"No problem! We have the most extensive resource library here. As long as you state your requirements, we can match you immediately!"
"Furthermore, even if what you need isn't in stock, as long as you can put down a sufficient deposit, we can even assemble a dedicated slave-catching squad and handlers for you, providing fully customized service..."
This kind of scaled, industrialized supply chain, along with bespoke services tailored for VIP clients, gave Leilin a faint sense of returning to his previous world — as if he were using a premium membership card.
"No need. My requirements are very simple."
A slight smile appeared at the corner of Leilin's lips. "First, I need five Great Knight-level slaves. Race: human. Gender doesn't matter. They must be of sound mind, with no obvious physical damage or defects on their bodies..."
His villa was indeed lacking a few servants to handle chores and lend an air of propriety. Besides, Leilin certainly couldn't handle every trivial task personally.
And deep down, Leilin had another thought. He had previously traded with Instructor
Now, he was quite interested in testing some of those results on Great Knights.
After all, these Great Knight slaves would ultimately have soul seeds or brand marks implanted in them — their loyalty would be absolutely guaranteed. Combined with their powerful physiques, they were the perfect test subjects for Branded Swordsmen.
"Five Great Knights — we have them right here. You can go downstairs and pick them out in a moment. Seven hundred Magic Stones each. And as a bonus, I'll throw in two beauties from among them!" Lucia said with a coquettish laugh. "I'm sure they'll do an excellent job of performing certain... 'duties' in addition to their protective role!"
For Wizards, whose constitutions far exceeded ordinary mortals, most mundane women simply couldn't keep up. Therefore, it was a perfectly normal practice to cultivate Knight and Great Knight-level female slaves for companionship. Lucia certainly had no shortage of stock on hand.
Leilin merely gave a slight nod regarding this bonus, feeling nothing in particular about it. Great Knights were a trivial matter — Leilin now stated his true objective.
"Next, I need a
At these words, the relaxed expression vanished from Lucia's face entirely. Even Cleo shot Leilin a surprised glance.
In the world of Wizards, judging purely from a slave perspective, things like carefully cultivated handmaidens, noble young women from fallen kingdoms, and experienced ladies were merely the lowest tier of entertainment-grade consumption — with the exception of princesses from major kingdoms, they commanded the lowest prices.
Above that tier were Knights and Great Knights who could provide practical assistance to their owners. Prices rose considerably, and if they happened to be beautiful women or members of exotic races, the price often fluctuated by another ten or twenty percent.
But none of these constituted truly high-grade slaves.
On the South Coast, there was only one kind of truly high-grade slave: Wizard slaves!
Whether ordinary people, Knights, or Great Knights, none of them could resist the energy pollution that Wizards unconsciously emitted. Moreover, they lacked Spiritual Power and could not help their Wizard masters maintain and operate magical arrays and the like.
Many newly promoted formal Wizards would take on several apprentices as assistants for their experiments. But on the South Coast, certain tacit agreements had to be observed. Even at the Black Bone Forest Academy, instructors could not simply treat their apprentices as experimental subjects at will — they still had to lure them with Magic Stones or coax them into signing contracts through deception.
Compared to these precious apprentices, using slaves completely solved the problem. Thanks to the existence of Soul Brands, slaves were generally extremely loyal. Furthermore, the moment a master purchased them, the slave's life belonged directly to the master — after that, Wizards could experiment on their slaves to their heart's content without attracting any trouble!
"Young man! You've got some nerve!"
Lucia regarded Leilin with a mixture of surprise and wariness. "A Third-rank Apprentice slave — the price won't be cheap, you know!"
"So you really do have one?" Leilin raised an eyebrow.
The sources of Wizard slaves were quite straightforward — generally only fugitives and prisoners captured after battles.
Moreover, this was never exactly a dignified trade. Even at the Anling Bird Market in the Marsh Duchy, Leilin had not seen any shop openly selling Apprentice slaves.
He had only asked on the off chance, never expecting there to actually be a pleasant surprise.
And Nightless City truly lived up to its reputation as the entire South Coast's trading hub — even a random slave shop like this one carried such high-grade merchandise.
"Rest assured. As long as the person is suitable, price is no issue."
Leilin tossed a small black pouch in front of Lucia.
"My, little brother, you're quite wealthy!" After inspecting the pouch, Lucia nodded, then rang a copper bell with a red handle on her desk.
*Ding-a-ling!* At the sound of the bell, a maidservant immediately pushed open the door. "Ma'am! What are your instructions?"
"Go fetch
The maidservant didn't even dare raise her head under Lucia's orders, and hastily backed out of the room.
"Come! Have a cup of this Hot Choco first! It's a specialty I brought all the way from the Sicily Islands!"
After the door closed, Lucia returned to her previously alluring and charming demeanor. She produced a red teapot and poured Leilin and Cleo each a cup of a beverage that resembled a fusion of coffee and chocolate.
Leilin took a sip. A rich, invigorating flavor instantly filled his entire mouth.
"Not bad! Very similar to cocoa fruit, and it has an awakening effect as well. If it could be distributed widely, it would surely be popular among Wizards," Leilin remarked calmly.
"Lucia! That's not fair — you have something this good and didn't even bring me a few cans!" Cleo immediately began protesting from the side.
"Young brother has quite the eye! I'm planning to open a new shop, and this beverage will be the flagship product..." Lucia gave Leilin a surprised glance, then draped her face with an enchanting smile. "So? Want to invest a share?"
"Sorry, I'm short on Magic Stones at the moment. Especially after purchasing these slaves, I'll probably need to accumulate resources for quite a while before I can consider any further investments..."
Leilin naturally declined the proposal. And Lucia didn't show any particularly visible disappointment — it seemed the offer had been more of a passing whim.
"Lucia, why not consider me?" Cleo piped up from the side, looking rather eager.
"You?" Lucia cast Cleo a look of disdain. "A man who only throws his Magic Stones onto women's bellies — I have absolutely no confidence in you. Twenty-seven years ago, it was you who took my investment and directly..."
As Lucia began dredging up old debts, Cleo's face flushed red and he hung his head like a child caught misbehaving.
Leilin, for his part, simply focused on the beverage before him, turning a blind eye to the scene.
"Ma'am! May I come in?"
The atmosphere was soon broken by a voice at the door.
"Is that Damien? Come in!" Lucia smoothed her hair and sat back down behind her desk.
*Creak!* The office door opened, and in walked a Third-rank Apprentice with a full head of silver hair.
The apprentice appeared to be no young man — his aged face was wrinkled like the peel of an orange, covered in lines. Yet his clothes were impeccably clean and tidy, his hair combed meticulously, and his spirit was vigorous. He looked nothing at all like a slave.
"Damien! This is Wizard Leilin. He's interested in purchasing you. Now, he will ask you some questions." Lucia pointed at Leilin, who sat on the sofa to the side, and made the introduction.
"It is my honor to meet you, sir! I hope I may be of service!" Damien bowed respectfully.
"No need for formalities. I also hope you meet my requirements." Leilin's expression remained perfectly calm.
"Then — what happens when you combine the dissolved root extracts of Sunflowers and Three-Night Grass?" Leilin wasted no time, posing a Potionology question directly.
"A displacement reaction will occur, producing..." It was clear this old man called Damien genuinely had some expertise in Potionology. After only a brief moment of thought, he began answering fluently.
Leilin went on to ask several more questions.
And Damien's expression shifted from its initial ease to cold sweat beading down his forehead.
After roughly ten minutes, Leilin stood up with satisfaction and said to Lucia, "I'll take him. How many Magic Stones?"
Through this brief test, Leilin had already ascertained that Damien's expertise in Potionology and Alchemy was genuinely outstanding by apprentice standards — well worth the purchase.
"Sixteen thousand five hundred Magic Stones!" Lucia said with a smile. "Plus the five Great Knights from earlier — that comes to exactly twenty thousand Magic Stones!"
"Too expensive. His age is already quite advanced. Most apprentices live no more than a hundred and fifty years..." Leilin and Lucia began bargaining ruthlessly, right in front of Damien.
Damien stood to the side with a calm expression, as if the slave they were discussing wasn't him at all.
By the time Leilin and Cleo emerged from Lucia's shop, six figures trailed behind him. Damien was among them, and the remaining five were all Great Knights — including two rather attractive women with stunning curves, their bodies free of the kind of overly prominent musculature that would mar the aesthetic.