Wizards: Starting with Fairy Crests

027: The Slave Market

The next day, at the slave market in Armor Rock.

Originally, the matter of purchasing slaves could have been left to the old butler Martin. Since that human count had thought of avoiding suspicion, he shouldn't be foolish enough to plant spies among the slaves to spy on him.

However, Lin Qi still felt a sense of novelty upon arriving in the human world of this plane for the first time. In addition, he also wanted to see if there were any good items among the slaves that could assist him in his experiments.

So in the end, I decided to make the trip myself.

Before even stepping into the area enclosed by the tall wooden fence, a mixed stench assaulted the senses: the stench of sweat, excrement, and rotting straw, along with a deeper, more inescapable, oppressive smell of despair and numbness.

The noise was even more intense. Vendors shouted and boasted at the top of their lungs:

"Come and see! Strong northern barbarians, capable of both work and guarding the house!"

"A delicate island girl, skilled in singing and dancing; she will never disappoint her owner!"

The buyers' critical discussions, rough inspections, and haggling, the occasional crack of whips, and the rattling of chains dragging on the ground all combined to create a jarring, unsettling background noise.

Lynch strolled slowly through the noisy, smelly market, with his old butler Martin following close behind, slightly bowing as he quietly and clearly described the characteristics and general market prices of the "goods" in different areas.

Lin Qi mostly listened in silence, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the numb or trembling faces.

His needs were clear: his first choice was a bodyguard.

He didn't need fancy moves, nor did he expect these mortals to be able to fight real threats, but at least he needed strong, able-bodied men who could carry out simple commands and serve as a basic deterrent.

He lingered a little longer in front of several fences holding prisoners of war or bankrupt mercenaries.

"That one, the one with the scar on his left hand." Lin Qi pointed to a brown-haired man leaning against a wooden stake, who, even though he was bound by chains, instinctively straightened his back and cautiously observed his surroundings.

Martin immediately stepped forward to negotiate with the trafficker, examined his teeth and old injuries, and ordered him to move his hands and feet.

Ultimately, Lynch selected six male slaves, aged between twenty-five and forty, all of whom had some combat experience or at least a strong physique.

Martin negotiated a price of 9 gold coins per person for these relatively "high-quality" male slaves.

Secondly, there were servants.

These slaves were primarily selected by Martin based on his experience. They needed to be honest, hardworking, quick-witted, and healthy men and women to handle the plantation's daily cleaning, maintenance, and kitchen chores. Lynch merely glanced at them and nodded.

They ultimately selected four middle-aged female slaves who appeared kind and capable of managing household chores; three younger male slaves responsible for heavy work such as carrying and chopping wood; and two relatively clever and handsome young men and women who, after simple training, could serve as indoor attendants and messengers.

There were nine people in total. The price for each of these ordinary servants ranged from 5 to 7 gold coins, depending on their age, health, and whether they possessed basic skills.

Martin displayed his seasoned butler skills, engaging in subtle but firm bargaining with the slave traders until a final price was agreed upon.

Six male guards, totaling 54 gold coins; nine ordinary servants, totaling 58 gold coins. A total of 112 gold coins.

Martin counted out the corresponding amount of gold coins from his money bag and handed them to the dealers. The dealers counted the money and quickly completed a simple "transfer of ownership" deed.

The expenditure of over a hundred gold coins in exchange for fifteen people who were completely subordinate to him and whose lives and deaths were in his hands was, undeniably, incredibly cheap.

But that's just how the world is.

Human society in the wizarding world is still in a rather backward stage of development, roughly equivalent to the primitive Middle Ages on Earth.

Hunger, disease, famine, war...

In such times, human life is extremely cheap, and humans are no different from livestock.

These slaves were lucky to be bought by Lynch; many slaves couldn't be sold due to their appearance or physical condition, and ultimately met their fate...

Slave traders aren't supported for nothing.

After purchasing the slaves, Lynch, accompanied by his old butler Martin, turned and headed towards the market exit. The fifteen newly purchased slaves followed behind them in a loose line, the slight clinking of chains mingling with the uneasy footsteps.

Just as they were about to pass through the last row of dilapidated wooden cages holding "unsold goods" and sick slaves, a thin, stained hand suddenly reached out from a gap in a nearby cage and tightly gripped the corner of Lynch's dark robe.

Lynch turned his head and saw a girl of about fifteen years old curled up in the low wooden cage.

She had dull, straw-like hair, a pale face, and her light gray eyes were fixed on Lin Qi, filled with despair, pleading, and a desperate madness.

"My lord...please...buy me...I can do anything..." The girl's voice was dry and hoarse, as if she hadn't drunk water in a long time, with a tremor, but it was unusually clear.

"Damn bastard! Who told you to reach out!" The slave owner's face changed drastically. He rushed forward, cursing, and lashed out with his rough leather whip, which whistled through the air, at the girl's outstretched arm in the cage!

"Snapped!"

The whip grazed the cage bars but still struck the girl's wrist, leaving a glaring red mark. The girl winced in pain, but her hand didn't completely loosen its grip on Lin Qi's clothes; instead, it tightened its grip until her knuckles turned white.

The slave owner hurriedly turned to Lynch, forcing a fawning smile and bowing repeatedly: "Your Excellency, I'm so sorry! I've disturbed you! This is a jinx, a cursed woman nobody wanted, and she's still not quite right in the head. I'll teach her a lesson right away!"

As he spoke, he raised the whip again.

Lin Qi's face remained expressionless. He merely glanced casually at the hem of his clothes that was being gripped before turning around and continuing to walk forward.

Seeing that Lin Qi had no intention of pursuing the matter or buying it, the slave owner breathed a sigh of relief, but then his anger turned into even greater rage.

He cursed and opened the cage door, crawled inside, grabbed the girl's straw-like hair, dragged her to the center of the cage, and began to lash her indiscriminately with the leather whip in his hand.

"Slap! Slap!"

"You jinx who brought death to your parents! You plague god who brings misfortune wherever you go! How dare you offend our honored guest?!" The slave owner cursed as he beat the girl, the whip striking her frail body with a dull thud.

The girl curled up, biting her lip, no longer pleading, but only staring intently at Lin Qi's receding figure over the abuser's shoulder with her light gray eyes.

"I've sold you three times! Three times! The buyers either had family troubles or were just unlucky! Now even the lowest-class brothel won't take you because they think you're bad luck!" The slave owner got angrier and angrier as he spoke: "You still dare to dream that a noble person will buy you?"

"I'm telling you, if nobody wants you, you'll just rot here to die, or be thrown to feed the stray dogs!"

Seeing that the whip was about to fall, the girl quickly covered her head in fear and curled up, but the painful whip did not come for a long time.

She instinctively opened her eyes and saw only a hand grabbing the whip the slave trader had raised.

The girl noticed that the distinguished guest, who had just walked away, had somehow returned, now holding the slave trader's whip in one hand and looking at her with the eyes of someone who had discovered some kind of treasure.

Lin Qi asked疑惑地问道：“You just said... what is this little girl? A jinx?”