## Chapter 874 – Illegal Slave Trader

Now that I’ve found the location, I need to check it out.

I went straight to Sangulla. It was a bit complicated, but the boss drew a good map, so I managed to find my way.

“… “

Sangulla was quite a large building.

It was huge, as if proving that the slave trade was profitable. It looked very expensive, except for the fact that it was located in a remote area.

On the surface, it’s operating completely legally, huh?

Of course, it could be a genuinely legal slave trading post, but there was no way that those who lived by the law in a city of criminals could be decent.

In a village of three-eyed people, even a one-eyed person is a cripple.

Conversely, in a village of one-eyed people, even a three-eyed person is a cripple.

It’s just an adage that where cripples live, there are only cripples. Those who openly commit illegal acts are evil, but those bastards who disguise themselves as legal entities are inhumanely insidious.

I could feel that insidious energy very strongly from this building, and it really felt like this place was the mecca of illegal human trafficking.

“It’s full of evil spirits…!”

I briefly imagined the scene of three-eyed people treating one-eyed people as cripples, enslaving them and selling them.

…It’s utterly horrifying.
It was hell.

But is this really Sangulla?

The boss might have been lying, but whatever. Let’s just assume it’s right for now. I can think about that later.

Since it was daytime, there weren’t many people around, just one or two occasionally entering and exiting. I paid attention to people’s gazes, casually looked around the building, and returned to the inn.

There was no tail.

Unless someone good enough to deceive my senses was following me, it seemed my presence hadn’t been detected yet. Actually, there would be no reason for someone like that to be attached here.

“Hey, you’re back already? Did you find anything out?”
“It’s not certain, but I found out the location of the place.”
“That was fast?”

I threw off my shabby clothes as soon as I entered the inn.

“Of course. It’s my job, so it’s naturally fast.”
“How did you find out?”
“I just caught a pickpocket, made him guide me to the organization, and then asked their boss. He told me everything when I threatened to kill him.”
“Kehehe, I knew you knew how to handle criminals. Good job. It looks like a bad place, so you have to be tough to avoid trouble later.”
“Hehehe, of course. Look, I even squeezed some money out of them.”

I laughed as I put the money pouch on the table.

“This sister is so proud of our husband that she can’t stand it.”
“Right?”

Because Karin had lived an inhuman mercenary life, she was very open in this area.

“Anyway, did you notice anything suspicious while staying at the inn?”
“Hmm… I don’t think so? There was nothing.”
“I was paying attention too, but not really?”

If Claudia and Karin didn’t notice anything…

“Okay, then it’s fine.”

Since it’s a professional criminal city, I need to be cautious. I immediately checked my belongings. Nothing was missing.

ㅡRustle.

I immediately unfolded the document I had brought.

ㅡTurtan.

An alleged heretic who works as an executive at Sangulla. I stared intently at his composite sketch. The paladin drew it so well that unless he was wearing a mask, there was no way I could mistake him.

Sangulla opens its doors tomorrow, ten minutes before midnight.

I’m going to go there first to check whether the slave trade is legal or not, and then find this Turtan guy and kidnap him. If I can just kidnap him, I can use Hilde’s hypnotic magic to find out his identity.

It’s not a panacea, but I can at least find out yes or no. And Hilde’s power has also become stronger. I just need to interrogate him and erase his memories appropriately. Or just kill him.

That’s what using Hilde’s power means.

Since it involves using the power of a demon, I can’t leave any evidence behind. Once I use Hilde’s power, I have to erase the memories, but if that doesn’t work, I have no choice but to kill him. Hypnotic magic also works differently for each individual.

So it’s a bit ambiguous to use if it’s not a confirmed criminal.

Of course, just because I used hypnotic magic once doesn’t mean they’ll realize, “Oh, a demon hypnotized me,” so I don’t have to worry so paranoidly, but I can’t risk exposing Hilde’s identity if I make a mistake. I just want to be as careful as possible.

“But it doesn’t seem like there’s much to see here. I went to the shopping district for a while, but there was nothing. It’s supposed to be a port city.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Yes, it is.”
“It’s a port city… We should definitely go to the beach in the summer.”

I should be able to take a vacation.

“Katt, do you have any suspicions about demons? I checked around here, but I didn’t see anything.”
“Let’s check it out tomorrow when we go there.”

It’s not like I’m not suspicious at all.
Shall we call it a day and rest?

It’s not like it starts until tomorrow night anyway.

* * *

The next night came.

Even though it was rotten, the port city was still a port city, and Leitas’s night was quite lively. The streets, which had turned into entertainment districts, were full of sailors with criminal faces, and shouts were pouring out from here and there.

We dressed appropriately and headed towards Sangulla.

What we’re going to do today isn’t a big deal. As planned, I’ll infiltrate, check if it’s legal, find Turtan, and kidnap him.

“Wait here.”
“Okay, I will.”

I had them wait in an empty building I had seen in the morning. It wasn’t that far from Sangulla, so they would hear me if I shouted.

“Hilde, is everything okay?”
“Yes, there’s nothing right now.”
“Okay, I’ll be back. But I might be back soon.”

After having them wait, I headed to Sangulla alone.
I can’t infiltrate as a group.

ㅡThump, thump.

Sangulla was in a rather remote location, but there were quite a few people around, perhaps because it was night. Are they all going to buy slaves?

As the information said, some of them were wearing masks.

ㅡWear masks to hide their identities.

That’s usually the case for those going to slave trading posts. That means those wearing masks are all going to Sangulla.

They’re definitely criminals.

I picked out one of those masked bastards who was walking alone without any attendants and followed him.

ㅡ…

Taking advantage of the timing when there were no witnesses around, I covered his mouth and attacked him.

“…!”
“Quiet.”

Knocking someone unconscious without injury was more difficult than killing them, but it was still very simple. As soon as I attacked, I pressed on his carotid artery with my grip, and he slumped down like a doll with a broken string.

I immediately checked the guy’s heart rate, and his life wasn’t in danger. I immediately picked him up and went to where my wives were.

“Wow, our darling has become a kidnapper.”
“Hehe, that’s right. You caught one in an instant?”

Riz unnie laughed at Winia’s words.

“It’s an easy job.”

Kidnapping is one of the serious crimes, but it’s okay since I’m on official duty.

“Hilde, can you hypnotize him without any problems in this state?”

Since I don’t know how Sangulla works, I can ask someone who’s entering. It would be better in many ways to steal their identity and enter.

“It’s easier if the person is already unconscious. The success rate is higher than when they’re awake.”

I’m glad to hear that.

Hilde put her hand on his head, which was slumped down, and manifested her magic ㅡZzzzz. A pink light emanated from her hand.

ㅡSwoosh.

Then the unconscious person raised his upper body as if possessed.
His eyes were closed, and he immediately dropped his head.

Hilde winked at me, so I immediately started the interrogation.

“What’s your name?”
“Milledia…”

If he’s not giving his last name, he’s probably not a noble.

“What’s your occupation?”
“Merchant…”
“Were you going to Sangulla?”
“Yes…”

That’s for sure.

“What name do you use to enter?”
“Rendallos…”

It’s obvious, but those slave trading posts check the list when you enter.

He’s wearing a mask, but he has to give his name.

Good job.

“What are you buying?”
“Slaves…”
“Men? Women?”
“Women…”

He came all the way to Sangulla to buy female slaves.

“What a bastard.”
“I know.”

Winia frowned.
Anyway, I got all the information I wanted.

“Hilde, put him to sleep deeply now. Erase his memories.”
“Yes!”

Hilde immediately cast a spell, and the guy’s body slumped down again.

“Did it work properly? He won’t remember, right?”
“Um… I’m sure of it. He won’t have any memories.”

I handled it without any problems.
Let’s dump him somewhere and go to Sangulla.

“Then I’m really going.”
“Well… good luck. Shout if you’re in danger, but I don’t think that’ll happen.”
“Okay.”
“Katt, you’re just going to investigate, right?”
“I’ll see how it goes. I’ll be back.”

I immediately picked up the slumped Rendallos and went outside. I went into another deserted building I had seen earlier, put him in a corner, and covered his body with a rolling wooden plank and an oak barrel.

I can’t let him die.

Anyway, I know the entry name, Rendallos.

I put on the stolen mask, pulled down my hood, and headed to Sangulla. It wasn’t far, so it didn’t take long, and as I was going, people wearing masks started to appear around me.

The main gate of Sangulla was already open.

I stood behind the short line and waited for my turn.

“What’s your name?”

Soon it was my turn.
A staff member in black clothes asked me with a nameplate in his hand.

“Rendallos.”
“Mr. Rendallos… Yes. Have a good night.”

ㅡScribble, scribble.

The procedure was simple. The staff member checked next to the name Rendallos and immediately allowed me to enter. I went straight inside.

“… “

The inside was as large as the building itself. It seemed like they were using the entire first floor. It was structured like a school gymnasium, with a stage in front, and the guests who had already entered were standing here and there, each wearing a mask.

Has the sale not started yet?

Since it was dark, I immediately took a quick look around the interior to grasp the structure. There were staff members in black clothes everywhere. And there were second-floor seats on both sides, but the people standing there were staff, not guests.

The building was five stories high.

Besides the first and second floors, the upper floors probably belong to these Sangulla bastards… The doors leading to the upper floors were closed and heavily guarded. Of course, the same was true for the doors leading to the basement. But the doors to the basement were open.

It seemed like it would be suspicious to do more, so I immediately went into the crowd of guests.

As expected, the mask is the best.

“Thank you for waiting!”

At that moment, the lights on the stage turned on.

What appeared as the lights turned on was a host wearing an inhuman Pinocchio-like mask and a silk hat. The well-dressed man greeted the guests.

“Start quickly!”
“We don’t have time!”
“Skip the greetings!”

The guests’ reactions were a bit extreme.

“Yes! Of course, we have to start right away! Then let’s start tonight as well!”

ㅡWaaaaaaah!
ㅡWaaaaaaah!
ㅡWaaaaaaah!

It seems they’re skipping the greetings and starting right away. As the cheers erupted, men who looked like professional murderers dragged out people with ferocious leashes from the right side of the stage. Those leashes were on people.

Eight men.
That was the first item for sale.

“The first item for sale is!! Those damn bandits!! Let’s see, these guys were caught in the Kusden barony up there. Here, here’s the certificate. I got it from the corresponding prison, and! Guests! Please listen even if it’s boring! This is the most important thing! If you lose the certificate, you also lose ownership of the slave! Please keep it safe! This explanation is only given when introducing the first item!”

That’s how the introduction of the slaves began.

After looking at it for a while, I could roughly understand.

First, when introducing the item, they introduce which province this bastard committed what crime in and which prison he was in before coming here, and then they start the sale. It’s as if they’re advertising that this is a legal slave trade.

Most of them were pirates or bandits. And they were made up of thieves and swindlers, but they were all docile, probably because they had been beaten so badly.

In the beginning, only those men were put up for sale.

The hosts introduced them as being good for use in plantations and mines, and the items were actually sold quickly. Dozens of criminals were sold off in an instant. Are the guys who are buying them nobles or their agents who own mines or plantations?

They may have come down here to secure labor. It seemed easy to supply slaves because the prices were reasonable and they were selling dozens of them in bulk.

Anyway, I haven’t seen anything illegal yet.

“Now! The rough and drab male slave items end here! But right now is the real beginning! From now on, we will introduce the female criminals with outstanding beauty, which are the pride of our Sangulla!”

ㅡWaaaaaaah!!!!
ㅡWaaaaaaah!!!!
ㅡWaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!

An even bigger cheer erupted than before at the words female criminals.

ㅡSwoosh.

Soon, the so-called female criminals began to come out. The women, wearing see-through, flimsy clothes, walked out with leashes around their necks. They were all moderately thin and their hair was well-groomed.

“Woo-hoo!”
“Start the auction quickly!”
“Hurry!”

The guests with their eyes wide open raised their fists and shouted.

So… they’re selling them as sex slaves.

I looked around to find the faces of those bastards that the paladin had drawn. In those seats on the second floor, there were guys wearing nice clothes standing there besides the staff.

Could they be among them?

Or the basement? Higher floors?