With AI beside me, we headed towards a more secluded part of the street and turned right at a junction that led to a deserted alleyway.
We walked slowly, observing the shadows caused by the two buildings that seemed to squash the alley in between.
We stopped at another junction, and I gestured to AI to wait for the guard.
She nodded.
I nodded back and looked around.
There were crates and boxes stacked up on a dark corner in a dead-end alleyway on the opposite side of the alley that I thought the guard would appear from, and I heard the sound of rats scurrying in amongst the broken crates.
I swiveled my head back at the dark alleyway, and half-anticipated someone emerging from the darkness, but the darkness kept still and unwavered.
I felt a heavy hand on my right shoulder and my head turned at lightning speed to see the opposer behind in panicked reflex.
A man was standing there with his other hand on his chest, he bowed curtly and immediately ushered us to follow him.
He walked fast and disappeared into the darkness.
Seemed like he didn't bother to wait for us, even though we were his clients.
Shouldn't he treat us better?
We had just walked a few steps when the man emerged again.
This time though, I could see him clearly.
He was wearing a black tuxedo, with white gloves, and a pantomime mask on his face, topped with a top hat perched on his head. It tilted sideways and looked like it could fall down any moment.
'What brings you here?' He said.
'Fate brings me here,'
I immediately answered. It was the password.
The man smiled and bowed again, lifting his hat and doing a curtsey.
He gestured for us to follow him, and led the way.
He walked in a slower pace.
I glanced at AI beside me, who I had not been paying attention to since the appearance of the guard.
She didn't look at me and quickly followed the guard.
I sighed, so much for paying any attention to her at all.
I gathered myself together and started walking into the darkness.
We entered a dimly lit room.
The guard stopped and turned to us.
'Choose your mask here,' He said.
AI looked puzzled.
'What for?,' She asked.
'This is a Slave House, Of course you have to hide your identity!,' I whispered at her.
The guard pretended not to notice,
'Come on, quickly! Just choose one.'
I went to the stand and yanked the nearest mask off its hinges. It was a wolf mask. I grabbed another one and gave it to AI, and then I turned to the guard.
'Kind sir, we have chosen our masks. Please escort us to our places.'
'Yes, indeed. Allow me to show you the way. This way, please,'
He went over to a doorway that was closed by curtains and pushed the curtains apart.
I grabbed AI's arm and marched to the doorway, grinning at the guard on the way.
The guard grinned back, but had a sinister look on his face.
We went through the curtains and was greeted by a vast room with rows upon rows of seats, and a large stage stationed at the front.
I looked around and saw the VIP seats that was designated for important people, such as us, the hero and his companion, though no one except the guard and a few others knew of our identity.
The guard marched to an elevated seat at the far back that was fit for kings and gestured for us to come.
'Here will be your seat, sir, and I shall be accompanying you shortly,'
He turned around to go.
'Wait, where are the other buyers? Why is it all empty? Are we too early?'
'Yes, fortunately you are, sir.
There is an advantage for buyers who come early sir, they can gain more information,'
there was a glint in his eye,
'kindly stay here and wait for the other buyers, or you can go behind the stage and observe the slaves and the price. If you need anything, you can call me. I will be just outside,'
He turned around and marched to the curtained door, and disappeared inside.
I turned to AI.
'Why don't we look at the slaves? I plan to free all of them,'
I smiled.
'But Sir Hero, do you posses the money? I am not against your judgment, but…'
'Don't worry, I have the money,'
I thought of telling her about the system and the infinite money, but decided not to, and to keep it a secret.
We went to the back of the stage through a doorway that was guarded and needed VIP passes.
We showed the guard our passes and told them that we had been given permission by the head guard, and the guards let us inside.
We were overwhelmed by how vast the space behind the stage was, but what made our hearts cringe was the fact that all the slaves were imprisoned inside cages, some were in diminutive cages of their own, others were squashed together in huge prisons that were pounded to the walls.
Guards and other people with surprisingly clean clothes were rushing around, tending to the slaves and polishing them to the point that they seem to be shining.
Quite a large number of slaves were positioned outside the cages, still binded by shackles but with better clothes and better looks than the imprisoned ones, which indicated that they were the goods to be sold.
I clenched my fists, I was determined to release every single one of them with the infinite cash that was bestowed upon my system.
The stench waffling through the air was also surprisingly smelling of soap and perfume, with a slight whiff of something cooking.
I was glad that the slaves weren't as badly treated as how the rumors had said, though of course it was still categorized as very bad treatment.
The anger inside me was starting to flare up, but was then slightly diminished by the fact that I had noticed the slaves weren't skinny and seemed to be in good condition.
We went past the soon-to-be-sold slaves and the guards tending them, who looked at us with frowning faces but went back to their work as soon as they saw the VIP passes that I stuck on our clothes.
I looked at the face of the slave that the first guard was fussing about on, and I noticed her to be a species of adolescent juvenile female dark elf.
Her gaze met mine, it had a hint of despair but also a sense of longing to be free.
She had immersing eyes with turquoise-colored pupils and long eyelashes that would mesmerize any who gaze upon it.
I sensed her wanting to be bought by the buyer in front of her, and/so I lifted my hand a fraction to emphasize a clenched fist that would be an indication for her to never give up and that I wanted to free her, though I don't think she would even get half of what I meant.
Nevertheless, I saw the corners of her lips curl up into a faint smile and a drop of tear ran down her cheeks as her eyes became slightly watery.
I frantically gestured for her to stop crying in case the guards notice and she nodded her understanding and wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her tattered cloth with a bit of difficulty, because her hands were in a lock in front that looked too heavy for her to endure it while standing on her two legs.
I felt myself fuming with rage at the predicament, but I tried with all my might to suppress it deep inside my stomach so that it wouldn't burst out and ruin the plan that I had so carefully laid out in my mind before.
I gathered myself together and willed for the system to check her status.
The window popped up in front of me.
I did a quick once-over at the text and my eyebrows arched upwards.
There were question marks dotted/ing all over the place, and a smaller window that read 'Error [Unknown Life Form]' appeared a few seconds later as I strained to ask the system on what was occurring on the window.
When there was no response, I breathed in deeply/ a sigh and swiped the window away, then I looked at the dark elf again.
She was still gazing at me with her perplexed expression.
I made a sign with my fingers for her to not attract too much attention by focusing on me and she abruptly lowered her gaze while still snatching glances at my face.
Unfortunately, The helper tending to her seemed to notice me quite a while ago and was busy spying at my actions, when he couldn't stand it any longer and went up to confront me.
'Hey, buzz off. I don't care if you're VIP; just don't butt in where you don't belong. Then I won't interfere with you, cause' I've had enough with your kind sticking in your noses to other people's problems. Now, scram.'
With that, someone else came running.
He pulled the helper aside and urgently said something to him, before turning to us.
'We sincerely apologize for our staff's behavior; it seems he had a lot on his mind. We are truly sorry, is there any way I can make it up to you, sir?'
'No, it's fine. I understand, just let the matter slide. It's no big problem. It was my fault to act selfishly, I should be the one apologizing,'
I turned to the employee,
'I'm truly sorry, I didn't mean to be rude or to disrupt your work. But, can I ask some information regarding to the slave you are tending? It seems I've taken quite a liking to her. And just take this as compensation from before,'
They spoke to each other again, before turning back to me.
'I'm sorry sir, but it is classified information. You can access it only after purchasing a slave, and we will be the ones to inform you, sir. In the meantime though, you are not allowed. For the matters of the price, she is our prized goods, and we estimate it to be roughly fifty million gold pieces at minimum and a hundred fifty at max. Besides that, we cannot further provide you with unnecessary info as you have not yet posses the slave.'