“Are you sure about this, the contracts have yet to be signed, it's not too late to back out.”

Scipio was in fact sure and whilst he found his friend's constant doubts annoying, he did appreciate the concern they were born of. But no matter what Marcus said, Scipio was determined to go through with this, words had been said and now he had to back them up.

I’ll show them the worth of a third son. They’ll regret ever doubting me. They’ll come to worship the mighty Ludus that I will build from the very ground up.

“I’m sure Marcus, I’ve come too far to back out now,” Scipio replied, his voice full of determination and unfading confidence.

“Very well then, I guess it would have been a shame to travel so far, to this place… just to walk away with nothing,” Marcus said as he looked around the small auction with clear disgust.

A view shared by Scipio, the auction house was little more than a small, cleared area of field with a makeshift hovel on one side, a place to keep the merchandise away from prying eyes.

Too hot, unbearable sandy and what are these buildings made of, dirt and sand, disgusting.

“It’s the only place the carriages could reach that I could afford. Any further and I’d need to invest in guards and supplies.”

“I know, I know, we’ve skimped enough on guards and slave masters as it is, why not the slaves as well? You spend far too much on him,” Marcus answered as he brushed off a layer of sand from his clothes.

“I did, but the man was worth every coin. His experience will be invaluable not only for the arena but for managing the slaves as well,” Scipio argued, hiring the man had cost a small fortune but one Scipio happily paid if it meant proving his family wrong.

“Did the man even mention what level he had achieved, 40? 50?”

“He did not, now be quiet, the auction is about to begin.”

The sound of the hovel door being swung open was enough to bring about a still silence among the twenty or thirty buyers present. Rather annoyingly the auctioneer appeared to be the same man who had glued himself to them up in the stands.

Barbarian, he smelt worse than he looked, and the show he put on, sad and pathetic. It took that many men to slay one animal, I will have to break that weakness.

“Esteemed guests and friends from afar, I hope you marvelled at the show these men put on. An impressive spectacle of their strength was it not. Fifty-nine of their number are up for sale, and I'm proud to say every one of them achieved the slave and gladiator classes at the minimum. Now let's start the bidding shall we?”

I can almost see the coins glinting in his eyes, greed is so common in places like these. I suppose not even the empire can bring civility to all peoples.

With his face kept blank, Scipio remained silent at the man's words and simply watched as the first slave was dragged out by his arms and thrown down upon the wooden stage.

He was a frail scrawny man who looked barely able to stand on his own two feet never mind wield a sword.

They better not all be like this.

Scipio couldn’t see the man as a gladiator, the crowds would never cheer his name nor would he earn a place working in a pleasure house, the man's looks were far too plain for that. At best he could be a sacrifice for a spell, but even then, what was the man's soul really worth?

“Let’s start the bidding at three hundred denarii!” the slaver shouted as he looked out over the crowd as if expecting a bidding war to instantly erupt.

It did not, Scipio doubted a single buyer showed anything other than disappointment at the sight.

“Two hundred denarii then. Remember the slave binding is included, and all previous classes wiped, the slave can be moulded into whatever you want.” The man’s words continued to get a response from the crowd and with his tactics failing, the man got ever annoyed and desperate.

“One hundred, a bargain for sure. Who will take him?”

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

“Buy him,” Marcus’ whispered into his ear, quiet enough not to draw the auctioneer's attention.

“Why, the man is useless.”

“He can be an example to the rest, kill him and use his blood as a message to the rest.”

Clever, he’s more devious than he lets on.

“Fifty denarii but by the state of it, you should be paying me,” Scipio shouted to the laughter of his fellow buyers.

“Sold.” The slaver shouted seeming somewhat relieved for that small show to have ended. Almost as soon as his words had faded, the man was dragged off by the guards and another was brought out to take his place.

At least this one can stand.

Other than the fact this one still had control over his legs, there was nothing particularly impressive about this man. He had an average build, the same mediterranean tan that many of this area shared and dirty neck-length blonde hair.

I need what forty, fifty men for my Ludus, gladiators and house slaves. I don’t have the privilege of being high standards here.

“This one man does not look like much, but he’s quick, took half a dozen men to run him down. A nimble gladiator, a runner, or prey for a hunt, the man has potential. Four hundred denarii to start.”

It wasn’t long before the first call was made.

“Four hundred.”

“Four hundred and twenty!”

“Four fifty!”

“Five hundred!” Scipio shouted, his voice drowning out those about to weigh in. No one immediately bid again and after a moment of quiet discussion, it seemed that the man's worth had been decided.

“Sold!”

This is more fun than I thought, the feeling of beating the rest is invigorating.

“Don’t get too carried away, we can’t afford to pay above their value,” Marcus, the apparent voice of reason chimed in once again.

“Don’t doubt me, the man has real potential, am I the only one capable of seeing it?” Scipio countered.

Well out of those we’ve seen so far, he has the most potential.

With the man’s price decided, he was quickly led out of the auction and a new man took his place.

A much better specimen.

This one had the build one would actually expect from a gladiator, he was tall, muscular and looked capable of crushing a man with his large hands. His short balding hair and rough face only added to his brutish look.

“A true savage, look at those muscles and remember his actions in the arena, he easily showed himself above the rest and with a little work this one could become a true champion in the arena!”

The slave didn’t seem as keen on his fate as the slaver was given his next action was to spit on the man and grumble something that sounded similarly to ‘go fuck yourself, you son of a whore’.

His disrespect was rightly punished as the two guards laid down a dozen punches into his stomach, although the hulking slave didn’t seem particularly hurt or punished by the strikes.

I want his strength.

“Six hundred denarii!” Scipio shouted starting the bidding war before the slaver could even begin to speak.

“Seven hundred!” shouted another man from Scipio’s left

“Nine hundred!” shouted an older gentleman from near the front, a man who even had the cockiness look at his fellows’ bidders, seemingly daring them to outbid him.

“Twelve hundred!”

That’ll teach him to try and out-show me.

“Sold at twelve hundred,” interrupted the auctioneer greedily, clearly he was too shocked at the price and wealth displayed to let anyone else try and outbid him.

“Well, guess I’m not getting that engineer slave after all.” Marcus’ words went ignored by Scipio who was far too engrossed in his new prizes to focus on anything else.

The auction was far more enjoyable than he had expected, there was a certain thrill to it, as if he was using it to grow a precious collection. Barely any time went by, and he had already acquired a few dozen new slaves and gladiators for his arena, worthy purchases even if he had spent far more of his allocated funds than he had meant to.

Once I put these men to work, money will be no issue. The Plutus, no, Scipio gladiators will be the terrors of the arena.

“Esteemed gentleman, in the name of business and time, we shall be selling the last slaves in bundles of five. This first lot is one to watch out for.”

Tall but weak. A bed slave at best that one. Those two. Those two I want.”

The first slave to be dragged out, whilst rather tall was far too lanky, it would take a good deal of work to build him up but once he did, the man could become a true threat.

With that quick assessment over, Scipio turned to the next man, he was rather handsome, in comparison to the other slaves that was. He had long flowing hair and a chiselled jawline. He wasn’t Scipio’s first choice but for a bundle of slaves, he wasn’t the worst possible option either.

The next two slaves stood out not only for their actions in the arena but appearances as well. One was far older than any other slave, likely nearing sixty years of age, with bald greying hair and a long-frazzled beard to go with it. In comparison, the other slave had a deceptively average appearance, not ugly but hardly a marvel to look at either, everything about him screamed average from his shortish brown hair, soft eyes and medium height and build.

Neither of the slaves looked like true gladiators but out of all those who fought, they were the only ones who used the terrain to their advantage and had provided the opening that led to their opponent’s death.

Smarter than your average slave, even if that’s hardly an achievement.

Scipio wanted them and just as he had for the rest, he would pay whatever price was needed to acquire them, pay whatever price got him that thrill. They would all be a part of his mighty ludus and bring him all the glory of the arena.

And it would all begin right here, with this moment, Scipio was sure of it.

---Class Acquired Dominus---

[Title Acquired- Dominus Level 1]

(Skill Acquired- The Art of the Deal Level 1)

(Art of the Deal- A merchant skill that facilitates the buying or selling of goods and services)