Chapter 9: The Slave's Journey
"No problem" replied the manager readily
Next, let me introduce that the butler was originally the butler of the first powerful nation on the mainland, the Bright Empire, serving Count Reiss. When the new emperor ascended to the throne, Count Reiss chose the wrong side and was exterminated by the new emperor under some pretext. However, the butler, being a level 9 powerhouse, managed to escape this calamity, though he was severely injured in the process, and all his family members were imprisoned in the dungeons of the Bright Empire.
When Li Jiawang heard this blonde little boy call himself Adolf, he was taken aback, goodness, what a big shot!
After speaking, he picked up the teacup and began to savor the tea, while casting a somewhat playful glance at Li Jiawang. He was well aware that this baron was merely a fortunate individual, lacking any substantial background, and it was uncertain whether he possessed much wealth. The reason for personally attending to him was simply out of curiosity.
Upon hearing this, Li Jiawang said: "Then I thank the steward. This time I come to your esteemed establishment to purchase a butler well-versed in the etiquette of the mainland nobility and the geography of the mainland, 500 sixth-level warriors with practical experience, 1,000 craftsmen with specialized skills, and 10 beautiful maids. I wonder if your establishment can provide these."
Please assist me diligently, and I assure you that you will not be treated unfairly. Could you provide me with an overview of the situation regarding the slave trade in the capital?
The manager was very pleased to see that Li Jiawang had agreed, as this was a significant deal worth over one million gold coins. He himself would be able to earn a commission of over one hundred thousand gold coins. After this transaction, he would be able to take a break for a while, no longer needing to worry about the sales figures for this month
Li Jiawang shouted wildly in his heart. He then thought, damn it, this is the Starry Continent, not Earth. This Adolf is completely unrelated to the Adolf from Germany during World War II, so he felt relieved and no longer considered serving under him.
As for the one thousand various craftsmen, they are also people from the original Turan Empire, who became slaves due to the fall of their nation
Li Jiawang's expression was somewhat strange as he stared at the blond child. Just as Adolf began to feel uneasy, wondering if there were any ill intentions, Li Jiawang spoke up: "Alright, you are hired"
Li Jiawang, upon hearing about the beautiful Swan Woman and the enchanting Snake Woman, contemplated purchasing a few to experience the allure of otherworldly beauties. However, considering his imminent assignment to a remote location, he ultimately decided that attending to his official duties was of greater importance. He resolved to seek out more beauties for enjoyment once he had settled down.
My idol
The steward smiled as he picked up the small pot and poured two cups of tea, inviting, "Baron Jiawang, please enjoy the tea."
After Adolf finished speaking, he looked at Li Jiawang with an expression of anticipation
"Then how much do these slaves cost? When will they be delivered to my residence?" Li Jiawang inquired with concern.
Upon hearing this, Adolf thought to himself: I barely earn a few coins here every day and have to endure bullying; it would be better to follow this seemingly decent baron in front of me!
Hearing Li Jiawang's words, the steward was taken aback; the prices of these slaves were not low. How could he have so much money? However, when he thought about the fact that this baron had saved the life of His Majesty the King, he understood. It must have been a reward from His Majesty. He wondered how much His Majesty had given him
From today onwards, I will follow you, boss. You must accept me!
In the future, not only can I obtain more gold coins, but I can also leverage the baron's power, so I need not fear being bullied. More importantly, if I do not agree today, given the vile habits of these nobles, it is likely that someone will come to trouble me tomorrow.
Damn, what a world this is! I am just a small person; even if I were to die, it is likely that no one would know. Even if they did know, they would probably just shake their heads and sigh, saying, 'This poor child, how did he end up in such a situation?' At the same time, they would secretly feel relieved, thinking, 'At least it’s not me; otherwise... it seems I can only agree to his request. Although Adolf has many thoughts, it would only take a little time.'
Oh, I see, you may go on with the *picture* book. I have long heard of the deeds of Baron Jiawang, and his black short hair and black eyes are indeed unique in the imperial capital; how could I possibly fail to recognize him?
"Alright, you lead the way ahead," Li Jiawang said without thinking.
Under the guidance of the doorman, Li Jiawang and Adolf ascended the stairs to the second floor. There, they found the floor covered with a layer of red carpet, surrounded by decorations with ancient patterns. In the center stood a square table with two chairs, on which rested a teapot and several teacups. In the corner of the room was an antique small tripod, with a stick of incense burning within it, from which wisps of blue smoke continuously rose. A gentle inhalation brought a faint, refreshing fragrance into the nose, invigorating the spirit.
Even if one day these slaves escape, they will be captured by other nobles and returned to Li Jiawang, who will only have to pay a small amount of gold coins for this. It is precisely because all the nobles on the continent adhere to this decision that no slave dares to escape
Upon hearing Li Jiawang's response, Adolf thought for a moment and said, "My lord, although the number of slaves you have purchased is not large, most of them are of high quality, which cannot be provided by ordinary small businesses. You can only find them at larger establishments. I recommend that you visit the largest slave trading house in the imperial capital, the Starry Sky Slave House under the Starry Sky Chamber of Commerce. Although the slaves there are expensive, their quality is relatively good and more suitable for your needs."
After a while, a very beautiful maid, approximately seventeen or eighteen years old, entered with her hair styled up and dressed in revealing clothing. She carried a teapot, filled the small pot on the table with tea, and then quietly left.
If this baron is narrow-minded, he might become furious and secretly arrange for my disposal due to my rejection. I have seen such things happen many times before. I used to lament the misfortunes of those people, but I never expected that today it would be my turn. Just thinking about the fate of those individuals made Adolf shudder.
"Very well, my lord. The slave market in the imperial capital covers an extensive area of nearly 3,000 acres. Here, various slave traders from the imperial capital have established their businesses, each occupying a piece of land as their trading venue for slave transactions. This place also serves as the central hub for slave trading in the imperial capital, where you can purchase slaves from most races on the continent, such as the beautiful swan women of the Orc Empire, the alluring snake women, the charming rabbit women, the seductive cat women, the cunning wolf warriors, and the honest taurens... the beautiful elves from the Elven Empire, and the dwarven craftsmen from the Dwarven tribes. Among them, human slaves are the most numerous, representing various professions. May I inquire what type of slave my lord wishes to purchase?" Adolf said.
Adolf's inquiry jolted him out of his fantasies. To mask his embarrassment, he quickly said, "I need a steward who is well-versed in the etiquette of the continental nobility and the geography of the continent, ten beautiful maidens, five hundred warriors with sixth-level strength, and one thousand craftsmen with various skills"
Then he turned to Li Jiawang and said, "Baron Jiawang, please take a seat. Let us chat while enjoying some tea." After saying this, he sat down on a chair beside the square table, simultaneously making a gesture of invitation. Upon seeing the steward's action, Li Jiawang also took a seat on a chair, while Adolf naturally stood behind Li Jiawang.
After signing the contract, Li Jiawang was personally escorted out by the chief steward, who also presented him with a package of tea leaves
After pondering for a moment, Li Jiawang said, "May I ask the steward to introduce to me the origins and special characteristics of these slaves"
The five hundred guards were originally the elite border troops of the Turan Empire, and they should have been incorporated into the imperial army. However, due to their previous valor in battle and excessive killing, many of whom were high-ranking officials' offspring who had come down to gain prestige, they offended the military's upper echelons and were demoted to slavery
As Li Jiawang was observing the arrangement of the room, a middle-aged man dressed in a black suit and wearing a proud expression stepped out from behind the curtain. Upon his appearance, the doorman hurriedly approached him and said with a fawning demeanor, "Chief, this is Baron Li Jiawang, who bravely saved His Majesty the King and has been granted the title of Baron. The Baron wishes to purchase a batch of slaves from you."
The steward rested his chin on his hand, pondering for a moment before saying, "The steward receives 100,000 gold coins, each guard 2,000 gold coins, 500 of them totaling 1 million gold coins, each craftsman 100 gold coins, 1,000 of them totaling 100,000 gold coins, and the ten maids are a gift to the baron, free of charge. Additionally, the baron will give me 50,000 gold coins. How about I send the families of those guards and craftsmen to the baron? Today, I will personally make a trip to select slaves for you, baron, and tomorrow I will deliver these slaves to the baron's residence. What do you think?"
Li Jiawang was very pleased to have Adolf as his subordinate. Although this Adolf is not the same person as the one on Earth, every time he thought of his subordinate named Adolf, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement
The steward saw Li Jiawang drinking tea, and instead of discussing the matter of purchasing slaves with him, he asked, "How does Baron Jiawang find this tea?"
When Li Jiawang, dressed in a splendid baronial outfit made from exquisite silk woven with the cold threads spun by snowfield spiders, arrived at the Imperial Capital Slave Market, a clever little blond boy, around fourteen or fifteen years old, immediately ran over and asked: "Esteemed Baron Jiawang, hello. May I ask if you are here to purchase slaves? My name is Adolf, and I am a sales assistant here. Do not be fooled by my young age; I have actually been working at the Imperial Capital Slave Market for five years and am very familiar with the market conditions here, including the prices and qualities of slaves from various races. I know which slaves are both good and inexpensive. I can facilitate your slave purchase, allowing you to spend the least amount of money to acquire the most satisfactory slave. Please hire me! I am Adolf, a sales assistant here. Do not be misled by my young age; I have been working at the Imperial Capital Slave Market for five years and understand the market conditions very well, including the prices and qualities of slaves from various races. I know which slaves are both good and inexpensive. I can facilitate your slave purchase, allowing you to spend the least amount of money to acquire the most satisfactory slave. Please hire me! It only costs ten silver coins a day, which will save you a lot of trouble and help you quickly purchase the slaves you need."
"Very good, this tea is quite precious, isn't it? I wonder where it is produced? Where can it be purchased?" Li Jiawang inquired
At the same time, he took out a small bag from his body and threw it to Adolf, saying, "This bag contains one hundred gold coins. From today onwards, you need not work here anymore; how about following me as my servant?"
Upon hearing the concern about his financial situation, Li Jiawang immediately expressed his displeasure, saying, "The price is not an issue; I just wonder if your esteemed establishment can provide me with a satisfactory slave. Please do not let me down."
Feeling somewhat awkward, he smiled and said, "The baron need not worry about this; the quality of the slaves I provide is guaranteed. If the baron is not satisfied, he may return them without reason within ten days."
At the entrance of the Starry Slave Market, two gatekeepers blocked their path and asked, "You are here to purchase slaves, aren't you? Please, come inside."
Li Jiawang pondered for a moment and said, "Alright, then I will trouble the steward."
He entered the room and took out a magical contract, saying to Li Jiawang, "Let us sign the contract."
Li Jiawang lifted the teacup and gently sipped a small mouthful. Instantly, he felt a wave of coolness travel from his mouth to his brain, while a surge of warmth flowed through his body, invigorating his spirit and making him feel even more energized
Thus, the gaze towards Li Jiawang became more fervent. He did not expect that Li Jiawang was actually a wealthy man. He was secretly speculating about how much the usually stingy Emperor had given Li Jiawang. If he knew that Kaichi had given Li Jiawang five hundred thousand purple gold coins, along with a royal estate, what would he think? Would he still believe the rumors about Kaichi being stingy?
"To be able to follow the adults and serve them is my greatest honor," Adolf said with an excited expression
The steward was also busy attending to the matter of acquiring slaves for Li Jiawang, as these slaves would ultimately be branded with the Li Jiawang family seal, thus truly becoming his slaves
This tea is not produced in our Holy Dragon Empire; it originates from the Elven Empire and is one of the beverages that the nobility of the Elven Empire consumes daily. If Baron Jiawang is fond of it, how about we present you with some after we conclude our business discussion
The steward thought for a moment and said, "The number of slaves purchased by the baron is not large, but they are all of high quality, and the price is certainly not low"