Ray was led off the stage with the chains still locked around his wrists and ankles, the two female attendants gripping his arms tightly as they guided him down a side corridor away from the noisy hall, the sound of the crowd fading behind the heavy doors that slammed shut after them.
With her dark hair neatly pinned and a thin smile on her lips as if the gold she had just spent meant nothing to her, Lady Seris took a few steps forward without turning around. The only sound in the silent passage was the gentle click of her heels.
They reached a private waiting room where the attendants unlocked the ankle chains but left the ones on his wrists, then one of them pushed him forward until he stood in front of the tall woman who had bought him.
Seris finally turned and looked him over from head to toe without any rush, her eyes lingering on the clean muscle under his skin and the calm expression that still had not changed even after the auction.
"What's your name?," she said simply, her voice low and clear.
"Ray," he answered, the single word coming out steady.
She nodded once as if filing the information away, then gestured for the attendants to step back.
"You will work at my establishment, the Black Orchid Motel, it is not a common roadside inn, it serves high ranking clients from several kingdoms and the rules inside are different from what most men are used to," she said as she approached and took off a thin black collar from a nearby case.
Ray remained motionless as she secured the collar around his neck, the lock clicking shut with a gentle sound, the metal felt cool against his skin, and a tiny engraved orchid visible on the front.
"This marks you as my property, remove it and the consequences will be severe, follow the rules and you will eat well, sleep in a clean room, and keep your head attached to your body," Seris continued, her fingers briefly brushing the side of his neck before she stepped away.
One of the attendants handed her a small crystal key which she slipped into her coat, then she turned toward the door.
"Bring him," she ordered, and the two women gripped Ray's arms again as they followed her out into a waiting carriage parked in the private yard behind the auction house.
The carriage was spacious and well-cushioned, with dark curtains covering the windows. Once inside, Seris sat across from the attendants, who took seats close to the door. The carriage began to roll smoothly over the stone road.
Ray sat quietly with the wrist chains resting in his lap, the system window was still faintly visible at the edge of his vision showing the new skills and the unused skill points.
Seris silently observed him for some time before continuing.
"Most men who come through the auction are broken or useless within a week, you do not look broken, that is either good or very huge defect, time will tell which," she said, then leaned back against the cushioned seat and closed her eyes as if the conversation was over.
After passing through the capital's nighttime streets for almost an hour, the carriage's wheels slowed and came to a stop in front of a sizable, multi-story structure with black stone walls and a glowing sign in the shape of an orchid above the main entrance.
With two female guards in dark uniforms stationed at the front doors and windows illuminated by soft, warm light, the Black Orchid Motel stood taller than the surrounding buildings. The entire establishment exuded a sense of subdued luxury mixed with something more sinister beneath the surface.
Ray was drawn in by the attendants after Seris emerged first, and as they entered, the collar around his neck caught the light from the entrance lamps.
The lobby was spacious and spotless, with polished wood floors and dark velvet furniture arranged beneath hanging crystal lamps. A few elegant women seated in the waiting area looked up as the group went by, and their gazes lingered on Ray for longer than was necessary.
A sharp looking woman behind the front desk stood when she saw Seris and gave a short respectful bow.
"Lady Seris, the new acquisition is ready for registration," she said, already pulling out a thick ledger and a small branding iron that glowed faintly at the tip.
Seris waved a hand.
"Later, take him to the lower staff quarters for now and have him cleaned, I want him presentable by morning, assign him to the nite shift rotation starting tomorrow," she said, giving Ray one last look.
"Sleep while you can, the work here is not the kind that lets a man rest for long," she said, and with that she walked toward a private staircase at the far end of the lobby without another glance.
The desk woman motioned for the attendants to follow, and they took Ray down a side hall, past a few closed doors, and down a short flight of stairs into the staff rooms, which were located in a simpler but cleaner area of the building.
Ray was pushed into a tiny room with a locked cabinet, a washbasin, and a single bed after a simple wooden door was unlocked. The chains on his wrists were eventually taken off before the door was closed and locked from the outside.
He stood there for a moment listening to the footsteps fade down the corridor, then sat on the edge of the bed and opened the system window fully, the blue text glowing in the dim light of the room.
[Heavenly Thrust – Active Skill]
[Indomitable Spirit – Passive]
[Six Winged Physique – Passive]
[Skill Points: 100]
Ray gazed at the list for a long time, he could feel collar around his neck steadily while the Black Orchid Motel's reality settling in around him like the first real step toward whatever this new life would require.
Outside the locked door, the motel's gentle noises persisted throughout the nite, including far-off laughter and the sporadic click of heels on wood.