1 Prologue
by: Allenyday0
"Blargh!!"
He cries out after receiving a straight punch directly to his stomach.
"So, Arch Lodam, did you decide to tell us already where's the ring?"
"He-he, I told you I don't know anything about it."
Despite being beaten up countless times, Arch Lodam still has an arrogant smirk in his face. While breathing heavily.
"This bastard is really irritating!"
The one who said that is one of the 3 fellows standing in front of Arch Lodam, while there's an annoyance displayed in his face while holding the torch in his left hand.
They interrogating Arch Lodam in an underground cellar full of spider webs and smell like shit and blood, the door can easily grind down, it's so dark in the room so using a torch or magic is the only thing you can use to see in this dark room. Arch Lodam who's seating in a beat-up chair while his hand and legs are tied tightly while there's blood dripping from his head and mouth. His being beaten up badly. The one who beat him up, they didn't look like a bandit or a thief, they are-- adventurers.
"Can I kill him now? He said he didn't know where it is."
The most violent looking one said that, while his long sword resting in his shoulder ready to kill someone in one swing.
"Calm down, If we kill him they not going to give us the reward without the ring! We still need him."
The one who is standing in the center who looks like the leader of this fellows, said that in a scary tone, making you think that 'If you still don't tell us then we just have to interrogate you more'. He doesn't look strong, he's not holding any weapons, just standing there while his muscular arms crossed in his chest while looking down on the man in front of him seating in the chair like a piece of trash. The chest chain armor looks cheap, honestly, the guy beside him looks stronger, but they not gonna choose him as the leader without any reasons.
"Hey, hey, give me a break how many times do I have to tell you, I don't know anything about it!" Arch said. Trying to convince them.
"Who would believe that the one they called 'Greatest Thief' said he didn't steal it? Pfft, HA-HA-HA-HA-HA. Nice joke bastard, but you can't use your tricks here. Too bad~" The leader said with an evil smirk on his face.
"Tch, wait--"
Before he can even speak he sees a flying fist with a speed of normal people can't even do, straight to his own face.
§
Fukaye City. It's one of the cities occupied by the Owrageaviel Kingdom possessed by one of the greatest kings, Markinswell De Charmant.
Today is a sunny day when you look up in the sky you can't even see a single cloud appearing, the only thing you can see in view is the blue sky and the sun, that even you just take a glimpse in a second, you can feel your eyes burning in an instant.
Just another normal day, vendors selling food or cheap weapon accessories, peoples walking around what to buy. This is their life every day, not even an uneasiness show in their faces because they know as long they stay here in this kingdom they're safe in any wars or country affairs... At least for humans.
When you look at this kingdom, it's almost perfect. Happy people's living their lives in fullest, cleanliness, a safe place protected by countless of adventurers, and exact money to earn every day to avoid an unfortunate life—. The only thing dirty in this kingdom is the way they treat demihumans, as they treated them like 'slaves'.
Demi-humans former called Warbeast. Demihuman is a variation of the human race with some bestial features. Their growth can be sped up through gained experience. If two different species of Demi-Human have kids, it will be a mixed breed. It can be a cat, dog, raccoon, bird, lizard, and a lot more. Their names said all about their appearances, a cat, a human shape with cat ears and cat tails, that simple. Of course, not all of them apply the same method in appearance. It can be a full-body lizard, standing like a human and talk like a human. Demi-humans are physically stronger compared to humans, of course, that depends on the type of demi-human. For example, the elf's who live in the forest is more accurate at hunting than humans.
Depending on the specific type of species how they speak, but since demi-humans get used to living with humans they are able to teach themselves and others in their species how to speak in human language.
In the past, humans, and demihumans use to cooperate with each other, but now demihumans are treated as slaves. Slave a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them. Slaves can be used in different ways, like letting your own sexual desires to them. So basically in a simple way to explain it. They just toys that can be easily thrown out if it's no use anymore.
300 years ago, Warbeast, also known as demi-humans in this era. The warbeast suddenly attacks a human city and slaughter them all without leaving anyone alive. Past rulers can't ignore this that's why a war started between humans and warbeast.
Of course, demihumans in this era is not related to those wars that happen 300 years ago. But humans are still wary of them, that's why they decided to make the demihumans who lives in this kingdom, became a slave and sell them at a fair price. So if demi-humans can get out in this kingdom, they are now free. But that dream is almost impossible since there are countless adventurers wandering around this place and guarded by a bunch of high ranking guards, seeing a slave escaping is normal for guards to arrest them. There are some demi-humans who try this gamble of life or death but end up getting killed mercilessly, so men, women, and children have no choice but to follow them like a pet, there are some guys who still don't approve of them being a slave, so you know what happened to them. But the escaping possibilities is not impossible, only almost but not entirely.
§
A carriage wandering around the city every morning, and the passengers of that carriage is demihumans. The people who own this carriage is called 'Slave Traders'. They buy a slave in another slave trader and sell it to other people with a slight increase in price compared to the original payment. Depending on the slave condition.
While the demihumans are seating in the carriage, fit 10 people, they all being chained up tightly in the neck, legs, and arms to make sure they can't escape. Most of them are kids and adult women, mostly you see here is always a cat or dog demihumans, since they're the most easiest prey to capture. They all look like they going to die In starvation or dehydration because of how they look, wandering until the afternoon on this hot day without water or protection to cover their head.
The carriage stop. The slave trader and a muscular looking man with a sword in his hips, talking to each other. He looks like an adventurer. After minutes past of talking in the middle of the street. They both extend their hands at each other and handshake. It looks like they made a deal with each other.
After that, the adventurer pointed at the carriage with an evil smirk on his face. The slave trader looks at where the adventurer is pointing his finger on and sees a cat girl demihuman who looks like a teenager, hugging the demihuman kids tightly in her arms. It makes sense since she's the most older looking in this group of demihumans in the carriage. After seeing the two guys look at them, she hugs the kids more tightly trying her best to protect them.
"I'll choose her." The adventurer said, while still pointing his finger directly to the catgirl demihuman.
Despite being the older one of the group, she's still a teenager at the age of 17 or 18. The most suitable look to release your sexual desires. The girl has a scary look in her face despite having a beautiful face, making you think that she's cursing the two of them inside her own mind.
"Oh, what scary look." Adventurer said, with a smirk on his face.
"She's 100 silver coins, she's in good condition after all. Are you sure?" The slave trader asks.
"Don't worry about it, I'll pay you the full price." Adventurer said.
"Hmmm, okay, okay." The slave trader said.
The slave trader lifted his self up above the carriage and walk over to the demihumans, hugging together because they're terrified.
"Don't worry, big sister is here nothing bad will happen." The catgirl said, trying to calm the kids while caressing their heads like a real big sister.
"Enough of drama! Someone buys you. Just go already." The slave trader said.
"I'm not going!" The catgirl said using her loudest voice she can let out, while still hugging the kids.
"Ho? I guess I have to be forceful to you to obey me, huh." The slave trader said, extending his hands close to the catgirl. And then-- *Pull*.
"Ahhh! Ahhh!--- L-Let go of my hair! Ahhh!" The catgirl yells in pain because of the slave trader forcefully pulling her hair outside the carriage.
"Hey, hey, don't be so rough old man, if she gets injured I can't have my fun tonight, heh, heh." The adventurer said with his usual evil smirk while watching the demihuman cry in pain.
"Nee-san! Nee-san! Please stop hurting nee-san!" The demihuman kids trying their best to stop the slave trader from pulling the hair of their big sister, while tears flowing in their cheeks.
"Shut up! You trash! *Slap*" The slave trader slapped one of the demi-human kids, with a strong force using his big hand.
The demihuman kid got knocked down after that slap. The other kids back off, scared.
"You bastard!! I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you!" The catgirl let out a yell of wrath, while tears are flowing in her eyes unstoppably.
The people around them show no sympathy, stabbing the demihumans with their cold gazes. They all feel the same way about demihumans.
"Hmph, what a shameful way to show their true colors."
People murmur at each other. Looking at them like an insect.
After seeing this scene of people unwilling to help them, the catgirl loses all her energy and helplessly cry for help.
"I'm g-oing to ki--ill y-you"
"Finally, you calm down" The slave trader continues to pull her hair towards the adventurer.
While the catgirl losing her consciousness slowly. Still, the tears didn't stop flowing from her eyes thinking what's going to happen next if that adventurer owned her.
Why are we treated like this? We haven't done anything wrong. Mom. Dad, please help us... Someone, please help us!
The tears flow from her eyes begging for someone to save them.
The slave trader ready to toss her to the adventurer while holding tightly in her hair.
But before that happens-- a countless of silver coins rain from the sky. The people notice this and start grabbing the coins that fall in the ground. The catgirl is able to bring back her consciousness, because of the metallic sounds that silver coins give in her ears.
"W-What is this?!" The slave trader can't stop his desire for money, when he sees unlimited money raining from the sky, he finally let go of catgirls' hair and join the people who're grabbing the coins too.
After letting her go, the catgirl crawled close to the kids and hug them. She repeated saying "I'm sorry." to the kids, while tightly hugging each other, crying.
"Thank you for gathering people!"
An unknown voice came from above them.
While some people look up and the others just focus on grabbing coins.
They see a man figure standing in the roof house wearing a red robe with a few shattered parts, and a long leather pants. And an arrogant smirk displayed in his face. But the most attention stealer is his shining gold eyes the same color as the most valuable type of coin: Gold.
He bows deeply like a gentleman. While wearing an arrogant smirk in his face. He looked at the demihumans direction and said:
"I will buy them, slave trader-kun" He said it with full of confidence, still wearing his arrogant smirk.
There's no mistake... he is the one they called the 'Greatest Thief'.
TO BE CONTINUE
