just happened; I believe I should be allowed this right. I saw through your mother the moment I met her.”

Katharine looks up no higher than my chin, still bright red.

“When Mira told me she had been sent to attend me and my 'desires', I knew immediately that it was your mothers doing. She clearly sees me as less than a wild, crazed beast and she wanted to prove that by thrusting a beautiful woman my way. I thought it clear but I am not the kind of man that takes a woman who does not wish to be taken.”

Mira looks away this time.

“I asked Mira to tell your mother whatever she needed to tell her in order for her safety to be assured. I care little for my reputation with nobles of that kind after all. People I am on a first name basis with however, well, I expect them to trust me more.”

Harsh but I think this memory will serve to have her not jump to conclusions so quickly in the future. 

Hmm? Why has Mira gone all red now?

“…I …I have no words Draconis. Both my Mother and I–”

“You have not done anything wrong except jump to a conclusion. I am not angry, just a little disappointed at your trust in me.”

“I…Yes. I apologise…”

The rest of the carriage ride was in silence. I wasn’t brooding on it, but at the same time, I couldn’t be bothered to start a conversation. Instead, I took a moment to relax and watch the people as we rode through the busy capital. It was rather relaxing.

Eventually, the carriage came to a stop in front of a large building. I can see tables inside, so I’m guessing it’s a restaurant or bar. There doesn’t look to be many people inside so it must not be a very good one.

The carriage driver opens the door, and I proceed to get off first. A silent Katharine and Mira soon follow. 

Mira looked to be having trouble getting down, so I lend her a hand. She takes it but turns a shade pinker. Is she embarrassed?

Katharine decides to finally talk.

“So Draconis, is there anything you would like to see first.”

Ah… Guess I was too harsh on her. Back to surnames huh.

“Well, I would like to see the mercenary guild to sort out this annual contract. I also need general supplies and to pick up the human slave. To be honest, I would like to pick up the slave first–”

I have a number of reasons for this but primarily because I have a rather unique and specific need. My dark yet brilliant plan was always this from the start. Of course, I don’t like the idea of owning a slave but if we’re being honest, at least with me, they’re going to be treated better than anywhere else they might end up, from what I’ve seen anyway. So they have to give up a little blood? I’ll make sure they want for nothing, and once I leave the Capital, I’ll release them if that’s what they want. Win-Win right?

“--as I never wanted a new slave but now that I have one, I would prefer her under my care than that of another”

This is also true. It makes the person sound like a favoured toy, but it seems to have sparked a cord with both Katharine and Mira as their expressions have lightened.

“Then we will need to head along the riverfront until we reach the slave markets. It’s about a ten-minute walk from here.”

“Please, lead the way.”

The riverfront is beautifully scenic and quite busy. 

Looking around, there are lots of boats ferrying goods to one place or another with lots of little stalls selling various items meant for the river workers. There are lots of tall plaster and wood houses lining both sides of the river. 

With two beautiful women either side of me, it would be the perfect stroll, if not for the smell of course.

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It seems a sewer runs parallel to the river under these stone-grate slabs everyone is walking on. From what I can tell, it doesn’t seem to go into the river itself, but on a hot day like today, it certainly stinks. It reminds me of New York City in the early hours of the morning or Venice in the summer–

“That building ahead of us is where we’re heading. We’re already in the slave market, but Father purchased a high-value slave for you there.”

The building she points to is a larger version of the ones we’ve been walking past, made of plaster and wood. It’s only two storeys tall unlike some of these which are three or four.

As we enter the building, a tall skinny man greets us. This toothy smile of his really creeps me out.

“Hello, hello and welcome. What brings you to Serant and Co today?”

“I’m here to collect a slave, human female, purchased by Alexander de Armstrong for Aburi Draconis. This man here.”

“Ah yes, the General. We weren’t expecting you until tomorrow, but that matters not, your signet here please.”

Katharine presses her ring into the wax seal and steps back. The clerk then proceeds to push his ring into the wax and hands me the parchment… Problem.

A third wax seal is awaiting a signet press. I assume for mine, but I don’t have one--

“Shall we proceed upstairs to the viewing room?”

Hm? So I don’t need to do anything with this then?

The three of us are lead upstairs into a large room, and the clerk leaves us. A couple of moments later and a slave walks in and offers Katharine some wine, it apparently thought both Mira and I were Katharine’s slaves. It’s okay; I forgive you lizardman?

The clerk reappears with twelve naked human females, and I realise I am to pick a slave not pick up the one purchased for me.

“We have a total of thirty-eight human female slaves in stock. Of which fifteen are of grade A stock. Unfortunately, three are currently being retrained so we can only show you these twelve today.”

Gez, retrained? You mean tortured right?

I look over at the girls. Their ages range from around twelve to nineteen. I can barely contain myself to not cast [Blood Boil] on this man.

“Can you explain what you mean by Grade A stock?”

“Ah, of course. Each of our slaves is broken into Grades A to D. Grade B, and higher are those with reading, writing and mathematical skills. A grade A slave has all of these skills but also possess higher intelligence than the other grades.”

The clerk notices me looking to the girls and then continues.

“All the slaves here today are untouched if that is your concern. They have never been with a male.”

That wasn’t my concern but does gladden me they weren’t put through such things… especially considering some of the ages here.

Out of all the girls here, eight are too young, and two are too headstrong. After all, I can’t have them telling my secret. That leaves just the probably seventeen to nineteen-year-old brunette or the fifteen to sixteen-year-old redhead. 

To be honest, and perhaps a little dark, the brunette is scared. She looks like she’s been wound a little tight and could snap at any moment. The redhead however will be easier to manipulate due to her age, but I don’t think I can be enough of a villain to do that to a young girl…

*Sigh*

“I guess the–”

“Me right?”

I look over to where the voice came from. It’s the nineteen-year-old golden blonde with dark roots that I ruled out because I thought she was going to be a pain–

“I mean, is there even a choice when I’m amongst this lot? I can tell just by looking, ya need me.”

Since when does a slave try–

“Ya clearly travel, ya need someone who can learn languages quickly. I can do that, plus I cook, wash clothes and make soap..kinda. I’m the best choice! Clear as day.”

She’s about five foot four with C cup breasts and a winning smile. She clearly has a strong and sharp mind. 

Yep, you would fit the bill. She’ll probably agree to be my portable blood bank as long as there’s something in it for her. Oh, I better say something, she’s about to get beaten–

“I guess you are but before I say yes, let me ask you one thing. What if I have a very specific requirement, one that may require you to do something unusual. Are you okay with that?”

The clerk stops and lets the conversation play out. Mira and Katharine are looking alarmed but neither say anything. I guess they know better after the carriage to jump to that conclusion.

“Ha, once I am yours, I’ll willingly do anything ya ask. I might even be grateful for the request.”

You cheeky little...

Well, I guess that does settle it. It’s a gamble that she might just escape but I would rather her than some frightened child. It saddens me that I can’t help any of the others here but this is their world, not mine and besides, the first rule of helping someone is that you should only help if you can see it through to the end.

I nod to the clerk who takes that as an affirmation of purchase. He then proceeds to take all the slave girls from the room. The slave who gave Katharine the wine returns and guides us downstairs and into another room with a bald man waiting. This man has a scroll with a magic symbol on it. I can’t tell what it does, but Katharine doesn’t seem worried so it can’t be anything bad.

A few seconds later, the cheeky slave and clerk walk in

“Draconis, please place your left hand on the slave's body and your right hand on this scroll–”

“On one of my breasts please.”

I feel myself blinking twice...

Fine. I place my left hand on her left breast and lay my right on the scroll.

“With this, the contract is formed. You are now bound to your master.”

No sooner did the man say these words did a dragon brand appear on the slave's tit and another on my left hand. The brand on my hand started to fade immediately, but hers seems to be causing her a lot of pain. She isn’t letting out any sign of discomfort, but her eyes betray her. 

A few seconds later and a collar starts to appear around her neck… 

I see, so these collars are surprisingly a spell.

“There we go, the slave is now yours. Can you hand me that parchment from earlier sir Draconis.”

I hand it back to him as he immediately pricks the slave's finger with a needle and places it on the third wax seal. The seal turns black, and he hands it back

“With this, the transaction is complete. Can I perhaps interest you in any more wares this afternoon?”

“Not today but do you have a robe or some–”

“Of course, of course. Apologies, one moment.”

The clerk leaves the room and comes back with something that resembles a potato sack…

“Here”

“…Thanks… Let’s head out then.”

Once we’re all outside, Katharine is the first to speak.

“Where to next Draconis?”

Still surnames…

“Clothes, shoes, undergarments and the like but first I need to ask you for your name.”

I turned to the slave girl who for some reason is all smiles. I guess if I were as a slave, I’d be happy to be out of that place too.

“Emily. Just Emily, Master. Don’t have a house, mother, father or nothing anymore.”

You're like a Cheshire cat with a grin ear to ear. It’s a little cute, but this is also creeping me the hell out. I mean, I just purchased you as a slave, why are you so happy?

“…I see, please call me Aburi.”

“Can’t Master. I’m your slave; I must refer to ya as Master.”

Aargh–

“It’s the contact. She is not allowed to call you anything else.”

Katharine interjects looking at me slightly confused. 

Ah, so it’s not that she doesn’t want to call me by name, it’s that she can’t. I guess this is as good a time as any.

“Katharine, I get the feeling slave contracts are different here than my home country. Can you run through the basics o–”

“Allow me, Master. As my Master, I must fulfil ya every ask, no matter what. If I don’t, I feel pain. Ya can also order me to do something, and if I don’t, I die. If I try to resist, I feel pain until I die or do what was ordered. That’s about it… Oh, I also cannot be more than a certain distance from ya as well.”

So I can order her to let me take her blood and not to tell anyone about it--

I suddenly get a bad feeling…

“Is it possible to release a slave?”

“Na, once a slave, slave til Master dies. Master dies, slaves die too. Slave kills a Master, even one not their own, both masters and slaves will die too.”

…Reason for no slave up-raising, identified. This world is beyond belief.

“Ya looked shocked Master. Is it different where you're from?”

Better make something up–

“Indeed, a slave can be freed if they live up to the contractual conditions when enslaved and slaves don’t die when a master dies.”

“Eh, but what happens if your slave kills you?”

“Then I wasn’t a good Master.”

Katharine, Mira and Emily all look to be visibly shocked by that answer. After a slight pause, Katharine is the first to speak.

“…Shall we be off then?”