Chapter 5: Gandrel the slave trader
Before leaving, Leon asked Mary for directions to buy daily necessities like soap—if it was indeed available here—and whether the gold coins he carried were commonly used currency in the empire.
"That's correct," Mary emphasize. "Ravenhold Fortress is part of the Silverion Empire."
To Leon's embarrassment, Mary added that the entire continent of Lorasia used these gold coins.
Feeling a bit self-conscious, Leon lied that he wasn't yet familiar with handling them and had assumed different kingdoms or empires might have their own currencies.
Mary nodded understandingly. Whether she believed him or not, she asked no further questions, and Leon felt relieved.
With Mary's directions, Leon soon found a shop selling soap, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. As Mary had mentioned, the prices were somewhat high.
A bar of soap, no larger than his palm, cost one silver coin. The toothbrush and toothpaste, the toothpaste wrapped in an unfamiliar thin animal skin, were also priced at one silver coin apiece. Leon bought ten of each.
While walking, Leon noticed a vendor selling meat buns, honey buns, and various kinds of fruit. He bought one piece of each to see if he liked the taste.
Though not as delicious as food from Earth, the buns were still acceptable. The fruit, however, was truly excellent.
He decided to buy a hundred portions of five different types of fruit, along with hundreds of honey buns and meat buns, and arranged for them to be delivered to Mary's inn. The vendor agreed to the delivery for an additional twenty copper coins, which Leon promptly paid.
Along the way, he passed a blacksmith shop and a magic potion store before finding a clothing shop.
In front of the clothing shop, there was a luxurious carriage bearing an emblem of a sword crossed with a pair of dark wings.
Leon didn't know the meaning of the emblem or its owner, but he was certain that in a medieval world like Lorasia, such a carriage belonged to a noble—at least.
So, he chose not to enter immediately to avoid any unnecessary trouble.
Soon, two women emerged from the clothing shop. Leading the way was a strikingly beautiful woman who appeared cold and unapproachable, with long blue hair and piercing blue eyes. Behind her was a woman dressed in a maid's outfit, carrying a bamboo bag filled with women's clothing.
They stepped into the carriage and departed. Leon noticed that the woman with blue hair had a beauty score of 96—one point higher than Anastasia's.
She was indeed stunning, with skin as white as milk, tinted with a soft pink hue.
If such a beauty scored 96 points, then what about Anastasia's 95? Although Leon hadn't seen Anastasia's full face, and her missing leg might have slightly lowered her score, it was clear she was also exceptionally beautiful.
Judging by the carriage's direction, the blue-haired woman likely lived within the central walls at the Ravenhold Castle.
Perhaps she was the Viscount's daughter. Leon resolved that he needed to grow stronger before investigating further.
So far, he had only seen two women with beauty scores above 90—the blue-haired woman and Anastasia.
He paused, contemplating his next steps. He needed a plan, beginning with how to make Anastasia truly his. To survive in this world—and for her beauty, kindness, and character—he refused to let her slip away.
As for Anastasia, although she had been kind to him, it was unlikely she felt anything more than compassion—perhaps simply sympathy, since, like her, his legs were damaged.
Maybe if he helped her regain her missing leg, their relationship could deepen. To do that, he would need enough points to obtain a high-grade potion from the epic grade lottery—the kind of potion, capable of regenerating even lost limbs.
Additionally, he needed to find a slave trader and look for women with a beauty score of 90 or above. Securing at least two such beauties would help him accumulate points and complete the daily mission.
For now, he decided to buy some new clothes. His current, unusual attire was already attracting too much attention.
Without hesitation, Leon stepped into the clothing shop.
Inside, he purchased a dozen ordinary shirts and shorts, followed by a hooded cloak available in several colors: purple, black, gold, silver, white, green, blue, and red.
The cloak was somewhat expensive—one gold coin each. The elderly man at the counter explained that the cloak was made from waterproof material, which would be very useful on long journeys, especially during rain.
Leon also bought socks, boots, and gloves. After changing into his new outfit, he headed out to find the slave trader.
Before leaving, he asked the old man if he knew where to find a slave trader. Since Leon had bought so much from the shop, the old man kindly shared the location.
According to the old man, the slave trader operated at the northern end of the inner wall, in a three-story building.
As Leon approached, he recognized the building—luxurious yet unnamed, with no signboards. He climbed three steps of brick stairs and pushed the door open.
Inside, he saw an elderly man with a muscular build sitting behind the counter, reading a book. The man had a long gray beard, wore a white, luxurious outfit resembling a tuxedo, and a British-style hat adorned with a monocle hanging over his left eye.
Oblivious to Leon, the old man continued reading. Leon stepped forward and knocked on the wooden counter.
The old man looked up at Leon and asked in a rough voice, "What do you need?"
"I need slaves," Leon replied.
Suddenly, the old man became excited, almost as if he'd been energized by the news, and he jumped onto his seat. To Leon's surprise, the old man was small—when he leapt onto the counter, it completely covered his body.
He was about a meter tall and resembled a dwarf straight out of an anime.
"How many do you want to buy?" the little man asked, stepping toward Leon enthusiastically as he introduced himself.
"My name is Gandrel, a citizen of the capital city El Dhor in the Eradel Kingdom—the Kingdom of Dwarves," he said proudly, grabbing Leon's hand with excitement.
Leon was startled and took a step back.
"Hey, young man, how many slaves do you want?" Gandrel asked, releasing Leon's hand and walking toward the back of the establishment. "Follow me."
Leon followed.
"You're new here, right?"
"Uhmm… yes," Leon replied.
"Recently, my business has been heavily affected by the undead disaster, and I've seen many new faces around."
"You must be one of the refugees fleeing from other territories near the Death Lands border."
Leon nodded in agreement, even though he wasn't entirely sure what that meant. This would be a convenient story to explain his origins, since he couldn't reveal that he was from another world.
Soon, after a few steps, they reached the back of the establishment. Gandrel opened a trapdoor in the floor, revealing a staircase leading downstairs.
Contrary to what Leon expected, the stairs were well-lit. Pearls embedded in the walls emitted a soft glow, illuminating the descending steps. Below, Leon saw iron bars resembling a prison, with slaves confined inside.
On the right side were all female slaves, while the left side held male slaves. Among them, Leon noticed various races he had never seen before.
Some were humans with animal features—ears, tails, and fur resembling foxes, lions, and even rabbits. These animal-featured slaves were separated from the regular human slaves.
Among the men, he also saw individuals with pointed ears and dark skin—likely dark elves.
Mostly the slaves had dull, lifeless eyes and appeared thin. They were shackled at both wrists and ankles, wearing only ragged clothes as they sat on mats spread on the floor.
"Young man, what kind of slaves are you looking for? Household slaves? Combat slaves? Or… sex slaves?"
"I want female slaves, and I'll take as many as I want."
Gandrel sighed. "It's unfortunate for you— half-elves are highly sought after by nobles, so finding one here is rare. Many elves are considered beautiful by human standards."
"What do you mean by that?"
Gandrel grinned. "Well, though elves are beautiful, in my eyes they're too thin and fragile. Isn't it more attractive when a woman is muscular and has wide hips?" His eyes gleamed. "Unfortunately, such women are rare—I've only found eight like that, and they've all become my wives."
"What!" Leon blurted, surprised that the old man had eight wives.
"Alright, look for slaves you like. All the female slaves are on the right side."
Leon nodded and scanned the women behind the iron bars. Their dull eyes met his; some were aggressive and filled with hatred, but Gandrel's sharp shout quickly subdued them.
Among the demi-humans, there were over thirty slaves, but only one met his standard—a young girl around fifteen with fluffy brown ears, short brown hair, and brown eyes. Despite her thin and frail appearance, her white skin and beauty stood out. Her beauty score was 93. She wore ragged gray clothes but undeniably had an attractive presence.
"I want that one," Leon said, pointing at the demi-human girl.
"Alright, bring her out," Gandrel ordered. From the shadows, two figures silently emerged. They wore black cloaks and masks, each with a sword at their waist. They were not dwarves—they stood as tall as Leon.
Leon was startled. No wonder he hadn't seen any guards before—this old man's guards preferred to stay hidden in the shadows.