As soon as the three of them were seated in the hall, the women in the brothel lined up, their eyes fixed on Slade, eager for involvement.
A curvaceous woman stepped forward, plopped down beside the scrawny man, and grabbed his ear, twisting it sharply.
"Ouch...ouch, Grandma, be gentle! It's going to fall off!"
"You little rascal, what did you say earlier? It's been so long since you last visited! I bet you've got someone out there, don't you?"
"Grandma, how could I... I've got a gang's mission to attend to..."
Slade couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the scrawny man being completely subdued by this plump woman. It seemed that a fierce struggle wouldn't be enough to satisfy her today.
Slade wondered how the scrawny guy could possibly withstand her force.
Quickly scanning the other women in the room, Slade noticed they were heavily made up, making it hard to distinguish their features.
"Bring in the next batch."
The words left Slade's mouth with such ease that they stunned everyone.
No one had expected him to express such boldness, nor to disregard the beautiful women before him so casually.
The matron hesitated for a moment before signaling for them to leave.
The new batch was much younger, around Slade's age, but their heavy makeup made them look out of place.
A girl stepped forward, dressed provocatively, her makeup almost masking the innocence and fear in her eyes. She kept her head lowered as she walked in.
Slade's eyes widened slightly. Despite the new makeup, he immediately recognized her as the girl who had helped him in the cage.
The girl's gaze met Slade's, and for a brief moment, there was a flash of surprise in her eyes. Then, her expression brightened, her eyes locking onto him.
Without hesitation, Slade called out to her.
She timidly approached, sitting beside him, unsure of what to do with her hands and feet.
Slade idly played with the wine glass in front of her before casually asking, "What's your name?"
"Mary, sir... my name is Mary..."
The girl seemed nervous but answered quickly.
"Good. You'll be following me from now on."
Seeing the choices had been made, the matron turned her attention to the other man, who shook his head.
"Just take care of these two brothers for today. Put everything on our boss's tab. We'll settle it later."
With that, he bowed slightly to Slade and the other man.
"Brothers, get some rest. The casino needs to be watched over, so I'll report back now."
As the man left, the scrawny guy mumbled, "Wait for me when you're done," before being dragged upstairs by the plump woman.
Slade smirked. Who does he think he is?
If I give my all, he'll be here all night.
Now that Slade had removed his biggest obstacle, he wasted no time and turned to the matron.
"Old woman, I'm tired. Find me a room to rest in."
"Oh, and I prefer a room with a nice view. Something facing the street."
The matron's eyes lit up at his request.
"Ah, so lord Slade has a special taste. Truly extraordinary."
"Mary, take lord Slade to the room on the second floor facing the street. Make sure to take good care of him."
Mary nodded silently and led him to one of the rooms upstairs.
As soon as they entered, tears welled up in the girl's eyes.
"Sir... please, save me... I'll do anything. This place... it's no place for a human being..."
Slade looked at her tear-streaked face, pitying her, but his heart remained unmoved.
His recent "loan sharking" ventures had shattered countless families, torn apart countless wives and children. Mary's pain didn't stir his compassion.
But he needed her to cover for him.
"Want to leave?" Slade's voice softened further. "I can help, but you'll have to do as I say."
"I'll do anything you ask!" she responded, nodding frantically.
"I'll find a way for you to escape later. Even if you make noise, it will buy us at least an hour, understand?"
The girl trembled slightly but her eyes grew determined. "I... I understand!"
Let me know if you need any more changes!
"Don't say a word to anyone about this. If you do, I'll come back to free you when I return. But if anyone finds out..."
Slade's gaze turned ice-cold.
"You know what the consequences are."
"I swear! I'd rather die than tell!" The girl clutched Slade's arm tightly, as though it was her only lifeline.
Slade nodded, trying to pull his arm away, but Mary held on desperately, terrified of losing her only hope.
With a sigh, Slade reached into his waist pouch and pulled out three coins.
They were gold.
He placed the three coins in her hands, offering soft reassurance, "Don't worry. As long as I'm alive, I will come back for you."
"Take these three coins first. Even if I don't return, you'll have a way to free yourself."
Without waiting for Mary to respond, he abruptly yanked his arm free. He quickly rose, crossing to the window. The second floor wasn't far from the ground, and an eave provided support below.
Making sure no one was watching, Slade nimbly vaulted over the window and landed lightly on the eaves. He then sprinted along the edge, jumping onto a low wall before landing on the ground.
Without hesitation, Slade lowered his head and melted into the crowd, moving swiftly toward the city lord's mansion.
"Wizard, I'm here!"
Mary's surprised voice echoed behind him, growing louder as he made his escape. Her shouts were high-pitched and melodious at times...
It even made the scrawny boy next door feel somewhat embarrassed.
Young people, so full of energy.
As Mary yelled, she suddenly recalled a conversation she had overheard among her sisters about the wizard apprenticeship.
Could it be that Lord Slade had gone to take the test?
The thought of the mysterious and powerful wizard made her heart race.
Could she... take the test as well?
Mary, who was around Slade's age, had never dared dream of becoming a noble wizard. But seeing Slade go to such lengths sparked a flicker of hope in her.
Should she try?
Placing hope in others may not be as reliable as taking control of her own future.
If Slade doesn't come back, will the three gold coins really be enough to buy her freedom?
Those ruthless men would never let her go so easily.
Her thoughts made up, Mary made a decision.
Her screams grew louder, reaching a high pitch before abruptly stopping. The room fell silent.
Then, Mary gripped the three gold coins tightly in her hand, mimicking Slade. She leaped out of the window, only to twist her ankle upon landing.
She bit back the pain, not daring to make a sound, and limped toward the city lord's mansion.
In a narrow alley, a little beggar, who had been waiting, quickly handed her a package.
With the hood pulled tight, he weaved through the crowd, his heart pounding with tension.
The journey was uneventful; the one-eyed wolf wasn't as clever as he thought.
But… caution was always wise.
By the time he arrived at the city lord's mansion, only a few people remained in line.
Many older folks stood eagerly, watching the gate, waiting for their children to appear, much like parents waiting outside an exam hall, cheering on their kids.
Slade tried to calm his rapid breathing, following the queue of youths entering.
"Test fee, one gold coin," the guard said, his face unreadable, stopping Slade in his tracks.
Slade silently took out a gold coin from his pocket and handed it over.
The guard weighed it in his hand, then motioned for Slade to undergo inspection.
Another guard approached, his rough hands quickly patting down Slade's body. He soon pulled a poisoned dagger from the lining of Slade's robe.
It was a weapon Slade had prepared after the last assassination attempt but hadn't yet had to use.
"This... you can't bring this in." The guard sheathed the dagger, casting a sharp glance at Slade.
"Behave yourself once you're inside!"
Slade's heart skipped a beat at the guard's warning, but he kept his composure, nodding calmly. He had been careless, thankfully, he hadn't been disqualified from the test.
Losing his weapon left him uneasy, but there was no time to dwell on that now. The test was his top priority.
As Slade stepped into the main hall of the city lord's mansion, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. The once-mighty lord of Black Swamp City, who should have commanded respect, now stood humbly beside a person wearing an ordinary black robe, a smile on his face that was almost servile.
Behind them stood the Grand Knight, regarded as the strongest warrior in the city, now positioned respectfully like a servant, hands at his sides.
It was clear, the man in the black robe was the true figure of importance here, the legendary wizard.
Slade realized that the Grand Knight paled in comparison to the wizard.
His gaze was inevitably drawn to the black-robed figure.
This person was cloaked, but beneath the hood was not a human face. Instead, a swirling mass of thick black mist obscured any features.
Slade felt a wave of dizziness, as if his very soul was being drawn into the darkness. He quickly turned away, horrified. Was this the power of a wizard?
Just a glance had nearly overwhelmed him, how much more powerful must he be in combat?
In another corner of the hall stood five young men and women, impeccably dressed. Their faces radiated barely concealed excitement and a sense of superiority as they observed the test, clearly the ones who had passed the previous day's trials.
The queue was short, and the testing process was swift.
The test itself was simple. Each participant placed their hand on a crystal ball, and the black-robed wizard's hoarse voice would announce the results with no emotion:
"No talent inclination, mental strength 6, failed."
"Inferior water affinity talent, mental strength 5, failed."
"No talent, mental strength 7, failed..."
One by one, hopeful boys and girls stepped forward, only to retreat with ashen faces. The pass rate was extraordinarily low.
Slade felt a cold sweat forming on his palms.
The test was based purely on talent, no one knew their result until it was revealed.
"Next."
A cold voice called; it was his turn.
Slade took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm, and stepped forward.
He could feel the gazes of the failed candidates behind him and the scrutinizing, slightly disdainful looks from the five apprentices standing next to the black-robed wizard.
Suppressing all his thoughts, Slade pressed his slightly trembling right hand firmly onto the cold surface of the crystal ball.