## Chapter 878 – Illegal Slave Traders

I arrived back at the lodgings before noon.

“I picked this up on the way.”

I pulled Tutan out of the sack.

“…”

His mouth, ears, and even eyes were all covered. He must have been through a lot, as he was still unconscious. The traces of torture made him look like a corpse at first glance.

“…Katt. What is this?”
“Looks like Blackie did a good job. Explain.”

I gave my wives the explanation they demanded.

“I staked out all night and tailed him. I went to his house and interrogated him thoroughly, and I’ve organized everything I found out. But doing it once won’t be enough, right?”
“That’s true.”

Karin nodded.

“When interrogating, you have to keep asking the same questions to find inconsistencies. So, should we start now?”
“Let’s go out to the suburbs. It’ll be noisy if we do it here. Shall we get ready to leave?”

It would be better to go somewhere in the forest.

“Oh my god… they were kidnapping people and selling them. That’s awful.”

Liz said, reading the document summarizing the interrogation.

“Those bastards. They should all be killed.”

Winia frowned.

“So inhumane!!! Execute them all!! They must be executed!! How can humans enslave other humans! Unless they’ve done something wrong, how can they kidnap innocent people and cause them pain…! Does that make any sense logically!!! I can’t understand!!!”

Hilde had a fit.

“It’s terribly senseless.”
“Those devilish humans!!!”

I stroked Hilde’s head to calm her down. As the quintessential Confucian Angel, Hilde was furious at the absurd and illogical.

“Katt. You worked hard. You must not have slept.”

Cloudy stroked my head and said.

“It’s okay. It wasn’t that hard. Let’s go quickly. Time is important.”
“Okay.”

And so, I drove the carriage with my violent wives into the forest in the suburbs. After confirming that there was no one around, I woke Tutan up and conducted a secondary interrogation.

Of course, to improve the quality of the torture, I used Hilde’s hypnosis magic and Karin and Liz’s violence to the extreme. In that state, I repeatedly asked the same questions, and mixed up the order, to find inconsistencies, but there weren’t any.

Only new information came out occasionally. There were no reversals of previous claims, so I was able to complete a reliable document.

“If he’s not changing his story, it seems mostly right?”

Karin said, snapping her fingers.

“Right. If he was lying, his story would have changed in the middle.”

Liz nodded. As expected of a martial artist, she looked remarkably refreshed, considering she was inflicting pain by dislocating and reattaching perfectly healthy joints.

“Hmm… if the story hasn’t changed, it’s probably right.”

Still, maybe he was highly trained to say these things if he was caught. He might have anticipated being tortured. I should be suspicious… but it’s still valid evidence.

“Good.”

From what I learned, a special auction for VIPs was to be held in four days. This was an invitation-only event, known to very few, and the guests were mostly brought in from outside.

These were the guys deeply involved in this business.

Then I’ll just raid the place in four days.

“Ugh…”

Tutan, who had been utterly ruined by the overwhelming torture, looked like he couldn’t be fixed even if a Great Arhat came. But he was still alive, so I could keep him alive and transfer him to the Order.

As long as there was no direct bleeding, he could endure it somehow.

Now that I’ve heard everything about these guys’ business, let’s dig up information about the New World Advent Society.

* * *

Four days passed.

We started our operation in the afternoon, and headed towards Sangulla as the sun set. As we passed through the complex alleyways and the Sangulla building came into view, armed guards came into sight.

Today was the day of the special auction for VIPs. This was an event held about every two months, the most heretical and illegal day when the most money and slaves changed hands.

The slaves being sold today were all kidnapped people.

As it was such an illegal day, the security itself was tight. This was also information I had extracted while torturing Tutan.

They had guards stationed around the building, ready to quickly alert the inside if anything happened. But there had never been an accident so far.

And they had never been caught in a raid.

They were legitimately paying high taxes under the guise of legality, and even if a real raid came, they would simply show the inside of the building and the slave certificates, and send them back.

That’s how innocent kidnapped people were sold off into the darkness.

It had been going on for years, so the number was countless. Like the number of Congolese people who died at the hands of the Belgians…

Anyway, as I walked towards Sangulla.

“Guests? The admission time is over.”
“Stop. Who are you?”

The armed guards were starting to give us trouble.

“Me?”

I said, looking at them from the front.

“Investigators. So, lie down if you don’t want to die.”
“Investigators? We haven’t been contacted. What nonsense…”
“Aren’t these guys from the neighborhood?”

ㅡSwish.

The armed guards, who looked like murderous thugs, began to draw the swords they were wearing on their waists, and as if that was a signal, their heads all fell to the ground.

Killing these mobs was easier than breathing.

And so, we crushed all the armed guards we encountered and stood in front of Sangulla’s main gate.

“Surround the building. Subdue anyone who tries to escape. I’ll go in first and clean up.”
“Okay, our husband can do it alone. Give us a signal.”
“Katt. Good luck.”
“Yep.”

As planned, my wives split into groups and began to surround the building. Whatever the case, it wasn’t good to go in all at once. It was better to surround the building and subdue the escapees, and then have them come in after I had cleaned up the inside.

Light was seeping out from the closed door.

Perhaps because it was a well-soundproofed building, the sound was only faintly audible.

ㅡBang!!!

I immediately kicked the door open and went inside.

“What, what?!”
“Hey! What’s that!”
“What’s going on?”

As I entered, all eyes were on me. The slave market, which used the entire 1st and 2nd floors, was now overflowing with an inhuman kind of energy.

In the hall on the first floor, men wearing masks were molesting naked women who were restrained. The masked men were the guests, and the naked women were all illegally kidnapped slaves.

“Hic…! Stop…! Please stop!”
“She’s got good sensitivity. I’ll take this one.”
“Augh…! It hurts…!”
“I’ll take this woman.”

There weren’t many masked men, but there were over thirty restrained women. They were all reasonably pretty. Expensive products graded according to their beauty.

“Who are you, buddy?”
“What is it?”

And the men who weren’t wearing masks.

They were the employees and armed guards of Sangulla. I slowly closed the door I had kicked open. ㅡThud, thud. The employees and armed forces, sensing something was wrong, walked towards me.

ㅡSwish.

Guards were also moving on the 2nd floor railing.
They were carrying crossbows.

Indeed, tight security.

“Who are you!!”
“What are you doing!”

The excited guards drew their weapons and approached.

I looked at them and said.

“Don’t move.”
“What?”
“Anyone who moves from now on is a criminal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

ㅡBoom!

“Ugh…!”
“What’s that sound…!”

I raised my voice as loud as I could, and everyone in the building covered their ears and stepped back. All the women here were victims of human trafficking. I didn’t think I could stand it.

“I am a Paladin of the Bronze Celestial Angel Order!!! An investigation has revealed that illegal slave trading is taking place here!! This Paladin has been granted investigative authority by the Karga Royal Family, and those who defy this authority will not be tolerated!! Everyone, kneel!!! You are all suspected of illegal slave trading!!”

ㅡBang!

I stepped on the ground with the Celestial Demon’s Descent Footwork, smashing the floor, and shouted very loudly. The people who heard those words began to stir, and the guards who had drawn their swords looked at each other.

ㅡKyaaaaaaak!!

It was then.
A woman’s scream was heard, and I looked over there.

“P, Paladin-nim!! Please save me!! I was kidnapped!! They kidnapped us and were trying to sell us as slaves!!”

The restrained woman cried out.
Good, I’ve come to save you.

“T, this crazy bitch, what nonsense is she talking about!!”
“Kyaaaaaaak!!”

ㅡSwish!

At that moment, the man next to her drew a dagger and stabbed the woman in the neckㅡ

“ㅡYou bastard!!!!”

I kicked off the ground and flew towards him, grabbed his arm, and crushed the bone.

“Aaaaaaaagh!!”
“Didn’t you hear me say stay still!!!”

The man whose arm was crushed slammed his head on the floor, curled up, and screamed. He was trying to stab a woman in front of my eyes? Fortunately, I stopped him… but looking at the situation calmly, it wasn’t good. The women were tied up, and now the employees of Sangulla were holding weapons and sending fierce looks from all over the place.

…This.

I can’t save them all.

“T, thank you! Thank you!!”

The woman who had survived death cried and thanked me.
First, let’s gather the women in one place.

“I, the investigator, order you!! Release the restrained women immediately! And the women are to gather at the main gate!!”
“Don’t release them! Kill them all!!”
“Kyaaak!”

Then, the bald man at the end held a knife to the neck of a blonde woman and said. He looked particularly vicious, a muscular giant with a skull tattoo on his body.

ㅡWhoosh!

I flew towards him as soon as he shouted.

ㅡThud.

“Gack…!”
“Kill them all!”

This time, I couldn’t stop the knife from going into the woman’s neck. ㅡTrickle. Blood flowed from the woman’s neck. As the bald man pulled out the knife, her body collapsed.

The human body is weak, so if a knife goes into the neck, they die.

“What are you doing! I said kill them all!”

The bald man shouted at the top of his lungs, but fortunately, no one had taken action yet. I immediately approached the bald man. Mana was boiling from his body.

Maybe this bastard is an executive.
And a hands-on executive at that.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay still?”
“What? Stay still? Paladin or whatever you are, we’re legally paying taxes to the lord and doing business. The right to decide the life or death of these criminals belongs to us, the owners. They’re our property. You’ve come barging in without following the proper procedures, and even if you’re a Paladin, you’ll have to take responsibility for this.”

The bald man shook the blood-soaked knife and said confidently.

“Hey, hey! It’s going to be a pain in the ass, so kill all the women! The Paladin is misunderstanding because these criminal bitches are saying such things!! Hurry up and teach them a lesson!!”
“Oh, is that so.”

ㅡThud.

I closed the distance and placed my hand on the man’s head. The difference in skill was too great, so he couldn’t react to my movements at all, even with the knife in his hand.

“What…!”
“I’ve clearly stated that I’m legally investigating, and I even ordered you to stop. How dare you try to destroy evidence in front of me?”
“Y, you impudent bastard!!!”
“Such a traitor!!!!!!!”

I grabbed his scalp tightly.

“I will never forgive you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“Ororororororak!”

ㅡTrickle trickle trickle!!!

As I pulled hard, his head was pulled out, and his red spine trailed down.

“Huff!”
“Crazy!”
“O, oaaaak!!”
“H, he pulled out his head with his bare hands!!!”
“The head, the heaaaaad!”
“Guards!! Guards!!! Guarrrrds!!!”
“The boss is down!!”

ㅡFlash!

It was at that moment.

“Uwaaaaaaaa!!”
“Kill him!!”
“Boss-niiiiim!!”

ㅡClang!
At that moment, all the armed guards in the store drew their swords and rushed towards me all at once. They saw me pull out his head and still rushed at me? These guys aren’t ordinary guards.

I have to subdue them all.

ㅡWhooosh!!

I threw the pulled-out head with all my might.

ㅡThwack!

“Ugh!”

The bald man, flying through the air with his spine trailing like a comet, broke through the ribs of the guard running at the front and became embedded inside.

“Aaaaaaaagh!”

Suddenly, the guard became a monster with a spine like a bean sprout in his chest. He writhed and fell.

“O, ock!”
“Ooooock!”
“Uwaaaaaaaak!!”

ㅡBang!

In that state, I kicked off the ground and flew towards the guards, reached out, and grabbed the scalp of the man at the front again.

“N, noooooooo!!”
“Yes!!!”

ㅡTrickle trickle trickle!!

I immediately pulled out his head, spine and all, and infused it with mana, swinging it with all my might, sweeping through the space like a whip.

ㅡClang!
ㅡTsszzzt!

“Kieeeeeeeet!”
“Uooooooogh!!”

The guards who were hit by the spine-whip, wrapped in aura, were cleanly cut down and fell. I have to kill all these fucking bastards!!!!!!!!!!! These bastards have to know the pain of the Congolese people!!!!!!!!! You bastards who don’t see people as people!!!!

“Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!!!!”

In that state, I pulled out the heads of all the guys who were rushing at me and threw them like dodgeballs, embedding them in the backs and chests of the other guards.

The feeling of heads being embedded in bodies was a bit like planting plants, so it felt like a kind of seedling.

Murder seedlings!!!

“K, kill him!!”
“Subdue him!!!”
“We must protect Sangulla!!”
“Don’t run away!!! Defend Sangulla!!!”

ㅡWhack!
ㅡPshshshshat!!

At that moment, arrows and nets flew from above. I saw a large number of guards on the 2nd floor railing shooting crossbows and throwing nets. You think you can subdue me with just that?

ㅡWhack!

I immediately pulled out a head, swung the spine like a whip to cut the nets and smash all the arrows, and then, ㅡBang!! I stepped on the Celestial Demon’s Descent Footwork with force and flew to the 2nd floor.

“Uhaaaak!”

The guards who saw me fly to the 2nd floor were startled.

“An irresistible urge dejaaaaaaaaat!!!!”

I immediately drew the Byugal, the sword of life that saves people and protects life, and swung it, charging forward and slicing all the humans in my path.

“Kyaaaaaaak!!”
“R, run away!!”
“Retreat! Retreat!”

No one could withstand the overwhelming sword energy and charge. Dozens of guards were instantly sliced like deli ham, spilling blood and guts.

“Everyone come inㅡ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

ㅡBang!

In that state, I signaled, and the front door was smashed.

“Save the women!!!! Subdue the men!!!!!!!”