Rebirth of the Ruined Noble

Chapter 136  The Black Market and the dark elf child!(2)

The Great Demon Invasion.

An event that had unfolded a decade ago, was etched into the annals of history. The 72 great demon monarchs of Hell, accompanied by their vast armies, had descended upon the mortal world. Beginning their onslaught from the southern continent, they systematically transformed the once-thriving lands into nightmarish realms. Plants withered, animals were twisted into macabre forms, and humans were turned into the undead. A devastating conflagration of destruction swept across every corner of the world.

However, even within this desolate and seemingly hopeless world, there were those with a glimmer of hope persevered and they fought back. Yet, not everyone fought for the preservation of their homeland. The motivations behind the struggle were as diverse as the fighters themselves. Some fought for survival, clinging to life against the odds. Others fought for the sheer bravery it took to face the impending doom. Some found a thrilling rush in the midst of the chaos, while others rallied for noble causes. There were those who fought with the grand purpose of saving the world, and, inevitably, there were also those who opposed these valiant efforts.

Among them stood a particular elf, a dark elf, a dark elf, who had ascended to become one of the 72 demons herself. She had achieved this formidable status after vanquishing the 61st monarch of Hell, earning the chilling nickname, the Blood Demoness. People spoke of her with a mixture of fear and dread, knowing all too well the horrors she had unleashed upon humanity.

Now, in the present moment, before Eren's eyes, the very same Blood Demoness stood bound by heavy iron shackles. This was the demoness who had callously slaughtered innumerable humans in his past life, and here she was, captured and subdued.

Eren couldn't help but exclaim, "What the hell?" His unfortunate encounter with the Blood Demoness from his past had left an indelible mark of terror upon him.

Elves aged at an exceedingly slow pace, and the same held true for dark elves, with lifespans extending well beyond 300 years. Thus, Eren had little doubt that the captive before him was the same demoness he had witnessed. Yet, something seemed amiss.

"Sir, please, a piece of bread... I can't bear the hunger," the demoness implored, her eyes devoid of malice or anger. Instead, they held an expression of pitiful desperation.

She appeared terribly weak, as if she hadn't eaten in weeks. This frail state starkly contrasted with the terror Eren had associated with her from his past life. As the young girl beseeched the slave trader for sustenance, her plea was met with a cruel boot kick.

"Ah!"

"You brat! Be grateful that I've kept you alive. It's a waste to feed a weak girl like you. Pray that someone buys you today, or else, you'll go to sleep with a empty stomach again," the trader callously retorted.

The situation was clear. Slaves were acquired for a wide array of tasks, and a frail-looking girl like her would be ill-suited for most of these demands. Furthermore, she appeared young and exceptionally feeble. It was no surprise that prospective buyers showed little interest in her, unless...

"How much for that girl?" A repulsive thought had barely formed in Eren's mind when a fat man, adorned in what appeared to be noble attire, approached the slave trader and inquired about the girl.

Eren could hardly miss the repulsive drool at the corner of the fat man's mouth, and it didn't take much thought to discern his intentions.

"Oh, distinguished sir! I have higher-quality 'goods' than this. Would you care to peruse them?" the trader chimed in. He was clearly experienced in trading slaves and had recognized the noble appearance of the man and sought to maximize his profit.

"I don't need another. What's the price for 'this'?" the fat man asserted, his gaze fixated solely on the dark elf child.

"But, sir, as you can see, she is weak..." the trader began.

"I asked you for the price!" the fat man's voice rose, prompting the knight beside him to step forward.

"...! Ah! Forgive my insolence, Sir! 'This' one costs 5 gold coins," the slave trader promptly corrected himself, his tone laced with newfound respect, clearly motivated by the sword hanging at the knight's waist.

Upon hearing the price, the fat man turned to another knight on his side. The second knight, although appearing hesitant, reached for the pouch on his waist and withdrew five gold coins from it. As he tried to hand over the payment to the slave trader, another hand reached out, disrupting the transaction.

"10 golds," Eren declared, his voice firm.

His words drew the attention of both the knights and the fat man. Eren's intentions were clear – he was willing to offer a higher price for the girl. While Eren harbored a strong urge to confront the fat ass, he was well aware of the rules of the Black Market. Engaging in a fight here would only attract the attention of the night-guards, leading to a chain of unpleasant consequences. Thus, he sought to resolve the matter without resorting to violence, despite his distaste for the method.

As Eren prepared to hand over the money, the slave trader found himself in a state of confusion. The fat man chimed in, attempting to assert his claim.

"Now, now, young man, I've already purchased the 'good.' You can't just interfere in the middle," the fat man retorted, his voice tinged with annoyance.

Eren responded with a piercing glare, directed both at the fat man and the knight holding the money.

"The payment is not yet complete, which means the purchase isn't finalized. I'm merely offering the merchant a more profitable deal," Eren stated calmly, shifting the atmosphere with his words.

The fat man, however, remained defiant. "Hey! Be a good lad and step back when I ask you nicely, you don't want to mess with me."

However, Eren wasn't afraid of his threats, with a composed voice he retorted back while looking at the fat belly of the man, "I'd very much like to see what you're capable of."

His mocking tone infuriated the fat man, whose expression remained hidden behind the mask but was undoubtedly twisted with anger.

"Hey! You're just standing there while this brat blabbers on. Is that sword of yours just for show?" the fat man berated the knights.

Without a way to counter Eren's argument, the fat bastard raged on at the knights, but his words fell on deaf ears.

"..."

The knight holding the money, displaying wisdom and restraint, hesitated to cause a scene in the Black Market, especially since he noticed the emblem of Freljord Academy concealed beneath Eren's robe. However, the fat man lacked such foresight.

"Hey, you scoundrels! Aren't you going to do something?" he shouted in frustration.

"Forgive me, young master, but this young man appears to be a student from Freljord Academy. Our master would be displeased if we engaged in a conflict with the academy," the knight explained, his voice carrying a hint of reluctance.

But the fat man didn't have enough brain cells to understand his reasoning.

Frustration and anger coursed through the fat man as he realized that his attempts to assert his dominance had failed miserably. He began to sputter in indignation, "What? You bastard, do you know who I am? I am...ufff..."

Before he could reveal any further information, the knight holding the money bag quickly covered the fat man's mouth, effectively silencing him and preventing any divulgence of his identity.

'Stupid.' Eren thought.

In the Black Market, there was no greater threat than exposing one's identity, especially for nobles who could be blackmailed for illegal activities.

"Forgive our impertinence!" The knight who had silenced the fat man offered a courteous apology as he began to drag the fat troublemaker back toward the portal. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

'Strong!'

Eren couldn't help but acknowledge the sheer strength of the knight, evident in how effortlessly he handled the overweight man. 'It seems to be a pretty high ranked noble household.'

It became apparent to Eren that this knight belonged to a considerably high-ranking noble household; the physical prowess of such a strong knight typically indicated that the household is influential and rich enough to provide the knights with substantial resources and influence to cultivate.

Nonetheless, Eren returned his focus to the matter at hand, addressing the still bewildered slave trader. "Will you accept my offer or not?"

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