With people pulling away to make way for them, Elena's group quickly reached the largest slave shop in the city.

Elena gazed at the facade of the building in silence for two seconds, then brought her gaze to Nia, who trembled slightly.

「Nia, if you prefer, you can wait outside」

Nia shook her head at Elena's suggestion.

「Elena-sama will need my help on this…」

Elena approached Nia and took her trembling hand to give her something of courage.

A girl who had lived among slaves since the age of seven, and thanks to her elf ears that allowed her to capture emotions, she was undoubtedly indispensable to help Elena choose suitable slaves, people whose hearts had not yet been completely stolen by the atrocious chains of iron.

Elena doesn't need human puppets or people whose minds were already seriously damaged by rancor and who ended up trying to attack her once she freed them from the control of the collar of slavery.

Elena's entire group entered the building, and people inside turned away and many even left due to the level of intimidation.

The interior of the place comprised a spacious hall full of iron cages inside which the merchandise was displayed, the slaves.

「C-can I help you Excellency?」

Faced with the presence of such a striking group, the owner of the store was forced to go personally.

In response to the nervous man, Elena who still hid her identity under that white cloak raised her left hand and drew a circle in the air. The store owner's face paled as he saw those black-armored soldiers push all the customers out of his shop. However, he remained motionless with a nervous smile on his lips.

Nia took a deep breath to calm her heart and muster up the courage, then she stepped forward.

「My master wishes to buy some of your slaves, as long as they are to her liking」

The man took a deep drink and then nodded. That person under that hood must be at least the daughter of a Duke.

「Excellence, what are you looking for?」

「Young women who can be servants for my master」

The man resisted the urge to rub his hands together and nodded.

「The products here are not worthy of your Excellency's eyes, please allow me to guide you to where my best products are」

Resisting the desire to kill this trash and free all the slaves, Elena followed the man into the store. For now she had to abide by the laws of the kingdom as she did not have enough power to oppose Varest.

The next room differed from the previous one. The cages were still present, but the people inside did not wear rags like those inside the cages in the previous room. These slaves wore clothes to highlight their particular attributes.

「The merchandise here is intended for service… and entertainment」

In short, pleasure tools that when their masters tire of them, they end to be sent to work in brothels. That was Elena's conclusion.

With Nia at her side, Elena walked around the room to observe the women inside the cages.

Seeing Nia ignoring several of the women inside the cages, Elena could imagine that these were not to her liking.

Glancing at the women ignored by Nia, Elena could get an idea of ​​why.

Although these women were beautiful, their eyes showed that they will do whatever was asked of them, they were women totally given to their destiny and that they would not know what to do when they were released, the chains on their necks had already reached deep enough into them to reach their souls and hearts, they were no longer human; they were just empty bodies waiting to be used.

Nia finally stopped in front of a cage, Elena observed the person inside it. It was a girl of about eleven, red hair and green eyes who trembled with fear as some tears ran from her eyes.

「Her Excellency has a good eye, this little girl used to be the daughter of a Count who was accused and sentenced to death for treason, she still keeps her chastity」

The man emphasized the latter with pride, not only for men but also for women chastity had its own weight. No noblewoman wanted to be served by a non-virgin woman, something like this was unworthy. Noblewomen appreciated purity perhaps more obsessively than men.

For Elena, such a line of thought was stupid. Did noblewomen maintain their purity even after giving birth? Many noblewomen were much more libertines than common women regarding their sexuality.

「What is her price?」

Elena tried her best not to bring her hands to the man's neck to break it and asked that question.

「As this is someone who was educated as a noble, its price is a thousand gold coins, Excellency」

「I'll buy her, now let's see what else you have」

The man showed a radiant smile, many had shown interest in the girl since he got her, but no one willing to pay the price for her, and yet, this woman who hid her identity did not even try to haggle and was still willing to make a few more purchases, how could he not be happy?

As for the girl inside the cage, her body stopped shaking when she heard the voice of someone who had not hesitated to buy her, she was surprised that it was a woman. Even if she didn't know what was in store for her, at least she was sure that it was better to fall into the hands of another woman instead of those lewd and disgusting-looking men who used to come to watch her.

Nia paused further ahead.

Elena observed a boy of about eight years of age, his hair was red and his eyes were green just like those of the previous girl. The boy's body trembled, and his eyes continually shed silent tears.

「I thought there would only be women in this place」

「Some people have... peculiar tastes, Excellence」

Elena clenched her fists furiously under the cloak upon hearing this.

「He's my little brother, please, Excellency, I'll do anything!」

Elena was surprised to hear that red-haired girl screaming behind her.

「You…!」

Just as the man showed intentions to go to the girl to teach her, Elena raised her hand, and he halted.

「What is the price?」

「F-fifteen hundred gold coins, Excellence」

「I'll buy him too」

The man's nervousness was replaced with a broad smile.

「Thank you…」

The red-haired girl exclaimed that and then cried. The boy inside the cage also cried.

「Let's see the next one」

「Of course, Excellence」

Nia resumed her walk, Elena could only imagine how difficult this must be for her.

After passing several cages, Nia stopped again.

Inside that cage, Elena saw a young woman of about eighteen, with light brown hair and hazel eyes. Although the young woman was calm, her eyes showed deep fear.

「There is not much special about this girl apart from its nice appearance, apparently, his own father sold it to a brothel, but considering that he could get more profit from more specialized clients, the brothel owner sold it to me. Her chastity is intact 」

「How much?」

「Two hundred gold coins, Excellence」

「I'll take her」

The young woman inside the cage was a little confused to discover that the one who had finally bought her was actually a woman.

Nia continued to tour the room,, but there was no one who could meet Elena's criteria anymore.

「Is this all you have?」

Elena asked and saw how the man seemed somewhat nervous.

「Well I have a great quality product that I planned to put up for auction, Excellence」

「Show me」

With some nervousness, the man led Elena to another room inside which was only a single cage.

To Elena's bewilderment, Nia halted abruptly and her body trembled as she looked inside the cage.

Elena quickly brought her gaze to the woman inside the cage and her eyes widened at the sight of a beautiful elf woman with golden hair. That elf woman looked at Nia with a bit of confusion, then opened her eyes wide and covered her mouth with her hands. Elena could see how the elf woman did her best to avoid crying as tears flowed from her beautiful blue eyes.

Taking another look at Nia, Elena discovered that Nia was also doing her best to keep from crying, from Nia's eyes also silent tears flowed.

「As you see Excellence, it is an elf woman, as I understand it, a maiden in the service of a sanctuary and although her chastity has already been taken, her beauty and her lineage are first-rate」

「How much?」

Elena clenched her fists to contain her anger.

「A-as I already mentioned excellence, I planned to take her up for auction…」

「You must have a price in mind, say so」

For a second the man recoiled as he was intimidated.

「Five thousand five thousand gold coins, Excellence…」

「I will buy her」

The man's face lit up, since the elf woman was no longer chaste, his best estimate for the auction was three thousand gold coins.

「I'll pay immediately, so I'll take all of them with me right now」

「It will be as you wish, Excellence」

Unable to hide the dazzling smile on his lips, the man approached the cage, opened it and took the chain that was attached to the necklace on the elf woman's neck, and offered it to Elena.

「Nia」

After hearing Elena's voice, Nia regained her senses and with a trembling hand, took the chain. Although the man found strange to the behavior of that half-elf girl, the gold he had won did not allow him to give it too much importance.

After seven years of separation, the mother and daughter had to endure the separation of that heavy iron chain and they contained their feelings. The mother feared for the safety of her daughter in front of that unknown figure hidden under a white cloak and surrounded by intimidating soldiers. The daughter had to resist her impulse for the sake of maintaining the image of the person to whom she owed so much and to whom, she could no longer finish paying her in this life for everything she had done for her.

The group returned to the previous room, and the man opened the cage of the brown-haired young woman. Her chain was taken by one of the steel soldiers.

The next cage to be opened was that of the eight-year-old boy, his chain was also taken by a steel soldier.

Finally, the man opened the cage of the red-haired girl, who had to resist the desire to run and hug her little brother while the tears continued to flow from her eyes. Her chain was also taken by a steel soldier.

「Do you know why there are checks on the gates of this city?」

Just as she was trying to leave, Elena remembered this and asked that question.

The man's dazzling smile disappeared completely.

「Two days ago, someone tried to assassinate the Marquis Lutrel, Excellency」

Elena's body tensed at that.

「Is His Excellency the Marquis well?」

Aware of Elena's identity, Nia quickly asked that question, something that slightly surprised her mother.

「As far as I know, the Marquis survived but is in bed recovering」

Without saying another word, Elena and her group left the building.

Once outside, the steel soldiers and Izana Knights formed a circle with Elena, Nia, and the rest in the center.

「Elena-sama…」

As she walked, Nia doesn't take it anymore and finally broke the silence.

Nia's mother, the two siblings, and the brown-haired girl, they surprised at the closeness that seemed to exist between Nia and her master.

「Let's find an inn and rent a room」

「Yes, Elena-sama!」