CHAPTER 61: TRADER’S MARKET

Their intention was to avoid the public eye and not be suspected. But Claudia’s suggestion directly placed them in the public eye.

What made her suggestion very clever was that it omitted the suspicious part.

Leonard also understood that no matter how trained a person was, they were ultimately still human. And humans tend to have this curiosity aspect embedded in their program.

Hence, the spies sent by the wealthy and influential people were destined to forget about their presence even if spotted. After all, they were probably the slacker types as well.

Rather than sneaking around and even taking a large detour, which would involuntarily make them suspicious, they might as well walk through the gate openly and confidently.

At the very least, the spies wouldn’t notice anything was amiss due to their confidence. Only the guilty would behave and show a look of anxiety.

Sometime later, the trio made their decision and began to walk through the front exit gate, which led to the Trader’s Market directly.

As they passed through the gate, people who were camping at a discreet location with binoculars in their hands were dumbfounded by the trio.

"Hah, even the Crown Prince’s guards are trying to slack off." One of them sneered coldly. They didn’t suspect anything because of their confidence and bold move to bypass through the front.

Was that an action from someone who wanted to do a covert mission?

Nevertheless, they still glanced at them for a few more minutes and jotted them down in their notes.

While they didn’t place this action much to mind, Leonard, on the other hand, was quite concerned.

"How was it?" He turned to Mirelle and asked softly.

"They didn’t seem to care much about our actions. But they did record our bypass down." Mirelle replied and retracted her magical perception.

Nodding, Leonard heaved a sigh of relief inwardly.

Although he appeared confident on the surface, the truth was that he was quite afraid of failure.

"Since we manage to slip away without losing our identity, you can put on the fake emotion and act your role properly as a slave." Leonard glanced at Claudia and commanded.

Claudia wasn’t even surprised by the command and didn’t bother to resist the command either.

Soon, the trio navigated through the passage and saw a brightly lit area from afar.

Even though there was quite a distance between them, the trio could overhear the loud noises.

"The Trader’s Market is one of the most unique places in the Valdoria Continent. People and other species from all across the world get to travel here without much restriction." Mirelle commented, her eyes gazing at the far distance.

She strived for equality and freedom. And the Trader’s Market was one of the closest things to her ideology, albeit with some exceptions.

Thinking about the exceptions, Mirelle unconsciously trailed her eyes to Claudia. Or more specifically, the current status of Claudia: slave.

"Where are we headed now?" Mirelle asked.

"We’ll enter the market and then exit through a crowded gate. Afterward, we will discard the guards’ uniform and reenter." Leonard said.

"But before then, we can explore and purchase a few items first to make it seem like we slacked off to buy some things."

"Are you paying?" Mirelle inquired.

"You’re that broke?" Leonard raised an eyebrow in confusion. She was a famous tutor who charged skyrocketing prices to the nobles who sought to recruit her.

How could she possibly be broke?

"No, I just don’t wish to spend my money to purchase non-essential items." She shook her head and clarified. "I’m a practical person after all."

"Then search for some essential items to purchase."

"I’m broke."

"..."

Speechless, Leonard didn’t know how to react to her deadpan expression of declaring her financial status.

"You’re kidding, right?" He asked doubtfully. It was hard to believe she was broke when she had been paid in advance by Spencer to become his tutor.

"I used all my money to help fund war victims and orphans." Mirelle pursed her lips and revealed bits of her action.

"Hmph, hypocritical action." Before Leonard could respond, Claudia had already chimed in and made a sneering remark. She was certain that Mirelle only revealed it as a roundabout way to inform her.

The same goes for Leonard, who simply feigned deafness. Instead, he continued to advance and officially entered the premises of the Trader’s Market.

"Fresh fish of the day. Very cheap, only 10 copper coins!"

"Fresh seafood from the Virellian Sea. Only 5 copper coins per pound!"

"I have magical potions that can help you navigate the dangerous wilderness. 1 silver coin each, bargaining is available."

As soon as the trio entered, they were exposed to multiple vendors shouting loudly about their merchandise and the cost.

All sorts of items—whether it was food, utility, clothing, etc were available for sale in the Trader’s Market.

However, none of them attracted the most attention aside from one particular trade.

"A fresh batch of human slaves has arrived. These slaves are all well-trained. Whether you wish for manual labor, a person to be used as a practice target, or a pleasure one at bed, it’s all here. Remember, the slaves are a very hot commodity, and it’s first-come, first-served. Miss it and you might cry in tears of regret!"

In the blink of an eye, multiple buyers rushed toward the slave traders and began to demand to see the slaves.

Each of the slaves was then promptly displayed in full. Most of them were barely wearing any clothes, and their expressions were rather dull and lifeless.

"Hmm, their skin is pretty dark. Which place do they come from?" One of the buyers raised their concern and asked curiously.

"Haha, this buyer sure is perceptive. These slaves are newly war refugees who couldn’t afford to repay their debt or have no choice but to sell themselves to be traded." The slave trader laughed humorously and explained their background.

Apparently, they all hailed from the borders between Vel Serentha and Dregalia. The two continents were mortal enemies and were constantly at war. Those who lived between the two continents always suffered from the aftermath and endured a poor living environment.

Vel Serentha was located on the West of the Valdoria Continent, and Dregalia lurked in the South. One must know that Umbra Vex originated from Dregalia as well.

’There really isn’t a peaceful world, no matter where you belong.’ Leonard glanced at the slaves being sold like some vegetables.