Danmaku, my skills refresh weekly.

"Furthermore, Palum's identity makes it easier to visit the 'Hero.'"

It turned out to be the case.

Ai Lin's age and slender build were almost identical to Palum's, and her eyes revealed a cunning similar to that of the dwarves.

Charles nodded slightly, then asked:

What goods are you referring to?

"These are 'goods' delivered by slave traders from outside the city," Ai Lin said, bowing his head. "The Pleasure Street is leaderless. Lord Jaluo is busy experimenting with something in the dungeon and has no time to manage it. The other lords don't want them either. So, I took the liberty of coming to you, sir..."

Charles narrowed his eyes. These Palu were born slaves, and seeing people who had the same fate as him, he couldn't bear it.

No... he just didn't understand his own position.

Those women became loyal because they feared becoming reproductive tools for the descendants of Daedalus and were trained by Alfia.

But Ai Lin is a man, and the consequences of becoming a slave might not be as bad as he imagines. In a slightly perverse sense, he might even find it enjoyable.

It was precisely for this reason that Xia Er left Ai Lin with his elder brother to act as a messenger. Unexpectedly, after only ten days, this guy dared to act on his own.

Hmm, maybe I'm being a bit too sensitive... They just sent me some relatively unimportant information, and maybe it was also meant to guide me to rescue people, but not much.

With that in mind, Charles decided to test the waters...

“Number 20… you’ve crossed the line.”

Upon hearing this, Ai Lin's face turned pale instantly.

"I'm sorry... sir!"

"You should understand that I saved you simply because you were lucky."

Ai Lin knelt on one knee and bowed her head: "It was my presumption, Lord Ciel."

"Reckless? I don't think so. The reason I chose you was precisely because you're quick-witted. Someone as intelligent as you should know what kind of information to give me."

Charles fiddled with his fingers, pondered for a moment, and said, "I don't dislike ambitious subordinates. As long as you're willing to be loyal to me, I can grant you some small wishes. Tell me, what is your goal? Freedom? Money? Or power?"

Human desires are endless, and Charles admires ambitious people.

But if he's not satisfied with his current status after only 15 days and is eager to provoke Ciel, there must be a deeper reason behind it.

Ai Lin's knees slammed to the ground, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. He gritted his teeth and simply stated frankly:

"As expected of Lord Charles, nothing can be hidden from you. I... I saw my sister in that shipment. I want to save her!"

Charles's furrowed brows relaxed: "If you only want a slave, it shouldn't be difficult for you to protect him in my name."

Ai Lin said in a panic, "How dare I disobey you! We are your most loyal Palu, and we carry out your will."

Ciel was stunned. He seemed to have forgotten the authority of the gods in the DanMachi world, and that any child who rebelled against the gods would lose everything.

Although Ai Lin tried to guide his thinking to achieve his goal, fortunately he didn't overstep his bounds or use his name to swindle and deceive.

"Alright, get up. From now on, just tell me directly about these things, don't try to be clever."

Charles thought the fox he was waiting for had arrived, but it turned out to be a feint.

According to his memory, Haruhime was expelled from the family when she was 11 years old. Now she is probably only 9 or 10 years old, and normally it would be more than a year before she was expelled from the family. She came to the city and was handed over to Ciel two years before the beginning of the story.

But Ciel couldn't guarantee that his appearance wouldn't have a butterfly effect, which made him a little nervous.

This also annoyed him a bit, as he had been excited for nothing: "Give me a reason to go and save your sister."

"Huh?" Ai Lin looked up at Ciel in surprise.

“You are my subordinate. If you had spoken to me properly, I would have naturally helped you with this simple task. But you are trying to fool me, so you need to give me a reason to save your sister.”

Ciel had a relatively good opinion of Ai Lin. Although she was a bit dishonest, she knew how to maintain a proper balance in her behavior. She had some ulterior motives, but she was only using her position to seek personal gain.

Ai Lin's act of reporting intelligence was not wrong in itself; transmitting information in great detail was simply his job. Whether or not to take action was ultimately Ciel's decision.

Ai Lin lowered her head, sweat dripping onto the floor, racking her brains but unable to come up with a reason.

Loyalty? He was Ciel's property anyway, so that was useless.

Life? Trading my own life for my sister's?

But if my sister knew she would die at the hands of the adults, would she truly take my place and assist them?

He began to regret his actions that day, because seeing his loved ones in distress had made him act too impulsively, and he had done something he shouldn't have...

Charles stared at the boy, whose forehead was pressed against the ground and who was not moving, and slowly moved his feet away.

"If I can't figure it out, then forget it. My time is precious, and I don't have time to waste here."

"Wait, sir. Please, give me a little more time, I... I'll figure it out soon, just a little more..."

"Yes, you can take everything from me, anything."

“Utterly boring.” Charles paused, but did not stop. “You’re being too naive to trade me all my possessions? You might as well lie and say there’s a golden fox woman among the slaves.”

Ai Lin was taken aback: "A fox woman?"

He was overjoyed: "My lord, yes! Among the goods brought by those merchants, there were indeed several fox spirits!"

Charles stopped abruptly and turned around sharply: "You're not lying to me, are you? Do you know the consequences of doing this?"

Ai Lin thought to herself: I didn't know you were interested in this...

Ai Lin hurriedly replied, "We saw it in the hands of a slave-hunting group from a Far Eastern island nation. However, they didn't contact us; instead, they infiltrated the city through their own connections."

Island nation, Far East? Slave-hunting group?

Holy crap! Could there really be a butterfly effect?

"Why didn't you say so earlier?!"

Chapter 279 Stealing my people? You've already chosen your own death!

Southwest of the city.

Ciel and Airin walked through the free market and found a hidden secret black market in the warehouse area at the end of the street.

"Where is the person I want?"

He surveyed the surrounding thugs and ruffians scattered throughout the city, his tone cold.

Before me stood a blond young man with an unconventional hairstyle and strange eyes.

"My lord, those slaves were brought to the city by slave traders from various regions. We don't have enough money to take them all. Even if you're being generous, please consider your own resources."

Ai Lin explained, "Because of the Great Rebellion, rebellions broke out in countries all over the world, and the number of defeated prisoners of war and slaves surged. So some risky merchants sent the surplus slaves to Orario."

"So, this time the number is quite large... close to 1000 people."

Orario itself prohibits human trafficking. In this city of heroes, there are various clans and factions. The culture brought by the gods has suppressed the native slave culture.

But sometimes, the more something is prohibited, the scarcer it becomes, and the higher the profit will be.

The non-mainstream blond-haired man said, "You don't know this, but the demand for prostitutes in Orario is huge. Even if Lady Ishtar falls, the pleasure district won't disappear. Moreover, without the monopolistic leader, all those merchants are eager to take advantage of this highly profitable business and drive up prices."

Charles certainly knew.

In Orario, besides adventurers, selling oneself in the entertainment district is the most lucrative profession.

Like the adventurers, they were caught up in the fierce competition among countless prostitutes until they stood out and made a name for themselves in the city.

Prostitutes like Raul are commonplace in the pleasure quarters. They yearn to bind adventurers from powerful factions in order to gain some kind of power.

Eventually, I'll open my own shop.

In order to expand and increase the attractiveness of their shops and attract more powerful adventurers, those business owners will stop at nothing to improve the quality of their goods and purchase large numbers of people.

The guild pretended not to know about these things.

The desires of these frenzied adventurers, once they have nowhere to go, are directly linked to an increase in crime rates. The existence of the pleasure district is precisely the outlet for the bestial lusts of these frenzied individuals.

The guild, as the governing body, also tacitly approved of the actions of the pleasure district and the black market in order to prevent the pressure on adventurers from shifting to the city, considering the safety of the citizens.

Based on these factors, after Ishtar's downfall, these organizations that were already involved in human trafficking all had the idea of ​​taking her place.

For them, if they can't sell their people, they might as well open a shop on Huanle Street and not have to worry about sales at all.

The blond-haired man picked his nose and said, "Sir, we no longer deal in slaves except for those captured by our own people. At most, we just collect a commission from these merchants. Even if Brother Jaluo comes, it will be the same."

Upon hearing this, Ai Lin anxiously stared at the expressionless Ciel.

Charles, hands in his pockets, didn't even lift his eyelids: "I'm asking, where is he?"

"Damn it, he's just a newbie who got in through connections, what's with all the pretense? I already said..."

"Snapped!"

A loud slap sent the blond-haired man sprawling to the ground, followed by a stomp on his bloodied face and a spit.

"I asked where the person I need is. Why are you rambling on and on, can't you understand human language?"

These nobodys, who weren't even considered cadres, had no idea how Charles had joined the faction.

He tried to struggle, but found his head stuck to the ground, completely immobile.

Ignoring the blond-haired man who was trembling so badly he was about to lose control of his bladder, Ciel turned to Ai Lin and asked, "Do you know where they are?"

Ai Lin nodded happily: "I know, I'll take you there now."

……

Inside a warehouse in the warehouse area.

Countless wailing guards lay on the ground. Charles stood in the center of the warehouse, surveying the surrounding cages.

Ai Lin carried out a 14-year-old blonde girl covered in whip marks and trembling with fear. Her legs went weak, and she knelt before Ciel.

“I…have no way to repay you, sir.”

"Where is the fox woman I wanted?" Charles frowned slightly.

Ai Lin hurriedly said, "This is just a warehouse for some of the merchants; the merchants over there should know the whereabouts of the 'Fox Woman.'"

Charles closed his eyes impatiently.