Chapter 97 Chapter 97: Seize the Future (Part 4)
Roland had never seen such an arrogant young man before.
Watching Renji's overbearing demeanor, he frowned, thinking Renji was there to cause trouble. However, judging from Renji's noble attire, Roland tried to be patient and explained:
"Sorry, sir, this batch of slaves already has a buyer. All our slaves are pre-ordered and not sold on the spot, so I must ask you to leave."
However, to Roland's surprise, Renji appeared utterly unconcerned. He waved his hand dismissively and shouted rudely:
"Heh~? No problem. Whatever they're paying, I'll double it. That should be fine, right?"
"No, sir, it's not about the price. We..."
Renji didn't let Roland finish, impatiently interrupting with a raised eyebrow: "What? You think I don't have the means? Eileen, come here, bring that deed I just bought and show it to this man."
Seeing Renji motioning her over, Eileen, who was completely into the role of the 'tyrant's servant' quickly approached. She looked down at Roland and promptly pulled out a scroll from her bosom.
Eileen: "Open your eyes wide and see what this is. A property deed! A house worth millions of Ashen coins! And look at the date of the transaction, just two hours ago!"
Eileen: "You know what? My master just arrived in Sealed City tonight and casually bought a mansion worth millions as a temporary lodging. So, don't use your imagination to challenge my master's wealth, got it? If you understand, then sell this batch of slaves to my master! Otherwise..."
Eileen huffed coldly.
Eileen: "While my master is in a good mood, you can still make some extra money. But if you make him unhappy, with his background, the Dragon Gate Army will be here tomorrow to shut down your business! You won't be able to escape, got it?"
'Well done…'
Renji glanced at the girl who was even more into her role than he expected, almost looking down her nose at others.
All the lines said by Eileen were improvised by her; Renji hadn't instructed her at all. She perfectly embodied the role of an arrogant and oppressive character, displaying the image of a petty tyrant in full force.
As for the effect, it was strikingly good.
Especially when Eileen mentioned their influential background and the "Dragon Gate Army," the change in the owner Roland's expression was visibly tense.
Not just Roland, but even the demi-humans in the cages... with a mere glance, Renji could detect the dangerous and murderous glances thrown their way.
After all, these demi-humans weren't actual slaves, and the consequences of being discovered by the Dragon Gate Army were obvious.
Now, all the pressure was on Roland.
'What to do? '
Roland sweating, was completely panicked. He obviously couldn't sell these 'slaves' to Renji as they were all members of the revolutionary army – all fake slaves. But if he refused to sell, given the noble young man's relentless attitude, the situation might escalate.
'Maybe I can ki...'
Roland stealthily touched the dagger hidden at his waist, his gaze on the 'unprotected' Renji turning slightly murderous.
He was born in Dragon Nation, from a well-off middle-class family. It was this comfort that allowed Roland to think more deeply, feeling pain and confusion about the state of his Nation. It wasn't until he encountered the teachings from the neighboring Holy Kingdom, from the Divine Goddess "Suthia," that Roland had an epiphany. He decided to leave his comfortable life behind and joined the revolution against the tyrannical empress.
The moment he decided to help the demi-humans and stand against Dragon Nation and its Empress, Roland was prepared to dedicate, even sacrifice, everything for the cause.
Fortunately, just as Roland hesitated, a female demi-human, likely a 'fox' suddenly began to create a ruckus in a nearby cage, seemingly out of control.
Roland was momentarily stunned, then quickly caught on to what was happening. He pretended to be like the other slave traders, angrily rushing to the cage to scold and reprimand the restless fox.
Renji remained silent during this 'episode', pretending to continue inspecting the merchandise he was interested in along with Eileen.
Soon after, Roland approached them again.
"I apologize for that scene, sir. As you've seen, these demi-humans have only recently been collared and are still quite unruly."
"That's exactly what I'm looking for. Why else do you think I chose your shop after browsing around so much?"
Seeing Renji looking self-satisfied with such a preference, Roland felt even more repulsion and disgust.
But...
"How about this, sir? I really can't sell you this batch because they're already promised to someone else. You know, us merchants value honesty above all. However, if you're willing to wait, I can prepare a new batch just for you within a week. How does that sound?"
Fearing Renji's dissatisfaction, Roland quickly added:
"Rest assured, they'll be just as good as this batch, I guarantee your satisfaction!"
"Fine, but a week is too long. Three days! If I don't see satisfactory goods in three days, be ready to be thrown into the dungeon! Let's go, Eileen."
Watching the noble young man and his servant finally leaving, Roland let out a sigh of relief. He quickly pulled down the shop's curtain and hung up a 'Closed to Visitors' sign. After doing all this, Roland realized his palms were drenched in sweat.
"You did well, Mr. Roland."
At that moment, a gentle voice laced with apology sounded from beside him. It was the previously 'unruly' Fox Lady. Her earlier commotion was actually a deliberate act to pass a message to Roland.
Additionally, each cage's key was actually in the possession of the demi-humans themselves; they could open the cages at any time.
Looking at the Fox Lady who approached him, Roland shook his head, his face full of guilt.
"I'm sorry, it's my lack of ability that forced you to resort to this method."
The sight of the collars on the necks of the demi-humans was a painful reminder for Roland. Despite the discomfort, they had to wear these humiliating objects for the sake of concealment.
Now wasn't the time for mutual comfort.
Roland quickly brought the conversation back to the matter at hand, asking in confusion:
"Nozomi, why did you let that young man go? And why did you make me say those things to him? We can't really sell any demi-humans to him. We may have fooled him for now, but what about in three days? It doesn't solve anything."
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