66. Raid on the Slave Market (2)

“A beast-person. This fellow who can stand on two feet loves blood. These bursting muscles can only be described as sculptures crafted by nature itself!”

Even the growling sound was barely audible. The wolf beast-person had struggled so much to remove his muzzle that the area around his mouth was soaked with blood, and both arms were bound with steel chains.

Despite this cruel treatment, the people participating in the slave auction didn’t flinch. They didn’t seem to consider beast-people as living beings of the same kind as themselves.

“This fellow, who is a pleasure to look at just as he is, will become your best bodyguard once properly tamed. No human can defeat a beast-person with bare hands.”

The host boasted proudly as if the beast-person standing behind him was his own masculinity.

The wolf beast-person, who had lost his wildness from whipping, could only twitch helplessly. They had captured a wild beast, removed its teeth and claws, and then demanded it to growl.

‘Damn it.’

“Imagine this. This fellow will bring you tremendous income in underground fighting rings, and for those who have private prisons, he’ll be the finest torture instrument without having to take him outside!”

The spirit tattoo on her arm burned as if on fire.

「Except for demons, humans behave most like monsters.」

Sylphid’s whisper felt infinitely cold without any warmth.

“I’m human too, but I don’t want to be grouped with those people as the same species.”

「Right now, you disgust me too. There’s a reason demons make contracts with humans. You’re the only species that can be influenced by such evil.」

They had come for reconnaissance. Lucion and Barbarossa were infiltrating separately along paths they had secretly discovered. They couldn’t take action yet when they hadn’t even found anything out.

“Darius, you’re not angry, are you?”

“What about you, Anette? Your voice sounds choked with anger.”

“You caught me. I guess I’m not good at controlling my anger.”

“You’re slow to realize. The Anette I’ve known has always been like that.”

Darius’s fist that she held was filled with hard anger. Even while exchanging jokes, they were trying to soothe each other, not knowing when either might fail to restrain their anger.

“Hold it in.”

“But I don’t think I can hold it in.”

“Well, should I give you a kiss?”

“Ah, what nonsense. Fine. I’ll hold it in.”

During all this—a young elf who, despite appearances, was older than most people here; a coffin containing a sleeping beauty; the heart of some creature supposedly essential for magical experiments—all were sold off.

Darius and I held each other’s hands so tightly that they bled.

“Next up is a cursed diary—whoever possesses it is said to never meet a peaceful death. Rumors say the entire diary is soaked in deadly poison.”

Why would anyone pay money for such an item? Contrary to my bewilderment, the cursed diary was sold at a high price to some dark magic collector.

“When will those two arrive?”

“We split up so at least one would arrive on time, but they’re slower than expected.”

“The climax is approaching. It’s almost time for the mermaid to appear.”

“Show us the mermaid!”

“Yes, we don’t need anything else that can be seen elsewhere!”

“Mermaid!”

People shouted excitedly in anticipation of the most rare item. The excitement that had been circulating in the hall converged into one.

“The atmosphere suggests they might start a riot if the final item isn’t real.”

The host, sweating profusely from the jeers, signaled toward the back. Then came the sound of splashing water. A very large water tank covered with a black curtain was being moved.

Splash, splash. Plop, plop. Even though no one had amplified the sound, everyone held their breath and listened intently.

‘Could it really be a mermaid?’

That’s something that only exists in fairy tales.

And then finally when the black curtain covering the tank was removed.

“Ahhhhh!”

Wet hair. Pale blue eyes that would trap anyone who looked into their sadness. The lower half of the woman who anxiously scanned her surroundings with a frightened face was not human.

“It really is a mermaid!”

A commotion broke out in the audience.

“She’s beautiful!”

“How much magical power does she possess?”

“I heard mermaid meat is good for longevity.”

With each shimmer of her rainbow-colored scales, ugly greed flowed in people’s eyes. Beauty and filthy desire existed together in this place.

“Everyone, please calm down. This beautiful mermaid hasn’t been sold yet!”

“I’ll pay whatever amount, sell that thing to me!”

“That’s right. How much money you pay, that’s precisely the issue!”

People were so fixated on the mermaid that they shook their pouches of gold coins.

People were so enthusiastic that no one noticed the vibrations from the back of the audience. Even though it was an anomaly in a VVIP auction house that should be absolutely quiet.

The mermaid swam smoothly inside the tank. Having adapted to the outside world, she climbed onto the artificial rock in the tank and shook off the water from her hair. The falling droplets looked as beautiful as pearls.

The mermaid captivated people’s attention by her mere existence, and she knew it too.

“——— —……”

“It’s the mermaid’s song.”

“Ahhh……”

Even the host, who should have been calming the guests’ excitement appropriately, stood with his mouth wide open at the beautiful melody.

A dreamlike voice like the waves of the night sea. That transparent and rhythmic voice was heightening people’s emotions.

As the mermaid’s voice grew more sorrowful, joy spread across people’s faces.

“She’s mine!”

“What are you talking about! I have plenty of money too!”

The mermaid stood on the artificial rock, looking down at people with sad eyes.

Clank, clank.

Even the beast-people who had been sold earlier howled. The sound of handcuffs colliding was rough.

The mermaid stimulated the emotions of every being in this place.

Each time she opened her mouth to sing, people began to crawl toward the mermaid, trembling all over.

“Making the mermaid sing! This wasn’t in the plan, you damned fool!”

“But… what’s wrong with the mermaid singing? It’s so beautiful……”

“You idiot, what if the seller gets enchanted too!”

Someone with covered ears was seen shaking the host’s neck vigorously. That’s when it happened.

“Everyone put your hands down and stay in your seats! This our lord’s order, we will no longer tolerate the illegal activities taking place here!”

“Eeeeeek!”

The door burst open, and soldiers in full military attire began pouring into the hall.

“In the name of our fair and just lord, Darius Inkheart, I declare! Everyone will be held accountable for what has occurred here!”

The voice with such grand content was Sir Lucion’s.

‘I need to save the mermaid.’

Barbarossa, who had arrived shortly after, was helping Lucion capture the slave traders and customers and rescue the beast-people.

So I needed to save the mermaid.

“Anette.”

“I need to save the mermaid.”

“You’re enchanted.”

What do you mean enchanted? This being blocking me was cumbersome. The mermaid is crying so sadly over there, what are you doing? I need to hurry and save her.

The mermaid’s eyes met mine. With gleaming eyes, the mermaid sang with a voice that touched emotions even more deeply.

“Get out of my way.”

“We’ll save that mermaid too, of course, so there’s no need to rush like this.”

“She’s suffering so much!”

I pushed Darius away with my nails raised. I was serious. If he continued to interfere like this, I was prepared to draw my sword against him.

“Anette, calm down for a moment. Close your eyes. If you don’t want to, just look at me.”

He embraced me as if to detain me. I could feel the hard scabbard in his arms.

“Nobody move!”

“The mermaid! I must have that mermaid no matter what!”

“Get out of my way!”

Amidst the commotion, his voice reached me once more.

“You can listen to all the stories in the world if you want. But just for now, please listen only to my voice.”

Blood droplets formed on Darius’s cheek where my raised nails had scratched him.

“Grrrr!”

A beast-person rescued by Barbarossa, disregarding his own freedom, began running toward the mermaid in front of the tank. The soldiers were bewildered by this clearly abnormal reaction.

Darius didn’t loosen his arms around me one bit.

Thump, thump. I desperately jabbed his chest with my elbow, but only my elbowing arm hurt while his solid chest didn’t budge at all.

The mermaid sang more sorrowfully with an elevated voice.

“It’s okay, Anette. It’s okay. You don’t need to be so impatient.”

Whoosh, suddenly a warm energy rushed into me.

“Starting from the left hand to the right hand, remember?”

He whispered calmly without any panic.

“Take a deep breath, yes, like that. You know how, just pull up your mana and face me.”

The mermaid’s voice that had captivated me grew faint.

Darius’s warmth overlaid the mermaid’s voice.

“Back then under the tree, I held you when you were flustered and breathed mana into you. It’s exactly the same.”

All the noise around me was cut off, and I could only hear Darius’s voice.

At that moment, his rough hands that held swords carefully covered both my ears.

“Are you okay now?”

“Darius.”

“Put cotton in your ears. We don’t know when the mermaid will sing again. That mermaid seems to have been aiming for this moment from the beginning. To escape after creating chaos in the auction house.”

“You’re hurt.”

Blood was dripping from the wound that none other than I had inflicted.

“It’s nothing.”

No matter how excited I was, how could I hurt Darius?

I couldn’t believe what I had done. My hands began to tremble.