Slave-Catching Squad

The late-summer wind was not as biting as in winter.

But it still carried a hint of autumn, with a faint chill.

“Bang.”

Allen felt herself being violently thrown onto the ground.

Her back slammed hard against solid hardwood, which was anything but pleasant.

She could only grit her teeth and force her exhausted, aching body to crawl upright and look around.

“Gulp… who’s there…”

“Bang.”

“Ugh… that hurts.”

Allen clutched her head, where a small bump had already formed, feeling a burning pain spread across her scalp.

Just moments ago, she had stood up too quickly without checking her surroundings and smashed straight into an iron railing.

“Eh?!?!”

Allen grasped the cold bars in disbelief, her face filled with shock.

“Stop looking.

You’re a s*ave now.”

By the campfire beside the carriage sat a man who was clearly the leader of this s*ave-catching squad.

He stared at her with a strange gaze, as if she herself were a pile of treasure.

Allen truly did not understand why.

She had already resolved to stay forever in the Demon Castle, yet monsters had besieged the city, and Lilith had driven her out without hesitation.

She had sworn to return to the Demon Castle even if it meant death.

But just as she regained control over her own fate, it was snatched away again in an instant by s*ave hunters.

So this is fate…

Perhaps she could not accept reality yet.

Or perhaps her brain was still deprived of oxygen from just waking up.

Allen showed no reaction at all.

“Let me tell you this.

If you don’t want to suffer, then behave yourself and stay put.”

The captain paused, then revealed a sinister smile.

“Of course, you can try to run.

But if your legs get crippled, your value will drop sharply~”

As he spoke, he pulled out the dagger at his belt and waved it symbolically a few times.

A faint green glow shimmered in the air.

This was the mark of a novice swordsman.

“Boss, don’t scare her.

Just look at her~”

“Yeah, yeah.

Look at that, you’ve scared the little girl into tears.”

The words were filled with mockery.

Without strength, one cannot survive…

Grief and indignation surged uncontrollably.

They slowly gathered, then exploded in her mind in an instant.

Her body trembled violently twice, unable to restrain itself.

“W-wah… w-wah… why…”

Tears poured out along with choking sobs.

They filled her eyes and slid down her cheeks, dripping onto the wooden floor of the cage.

She had made up her mind countless times that no matter what storms she faced, she would not cry.

Yet her tear ducts were simply too disobedient.

Even though she repeatedly told herself that tears were useless, instinct still tormented her mercilessly.

At the slightest grievance, tears would immediately well up in her eyes.

Indeed, for Allen, who had spent two years immersed in the garden, aside from housekeeping, gardening, and some knowledge, she had nothing left.

Other than crying, there really was nothing.

“Don’t be nervous.

We’re not that bad.

As long as you behave, we won’t do anything to you.”

The captain paused, then continued.

“I think you’re a drifter, right.

If you get bought by a wealthy household, you won’t have to worry about food or clothes.”

He paused again.

“Don’t you think so?~”

Clearly, he was testing Allen.

“N-no… I don’t want that.

I have money.

I’ll give you money.

Let me go, okay…”

Allen begged.

The captain revealed a vicious grin and exchanged looks with the other members of the s*ave-catching squad.

Soon, cold chuckles turned into loud laughter.

They clutched their stomachs as if they had just heard the funniest joke in the world.

“How much money do you have?~

There wasn’t any money in your suitcase.

The only thing worth anything is this gold pocket watch, right?”

As he spoke, he flaunted the watch by shaking it in front of Allen.

Inside it was the only projection photo of Lilith and herself.

“I didn’t put money in the suitcase…

I have one hundred gold coins…”

As she spoke, Allen took out ten mana crystals from a felt lining.

She spread them flat inside the cage.

The captain froze slightly.

Indeed, this little girl had quite a bit of money on her.

Enough to buy a s*ave, in fact.

But she overlooked one thing.

“Tsk… do you know that this amount of money is more than enough to buy a s*ave.”

He paused.

“But for high-priced goods like you, it’s still far too little.”

“If you were sent to the s*ave market now, a starting auction price of ten thousand gold coins would be guaranteed.”

He paused again.

“So this pocket-change money, you should keep it yourself.”

Of course, the s*ave trader had no intention of letting her go.

Even one hundred gold coins was a large sum.

But he thought of something more amusing.

He planned to give Allen a warning lesson.

He would slowly trick her out of her money and crush her pride, making her give up any thought of escape.

“This pocket watch contains someone important to you, right.

I’ll give it back to you.”

Allen took the watch and looked at the image inside.

It was a very ordinary scroll imprint.

There were only three people in it.

Allen herself, Lilith, and Luna.

Allen and Luna stood on either side of Lilith.

Everyone was smiling in front of the scroll.

Behind them, a field of flowers spread across the ground, dazzlingly beautiful.

That was the sea of flowers outside the walls of the Demon Castle, vast beyond belief.

Although most of it was tended by Luna, part of it had been cared for by Allen as well.

Perhaps it had been too beautiful.

In just three months, everything had turned into bubbles, vanishing without a trace.

Perhaps this was what life was.

Great sorrow and great joy, rising and falling.

As if it were a priceless treasure, Allen clutched the pocket watch tightly to her chest.

Her crying stopped abruptly, though she still could not suppress her sobs.

Allen bent down and lay on her side on the hardwood boards, wrapped in felt.

Her eyes closed hazily.

She was too tired.

Right now, she just wanted to sleep properly.

“She actually fell asleep that easily?

Hmph, things will get worse for her later.”

The captain sliced the potatoes in his hand one piece at a time into a small pot.

The thick soup simmering inside gave off an enticing aroma.

To be honest, organizations like s*ave-catching squads were permitted in the Nation of Metallurgy.

This squad had come from there.

In the eternally unchanged Loring Primeval Forest, they had been wandering for nearly a month.

But their luck had been poor.

They had not caught a single half-beast, let alone elves hidden deep within the forest.

Originally, this squad should have returned to the Nation of Metallurgy in disgrace.

But luck always balances out.

They had failed to capture any slaves.

Yet on the return journey, they caught prey even more valuable than an elf—Allen.

By such a coincidence, Allen, who had just grasped freedom, unknowingly became a s*ave again.

Perhaps this was fate.

This parting between Allen and Lilith might last a lifetime.

Though Lilith might never die.

If she were bought, could she escape later?

Of course not.

What did ten thousand gold coins mean?

That was not money an ordinary person would pay just to buy a s*ave.

It was far too precious.

So what would she be bought for?

Think about it.

Other than being used as a toy, there was probably no other possibility…

Along the way, Allen had guarded herself against venomous snakes and ferocious beasts, carefully avoiding them all.

Yet she had not expected to fall into human hands.

Compared to snakes and beasts, humans were far more terrifying.

“Mm…”

In her sleep, Allen whimpered softly.

Her life’s trajectory had once again been changed by someone else.

Perhaps this was what was called fate.

Only Lilith’s existence had given her a sense of meaning in being alive.

And yet… it seemed the pillar had collapsed…