Chapter 81 First Circle

Erwin was terrified as he surveyed the auction room. Chains clinked as children and adults alike waited to be sold to the highest bidder.

'what the fuck is going on? I am a slave master. How can I be a slave of others?' Suddenly, he noticed an Elf child, about his age, also chained up and looking just as scared as he was.

'this world has elfs?' Erwin looked at elf child with shock.

Young elf boy looked vulnerable and terrified as he stood in chains in the auction room. His small frame was accentuated by the heavy metal shackles around his wrists and ankles. He tried to keep his head down, hoping that no one would notice him, but his pointed ears and delicate features marked him as a valuable commodity.

He had long, auburn hair was matted and unkempt, and his clothes were tattered and torn. The fear in his eyes was palpable. The chains around his wrists and ankles clinked with each movement, a constant reminder of his helplessness and captivity.

As the young elf boy was brought onto the stage, the auctioneer's eyes lit up with excitement. He gestured towards the elf, and his voice echoed through the room, "Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on this rare and exquisite specimen. Here before us stands a young elf boy, a true masterpiece of nature."

He paused for a moment, allowing the crowd to take in the elf's delicate features. "As you can see, this young boy has all the classic features of an elf. From his pointed ears to his delicate features, he is truly a sight to behold. His auburn hair, though unkempt and matted, only adds to his beauty."

The auctioneer smiled slyly. "And as we all know, elves are known for their agility and grace. This boy is no exception. He will make a perfect companion or servant, and a very obedient toy for those who seek the very best." And looked at the fat old lady in front of the stage.

Erwin watched as the auctioneer continued to extol the elf's virtues. "What are you saying? He is nowhere near me for beauty... no, no, he is too beautiful... even I am falling for him... What the fuck am I saying?" All the captives who were waiting to be sold as slaves looked at him as if he were stupid, and he knew that they were right.

Erwin couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew how valuable an elf child could be in the slave trade, but he never imagined he would witness such a thing firsthand. He looked around the room, trying to gauge the interest of the bidders.

The auctioneer continued, "I will start the bidding at 500 gold coins."

Erwin saw a man in the corner raise his hand. "600 gold coins!" he yelled out.

The auctioneer nodded. "We have 600 gold coins. Do we have any other bids?"

Erwin watched as the bids increased rapidly. The auctioneer's voice got louder and more excited with each increase in the bid. The man in the corner kept raising his hand. "700 gold coins!" he called out.

"800 gold coins!" came a voice from the back.

Erwin saw the elf boy look up in terror as the bids got higher and higher. He wanted to do something, to help the boy, but he was chained up himself, powerless to do anything.

"1,000 gold coins!" shouted the man in the corner.

Erwin looked surprised by the bid's amount. 'if he is worth 1000 gold, then million will be less for my beauty.'

But the bids continued to climb. The man in the corner looked determined to win the auction. Erwin watched as the auctioneer counted down, "Going once... Going twice..."

Just when the auctioneer was about to declare the man in the corner the winner, a fat lady stepped forward and raised her hand, "1,600 gold coins."

The man in the corner looked at her with surprise and then shook his head, realizing that he could not compete with her bid. The auctioneer nodded in approval. "We have a new bidder at 1,600 gold coins. Do we have any other bids?"

There was a brief pause before someone in the back of the room raised their hand. "1,700 gold coins!"

The lady quickly countered, "2,000 gold coins."

Erwin watched in awe as the bids continued to increase at an alarming rate. The auctioneer looked on in amazement, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a fierce bidding war going on for this young elf boy. The current bid is at 2,000 gold coins. Do we have any other bids?"

The room fell silent as the man in the corner and the other bidder both shook their heads. The auctioneer smiled, "Sold to the lady in the front row for 2,000 gold coins!"

Erwin saw the lady walk up to the stage and take possession of the elf boy. She whispered something in his ear, and he looked up at her with fear and a shout. "no I don't want to..... please don't ahhhh. release me." The woman's smile grew wider with excitement as she walked out of the room, leading the elf boy behind her. Despite his screams, the elf's body remained passive, showing no signs of resistance as he was dragged away seems to be controlled by the glowing steel color.

As he watched the elf boy being led away, Erwin knew that he would never forget this experience. It was a harsh reminder that in this world, beauty and vulnerability were often seen as commodities to be bought and sold.

Erwin couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. "Well, I guess I'll have to start brushing my hair and taking better care of my skin if I want to fetch that kind of price!" The other slaves looked at him in horror, unsure if he was serious or just trying to lighten the mood. In this twisted world of slavery, it was hard to tell what was a joke and what was a nightmare.

Erwin looked around at the other slaves, who were staring at him with disgust. He couldn't help but laugh at their expressions. "Don't look at me like that," he joked. "I'm just saying I need to start taking better care of myself if I want to be sold for a higher price."

The other slaves remained silent, not finding his humor amusing in the slightest. Erwin shrugged and continued, "Come on guys, don't be so glum. At least we know we're all valuable commodities now, right? It's like being part of a rare and exclusive club."

The slaves continued to stare at him, unamused by his attempts humor. Erwin rolled his eyes and turned away, muttering to himself, "Tough crowd."

Erwin had been waiting for hours to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. He had seen at least 13 other humans being sold, and he couldn't help but wonder if he was next. He had been practicing his best "I'm a good worker" while waiting in the line, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was about to be sold to the worst kind of master.

Erwin thoughts to himself 'Nope, don't know anyone here. I'm screwed. Maybe I can try to escape while they're not looking? Nah, they'll catch me and make an example out of me. Why did I have to be so stupid?'

Erwin was being led towards the auction stage. The auctioneer put his hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Hey there, boy. What's your name?"

Erwin glanced at the auctioneer's wide, beaming grin and replied, "Erwin. But my friends call me Lucky."

Suddenly, he felt a strange warmth spreading throughout his body, starting from the point where the auctioneer's hand rested on his shoulder. Erwin furrowed his brow in confusion and turned to look at the auctioneer, whose face was now contorted in surprise. But instead of removing his hand, the auctioneer's grin grew wider, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Erwin couldn't help but wonder what was going on. "Um, excuse me," he said tentatively. "Is everything okay?"

The auctioneer turned to Erwin and grinned widely. "Of course, everything's fine!" he said cheerily, patting Erwin's shoulder a little too hard. "You're just going to help me break my record for the highest earning slave of the day!"

Erwin's eyes widened in shock. "What? I don't want to be part of some record," he protested.

The auctioneer just laughed, his jovial expression never faltering.the auctioneer turned to face the crowd of potential buyers. He cleared his throat and began the bidding.

"Alright, folks, we've got a one special specimen up for grabs here," the auctioneer announced, gesturing towards Erwin. Stars shining in his eyes.

'I am not special, I am just....more handsome.'

"What's so special about him?" One bidder asked.

"Now, as we all know, humans awake their mana when they reach 16 years old and some rare ones awake it 3 or three years early. And guess what? Erwin is one of them. But their....."The auctioneer was announced occupying the crowd's interest

'isn't it was 10 years?.' Erwin looked at him with surprise.

The auctioneer leaned forward and lowered his voice conspiratorially, his eyes flicking to the crowd for effect. "But there's more to it than that, my friends. Erwin here not only awakened his mana at the tender age of 10, but he's already a first circle mage!"

'Wait, what? I am first circled, mage?'

The crowd erupted in gasps and murmurs, and the auctioneer let the excitement die down before continuing. "That's right, ladies and gentlemen. This young man has the potential for great things. With the proper training and guidance, he could be a valuable asset to anyone."

Erwin listened with surprised 'I am? Why did no one told me before? ' then he looked at the crowd, who was now looking at him like a virgin staring at naked models. Making him shudder, 'hey don't look at me like that.'