Beast Market
The place Wenxiong had talked about was indeed not very far at all. It was a large, sprawling city within which several immense trees provided wide shade throughout the entire city. It was also surrounded by high, durable-looking stone walls similar to those of the Paradiso Edrick had visited on a few occasions.
However, this place was not under the control of Red Mansion... Or rather, it wasn’t solely under the control of this subservient sect to the Elt clan.
Invefno was a city where several of the sects and cults that followed the Elt clan gathered to create an autonomous market of sorts. A market that naturally included many items and merchandise of dubious legality, most probably obtained from the commitment of morally reprehensible acts.
It was similarly a pit of debauchery like the Paradiso cities, but far less neat and orderly, much wilder... There was no telling what sort of goods would be present at any given time, as everything came and went somewhat randomly.
Of course, as members of the Elt clan, Wenxiong and Edrick had the red carpet laid out as they arrived. Although wild, Invefno was situated near the grounds of the Elt clan for a reason. Many vendors hoped that something they had to offer would catch the eye of a clan member, or even of a sub-clan member.
It was a good way to build a reputation and get some favours as well as a scrap of preferential treatment. They were led on by attractive stories that were probably all false.
Stories about how a lucky few had brought something a member of the Elt clan really liked and subsequently rewarded the lucky one greatly…
As such, there was an entire area of the city dedicated to bringing in all sorts of creatures. They could be offered to become pets, sold for food, or for purposes of starting some sort of cattle exploitation, or… Other means that Wenxiong enjoyed.
The aspect of all sorts of creatures being able to be tamed was very attractive to many people, though, so this sector was rather popular even without members of the clan making purchases very often at all. The mundane visitors still spent a lot of money there, so the vendors were plentiful and always had an incentive to bring new beasts and monsters.
Of course, certain creatures were present for purposes that were not at all battle-related, as evidenced by what the two clansmen saw right as they arrived in the beast sector.
Standing completely nude on wooden platforms, were goblin females dancing and performing for visitors, who could pay to ‘get a taste’ of the green delicacy.
These goblin females were obviously not the typical kind of goblins. They had shapely bodies, and some of them were actually quite rotund in the right places. Very unlike the common goblins with their very unpleasing looks.
Wenxiong shook his head.
“Niedao would love this show. I swear, they never have beasts or bestial monsters up on these platforms. It's always humanoid monsters at best, if not straight-up sapients like these ones…” the ancestor stroked his unkempt moustache as he spoke.
Clearly, he had very specific tastes, and goblins of this sort did not scratch the right itch at all. But of course, since this sector was very oriented toward regular visitors, what was displayed was naturally more akin to the average tastes.
Therefore, they only displayed females of this kind. Yet, even then, most people were surprisingly unwilling to lie down with such nice-looking green dancers. Truly a proof of the lack of sex drive in men in this day and age... Or so Anoteros would say.
“Now, this might actually be better, but it’s more akin to gambling… Wanna try, Edrick?”
“It looks quite amusing, but let’s stay focused for today” replied the young scion.
The two clansmen were standing in front of several wooden structures, each with people all around it.
The structures were all adorned with holes, and the point of them was pretty obvious. There was not even a need to read the signs. One just had to listen to the men enthusiastically leading the show.
“Alright, alright! For one hundred Copper Leyens–Yes, you heard that correctly, one hundred Copper Leyens from the get-go today! This plentiful prize will belong to the gentleman who gets closest to guessing just what the pussy they are ploughing belongs to!”
Indeed, it was a mix between a guessing game and a certain type of place where holes were supposedly glorious.
Or as they called it in this world, ‘Pits Of Laurels’.
The game was pretty interesting. The participating men would need to have intercourse through the hole, in front of many other people–And after a while, they would have to try and guess just what it was that they had just had relations with.
The one with the answer that was closest to the truth would gain a prize, which could be a variety of things.
Naturally, if no one had an answer that was even remotely close to the truth, no one would gain a prize. The organiser would benefit as participants would typically have to pay or offer something for chances to guess.
It looked a bit ridiculous, but Edrick found it quite interesting as well.
Of course, Wenxiong would be more interested in this than the goblins. The organisers had every incentive to pick the most obscure, unexpected things in there, making it likely that when someone put their rod through the ‘Pit Of Laurels’, that they would be pounding away at something that might scar them for life... But so it was with gambling…
Still, although Anoteros did not partake today, he made a mental note. He might actually be quite good at this, and even if not, it would be a good time for him.
Instead, he and the ancestor went to the more proper market area, where people were showing off beasts, monsters, and all sorts of creatures. Some even had stages and were performing small auctions.
Though only the sellers with a certain reputation could get away with pulling this off.
“Look over, fellows! I frankly don’t have a clue what this is, but I think it is some sort of lesser species of the feared Wendigo!” said a man presenting some gaunt, pale, and cold humanoid creature that was heavily shackled and restrained.
“Aren’t Wendigos spirits?”
“I thought the plural form was Wendigowak?”
“Who cares about the correct plural form?!”
“I think there is a spirit and a more physical version of the creature… Like how there is a human-like variant, and a more deer-like variant…”
Some people were discussing the goods. The creature certainly looked quite fierce, but whether they could tame it was important. People who brought creatures that were basically untamable unless you were an expert tamer were awfully common on the market.
Indeed, just because something could be caught did not mean that it could be tamed.
“What do you think, Ancestor?”
“Heh… The creature’s species is good, but it's been heavily wounded. It also seems like the seller used poison to weaken it… That thing is likely to die soon, and if it doesn’t die, it is likely to never live up to its potential… It would be a waste of time and money to try and make something out of this one”
Edrick could not see any of what Wenxiong was talking about. To him, the supposed lesser Wendigo looked in good health.
It was certainly handy to have a professional around…