The atmosphere in the dining room felt somewhat tense as all eyes were fixed on Elian. Althea watched her son intently, her gaze never leaving his face, which remained calm.
"Why suddenly the desire for a slave?" Althea asked, her voice quieter, though there was clear curiosity behind it.
Elian paused briefly, meeting his mother's gaze with eyes full of resolve. "There's no particular reason. I just want a slave who will obey my every command."
Althea studied him carefully. "You know this is not a light decision, right?" she asked, her tone still flat, though a hint of warning lay behind her words.
Elian nodded slightly. "I know, but I don't care. I don't like it when I give an order to a servant and they ask for your approval. Besides, I can do whatever I want to my slave."
In Elian's memory, the previous owner of his body had been a child who acted irrationally and would cause chaos if his demands weren't met. So why should he feel restricted if his reasons or requests made no sense? That was simply his nature. And if his demands weren't fulfilled, he knew exactly what to do—create chaos.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Althea sighed softly. "Fine, after breakfast, I will give you the money you need. I hope you continue to behave as you have in the past two months—without causing problems. If not, there will be consequences."
Elian simply nodded, then resumed eating the meat in front of him calmly.
Once breakfast concluded, a servant approached and handed Elian a small pouch containing two hundred gold coins. Accompanied by two knights, Elian immediately set off for the slave house located in the city.
Elian walked with steady steps, though there was a slight tension he could feel. The slave house was a place often looked upon with disdain by many, but Elian didn't care. To him, it was merely a place to acquire what he wanted—a slave he could control completely.
Upon arriving at the slave house, Elian was greeted by a large, burly guard clad in silver armor. "Welcome, Lord Elian," the guard said respectfully, though a bit surprised by Elian's young age. "I will guide you to see the available slaves. Follow me."
Elian nodded, accompanied by the two knights. They walked through cold, damp stone corridors before finally reaching a larger room where the slaves were kept.
After passing through a few narrow hallways, they finally arrived at a larger space filled with small enclosures where the slaves were housed. Each enclosure was surrounded by thin iron bars, with slaves sitting or standing inside. Some looked listless, while others appeared more energetic, though their eyes all shared one thing in common—despair.
The slave trader, a burly man with a thick beard and sharp eyes, approached Elian with a half-forced smile. "Lord Elian, if you're interested, we have many choices. All the slaves here have different backgrounds and can be quite useful depending on your needs."
Elian glanced over the slaves with little interest. "Tell me more about them," he said flatly, his voice unhurried.
The slave trader nodded and stepped closer to one of the enclosures. "This is a young elf," he said, pointing to a silver-haired female elf whose hair cascaded down to her waist. "She was once a servant in a noble household, but was captured after trying to escape when her master got involved in a scandal. She is skilled in household work and has a good intellect. However, she can be rather stubborn."
Elian studied the elf for a moment, analyzing her status. As expected, all her stats were marked as "???"—probably because Elian's own stats were too low. The woman had a distinctive beauty, with pale skin and sharp light blue eyes. But there was an expression on her face that couldn't be hidden—deep sorrow that made Elian feel a bit uncomfortable.
"Thank you, but I'm not interested," Elian replied coldly, showing no further interest.
The slave trader nodded, unbothered by Elian's rejection. He moved on to the next enclosure. "Next, we have this," he said, pointing to a half-orc woman with a muscular build and a tall stature. "She possesses extraordinary physical strength, able to lift more than twice her body weight. She used to be a guard, but was captured after being betrayed by her master who was involved in a conspiracy. She is highly trained in hand-to-hand combat and has excellent endurance. However, she's not very intelligent and is difficult to control."
Elian observed the orc woman with a sharp eye. Her body was indeed large, her muscles clearly defined, but her eyes were vacant, like so many other slaves, showing no sign of life. Elian knew that although she was strong, he wanted something that could be more useful in terms of control and manipulation, not just brute strength.
"She's too..." Elian muttered, sighing softly. "Continue."
The slave trader, not surprised by the rejection, nodded. "Of course, Lord. Let's move on." He then led Elian to the next enclosure, where a young human woman stood with her head bowed. "This is a young human. She was once a servant in a noble family. She was captured after being involved in an assassination attempt on her master. She doesn't speak much, but is skilled in household management and cooking. There's not much else to expect from her."
Elian examined the woman briefly, noticing how youthful her face appeared, even younger than Elian. But despite her calm appearance, there was nothing special about her—she seemed passive, powerless.
"She's too ordinary," Elian remarked, turning his gaze away. "Continue."
The slave trader moved on, feeling a little anxious but remaining composed. He led Elian to the next enclosure, where two female slaves stood side by side. "Now, these may be an interesting choice," he said. "On the left is a cat-beastman who was captured for stealing from traders in a merchant caravan. She's quite skilled in combat, though she doesn't speak much. Of course, she's a bit difficult to control, but she has immense potential."
The slave trader then directed Elian's attention to the woman next to her, who appeared very different. "On the right is a fox-woman, captured after fleeing her village that was destroyed by a mysterious attack. She's very young, and her background is quite tragic. Though she has recently lost everything, she is extremely agile and intelligent. Despite her deep trauma from the incident, she has great potential in a variety of skills."
Elian studied both women more closely.
The cat-beastman appeared calmer than the other slaves, with her long black hair flowing and her green eyes observing him keenly. There was something wild and free in her demeanor, but also an intense fear that she couldn't conceal.
Next to her, the young fox-woman looked more fragile, with bright pink hair cascading around her shoulders. Her amber eyes were filled with sadness, but there was also a faint glimmer of hope in them. Her long, soft tail swayed gently beneath her.
Elian observed both, feeling that each had different potential. The cat-beastman with her combat abilities, and the fox-woman with her intelligence and trauma, which might be manipulated to his advantage.
"This one," Elian finally said, pointing to both of them, "I'll take them both."
The slave trader was somewhat surprised but said nothing. "Of course, Lord. They will be prepared for you right away."
After a few minutes, the slave trader guided Elian to a small table with a legal contract. He took a prepared scroll of parchment and placed a wax seal on the table.
Elian looked at the contract, the text confirming its authenticity. He picked up a pen and quickly signed the contract, writing his name in the designated spot, as if accustomed to the process. He then placed 35 gold coins on the table, as per the agreed-upon price.
The slave trader nodded in satisfaction, gathering the coins and returning them to a small pouch. With a wave of his hand, he signaled the two guards to open the enclosures holding the two slaves.
Once the enclosures were opened, the cat-beastman and the fox-woman moved slowly, hesitant to move too quickly. But at that moment, the slave trader gave an order.
"Show respect to Lord Elian," the slave trader said, signaling them to behave as slaves were expected to.
The two of them paused briefly, then reluctantly bowed low before Elian, a gesture of respect that was little more than an obligation to a slave.
Elian gazed at them expressionlessly, then gestured to the slave trader to proceed. The trader efficiently instructed the slaves to lie on a small table, where a controlling tattoo was etched onto their wrists. The tattoo took the form of a complex symbol, drawn in red ink—almost like a mark of power that could not be erased.
"This is the control tattoo," the slave trader explained in a flat tone. "Once this tattoo is etched, they will be under your full control, Lord. They will be unable to do anything without your permission."
Once the tattooing was completed on both slaves, the trader gestured for them to rise and give another bow to Elian.
Elian studied the tattoos with satisfaction. "You are mine now," he said flatly, eyeing the two slaves.
After a few seconds, Elian felt the urge to test the control tattoo. He looked at the fox-woman and cat-beastman, then quickly gave a mental command that connected directly to the tattoo on their wrists.
Suddenly, an intense pain shot through their bodies. Both of them collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony as the effects of the control tattoo activated. The tattoo caused pain to spread throughout their bodies for several seconds, as if they were being burned from the inside.
The fox-woman and the cat-beastman lay on the floor, struggling to withstand the excruciating pain. However, Elian deactivated the tattoo after a few seconds, giving them a moment to recover.
"You will kneel every time you meet me," Elian said, his voice flat and full of authority.
But neither of them could hide their anger. They glared at Elian with eyes full of hatred, their bodies still trembling from the pain they had just endured.
"Still angry?" Elian asked in an indifferent tone, unconcerned with their expressions. "You need to learn how to behave."
Without hesitation, Elian activated the tattoo again, this time for a full 15 seconds. Both slaves screamed in agony, their bodies thrashing on the ground as they could not bear the pain, far more intense than before.
After the 15 seconds passed, Elian deactivated the tattoo again and looked at the two slaves with cold eyes. They were gasping for breath, their bodies twitching and weak. Now, they could only kneel, too frightened to look up at him with anger anymore.
"Good," Elian said with a small smile. "Now, you know the rules. I hope you will always remember them."
As Elian was about to leave, his steps were halted by the voice of the elf slave, who suddenly cursed him from behind the bars. "I hope the goddess Eluna gives you the retribution you deserve," she said, her voice full of hatred, her eyes blazing with determination.
Elian stopped and stared at the elf slave, intrigued. The name of the "goddess" she mentioned was quite surprising to him, but he decided not to ignore it, as the goddess she spoke of was well-known in the Tale of Hero game.
After a few seconds of thought, Elian finally smiled faintly. "I've changed my mind," he said casually. "I want to take her with me."
Upon hearing Elian's words, the elf slave suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, her eyes widening in shock. But in an instant, her expression returned to one of rage and hatred. She didn't speak, only glaring at Elian with a loathing that was hard to hide.
The slave trader immediately spoke with a more cheerful tone. "Ah, Lord, this is a very rare elf slave. Although she is a bit more expensive because she is still a virgin. Her price is 120 Gold, Lord."
"Take her," Elian said, tossing a small pouch of gold coins to the slave trader. "The usual procedure."
The slave trader smiled widely, unable to conceal his excitement. "Of course, Lord. I will take care of it right away."
Once the procedure was completed, the elf slave was released from her cage and, reluctantly, bowed to Elian as commanded. Afterward, the control tattoo was also etched onto her wrist, marking that she was now under Elian's control.
Elian watched her with sharp eyes. "Every time you meet me, you must kneel and lower your head. If not, you will feel the pain of the slave seal embedded in your body," he said, his voice firm and commanding, leaving no room for refusal.
The elf slave lifted her head and glared at Elian with intense anger, her lips pursed. "I will never bow to someone like you," she said in a flat voice, though full of hatred. Her pride and dignity remained strong, even though she was now a slave.
Elian smiled faintly, unfazed by her words. With a quick movement, he activated the slave seal—not on the elf, but on the two other slaves he had chosen earlier. Suddenly, both of them screamed in agony, their bodies falling to the ground, writhing in pain as their suffering deepened.
"If you do not bow to me," Elian continued with a cold voice, "I will activate the slave seal on them again." His gaze was sharp and filled with warning, the faintest of smiles lingering on his face, showing that he would not hesitate to use the seal's power to achieve his goals.
The elf slave fell silent for a moment, her eyes watching the two slaves writhing on the ground, their bodies still trembling from the pain. She knew that Elian could manipulate them at will, and the deep hatred in her heart could not prevent the truth that she now had no other choice.
Her gaze faltered, and she lowered her head, albeit reluctantly, not wanting to witness the suffering of the two helpless slaves any longer. "I... will knell to you," she said, her voice heavy with resentment, though it was undeniable she had no other option.
Elian smiled in satisfaction before turning and leaving the place. Now, with his new slaves in tow, Elian could gather some important items in the surrounding area.