After leaving the office area of the Duke's Mansion, Lear got into the carriage by the roadside and headed straight to the slave market.
The slave market was in another direction and would take an hour to reach.
In the carriage, looking at the scenery on both sides of the road, he fell into deep thought.
Just as he gazed at Firina, an attribute panel appeared in his mind:
Firina
Level: Grand Mage (Level 16)
Potential: ??
???
He could not only see his own attributes but also those of others.
This made his heart tremble, the intelligence system was impressive.
But the disparity in strength between them was too great, and he couldn't see more details.
That blonde maid named Jasmine beside her was... Level 12, a High Tier Knight.
She could directly serve as a professor at the Griffin Empire's Royal Academy.
Truly remarkable.
There was still a need to work harder...
He refocused his mind on the intelligence.
After completing the 6-star intelligence and receiving the Divine Fragment, an additional 3 pieces of intelligence were triggered, two of which had already been completed—
Integrating the Divine Fragment into his soul, and choosing the Mire Swamp as his territory.
Next was the third piece of intelligence.
[3. Slave trade market District 2, Shop 13, Dragon Fang Trading Company, will sell two squadrons of Wetland Lizard-men tomorrow afternoon, Level: Level 6 Initial Tier Knights. The Wetland Lizard-men are inherently brutal, and the slave traders can no longer tolerate them, needing to sell quickly at a price far below market value. After purchasing this batch of slaves, you can use the Swamp Divine Format to directly subdue these swamp creatures as your initial force for expanding the territory.]
Without a specific time, he needed to go there ahead of schedule.
If someone else bought them, he would need to find another way to gather an initial force.
It might not be as suitable.
The resources Firina gave him amounted to 1000 gold coins, which he carried with him, and the rest of the resources were delivered to the Rose House as he requested.
Since it was an industry under her name, it was convenient.
By noon, Lear had already arrived at the slave market.
This extraordinary fantasy world, akin to medieval Europe in civilization, was not a place of kindness.
The numerous races, strong demand, and rich profits, among other reasons, led to a thriving slave trade.
The slave trade located in the 22nd district was the largest slave market in the Northern Territory.
Slaves captured by slave traders in the Wilderness would all be transported here for sale.
Likewise, nobles in need would come here to purchase slaves.
The scale and architecture of the slave market were much larger than the black market, operating day and night, and the flow of people exceeded that of the black market.
He disembarked, paid the fare, and entered the market.
A Gothic architectural ensemble exuding darkness appeared, like clouds covering the sun. Upon entering, the light on both sides dimmed.
The hollow carved walls depicted magnificent scenes, knight charges, demonic slaughter, angelic descent, heroic epics... all engraved upon them.
The arched exterior walls, with tall rose-shaped stained glass windows, projected a dim light and endless mystery.
The streets were wide, but the overflow of people made it seem extremely crowded.
The air was filled with the humidity and smell of decay, mixed with body odor, sewage, feces, and other stinks that made one nauseous.
It made one's eyes sting.
On both sides of the street, there were shops run by slave traders, with rows of crowded slave cages stacked at the entrances like building blocks.
These cages were woven from thick steel. The slaves within were scantily dressed, some even entirely naked.
With sallow faces and weary expressions, most of their eyes gleamed with ferocity or anger.
The variety of slave races was endless, beastmen, gray dwarves, banshees, half-elves, snake-men, barbarian races, minotaurs...
Some were warriors captured in war, some were civilians caught by slave traders, and some sold themselves driven by poverty and hunger.
Lear looked ahead, the most numerous slaves were the beastmen most commonly found in the Wilderness.
These creatures, with fanged mouths and muscular physiques, full of ferocity, strongly resembled the orcs from World of Warcraft, but ten times more brutal.
In the Wilderness, they had always regarded humans as food.
Now, they had become slaves.
These strong beings were also the most popular. With the Ring of Enslavement controlling them,
they were the best tools, whether for the Beast Fighting Arena, as guards, or for labor; they were exceptionally useful.
Lear didn't pay much attention to them. While beastmen were useful, their price was much higher than that of ordinary slaves. With the 1000 gold coins he had, he couldn't buy many.
He continued to follow the intelligence to search.
With a clear target, he asked the market management staff several times and soon arrived at Area 2 of the slave market, finding the target of this trip—
Dragon Fang Trading Company.
The plaque written in the common language of the continent was enchanted with a 2-circle magic—Language Comprehension.
As long as one saw the plaque, regardless of literacy, they could instantly understand its meaning.
This information was conveyed directly from the mind.
It was quite marvelous.
Enter the trading company.
A merchant in his early fifties, sporting a large belly and wearing a gem-studded arched hat and luxurious blue robe, with a kindly smile, came out to greet.
"Honored guest, welcome to the Dragon Fang Trading Company. I am Macken Roland, the Chairman of the Dragon Fang Trading Company. How may I be of service?"
The smiling countenance left a pleasant impression.
"Chairman Macken, I need to purchase a batch of slaves for developing a territory..."
The other's eyes lit up.
"At first glance, I could tell you have an extraordinary presence, clearly with a long family heritage, and it turns out, it's true..."
"We have ample slave resources here, which you can choose from as you wish. Currently, the best-selling ones are the Beastmen and Minotaurs, and they're not expensive, only two hundred gold coins each..."
Lear spoke softly.
"Does your trading company have Swamp Race slaves for sale?"
Swamp?
The smiling merchant showed a hint of surprise.
"You've chosen a swamp for your territory's development?"
"That's quite uncommon... Seeing your confidence, you must have a long-term plan and will surely succeed in your development, establishing a new Lorand City!"
After applauding loudly, he began the introduction.
"We can offer you three types of Swamp Race slaves: Swamp Beastmen, Half-Fishmen, and Mire Dwarves."
"Swamp Beastmen have slightly weaker combat strength than normal Beastmen but are adapted to swamp survival, reaching Level 4! Undoubtedly initial tier knights, and they're inexpensive, priced at only 50 gold coins each."
"Half-Fishmen, with silky skin, are swamp dwellers, very suitable for development, but not very strong in combat, Level 3 apprentice knights, priced at 20 gold coins each."
"Mire Dwarves, a dwarf variant, also suited for swamp living, Level 3 apprentice knights, priced the same as Half-Fishmen, 20 gold coins each."
"You see, do these meet your requirements..."
Lear's eyebrows slightly raised.
No Lizard-men?
His gaze fixed on the other.
"These are too ordinary. Do you have anything stronger?"
Stronger?
The gaze narrowed, after pondering for a moment, shook his head.
"No... Swamps in the wilderness are scarce, only in small areas, so Swamp Race slaves are also rare."
"To my knowledge, the entire slave market offers only these three more easily captured Swamp Race slaves for sale..."
Lear's gaze slightly tightened.
No?
Was the intelligence wrong?
While puzzled, a young staff member hurried over and whispered to the other.
"Chairman, those Wetland Lizard-men have rioted again..."
Macken, bearing a large belly, raised an eyebrow, showing some anger, then helplessness.
"Those damned bastards!"
"What does the Beast Fighting Arena say? Still not interested?"
"The Beast Fighting Arena said... the Wetland Lizard-men's nature is too fierce, making them difficult to manage..."
Although not finished, the meaning was clear.
The fat chairman also felt somewhat troubled.
He initially wanted to acquire this batch of Wetland Lizard-men to sell to the Beast Fighting Arena for a huge profit.
But those damned bastards are too fierce, even the Beast Fighting Arena doesn't want them... It's simply absurd!!
At this moment, a voice with a hint of curiosity sounded from the side.
"Wetland Lizard-men? Sir, what level are they?"
The fat chairman turned to look at the young man who had just entered the room.
Hesitatingly said.
"They are all Level 6, initial tier knights... but those Lizard-men are extremely ferocious, and even with the Ring of Enslavement, their viciousness can't be suppressed."
Politely added.
"If you are developing, I still suggest purchasing Swamp Beastmen or Half-Fishmen... Wetland Lizard-men aren't really suitable for you."
Lear felt a bit of favor towards this smiling chairman.
He didn't just push them for sale, maintaining a basic ethical bottom line.
"It's fine to take a look. What if... those Wetland Lizard-men aren't as ferocious as claimed? Wouldn't that be just perfect?"
Macken chuckled, this young man was indeed humorous.
Even a place like the Beast Fighting Arena dismisses them as too ferocious, could there still be a mistake?
Not ferocious... perhaps the young man didn't know that a week ago, the number of Wetland Lizard-men was three squadrons.
Now, only two squadrons remain.
But seeing the other insistent on taking a look, he no longer refused.
"Alright, follow me..."
It's better to sell them earlier, delaying a few more days might leave only one squadron left.