‘Lloyd’, who was the reincarnation of Lee Han, was a special child.
According to the maid Bella, Lloyd had been perceptive from a young age, learning to speak and walk faster than others.
While other children played in the dirt, he read books. When they doodled, he drew magic circles.
Whenever he focused on something, he became so absorbed that he would sometimes stay up all night.
When he learned mana sensitivity and levitated small objects, even his parents doubted whether Lloyd was a warlock.
There were high expectations for this genius.
Those expectations shattered over time.
His acute senses brought him neurosis. He reacted sharply to every noise at night, and his concentration disrupted his sleep.
As he grew more emaciated day by day, his body and mind couldn’t withstand the mana sensitivity. He collapsed while walking and lost consciousness.
The Arenberg family had no money and couldn’t afford to hire a doctor consistently. Doctors often left without diagnosing a specific illness. Even his parents gave up on Lloyd.
It was Bella, the maid, who took care of Lloyd.
Though she was only three years older than Lloyd, the young master she had looked after since childhood was like a younger brother to her.
There was surely some sense of repayment for the fact that Lady Arenberg had taken in orphaned Bella.
When Lloyd woke up. To be precise, when Lee Han, who had possessed Lloyd’s body, woke up.
Bella held him and cried for a long time.
— Clatter!
The carriage shook roughly.
Lloyd frowned as he felt his back scrape against the wall.
Everything was rough in the carriage carrying those destined to be sl*ves. The floor, the walls, everything. The chains binding his hands were painful.
The rusty iron chains made an unpleasant creaking noise whenever the carriage shook.
But it was better than the conversation he heard before being put in the carriage.
— I-I’m sorry, Lloyd. Truly sorry…
— Think of it as for the family’s sake. I have no face to show you. Still, I’ve asked them to send you to a slightly better place…
He felt no betrayal.
From the moment he possessed this body, Lee Han was disillusioned with humans.
He didn’t grow attached to his parents.
Perhaps that’s why Lloyd was being sold.
Other than the discomfort of being restrained, his mind was surprisingly calm.
And there was one more thing.
Thoughts of Bella, the maid.
She wouldn’t be sold.
She was the family’s only maid, more useful than Lloyd, and besides, Lloyd was expected to be sold at a high price.
Still.
Not having her around made him feel unstable.
The only time he felt at ease was when he was near Bella.
Perhaps the body’s original owner remembered her warmth.
And now she wasn’t there. Probably never again.
— Clap, clap, clap, clap!
The mocking sound of clapping wouldn’t leave his head. The tinnitus swirled incessantly in his mind.
And whenever that happened, he heard a voice.
— ‘Let’s take revenge. Kill them all.’
It always said the same thing. Lloyd bit his lip.
Drip, drip.
Falling drops of blood stained the carriage floor red.
◆
— Swoosh!
A middle-aged man and a boy stepped into the auction house, their feet sinking into the mud churned by the heavy rain.
“Damn. It’s pouring buckets.”
As the man shook off his outer clothes, thick drops of water fell. He smelled of mud, rusty iron, and a faint scent of blood. He roughly shook his hair and clothes and then dragged the boy along.
“Walk, kid. Don’t be so nervous.”
“How can I not be nervous at a sl*ve auction?”
The sl*ve trader chuckled at the boy named Lloyd who responded clearly.
“You look pretty lively for someone who’s nervous.”
“I get cool-headed when I’m nervous.”
“Hahaha. What a kid. Are you on your second life or something?”
The sl*ve trader didn’t notice the boy flinch.
Smacking his lips, he explained as he walked.
“Your status is clearly that of a commoner, not a sl*ve.”
“Then what is this place?”
“A market for auctioning commoners.”
“Isn’t that the same as sl*very?”
“… Well, you have a point. But let’s call it a labor exchange.”
“Labor exchange…?”
“Yes. You could think of it as a public guild interview. Instead, you’ll only have to work for ten years at the place you’re sold to.”
Step, step.
Footsteps echoed on the cold stone passage.
The man glanced at the boy. By now, most would be crying, but the boy remained expressionless. His calmness sent an inexplicable chill down the his spine.
“Kid, why aren’t you crying? Your parents abandoned you.”
“I expected this.”
“What…?”
The boy continued calmly.
“The Arenberg family has always been plagued by debt. Recently, the Empire doubled the taxes on transit, which hit the family hard. If something had to be let go, it makes sense to sell the most valuable thing.”
The sl*ve trader clicked his tongue.
“Hard to believe you’re only eleven.”
“Thank you.”
His speech was fluent.
Though he had sold countless people, he had never encountered a child like this. Moreover, the boy didn’t hide his worth. Usually, those brought here instinctively tried to hide their value.
In response to the question, the boy said.
“If I’m being sold, they should get a good price.”
“Why’s that?”
“Whether I end up in a warehouse or a jewelry box is decided by the price. And a jewelry box is better, isn’t it?”
The sl*ve trader hurriedly rubbed his arms. He had goosebumps. How could an eleven-year-old say such things? No, even most adults wouldn’t dare say this. This child was extraordinary.
From a distance, the noisy auction sounds grew louder.
How much would this child fetch? It certainly wouldn’t be a small amount.
“…Applause.”
Seeing the boy clench his fists before the large door, the sl*ve trader’s lips curled into a smile.
◆
— And now we approach the grand finale of this spectacular auction. Only three boys remain! About this boy…
“The auction is unusually intense today.”
A scout watching from the highest VIP seat of the auction house clicked his tongue.
At the end of his gaze, scouts from the three heroes—Aina, Aria, and Claire—were competitively sweeping up the auction boys.
— “The Harold Trading Company! 5 million Krone!”
— “Our Holy Knights Order bids 6 million!”
The auction atmosphere was heating up.
A woman sitting next to him spoke up.
Her words were casual, yet deep and wise.
“They say the Saint received a revelation.”
“A revelation? A prophecy from God?”
“Yes. In short, it goes like this: ‘Today, in a place where people are bought and sold, the Demon King and the Hero from another world will appear as children.'”
“If it’s the Hero from another world, do you mean Lee Han, the demon? The one who was executed?”
“You know about that too, huh?”
“The execution site was near my hometown. But isn’t this a big deal? The Demon King resurrecting?”
“That’s why they’re acting like this.”
The woman pointed her long finger at the three heroes’ scouts. They were continually raising the stakes.
Tsk. Olivia, a professor at Lichten Academy and temporary scout for the Grey Ducal House, clicked her tongue.
“They’re probably causing a commotion at auctions across the continent. Even so, there are only a few places holding auctions today.”
“… But there must be dozens of children. What will they do with them?”
At the innocent question, Olivia frowned.
“They’ll kill them.”
“What?”
“It’s a prophecy about the Demon King’s resurrection. Do you think they’d let them live?”
“Well… that’s true, but…”
Leaving her bewildered junior, Olivia rested her chin on her hand.
“It’s a pity. Such a child should come to the Academy.”
Her gaze was fixed on a boy with hollow eyes.
◆
The auction progressed quickly.
Before long, Lloyd was dragged to the center of the stage.
The auctioneer, as if narrating a final match, was brimming with excitement.
“Now-! Finally, the highlight of today! The next boy has been evaluated by the Appraisal Guild with an [A+] grade! A rare, top-quality boy! Although he’s young, isn’t it worth raising him?”
“”Ahahaha!””
Lloyd quietly looked around.
Countless people were looking down at him.
Their gazes were unpleasant, as if they were appraising him.
They were the buyers looking to purchase Lloyd.
He would be sold to the person who bid the highest.
All he could hope for was to be sold to a wealthy, comfortable place.
Smirk.
Lloyd found his situation laughable.
In his previous life, he was executed; in this life, he’s a sl*ve.
If he ever made any money, he might need to perform an exorcism.
— Clap, clap, clap, clap!
The sound of applause from the spectators.
Lloyd barely restrained himself from covering his ears.
If he appeared mentally unstable, he wouldn’t sell for a high price.
Humans treat expensive purchases with care.
Value is determined by price.
Lloyd knew how to act like a high-end item.
He held his head high and stood confidently.
He made eye contact with everyone watching him, as if looking down on them.
And as soon as the first bidder appeared, Lloyd frowned at her.
“The Saint’s Guards of the Deus Church bids 1 million… Oh, no! 10 million kroner! The highest ever auction for a boy!”
Saint’s Guard. It referred to the Saint’s personal holy knight order. And that Saint was…
‘It must be Aria.’
Lloyd bit his lip.
Aria, who had now become a Saint.
Even though Lloyd hadn’t sought information about his former companions after his reincarnation, he couldn’t avoid hearing their names.
They were praised as the ‘Three Heroes’ who saved the continent.
Aria, the youngest Saint and the first in a hundred years to rise to such a position within the Church.
Aria had claimed that Lee Han had hypnotized her.
And now she was bidding to buy Lloyd. Of course, it was her subordinate doing the bidding, not Aria herself.
“…”
His stomach churned.
— Wow!
— Clap, clap, clap, clap!
The applause in response to the enormous bid pushed Lloyd further into a corner.
But the next bidder was even worse.
“Flying the flag of the Repenstein Royal Family! The Second Princess Aina has bid 11 million Krone! Glory to the noble bloodline!”
The Second Princess Aina.
The woman who had pointed her sword at Lloyd.
“Oh, it’s heating up! Even the Harold Trading Company is in! They’ve just bid 13 million Krone!”
The Harold Trading Company’s Claire.
The childhood friend who had claimed to be brainwashed by Lloyd in his previous life.
The ‘Three Heroes’ were desperately searching for Lee Han.
