36 Moments Before the Auction
Elaine fell into a deep slumber, feeling a warm current enveloping her entire body, and a faint smile appeared on her chiseled face. This was the first time she had felt warmth in her body after being freed from that ice curse.
As she recalled her history, it was filled with tragedy and a coldness that her bones painfully reminded her of.
"I am free now..." Elaine's crystalline eyes shed tears as she felt the chains in her heart shatter.
...
Elaine, a one hundred and ninety-year-old elf, had traversed a path filled with suffering and pain. From her youth, she and her people had dreamed of exploring the world, traveling to unknown continents, and living unforgettable adventures. However, their dreams were soon tainted by the cruel reality they discovered.
The revelation of the true nature of humans, demons, and other malevolent races changed everything for Elaine. Every day, they faced kidnapping attempts and attacks that turned into an endless nightmare. Trust in humans began to fade, and Elaine and her group decided to isolate themselves, moving north in an attempt to distance themselves from others for a while.
In their search, they stumbled upon an ancient temple, a place that seemed full of promises. But they soon realized that the temple had other plans for them. Without warning, they were separated and thrown in unknown directions, like leaves carried by the wind.
Elaine found herself trapped inside a crystal for over a century. No one came to rescue her, and her heart filled with bitterness as she remained a prisoner in her crystal confinement. Finally, the crystal shattered, setting her free from her imprisonment. But her freedom came at a high price: a curse that would torment her forever, known as the "Frozen Body of the Moon Maiden." This curse froze her body during the nights without killing her, condemning her to a tormented existence.
Could she ever embrace someone at night?
Could she ever have a child?
The answer was no, for her curse grew worse with each passing year. The symptoms intensified, her body grew colder with each passing day, and frost turned into shards of ice that spread from her body at night.
Unable to return to her homeland due to her condition, Elaine took a different path. She turned to commerce and, with effort and perseverance, managed to establish herself as the owner of a respected auction house in the capital of the kingdom of Asura. The objects she had brought from the mysterious cave became treasures that captivated buyers and collectors.
Despite her success in business, Elaine remained obsessed with undoing the curse that haunted her. Over the years, she relentlessly searched for a cure, but could only partially alleviate the symptoms that plagued her. Her icy beauty and frosty aura earned her the nickname "Ice Fairy" among those around her, but few knew of her tragic history and constant struggle.
Elaine continued her life in the capital called Ars, hiding her suffering behind a facade of strength. While her spirit remained resilient, the weight of her curse never left her.
She knew the greed of the nobles, knew of their desire to touch beautiful skins, which is why she always wore different faces. But she didn't mind remaining in the shadows, investigating a way to break the magical chains that encircled her chest.
When she heard about the prince Gilgamesh, the child rumored to have been a genius in both magic and the sword in his childhood, she knew that things in the kingdom were about to change. And when she learned that this boy had come to her auction house interested in auctioning truly beautiful and valuable items, her interest grew, and she wanted to know why this boy wanted so many slaves.
Elaine had been in front of powerful individuals, prestigious mages, and nobles of the highest standards, but none of them bore that impressive look that Gilgamesh had on his face. She knew he wasn't just a child but something different.
When he discovered her curse with a single glance, and those chains held her firmly, she wanted to escape but couldn't. And when that warm energy invaded her body, she felt happiness for the first time and knew those chains were broken.
After over a hundred years of suffering, a prince named Gilgamesh had freed her from that icy prison. Upon awakening, she felt an emptiness in her chest but also a clear image of the one who had liberated her from her torment.
"His name was Gilgamesh..."
...
Gilgamesh's Mansion.
"Listen carefully, Alastor," Gilgamesh directed a penetrating gaze at his follower and said, "You must take care of the young ones for a while, at least in the first few months we must keep a close watch on the situation and how their training progresses."
"First and foremost, no one should touch my people, let alone seek to humiliate them. They all belong to me, and anyone who wants to trample on others must be educated properly. Also, supervise the talent in magic and compare its value to that of the sword. If those students excel in magic and it surpasses their sword skills, you can send them back to my mansion."
Gilgamesh had a plan for the more than three hundred slaves he had acquired from various sources. First and foremost, he needed to educate them, and there was nothing better than training in swordsmanship or learning magic. To make something of themselves in life, they needed to demonstrate their worth; only then could they move forward.
In life, one must put on the same level what they desire and what they excel at, test those two options, and choose the one in which they shine the most, regardless of whether it is to their liking or not. As slaves, whether sold by their families, kidnapped, or deceived, they were all slaves.
There was no middle ground for a slave, so Gilgamesh would give them a chance. It's true that most of them are women and of very good appearance, but he would do his best regardless of their looks and was considerate enough not to let them go for now.
In this world, if you don't have money and can't protect your life, there is no happiness, only tragedy follows. Something else he sought was personal growth as a human being, as war had turned him into a very cruel person.
"I will follow orders to the letter, my lord." Alastor bowed slightly and after discussing a few more things, he withdrew.
"It's much better than I expected. I hope you can live twenty more years." Gilgamesh looked at Alastor's back and focused his gaze on the books on his desk.
As he expected, his useless father had shown no interest in what he was doing or the assassination attempts against him. It's curious but expected since the nobility in this kingdom is as trashy as the demonic beasts.
At the same time, Gilgamesh had discovered his interest in women of other species. Those pointed ears of the elves, they weren't the only ones in this world full of different races.
"This world is exciting," Gilgamesh murmured with an exhilarating smile on his face.
