Chapter 9 - Keeping calm in the face of humiliation

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Since the ten-year-old kid took over to the podium with his closed eyes, it generated some ideas in the buyer's minds.

First, the kid was quite normal for his age, around 1,40 meters. It could be said that he was pretty skinny for his height. However, he looked to seem blind and had been used since to keep his eyes closed or had other problems that they couldn't guess.

"Kid, stop playing the blind one card. Do you think the audience will be feeling sorry for your little ass? You wish that. Now get done with the tricks, kid, or you might suffer later."

'Hmph, just give me a break. Do you think that I will direct clap my hands, or act like a dog, just because you say I do that? At least I have some pride in myself. But sure, here we go."

"Sir, I think you've mistaken something. I'm not using any tricks. I just got used to the folds over my eyes. I just wanted to appreciate for more seconds the feeling of being in complete darkness." said Vlad in his childish tone.

He then opened his eyes. His eyes were green in color, while his eyes could be said to be the cleanest part of him. Unlike his dirty face, the contrast was significant. Together with his white skin tone, those green eyes showcased the boy's mysterious beauty.

After nodding his head, Darrel turned around to the audience, saying with a smile on his old face.

"Sirs, you can finally remark this kid. He seems quite shy, so ladies out there, you'll for sure have a beautiful Buttler in some years to come. Don't pass this opportunity, my ladies. He also seems to be of high intelligence by how well articulated he talked.

'That's right, old man, you tell those ladies what I'm about. I will be the best butler they could ever get. So you better advertise for me even more.'

Vlad, who looked at the auctioneers, especially at the ladies that seemed to be of wealthy origins or even noble origins, put on a shy expression while seeing those ladies, making them look even more favorable at him.

"That, boy. He's quite cute. He would make a good slave companion to my son."

Vlad could only celebrate in his head when he heard those comments and hope for the best that his new life had to offer. Those ladies seemed to be intrigued by him and his behavior, yet they had some drawbacks from buying him.

"Sigh, but what if he dies fast? He most likely suffers from some sickness to be in that state. To treat such sickness, it requires more money."

The old man, on the stage who was standing beside Vlad and touching his head, which gave Vlad a chilling sensation running around him. Staring at the audience, he said to them in his calm old tone.

"Unfortunately, it is as you have seen, his situation is quite precarious and will require careful treatment to heal his past scars."

Vlad, who still had the old man pat his head, barely managed his emotions to keep standing quietly there on the stage.

'It's not the time. Not yet. You have no chance but to submit to my fate.'

The ladies in the audience, who were a small number, gave him another thought and got stuck on a question. "Would they really need him?"

Most of them were thinking of this, but some were in polar contradiction. For example, the fat guy whose eyes seemed to be about to eat out the little kid.

He scratched his fat chin and was thinking with his fat brain if he should buy this kid to save some money at a lower price. He wouldn't need to be bothered if the kid died of starvation or being worked to death since he had a lot of sources to get his hands on slaves.

Compared to the fat guy, Felicia, who was in the wealthy dress which was talking around with the young girl, seemed to be intrigued by what old Darrel had said.

Looking at Vlad, she pondered a bit before calling out a sum of money.

Still, she was the first to open the bidding. "I'll bid 100.000 ? for that kid."

When the fat guy heard the lady bid, he stared hatefully at her.

"I really need that kid. Please don't interfere with his auction. I bid 200.000 ?."

The lady could only look at the man that could be compared to a pig while smirking. Looking annoyed at him, she called another bid while commenting.

"Fatman, do you think you'll buy this boy that easily? I bid 300.000 ?."

'Whoa, that woman is interested in me. Wait a minute, her appearance. Either she is a noblewoman or is part of the sex industry.'

Thinking that in his mind, Vlad turned on the outside a bit pale, remembering some dark memories that he didn't wish on anyone.

Meanwhile, Felicia still looked at Vlad, who seemed to be staring at her with a weird look that later morphed into slight anger.

'Heh, what's wrong, little boy? Don't you want me to buy you?'

The stare she received from Vlad gave her a slight feeling, that stare of his felt similar to a blonde middle-aged person with glasses and a scar on his eyes. An event that would live inside her, as long she would breathe. The visit of the late pirate king Gold Roger and his crew. The stare of that person was similar to how this young child was looking at her.

'You think you'll be fine on your own way? Okay, I will do so. It is not like I will be called a Saintess if I buy out some kids and release them. Probably they would be just captured back and sold again if they don't get protection.'

'Would you expect me to train boys in the art of seduction, spying, pleasure? Hah, I think that would be impossible. Well, kid, it's unlikely that I will ever see you or even remember you after a certain period of time, but good luck going forward in life.'

"YOU, Felicia, don't you dare call me names. I bid 400.000 ?."

Felicia just scoffed at the fat guy, not even bothering herself to look at his disgusting face.

Old man Darrel, sensing that no one would outbid the fat man concluded the auction. "The item is sold to number 23 for the sum of 400.000 ?. Enjoy your item, Sir."

"See that the kid is given better treatment for a while, at least until he does a bit better. Just look at the kid. Even my leg is bigger than the entire kid. Good, my spending is small this time, better report to Pholbor about this spending." said the fat guy to one of his guards.

"Yes boss, we will do as you said and inform Pholbor of what you just said." answered the tall man behind the fat man.

Some of the kids presented after Vlad were not as skinny as him. Hence they turned to cost more than him.

The well-built kids tended to be sold to the middle-aged man who was in the shipbuilding domain and the man next to him who was in the construction segment.

The big spender of this auction was Felicia and the noble. They fought over the girls like they were on some battlefield, but she would always spend a significant sum of money on the little girls.

Compared to the auction spenders, the fat man who bought Vlad seemed to have some weird fetish for buying skinny kids.

What no one in the audience knows was that Darrel made the most significant profit he could have. While spending 10.000.000 ? to buy the kids from Blokted hands, it gave him a profit of over 70.000.000 ? or even more.

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The auction ended, and Vlad, with the other kids bought by the fat man, was gathered by the auction house assistant in a place where they would have to see their future master.

Along the way, those assistants of the auction told Vlad and the other two kids following after him.

"Kids, you better shut up and only talk when asked. A friendly reminder, the person who brought you, has some brain problems. So don't talk about his appearance, his money and so on. Just nod your head for 'YES' and shake your head as a 'NO'."

'Thanks, man. This is really good information to know, so I will keep quiet in the face of everything.'

Following this auction assistant, Vlad looked at the other two kids. Also, he noted that they were in a precarious state and even being disturbed emotionally, trembling in fear all over the place.

'Sigh, just hang in there, kids. I don't know where we will be going, what kind of mine and job we will be put to work, but never lose hope. I've heard so many stories from my boyars and even the other nobles from outside. There are stories of people managing to survive inside mines decent enough, so there is hope.'

Walking behind the assistant while thinking this, Vlad's eyes turned cold and kept his train of thought.

'If worse comes to shove and I reach a desperate situation where there is no food, I will do it. I will turn cannibal to just survive and live to see a bright future.'

Arriving at a reception room, the assistant kept instructing Vlad and the other two on what to do and what to say, which Vlad took very seriously, even making him think a bit about this new "master" of his, and what type of person he could be.

'This meeting should be simple. Some formalities where I only have to nod my head approvingly and wait for further instructions. I just hope this fat guy isn't really so stupid to pull something on me, even though he is my "master".

I was never one to be with iron patience. Haha, that is for sure my drawback, my patience.

In this kind of new setting for me, an actual peasant boy and on top of that a slave, my actions would prove far more dangerous than, let's say, my actions when young inside the Ottoman court.'

As he was thinking and contemplating his past memories and actions, he suddenly felt a splitting stomach ache along with the sound of his intestines. Looking at the assistant who was still inside the room, waiting for the fat merchant to arrive, he said with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. I didn't intend to do this. I've been on the sea for 3 days, and the food I got was not much."

The assistant, who looked at the skinny Vlad, shook his head and, putting his hands in his pocket, took some small bagels and put them in Vlad's tiny hands.

"That's all I have on me, brat. Take it and soothe your stomach ache. Tsk, I should put my wife to make more of those bagels for me to take at work."

Vlad looked surprised at this kind gesture, and turning his entire body at the assistant, he did a deep bow before saying with slight emotion.

"Thank you, sir. You don't know what this little means for me. May your wife be blessed by divinity and light." ('Because I really don't wish her to be welcomed by Hades cold embrace')

"Is this the religion of your hometown, boy?"

Eating the bagels, Vlad looked confused and said to the middle-aged assistant.

"Yes, don't you guys have a sole supreme being, watching over all of you? The bringer of light and creation?"

"Hmmm, no kid. Maybe those from Sagletius have this type of beliefs, but me or others from Letimos, don't believe in such stories brought out by the nobles of the kingdom."

Still eating on the bagels, Vlad nodded his head at the assistant as if showing his understanding; however, inside him, he was thinking some complex things.

'Could it be, the influence of the creator here isn't widespread? Or is this place heretical from nature? Hah, look at me calling this good man, heretic, when he's such a good soul. To damn with all those false hopes. Thank you, kind man. If I ever encounter you in the future, in other circumstances, I will pay this gesture back immensely.'

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Finally, after a wait of 30 minutes, the reception room was disturbed by the entrance of a  fat man who was accompanied by what seemed to look like some mercenaries to Vlad's experienced eyes.

'Those guys have a different feeling compared to simple guards. Those people experienced hardship, war, bloodshed, agony and despair. They just look like my cavalryman who stuck with me until my final end against the Ottomans.'

Watching those 3 guards, he noted the one on the right side of the fat man, a middle-aged guy who looked coldly at Vlad and the rest of the people in the room. He was pretty tall, with a hunchback, having short hair, a long scar on his left cheek, and a trim beard.

Furthermore, he held a sword to a scabbard by his side.

The man in the middle was also as tall as the first one. He had a pointed chin with a scar crossing his right eye. The guy also wears some shabby armor and wielded a pole-arm.

Lastly, the man on the left side of the fat man was of average stature, but compared to how thin the rest of the guards were looking, he was quite muscular. His chin was covered in stubble. Furthermore, the unique feature he had was his big nose. This feature of his made him look more comical when taking into note his whole body.

Lastly, he had a cleaver hanging from his belt. The handle was engraved with skulls. It gave the cleaver some menacing feeling towards the kids.

Still, the one that deserved most of the attention was the fat man. He was one of a kind in the entire house. The fat man was relatively small in stature, around 1,67 meters. Because of his fat-covered body, you couldn't tell his body age.

If the man were to have his fat sliced off or burned probably from the glint of his small porcupine eye, he would be in his late twenties.

He was wearing jewelry all over his body, and his shirt had buttons of gold. He was wearing a belt that looked to be entirely made of gold, trousers with their seam in gold. But all of those features, together with his small stature, gave him a stupid appearance.

'This guy is really, as the assistant described, a buffoon. A greedy pig that would show his wealth while in the open. He is the best target for thieves and bandits. If not, it is like he is their savior, extending a fat hand for their rescue.'

The fat guy looked at the assistance and opened his mouth, saying something in a pitched tone that sounded a bit funny.

"Thank you for your help. Tell old man Graham that I'm delighted by this auction, and I will take part in the future ones."

The assistance bowed down and took their leave, no longer bothering with the small guys' well being.

As the assistance left the room, the extravagant merchant ran his vision around the kids, stopped at Vlad, and walked toward him while breathing a bit hard from the effort. He extended his hand and touched his soft face.

'Don't react. Don't react. Keep your composure. Your life's on the line.'

"Not bad. Your skin is really soft, but unfortunately, you are so skinny that I can't do anything with you."

Vlad's hairs all shivered when hearing this comment and could only keep quiet and just take in this blatant offence. Stealing a short gaze at the fat guy when he wasn't focused on him, he thought to himself.

'This fatty seems to be having a higher class or is the son of a wealthy clan. Sigh, not even the sultan would walk around the empire wearing this type of clothes and jewelry.'

Damn, that assistant said to keep quiet. This person doesn't seem normal. The way he behaves and talks is like someone with problems. Better keep my mouth shut and not try anything funny, or I make a mockery out of myself if I die.',

"Hey kids, what are you called. Fast, I don't have all the time in the world to waste with you dirty peasants." said the fat guy while moving a bit back toward the three guards.

The two kids beside Vlad started introducing themselves, and only Vlad remained the one staying quiet, and even having the fat guy do a "Hummm" as if wandering what Vlad's problem was.

'It's just dropping down to a knee or bowing down, is just a protocol thing that I even did towards Emperor Sigismund, Sultan Murad, and even Lord Hunyady. Doing it toward a lowly peasant might feel weird, but for my survival and little's Zagreus growth, I have to do it!'

"I greet you, master. I'm named Zagreus, and I'm honored that it was your esteemed self buying me and not the other ones as you seem to be a man of great intellect."

Ended Vlad saying this, only to make the fatty feel even more special and increase his chances of getting granted a wish.

"Do you see that, guys? This is what is called respect to your superiors. For a kid to know these things since small, I can't say that he didn't move me." commented the fatty, pleased by what Vlad just said.

The guards kept their quiet, ignoring what the fat merchant just said, staring detached at everything happening.

"Tsk, this is why it is not fun taking you out on walks. But from what Novio told me, you guys are the head guards, so you are strong. Still, I prefer Belpel on my walks outside the estate."

Still, the 3 guards kept their quiet, making Mayer feel a bit awkward, and in doing so, turning his attention to the kids, including Vlad.

"Kids, this master of yours is called Mayer Loftso, an influential businessman that trades and spans his view over all that has the smell of gold. I have control over the rights to sell the ores that I get from the mines, making me one of the most powerful guys in the great Kingdom of Kaysang."

Vlad nodded his head as if understanding what the fat guy just said, and the fatty began boosting even more about himself and even talking about a certain Duke called Lacilet that took Vlad's attention back to his speech.

'So this fat guy has the support of an important noble? Or is he being used as a puppet? This guy could be easily manipulated by a shrewd person, even though I could do it maybe successfully, but the risk of doing this isn't worth it.'

While he was doing this, Mayer suddenly had an angry expression and moved toward Vlad, who was thinking inside his head while staring blankly at the fat guy.

Suddenly he felt pain run over him as something made impact with his small head.

"Where are you looking at, you little shit? You think I'm talking here for myself, you little shit? When I talk, you keep your focus on me and only on me. Otherwise, I will kill you next time."

The guards still kept quiet when seeing this reaction and watched with interest Vlad's reaction.

To their surprise, using their polished senses, they saw the boys face turn angry to cold in just seconds times, while later stabilizing to a pained expression.

Meanwhile, Vlad, who wanted to try his face, which felt like burning, thought to himself.

'FUCKKK!? I WANT TO RUN MY HAND IN YOUR HEART AND MAKE YOU EAT IT!? YOU FUCKING PEASANT DARE TO HIT ME FOR NO REASON? Hah, hah. Calm, calm. No need to react against retarded people who hold power. They are the most dangerous and unpredictable.'

Still, the fat guy wasn't done, after sending Vlad down with one good slap, seeing the boy getting up from the floor he was, he began walking using heavy strides.