Chapter 73 - Renid (4)

Losing the 1,400 Renin I had just borrowed in one go was not that difficult.

Everyone at our table was determined to fleece me, and as I played along, the betting amount swelled like a snowball.

The moment I received my last card, I was completely broke. The guys couldn't hide their laughter at my devastated expression.

“What happens to me now?”

“What do you mean what happens! You signed the contract, didn't you?”

“It said forfeiting my body. Don’t tell me……”

“Hey, don’t worry too much! If you’re sold to a good place, you won’t have to worry about starving.”

Then, the Lizardpa guys burst into loud laughter.

Although they couldn't recover all the money they had lost to me, selling me as a slave would bring in a much larger profit, so it wouldn't be a losing business for them.

With this, the fleecing of the pushover was complete.

A moment later, two burly enforcers appeared before me.

They bound both my arms and took me to Menyac, and from there, I was escorted down to a dark basement.

Kiiik—

As the iron door opened, a pungent air wafted out.

There were about thirty people already imprisoned there. They were victims who, like me, had failed to repay the money they borrowed from the house and had forfeited the rights to their bodies.

And among them must be Hans, the client’s son.

“What are you doing? If you’re here, you should introduce yourself first.”

Wherever people gathered, there were always ranks and hazing.

It was obvious that this bearded guy was the room chief.

“Forget it. Who here is Hans?”

I lightly ignored the bearded guy’s words.

For now, Hans’s whereabouts were the most important.

If by any chance he wasn't here, this request would be a wash.

“Why are you looking for me?”

A guy sitting in the corner, wearing a naive expression.

He resembled the client’s features perfectly; it was undoubtedly Hans.

“There you are. I’m glad you’re here.”

“What! Who the hell are you?”

The benefactor who came to save you. But there was something to be dealt with before that answer.

Because the bearded guy was approaching me with a very grim look.

“You, you bastard. You ignored my words?”

“Did you tell me to introduce myself?”

“Too late. You bastard!”

Immediately, the bearded guy’s fist flew at me.

To think he was trying to tame a newcomer even in this situation, there were all sorts of people in the world.

I tilted my head back slightly, and his fist, as big as a pot lid, cut through the air.

Then I immediately snatched his wrist and lightly bent it backward.

“Aaaargh!!”

“Did you ask for an introduction? I am Johan, the new room chief of this room. Let’s set my term for about two days.”

And I finished by twisting the bearded guy’s arm and knocking him down.

Thud!

The fallen bearded guy just looked up at me with a dazed face.

“Why? You got a problem with me being the room chief from now on?”

“No!”

“Clean.”

“Because you’re stronger than me. But I have one question.”

“What is it.”

“Why is the room chief’s term only two days?”

A good question.

I was about to tell them that anyway.

“Because in two days, we are all scheduled to be sold off as slaves.”

Of course, it was also the day of our liberation.

“In two days? How do you know that!”

“Beardo, from now on, don’t talk back to me. And everyone, start by thanking Hans over there. It’s thanks to Hans that you all will gain your freedom.”

“What does that mean!”

There was a lot to explain.

Then, for the remaining two days, I would have to conduct education for the liberation of the slaves.

***

Two days later. The slave auction house.

So far, none of the information I had obtained from torturing Zefa had been wrong.

Indeed, when torturing, it’s best not to hold back and do it properly to avoid any future trouble.

The guy was probably still lying unconscious in the abandoned building, but that was probably for the best.

At least when he woke up, he could run away to somewhere no one was around.

“Now! We have 750,000 Renin! Are there any more bids?”

The slave auction started with the women, so we men were waiting behind the stage.

By the way, 750,000 Renin, there were so many people in the world with money to burn.

Some were dragged to a slave auction like this for a mere 2,000 Renin.

“850,000.”

“Yes! We have 850,000 Renin!!”

The atmosphere heated up even more.

Someone had bid 850,000 Renin, setting a new record for the day.

“Crazy bastards.”

The bearded guy clicked his tongue.

Yet, his voice was slightly trembling.

“Why are you trembling so much. Are you nervous?”

“Nervous, my foot! It’s do or die anyway! I’d rather choose to die a glorious death here than be dragged away as a slave!”

“A good attitude.”

His trembling voice was a bit unsettling, but at least his mental education was properly done.

It wasn't just the bearded guy.

During the two days of imprisonment, everyone had already agreed to cooperate with me.

I was going to do all the fighting alone anyway, and the rest of the people just needed to support my words.

Since many high-ranking officials of the Renid Kingdom were participating in today’s slave auction, they wouldn't be able to just cover up the commotion that was about to happen. The entire plan was already set.

“Room Chief Johan. But can you really handle everything by yourself?”

“What’s the point of asking that now. What if I can’t?”

“Then we’ll all have to die together.”

Everyone nodded at the bearded guy’s words.

There was a good phrase I learned on Earth.

『Those who seek to live shall die, and those who seek to die shall live.』

Since everyone was prepared to die, everyone would be able to be freed safely.

And finally, the male slave auction began.

We moved in a single file and were lined up on the stage.

My turn was number 9, after the bearded guy.

“Now! Let’s start the auction with slave number 1!”

It suddenly occurred to me that Earth was a pretty good place to live.

At least it was a place where people didn't buy and sell other humans for money.

If the day came when I returned to Kalia, I would have to fix the slavery system.

“Yes! Sold for 170,000 Renin!”

The auction proceeded quickly.

The auction price for men seemed to be forming between 100,000 and 200,000.

The bearded guy next to me whispered cautiously.

“Room Chief Johan. Aren’t you secretly curious about how much you’ll be sold for?”

“What?”

“Honestly, I think my pride would be hurt if my price is set too low. Isn’t it the same for you, Room Chief Johan?”

“You crazy bastard.”

It was just amazing how his thought process could work like this even in this situation.

When his turn came, the bearded guy puffed out his arm and chest muscles to their fullest.

It was a classic slave move, appealing to his future masters that he would work hard.

“200,000 Renin!”

“220,000 Renin!”

“260,000 Renin!”

Surprisingly, the auction price kept going up.

Whether the bearded guy’s muscle appeal worked, the price increase was unusual.

“300,000!”

Finally, the daunting 300,000 mark was broken.

But there were no more bids.

That was the bearded guy’s final selling price, and he wore a satisfied expression.

I shook my head from side to side as I watched him.

“Now! We will now put slave number 9 up for auction!”

Finally, my turn.

As I walked to the front of the stage, I felt an unusual atmosphere.

The feeling of stirring from here and there was probably not just my imagination.

A chilling feeling.

“350,000!”

For a moment, I couldn’t believe my ears.

Surprisingly, my starting price surpassed the bearded guy’s selling price.

Gasps erupted from all over the auction house.

The one who called the first bid was a young woman with striking light purple hair.

As far as I remembered, she hadn't participated in the auction even once up to number 8.

‘Why me?’

And the surprise didn’t end there.

“400,000!”

A new bid erupted from somewhere.

And the race began to flow like a floodgate had opened.

“450,000!”

“500,000!”

“550,000!”

The bid jumped by 50,000, and unexpected things continued to happen.

“650,000!”

Finally, the one who raised it by another 100,000 was the woman with light purple hair who had called the starting price.

Come to think of it, all the people participating in the auction to buy me now were women.

‘They’ve all lost their minds.’

Even I thought that Seo Ji-han’s appearance was by no means the type that looked good for work.

“We have 650,000 Renin! Are there any more bids?”

“700,000!”

The price went up again.

At that moment, my eyes met with the purple-haired woman.

She smiled cheekily at me and then shouted an unbelievable number.

“1,200,000!”

The auction house atmosphere was instantly filled with shock.

700,000 was already an overheated price. But the last number that came out was beyond common sense.

The auctioneer was just as bewildered.

“A r-record-breaking price has been called! 1,200,000 Renin! Is there anyone else?”

No way there would be.

“Then I will count to three!”

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One!”

While the auctioneer counted to three, only silence filled the auction house.

To think she would throw money around like this, what on earth did she plan to do with me.

The light purple-haired woman, who believed she would be my master, winked at me.

She was cute, but she wasn't what was important right now.

Because at this very moment, the guy I had been waiting for had appeared.

‘That’s the one.’

The Lizardpa’s boss, Mayhop.

I had only heard of him, but I could be sure at a glance.

The amount of mana he had was overwhelming compared to anyone else here.

The time had finally come to start the operation.

I put my hand inside my inventory and scanned the entire interior of the auction house.

The distance between me and the guy was about ten steps if I used footwork. There were twelve of the Lizardpa’s minions scattered around.

“1,200,000 Renin! A historic auction price has been born. To the winning bidder, Lady Leira! Congratulations!”

Whoosh!

At that moment, a dagger left my hand and flew towards Mayhop like a gale.

The only one who reacted to this completely unexpected situation was Mayhop.

He dodged the dagger exquisitely, then hurriedly looked for the assassin’s position.

His reaction speed was quite fast, as he found me right away.

Smirk.

The moment our eyes met, I gave him a smile.

Because the second dagger had already left my hand.

“Kyaaaaaaahk!”

A beat later, the auction house turned into a scene of chaos, and the fired dagger flew elegantly.

The target was Mayhop’s face.

Whoosh!

Mayhop smirked and tilted his head.

It was a move to elegantly evade by calculating the dagger's trajectory.

But showing off in front of me was forbidden.

The dagger twisted its trajectory and grazed past Mayhop’s right cheek.

Swish!

Blood splattered, and a red cut was drawn on his face.

“Kyaaaaaaahk!”

“It’s that bastard!”

All sorts of screams mixed in the auction house, and the Lizardpa’s minions all charged towards me at once.

I had also already jumped off the stage and was moving towards Mayhop.

Chaeeng!

Chaeeng!

I parried the shower of swords flying at me and ran in a straight line.

The Lizardpa’s minions hurriedly used their bodies as shields to block my path.

I could cut them all down and pass, but right now, speed was life.

Because it would be troublesome if Mayhop were to escape.

Whooosh!

I flew over their heads.

I could see Mayhop standing behind the wall of flesh.

He was just preparing to draw his sword.

What I needed right now was a swift sword.

Shwaaaak!

A vertical slash, the most basic of the basics of swordsmanship.

Blood spurted like a fountain, and the Lizardpa’s boss collapsed just like that.