"After all this painful fighting, I only got a trashy swordsmanship skill? Do you think I'm easy to bully?"
Yes, you are, dear user.
Jasper coughed, blushing. "Cough—can't you at least save me some face? And why are you answering me this time?"
Sigh.
Jasper opened the skill window to check his newly acquired skill. As he hovered over it, a description appeared:
[Trashy Swordsmanship] Lv. 0.1
After countless battles and gaining ample experience, you've achieved a negligible sense of swordsmanship. However, without proper training, years of refinement, or a skilled mentor, don't expect better results. Currently, this skill is of no benefit.
"Hmm… So it'll be useful in the future if I keep refining it, huh?"
Realising that he can't waste anymore time playing, "Power Off". He stood up and wore his clothes, hefted the heavy money bag—about five kilograms of coin—and headed directly to the city.
"This bag grows heavier with every step," he sighed. "If I weren't leaving for the capital after finishing my business, I wouldn't have taken everything."
At the city entrance, a rookie guard spotted a hooded figure carrying a large bag and attempting to skip the line. Blocking Jasper's path with his spear, he barked,
"Where do you think you're going? Remove your hood, identify yourself, and pay the entrance fee!"
Jasper frowned. "Huh? Even if I was out of the city for a few years, I'm still a citizen here."
Nearby, a veteran guard watched the confrontation, narrowing his eyes. Where have I seen him before? I'd bet my life savings I know the eerie aura of this person. Just then, a gust of wind blew Jasper's hood back—only for a split second before he yanked it up again. But that fleeting glimpse was enough. The veteran's eyes widened in recognition.
"You idiot!" He rushed over and smacked the rookie upside the head.
"What are you doing, you fool?" he hissed, then turned to the hooded figure. "You may enter, sir."
As Jasper passed through, the rookie complained, "Ouch! Why did you hit me, Captain?"
"Because you deserved it. Do you have any idea who you just stopped?"
"Who was it?"
The veteran's voice dropped to a whisper. "That was Jasper."
"Jasper?" The rookie repeated, confused until sudden recognition dawned. "D-d-don't tell me... Jasper the... the Plague?"
"Yes, that's him, the cursed child, you idiot."
"But Captain, wasn't he dead, I heard someone say he was killed by Baron Buck's knights, and they threw his corpse faaaar away," the guard stammered, trembling.
"I'm sure the one in front of us is a ghost who came back for revenge, keep listening with those same ears to learn what will happen to those knights. back in the days anyone who bullied him ended up miserably, I don't need to remind you how many people who touched or beat him met terrible ends."
"Captain," the rookie sniffled, "I've only been working here long enough to sew commoners' sleeves. I don't want to die!"
"Don't exaggerate. You didn't touch him—you only blocked him with your spear. Just be more careful next time."
A slight smirk crossed Jasper's lips as he walked away. Though he'd never actively harmed anyone who bullied him, somehow they always ended up in miserable circumstances: broken bones, paralyzed, or deathly ill. While he didn't appreciate being called "Cursed" "plague," these labels coupled with the mishaps gave him a satisfying taste of revenge. It was good enough that people still remember him.
Crossing the city toward the slave market, the heavy bag exhausted him, but Jasper pressed on until he reached his destination. Before him stretched iron cages filled with people, while others stood chained together by their necks. Men, women, and children of all ages—a painful sight, yet so common that people had grown numb to it, even considering these captives lesser beings. Jasper saw parallels to his own situation: he was free but weak and hideous; they were enslaved but beautiful and strong. Yet one thing united them all—misery.
As he surveyed the market, something unexpected caught his eye.
'A barbarian? As a slave? How is that possible? Barbarians would rather die than be enslaved. The last person who tried to capture one was skinned alive.'
Jasper approached the merchant quietly and asked, "Excuse me, how can a barbarian be a slave?"
"Hmm? Oh, you mean this big bear," the merchant replied, turning to face Jasper after noticing his quiet voice. He smacked the barbarian's back confidently. "Don't worry, he won't bite. As you can see, he's calm and follows orders. It took quite a while to tame him."
Though the barbarian appeared furious, he concealed it well.
"So, how much for him?" Jasper inquired.
The merchant assessed Jasper from head to toe. His clothing suggested middle class—perhaps a merchant or a knight's offspring.
"May I first ask why you're hiding your face, dear customer?"
"Don't concern yourself with that. My face is burned, so I keep it covered."
The merchant shrugged. "Well then, he's 150 gold coins."
"What?! The highest price ever paid for a male slave was 80 gold. How can you ask so much?"
"Oh ho, quite knowledgeable, aren't you? But there's never been a barbarian slave before. This one will never betray or harm you. Look—" He struck the barbarian repeatedly. "See? He's stronger and more capable than any ordinary male slave."
The merchant smirked, thinking he had Jasper trapped. But Jasper quickly countered, "Impressive! I almost fell for that. You're working with this barbarian, aren't you? He'll either kill me and run, or take my money and give it back to you. No, wait. That doesn't make sense. Barbarians are honorable. Tsk, I can't figure out what you did to make him a slave. Something's definitely off, but I can't put my finger on it."
As he spoke, he turned to the barbarian, who instantly avoided eye contact.
"What?! What is that all about?" The merchant looked bewildered.
"What if I announced that you're trying to sell a bloodthirsty barbarian? A wolf in sheep's clothing. Would anyone believe he's as tame as you claim? Buying a barbarian is life-threatening—there's never been a case of a barbarian slave before. You trampled on his honor. I'm afraid he will kill me along with you. Do you take people here for fools?!" Jasper raised his voice with the last statement, making the merchant nervous as onlookers turned to stare.
Being new to this market, the merchant didn't know how to respond with so many eyes upon him. He rubbed his hands anxiously and lowered his voice. "Now, now, dear customer, no need to shout. I'm running an honest business. You don't know how much effort it took to tame this barbarian and bring him here. As a sign of goodwill, I'll reduce the price to 140 gold."
"Reducing by mere 10 gold coins shows no goodwill. Look, I'm taking an enormous risk. At any moment, he could kill me if he regained his senses. One hundred gold is my offer."
"You jest! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" he exclaimed, putting his hand to his chest. "And yet, I assure you, he won't dare disobey, even if you spit on him. Therefore, one hundred thirty is my final price."
"I don't buy empty promises. One hundred gold, or no deal. I guarantee no one will buy any barbarian—even for 50 gold. The risk is too high."
The merchant's expression darkened, but he couldn't argue further. Selling a barbarian was never going to be easy. After all his efforts to tame the warrior, his dreams of massive profits crumbled into a meager 15-gold gain from this transaction
"Fine. It's a deal."
As Jasper opened his bag to count out the coins, he glimpsed someone in a cage behind the barbarian. The massive warrior had blocked his view before, but as Jasper crouched to reach into his bag, he caught sight of a radiant face. He quickly closed the bag and hurried toward the cage.
"How much for this woman?" he asked the slave trader.
"Let me see... which one do you mean?"
"That one, with blue eyes and black hair."
"Oh, I'm afraid she's not for sale here. I'm saving her for next week's auction."
"Then why keep her here?"
"I have nowhere else to put her."
"I offer 210 gold coins, which is the highest market-recorded price for a female slave."
The merchant began sweating nervously, his hands trembling. "Well, at auction, her price could be much higher…"
Without hesitation, Jasper increased his offer: "Three hundred sixty gold—equal to the highest auction price."
"If I were to sell her at auction, I could earn even more," the merchant said, no longer able to control his expression.
Jasper fell silent momentarily, then replied, "Your greed will be your undoing one day."
"She's virgin, you know. Someone so beautiful and untouched is rare."
Jasper closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "Let me ask you—when did you acquire her?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not a fool. She hasn't been a slave for even a month—not even ten days."
"Sharp eye! To be honest, I got her just a week ago. She was fleeing bandits, and I bought her from them for a considerable sum. They couldn't touch me when they saw my barbarian, which made negotiations quite smooth."
"Four hundred gold. No one in all of Zoliland would offer such a price."
"I can recover what I lost on the barbarian deal!" the merchant thought aloud, giggling.
"At least keep your thoughts to yourself and control your expressions when dealing with merchants. Just advice from a fellow merchant," Jasper sighed.
'Not that I'd expect better from a slaver,' he thought privately.
"Huh? Hehehe, sorry, dear customer. She's yours—no questions asked."
Jasper opened his bag and counted out 500 gold coins—a substantial loss, but worth it. He hadn't chosen the girl solely for her beauty; at his young age, he already possessed remarkable foresight. He saw what others missed.
"Now, give me the bill of sale." He then asked the people to witness the trade.
Despite the mockery for his costly acquisition of two slaves, he paid no heed. Whether driven by their true value or youthful recklessness, he was resolute.
When she stood and approached him, Jasper felt his heart constrict, nearly bursting. He took a deep breath, handed the bag to the barbarian, and continued strolling around the market.
As they walked away, he moved closer to the woman and whispered, "I'll be in your care, Miss Witch."