There were two reasons as to why Zaroth bothered to make Eldros want to follow him. First, even if he could force Eldros to obey him against his will, a person who chose their path willingly would always perford better.
Second, when Zaroth approached the owner with the intent to purchase Eldros, he was told it would only be possible if Eldros agreed to it.
Now that Eldros seed inclined to be with him, Zaroth put back on the mask and the old goggles and knocked on the door.
Monts later, it opened, revealing Eldros's owner.
"Do you give up? I told you—no one would ever want to buy a man like—"
"We have co to an agreent. I will buy Eldros," Zaroth interrupted the man.
The fat man with the small green hat stared at Zaroth in stunned disbelief. He would have been dancing with joy if he weren't so shocked. At last, he could rid himself of the troubleso slave he had bought on a whim. From the very beginning, it had been a nightmare. He should have known better when a group of anti-slavery Purifiers had practically handed the man to him.
Not wanting to let the chance go, the man quickly ordered for a person that was able to perform the transfer to appear.
Soon after, a woman cloaked in dark robes entered the room.
"So, I hear my services are required?" she asked, calm and cold.
"Yes!" the man instantly replied, his voice filled with joy. "The slave has been purchased and we are to proceed with the transfer."
She glanced over the three of them, nodded, and gestured for them to follow.
Zaroth found himself in a dimly lit room in a nearby building. Eldros was seated on a wooden chair, eyes closed.
Chanting in a low, incomprehensible tongue, the woman drew a rune on Eldros's back using her own blood.
Then Eldros's forr owner spilled a bit of blood upon the man's back.
Finally, Zaroth stepped forward and did the sa.
Eldros's tattooed mark appeared and began to shine brightly as he gritted his teeth in pain.
At that mont, Zaroth heard the voice of the system echo once more:
[Eldros has been bounded to your soul]
The pain on Eldros's face faded, and the ritual was complete.
Zaroth paid 700 gold coins for him—most of his remaining fortune—but he believed it was worth every piece.
As they stepped outside, Eldros looked down at his hands in disbelief.
"How does it feel to walk the streets again?" Zaroth asked.
Eldros paused. "It's… nice," he admitted quietly.
Now that Eldros belonged to him, Zaroth insisted they buy proper clothing. He wasn't going to let his new companion wander the city half-naked.
Eldros tried on a few outfits and finally chose his look: black trousers held up by a leather belt with an engraved emblem, a crisp white shirt, and a tailored black jacket.
"I have to say… that suits you," Zaroth said as Eldros studied his reflection in the mirror.
"Co on," Zaroth spoke. "Now it's ti we eat." He knew that the man must have spent a long ti in captivity and most likely had only tasted musty bread for a long ti.
A pale smile crept across Eldros's face. He had forgotten what it was like to be treated like a human being.
"So, where shall we go to stuff our faces?" Zaroth muttered, searching for a tavern or an inn that looked nice enough.
He was so focused that he almost missed how many won halted their steps to gaze at Eldros, who was following behind him quietly.
Now that he wore good clothes and didn't look like a slave, it seems he piqued the opposite gender's interest. Not that it was surprising—a tall, handso man with long, flowing white hair and blue eyes like gems.
Zaroth, on the other hand, still looked like a wandering rogue. Not that he minded.
Eventually, they found a place and had their fill.
"So now what?" Eldros asked.
At the question, Zaroth grinned behind the mask. "It's ti we enter the auction houses!" he exclaid.
*****
This ti, when Zaroth gave the na "Hollow," the guards let him in without hesitation. They looked confused—why would a man who looked like a noble be registered as a slave? But they said nothing.
Imdiately Zaroth saw the difference—while the arenas were dirty and slly, the auction houses were completely the opposite of that.
There was no loud noise, everything around was pristine and clean. Even the slaves that walked around seed to have so kind of prestige around them.
Zaroth stood out with his ragged clothing, and for once, he regretted not buying sothing more appropriate. But it was too late for that now.
He soon found himself seated in a grand hall with an empty podium at its center. Despite the crowd of hundreds, the room was dead silent. Everyone was waiting.
Eldros, who was seated next to Zaroth, observed the scene as well. While he didn't trust Zaroth yet, he was following him for one primary reason: once he got the elf out, he was going to burn down the city. And Eldros, being a follower of the Purifiers hated everything slavery-related.
"Ladies and gentlen…" a man with short blond hair appeared, his smooth voice echoing around the whole place.
"Thank you for choosing our humble establishnt. I hope you find your next servant here today."
He paused dramatically, then turned to a raised platform with a ceremonial hamr.
"Let's not waste your ti any longer! Bring in the first one!"
At his command, two guards bearing the emblem of the Outlaws escorted a young woman onto the stage. She was on the shorter side, had a breathtaking face and curves to die for.
"This is Zara. A twenty-year-old virgin, ready to fulfill your every desire," he announced.
A few murmurs began to echo throughout the room. Zaroth watched with keen interest, curious to see how these auctions typically unfolded. 'Considering she's the opening act, she should be on the cheaper side—maybe around a thousand gold coins?' he speculated.
A smile crept upon the blond man at the center of the podium. "The bidding shall start at ten thousand gold coins!"
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