Pathfinder
Chapter Twenty-three
“Slaves can never do that.
That’s why slaves are so expensive.
All slaves wear slave collars, and sometimes they wear bracelets or anklets instead.
Those bracelets work by inflicting pain on the slave when the owner gives an order or when the slave disobeys.
Permanent slaves wear those bracelets forever, but contract slaves have their bracelets lose their power after a certain period.
Once someone becomes a slave, their value goes up significantly, so there are even some who intentionally bind themselves as slaves for about a year to make a profit.
It’s risky, but it’s a way to get a share.”
It was like Son Goku and Xuanzang.
Garam neatly critiqued the slave system here.
“Contract slaves can even choose their owners themselves.
You can choose from the top three bidders.
You can’t work for someone who looks insane, right?
They might order you to jump off a cliff.
So you should qualify for choosing an owner who doesn’t look too dangerous.
It’s something mercenaries who need a lot of money urgently often do.”
Were human rights also weakened in the face of money there?
Garam suddenly realized that they were walking in an unknown direction.
Unconsciously, she had followed Trigger’s lead, and now it was too late to notice.
“But where are we going?”
“To a slave auction.
It opens at night, so it’ll open soon.”
“Wait a minute, I still don’t have any intention of buying a slave.”
“Just come with me for once.
It won’t hurt to go there once, will it?
Consider it an experience.”
“But still, I’m not mentally prepared yet.”
“Then get prepared right now.
We’ve arrived.”
The two of them stopped at a place that could only be described as a huge building.
This building, located quite far on the outskirts, had not caught Garam’s eye until then because it only operated at night.
Garam hadn’t ventured outside the inn after dark for safety reasons.
The large lights and various people lined up, giving it the appearance of a somewhat like theater.
“Some people come just to watch.
Come on, let’s go in.”
Saying that, Trigger brought Garam to the entrance immediately.
While Garam thought to herself whether she should ask if they had to wait in line, Trigger handed two gold coins to the person at the entrance.
‘Is it a bribe?
What a depraved tiger!’
As Garam said it in her mind, the man at the entrance extended two sheets of paper.
Accepting and looking at them, they were inscribed with ‘Special Seat’ in large letters, with seat numbers listed in small print.
“If you buy a special seat, you don’t need to stand in line.
You can even buy some simple food and participate while eating it.”
Trigger said it and skillfully led Garam.
In fact, Trigger was familiar with the city.
It was obvious because that city was the nearest one to his territory, the Beast Plain.
He had been inside every building there except for the residential areas, so his steps were confident.
“There’s our seat.”
As Garam was led by Trigger’s hand, she looked around the inside of the slave auction house.
It was like a mixture of a baseball stadium and a theater.
Luxurious seats were arranged in a tiered fashion, and where there would be a screen, there was a podium.
There was no one on the podium, but magical lights illuminated the center of the empty podium.
Unlike a theater, the people there were noisy.
Everyone was busy discussing which slave to buy and how much money they had brought, and merchants selling food moved around between those people.
“It feels more decent than I thought.”
“Then what did you think it would be like?”
“I thought it would be…
a bit illegal, dark, and shady, you know.”
Garam and Trigger’s seats were almost in the center.
The people who had already taken their seats, though rough-looking, were quite courteous, moving their legs and bodies to make way for the two of them.
Just that sight made Garam feel like most of the bad prejudices she had about the slave auction house had disappeared.
Feeling somewhat sheepish, Garam scratched her head.
“Even though they lack freedom, it doesn’t mean that slaves lead miserable lives.
Well, they have to choose their owners carefully, though.”
Trigger, comfortably seated without any difficulty, made a familiar gesture to call over a merchant to purchase some food.
The merchant had a makeshift stall hanging from his neck, displaying beverages and unfamiliar foods packaged in palm-sized portions.
“How much for this and this?”
“It’s three silver.”
Garam thought the price was a bit high and looked around.
The atmosphere felt somewhat like a tourist attraction.
Contrary to the feeling given by the vile name of the slave auction house, she even saw children among the people here from time to time—clearly noble children, accompanied by men wearing heavy armor like knights, stood here and there.
In fact, it was the first time Garam had seen nobles.
She looked closely at the children, even though she couldn’t see them in detail from a distance.
She could at least figure out what made someone look noble.
The gestures of the children were slow. Get faster updates on g.com.
Elegant would be a good word to describe them.
Their clothes looked as soft as silk, and they gleamed with a shine.
Elaborate decorations and colorful gemstone buttons adorned them.
Nothing about their attire was simple, and the overall impression was extremely splendid.
If a commoner wore such clothes, it would look like the clothes were wearing the person.
Nevertheless, the clothes suited the children perfectly because they had a definitely charming beauty that stood out.
Several children who looked like nobles were all similarly charming.
Their well-grown skin seemed smooth even from a distance.
“Those are nobles who came to buy playmates.
Just like common children buy dolls, nobles buy slaves.
That little blue-haired kid is the nephew of the local lord.
Let me see, what was his name again?
Anyway, I heard his father is quite a decent wizard.”
Trigger said as he took a bite of a grilled fish with red seasoning spread over it.
Garam watched his jaw move as he chewed and shook her head when he tried to offer her some.
She still didn’t feel comfortable enough to eat, and she knew it would upset her stomach if she ate anything.
“What about those people over there?”
Garam pointed to a group of individuals further away.
Unlike the other attendees, those people seemed almost bare, showing off their well-defined muscles, as if they were there not to buy slaves but to be sold as slaves themselves.
“Sailors, maybe?
Hard to tell.
Occasionally, they come here to purchase labor for ship-related work.”
“And what about them?”
Garam pointed to a group of men who wore light leather armor and had swords at their waists.
They stood together, conversing with a serious demeanor.
None of them seemed excited about being at the auction.
“Gladiators, most likely.”
“Gladiators?”
“Yeah, it can be quite entertaining.
They place bets and all that.
There are no gladiators in this city, you know.
They’re probably from another city that doesn’t have a slave auction—perhaps Aharn.”
“Aharn?”
Garam recalled a passage from her travel book about Aharn as she asked her question.
Aharn was a territory located near the southern deserts, adjacent to Verok.
Unlike Verok, Aharn was not abundant in food resources, and the cost of living was high.
Most travelers passing through Aharn were not traders but rather consisted mainly of mercenaries and blacksmiths.
It was known as the city of gladiators, with a multitude of gladiatorial arenas rivaling even the number of shoe shops.
It was considered a paradise for gamblers who enjoyed intense battles of gladiator slaves and gambling enthusiasts.
The city Garam currently resided in, Verok, was, in contrast, a prosperous coastal city.
Revenues from travelers and tourists, taxes on incoming goods, and seafood were the sources of living for its citizens.
However, Aharn, unlike the typical port cities, was a harsh land with rocky terrain and annual typhoons that made farming impossible.
The only source of sustenance in Aharn was its rich mineral resources, which led to the development of blacksmithing techniques.
Still, one could not survive on iron alone, so people strived to earn money and import food from Verok.
“Yeah, judging by your expression, you seem to know about it.
If you get caught up in that place, you’re doomed.
Most end up rolling in the dirt and eventually dying.
It’s usually better to be sold to a noble household.
In noble households that are cautious about spies, they typically buy slaves to fill their workforce.
Since they’re absolute obedient slaves, there’s no chance for them to be spies.
Ah, it’s starting.”
Garam turned her attention to the center stage as Trigger mentioned the beginning of the auction.
The stage had been empty, but then a man in a white shirt and vest, with exaggerated gestures, bowed with a flourish.
Spotlights focused on him as he greeted the audience.
“Nice to meet you all.
I’m Luminon, your auctioneer for tonight.
It’s a bit late, and I’m worried if everyone has had their dinner.
Actually, I haven’t eaten yet, so if anyone would like to buy me a meal, please leave a note.
Ah, ladies only, please.”
Laughter emerged here and there in response to the auctioneer’s joke.
When someone shouted, ‘I haven’t eaten either!’ the auctioneer replied in a polite tone, ‘If you are a gentleman, there are food vendors over there, so please purchase something to eat for yourself.’”
Laughter erupted once again.
“For those who wish to bid, please raise the white wooden board with a number written on it.
Now, let me introduce the first item of the day.”
The auctioneer gestured as he said it.
Awkwardly, a man approached.
The auctioneer took the man’s hand and continued speaking.
“We have a labor slave, two years of service, twenty-six years old, male.
He’s suitable for manual labor.
As you can see, he looks like this.
We’ll start at 100 gold, with increments of ten gold.”
Despite the auctioneer’s words, no one raised the board.
The slave on display was an ordinary-looking man with brown hair and freckles.
The auctioneer waited for a moment before scanning the slave up and down.
“It seems our guests today have high standards.
Indeed, just by looking at him, I don’t feel like buying him either.
Haha.
Shall I show him a bit more?”
With a gesture from the auctioneer, the man hesitantly removed his clothes.
His well-built physique caused some women to cheer in admiration.
Eventually, the man was sold for 120 gold to a shy young lady.
Both the seller and the buyer seemed content.
Garam watched with satisfaction but then turned her attention back to the stage as the next item was presented.
Trigger found Garam’s interest in the auction quite entertaining.
Her initial hesitancy had transformed into genuine fascination, as the auctioneer’s charisma and the diverse array of people on display provided excellent entertainment.
As the auction continued, Garam’s aversion to the concept of slavery gradually faded into the background.
“Alright, the sale of ten ordinary slaves has concluded.
Now, let me introduce a special slave.
By ‘special slave,’ we mean someone with exceptional abilities and appearance.
This item is a contract slave, for three years, capable of intermediate water magic.
A wizard slave isn’t that rare, right?
They often appear to cover research expenses.
However, a water wizard is the best companion for your travels, as he can draw water from anywhere!”
The slave being introduced had a calm expression as he looked around.
His quite neat appearance and serene brown eyes were quite impressive.
“As a special slave, we’ll start at 500 gold, with increments of 100 gold.”
Unlike the earlier sale of ordinary slaves, as soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, someone swiftly raised his board.
“Yes, 500 gold!”
Even before the 500 gold bidder’s board was lowered, someone else raised his board.
600 gold, 700 gold, 800 gold, and so on, the price started skyrocketing.
In the end, the special slave was sold to a man for a staggering 8,000 gold.
“Next, please don’t be surprised.
We have a rare female Asian slave!
Not just a temporary one, but a permanent slave.
She was caught trying to stow away on a ship yesterday.
It appears she had no money to return home.
It’s a pity, but a crime is a crime, right?
This Asian woman who became a slave just yesterday starts at 3,000 gold, with increments of 500 gold!”
Garam unconsciously began to rise from her seat, but Trigger quickly grabbed her to prevent her from standing up.
Although Garam wasn’t an Asian of that world herself, she couldn’t help but feel moved.
The slave, unlike the contract slaves introduced earlier, had a look of despair in her eyes.
Once she becomes a slave there, the chances of returning to her homeland become nearly impossible.
The bidding quickly surpassed 10,000 gold and was nearing 20,000 gold.
With that much money, there was no way the slave could buy her freedom.
The slave’s eyes had already filled with resignation as she gazed upon the boiling auction house, which stirred Garam’s emotions.
Moreover, the appearance of the slave resembled Garam so much that it felt like she was looking at herself.
“She’s a young female Asian slave.
It’s not uncommon.
Sometimes, you can’t help but end up as a slave.
The money earned from the sale goes to the city and the victim: in this case, the captain of the ship that the slave tried to stow away on.”
“What about the slave herself?”
“She becomes the property of the buyer.
Typically, if the slave accumulates enough money from her owner, she can buy her freedom.
However, since slaves can’t earn money themselves…”
The young girl, barely twenty, looked pitiable.
Her eyes were soaked with fear and despair.
It was far from a pleasant sight.
Although Garam hadn’t grown up on the same continent as her, their similar appearances made her feel a sense of kinship.
She couldn’t help but think that her feelings of despair and resignation mirrored her own situation.
Unconsciously, Garam’s hand clenched the board and raised it.
By the time she realized it, the auctioneer had already called out her number.
“Number 88!
32,000 gold!”