---

As Daniel regained consciousness, he found himself in a rundown cell with children around his age, crying, and despair evident on their faces. He, like the others, was bound by chains.

*[Huh... they even use metal chains and ropes. Escaping will be tricky with these. If it were just ropes, I could have cut them with the small blade I embedded in my boots.]*

As Daniel pondered his escape, in another room with a table in the middle, five men sat around it, two on each side and one at the end.

"Boss, we've got a good catch this time. I've already contacted the merchant. The fat bastard offered only 15,000 Aurum," said the man with glasses and robes.

"What!? He is clearly mocking us!" the man sitting adjacent to the first speaker, a big-framed man with bulging muscles, exclaimed.

"Calm down, Grogg. We can bargain. He hasn't even looked at the quality of our goods, right?" the man with blonde hair and jewelry interjected.

"No, he hasn't. That's why we'll go tomorrow with the goods and haggle since we have some high-quality captures this time, especially the one with black hair. He'll fetch a good price," the man in glasses explained.

"Alright, let's get ready for tomorrow's transaction," the man in the middle concluded.

"Yes, boss," chorused the others.

As the sun rose from the east, three men entered a small rundown house where a group of children seemed to be asleep in a metal cell.

"Wake up!" the big man shouted, and the children inside roused at his voice. "Stand up and get moving!"

Daniel awoke to the noise and followed the instructions, stepping out of the cell as instructed.

*[They're already selling us? That seems too early, but judging by the number of children I was confined with, it's probably time. *Sigh* Lady Luck, what have I done to anger you so much?]*

As Daniel and the other children exited the small house, he observed they were no longer in the slums but in a forest-like area.

*[Hmm, it seems I'm not in town anymore. Where are they taking us then?]*

As Daniel pondered, the men instructed them to climb into a carriage with metal bars like a prison, but covered on the sides and above to conceal them.

"Come on, get moving!" the man with glasses urged. As the children entered one by one, another man questioned, "Hey Sven, where's the boss and Lucius?"

Sven replied, "Are you an idiot? We discussed this last night."

"Ahaha, I wasn't listening. I was thinking of where to go after payday," the man laughed.

Sven, visibly irritated, explained, "*Sigh* We're going to meet the merchant beforehand to discuss the price, as there's a slave auction in the city of Crimsonvale. We need to deliver the goods now. The distance from here to Crimsonvale by carriage is five hours, so it's bearable with two carriages."

"Oh, Crimsonvale! They have some good brothels there," the man said happily.

As the two conversed, Daniel continued to listen for more information.

*[Crimsonvale is the ducal capital of the Ignis family, so they are going to sell us to a merchant who will then sell us again at the upcoming auction house. *Sigh]*

"Let's move out," Sven ordered

5 hours later...

"Finally, we've arrived," Sven announced.

As they made their way toward the city, a man on horseback approached the carriage.

"Hey there, how's the negotiation?" Sven inquired.

"As expected, the fat guy wants to see the goods first, then decide if he'll bring down the price or raise it," the man on horseback, Lucius, replied.

"Come with me. I have the permit given by that fat merchant," Lucius said, riding ahead of the carriages. They made their way toward the entrance.

"Halt! Prepare for inspection and present your documents!" a soldier commanded.

"No need. Here, have a look," Lucius handed over a small paper.

"...! My apologies. You may proceed!" the soldier panicked, granting them the right of way.

"Heh, that was easy. No need to bribe, huh? Having powerful connections sure is convenient," Sven remarked.

"Yeah, yeah. Now follow me. We'll head to the auction house immediately. The merchant is not known for his patience," Lucius directed.

As they approached the auction house, Daniel glanced through a small opening, amazed by the architecture of the buildings.

*[Hmm, based on the architecture, they resemble structures from my home world, around the 2000 to 2010 era. Yet, not even one gas, electric, or steam-powered vehicle?]*

As he critiqued the progress of this world, they arrived at the auction house.

"Here we are," Lucius announced. A man with long black hair and swords at his hips greeted them.

"Right on time, boys," he said. The man beside him, adorned in golden clothes and jewelry, grumbled, "Let's get this over with. I need to prepare for the auction event. Important people are coming, you know."

"I know, I know. Lucius, Sven, Grogg, open the covers so he can inspect our goods," the boss instructed.

The fat man replied, glaring, "You better not waste my time, Roderick."

"Don't worry. I have at least one high-quality good in there," Roderick replied with a smile.

As the covers were removed, about 30 children, 15 in each carriage, were revealed. The fat merchant observed, noting some good-looking girls and boys suitable for medium-ranking nobles and low-level nobles. But one person caught his eye: a boy about 7-8 years old with black eyes, black hair, and a very handsome face. Although young, he looked adorable.

*[The merchant's ecstatic. He might sell me to a high-level noble or even the imperial family!]*

"10k Aurum for the black-haired boy! And 25k for the rest!" the fat merchant shouted.

"Deal!" Roderick said happily. The merchant ordered his men to bring the slaves to their temporary cells, and Roderick and his team received their payment of 35k Aurum. In context, 1000 Aurum could feed a family of three for a month, three times a day.

As the soon-to-be slaves were relocated, Daniel pondered.

*[I guess I'm really a rarity in this world. I mean, you can see people with purple hair and green eyes here. That doesn't even make sense in my world. But here, black eyes and black hair are a rarity. I mean, even in this current body of mine, I look like those little kids older sisters would protect. It's not just me being narcissistic, hehehehe.]*

For the next two days, the merchant busied himself preparing for the event, as known figures were attending. Among them were the Duke of Ignis and his family, Count Cornelius, Marquess Montague, some viscounts, and barons.

Within the Ignis family castle, a young lady slept soundly in her bedroom. A maid in her 50s entered and gently woke her.

"Good morning, young miss. It's time to wake up," the maid said.

The girl slowly opened her eyes and sat up in bed. She looked at the maid and instructed, "Good morning, Nana. Prepare my dress, the usual."

"I'm sorry, young miss, but that won't do for today. We're going to the Imperium auction house, and appearance is a must," the maid replied respectfully.

"Oh, is it that time again? Very well, prepare the dress I bought last week. And in the meantime, prepare a bath for me. I would like to be fresh before going," the girl said with dignity.

"Very well, young miss. For now, I will prepare your normal clothes. The Duke is waiting for you in the dining room," the maid informed her.

"Very well," the girl acknowledged.

In a grand dining room with plates of appetizing food laid out, a man with broad shoulders, blazing red eyes, and scarlet hair sat at the table. As the door opened, an 11-year-old girl entered with grace befitting her noble status.

"Good morning, Father. Are we going to the auction house today?" she asked politely.

"Yes, my little Sera. Today, we are meeting some important nobles, so prepare your best. We need to show them that the Ignis family is not to be trifled with," the man replied calmly.

"Father, stop calling me that! I'm 11 already. And who in their right mind would look down on us? We have the most powerful swordsman in the country and one of only three in the entire continent. Besides, we the Ignis are a ducal family," she asserted proudly.

The Duke smiled and said, "Is that so?" as they resumed their meal. The conversation turned somber as the girl asked, "Are we going to visit her grave today, Father?"

"...Yes, we will, after the event. Make sure to bring her favorite flowers," he said softly.

"Of course," she replied with a soft smile.

As the father and daughter finished their meal, Daniel was awakened by the guards.

*[It's been two days already. Well, it was just a matter of time before they started. Goodbye, my painstakingly made bed. I even begged the guards for some material just to make my sleep comfortable. I mean, convenience is one of the driving forces of innovation...]*

"Hey, you, black-haired kid! You're coming with me!" one of the guards said, dragging Daniel toward a room where the fat merchant who had bought him awaited.

*[Come on, man, really? "Came from the depths of the earth"? That's kind of harsh, you know!]* Daniel complained silently about the merchant's comment as he was cleaned from head to toe.

In the castle of Ignis, a beautiful girl with long black hair and scarlet accents prepared to depart. She wore a stunning blood-red dress with gold accents and black gloves.

"You are now ready, young miss. The Duke is waiting for you at the carriage," the maid informed her.

"Very well. Let's go now, Nana. The sooner this starts, the sooner it ends," the girl said with determination.

Outside the inner castle, a man waited with a carriage bearing the crest of House Ignis. He smiled as he saw his daughter in full dress.

"You look wonderful, Sera. Now, let's get to the auction. It's about to start," the Duke said, and they boarded the carriage.

Approximately 15 minutes later, as they arrived at the auction house, the fat merchant greeted them with his most polite smile.

"Greetings, Duke Ignis and Lady Seraphina Ignis. Welcome to my humble auction house. Please, come this way," the merchant said, leading them to the VVIP area where several nobles were gathered.

"Greetings, Duke Ignis. It's been a long time!" Count Brian Cornelius greeted.

"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Duke Ignis," Marquess Victoria Elizabeth Montague added.

"Yes, it's quite the delight to see you all," the Duke replied with a smile as the nobles conversed and exchanged pleasantries. After about 30 minutes of socializing, the auction event commenced.

(The setting of the auction house resembled that of a theater or opera, with a stage and seating for commoners, merchants, and low-level nobles below. In the center was a large glass window overlooking the VVIP area.)

A woman with bunny ears and revealing attire stood on the stage as the hostess for the auction.

"Hello, everyone! I'm your hostess, Rina. Our first item on the list is the egg of a tier 6 wind drake! Starting at 1.2 million Aurum!"

Nobles and merchants engaged in fierce bidding for the rare item.

"1.3 million!"

"1.5 million!"

"2 million!"

The bid of 2 million shocked everyone, but it came from the VVIP area, signaling an end to the bidding war. Without hesitation, the hostess declared, "Sold!"

As the auction progressed, Seraphina Ignis voiced her disappointment to her father, expressing a preference for practicing magic over attending the auction.

*[What disappointment. I'd rather practice my magic than sit here and listen to uninteresting common items that can be found anywhere,]* she remarked disdainfully, causing the fat merchant to sweat nervously.

At the same time, Daniel hoped fervently that whoever bought him would treat him kindly and have the heart to free him from his lonely existence.

*[I just hope whoever buys me treats me kindly and has a heart to free this lonely soul. God, please!]* he prayed silently.

His prayer seemed to be answered when a guard called out to him, signaling that it was his turn to be presented on stage.

*[It's my turn already?]* Daniel thought as he was pushed toward the stage, hearing the hostess introduce him like a product.

"Now, for our final item, we have a slave. Not just any slave, but a rarity with black hair and black eyes, and a handsome face. Though still young, he is a gem! Starting at 100,000 Aurum!"

As the audience pondered whether to bid on the slave, Seraphina Ignis, from the VVIP area, shouted without hesitation, "10 million Aurum!"

The auctioneer immediately declared, "Sold!" without waiting for further bids, acknowledging Seraphina's decisive offer.

---

*Flashback*

As Daniel walked toward the stage, Seraphina's eyes widened, and she murmured, "...mom."

Her whispered words did not escape the ears of her father, Duke Ignis, who shared the same thought.

Elara Ignis, the Duke's wife, had black hair and black eyes, making Daniel's resemblance to her striking. For a child who missed her mother and a man longing for his wife, Daniel's existence seemed like a gift.

Seraphina looked at her father, who nodded in understanding. She then shouted, removing all the grace of a noble, "10 million Aurum!"

"SOLD!" the auctioneer decreed, sealing Daniel's fate.

P.s

Hey there it your dumass author here, I tried to put all my effort I to this chapter mind you this is my first novel, and this is coming from a guy who struggles in creating an essay, so yeah. Criticise me if you want, it might fuel me to take writing seriously no? Gehahhahaha.