I followed Figuro to a back room. It was a large room with quite a few creature comforts, and it was as nice as any room I saw in the noble’s mansion, if perhaps not is decadent.

“You’re not like the Guild Master or something, right?”

Figuro blinked and then chuckled, “No, nothing so grand as that. I’m simply a man who is good at his job. Even though slave trading is an ugly business, I like to be a part of it because, at its base, it’s all about people, isn’t it?”

“Selling them…” I frowned.

Figuro shrugged, “I’m all about connections. That’s why I work to connect myself with people all across this world. The master and slave relationship, that’s a kind of connection as well. Of course, you’re not here to talk about my personal philosophies on life. How can I help you today, Deek?”

“Ah, well, actually, I came for several reasons.”

“I’m sorry, but you did end up a week late regarding that special slave I told you about. In the end, she was auctioned off to a noble. It wasn’t one I would have preferred her to go to, but he was willing to pay more than a pretty penny.

Figuro didn’t look happy, but I could only give him a helpless shrug. I wasn’t that particularly interested in this girl I had never met in the first place.

“It’s fine, I’m not officially a noble yet anyway.” I tried to find an excuse.

“Yet?” Figuro smirked and nodded thoughtfully. “It sounds like things are progressing in the direction I had guessed.”

“Ah, well… you do know people best, I guess?”

Figuro chuckled. “That I do… which is why I predict one of the reasons you’re here has to do with these two new slaves I have yet to meet.”

“Ah! Yes, this is Celeste and Terra. They both need slave documents written up!”

“It’d be one gold coin per slave.” He explained. “I assume they are already bound to you? I don’t want to insult you, but I must make sure, they aren’t taken from any other owners, have you?”

As he asked this last part, he lowered his voice and whispered it to me. He was clearly sticking to his sentiment about not revealing any of this to any other slavers. I shook my head immediately.

“Celeste and Terra were both given to me by their parents.”

I was playing fast and loose with the story, but I technically wasn’t lying. After all, it was Celeste’s mother who enslaved her, and she condoned my ownership of her daughter. As for Terra, her parents made it so whoever had her control rod became imprinted as her Master. In that respect, since I’m the one who picked it up, their consent was inferred. Well, that was my story and I was sticking with it. Celeste and Terra thankfully backed me up by nodding.

“Alright, that’s fine then.” Figuro relaxed a bit. “In that case, what species are they? Um… excuse me for not assuming.”

“Ah… that’s Sylph and an Earth Golem.”

“Ah…” Figuro nodded thoughtfully as he wrote the information down on a scroll of paper. “A Sylph and an Earth Golem.  Wait? A Sylph and an Earth Golem! Just how did you come into possession of a- no… not my place to ask. A sylph is practically priceless on the auction market… do I put her for a thousand gold? That’s really selling her short. And while Earth Golem isn’t necessarily too remarkable, one that looks… well… like her, she’d go for at least as much as Lydia… ieieie…”

He managed to stop and calm himself down and then began muttering out loud as he tried to figure out how he was going to get us through the registration process unharmed. He was a good guy.