Pathfinder
Chapter Twenty-four
‘Already, in the time I briefly looked away, has the price gone up so much?’
Although Garam was a little surprised by the fact that she had actually participated in the auction, and once again by the price, she did not cancel her bid.
It was because the slave girl’s lifeless eyes had found hope when they landed on Garam.
“Number 32!
32,500 gold!
Number 32, 33,000 gold!”
Hope was short-lived as other bidders rushed to join the auction, and the slave’s face became anxious.
Garam couldn’t ignore those clinging stares.
As the price climbed to 37,000 gold, people began to give up slowly.
The last bidder to win was a young man who seemed to be of a high-ranking noble background.
His noble and handsome face wore a satisfied smile.
“Number 82!
37,000 gold.
From now on, the unit is 1,000 gold.
Next bid, 38,000 gold!
38,000 gold, anyone?”
The auction hall fell silent.
The slave girl, with a blood-drained face, kept glancing back and forth between Garam and the man.
Following her gaze, the man looked at Garam and appeared somewhat surprised.
Typically, Asians didn’t have that much money.
Even if they did bring a substantial amount, they would often be swindled the moment they arrived on the continent, leaving them penniless or losing all their money during currency exchange.
Moreover, language barriers made it impossible to even complain if they were scammed.
Garam smiled reassuringly at the slave girl, conveying that she shouldn’t worry.
Then she raised her panel.
“Number 88!
38,000 gold!
It’s a beautiful Asian lady!
Are you friends?
You both seem to have interesting stories!
Oh, number 82, 39,000 gold!
Number 88, 40,000 gold!
40,000 gold it is!
Now, number 82, 41,000!
Number 88, 42,000!
What a fiery contest!
And meanwhile, number 82 bids 43,000!”
As the man put down his board, Garam picked up hers again.
The price kept jumping.
In an instant, it broke through 50,000, 60,000, and 80,000 gold.
Garam had 180,000 gold in mithril coins in her pocket, but she couldn’t help but worry if it might still fall short, so she turned around and glanced at Trigger.
“Trigger, I only have one 180,000 gold in cash.
Can I pay in physical items here?”
“You can.
If you want, you can auction it off on the spot, or you can call in a professional merchant to sell it.”
Trigger looked at Garam’s face, burning with competitive spirit, with delight.
Garam felt embarrassed and coughed awkwardly, recalling her attitude before entering the auction hall.
She was ashamed that even though she had acted as if she would never participate, she was currently more eager than anyone in the auction hall.
Still, even at that moment, her hand mechanically raised the board.
“Number 88!
100,000!
It’s 100,000!” The auctioneer almost shouted.
With 0.1% of the money being given to him, it was enough for him to get excited.
The bidder number eighty-two briefly glanced at Garam, confirming her resolute expression, before lowering his board.
No matter how wealthy she might be, she still wouldn’t have as much money as him.
He might win if he pushed harder, but for some reason, it felt like he was becoming the villain, leaving a bad taste in his mouth.
When he finally gave up, the slave’s expression brightened, as if a flower had bloomed.
The nobleman let out a bitter sigh, wearing a somewhat remorseful expression.
It seemed like he could make a lot of money through intercontinental trade, so maybe he should pushed it a bit harder.
However, the deal was already done, and the next slave was stepping onto the stage.
“Congratulations.
Settle the payment when you leave.”
“Okay.
Oh, but don’t smile.
Why do you keep smiling?”
“Just because.”
Garam coughed awkwardly at Trigger’s beaming face.
The next slave was a former knight, a swordsman.
His indifferent expression made him seem like he had experienced all the storms of the world.
His sapphire eyes and faded blond hair looked as if they belonged to a masterpiece that had been casually handled.
“It seems he was betrayed by his master.
It’s not uncommon for those who keep their master’s illegal orders to end up like this.
If he’s a lowly knight with no noble family behind him, it’s even more common.”
Contract slaves were more expensive the longer the contract was and the better their abilities were.
Non-contract slaves were generally priced at least five times higher than contract slaves.
The price of the knight had suddenly jumped to 20,000 gold.
Though he might be considered a lower-tier knight to the point of being disposable, considering his price was 20,000 gold, Garam realized she had paid an exorbitant amount for the Asian slave she had purchased for 100,000 gold.
Watching the knight being sold to a wealthy merchant, Garam couldn’t help but feel a bitter taste in her mouth.
It was still awkward, but she had to admit that the institution of slavery had proven to be very useful to her then.
“The next slave is a two-year contract slave.
He has basic water magic skills, though they say his magical abilities are not exceptional.
He also has experience as a musician as a side job.
This unique mage slave is a well-traveled twenty-nine-year-old man, starting at 1,000 gold.
The bidding unit is 500 gold.”
With his platinum-like hair and kind-looking green eyes, he made quite an impression.
The man even had the leisure to shake hands with the bidders, clearly enjoying the auction.
The mages Garam had seen at the bank all had stern expressions and didn’t seem receptive to humor, so he was quite different.
The current price for the man was 5,000 gold.
“Buy that one.”
“Huh?”
“If you’re going to buy a slave, get that one.
He seems more like a traveler than a mage.
We can’t expect combat abilities, but he’ll be useful on the journey.
Mages like him are rare.
Are you buying?”
It’s said that the first choice is always the most difficult one to make.
Since Garam had already purchased the Asian lady, she didn’t feel any particular resistance and nodded.
Raising her board, she joined the bidding at 5,500 gold.
She examined the man closely.
As Garam raised her board, he turned his eyes and gave her a warm smile.
His face was quite attractive, causing Garam’s cheeks to flush slightly.
“5,500 gold!
Do we have more?
Oh, 6,000 gold!
The Asian lady bids 6,500 gold!
Oh, it seems he’s giving up!
Sold to bidder number 88 for 6,500 gold!”
Whistles erupted from all around.
Garam received a multitude of gazes but remained silently focused on the stage.
Her expression was stoic, but inside, she let out a sigh, feeling remorseful that she had ended up buying people with money like this.
Still, she was relieved she hadn’t purchased a permanent slave.
Afterward, several more slaves passed by, but none caught Garam and Trigger’s eye.
As Garam was getting tired, the auctioneer, who had previously relived his thirst with water, then calmed down and spoke in a composed voice.
“Now, this is the last item today.
It’s a two-year contract warrior whose previous occupation is unknown.
I can already hear the excitement of our female bidders!
Yes, indeed, he’s very handsome, isn’t he?
But that’s not all there is to him.
This slave here holds the title of a Wyvern Slayer, which is only given to skilled swordmen.
It’s incredibly rare for a swordsman of this caliber to become a mercenary.
Yes, there are some men among the bidders who were about to leave but have now taken a seat again.
Suitable for dueling, escorting, and more!
However, he refuses to follow orders of a sexual nature.
Ladies, I’m afraid you’ve missed out.
The starting price for this skilled slave is 10,000 gold.”
Sighs of regret filled the air at the mention of not being able to use him for sexual purposes.
The male slave who appeared on stage gave a disdainful glance for that and wore an indifferent expression at the men who were excitedly raising their hands.
At the mention of a Wyvern Slayer, the men who had come to purchase the gladiator slaves and those who looked like knights themselves joined the competitive bidding.
The price quickly soared from 10,000 to 20,000, then 30,000 gold.
It was an exceptionally high price for a contract slave.
Even Trigger had an interested expression as he watched the slave.
Garam couldn’t help but ask a question.
“What is a Wyvern Slayer?”
“Literally, it’s a person who caught a wyvern.”
“Is it really that difficult to catch it?”
“It’s incredibly difficult.
Their skin is tougher than stone, and they are exceptionally sturdy.
A wyvern could easily carry you away with a single footstep, given your size.
He might not have caught the wyvern alone, but still, being able to face a wyvern requires exceptional skills as a swordsman.
If he were of noble birth, he might have served at the Emperor’s side.”
Upon hearing that explanation, Garam didn’t admire the man’s skill so much as she felt overwhelmed by the fact that such creatures existed in that world.
She began to deeply contemplate her own safety.
Come to think of it, there had been those cockroach-like creatures earlier, and it seemed like that world was home to many monsters.
Her thoughts were profound, but the decision time was short.
She grabbed the board.
If such dangerous creatures existed, the problem could be solved by hiring the person who had caught them.
“You said it’s possible to pay in items, didn’t you?”
Thinking of the jewel rings in her backpack, even one of them would be enough.
Selling them all would yield more than a million gold.
Trigger nodded.
“One should be sufficient.
It seems you’re not familiar with these, but that level of rings is quite rare.
Even nobles might not easily purchase them.”
“Oh, right.
How much do people here earn?”
“Commoners typically earn one to ten gold per month.
Guardsmen for the palace are said to receive around 3,000 gold.
But even then, with that amount, they are considered nobles, and they don’t need to worry much about their monthly wages, as they have taxes from their estates.”
A year there was equivalent to ten months, which meant their annual salary was 30,000 gold.
In that case, the amount Garam had was an enormous sum.
She has spent the monthly wages of ten thousand commoners to purchase an Asian lady.
Garam realized what she had done and was momentarily speechless.
However, she continued to raise the bid to 80,000 gold.
It felt as if some kind of wasting deity was guiding her hand.
In the end, Garam won the man for 120,000 gold.
The last person who had competed with her was a well-dressed nobleman.
With indigo hair, he gave Garam a sidelong glance, sighed, and stood up.
By that point, many people had left the auction, leaving less than twenty people present.
The man who had been competing with Garam until the end approached her, passing through empty seats.
Garam was somewhat surprised as she noticed him getting closer.
“What are you planning to do with him?
He stated that he won’t accept any orders of a sexual nature.”
His dark navy hair and deep sea-blue eyes were strikingly beautiful.
Apart from that, his facial features alone were attractive.
Garam, who had been momentarily captivated by his appearance, snapped back to reality, realizing the intention of the man’s question.
“What a rude question it is.
I intended to use him as a guard, but what were you thinking?”
The man, blushing slightly after seeing Garam’s sharp gaze at him, quickly apologized.
He realized he had overstepped his bounds.
Garam, taken aback by his unexpected apology, accepted it with some surprise.
It seemed that, despite being a noble, he wasn’t particularly authoritative or haughty.
“Nevertheless, I can’t give up hope until the end.
Who knows, perhaps he might choose me.
Let’s go.”
It had been mentioned that the contract slave could choose one of the three top bidders.
Even if Garam won the bid at a high price, if the contract slave chose a bidder with a lower offer, he would still go to that bidder.
Although she would feel disappointed if she couldn’t purchase him, Garam nodded and followed him.
Trigger followed closely behind.
As they walked, Garam casually reached into her belt pouch and retrieved two rings.
She didn’t want anyone to see her take them out in front of people, so she pretended to scratch her stomach and produced the rings.
Garam then slid the rings onto her fingers and concealed her hand inside her sleeve.
Since only her fingertips were visible, the rings didn’t attract attention.
Without realizing it, Garam had developed a habit of avoiding people’s gazes and making sure not to stand out.
The man walked confidently, seemingly familiar with the auction house, as there was no guide accompanying them.
Upon opening a door that seemed like an emergency exit next to the auction hall, a long corridor reminiscent of a grand hotel was revealed.
The shadows of the three people stretched and danced in the soft light of the lamps.
“Oh, Ms.
Bidder number 88!
This way, please.
I was just about to come and fetch you, but you arrived first!”
As they walked a couple of steps down the corridor, a man suddenly emerged from a door on the right.
He greeted them warmly as if he had been waiting for them.
The man appeared to be around thirty years old.
He led Garam into the room he had emerged from.
Inside, there was a simple yet tastefully decorated reception area.
Inside the room, there were three slaves purchased by Garam and one middle-aged man who appeared to be a scholarly magician.
“Up close, you look even more beautiful!
Haha, do you like uranium tea?”
‘Did he just say uranium?’ Garam asked herself, raising an eyebrow in surprise, but quickly accepted it, thinking he wouldn’t give her radioactive tea.
“Yes, please.”
The man who had guided her left, and the magician-like man approached Garam.
Garam, Trigger, and the man who had competed with Garam took one side of the room, while on the opposite side, representatives from the auction house and the three other slaves sat down.
As they settled into their seats, the magician stood up and began the introductions.
“I am the payment magician Mayern.
This guy here is an appraiser.
We are here for those who wish to pay for physical items.
Are you paying in items?”
“Yes.”
A cup of tea was placed in front of her.
The tea had a slightly strange aroma, like a blend of smoke, mosquito repellent, and a faint scent of baked bread.
It was dry and had a somewhat savory fragrance, not exactly a flavor that one would crave.
“We’ve also prepared slime jerky as a snack.”
‘What strange things this person eats,’ Garam thought to herself.
The slime jerky was a translucent, chewy jelly-like substance that seemed like it had been dried out.
It wasn’t exactly something that appealed to her taste, so Garam decided to focus solely on the transaction.
“Now, before we proceed with the payment, since bidder number 45 is here, let’s have this contract slave make his selection first.
Please go ahead and make your choice.”
Upon hearing the magician’s words, Garam took a closer look at the slaves.
The Asian girl, who had briefly found solace in being sold to someone from her own region, still had an anxious expression on her face, knowing she was being sold as a slave.
The other two male slaves had expressions that were difficult to read.
One had a stoic face, while the other wore a soft smile, but their true emotions were inscrutable.
The warrior slave, after casting a few glances at Garam and the man sitting beside her, asked in a surprisingly low voice.
“What do you plan to use me for?”