64: The Druid Slave
The following two hours proceeded as well as Aidan would expect from a slaver's auction. Throughout the downtime between each slave that was presented, he sensed the souls around him and learned a lot about the people without even interacting with them.
A few he recognized only saw the slaves as property to purchase. The older man who purchased a few dozen slaves first definitely fit under that category.
The other rich folks saw the following slaves had a mix of reactions. Appreciated relief from those thankful for the extra hands, some looking more than peeved at losing the prospects they wanted, and one unfortunately had the feeling of lust nearly radiating off of him as he purchased an extremely unfortunate young woman.
The slaves that were presented varied widely, even presenting different races. A short, stout man was presented, showing off an impressive long beard that reached his muscular chest. The announcer made a big fuss about the man known as a dwarf, taken away from his country due to owing some massive debts.
An actual dwarf, something spoken of many times in every fantasy media he consumed, and he looked almost bored, like he was just waiting for the entire thing to end so he could go back to doing whatever the hell he was doing before.
Another was an actual beastfolk, much like the werewolf he faced before, except that he looked more human with his appearance, showing only fur around his arms and legs with a furry tail and equally furry ears adorned on his head.
Scanning him, he was an impressive Warrior at level 47, who was part of a mercenary group actually belonging to the Brotherhood, but was a slave due to backstabbing his comrades in an attempt to get more money out of a gig he was on.
After that were several more impressive-looking people, each having their own reasons to be enslaved, but around fifty percent of them were ‘acquired’ due to the bad luck of being around the Chainlords at the time.
Throughout all this, Aidan realized why he was feeling so out of it, even compared to being within the Grim Corner where he constantly sensed malicious crimes being committed at every turn. For each slave that showed up, they all wore a constricting metal band around their necks with some strange array etched onto the surface.
Those were the slave collars that not only kept them chained down to their owners, but also pin down on their powers and restrict access to their system-acquired abilities. So no matter how high level they were, not a single one of them could use anything that could potentially harm their owners.
Just being under the binding contract was enough to set him on edge. Enough to make him risk his own life to get rid of it, despite barely having any experience with magic at the time. What he sensed from the collars was something stronger and more insidious. If a binding contract was similar to having rope tied around his neck, the collar was a parasite that wormed its way around his insides. He couldn’t even imagine the amount of panic he would get if he ever had the misfortune to wear that collar, let alone the idea of being owned by someone else in a literal sense.
In the end, he considered Nina to be the better option because, while she does force them to sign under contracts, they were at least free to make their own choices and move as they pleased. Wearing the collar would restrict them right down to their bones, and Aidan could feel each of their souls wriggling and suffering from under its confinement.
Putting aside his utter disgust over the collars, he asked Nina if she spotted anyone she would want to pick for herself. Strangely, she didn't even seem all that interested, and instead just outright disappointed at the lineup. He figured she would at least like the beastman that was presented before, but apparently she didn’t like the titles he had in his status page, something that Aidan could understand as something similar to checking someone’s personal record.
If even Nina was appalled at it, who knows what kind of dastardly deeds the beastman did?
Eventually time passed as the auction event was reaching its climax, something that Aidan figured Nina was waiting for. She explained that they normally left the best for last, something that could easily rile up the richer folks to drain them of every last morsel of coin they had on them.
“Now, for the moment you have all been waiting for!” The announcer said with glee, his arms flourishing to the side as the audience showed their eagerness through their souls. “I’m sure you heard the rumors. I’m sure you know the history behind it, but even after studying everything you know about them, I assure you–you will still not be able to comprehend it. May I present to you all our last lineup for tonight. Come on out!”
It was starting to feel more and more like a pageant from how the announcer kept giving that sort of vibe, and when the slave finally came out, it certainly made it feel like one as well.
What came out was a young woman, pleasantly clothed in a one-piece dress which showed bits of her assets. Long flowing silver hair cascaded down her shoulders, with a black metal crown adorned at the top of her head. Nearly ephemeral snow-white skin, and glowing golden eyes.
Her appearance made the entire room completely silent. Her very presence commanded the mood, and more than anything, one particular feature spoke out the most. She was an elf, and according to what Aidan read about, she was a high-elf at that.
The audience quickly murmured and grew excited, showing glinting greedy eyes at the next product that was clearly the winner of everything they had so far. But what made Aidan stunned wasn’t her beauty, or the clear rarity of her race, but at her soul.
Even confined under the slave collar wrapped around her neck, her soul was strong and refined. It practically overflowed with strong vibrations that leaked out of the constraints of the collar, only barely kept in place. Perhaps she could even break the collar if she wished, or maybe she was only just barely reaching the threshold for her to actually break it apart.
He did notice that the collar was intensely stronger in its internal components compared to the other collars presented before, which made it clear that she was indeed quite powerful, even showing it through her level.
Druid, Level 74.
A high level, and a rare class.
But that clearly wasn’t all. He wasn’t sure how, but he knew that she had a deeper connection to the harmony than anyone else. Through his Sense Vibrations, the frequency she was emitting was higher and more… pure? He wasn’t quite sure how to describe her connection to harmony, but it resonated strongly through everything around her.
“Now that is someone we can use,” Nina said, sounding impressed herself as the announcer kept describing how they found her.
Apparently, rather than finding her somewhere or enslaving her due to her own faults, she was actually passed from one slaver to another, each one recognizing her potential and high value. Eventually she landed onto the Chainlords who had deeper connections to high society, and was now finally being put up for auction for once. As such, the announcer kept saying that she was ‘pure’ and unused, making her perfect for purchase.
Considering how she was dolled up and presentable, it made sense that the Chainlords easily value her not just for her power, but through her good looks. And just as Aidan suspected, the announcer clearly revealed that she was indeed a high elf, a higher state than the normal elves one would see, proven by her silver hair and how her long ears were slightly longer than your average elf. The other difference was, of course, the amount of mana they could naturally use and how well they could use it.
It was clear enough that this would be the highlight of the auction, and when the announcer finally started the bid, all hell broke loose.
“I see 15,000! 20,000, 25,000! It just keeps rising! 28,000. 30,000!”
Now, Aidan might be considered a cheat and could make as much gold as he wanted by crafting enchanted items to sell, but even he would have a hard time getting the amount of gold being put up just to purchase one slave. Even a whole group of refugees wasn’t enough in comparison to this one single woman as everyone, including the ladies, was desperate to get their hands on her.
When Aidan was absolutely floored at the amount of gold being put up to purchase, Nina tugged at his arm which got his attention.
“Follow me, then do exactly as I say.”
He nodded, letting her take the lead as they sneaked around the floor, going from table to table amid the raised hands and the greedy looks on their faces. Some ranged from pure want and desire and others displayed fits of anger when it was clear that they didn’t have enough to purchase the slave.
When the bid was starting to go up as high as fifty thousand, they eventually reached the table who hadn’t raised their hand. It was a table that seated a couple, a man and a woman, both looking quite elderly despite wearing the masks on their faces. Though in the darkness surrounding the floor, it was hard to make out their faces clearly. It was also the table where Aidan noticed had the least amount of security around them, and sure enough, there weren’t any other magical sources that could potentially be traps for anyone trying to do any funny business.
Unfortunately the kind of funny business they were about to do was quite different from your average funny business. He followed Nina’s clear instructions, then carefully placed both hands at the sides of the couple’s faces. He carefully crafted the air before doing so, then when he approached their temples, shot a concentrated force of air straight at them.
It was only just barely strong enough to knock them out completely, and before their bodies fell, both Nina and Aidan caught each person and kept them afloat. What happened next had to be done quickly, or else people would notice.
First, Aidan cast Vanish on the couple before letting them fall to the ground, turning them invisible. In another second, Aidan and Nina took their places, dispelling Vanish around themselves and making them appear. Finally, without hesitation, Nina took the sign on the table and raised her hand, dominating the room.
“100,000 gold.”
Her words silenced the room long enough for the announcer to look quite ecstatic, pointing his hand straight at them.
“I hear 100,000 gold! Do I hear anything more? Anyone?”
It was clear that nobody here had the amount of money that could beat such an outrageous number. Then, after a long pause without anyone else raising their signs, the announcer finished it off.
“Sold! To the lovely couple at the back!”
Then, as if on cue, the magical relic on their table flashed, the payment processed and completed successfully.
Aidan was taken aback by it all, and while everyone cheered for the fun auction, some of them clearly bitter and just clicked their tongues, Aidan closed in towards Nina for answers.
“How did you know they had enough to buy her?”
“Judging from their status, they had a title called ‘Millionaire’,” Nina grinned fiercely, her own excitement taking over. “A title given to those who amassed over a million gold or at whatever currency they currently held.”
“There’s a title like that?” Aidan asked, surprised. That definitely sounded like one of those common achievements gamers would gain if they focused on nothing else but grinding for money.
“One of the rarest to find, but not that surprising in a place like this,” Nina said, turning her attention to the side where the invisible older couple lay resting. “How long would they be knocked out?”
“Long enough to last the entire night,” Aidan surmised. It could be a bit earlier or later, but they definitely won’t be waking up before the entire auction would end.
“Sucks to be them,” Nina said. It was clear she was enjoying this from how her soul thrived. “Then again, that’s what happens when you come here buying slaves.”
“...We’re pretty much here for the same exact reason,” Aidan said in a deadpan voice.
“But we’re here to save the city. Now stop with the semantics and come with me. We need to act well enough to get our slave and get out before they realize anything is amiss.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Before they could get their hands on their elf, Nina first put on the talisman that changed her appearance to match that of the older woman down on the ground. She picked up the mask, allowing Aidan to dispel the Vanish on it, before putting it on her face. As for Aidan, he had a much simpler way of disguising himself.
He first pulled out a simple square piece of wood from his spatial bag, then placed it near the invisible old man’s face. After some careful use of his Craft, the piece of wood transformed exactly into the face of the old man, along with the eye mask he had on, before melding the wood close to his own face and mouth. It was a nifty trick he picked up after experimenting with his Craft, finding out that he can copy down a person’s face right to the color of their eyes and peculiar facial features like moles and scars, making him capable of completely disguising himself.
Unfortunately it did nothing to the body as it only changed the face, but he was certain that nobody in this venue really cared about how they looked, only about what kind they spent on. And since everything was dark around them, they could just simply say that they always wore armor underneath for their protection.
Considering that the high elf was the last slave to be put on the auction, the event came to a close and all the patrons were moved either to the exit, or down to their own special pathways to get their slaves. Considering that they were the highest earners regardless of how they got it, both Aidan and Nina were led by the security to get their high elf.
Thankfully none of the security asked any questions about what they wore or how strange that an old man had a seemingly younger body, which only made it clear that they only cared about the money they never really spent.
He did feel a little bad about tricking the old couple into wasting so much gold on a slave they’re never going to get, but Nina seemed more than ready to use them, which only meant that along the list of titles she scanned from them, they must have done some horrendous things to get her apathy towards their treatment.
They followed the security along the halls before reaching a room at the very end, which seemed more and more like a green room with some comfortable looking furniture and some refreshments on the side. Soon they found not just the high elf, but also the announcer himself as he smiled eagerly towards the two coming in.
“Thank you once again for your purchase, and may I say, congratulations on winning the bid,” The announcer said, bowing his head to the two. Then he handed what looked like a series of documents towards the pair, which Nina took with ease. “This is all the information we have gathered about your slave, and if you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Following that, the announcer also held what looked like a pad of ink with a stamp on the other hand. The pad alone was radiating a sort of mana that connected deeply with the collar on the high elf, and when the announcer placed the stamp onto the pad, Nina lifted her hand and allowed the man to put the stamp on top of it, marking her skin with what looked like a magic circle design.
The circle on her hand glowed brightly before disappearing, along with the mark on the hand. Just like that, the energy that was radiating from the collar now seemed to shift straight towards Nina’s direction, proving that the hand-over of the slave contract was complete.
“That’s fine,” Nina, pretending to be the older woman of the couple, spoke up, her voice sounding more mature and crisp than usual. Apparently she has quite the talent in manipulating her voice as well. “May we have some privacy? We know enough about high elves that we wish to establish ourselves first before we leave.”
“That is fine.” The announcer man nodded before snapping his fingers. He and the rest of the security all left the room, leaving the two with the high elf alone in the green room. Of course that was before telling them that they had around 10 minutes before they were escorted out to the exit for safety concerns.
Nina looked over to Aidan before he nodded in return. “Nobody around. They really kept their word.”
“Good,” Nina said, then she took the talisman off and revealed her true appearance. Aidan also took the old man mask off, revealing his own face. However, the high elf who witnessed everything barely even reacted. Instead, only a passive stare was left on her face as she gazed upon the two.
“So, uhh, what do you mean by establishing ourselves?” Aidan asked.
Nina only lifted her hand, demanding silence as she approached the high elf. The silver-haired maiden only stared blankly at Nina, before Nina actually bowed her head.
“It is a pleasure to be in your presence,” Nina said, sounding genuinely grateful from her words. “I happen to know something about high elves, and I know they don’t speak to lesser races unless they were demanded. However, I wish to develop a true bond with you. May I know your name?”
Aidan was taken aback by how demure Nina sounded, and took her words into consideration. He thought that as long as the high elf wore that collar, which she had control over since taking on the stamp, Nina would just command her to follow her will. But it looked like she planned on taking a more formal approach.
However, the high elf still stared with that impassive look on her face, not even deigning to answer her. Her golden eyes just stared straight at Nina, as if asking ‘why should I bother’ right at her face without saying the words.
Nina definitely faltered then, her soul stirring in anxious energy, but she kept a steady physical presence despite that as she continued to ask.
“Please understand that I don’t mean to treat you any less than you already must have been through. I only wish to establish a relationship that would benefit all of us. In fact, I’m willing to erase the slave contract binding you to me, and instead only wish to switch to the regular binding contract for my own safety. With this, I hope it will prove that I’m not going to demean you with that collar any longer.”
Nina promptly pulled out a set of papers, proving to be the binding contract that she apparently had an unhealthy stockpile on in her spatial bag, then showing it to the high elf. She just stared at the set of papers, then for a short, agonizing moment, picked up the pen Nina offered and signed it.
It didn’t look like she was forced to do it either; she simply knew that it was the right call. Aidan would’ve noticed if Nina commanded the girl to do so against her will, the collar being activated and showing it through his Sense Vibrations. As she finished signing, another source of magic was bound to her soul, now bound on two fronts.
Without hesitation, now that the high elf finished signing, Nina turned to Aidan. “If you please, tear away the collar. But don’t hurt her.”
“Roger that.”
Aidan approached the high elf, and if he was honest, he was a bit hesitant to be that close. She was such an otherworldly beauty that it felt like watching those unreal rendered videos back in his old world, where they edited and changed one’s face to the point of becoming realistically unreal.
Yet not only did it feel natural, it surpassed even that. Even so, Aidan didn’t falter as he placed his hand on the collar, only receiving another stare from the elf. However, there was something different that turned that impassive stare into one of curiosity and wonder. He could even tell through her soul changing its tune, becoming much lighter in response.
He ignored that for the sole purpose of focusing entirely on the band of metal strapped around her neck. He was worried that if he just broke it off physically, the energy coiling within would harm her somehow. So he first studied the collar with Sense Vibrations, and even used Magic Focus on his own skill to enhance it further.
He saw that the energy only entered within the confines of the elf’s soul, but didn’t latch onto anything important. Just to be safe, he cast Craft, but didn’t directly apply the spell to the band just yet. He only sent the mana into the collar, prepping the spell first. As his own mana entered into the collar, it also connected only to the energy piercing the elf’s soul. Knowing where his power would end up, he officially cast Craft and dissolved the collar, molding the shape so that it separated itself from the front, making Aidan catch the falling collar with his hand.
He didn’t like it, but he decided to spare the collar and keep it instead, putting it into his spatial bag. It might be worth it if he could save it for the future, in case they find some shitbag that needed to be put down a peg or two in the future. The high elf felt the skin around her neck, slightly marked with a pink coloring from how tight the collar wrapped around her neck.
“...You… you use strange magic,” The high elf finally spoke, her tone almost melodious and strangely similar to the now upbeat tone her soul was singing. “I have never felt such magic before. What are you?”
Aidan was taken aback, considering that she didn’t even answer Nina’s own question, yet started asking her own. He looked back at Nina, and noticed how she was practically screaming at him in her mind to answer back. Her soul? It roared and cried like it was a death-metal song.
“I… uhh, I come from a special place,” Aidan answered, not really giving direct information about himself. The high elf only kept staring at him, now showing clear interest.
“A special place, you say,” She spoke, her eyes staring straight to his own soul. It might even be possible that she could indeed see it. “You… You’re not human, are you? Are you connected to the spirits, somehow?”
His eyes widened at that. Considering his race, he was indeed not human, but a humanoid of the spirit variant. He first made sure that they were entirely alone, though that didn’t seem to be necessary, before turning to Nina.
“I guess it’s okay to tell her, right?” Aidan asked, considering their circumstances and all.
“That’s fine,” Nina nodded. “She can be trusted.”
Since she did sign the contract binding her to Nina’s authority, a much lesser degree of control compared to the slave collar, Aidan nodded.
“I am indeed a spirit… sort of. Though I never met anyone else of my kind.”
“Truly…” The high elf nodded. “The magic that you wield… it is not of the natural order, is it? Not part of the elements, nor is it part of the corporeal concepts. It breaches a higher level of power that no humanity could ever touch. You can tap into the essence of harmony, is that right?”
He should’ve known that the high elf was special, but even then, he wasn’t prepared enough from her revelation. It was the first time anyone managed to connect his magic to harmony, which was something only he understood–and that was only because the only clue he had was due to his talent’s name and description.
“That’s right,” Aidan nodded. “Can you use harmony too?”
“Us high elves are granted a sliver of connection to the grand whole that is the harmony,” The high elf kept speaking, her hand floating over her chest as if tapping into the very connection she spoke of. “We are deeply connected to the nature of our surroundings, our mana linked beyond the mortal coils that wrap around our world and its people. Only a very few of us have truly connected to the harmony, yet I have not found anyone in my lifetime that could wield it with such force like yourself. Tell me, spirit of harmony; what is your name?”
“My name’s Aidan Munez,” Aidan answered truthfully.
The elf nodded. “My name is Yin. I come from the Forest of High Stasis that sits upon the Five Elements Mountain from the west. It has been a very long time since I have seen someone who can touch upon Harmony, and one who can so deeply connect with it on a spiritual level. Tell me, oh divine one–is it truly wise to follow this woman?”
For a short moment, he felt like everything was drowned out, only leaving both himself and Yin. Now that her collar was off, her soul was overflowing more than usual, to the point where her question could very well contain a part of her soul.
He knew for certain that she couldn’t use the exact same power as harmony, but now it made sense why her soul was so profound compared to the rest. She was connected to harmony, and he could tap into that essence through his talent. It made him stop thinking about how this could benefit his benefactor, and only focused on the truth at hand.
He never once decided to lie or pick apart his words for his advantage. He was just giving it to her straight.
“It is,” Aidan said, not even bothering to look back at Nina. He couldn’t even sense her soul at the time, being so involved within the vast soul of the high elf in front of him. “She really does mean to treat you right. We actually have a tough mission ahead of us, and we’re gonna need all the help we can get.”
“About the darkness that would soon encroach upon us, yes?” The woman answered, once again leaving Aidan stumped. “I had sensed its foreboding presence for a while now, yet I could not pinpoint its arrival. If I could, I would tell you in an instant.”
“So you also know about what’s coming? The demonic threat?”
“I have been in this city for a while now. Throughout that time, even while bound, I could sense malicious energy traveling around the city and affecting its people. But then I sensed that corrupted evil vanquished in an instant.”
“Yeah, that was me,” Aidan said. “I only got a vision about what’s coming after I destroyed that relic. It was a cursed relic that destroys someone entirely, leaving nothing but a disfigured body.”
“I see…” Yin answered, her face turning somber. “I knew humans were foolish, but to think they would tap into such atrocities for their own greed. I thank you for unveiling what had been troubling me for weeks now.”
“No problem,” Aidan smiled. “Now, let’s get you something better to wear. From now on, we’ll be following Nina since she knows how to handle things from here. Is that alright with you?”
“That is fine,” Yin nodded. “I trust you, divine one.”
“Oh, just call me Aidan, please. It feels weird to be called that. I just consider myself pretty lucky to be born being able to use harmony.”
Yin shook her head. “You value yourself too low. But I understand. I shall do as you and Nina ask. Please, direct me as you wish.”
Aidan let out a relieved sigh, then turned to the surprised Nina with a thumbs up. For a moment, she looked almost lost, but then responded with a thumbs up of her own.
Just like that, they got themselves a pretty powerful and surprisingly friendly ally.