"How can you be so sure it's Simon?" Josh asked.
"Look at the newspaper again," Sol pointed.
Following Sol's finger, Josh read aloud, "Man rampaged... gambling... Oh."
"Remember when we played poker at their house?" Felix added. "He almost killed me with a knife just because he lost. Good thing his mother was there to calm him down. Just thinking about it makes me want to punch him." Sol's brows furrowed.
"Anyways... We've got to find a way to save him soon, or he'll become a slave to who knows who," he continued.
"Can't we just ask the king for help? I mean, we're going to work for him anyway," Josh suggested.
"Nope. As far as I know, the king isn't fond of owning slaves. And besides, if he goes and buys Simon, his name might be tarnished," Felix replied.
"What if he buys him anonymously, or orders someone to do the buying?" Josh countered.
"Buying a slave requires signing a contract. They can track your connections, and you can't just trust these slave merchants to keep secrets; you'll be exposed eventually," Felix explained.
"Should we just go and save him? But our problem is how?" Josh asked.
The trio didn't know their capabilities yet, although the king had said they possessed exceptional talents. They still hadn't experienced life-threatening situations and weren't adept at combat; all they'd done was game back then.
Fuck! If only we had some kind of cheat skill or something like those protagonist in the novels I've been reading, it'd be nice. Sol was irritated by his powerlessness.
"How about we just go to the slave district and figure it out later? It's better than just sitting here and planning with no action," Josh proposed.
The other two looked at each other and then back at him. "Damn! Didn't know you were that brave," Felix said mockingly.
"What!?" Josh exclaimed.
...
The next day, the trio woke up and started to prepare. Felix had sent a letter to the king explaining their plan, and surprisingly, the king approved.
"By the way, it seems like you hold more authority than nobles, Felix. How's that possible?" Josh asked curiously.
"It's not that I hold much authority, but rather, I've become close with the king..." Felix began.
"What?" Josh and Sol said simultaneously.
"It turns out chess also exists in this world, so I happened to introduce a few good chess moves to the king... then he told me to become acquainted with his daughter, who likes chess... The princess, and so..." Felix blushed, his cheeks red.
"The fuck you mean 'acquainted'?" The two stared at Felix, their eyes wide.
"The king's the one who abruptly proposed I'd be engaged to her!" Felix blurted out, flustered.
What the fuck.
The two were shocked and couldn't process the information. He'd only been here for three weeks, and now he had a fiancée? The princess, at that? That's batshit insane!
The two mocked him out of jealousy.
"So that's how it is, huh? Living the isekai life, I see..." Sol said.
"What are you gonna do next, huh? Start a harem?" Josh barked.
"Fuck you guys," Felix retorted.
"No, Felix, fuck YOU!" Josh and Sol yelled together.
Their banter continued until they reached the carriage. They left the estate and headed for the slave district. After arriving, they got out, put on masks, and were greeted by a gloomy sight. The smell of unwashed bodies wafted into their noses; these creatures varied in many different species: elves, wolves, beast folk, demons, even humans, and so on.
The sight horrified the three. These poor beings, caged in ragged, rusty bars, some carrying unknown diseases, others severely injured or malnourished. The three were shocked, hesitant to take a step, until Sol gained courage.
It is what it is. I would like to save them, but this world's ideals differ from ours. I have to endure.
Seeing Sol take the first step, the two followed. They expected a bad sight, but still, the soft hearts they'd developed over the years back on Earth still felt pain from watching the creatures.
They continued walking until they reached the center of the slave district. Many people in luxurious clothing and masks were present, probably merchants and nobles. At the center, where many gathered in line, was the entrance to a large tent—where the auction was being held. The three joined the queue and entered. A large stage was at the front, with seats from bottom to top. They sat at the top.
"What do we do now?" Josh whispered.
"We can't buy him because we're going to work directly under the king soon... Should we just snatch and run?" Felix added.
"How can we do that? We're powerless at the moment. We can't even do the basic skills of combat from this world," Sol retorted.
The three's thoughts raced as people continued filling the seats.
"Ladies and gentlemen... Today, we're going to be introducing some unique creatures..." The auctioneer appeared and began. The three watched blankly, thinking of a plan.
"First off, we have a beast folk from the race of Wolfsborn!..." the host declared. A cage emerged from the curtains, containing a female beast folk—a creature like a human, but with claws and fur on its legs and arms, like a hybrid of a human and a werewolf.
After its introduction, people immediately started bidding.
"A hundred gold!" A fat man in noble's clothing bid, staring at the creature's body with lustful eyes.
"Two hundred!" Another man barked from the back.
"Five hundred!"
The bidding continued until it was sold to someone who bid a thousand.
Next was a male demon, similar in appearance to humans, except for their double human strength and two horns on their heads.
The bidding ensued again.
The auction continued, introducing creatures that were only mythical back on Earth: goblins, mermaids, and many more.
"Now, the second to the last creature we have is an elf!" the host declared. "What's so special about an elf?... Well, let me tell you! This is no ordinary elf, ladies and gentlemen. This is a princess from an elf clan!" The cage emerged, revealing a female elf with soft, pale white skin, smooth and delicate features. Her face was like those jade beauties from novels.
The men in the tent fixated their eyes on her.
The trio's mouths dropped open at her beauty. Then she glanced at them abruptly and looked away.
"Did she just look at me?" Josh said.
"No, she didn't. Stop imagining things," Felix retorted.
The bidding was more intense than before; the bids reached millions until it was sold to an old man in the back corner. His folded arms emitted an aura of a soldier.
"That guy's... a little old, don't you think it's a bad idea for him to be with her?" Josh whispered mockingly.
The old man's brows furrowed, and he glanced at Josh.
"You're dead. He just looked at you; I think he heard that," Sol murmured.
Josh immediately sat straight, feigning ignorance.
"Now! For the last one!" the host announced.
"It's going to be Simon next. What are we going to do? We haven't planned anything yet!" The three panicked.
"This man was put here because of debt. But fear not! He has great strength! Ideal for the perfect soldier in the battlefield. You can use him as your personal bodyguard! The bid starts at a hundred gold!"
The man was in chains, his head covered in a sack. He was pushed to walked toward the center of the stage, his body showing protruding muscles.
"Are you sure that's really Simon? He has the same height, yeah, but I don't really remember him being this jacked with muscles," Josh hesitated.
"Like I said, he might have arrived before us and undergone a drastic change," Sol retorted.
"Then what do we do?" The three panicked.
But then... no one bid. Silence filled the tent. People had exhausted their money.
The silence continued.
"No one? Then I guess—" Before the host could continue, someone from the far back shouted,
"One hundred!" It was Sol. His two buddies stared in disbelief.
Ah, fuck, how did this happen?
"What the fuck are you doing?" Felix whispered angrily. He couldn't let his soon-to-be father-in-law's name be tarnished.
"Just trust me on this one!" Sol whispered back.
Josh slapped his head.
"...Okay! Sold to the young man at the far back!" the host declared. People cast glances at the three.
"Well, that's it, folks. Please come to the backstage to pay and claim your slaves!"
The auction ended, and people started to leave.