The Slave Auction
The day after the merchants of the 69th Floor returned from the 70th Floor, a seismic shift rocked the markets of the Demon Realm.
“W-wait… Baron Bennett, where in the world did you get these?!”
That was Wayne’s reaction upon seeing the weapons Bennett had brought to market that day.
Bennett grinned at his old acquaintance.
“You should have joined the challenge yesterday, Wayne.”
“Don’t tell me… all of these came from the 70th Floor?! No, I’ve never seen swords of this quality before! I never imagined goods like these…”
It wasn’t just the swords. The spears, the armor, the helmets—everything looked fundamentally different in quality from anything produced in the Demon Realm.
After a string of awed exclamations, Wayne’s eyes sparkled as he turned to Bennett.
“Baron Bennett, could you possibly supply me with just a little of this? I’ll pay double the cost price!”
“Oh? Double?”
“That’s right!”
Bennett gave a small chuckle. If Wayne had stayed behind yesterday, he could have sold these fine goods alongside him. Unfortunately, their fates had diverged.
“Sorry.”
“No, even just a little…!”
“Of course I’d love to give you some, but look at this.”
Bennett handed Wayne a single document. It was the contract that Demon King Sitri had written herself the day before.
Wayne followed Bennett’s finger to one particular clause and read it aloud.
“…M-monopoly?! It even strictly prohibits sales through other merchants’ hands?”
“Exactly. These goods must be sold exclusively. It’s only for three years, but you know better than anyone that three years isn’t exactly a short time.”
“You’re monopolizing goods this good?! Ah… ugh…”
Wayne’s calculations must have finished instantly. He clutched the back of his neck, imagining the staggering profits Bennett and the merchants who had remained on the 70th Floor would soon rake in. He was already regretting his choice with every fiber of his being.
Bennett watched him with a wry smile and delivered the final blow.
“Too bad, Wayne.”
With those words, Bennett disappeared into the depths of the trading company building. He hadn’t shown Wayne yet, but the goods he had acquired from the 70th Floor weren’t limited to weapons.
“How is the work progressing?”
“It’s going smoothly.”
Ten humans stood limply, their hands bound above their heads by chains connected to the ceiling. Behind them, two dream demons pressed their lips to the captives’ necks. They were succubi and incubi—races specialized in seduction and mental interference magic.
The succubi kissed the men’s napes while the incubi kissed the women’s, imprinting brainwashing spells.
“Any problems?”
“No. Their curse has already lowered their magic resistance, so the brainwashing is proceeding easily. Once it’s complete, they will revere the demon they recognize as their master like a god.”
“Excellent. If you finish within the deadline, you will be handsomely rewarded.”
“Thank you, Master of the Company.”
Bennett had devised a plan with the other merchants who had been assigned to handle the slave trade yesterday. Each had only ten slaves, but together they totaled fifty. Rather than selling them individually, they decided to put them all on one stage and sell them via auction.
This way, even if the supply became inconsistent in the future, there would be no problem. Instead of steady distribution, they could simply open periodic auctions whenever new stock arrived.
Bennett called for his secretary. A small, green-skinned goblin in a neat suit came running.
“You called, Master Bennett?”
He was a goblin by birth, but unusually intelligent. Bennett had picked him up and raised him.
“Beck, spread the rumor. Tell them a slave market will soon open.”
“Understood. To which floors should I leak it?”
“The entire Demon Realm. Focus especially on the upper classes.”
“…Are you certain that’s wise?”
“They’ll welcome it, actually.”
Bennett’s eyes sharpened with a merchant’s keen insight as he spoke to Beck.
“The high and mighty are always thirsty for new toys, after all.”
From: Bennett
To: Nahen
The auction of the slaves you provided is ready to begin. I would be honored if you could attend in person. The venue is located within my trading company on the 69th Floor.
“Master Nahen.”
Inside the Demon King’s castle on the 72nd Floor, in Nahen’s office, Kain arrived carrying a letter.
“What is it?”
“A missive sent by a man named Bennett.”
“Ah, right on schedule.”
Nahen took the letter from Kain and opened it immediately. After reading its contents, he broke into a grin.
“Is it about the sales status?”
“That too, but these fellows came up with something rather interesting.”
“Are they daring to challenge us?”
When Kain’s eyes widened, Nahen waved his hand dismissively.
“Not that. It’s the method they’re using to sell the slaves that’s amusing.”
“Pardon?”
“They’re inviting me to come watch later… Yes, taking those two along to give them a little stimulation might be good.”
“What do you mean…?”
“They’re holding a slave auction.”
“…An auction?”
“Not a bad approach. After all, the number of slaves we supply isn’t consistent.”
Nahen recalled Bennett, the one who had conceived this idea, and smiled with satisfaction.
“Then who exactly do you intend to bring to this slave market…?”
Kain, who had been asking the question, suddenly seemed to realize something. His eyes widened and he asked in a tone of disbelief.
“You plan to bring those humans?”
“It will serve to awaken their sense of urgency. Isn’t that fine?”
“It doesn’t seem like a bad idea, but… what if they try to run away?”
“Run? Hah.”
At Kain’s words, Nahen let out a light laugh, his eyes gleaming with a chilling light.
“From me?”
“…I misspoke. That was a foolish question.”
Kain bowed slightly at the waist.
“I will make the preparations.”
“Please do.”
Eri and Dane felt a little uneasy.
They had been shut away in their room studying as instructed, but today, for some reason, Nahen said he would take them somewhere.
Eri and Dane exchanged quick glances, then looked at Nahen, who was carrying a young child in his arms. They had already heard the child’s identity, but it still felt hard to believe.
That’s… a Demon King?
No matter how they looked at her, she was just an adorable little girl. She was so cute that watching her beam with excitement at the prospect of going outside made them want to hug her without thinking.
“M-Master Nahen.”
“Hm?”
“Where exactly are we going?”
They had already taken two portals. At Eri’s question, Nahen answered simply.
“I’m going to show you what would have happened if you had refused my offer.”
“…Pardon?”
“Follow closely so you don’t get lost. And don’t even think about running. There’s nowhere here that would welcome you two anyway.”
After delivering that short warning, Nahen continued onward. The words “nowhere that would welcome you” made Eri and Dane slightly anxious, but they also took it to mean that as long as they stayed by Nahen’s side, they would be safe.
“W-we’re coming!”
After following Nahen for about an hour, they arrived at an enormous trading company.
“It’s huuuge!”
Seere gaped at the scale of the building in awe, and Eri and Dane couldn’t tear their eyes away either. Countless goods were displayed inside, many of which could never be seen in the Human Realm.
Those are magic tools?
And there were many advanced magic tools that were difficult to find in the Human Realm. While humans had developed weapons because they couldn’t use magic, demons—who could wield magic freely—had naturally advanced the craft of magic tools.
Dane was impressed, but Eri, the mage, had the brightest sparkle in her eyes.
Nahen glanced at her and asked.
“Do you want one?”
“…Huh?”
“As far as I know, you’re a Magician class. If it will help with your studies, you may pick one.”
“R-really?!”
The moment Nahen offered to buy something for Eri, Seere—who was nestled in his arms—suddenly glared at her. The murderous intensity in a child’s eyes was so terrifying that Eri flinched.
W-what was that?
Nahen gently patted Seere and said,
“Seere, would you like to pick one too?”
“Can I really?”
“Of course.”
“Hehe~♪”
As if she had never glared at all, Seere’s face lit up instantly. She began examining the magic tools from within Nahen’s embrace.
Eri whispered quietly to Dane.
“S-she really is a Demon King…”
“…Anyway, he’s offering to buy us one, so pick quickly before he changes his mind.”
“R-right.”
While Seere and Eri were browsing and choosing magic tools, a man approached Nahen. Nahen smiled warmly at him.
“It’s been a while, Bennett.”
“It has indeed….”
Bennett began to bow to Nahen, but then noticed Seere in his arms and immediately changed his demeanor.
“Have you been well, Your Majesty Seere von Devata?”
“Y-yes!”
“And you as well, Master Nahen.”
“Indeed. Thanks to you, I’ve finally set foot on the 69th Floor.”
Normally, it would have been nearly impossible for Seere—a Demon King of another floor—or her key subordinate Nahen to step onto a rival floor, especially the 69th Floor that was most wary of them. But thanks to Bennett watching their backs, they had arrived without any interference. After all, he was already a major merchant with a large trading company on the 69th Floor.
Recently, the weapons business supplied through his deal with Nahen had been booming, causing his operation to grow even larger.
“When does it begin?”
“The opening is imminent. That’s why I came to escort you.”
“I see.”
Nahen turned to Eri.
“Eri, choose quickly.”
“Y-yes! I’ve decided!”
What Eri chose was a mana storage artifact. Unlike demons who possessed mana within their bodies, human mages relied on magic tools that stored mana to perform the improved form of magic known as “sorcery.” The staves and rods that immediately came to mind when thinking of mages were prime examples of such tools. Therefore, artifacts capable of storing mana extracted from others or from nature were incredibly important to mages.
Nahen nodded, seeing that she had chosen something she truly needed.
“Is one enough?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m asking because human mages cannot generate mana on their own.”
“…!”
Eri looked at him with eyes that asked how he could possibly know that, but Nahen offered no explanation. Instead, he turned to Bennett.
“How many of those do you have in stock?”
“Approximately fifty. However, Master Nahen, those two…”
“Bennett.”
Golden eyes fixed on him.
“That is not your concern.”
“…I overstepped.”
“More importantly, give me all fifty.”
“Excuse me?”
“I will pay the price.”
Bennett’s eyes widened, but he nodded.
“Shall I send them to the 72nd Floor?”
“Yes.”
“I will process the payment there.”
“As you wish. And include this in the bill as well.”
What Nahen pointed to was a necklace that Seere had already picked up. It wasn’t an ordinary necklace but a magic tool enchanted with protective magic. Its sparkling appearance suggested that aesthetics had been taken into account as well.
“Sparkly!”
It seemed to have caught the eye of Seere, who loved shiny things.
Bennett looked at her once, then smiled.
“This one is on the house. You’ve made such a large purchase.”
“Then I’ll gratefully accept.”
“Now, please follow me this way. It will begin shortly.”
As Nahen followed Bennett, Eri and Dane hurried after them. Eri whispered to Dane.
“…Maybe…”
“…Yeah.”
“He might really be someone who will take responsibility and raise us properly.”
“…Seems like it.”
Just seeing how he bought a huge pile of artifacts for Eri without hesitation the moment he thought they would help her showed how seriously Nahen intended to support them. For a brief moment, they even wondered if he might actually be a good person.
That thought was completely shattered exactly three minutes later.
“…….”
“…….”
Following Nahen into an unnaturally dark place, Dane and Eri were struck with horror. It resembled a dimly lit theater, with spotlights shining only on the stage. And on that stage were people. Not just any people—actual humans.
“Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for waiting! The next item is a slave prepared for entertainment purposes! Behold these jewel-like eyes and beautiful figure. Don’t they stir the heart? She has been thoroughly imprinted and is perfectly obedient, with zero chance of rebelling against her owner. The auction will begin at five gold coins!”
Eri and Dane weren’t fools. This was unmistakably a slave market where humans were sold as slaves. And those on stage were adventurers who, like them, had been captured by demons.
“It seems we’ve already started.”
“A shame. Still, it looks like we’re near the beginning.”
“Indeed. Please, come this way to the VIP seats.”
“Eri, Dane. Follow me.”
The reason Nahen had brought them here. The two weren’t so dense that they couldn’t understand what it meant.
This is…
Anyone can see it’s…
A warning. A warning that if they didn’t work hard, they too could end up like that at any time.
The auction that had started at five gold coins skyrocketed in seconds and was sold for seventy gold coins. The beautiful adventurer was sold off to a demon just like that.
“Hic…!”
Eri squeezed her eyes shut, imagining herself up there. Dane led her over to Nahen.
Even after seeing their expressions, Nahen simply pointed to the seats and said,
“Sit and watch.”
“…Understood.”
Most slaves started at one gold coin. This was because Nahen had already sorted out only the useful humans in advance, so there were no defective goods. The demons participating in the auction also understood that one gold coin was the baseline price given the quality of the merchandise.
Bennett proudly gestured toward the auction hall and asked Nahen,
“What do you think? With this method, even if the slave supply becomes inconsistent, there should be no issues.”
“Impressive. You used your head well, Bennett.”
“Thank you.”
Seere seemed to find the whole situation simply fascinating. She watched the auction with her mouth slightly open in a daze. Then she suddenly glanced at Eri and Dane before asking Nahen,
“Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“Why aren’t those humans being sold?”
To Seere’s eyes, the slaves being auctioned and the two humans standing here looked no different. After all, they were all the same species of human. It was an innocent question, but it made both Dane and Eri flinch violently.
This child was a Demon King. Even if Nahen had said he would take them as his subordinates, his word would never outweigh a Demon King’s command.
Nahen gave a small chuckle at Seere’s question and answered,
“It’s for the future.”
“Huh?”
“Someday, Seere, when you grow up, your forces will have to serve you. They follow my orders for now, but when you mature and begin giving commands yourself, they won’t have time to listen to me anymore.”
Nahen stroked Seere’s hair.
“But if I’m going to guide you properly, I’ll need my own limbs as well. I’m raising them for that time. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
Nod, nod.
When Seere nodded to show she understood, Nahen gave a kind smile.
At that moment, a commotion broke out on stage.
“I… will never submit, you filthy demons!!”
For some reason, despite having undergone brainwashing, the man had retained his sanity.
Bennett slammed his fist on the railing.
“Damn it, did the succubi fail to do their job properly?!”
“Doesn’t seem that way.”
“Pardon?”
“That man is an AAA-rank adventurer. His skill is on par with veteran knights, and his class… is Crusader.”
It was Joseph Rosenbach, the man who had been defeated and captured by Baruna. As a holy warrior, he possessed divine power, which gave him resistance to the demons’ brainwashing magic. Combined with the mental fortitude of an AAA-rank adventurer, it had led to this mishap.
Yet Nahen gestured to Bennett that it was fine.
“Don’t worry. He’ll quiet down on his own soon.”
“Ah… you mean that?”
“Yes.”
With tremendous strength, Joseph broke free of the chains binding him. The auction hall erupted into chaos. Joseph grabbed the broken chain and swung it at the auction host beside him.
And in that instant—
“Ghk, cough…!!!”
Joseph suddenly clutched his chest and collapsed. Dark red blood gushed from his mouth.
After coughing up blood for a while, Joseph fell forward with a heavy thud.
Surprisingly, Nahen allowed Seere to watch the entire scene without intervening.
She wouldn’t fear something like blood anyway.
Though she was a child, Seere was a Demon King. She was different from birth. Naturally, she watched with complete indifference as a human—not even of her own kind, but an enemy—coughed up blood.
“Ahem… there was a brief disturbance. As you can see, if a slave attempts to harm us, their heart will burst and they will die like this. Therefore, you need not worry about slaves harming you in any way.”
At the host’s words, some of the audience seemed relieved, while those who had been eyeing Joseph expressed disappointment.
“It looked like a good item.”
“What a shame.”
Dane and Eri froze solid. If they had refused Nahen’s offer and ended up on that stage…
“Dane. Eri.”
Nahen called them.
Then he casually tossed out a single question.
“Do you regret taking my hand?”
“…….”
After showing them a scene like this, he asked if they regretted their choice. It was a cruel question.
Dane let out a hollow sigh and answered Nahen’s question.
“…No. It was the greatest decision of my life.”