I pulled out my pocket watch and sighed.

Twenty-six minutes to clear the castle, too long.

The ship lowered to the castle wall and the only prisoners escorted onto the ship were books of evidence, things of value, and female prisoners that could be auctioned off for wealth used to take them down.

I turned to Nancy with a smirk.

“Go and count our wealth. Also take down the physical traits and any defects the women might have. They are valuable assets as well.” I shooed her away after she gave me a certain look.

It took another fifteen odd minutes for them to finish loading everything up. Plenty of time for FSB airship to arrive while that ‘not so friendly’ lead detective walked across the wall to poke his nose into things.

“Who are you and why are you attacking this property?” the beer gut detective asked without any manners.

“I am Louise Lloyd and this is my property.” I held up a deed, while gesturing at the wall he was standing on uninvited.

He snatched it out of my hands and I almost killed the dog on the spot. Did he think such a strong backing would prevent me from weaving a tale about how some otherworlder ripped him to pieces?

The Detective spit off the wall and handed the deed back.

“I see. Apologies for interrupting the moving process.” he stuck around until we finished.

Like he was expecting to be paid off or something, but did he work for me? Am I that much of a chump that anybody can bite my pants legs? Piss on my shoes?

Maybe, I really should kill him.

We set off right after bombarding the castle into ruin. Leaving nothing behind for any rat to come and infest. We could have, of course, sold the property but I didn’t like giving up things willingly. Plus I had no one loyal to safeguard it.

My own force is severely lacking. I have maybe sixty-three knights, thirty-four assassins, and less than hundred and twenty-one spies or officials on payroll across the country. This is the only force I could rely on currently.

Which is pathetic for the wealth our family holds.

Sadly, it takes time to recruit, it takes time to train, and time wasn’t something falling from the skies.

I walked to the holding cell and looked at the group of women. Someone spaced them out evenly between all fifteen cells, but it was only twenty-nine women. Some might have been guards.

My cane tapped the wooden floor as I paced between the cages. The women displayed different expressions. Some filled with fear of what awaited them, some filled with rage, some filled with glimmers of hope, but there were only two.

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Two, who had expressions that gave away nothing. From the way they sat on the benches, with their legs cross over the other. It signified that they were close to virgin or virgin outright. Only virgins would care to sit so tightly as if they were guarding their virtue.

I stop in front of their cages, a few feet back, to have a perfect view of them both.

“I have a deal for you, do you wish to hear about it?” I asked, not expecting a reply.

“Speak.” the older of two, spoke out.

I glanced at her and she was lovely. Light brown hair, fair bosom, decent hips that flared out.

“You know our family needs to produce offspring. You surrender yourselves into my care and after a certain period of time and good show of faith from you. I will slowly allow you to gain your freedom and entertain certain luxuries. This is a good deal, yes?” I tapped my cane down twice.

The older of the two rolled her eyes but said nothing. The younger of the two, shifted slightly but also did not speak.

I am never in a rush. Thus I continued.

“As I said, we are in need of offsprings, so whether you agree to join me in such activities or not is really not the question. The question is which type of treatment do you prefer? To be bought out by those of lower stature than you formerly were or to at least regain some of the pride and dignity you have lost upon ending up prisoners?”

I tapped the cane twice more and pulled out my pocket watch as the women thought amongst themselves.

“Tick tock.” I chuckled. “Ten more seconds to agree.”

They kept the stern look in their eyes. As if their defiance would affect me, I merely offer the opportunity because both had decent levels of Arcane. It wasn’t like it was hard to woo an outer member and bring them in. They would even be grateful.

I stopped tapping my cane as it was time up, beginning to walk away.

It’s clear they expected me to continue bartering until I issue our conditions. Their faces, for the first time, provided me with some clue as to who’s the weakest link. Who the brain of the operation is.

I couldn’t help chuckling as I reached the entry and one of them folded.

“Wait, young master. I am willing to…”

“Don’t sell yourself short, he wouldn’t dare to pass us down like common whores. He needs us just as much as he needs his dick. Without us, who would care about the strong genes of the Arcane branch.” that must be the older one.

I clicked my tongue and turned around. They quibble a little more while I walk to the youngest one who looks slightly more disheveled upon thinking about the consequences.

She grabbed the bars and pressed her face into the crack.

“Young master, I don’t care what she says. She was married and had a child. On the other hand, I am still a virgin and willing to sacrifice what is needed to regain my proper station in life.” She spoke quite clearly and it was her to misconstrue what she wanted.

I brought out a bejeweled choker, a dark green set that I work on as a joke. A slave collar is what it could be referred to as. It is just a glorified slave collar that prevents someone from going against the owner's wishes.

I pushed the choker up to her and gestured with my cane at her neck. Her fingers curled around the choker and she brought it into the cell. Taking a half step back as to half way blend into the shadow of the cage. She slowly put on the choker and the moment I felt the bond, I opened the cage.

It is that easy to pick up a willing slave. Tsk, tsk.

I began trekking back up to the fore of the ship with her right on my heels. I could tell from her unhurried feet that she didn’t regret a single thing. Such temperament might have made me fall for her if she had not been on the opposing side.

“Your duties are actually quite simple from now on. Reside in my mansion, be ready for my needs, and enjoy the quiet time. If you are on good behavior for three months, I’ll let you walk outside and experience luxury on a guard watch. After that, things come and go.” I said, while watching the sunrise.