Chapter 59 59: A Well Laid Trap [Pt2]

"You both, get up now. It's time to go to the auction hall. You might not be getting sold today but there is no harm in showing people our merchandise, right?"

The slave trader questioned as soon as he arrived in the room. He looked at the engraved Shinu and the Keith with a greedy expression in his eyes. Keith could watch the save trader's eyes turn into money sigh as he looked at the people in front of him.

"Don't look so scared now, it'll be alright. After all, you both will soon be getting new homes, right?"

The slave trader looked happy as he watched Shinu and Keith lay there and not be able to do anything else. He had spent a fortune on buying these ropes and it was worth it in the end.

"You will not be able to get away with this."

Shinu cried out one last time but he was beginning to lose hope now. The slave trader's happy smile was too bright for Shinu to ignore.

"Oh, you poor sweet child. You say that I am not able to do anything but can you not see that I already achieved what I wanted to? I have heard so many people say the same words you say to me before but they all ended up being sold in the end. And your fate will not be any different from theirs."

The slave trader assured Shinu. Keith heard it all from his position on the ground but he did not respond.

The slave trader was looking at Keith for his response but Keith did not dignify him with one. The slave trader tsked in return, now beginning to hate Keith's cold attitude.

It had been nice to have an obedient slave at first but what fun was it if their slave did not resist even a little? It took all the run out of breaking the slaves in for the boss.

The boss was about to walk over to Keith and strike him to get a response when the door to his storage was knocked on by someone.

"Boss, it's time for the auction. Our guests are here already and they are waiting for you to show up."

The boss instantly corrected his posture and forced a smile on his face. He did not want his guests to see him in a foul mood.

After all, the fun of owning a slave was to have someone to relieve your stress on and to live a happy life afterward.

"I see. So, it is time now. Someone, come in here and prepare these guests of ours for the auction. I will go and address the opening stage."

The boss ordered and two people ran in to follow his orders. They seemed to be slaves as well but they had lost all hopes of ever being free. The obedience spell on their bodies would make sure of that.

And now only that, they were also orphans with nowhere else to go.

Shinu felt the aura of darkness and despair coming from these humans and he did not like it. They had been deprived of their freedom for too long that they had even lost sight of what made them human.

Soon, those people were preparing Keith and Shinu for their first appearance in an auction ring. And all of Shinu's sympathy flew out of the window.

"Let me go. Let me go right now."

He tried to break free but the hands that held him did not let him go. Keith and Shinu were washed and dressed in record time. And then they were off to being auctioned. Keith walked up to the stage with a cold look on his face.

He looked up and his eyes met Clair's. But she was not alone and had Shinzou as well as Amelia with her.

'T-That girl! I told her to come alone. So why did she drag the two people I did not want her to drag with her?'

Clair waved back to him while Amelia looked shocked. Shinzou looked ready to stand up and tear this place apart any moment while Clair held him back.

Keith knew for sure that he could not make a mistake now. His life and the life of everyone else in this establishment today was in his hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to our special merchandise for our next auction. Aren't they just splendid?"

The auction leader announced and silence fell in the hall. Then everything exploded as Clair lost her grip on Shinzou.

"This is prosperous. I will not stand for this slander any longer. Grandmaster, I will be taking out the trash from my port now."

Shinzou announced into the silent hall and everyone noticed who he was. They looked at Shinzou, then at Keith, and connected two on two.

Then they all panicked and started running.

'See, I knew this was going to happen as soon as I saw Shinzou in the stands. Well looks like it's time to use the power I borrowed from the priestess Athena back then.'

Keith used the mana stone and everyone froze into place. Despite him taking only a small amount of skill power, it was enough to halt everyone in this tent's vicinity. Even Keith was surprised at the outcome.

"Well done grandmaster. I never doubted your power even once."

Shinzou was the only one who looked unaffected by his display of power. He looked proud of his grandmaster and moved around to quickly take other people as prisoners.

The owner of this slave ring tried to run away but he was halted in his steps by a sharp gaze looking at him. The slave trader looked startled at being fleeing.

The slave, no, the grandmaster aura was pinning the man in his place. He had never felt such a terrifying aura all concentrated on him before.

"And where do you think you are going? I don't think I permitted you to leave, did I?"

Grandmaster sounded pissed and the slave owner knew that he ends up near. It would be lucky if his end was peaceful.

His bladder failed him and a questionable liquid soiled the front of his pants. But the slave owner was too freaked out to pay attention to this.

Keith refused to feel bad for this piece of shit human who thought capturing Keith was a good idea. This man was just reaping what he had sown before.

'Thank God I managed to see him trying to feel from the corner of my eyes. It would have been a nightmare to salvage my reputation had this man been able to flee away.'

Keith had panicked as soon as he had noticed the slave trader missing and he had ended up using the aura ring Clair had given him.

In the end, that had proven to be the correct choice since it had halted this man before he could flee. Now Keith had proven his capabilities and no one could doubt his powers.

"Y-You lied to me. You were the famous grandmaster and you never told me?"

Shinu looked up in awe, his eyes sparkling with recognition. But that awe soon damped as soon as he realized that Keith had hidden this secret from him.

Keith coughed lightly in his fist, trying to keep his irritation out of his voice.

"I never lied to you. I told you that I had the means to make you powerful. I just chose not to share with you that I was the grandmaster since it was not an important piece of information."

'Why are kids so perspective these days? This draconic kid will not let this matter slide, right?'

Shinu pouted as he was faced with a twisted logic. It was true that Keith had technically not lied to him. But concealing information was the same as lying in Shinu's eyes. He did not like the fact that he was lied to.

"Grandmaster, we will be taking the ring leader and all his accomplices into custody. Is there something you want us to do? What are you going to do now? Will you return home?"

Shinzou, being the overly eager puppy he was, walked toward the grandmaster to report his findings. His eager expression said that he wanted to be praised.

"You did well Shinzou. I will leave the handling of these slave traders in your capable hands. Make sure they never do anything like this again."

Keith handed his responsibilities over to Shinzou and the red-haired man took over for Keith quite happily. Clair gave Keith a knowing look but she did not ruin this moment for him.

"I will do as you asked of me, grandmaster. But I wanted to ask you if you would like me to prepare a room for you tonight. Our establishment would love to have you tonight."

Shinu's hold tightened around Keith's hand. The child likely wanted to head back home but he would not be able to cross the desert alone.

"I'm afraid I will not be able to make it back tonight. You see, I have to send this kid back home first."