Chapter 99 Chapter 99: A Different Kind of Noble? part 1
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When Renji returned to Roland, the several cages of demi-human slaves he saw the day before were all empty, except for one that still housed a single occupant. Clearly, this was the goods Roland had prepared for him.
"Mr. Renji, see, I didn't lie to you. She's a purebred, top-notch Catgirl," Roland enthusiastically led Renji to the cage.
Roland was about to further elaborate on Ashe's specific breed, lineage, and domestic skills when Renji, seemingly impatient, raised his hand to interrupt.
Renji then circled the cage, scrutinizing the merchandise. Inside the cage, the cat-girl, like most demi-human slaves, was curled up in a corner, her face buried in her knees, trembling.
Seeing that Renji hadn't spoken for a while, Roland, afraid of Renji changing his mind, hurriedly tapped the cage a few times as a signal to Ashe. The cat-girl inside was forced to lift her face. Though tear-streaked and dirty, it wasn't hard to see she was quite beautiful – typical of female Cat-race, who generally possess features that align well with human aesthetic standards.
Renji paused for a moment when he saw Ashe's face. Not because he was mesmerized, but because he felt a sense of familiarity.
"Mr. Renji? Mr. Renji?" From Roland's perspective, Renji seemed spellbound by Ashe's appearance, so he hurriedly called out a few times, hoping to strike while the iron was hot.
"That's fine, I'll take her. How much?"
"Two hundred thousand Ashen coins. As you know, Mr. Renji, a Cat demi-human is very sought after in the market."
Two hundred thousand for a demi-human slave without combat abilities, even a Cat-girl, was an exorbitant price. Roland and the other members of the revolutionary army hadn't planned to ask for such a high price. Instead, they opted for a strategy to sell her cheaply to ensure that Ashe would definitely be bought by Renji.
However, the reason for the high asking price was actually Ashe's idea. She had set the price herself, hoping to gather funds for the revolutionary army in an emergency. Due to imposters committing crimes under their name, donations to their cause had dwindled. With financial shortcomings everywhere, the two hundred thousand would alleviate immediate pressures and provide more substantial preparation for future actions.
Roland expected to have to persuade Renji to accept this price, and Ashe in the cage was prepared to play her part in enticing Renji to spend the money. Yet, before they could even start, Renji's indifferent voice rang out.
"Two hundred thousand is too little. Make it five hundred thousand. Do you want cash or a transfer?"
'What?'
Roland, who had rehearsed his sales pitch, was left speechless. In all his years of doing business, he had never encountered someone like Renji, who haggled in reverse, and more than doubling the price at that. He was momentarily at a loss for words, standing there dumbfounded.
Compared to Roland, Ashe in the cage was even more surprised. She was stunned hardly. For the revolutionary army, who would split a coin in half to spend it, Ashe thought her bold proposal of two hundred thousand was already a stretch, a small act of defiance on her part. And now... five hundred thousand?
With this amount, not only could the revolutionary army update their worn-out weapons and gear, but the extra funds would also make it easier for Leng and the others to gather intelligence. The children could even stop going hungry from tonight on.
"C-cash…" stammered Roland, still not fully recovered from the shock.
Renji didn't waste any words. He gestured to Eileen behind him. They had already exchanged a substantial amount of cash checks at the Black Gold Bank the previous night. Writing five hundred thousand on one of the checks meant that whoever held it could exchange it for five hundred thousand Ashen coins.
Previously, when Brian gave Renji a "newcomer's gift pack" in the Holy Kingdom, it was done through an account at the Black Gold Bank. With the Sin City backing its credibility, the Black Gold Bank was known for its absolute security, privacy, and neutrality, making it popular among various countries and organizations. It was considered the world's leading bank.
Holding the check for five hundred thousand in his hand, Roland still felt like he was dreaming until Renji urged him. He then snapped out of his daze, hurriedly opened the cage, and "delivered" Ashe to Renji.
The rest of the process went smoothly. For instance, Roland explained to Renji that he couldn't immediately establish a slave contract between Renji and Ashe, as Ashe had recently changed owners and needed to wait a week before a new contract could be established. This was common in slave trading. Roland gave Renji a contract pendant, which could temporarily control Ashe until the new contract was in place after a week.
These measures were actually to cover up the fact that their slave contracts were fake. Both Roland and Ashe were extremely cautious and nervous in every step with Renji, but they were overthinking it. Even when Roland prepared to let Renji test the slave contract as a part of the inspection, Renji simply waved it off and skipped it.
The entire process probably took less than ten minutes, with the only unexpected incident being...
"Mr. Roland, are you... still a follower of the Church?" Renji pointed out a cross pendant accidentally exposed at Roland's neckline.
"No, no, I'm just curious. I've only recently come across it and found it interesting."
Roland quickly adjusted his neckline to hide the cross again. In the Dragon Nation a few days ago, this would have been unremarkable, but now, with the Empress at war with the Holy Kingdom, showing such an item could lead to trouble.
Fortunately for Roland, He was relieved that Renji didn't pursue the topic further. After this brief interlude, the slave handover was completed.
Standing at the entrance of his shop, Roland watched Ashe, who was taken away by Renji, growing more and more distant. His eyes reflected nothing but worry.
The other hidden demi-humans emerged, and Nozomi, the Fox Lady and the 'big sister' of the group, spoke up.
"Now isn't the time for sentimentality; we need to prepare for our operation and strive to bring Ashe back as soon as possible"
Roland: "Right, we must trust Ashe!"
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