chapter 18

"Alex, which type of slave do you plan to select? You have a wide range. I remember father also bought Robert (Sam's slave) for around 4 silver coins, and he was at the middle of E rank at that time," Sam asked while walking.

"I don't know well. I think a girl around my age would be nice. I will ask my parents to teach her about chores, while I will train her," Alex replied.

"But it would be nice to have a slave stronger than you," Roy added.

Alex and his friends entered the room located in the corner of the third floor. The room was decorated with paintings and well-furnished. They then sat on the sofa and pressed the button on the table. After some time, they saw an old female slave arriving.

"Sir, how can I help you?" the slave asked.

Alex then took out the token given by the slave on the ground floor with '4' written on it.

"We would like to select a slave," Alex said.

The slave received it and examined it. "Okay, sir. What type of slave would you like? We have many slaves in the range of your reward."

"I don't know what types of slaves are available. I would like to see them, and then I can decide on what to choose," Alex replied.

"Sir, in your price range, we have 50+ slaves available. Among them, there are 25 small girls aged 5 to 12 with some basic education but no rank. They range from worth 1 to 2 silver. Then we have some girls of the same age who are F-ranked, worth 3 to 4 coins. We also have some older women with criminal pasts, worth 4 silver each. They have fighting experience and mostly peak F rank. Lastly, we have a woman of E rank. Which section would you like to visit first?"

"Hmm, let's start from the strongest one, shall we?" Alex said after some contemplation.

"Okay, sir. Please follow me."

They then followed her for some time until they arrived at a prison-type structure. There, they saw many rooms. They stopped near a dark room, and the slave used a card to light up the room. Inside, they saw a woman restricted by chains.

"Excuse me, can you tell us some information about her?" Alex asked.

"Yes, sir. She is 43 years old. She was part of a bandit group, and after being caught, she was turned into a slave. According to our data, she is very ruthless. She is not a virgin and is at a low E rank."

"Let's see the other ones," Roy suggested.

After some time, they arrived in a different section where there were many rooms with beds. Among them, there was a room with books, and many girls were doing their jobs—some were reading, and some were playing.

"Excuse me, why were those previous slaves in cells and these are not?" Roy asked, a question in which Alex was also curious.

"Sir, the previous slaves were criminals, so they were punished. Their living environment is different. If we let them out with others, we risk losing one or two slaves. These slaves here are some children with very bad luck. According to the kingdom's rules, slaves who are not criminals should not be put under harsh conditions. If we provide books to them, their prices increase. They don't know how to fight, but they can at least provide some time for the owner to escape in dangerous situations."

While talking, they arrived on a stage.

"Girls, if your price is lower than 4 coins, assemble near the stage according to your prices."

In a few seconds, there were three groups of girls assembled near the stage. From above, they could see each one of them. There were also some demi-humans too.

In the crowd, Alex noticed a girl with silver hair and purple eyes. She looked very innocent. He pointed at her and asked, "Can you tell me your name?"

The girl got nervous and lowered her head, answering, "My name is Ayelet."

"Can we talk for a bit?" Alex asked the slave.

"Yes, sir, but you can't force her to answer what she doesn't want to share."

Roy and Sam were discussing something while walking.

After some time, Alex and Ayelet were alone in a room. One side of this room had a big glass window, and on the other side of the window, Roy, Sam, and the establishment's slave were looking at them. They could only see Alex and Ayelet.

Alex sat on the sofa and asked her to sit on the opposite sofa. "Hi, Ayelet. My name is Alex. What is your age?"

"I turned 8 this year," Ayelet replied.

Alex didn't hide that he was interested in her. "Do you have a family or someone close to you outside the slave market?"

He waited, but no reply came.

"Sorry, if it's not easy to answer. Do you have any problems, questions, or conditions for being bought?"

Noticing that Alex was polite with her, Ayelet looked at him.

"Sir, why did you select me? I was only worth 3 silver, and I am not good at training."

"Look, don't take me for a creep, but I am very interested in your eyes and silver hair. You stood out like a sore thumb in that crowd."

"But I am only at level 2 of F rank."

"Now, let's change the topic. Do you have any problem coming with me? Look, I'm not that rich. My father is a farmer. I just won the lottery, which my friends asked me to participate in."

"No, sir, but I have a request."

"Okay, then tell me. If it's possible, I will try."

"Sir, could you also buy my friend with me?"