‘This guy. He is my only shot at surviving this whole ordeal, no matter how much I dislike it.’

  The girl thought, as she quietly stared at the person in front of her, who looked no older than 17. She had already locked eyes with him, staring directly at him while her mind was trying to think of an appropriate thing to say.

  ‘Think, think, think. I need to say something quickly, or he might lose interest. I can't afford this. This might be my last shot. I can't afford to waste it.’

  While her mind was in a mess to think of an answer, her lips slowly moved, and as if out of instinct, she quietly spoke one single word.

  “Please.”

  It was the only appropriate word she could think of.

  ***

  On the other hand, Thita continued staring at her while hiding his surprise at what he heard.

  ‘Please? Why would anyone beg to be sold? This doesn't make any sense. Especially when the buyer is someone like me. I don't look like anyone who can offer much after all. So why? What's the reason?’

  Thita quietly thought, trying to make sense of her words. He wasn't sure if he could find an answer to his questions, and as he was about to ask her directly, a sudden voice broke his internal thoughts.

  “Excuse me, sir. Are you perhaps interested in buying her?”

  Looking next to him, he noticed a short young adult looking at him, expecting an answer. His clothes also betrayed that he probably worked there.

  Looking at him, Thita answered him with a skeptical tone.

  “I am not exactly certain yet. It mostly depends on the price.”

  Hearing his response, the employee quickly responded with confidence.

  “Then you came to the right place, sir, because the specific slave you want to buy is at a price completely to your favor. One might even say that it's a complete steal to buy her at such a low price!”

  Hearing his words, Thita replied with a casual tone.

  “And how much are we talking about?”

  “Just 10 gold coins, including the binding ritual!”

  Hearing the price, Thita couldn't help but feel disappointed. After all, despite everything he had done during the previous days, he didn't have nearly enough gold coins.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  ‘What did I even expect, though? I got into this world less than a week ago, and I expect to be able to afford to buy another person? Despite my luck with bonuses from the adventure guild and the quests that I completed, I only managed to save 5 gold coins. That's not nearly enough to even bother requesting a discount.’

  “I am sorry, but I only have 4 gold coins on me. I can't really afford such a price.”

  Hearing his words, the employee looked disappointed for a second before he quickly composed himself.

  “That's not a problem at all! I can show you similar, less expensive slaves that will definitely be to your liking. Just follow me and I..-!”

  Before he could finish speaking, though, he suddenly felt a light pat to his shoulder, and a sudden voice interrupted him.

  “There is no need to force our customer not to buy what he wants just because of a price. Please, allow me to take it from here.”

  Turning around to face the man who spoke, the employee jolted in surprise before suddenly apologizing as if out of instinct.

  “...Oh! Yes, of course! What was I thinking! I am truly sorry for my mistake, master! Please take it from here.”

  The employee quickly said as he hurriedly left the scene.

  Watching the employee leave, the man nodded and turned his head to face Thita.

  “I am extremely sorry for my employee’s lack of professionalism. I would be more than happy to sell you this specific slave that caught your eye for just 4 gold coins. It would be a shame not to meet our customers' expectations and not lower our prices. So what do you think, sir? I am sure you would at least give a moment to think about such an amazing offer!”

  The young-looking yet intimidating man said as he looked directly towards Thita, eagerly waiting for his response. Thita, on the other hand, couldn’t help but be confused by the whole interaction that unfolded right in front of him.

  ‘Well, I don’t know how you achieved it, but you seriously made me want to reconsider my option by all this. Seriously, how could you make such a discount seem more sketchy than the original price? Still, I might regret it later, but I can’t really afford something better with my current wealth. Ah, this better not turn worse than not buying anything.’

  Making up his mind, Thita responded to the person in front of him with a casual yet a bit excited tone.

  “I can’t really decline such an offer, but does the offer include the ritual done after? I am sorry for asking such a question, of course, but I really can’t afford anything more than 4 cold coins.”

  “But of course, no need to apologise. The ritual is also included in the price, and I promise that you won’t need to spend a single coin more through our exchange.” The man hurriedly replied with excitement and a slight disappointment in his tone.

  “So, are there any more questions you would like to ask me about the process or about anything else? Or would you like us to proceed with your purchase?”

  The man asked Thita, waiting for his response.

  Thita, on the other hand, looked towards the cage of the girl he was just about to purchase, and responded to him.

  “I do have a few, but I am sure they can be answered in our way.”

  “Wonderful, just the right way to save some time. I'm happy that we both value our time. So let’s get going, shall we?”

  The man said, and almost immediately, both he and Thita started walking towards their destination, while two other employees went to move the cage with the girl backstage.

  ‘This may be a mistake, but I can’t help but wonder, was the feeling I saw in her eyes hope, or was I mistaken?’