Snatching a Barbarian. Cat (1): The Slave Auction
I returned from the dungeon and quickly cashed out at the Exploration Office before heading back to the inn.
Mary, the receptionist, didn’t say a word when she noticed that Lee—who should have been right by my side—was missing. She seemed to already know exactly what had happened.
So I headed straight back to the inn and finally took the deep sleep I’d been craving for so long.
At one point the cats looked annoyed, but I kept sleeping, and eventually they just gave up and left on their own.
By the time I finally stepped out of the room, it was lunchtime, and the inn’s lobby was packed with people.
“Haahaaam....”
“Oh, Barca. It’s the first time I’ve seen you sleep in this late.”
Luna gave me a quick greeting and went right back to her cooking.
With so many customers for lunch, she was probably swamped.
After a brief nod to Luna, I dropped into an empty table and scanned the room.
“Um....”
Explorers were everywhere.
Most of the people staying at the inn were explorers, so the pet shelter pretending to be an inn had its share of them too.
But....
“I wonder if there’s anyone who can join my party....”
Netia still hadn’t contacted me. She probably failed to pull out the bishop’s beard.
So I decided to look for a party member first.
Whoosh.
Everyone who met my eyes immediately turned their heads away.
Even the tough-looking humans, the beastkin, and that single dwarf!
The desperate way they twisted their necks to avoid my gaze made me hang my head.
“Sigh... no luck finding a party member.”
Huuu....
Everyone was focused, so the moment I finished speaking, they all let out a collective sigh of relief.
That’s why I wanted to take them all.
I was about to blackmail one of the weak-looking guys here when...
Fwoosh—!
Oh, our pet shelter director.
She read my mind and immediately unleashed a burst of fire magic.
Scary. Terrifying.
“Luna, can’t you introduce a good party member?”
“You don’t match my rank. And I don’t think anyone would party with a barbarian anyway.”
“Guess so....”
Hah, no choice.
Then the answer was simple.
“I have to buy a slave.”
Slaves were perfect.
Magic inscribing prevented them from rebelling against commands, and they could even be used as bait if needed.
Even with the barbarian penalty, they couldn’t fight back, so it was ideal for me.
Plus, I’d earned a decent amount of money.
Eight gold and seventy-five silver.
That should be enough to buy a low-tier explorer.
After quickly finishing the lunch Luna served, I immediately headed out into the street.
“Um....”
Before going to the auction house, I should check equipment first.
Thinking about it, the shield broke because of Molkan yesterday, and the armor was also in bad shape because of the betrayer bastards.
As the saying goes, “remove the nail in the horse’s hoof,” I headed straight to the sales shop.
“Ugh.”
Is this right?
The prices of the items for sale were way too trash compared to their performance?
For example, the shield I was holding.
This shield with iron overlaid on wood was fifty silver.
I’d bought a solid wood shield for about three silver, but this was fifty?
I wondered if it had some special ability, so I checked it out—and it was just a plain wood shield with iron overlaid.
“Shield is pass.”
I checked the armor, but it was even more expensive.
The wolf-leather armor made from the wolf skin that drops on the fourth floor was 1.5 gold.
At this price for trash?
I muttered unconsciously, and the clerk politely asked me to leave.
Damn it.
Anyway, after being kicked out of the shop, I visited the cheapest auction house, Vain.
“10 gold! Sold for 10 gold!”
Oh, why had the prices skyrocketed?
A flame-infused long sword for 10 gold?
I wondered why such expensive stuff was on sale at Vain and watched the auction, but this time the minimum bid started at 5 gold.
“Haaah....”
Today didn’t seem like a good day, so I decided to just look at the slaves.
“...Hey, that one.”
“It’s a barbarian. Is that also an auction item?”
“...Berent. Is that barbarian tamed? Then contact the family and ask for that....”
Last time I came with Netia, the auction participants who didn’t show much interest were appraising me.
Among them was a noblewoman’s maid who asked how much I would be if she bought me, saying she wanted to take me.
Board and lodging included, 100 gold.
I wondered if my body value was really that high, but I turned down the maid’s offer.
Even after rejecting her, waiting for the auction while feeling irritated by all the gazes sweeping over my body.
“Long wait!”
With the auctioneer’s appearance, the slave auction began.
First was a human woman.
A woman sold because of debt, she said she would serve as a maid-slash-cook.
Seeing her cry with tears streaming down, I felt like buying her, but I came for a companion.
Leaving the regret behind, I watched the next auction as the human woman sold for 1 gold.
“This time the human is this man! An explorer who completed exploration up to the 8th floor, but unfortunately lost both companions and equipment and couldn’t pay the debt!”
The man wearing only panties was probably a thief; his body wasn’t that good.
If he’d been a warrior, he could’ve been sold to nobles, but with such a thin frame, even the nobles didn’t feel much interest, and the sold amount was only 70 silver.
Considering the pretty maid auntie sold for 1 gold, men clearly had no demand.
“Hahaha! The price suits a trash-like man! But this man coming out this time will be different!”
The next man was muscular, a body type that nobles would love.
“Ehh...”
“Gulp...”
The nobles were pretending to cover their faces while appraising the man’s body.
Um, not as good as me.
Noticing that, the nobles looked at me and the slave like comparing, and the auctioneer urgently announced the start of the auction.
The sold amount was 3 gold.
This man was only a 3rd-floor explorer, but he was three times more expensive than the 8th-floor explorer.
“Good, good! It’s getting ripe! Well, then the next one!”
The next slave was a female explorer.
Not a low-tier one, but a mid-tier explorer who reached the 12th floor.
I was listening curiously why such a high-value person was there.
“Betrayer! Everyone, it’s a betrayer! A traitor who forgot the noble mission of exploring the dungeon and killed their companions! Is there anyone who wants to buy this girl and punish her!?”
“Betrayer....”
“Hoohoo....”
With the word “betrayer,” these guys’ eyes lit up.
Yeah.
How many times would there be a chance to buy a mid-tier explorer?
Even if not a betrayer but an explorer, their eyes would light up.
“Hahaha! Yes! 10 gold, 10 gold! Anyone else!?”
The final sold amount for the betrayer was 19 gold.
I also participated a bit while feeling excited, but seeing it quickly exceed my entire fortune, I had to give up.
After several more auctions, finally the long-awaited last auction.
“Well...! Everyone, expect it! This guy is the highlight of this auction...!”
Hah.
Even such a guy came out?
“Beastkin! And it’s a female beastkin!”
Beastkin.
These guys with tiger characteristics were born with physical abilities similar to barbarians.
No, if including the beast transformation unique to beastkin, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say they had the advantage.
But the downside was....
“Kuhaheng!!”
Beastkin were especially wild, so unlike other beastkin, they were rejected.
So they were similar to barbarians but had good faces like beastkin.
That’s why beastkin like this were always popular goods.
“Beastkin, beastkin....!”
“I can’t stand those ears...!”
“See the tail swaying! If it’s this....!”
“Hahaha! I know you’re excited, but please calm down for a moment! This girl’s crime is murder! And she killed a person inside the shop!”
“Dangerous girl!”
“Hahaha! She’ll be sharp in bed!?”
“Huhuhuhu, yes. She’s really sharp! Look now! The wildness is very alive, right!?”
“Kwaaang!!”
“Hahaha! Kwaang, how cute!”
Good....
I would pour every last coin into this auction!
Eight gold seventy-five silver, believe it...!
“Well, then let’s start the auction! Starting bid is 1 platinum!”
Bye bye, my beastkin companion....
***
“Haahaa....”
What, what.
I thought when I left in the morning, I could get new equipment and a trustworthy companion.
But nothing worked out.
“I should go back and pet the cats....”
Luna hated it, but strangely the cats followed me there.
When I asked them to stop the morning cat alarm, Luna got angry.
Why send cute things to an ugly barbarian.
...Am I that ugly?
While walking the street and stroking my face.
“Nya, nyanyang....!”
It sounded like a cat was meowing somewhere.
And it was pretty close?
“...Can’t see it?”
Hallucination?
“Nya! Nyanyang!”
Not hallucination.
The cat’s meow came from right under my feet...!
I quickly lowered my head to check under my feet.
“Nyan yanyan! Why is the scent so good!”
There, a cat beastfolk with black ears perked up in excitement.
No, a cat beastfolk was rubbing its face against my leg.
“...Who are you?”
“Nyan yanyan...? Are you saying nya!?”
“Yeah, you.”
Then the cat beastfolk lifted its head from rubbing my leg and stood up proudly.
“Nya is Frea! Frea danyang!”
