"How much do you think this half-elf will sell for?" the thug carrying Nori's unconscious body asked, adjusting the limp figure slung over his shoulder. The three of them moved steadily through the narrow, grime-covered streets of the slums near the edge of the Gilded Plaza, their eyes darting around for prying eyes.
"A lot," replied another thug, a man with a jagged scar running down his cheek. He stepped closer to examine Nori, grabbing the half-elf by the chin and tilting his face up to inspect him under the faint light of a streetlamp. "I mean, look at him. He's definitely got some fairy elf blood in him. Even though he's just a half-elf and a guy, he's still got the looks for it. There's got to be some rich bastard out there willing to pay top coin for something this rare." He lingered, running his fingers along Nori's jaw with an unsettling smirk. "Hell, if it were up to me, I'd keep him. Kid's got skin softer than silk."
"Enough of that shit," snapped the third thug, a wiry man with a slicked-back ponytail. He slapped the scarred man's hand away with a scowl. "Don't manhandle the merchandise, idiot. You'll mess him up and cut into our profit." His gaze shifted to the thug carrying Nori. "And you—quit asking questions. We've got one job: sell the half-elf. That's it. Got it?"
The scarred man grumbled but nodded, and the thug carrying Nori muttered a quick, "Yeah, yeah, got it."
As they trudged on, the thug carrying Nori suddenly slowed his pace, his eyes narrowing as he looked ahead. "Hey... you guys seeing this?"
The other two turned to see what had caught his attention. Standing in the middle of the dimly lit path ahead was a figure that seemed entirely out of place in the slums.
"Is that... a butler?" the scarred thug asked, squinting at the man approaching them.
It was, indeed, a butler—or at least someone dressed like one. The man appeared to be in his mid-twenties, his black hair neatly combed back, his sharp gray eyes gleaming in the faint light. His skin was a deep brown, and he carried himself with an air of precision and calm that was at odds with the filth of the slums. At his side, a short sword rested in its sheath, its polished hilt catching the faint glow of the lamps. He walked toward them with measured, deliberate steps.
"You think he's trouble?" the thug carrying Nori asked nervously, his grip tightening on the unconscious body.
"We'll see," muttered the man with the ponytail, his hand slowly slipping to the dagger hidden beneath his tattered jacket. When the butler stopped about six feet away, the ponytailed thug called out. "What do you want?"
The butler raised a single gloved finger, pointing directly at Nori. His voice was calm, almost eerily polite. "Are you three selling?"
The three thugs visibly relaxed, their tension giving way to relief.
"Phew, thought you were trouble," said the scarred thug with a grin, stepping forward slightly. "Yeah, we're selling. Look at him—perfect condition. Interested in buying?"
The butler tilted his head, studying Nori with an expression of mild disinterest before replying. "Hmm. That's good. Then I have no problem doing what I'm about to do."
The ponytailed thug frowned, his hand tightening around the hilt of his dagger. "What are you talking abou—"
Before he could finish, the butler drew his short sword in a single fluid motion, the blade glinting briefly in the dim light. A faint metallic ring filled the air as the ponytailed thug's words were cut short—literally. His torso slid apart diagonally, blood spraying onto the cobblestones as his body crumpled to the ground.
The scarred thug stumbled back, fumbling for his weapon. "I'll—"
The butler moved faster than his words could form. Closing the distance in a heartbeat, he plunged his short sword through the man's mouth, the blade emerging from the back of his head. With a sharp upward flick, the butler split the man's skull cleanly in two, his lifeless body collapsing in a heap.
The thug carrying Nori screamed in panic, hurling the unconscious half-elf at the butler in desperation. "Take him! Just leave me alone!"
The butler caught Nori effortlessly, cradling the unconscious figure with one arm as he turned his cold, gray eyes to the fleeing man. He didn't bother with words. Instead, he moved with precision, slicing through the thug's hamstrings with a swift, horizontal slash. The man fell to his knees, howling in pain, but the butler wasn't finished.
In one smooth motion, he severed both of the man's arms before stepping behind him. The final swing of the blade was quick and deliberate, decapitating the thug cleanly. The body fell forward, the head rolling to the side, eyes frozen in terror.
The butler flicked the blood off his blade with a practiced motion before sheathing it at his side. He adjusted Nori in his arms, holding him more securely, and glanced down at the carnage without a hint of emotion.
"Good riddance," he muttered under his breath.
Turning his attention back to Nori, the butler shifted him slightly, making sure he was comfortable. "Let's get you to a safer place," he said softly before walking off, his footsteps steady and unhurried, as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.