I quickly beat a retreat as Kusanali was looking at me with the patented 'bad touch' goddesses would have. When they noticed something that fits into their interest line entirely too closely and thus they were compelled by their very own domains to satisfy their own curiosity.
'Alright, now to make some fantasy level Protein Powder, Creatine, Berberine, Omega-3, and other supplements...' I thought with a wry smile as memories of my health nut family members in my past life endlessly going over how their supplements were going to make them immortal went through my head. And of course memories of them saying all the time how the medical world was completely evil.
Either way, I thankfully knew the properties and main ingredients used in 'natural' supplements so I quickly made my way over to the Bazaar and began picking up said items.
The Bazaar was... Utterly massive though honestly. It was like like they decided to do a large outside mall in one area and then said fuck it and then decided to do eight more similar-sized malls around it and it was easily noticed how there were nine distinctly different shopping centers.
As each shopping center was owned by five separate Familia's who were supposedly the strongest in Melen. With four of the Familia's owning two different shopping centers in different spots as they tried to control the market of goods going through the major commercial hub.
"Just further proof of Melen being more money-focused then Orario's strength-based outlook." I muttered as I saw every single person haggling for the prices on the stuff they bought and I quickly realized that rather than strength speaking here. It was the intent they would use in bargaining for items and would either walk away leaving the item they clearly wanted, or they would pay the merchant's price.
It was pretty novel as there wasn't really much haggling to do in Orario besides in pawn stores and what not. But as I went to one of the nicer exotic stands selling natural herbs my lips twitched hearing the prices the busty amazon was proudly announcing.
"Come on big boy. I see you in that nice clothes that are clearly from a crafting Familia of Orario, you saying... You simply cannot afford a bit of Valis to support my business?" The Amazon simpered with her arms going under her ample bust and lifting it up to my eyes to distract me.
And in return I bluntly stated. "Yeah I am from Orario... But this isn't fucking Orario with Orario prices, I will give you five hundred valis for the whole lot."
Her seductive appearance thinned as she spoke more seriously with her amber eyes tightening on my form with intent to do battle. "I will only accept seven hundred and fifty at the least!"
I reached into my pocket and pulled out six, hundred Valis coins and held them out to her and said with a small smile. "Six hundred and I will come back to you for any fish oil and ashwagandha I need."
With the offer of a repeat customer and still making some profit the Amazon grinned and swiped the money with a blur of speed that told me that she was likely level three! And then she happily put the herbs and the bottle of fish oil into a paper-like bag before handing it to me. With her then waving me along, so the next customer could begin the battle of words with her.
'Alright got some supplements. And I can probably use monster stones as the catalyst to make them magically potent along with a Golden Egg as well... Is there anything else I should get?' I wondered before a series of loud shouting hit my ears.
"The flesh auction is here! The flesh auction is here!" A series of shouts hit the surroundings and I saw several people grimace and at the news making me raise an eyebrow as I wondered what the hell that meant so I asked one of the merchants who didn't have a customer after slipping him some Valis.
"Never heard of the Flesh Auction have you... Probably for the best honestly." The old dwarf merchant muttered as he knocked back a drink from his flask before shuddering at the strong taste and continuing while not making eye contact with me. "Basically a bunch of evil gods in some group named Evilus before they got kicked out of Orario cut off the goddesses Libertas arms and legs and using their own domains made her batshit insane..."
The dwarf took a breath as I absorbed that insanity and then continued "Anyway the goddess of free will, now under Evilus's control strips the free will of others using her domain in some kind of magical ritual and so the Flesh Auction is Evilus selling slaves they gathered from around the world to fuel their god's opulent lives as they are killed on sight in Orario so they cannot make real money except for here in Melen."
For a long moment I wondered why in the hell the gods and goddesses of Melen would allow them here and as though answering my unasked question the Dwarf answered bluntly. "It's all in the coin young man... Gold runs through Melen faster than the blood spilled in the alleyways. But the auction is safe to go to... If you have a strong stomach anyway and hey if you have the coin you could buy a tamed monster. No need to buy an actual person" He finished with a shrug.
'Maybe I should go take a look?' I wondered before handing over some more valis with a muttered thanks as I left towards the supposed Flesh Auction to go see if there was anything of value.
The Flesh Auction was held in the shopping area where the Plutus Familia held it in an iron girp and it didn't take me long to realize that Plutus was at some level an evil god as he was selling crazy shit like aphrodisiac's directly on the street. Along with other stuff like cursed objects that would harm the user or others in their use.
And finally there were whores working their wares hurriedly trying to reach the 'quota' that Plutus had imposed on all who entered his domain of wealth to ply their trade. Not that Plutus wanted a direct cut no... He wouldn't take a cut if you actually made the quota of wealth acquired but if you failed to meet your quota... His enforcers would beat you half to death and take all the money you made that month!
The so-called Flesh Auction was taking place in a large open courtyard with several covered wagons holding the 'wares' pulled into the courtyard and the merchants selling their wares would drag the person or monster being sold onto a raised platform so people could judge it.
And as I came in they were already selling a trio of burly surface minotaurs with blue glowing eyes showing that they were tamed. To be used as workers in harsh menial tasks like mining and other things.
'Hmmm... Some tamed minotaurs that are fused with some stuff could make a damned good tank honestly.' I thought logically and then my degenerate mind went to making the minotaur into a monster girl and I shoved the thought down as the minotaurs being sold were very clearly male anyway.
"And now for a real treat!" The announcer spoke as he waved to his side and from another cart that was smaller than the previous cart that held the minotaurs came a busty milf of a catgirl with black hair, yellow eyes and almost carbon copy of herself that was clearly her daughter.
"These lovely ladies were liberated from being the handmaidens of a goddess of a weak Familia in the southern deserts... And yes my dear patrons, they are mother and daughter with the mother still having her Falna and she is level three! So not only could you gentlemen and ladies buy two lovely treats but the mother could act as a hidden guard so long as you don't piss off a real Familia Haha!" The announcer introduced, and the ladies who were steadfastly staring at the ground didn't move an inch.
Their plight reminded me of something very powerful from canon. Freya could mind control all of Orario, whether it be gods, goddesses, and all the adventurers to believe that Bell was her adventurer all along and was never part of Hestia's familia despite Bell constantly breaking the level up record and winning a War Game.
The power a god or goddess could pull on should they not piss off Ouranous with their antics was baffling and something I needed to be wary of. Besides just enemy adventurers coming onto my path.
"The bidding for these lovely ladies starts at fifty thousand Valis and each increase in bidding is at least one additional thousand Valis!" The announcer finished and the shouting began for the two while I bought a pamphlet from one of the workers for the list of wares that were going to be sold later on as well.
And dear gods the list was degenerate.