"You can claim your prize at the back later once the auction ends, good sir," the auctioneer slightly bowed his head. Derrick nodded in reply, and then the auctioneer introduced his next unfortunate person.
Time passed and many slaves had been sold. Some were sold at high prices, some at low. Bidding became really intense whenever the subject for pricing was a girl. The men in masks were throwing their money away just to make sure they got their desired girl slave. Raven didn't even want to imagine what kind of harsh and brutal treatment those girls would receive once they were handed over to the winning bidder.
Raven couldn't do anything but watch from a distance. He knew his limits better than anyone. Saving those people would only spell his doom. He endured the anger, clenching his fists. The only thing he could do right now was to wait for the opportunity to do his main goal here.
Of course, if there were a chance to save those people, Raven wouldn't hesitate to help them. But for that to happen was quite unlikely. After the last bidding ended, the assistant of the auctioneer went to the stage holding a woman in shackles along with them.
The moment she got on the stage, everyone's attention was already on her. By no means was the newly brought girl more beautiful than any slave that had been sold earlier. Her slender body matched her innocent look, and her medium-sized breasts made every man in the room drool. They had all been charmed by her beauty.
With golden hair and skin like snow, she looked more like a divine offering than a slave. She wore no makeup, no jewelry—just a thin, white silk barely fit to be called clothing. In the eyes of the beasts behind their masks, she was tonight's prized item.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, for the last item we have for tonight, a noblewoman from a kingdom that worshiped the devil—"
"500 gold coins!"
Before the auctioneer could even finish his introduction, someone had already started the bid. The room went quiet for a second, but then the other men in the room started shouting their bids as well, like beasts in heat refusing to lose.
"600" "850" "1000!"
The bidding stopped when the auctioneer raised his right hand. He smiled and spoke again,
"I know that everyone is excited, but let's keep order here and let me do the honor of introducing our last product for tonight's auction. Is it fine, ma'am, sir?"
Derrick, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, faintly smiled as he watched it all unfold. He hadn't joined the bidding—because the girl on stage had been delivered by him. One of the many "offerings" his master had acquired just days before from the slave trader.
After seeing that no one objected and that everyone had calmed down, the auctioneer smiled and introduced the noblewoman again:
"She is the daughter of a high-ranking noble from the Kingdom of Elowynne, or as it is known today, the kingdom that worshiped evil."
"Her father was also a military general, but after their country lost, all nobles were killed—not only them but also the citizens living in that kingdom. As we already know, Elowynne women are known for their unmatched beauty."
He paused for a moment, clearing his throat before speaking again:
"Ehem, my apologies, that's only my perspective. I didn't mean to offend the women of our kingdom, but I will let you all decide about it."
Some men touched their chins as if in deep thought. Some subconsciously looked at the women beside them, trying to compare the masked ladies to the girl on the stage.
"Well then, let's start the bidding. Starting price will be... hmm… 1000 gold coins."
The moment the auctioneer declared the price, all the well-mannered-looking gentlemen showed their true colors once again, bidding all they had just to win the noble lady. Her price climbed higher and higher until it reached 5000 gold coins.
Behind the jeweled masks and shrill laughter, the bidding raged on like a frenzied masquerade of monsters. Raven was now furious. After seeing the scene, he was the one most shocked—the noble girl on the stage was none other than his childhood friend, Natasha.
To witness his friend being viewed not as a human but as an item for their pleasure—it was too much to handle. Raven's expression went numb, driven by emotion. He jumped from the second floor onto the first.
Someone had finally won, but before the auctioneer could announce the victor or before Raven could reach the platform—a glass window shattered. In an instant, thick smoke swallowed the stage.
The crowd panicked, not knowing what was going on. They all ran in every direction to find the exit, scattered and unsure where to go. Some showed their true nature, pulling others just to get to the front, not caring about anyone but themselves.
Derrick, who was also in a state of panic, regained his senses. He surveyed the area briefly and quietly left the mansion, as if he had already planned an escape route in case something like this happened.
On the stage, the figure of a woman engulfed in the thick smoke appeared near the auctioneer. He noticed her and quickly took a long step back as he tried to reach for a weapon on his back. The woman didn't let it happen. She bent down and dashed closer to the auctioneer at a fast pace. In just the blink of an eye, her arm cut through the air, the knife flashing before it sank into the auctioneer's neck. He failed to grab the weapon behind his back.
His lifeless body fell to the wooden stage, blood slowly flowing from his body. She approached the noble girl who was sitting in the middle of the stage and asked,
"Where are the other girls?" She reached out to Natasha's shoulder, but the moment they made contact, her body fell to the ground, revealing a beautiful face and emerald-like eyes, wide open, blood on her mouth, and a body that seemed to have stopped breathing.
The assassin was shocked, only for a moment. Her expression remained unchanged as she withdrew her hand away from Natasha's body.
Raven had just arrived at the scene. The auctioneer's lifeless body caught his attention first—then his eyes shifted to the assassin, standing beside Natasha, who now lay motionless on the stage.
Raven took out the two daggers concealed on his legs. He didn't carelessly approach Natasha. With the unknown woman around, he couldn't afford to let his guard down.
"Who are you? Did you kill that man?" Raven asked. He then looked at Natasha's motionless body with a worried expression, gulping down a mouthful of saliva, expecting the worst outcome.
The assassin noticed it and ignored Raven's question. She then said, "This girl is dead."
After hearing that, Raven's eyes widened. He wanted to say something, but the words couldn't leave his throat.
"I didn't do it," she said, noticing the glare of hatred from Raven. She tried to clarify what had happened and clear her name.
"She bit her own tongue. The drugs they made her take probably lost effect, and she took that opportunity to end her life. Death was probably the last hope she could think of. She was a brave lady."
Her expression remained stoic as she said those words to Raven. But there was a flicker of regret and pity in her eyes. Raven didn't know who she was, but something in her gaze told him—she meant no harm, not to him, and not to Natasha.
After hearing this, Raven let go of his daggers and fell to his knees. The emotions he had felt earlier had now changed into sadness and despair. Tears came out of his eyes uncontrollably.
His defenses were down. At this moment, he was very vulnerable to any attack that could cost him his life.
The assassin, who was standing not far from Raven, watched this scene without daring to say a word.
She looked to be in her twenties, with a mature, composed air about her. Her long black hair flowed down her back, matching the sleek black dress that hugged her toned figure. Her eyes—dark yet gentle—rested on Raven with quiet pity. She stood taller than most women, her long legs adding to her graceful presence. It was clear, even at a glance, that she worked hard to maintain her form.
Before Raven could even recover, the smoke that had been covering them disappeared, revealing their location. The assassin bent down slightly, ready to attack. There were at least fifteen guards circling the stage. At first glance, you could already tell that they were stronger than your average knight.
"Attack!"
The guard, who was wearing heavy full-body armor, gave the order, pointing his sword toward Raven and the assassin's direction. Raven saw this happening and hurriedly picked up the daggers he had dropped. Despite his emotional state, he still got up to defend himself. He knew he couldn't keep acting like that forever.
While the guards were running toward their direction, a figure behind the assassin dashed forward to engage the guards. He unsheathed his katana and swung it. In that instant, five of the guards' lifeless bodies dropped. Some had severed heads, while others lost arms. This made the other guards stop in their tracks, confused about what had just happened.
A man stood in the middle of the corpses. He was shirtless, scars covering his body like a badge of honor. He looked to be in his thirties, exuding the aura of an experienced fighter. He let out a gentle sigh and looked at the assassin, ignoring the guards still pointing their swords at him.
"Princess, where's the target?"
The assassin, named Princess, stood straight before answering,
"He already escaped, but Syu and the others should be on his tail right now."
"I see. Let's finish our business here so that we can follow them."
The samurai took a quick glance at Raven before ignoring him. He then stood straight and held his katana with a strong grip. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in, and letting it out, he spoke,
"I don't have to show any mercy to any of you. The fact that all of you are here guarding this place makes you guilty. It's time to pay for the sins you've committed."