The Luxurious carriage stopped in a discreet alley several blocks from the merchants' district. Alexius, clad in the unmarked, dark silk of a wealthy but unknown noble, adjusted the simple silver mask that covered his eyes. "Wait for the signal," he told the driver, before leaping into the shadows with Captain Gregor, who was similarly disguised as a large, imposing attendant.
They entered the Crimson Veil warehouse through a side entrance, a hefty bribe having secured their passage without question. The air inside was a strong mix of perfume, wine, and desperation. As they were led to a private viewing balcony, the auctioneer's voice boomed.
"...and sold, to the honorable Viscount of Porcellum! A fine acquisition, my lord! She will serve you well."
Alexius's gaze followed the auctioneer's gesture. A cage containing a furious wolf beast-kin was being wheeled away. He noted the Viscount, a man from Duke Thorne's faction, preening as he arranged payment. The transaction was a serious crime against the Crown's tax laws, and Alexius noted the Viscount's name for later retaliation.
After several lots of minor magical materials, even Alexius bought a neckalce of spirit and braclet of strength, and a pair of dispirited goblins were sold to other participants with applause, the main event began.
"And now, patrons," the auctioneer cried, "the treasure you have all awaited! A true princess of the Sun-Elves, the flawless Lillia von Elvis!"
When Lillia was brought to the stage, a hush fell over the room. She was elegance and defiance personified, a living work of art in a place of utter squalor. The bidding started immediately, a frantic volley of numbers.
"One hundred gold lions!" a merchant shouted.
"One hundred fifty!"
"Two hundred!"
Then, a new voice, loud and arrogant, cut through the noise from a lavishly decorated balcony opposite Alexius's. "Five hundred gold lions! And let's dispense with the pleasantries."
All eyes turned to the bidder. It was Lord Patrin, the notoriously spoiled only son of Marquess Dynan of the East. The Marquess loved his son to excess, indulging his every whim, resulting in a young man known for his tantrums and lack of any real achievement.
Alexius signaled to Gregor, who calmly placed a bid. "One thousand."
A gasp went through the crowd. Patrin's face flushed with anger at being challenged. "One thousand five hundred!" he snapped.
Gregor, on Alexius's rivalry, countered without emotion. "Three thousand."
This was a sum that could buy a small barony. Patrin, clearly enraged at being publicly outbid by an unknown figure, was about to shout another number when a man beside him, likely his father's steward, whispered urgently in his ear. Patrin fell silent, his face twisting into a mask of pure fury.
"Sold!" the auctioneer cried, slamming his gavel. "To the distinguished gentleman in the western alcove!"
Lillia was led towards a side door to be prepared for her new 'master.' But before she could be taken away, Lord Patrin, in a fit of spoiled rage, leaped from his balcony onto a lower tier and stormed the stage, his own two thuggish bodyguards close behind.
"That elf is mine!" he shrieked, pointing a trembling, ring-laden finger at Alexius's balcony. "I don't care what you bid! Seize her!"
His bodyguards moved to grab Lillia. The auctioneer backed away, terrified of the young lord's temper, in fact he konw him Patrin is a Marquess son. Before Captain Gregor could even move, Alexius was in motion. He vaulted over his own balcony railing, landing on the stage with a light thud that surprised even himself. Hellish training with Captain Gregor paid off. He is now an Expert level.
He intercepted the first bodyguard with a precise strike to the throat, using the man's own momentum to send him collapsing, gagging for air. The second guard lunged with a dagger, but Alexius, guided by the System's combat analysis and his own enhanced agility, sidestepped and drove his elbow hard into the man's side, eliciting a cry of pain as ribs cracked.
He then stood before the stunned Lord Patrin. "She is not yours," Alexius said, his voice a low, dangerous growl.
"Do you know who I am?! I'm Marquess Dyn's eldest son." Patrin sputtered, his face a blotchy red. He swung a clumsy punch.
Alexius caught his fist effortlessly, twisting the young lord's arm behind his back and forcing him to his knees in a single, fluid motion. A cry of agony escaped Patrin's lips. "I don't care who you are, know your place," Alexius whispered, before shoving him contemptuously to the floor. Patrin's world become black and consiousness faded away.
The entire hall was silent, stunned by the sudden, vicious display from the mysterious bidder. Alexius stood over the whimpering noble, then raised his hand and gave a sharp, clear signal.
Instantly, the room exploded. Men who had been posing as patrons threw off their cloaks, revealing the dark, practical armor of the Royal Guard. The main doors crashed open, pouring a flood of City Guard regulars. The raid was on.
The head slave merchant, a man named Borin, who is sitting in the front row, he licked noble boots, swallowing his pride, to become successful in this slave business. He met great deals of difficulties to establish this auction house. He had to bribe a hefty sums to Government officers and had to gave some expensive slaves away for free to capital's nobles who have connection with tax officers. He can't let his work fall into ruin like this. He must do something. If it can't be saved he will bring down them together too. "Why are the city guards here? May be he is the one who informed them", pointing toward Alexius "I will kill him before they apprehend me. My downfall must be your downfall too". His face contorted in a mask of desperation and rage. "Kill him!" he screamed at his personal guards. "Kill the masked bastard!"
Two figures, who had been standing impassively by the merchant's side, sprang into action. They moved with a speed and power far beyond the other thugs.
[System Alert: Two 'Expert' level combatants detected.]
They were the bodyguards provided by one of Borin's noble patrons, true elite warriors. They drew their swords and converged on Alexius.
But they never reached him.
Captain Gregor materialized before them like a vengeful god. "Traitors," he rumbled.
The fight was brutally short. The two Experts were skilled, their attacks coordinated, but they were facing a Sword Master. Gregor's blade was a blur, a silver whirlwind. He parried one Expert's lunge in a shower of sparks, using the momentum to spin and deliver a fatal slash across the other's back. He then turned, his sword moving in an impossible arc that bypassed the first Expert's guard completely, opening his throat. The two elite warriors collapsed, their expertise utterly negated by a higher plane of power. Gregor then stalked towards the terrified merchant Borin and ended his life with a single, clean thrust.
The hall was quickly secured. Every patron was arrested, every guard killed or captured. In the aftermath, Alexius walked to Lillia, who had watched the entire spectacle with wide, disbelieving eyes. He formally cut the last of her restraints.
"You are free," he said again, his voice softer now.
Tears welled in her eyes, but not for herself. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice trembling. "But… my friend. Cilia, the wolf-kin. The Viscount of Porcellum took her. She is my only companion left. Please… I beg you."
Alexius looked at her, at the genuine plea that transcended her own rescue. He summoned a knight who had recently been promoted for his valor during the coup, now Vice-Captain of Royal Guard, recommended by the Royal Guard Captain Gregor,"Sir Kaelan!"
The man, a sturdy warrior at the 'Professional' level, knelt instantly. "Your Majesty!"
"Take ten men," Alexius commanded. "Go to the residence of the Viscount of Porcellum. Inform him his participation in this criminal enterprise has been noted. The wolf-kin he illegally purchased is to be turned over to you immediately. Fetch her. Be persuasive."
"It will be done, Your Majesty!" Sir Kaelan said, and departed.
Alexius turned back to Lillia, who was watching him with a look of profound, dawning gratitude. Curious, he focused on her, and the System presented her full status.
[Name: Lillia von Elvis… Skills: Druidic Magic (Major), Nature Affinity (Master), Spirit Friendship (Natural), Agronomy (Master), Verdant Growth (Unique Skill: Can significantly accelerate crop maturation cycle at cost of personal mana).]
Alexius's mind froze. Agronomy. Verdant Growth. Accelerate harvest time.
It hit him like a thunderbolt. The food crisis. The embargo. The impending famine. All this time he had been searching for a political or military solution, and the answer had just been sold like an object on a stage before him. She wasn't just a rescued princess. She was a blessing from the gods, the key to his nation's survival.
He looked at Lillia, who flinched slightly under his suddenly intense gaze. She saw a powerful, mysterious rescuer. He saw the salvation of his entire realm. (Continue….)