Slave Trade

Joseph stepped up to one of the staff and asked to be led to the Head Merchant. The staff member clicked his tongue in annoyance.

'Why must I be the one who deals with pests? Look at what this fellow is wearing... The clothes of a young master but shabby. He even has the eyes of a villain. It's obvious his not well-liked. He might as well be a peasant. Still... I can't afford to be mistaken. Better to play it safe for now.'

"You want to meet Mr. Barnes? Have you scheduled an appointment ahead of time? If so, I need a certificate stating he has agreed."

"No."

"This guy doesn't have that type of ability."

Joseph and Milly said together. Joseph then gave her a look, which she 'hmphed' at before staying quiet.

'This guy is definitely not worth Mr. Barnes' time.'

The staff member thought.

"How about letting me help you out instead. There shouldn't be anything I can't do that needs bothering Mr. Barnes for."

Joseph nodded, and the staff member escorted him to where all the cheapest slaves were shown on display.

Each one was filthy, in rags that barely kept their modesty, chains to tie the hands and feet, and plagued with foul odors from countless days of unwashed.

It could be said that these slaves were the most worthless ones in the camp. But the staff member just smiled at the duo and explained.

"What we have here is the most affordable merchandise in the shop. Although they are all males, seeing as you already have a female servant accompanying you, these males are good for farm work, hunting, meat shielding, or anything that deals with labor.

"As a recommendation from the house, the one on the far left with long shaggy hair used to be a former martial artist. So he can become a good bodyguard if managed right."

Joseph skimmed over some before addressing the staff member.

"None of these are worth my time. Take me to the female selection."

'What is he aiming at? Is he trying to buy a replacement for me when Young Master Kyle comes looking for trouble? Hehe... that just means he will snatch us both, idiot!'

'This brat is "real" annoying.'

Milly and the staff member thought in contempt.

"Haha... Of course, of course!"

Once again, the staff led them to the cheapest area, but on the female selection side. Just like their counterparts, they were completely filthy. Some even had beating marks that were still healing or life-threatening.

"Ahem, ahem... These ladies..."

He paused on seeing how bad they were and took a second to come up with an excellent presentation that would highlight their favorable qualities.

"Although they look like this, they are all fantastic chefs, cleaners, maids, potential bed warmers, and with a few even being an acceptable Martial Companion. I'll give you a moment to look through and choose which one that most meets your standards."

'Hmph! What can this brat buy? I'll like to see if you can even afford just one of these goods.'

The staff member berated.

While the man spoke, Joseph did just that. He took a moment to study each one. From how they look, to how they sat, their condition, the look in their eyes, and more, his search was a thorough inspection.

'Whoa, these prices are insane. Just one of them is 20,000 silver coins. This is pure entertainment. This Third Young Master is about to make a fool out of himself.'

Milly gloated. However, Joseph took a very long time. It was so long that the staff member came back to figure out the problem.

'What is taking so long? Does he really possess the funds to buy even the cheapest slave? If not, I won't let this window shopper off lightly.'

The staff member declared inwardly.

"Customer, are you experiencing any difficulties with deciding? Perhaps if you tell me what you want in a slave, I can be of greater help."

Joseph shifted his cold gaze to the staff member momentarily, causing the man to shiver before setting his focus on the slaves again.

'This brat is a villain for sure. I have never seen such a look in my entire years.'

"No need. I already saw what I need to see. Is this the only slaves left after trading with Jade Dragon Pavilion? Or does your slave-trading shop have more?"

Joseph asked indifferently.

"Uh... we do have a few mid-grade quality slaves unsold, but that is it since we got a good deal with Jade Dragon Pavilion. But are you sure?

"These slaves' worth can easily go up to 250,000 silver coins, and you might be able to get them cheaper during an auction. Plus, I don't think even Burning Sky City's top families wouldn't feel the pinch after buying dozens of these."

'25-250,000?! That's robbery! This idiot Third Young Master is going to get us both in trouble if this keeps up.'

Milly panicked.

"Show m—"

"Thank you, kind sir, but we will come back later with extra money. Third Young Master, we should get going now."

"What?!"

The staff member was confused.

'Does this mean I was right all alone? Are they playing with me?'

Joseph also lost his patience.

"Do you think I will continue to let you off?"

He then asked the staff member,

"Do you have the authority to make trades regarding items that are goods rather than money?"

"Well... no, but I..."

"Nevermind then. Let me speak to someone who can make these trades or the Head Merchant."

An awkward smile formed on the staff's lips before he clasped his hands into a polite gesture to maintain a peaceful solution.

"Perhaps... does Mr. Barnes know you by chance? I can also use this to ask him if he'll mind seeing you?"

The staff member tried another approach. Although, the vein in his forehead was bulging rapidly.

"No, but my offer is more than enough to suffice."

The staff member snapped.

"Hah?! You think Mr. Barnes has time to humor every random cat and dog that comes by stirring up trouble?! Leave! Leave at once, or I will have our security remove you themselves. Mr. Barnes is a busy man who is currently in important meetings with the master of Jade Dragon Pavilion."

Within seconds of hearing shouting, the security guards came over, followed by a small crowd to see what was with the fuss.

"Mr. Jim, are these people causing trouble?"

"Yes! Of course! This nobody and his filthy cow are nuisances. They insist on making up lies about grand offers our trade can't refuse, and offending Mr. Barnes. Just look at him! There is nothing on him to make you believe this unreasonable request."

The staff member, now known as Jim said. But the crowd was also like-minded.

"He's right! They don't seem rich to me."

"Yeah, I agree."

"Wait! Isn't that Joseph Clouds? Did he already recover from Young Master Kyle's beating?"

"Who's the girl? Is she Joseph's new lover?"

"Wow, she has such poor taste in men."

The two guards that came over thought the same thing. They found nothing else to persuade them otherwise.

"You heard Mr. Jim, scram! Or we will break your legs and have you kowtow for 30 days and 30 nights."

"I guess it's over for them."

"Yeah... Today, Joseph is finished."

Upon listening to the crowd, Milly began to coward at their words. She then stumbled back, waving her hands frantically.

"Don't touch me! Don't come any nearer. I am Young Master Kyle's woman! I have nothing to do with this guy!"

She yelled.

"What?"

"So that's how it is, Young Master Kyle took another one."

"What do you expect? We are talking about Clouds Family's Third Young Master, after all."

"That's true."

Multiple consensuses traveled through the crowd. They all felt that this was just another typical day in Burning Sky City. Moreover, Joseph was infamous for letting Kyle walk all over him. So, nobody thought what she said was false.

"T-That's right! He doesn't have any money to buy anything here! I was just trying to warn him not to bite off more than he could chew. But he can't take a hint or listen. He even thinks I like him. So I will make it clear. Third Young Master, I don't associate with you in any way, shape, or form!"

For Joseph's part, his look remained unchanged. It was a cold stare. He then turned to the guards.

'6th Grade Iron Body? They are rather weak for a traveling merchant camp.'

Since they were only at this level, he was sure there were more still hidden but refusing to handle a mere 2nd Grade Iron Body troublemaker.

But just as he was preparing to handle them, a tall, heavy-set man entered the area. There were also two bodyguards at his side, emitting a strong aura of hostility. Each one was at the 7th Grade Silver Body level.

"Who dares makes trouble in my place?"

The tall, heavy-set man asked.

"M-Mr. Barnes! I'm truly sorry for not taking care of this sooner, sir. I will throw them out at once. Security! Get them both out of here! I don't care which family they're affiliated too."

"Yes!"

The two shouted. Joseph looked at the man who entered and addressed him, ignoring the guards approaching.

"You are Mr. Barnes? I want to make a trade with your shop."

"Halt!"

The tall, heavy-set man called Mr. Barnes said. He analyzed Joseph for a minute, searching for a clue to where he was gaining such confidence from before nodded his head in agreement.

"That is correct. But I don't seem to recall who you might be. But careful. If your answer doesn't satisfy me, you can't leave here in one piece."

'Tsk! You are going to get it now, brat.'

Jim rejoiced.

Joseph didn't care what they thought since he felt it was irrelevant. Instead, he unclasped his hands from behind his back and gestured to where Milly stood, glaring and panicking.

"Joseph. And I want to trade my servant for a more obedient one. Female only."

Once he said this, the realization came upon Milly. The reason why Joseph could shop so leisurely was that he had planned to sell her from the very beginning.

"Y-y-you... animal! You can't sell me! I'm Young Master Kyle's woman. I'm not your servant anymore!"

"You heard her. This brat was telling lies earlier too. So I'm not surprised to discover this."

'Go on! I want to see you wheeze your way out of this.'

Jim added and snarled inwardly.

Barnes stroked his long grey-haired chin in thought. His eyes centered onto Joseph, and then he 'hmmed.'

"Is this true?"

He asked one of his staff members. For a brief time, there was silence before one shook their head negatively.

"No, sir. She wears servant clothes that are linked to being a member of Clouds Family."

She whispered. Jim, who overheard her, paled.

'Oh no! This filthy cow is going to drag me down with her. I must redeem myself somehow.'

Barnes was relaxed, however. He had met many predicaments where people sold the traitors of their families.

Moreover, because the girl claimed to be a part of another family despite being sheltered by Clouds Family, it was only reasonable to get rid of her.

"I see. Still, this doesn't cancel out the disturbance you created. At best, when I add the fact that she is still pure, this servant girl is only worth the same as a low-quality slave. And you are asking for a better one?"

Barnes explained and asked. Joseph calmly dismissed his claims.

"No."

He then swiftly moved behind Milly and tapped her on the base of her neck, knocking her unconscious.

"What is he doing?"

"Did he go crazy?"

"I don't know."

Disregarding the noise, Joseph placed her on the floor and continued.

"Check her constitution thoroughly. This should be more than enough to suffice for any slave here."

"Constitution? Are you staying, she has a rare constitution?"

Barnes questioned, bending down to verify for himself whether Joseph's claims were valid. All the while, Jim just laughed in disdain.

"Rubbish! Complete and utterly rubbish! Listen, smelly brat. Do you understand how unusual it is to have a rare constitution? Let me make it clear. Let's not just talk about this city. In this entire North Province, the number of people born with such a rarity can be counted on a single hand.

"That means, in an entire country, there are no more than five people! Five! And you think in a small place like Burning Sky City, there would be one?"

Jim stated arrogantly. He soon turned toward Barnes.

"Mr. Barnes! It's okay not to humor this brat any longer. I understand you're a dignified person. But when regarding a lost case, I think it's best to put them in their place."

Jim reasoned happily. However, there was no response from Barnes for an extended period. It left Jim very confused.

'What is wrong now? Does he want to save that brat's face or something? I can't allow that!'

With heated determination, Jim walked over to check for himself.