As he drew closer to the shop, his brows involuntarily furrowed.
Outside the shop was a black iron cage about a ter square, inside which a little girl of about five or six was confined.
At this mont, the little girl was soundly asleep on a dirty piece of rag in the cage, her mouth slightly open and dribbling a bit.
If one rely looked at her expression, one might think she was lying on a soft bed, deep in slumber.
Just then,
A feeble figure suddenly walked by from the left, crossing in front of him toward the cage.
Looking up, it was Renee, the young girl he had just rescued on the road.
Colin paused slightly. He looked at Renee and then at the little girl in the cage who bore so resemblance to Renee; he instantly understood.
"Move aside, don't block the way of adults!"
The slave trader behind suddenly ran to Renee's side and hurriedly urged,
"Trading slaves has strict regulations; what good does it do you to find every day? I'm just a worker; you might as well try to save money. Once you have enough money, you can naturally buy back your sister!"
Then he walked up to Colin with eagerness and asked with a smile,
"My lord, what kind of slave do you need? I just received a new batch of good ones."
"Do you have any slaves who can drive a carriage?" Colin asked.
"Yes, my lord!" the slave trader quickly replied.
"Bring them out for to see."
"Yes, my lord!"
Colin watched the slave trader run toward the back and then called out to stop him, pointing to the cage with the little girl,
"First, open this cage."
"Alright!" The slave trader did not hesitate; he took out a bunch of keys from his bosom and found the right one to open the iron cage.
Click.
The sound of unlocking echoed.
It was only then that Renee realized what was happening. She instinctively wanted to go to her sister, but the next second, she hastily knelt down.
"Thank you, my lord, your character is admirable, and your generosity I will never forget..."
Renee rambled on, her voice clear but sowhat faltering, seemingly not articulate.
"Get up, " Colin waved his hand, cutting off her awkward flattery.
"Go see your sister."
Renee did not comply this ti; instead, she insisted on saying all the praises she knew from beginning to end before slowly walking toward her sister in the back.
Colin smiled faintly, though it was re flattery.
But who doesn't like to hear good words?
...the girl in front of him was a person who knew gratitude.
At this mont, the slave trader had just brought out a few slaves.
Glancing around, there was nothing particularly appealing.
After listening to the introductions, Colin casually chose the most reliable-looking one, who was also the oldest male slave.
He said he was about 40 years old, and according to the slave trader, he was the best at driving carriages among them.
"My lord, here," the slave trader handed over the indenture docunts to Colin with both hands.
Colin reached out to take them; there were two docunts, one was for the little girl Demi Lydia, and the other was for the coachman Arthur.
Arthur had no last na, only a first na.
The two together were priced at fifty Gold Coins, equivalent to one-twentieth of a Magic Stone.
Colin turned and looked at Arthur standing quietly before him, pondered for a mont, then pulled out so Gold Coins from his pocket.
"You know how to buy a carriage, take this money and buy one to bring back."
"Yes, master," Arthur responded.
"You rembered the address where I live, right? Once you've bought the carriage, co directly here," he added.
"I rembered."
Seeing Arthur nod, Colin waved his hand, satisfied, urging him to hurry.
"By the way, do you have any slaves skilled in cooking?"
He turned back to ask the slave trader, almost forgetting that he still needed to buy a cook.
"Yes, I'll bring them for you, my lord," the slave trader hurried back inside.
While waiting,
he turned and slowly walked toward Renee and her sister.
By this ti, Demi had woken up and was giggling in her sister's embrace, with tear stains at the corners of her eyes; it looked like she had just stopped crying.
"My lord."
Seeing Colin approach, Renee quickly greeted him. She had been paying attention to Colin's side all along.
Colin nodded slightly in response, bent down, and smiling at Demi, he patted her head.
In his past life, he generally liked children, of course, excluding the unlikable and unruly ones.
Demi's skin, though sowhat dirty, was still visibly fair and delicate, with features resembling a refined doll, very appealing.
In this world, kindness is a luxury.
But if he occasionally managed to do a good deed like this, it still made him feel at ease.
After all, it wasn't much of a cost; it was just so inconsequential Gold Coins to him.
Colin's smile was warm and sunny, and he was handso.
Demi, who had initially been slightly fearful, now mustered the courage to return a shy smile to Colin.
Colin stood up satisfied.
"My lord, the cooking slave you requested has arrived."
At that mont, the slave trader also ca over with new slaves.
All females, varying in height and weight... the only thing in common was their numb expressions.
They looked just like dead fish being sold at a market.
Colin slightly furrowed his brow, unable to hold back his criticism.
It was unknown how they were trained, but these slaves were uniformly numb.
... Others might not know how they felt.
But as for himself, he felt no interest in purchasing.
"What dishes can you make?" he still asked aloud.
"Westmar."
"What else?" Colin frowned slightly.
Westmar was simply adding water and oil, stewing the ingredients until they beca mush.
"Small fish Westmar, mango Westmar..."
"Stop," Colin interrupted her, then paused before continuing.
"Give you a goat, how would you prepare it?"
"This..." The female slave suddenly froze, she had never considered such a question.
"Boil the goat head for soup, the fatty and lean goat at can be directly roasted, the lean portions can be stewed with the bones, then stripped from the bones and eaten dipped in seasoning, and there are many other ways to prepare the ribs and legs."
Suddenly, Renee spoke up beside him, her eyes pleading as she watched Colin.
"My Lord, I have been learning culinary skills from my mother, who was a chef, since I was young. May I have the honor of becoming your personal cook?"
After the joy of reuniting with her sister subsided, anxiety swept over her again.
Renee was well aware that even though Demi had now returned to her side.
What about after that?
She had no power to prevent Demi from being sold off again... In fact, she could hardly even protect herself.
'Wizards… both awe-inspiring and terrifying.'
'But now that our parents are gone, I can't live carefree as before... You must seize the opportunity, take care of yourself, protect your sister!'
She looked at Colin expectantly, silently cheering herself on in her heart.
Colin was montarily taken aback, but quickly smiled and replied to Renee:
"Of course."
A cook was just a cook, it hardly mattered whom he chose.
The Renee in front of him was cute and pleasing to the eye, and according to her, her culinary skills were quite good.
What was there to hesitate about?
Worried about Renee bringing her sister along?
Colin laughed at his own thoughts.
'As an interdiate wizard, am I not capable of supporting two maids?'
The position of cook Renee was requesting was not that of an employee; the mont she beca Colin's cook, she beca Colin's personal property.
It also involved processing a slave contract.
After Colin had taken care of the paperwork for the slave contract, he turned back and asked:
"Do you need to go back to pack up?"
"...No, there's no need," Renee hesitantly answered.
"Sister, why don't we go back? I want my little bear," Demi quietly asked beside her.
"..." Renee looked troubled, then comfortingly said, "Can I make you another one later?"
"...Okay," Demi responded with a slight dejection but still smiled at Renee.
She was an obedient child, never crying or fussing even when she was locked in a cage.
Renee couldn't help but bend down and hug her.
"Is there trouble back ho?" Colin asked.
"...Nothing, my Lord."
"Renee," Colin's tone beca slightly stern, "My first rule here is, when I ask sothing, you answer."
Renee was startled by his tone.
"My Lord... I..."
"...Don't be nervous, just rember for next ti," Colin's voice softened.
For the common people of this world who suffered oppression, there was no need for him to deliberately establish authority. They already had the hierarchy ingrained in them.
So sotis, being appropriately gentle could win their hearts even more effectively.
Renee slowly revealed the reason under his gaze.
...
"So, the thugs before were from the Poke Gang, and you're afraid they might be waiting at your house, plus your uncle and aunt have already taken over your family's bakery, so there's nothing to pack up."
"Yes, my Lord."
"Let's go, lead the way," Colin said with a light chuckle, urging them.
Renee still seed hesitant.
Colin didn't get angry but simply said:
"My second rule here is, obey, obey my words..."
"Yes, my Lord!" Renee hurriedly nodded in response.
Colin didn't say more and had them lead the way.
Now that they had beco his servants, if there were still so matters entangling them from before, it was convenient to resolve them now.
On the one hand, it spared future troubles, and on the other, it was a display of both kindness and authority.
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