Chapter 24: Slave Circus
The black market.
It was no stranger to me.'
In my previous life, in order to complete the assassination missions, I had gone to the black market countless times to buy what I needed.
In the black market, as long as you had money, you could get anything you wanted. There would be no footprints or records left behind. Of course, it was best to disguise yourself.
This time, I didn't put on any disguise when I went to Heikem's black market. The only disguise I wore was a hat that could cover my tender cheeks when I lowered my head.
According to the address Uncle Herbert had given me, I came to a street where nothing unusual could be seen from the outside.
Even though I had a feeling that Uncle Herbert's goal was definitely not as simple as to let me broaden my horizons,
there was one thing I was sure of. There would definitely be no danger on this trip. Otherwise, my father would not have asked me to look for him as soon as I arrived in Heikem.
The shops on the two sides of the street were still normal shops, but as long as you went in to ask for the price and said the so-called "secret code" that was popular in the black market, the shopkeeper would provide you with what you needed according to your needs.
My destination this time is a circus.
To be precise, it was a slave trade base disguised as a circus. It was located in the middle of the square in the street and was very easy to recognize.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Circus, where you'll get to see the best shows in the whole of Heikem."
I was still a long way away when I heard the cheers from inside the circus.
What could amplify a person's voice and spread it further was the Sound Amplification Stone made of Wind Magic. It has the same effect as the loudspeaker in my previous life.
The circus was covered by a huge curtain, and there were two tall guards at the entrance.
When they saw me coming over, they only surveyed the ticket I handed out before letting me in.
In the middle, the beast tamer was instructing a lion to pass through fire rings one after another. Many children were standing outside the railing and cheering. Even the adults were watching with relish.
I glanced around the circus. On the high platform on the right, a man holding a wine glass was casually looking at everything below. Beside him stood a beautiful woman holding a wine bottle with both hands.
Behind them stood four bodyguards in the same clothes as the guards at the door.
I was certain that they were the people I was looking for.
I took two steps towards the platform and a bodyguard immediately walked down and reached out to stop me.
"Tell your boss that I need a batch of high-end 'horse shows'."
I lifted the brim of my hat and took the initiative to raise my hands. I used the code word Uncle Herbert had told me.
The bodyguard turned around and walked to the high platform. He whispered a few words to the man and immediately walked back to invite me over.
"Oh! We have a guest. Welcome! Elena, pour a glass for our guest…"
The man laughed heartily and turned around. After looking at me carefully, he smiled meaningfully: "Young master, are you sure you need a batch of high-end 'horse shows'? This kind of thing should be left to your father or butler…"
Without saying anything, I took out a small bag and threw it on the table holding a fruit platter and wine glasses in front of the man.
The man immediately shut his mouth. His eyes moved slightly, and the beautiful woman standing beside him put down the bottle and opened the bag.
A total of 20 kingdom gold coins shone on the table.
The man immediately sat down and invited me to take a seat. He smiled and said, "Okay, sir, I'm sorry I didn't prepare black tea. Please tell me your request. How many people do you need for these 20 gold coins?"
"10 female slaves who can write the kingdom's language and have good looks. This sum can only be a down payment."
I kept my face expressionless.
The eyes of the man in front of me lit up when he heard this, and his smile became even wider. The maidservant named Elena standing beside him also looked at me in shock.
A kingdom gold coin was equivalent to 100 silver coins, and it was worth 10,000 copper coins. In this country where one copper coin was enough for lunch, a deposit of 20 gold coins was enough to make people happy.
"Hahaha, looks like this is really a big deal. Sir, please follow me."
The man stood up and led me down the platform to the backstage of the circus. After opening a few curtains, he revealed neatly arranged wooden cages.
There were males and females in the wooden cage that only allowed one person to curl up. There were even half-orcs with tails. However, without exception, they all had a bright red chain mark on their necks.
"Customer, these are not the goods you need. The high-end goods you need are over here, but if there's anything you like, you can let me know."
The man led the way and introduced with a smile.
"There's no need. Just take me to see… the goods."
I turned back.
To me, the scene in front of me was shocking enough because in my previous life, such a scene was almost impossible.
No matter what, I wasn't used to selling people as commodities.
"As you wish, my guest."
The man pulled opened the last curtain.
"Ah!"
A panicked voice came from inside.
There was a small room in front of me. Dozens of pretty young girls in skimpy clothes hurriedly curled up in a corner. Just like the people outside, there were bright red chains on their necks.
"Don't panic, my high-end 'horse shows'. Today, ten of you will be chosen by this young master to begin your new life."
The man clapped his hands and said to the girls in front of him.
The slightly shy gazes of the female slaves instantly shifted to me.
"Sir, you can pick any of the horse shows here. I can guarantee that all of them are still virgins, and their starting price is exactly two gold coins. As for the exact price, Elena, you can personally share them with this customer."
The man then instructed the maidservant who had followed him.
"Yes, Sir."
Elena stepped forward obediently.
"I'll go out first. Sir, please take your time to choose."
The man closed the curtain and left. Suddenly, he stuck his head out and gave me a strange smile. "Sir, if you like Elena, that's fine too. Elena's price is 15 gold coins. As the fruit of my hard work, I can guarantee that Elena can satisfy any of your needs. By the way, she's also a virgin."
The man walked away. Elena, who was in front of me, blushed slightly and immediately returned to her usual posture.
"Sir, if you have your on anyone, you can tell me at any time. I can tell you her original identity and background truthfully."
"Elena, may I know the meaning of that 'any of my needs'?"
I stared at Elena.
Her face and perfect figure could indeed satisfy any fantasy of an adult man, but the meaning of the circus owner's words clearly did not mean that alone.
"Young master, I've learned cooking, business, driving, and that… skill from Sir Zach. To be precise, other than not being able to protect you, I'm qualified to do anything you arrange for me."
Elena's voice gradually went from shy to confident and firm.
"Very good. Then I'll have to trouble you to help me pick the remaining nine reliable maidservants."