Lin Gui was completely baffled by this suddenly appearing assassin.
The guards at the wealthy merchant's home outside were all at the Transcendent Rank.
How did you, a High Rank assassin, manage to sneak in?
He glanced out the window and saw that the sun had already set.
There was nothing else for him to do if he went back now.
After thinking for a moment, Lin Gui decided to follow and see exactly what this guy intended to do.
Steering his staff, Lin Gui silently trailed the assassin through the villa district.
The assassin was quite odd, poking around here and glancing around there.
Eventually, he arrived outside the door to the spacious bedroom of the slave merchant Erwin.
Erwin's door was locked, specifically with a magic lock.
Lin Gui could have unlocked it himself, but he was certain this assassin didn't have that capability.
After all, his profession wasn't a match for it.
Sure enough, the assassin produced a steel needle and poked and prodded inside the keyhole for quite some time, but he simply couldn't get it open.
Just as Lin Gui thought he was about to give up...
He saw the assassin's wrist flip, and he actually produced a magic key.
Lin Gui: "????"
Wait, if you already had a key, what were you poking at just now?
Was he checking for traps? Lin Gui found it utterly baffling.
Following the assassin into the bedroom, the luxury of the interior was revealed in all its glory.
Velvet drapes hung from the high windows.
A thick carpet made of magical beast fur covered the floor.
Goldware inlaid with gemstones and shimmering magic crystals were scattered about haphazardly.
The air was filled with the scent of expensive incense.
All of it served as a display of the staggering wealth the owner had accumulated.
The assassin had a clear objective; he went straight to the desk and began rummaging through it.
Lin Gui wasn't polite either, his gaze sweeping over the valuable trinkets.
He casually tucked a few items that caught his eye into his robes.
The two went about their respective business, neither interfering with the other.
"Mmm!! Finally found it!"
The assassin suddenly whispered in pleasant surprise.
Lin Gui critiqued from the side.
You're way too much of an amateur for an assassin; how could you make a sound like that?
He looked over and saw the assassin holding a long string of uniquely shaped magic keys.
Judging by the design, they were clearly meant for unlocking slave collars.
Ah... Lin Gui understood things a bit now.
This assassin was here to steal keys.
It seemed he wanted to rescue some important "merchandise" controlled by the slave merchant.
Since Erwin kept the keys cherished in his bedroom...
The slaves corresponding to those keys had to be extremely valuable.
Was it an incomparably beautiful elf?
A powerful warrior from a fallen kingdom?
Or perhaps a special monster that could produce precious materials?
Following the assassin, Lin Gui arrived at a hidden basement entrance at the back of the villa.
Before even drawing near, he could vaguely hear suppressed sobbing from slaves coming from within.
The scene that followed left Lin Gui stunned.
He saw the assassin take off his stealth suit, revealing his original appearance.
He was a slightly pale young man with a gentle gaze.
He quietly tucked the keys into his pocket and straightened his collar.
Then, he walked calmly toward the guards stationed at the basement entrance.
When the guards saw him, they were momentarily startled before quickly bowing in respect.
"Third Young Master, greetings."
???
Lin Gui was stunned by this reversal.
It turns out you're the slave merchant's son.
No wonder he could bypass the Transcendent guards outside and was so familiar with the layout here.
The Third Young Master smiled gently, making a move to pass the guards and enter the basement.
However, the guards quickly blocked his path, looking troubled.
"Apologies, Third Young Master."
"The master specifically ordered that you are not permitted to enter the basement again."
A shy smile remained on the Third Young Master's face.
"Don't worry, this will be the last time. My father has already agreed; you can confirm it with him yourself."
The guards looked at each other in confusion.
One of them turned and walked into the guardhouse beside them.
He pulled a brass device from the wall that featured a speaker and a handset, a 【Message Transmitter】.
Essentially... a phone.
Indeed, the Akara Continent did have "phones," although their communication range was limited to within the city.
Furthermore, they were quite expensive.
Besides this kind of device...
The mage system also possessed magic capable of remote sound transmission.
For instance:
Mid Rank soul magic, 【Telepathy】
Transcendent Rank Wind Magic, 【Wind Messenger】
Transcendent Rank Light Magic, 【Holy Word】
Epic Rank Light Magic, 【Word of Akara】
Even other classes had their own means of transmitting sound.
For example, a ranger's falcon.
The call ended quickly.
The guard stepped out, nodded to his companion, and stepped aside to open the passage.
"Third Young Master, please."
The Third Young Master nodded with a faint smile and stepped down the dark, descending stairs.
Lin Gui followed closely behind him.
As they entered the basement...
The scene inside gradually came into view.
The slaves were imprisoned in iron cages lined along the walls, reinforced with binding runes.
The cages were relatively clean, with dry straw laid out on the floor.
Drinking water and simple food were placed in the corners.
The air was a mix of the scent of disinfectant and a faint musty odor.
Most of them were dressed in thin clothing, curled up with empty gazes.
They looked like cargo being temporarily stored.
When the sound of the Third Young Master's footsteps echoed, the slaves had varying reactions.
Some of the newcomers looked terrified and shrank back.
Others who had been there longer simply lifted their eyelids numbly before lowering their heads again.
However, Lin Gui keenly sensed a more complex emotion hidden beneath those numb or fearful faces.
Regarding the arrival of this Third Young Master...
They seemed to hold a faint attitude—a subtle mix of a bit of anticipation and deep wariness.
Lin Gui surveyed the surroundings.
Those who were deliberately imprisoned deep within a slave merchant's own mansion were naturally no ordinary goods.
Among them were many girls of striking beauty.
But what drew even more attention were the few cages near the back.
The ones imprisoned inside were actually elves!
They possessed pointed ears, and even within the cages, they still subconsciously kept their backs straight.
One, in particular, was especially eye-catching.
She had brilliant blonde hair that flowed like gold under the sun and emerald-pure green eyes.
"They're actually High Elves..." Lin Gui marveled silently.
The slave merchant Erwin certainly had some nerve, daring to imprison even High Elves.
If discovered by those High Elf tribes, who valued their bloodline and dignity as much as their lives...
They would surely dispatch terrifying guardians from the distant World Tree.
They would hunt him down even if they had to cross ten thousand miles.
They would surely raze this place that dared to desecrate their kin to the ground.
This was no exaggeration on Lin Gui's part.
There were real precedents of such things occurring.
That instance had nearly sparked a war between the entire elven race and the human race.
Besides these elves...
Several beastkin warriors with bulging muscles and powerful physiques were also confined within cages.
They were covered in scars and possessed fierce gazes.
Even though they wore collars that restricted their power, the aura radiating from them clearly indicated...
That each of them possessed the strength of the Mid-tier Transcendent rank.
However, the Third Young Master's gaze didn't linger for long on these priceless "commodities."
Without stopping, he walked straight through this level toward the stairs leading further down.
It seemed none of these were his goal.
Lin Gui's curiosity grew even stronger.
Silently steering his staff, he followed closely behind.
Together, they entered the cold and damp second underground level.
Rate on N.U.
