IHDOE Ch 10

Satina reached into his sleeve and slowly pulled out a card. As she drew her hand back, the cards he had hidden inside his sleeve fluttered onto the table.

[Canahel] "T-This……!"

She offered a bright smile toward the bewildered Baron.

[Satina] "Stop pulling cards from the bottom."

She tossed the cards pulled from his sleeve onto the table.

Watching the sight, the spectators erupted into chaos.

[Crowd] "T-That bastard! Babbling about logical deduction all this time, it was all a scam?"

[Patron] "No wonder! Dressing up bundled tightly in the middle of summer was weird!"

[Patron] "Wait! Then did that bastard cheat when playing with me before too?"

[Patron] "Yeah! Come to think of it, I lost money to that guy too!"

[Crowd] "You cheating bastard! Give back my money right now!"

Excited spectators lunged at Baron Canahel, turning the gambling house into absolute bedlam in an instant.

Satina gathered the money resting on the table and darted toward the exit.

The commotion is far bigger than expected. Should I just return home for today?

While she hesitated, the dealer approached and spoke quietly to her.

[Dealer] "Are you leaving already?"

[Satina] "With this chaos breaking out, playing more games seems impossible."

She spoke, holding the heavy coin pouch.

[Satina] "However, carrying this money back home seems difficult, so I am contemplating."

No one in this gambling house remained ignorant of the massive fortune she won today. Exiting the gambling house like this meant countless people would target her money.

From the gambling house's perspective, letting go of a customer carrying such a pouch was a waste.

[Dealer] "In that case, how about visiting a special market introduced by us?"

[Satina] "A market……"

[Dealer] "A place featuring precious goods carefully selected by our gambling house. Only very special guests can visit."

He took the bait!

She brightened and spoke.

[Satina] "That would be wonderful for me."

[Dealer] "Then please step this way."

Leaving the chaotic gambling house behind, Satina followed the dealer into a secret passage.

Soon, she arrived at an underground warehouse.

[S. Trader] "Hey, what happened? It sounds noisy upstairs."

Seated at a desk, the slave trader looked at the dealer and asked. A round face, a mustache with three strands, and a fedora resting lightly on his head.

He looked identical to the game. I found the right place.

[Dealer] "A small commotion occurred, but nothing worth your concern."

[S. Trader] "Is that so? And that lady……?"

[Dealer] "She won quite a fortune in our gambling house today. Hearing that she was looking for a place to spend money, I brought her for an introduction."

[S. Trader] "My, my, welcome! It is embarrassing to say so myself, but I keep only top-quality goods ready."

At his words, the slave trader instantly shifted his expression to greet Satina.

[S. Trader] "Is there anything specific you desire? How about this miracle potion brought from the Eastern Continent? Applying it once brightens the skin, making it popular among noble ladies. Or how about this diamond necklace? Your skin is so fair, it will suit you well."

[Satina] "Forget such things. I have no interest in anything that is not alive."

[S. Trader] "Ayk, this humble servant failed to grasp My Lady's intent! You came to the right place! In truth, living goods are what we handle best! Please follow me this way!"

A heavy iron door opened, and the slave trader led her inside.

[S. Trader] "Hehe, it is awkward to say so myself, but our boys have quite a reputation for strength. Whoever you take, you will find satisfaction."

He spoke while guiding Satina to an area filled with young male slaves. He clearly assumed she sought a slave to satisfy a noble lady's secret desires.

Since the male lead target she needed to find was indeed a young man, Satina quietly followed behind the slave trader, scanning the people trapped behind iron bars.

Wherever her gaze landed, status windows displayed race, age, price, and current condition.

[Satina] "There are many demi-humans."

[S. Trader] "Bringing in demi-humans is far easier. Procuring human goods has become exceedingly difficult these days."

Her gaze rested on a weeping boy inside a cage. Large ears atop his head and a long tail indicated he was a rat beastkin.

Huh, that boy is……

His face was definitely one she recalled seeing in the game.

Species: Beastkin (Rat)

Age: 11

Price: 70,000 Gold

Good, I should take him as well.

Noticing her gaze, the slave trader spoke.

[S. Trader] "Ah, that boy is quite decent too. We captured him recently. Though still young, he is quick-witted, so proper training will make him useful. Being a rat beastkin, he will not grow large even upon reaching adulthood, but some customers adore such small things……"

Satina ignored the slave trader's explanation and headed toward the innermost cage. The first thing that caught her eye was hair black as if melted into darkness.

[S. Trader] "T-That fellow is……!"

Unlike other slaves who were dressed relatively neatly and appeared well-nourished, he lay pressed flat against the floor like a dog beaten severely by its master, watching Satina.

[Liv] "Encountered Male Lead Target 4 for the first time! Fame increased by 2."

Listening to Liv's alert, she thought to herself.

His impression differs from what I saw in the game.

The game described him as having black hair and brown eyes with a gentle expression like an abandoned puppy, but that boy was less like a dog and more like……

A snake?

Possessing pale skin that looked as if it had never seen sunlight, along with black hair and eyes, the boy lay sprawled on the floor with contorted limbs, watching Satina. His expression revealed no resentment or vigilance.

Having never lived alongside humans, he was a raw beast who had not learned even the most basic emotions. His eyes were so jet-black that the pupils were indistinguishable from the irises, making it difficult to figure out what he was thinking.

The game clearly stated he had brown eyes, so why are his eyes black? Did something happen while he left the capital?

[Liv] "Because this is your first encounter with the target, Affection will be measured based on first impressions and rumors."

[Liv] "Requesting the Constellation of Destiny to measure the target's Affection toward the player."

[Liv] "Time remaining until Affection measurement: 30:00"

Satina looked at the status window floating beside the male lead target.

Name: No. A1687

It was the designation the male lead target used during his time as a slave before the heroine gave him a name. Though his impression differed, he was clearly the same person.

Then there is nothing to deliberate.

[Satina] "I will take this fellow."

[S. Trader] "This fellow?"

The slave trader spoke with an uncomfortable expression.

[Satina] "Why? Is there a problem?"

[S. Trader] "Well, I run this business, but I am not entirely devoid of conscience. That fellow is handsome enough, but I wonder if it is truly alright for My Lady to take him……"

He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

[S. Trader] "That fellow is a complete fool. A mindless fool."

[Satina] "A fool?"

[S. Trader] "Yes, originally he looked neat, acted gentle, and obeyed well, but recently he caught a high fever and suffered seizures while frothing at the mouth. After that, he lost his mind completely."

Ah, that event.

Come to think of it, the male lead target mentioned such things to the heroine in the game. He had suffered a severe fever years ago, enduring immense pain and loneliness.

That event must have occurred recently.

[S. Trader] "Whatever words you say, he fails to comprehend, and he never listens to commands. He ended up in that state because he refused to listen, so I used a club on him to bring him to his senses…… Because he refused to listen, I was fully determined to sell him off to a farmer in the south."

In the game, after losing his mind briefly to that fever, the male lead target gradually recovered his body while living at a southern farm.

Afterward, he returned to the capital and became the heroine's slave.

[Satina] "It doesn't matter."

[S. Trader] "Are you certain? In this condition, he can't perform any work."

[Satina] "Yes, it is fine."

He would recover over time anyway, and even if he remained completely helpless, it mattered little to her. That was far preferable to a lunatic like Sharlan who constantly turned her stomach inside out.

Seeing Satina's firm intent to take him, the slave trader's face brightened. From his perspective, she was taking away a troublesome product that could neither speak properly nor obey commands.

[S. Trader] "Ahem! Ahem! Though he lost his mind, as you can see, we fed and raised him well, and his handsome face will offer My Lady plenty of enjoyment."

[Satina] "So how much is he?"

[S. Trader] "Normally, he should command 1,000,000 gold, but as a merchant with a conscience, I will take exactly 450,000 gold!"

[Satina] "I will give you all 500,000 gold I won today. In exchange, throw in that rat beastkin boy over there as well."

[S. Trader] "That is unacceptable! Despite his appearance……!"

[Satina] "Selling a mindless fool to a farm won't fetch a proper price anyway."

[S. Trader] "Mmmgh-. That is true, but……"

Pondering briefly, the slave trader eventually accepted her offer, weighed down by the boy's mental state.

[S. Trader] "Understood! But absolutely! Absolutely no refunds!"

Satina had no intention of sending the male lead target back anyway. She immediately paid the amount from the money she won today.

With this, my total fortune drops back to 199 gold.

In return, she secured the male lead target and an opportunity to receive a new quest.

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