Slave House (1)

Georgia was a third-year student at the academy and had signed up for a shift to guard the cherry-picking ceremony at the auditorium today.

She had been having a good day until that brat had shown up and made her get fined for "relaxing while on duty".

Trying to be a good up upperclassman, she had helped a new enhancer with his questions. But what was she rewarded with? A big olé' fine.

She couldn't take her hate out on the military, and she sure as heck wasn't going to blame herself, so the only logical option left was the brat who dared to ask questions to a superior.

Georgia was daydreaming about tying him up and flaying him alive when the man appeared right in front of her eyes!

About to fly into a rage, Georgia abruptly stopped her movements, seeing the person whose hand he was holding.

She looked like a small girl on the outside, but Georgia couldn't help but tremble when she recognized the pin on her dress.

"You must be young Miss Emily! We're so glad you could make it. Please allow me to escort you inside."

When she had taken this job, she had been instructed to be on the lookout for the daughter of Duke Vanroth and treat her with the utmost respect.

Letting go of her hand, Ryan whispered something into Emily's ear and walked away.

Georgia thanked her lucky stars she didn't try anything when she saw the brat, although she wondered how someone like him knew the duke's favorite daughter.

===

Ryan left Emily in a very happy mood. He had gained a lot from his talk with Emily and had made great progress in getting close to her.

Ryan knew right away from the looks people were giving them that Emily was someone important.

He memorized the pin she had on, which seemed to signify what house they belonged to.

Marcus had worn one, but his just said Montgomery, while Emile's had a bow with three arrows loaded on the string.

From what he had gathered, Emily would fit into groups 1, 2, and 4. Group 3 was also possible due to her important identity, but the girl was clueless.

1. Helpful with money/items

2. Helpful with power

3. Helpful with information

4. Helpful with loyalty

He was delighted that he had gotten close to a quadruple group maiden on his first day in this new world.

While talking with Emily, he not only found out where the slave house was located but also learned a lot about the differences between cultivators and enhancers in the academy.

For instance, the number of cultivators to enhancers on campus was 1000 to 1. However, a cultivation class would start every year, but an enhancer class only started every 5th year.

The enhancer would have to wait until the next class started after turning 18 to begin their required military service.

But that didn't mean everyone left after five years at the academy.

Many chose to continue in the military, but a majority of cultivators and enhancers chose private companies like the Dawn Pavilion to work for after completing their five years here.

Ryan had been confused as to why the military would even require military service if they were giving free training and just watching people leave. Still, Emily explained that it was because while a majority of people chose to leave, almost 30% of people chose to stay.

That's 30% of the entire population base that can cultivate or is an enhancer.

That 30% would be a lot lower than not if not for the academy. Also, the four great empires had signed a heavenly contract that forbids forcing their citizens to fight for their empire except in times of war, so they couldn't even if they wanted to.

Smiling happily, Ryan made his way to the slave house and entered inside.

Ryan thought this place would stink, and everyone inside would be a creepy old man who lusted after the girls or slaves who looked lifeless, but Ryan saw neither.

When he entered, he smelled the fresh scent of pears wafting in from a table in the lounge area.

This building was also spatially contracted, and the room he entered looked like the entrance to a casino.

Bright red carpets covered the floors, and smiling attendants could be seen walking to-and-fro.

Chandeliers hung down from the ceiling with bright crystals reflecting the light seemingly coming from everywhere.

Ryan couldn't see any lights, but everywhere was somehow bright. He just put it in the "new world magic" category and told himself to worry about it later.

Ryan was about 10 feet away from the front desk when the receptionist put on a big smile and asked, "What a cute face you have! The girls will be dying for you to take them home. You're a new freshie, right?"

Ryan instantly felt she was a good first target for starting his new group three on Ravier. Helpful with information, and maybe group 5 if he got a better look.

"What if I want to take you home?" Ryan asked, formulating a plan in his mind.

The woman's smile widened into an O as her mouth was big enough to fit a fist. Something he might put to the test later...

"Well…" biting her lip, she seemed to be considering Ryan's proposal when a burly man walked over and said, "Mistress Elena wishes to see him."

Surprised, the receptionist turned to Ryan with a quizzical gaze, "She always takes the best ones, doesn't she!"

Ryan wasn't sure who this Mistress Elena was, but from the sound of it, he would soon find out.

Following the brawny man through a door, Ryan felt a subtle force move him and knew he had walked through a spatial door.

Behind the desk sat a lady with a red veil over her face and two girls with white veils covering their own faces standing behind her.

The lady with the red veil wore a very revealing black dress with a pink bra peeking out of her profoundly accentuated bosom area.

Looking at the breasts, Ryan wondered if there was some magic at play as he felt a magnetic force in his eyes guiding them toward the two mounds.

The ladies behind her wore maid uniforms, but the uniforms seemed to be purposely several sizes too big which caused them to look baggy, making their body shape relatively hard to distinguish.

They also wore a bonnet covering their hair, which seemed odd and out of place.

The veils had special magic properties that didn't allow people to view their faces unless consent was given.

Ryan instinctually felt that if he willed it, he could see any of their faces, but he would be discovered in doing so.

Ryan once again recounted his teachings with Aliza,

"Never let your hand be discovered. Whoever has more information gets to decide the rules of the game."

"Never trade a secret for a secret. There is only one of you, but everyone else is your enemy."

"Always remember, silence is only bad if you're the first to break it."

Like a mantra in his mind, he replayed her teachings as he looked at the trio in silence.

The silence lasted upwards of a minute before the presumed Mistress Elena spoke, "I must say I'm surprised."

"It's your first day, and you're already so… popular."

Ryan kept silent while waiting for Mistress Elena to play her hand.

The silence Aliza taught him about did not just apply to the lack of noise, no. It applied to anything that didn't give information.

Mistress Elena sighed after seeing Ryan keep his cool and motioned behind her.

"The reason I called you here is for these two."

Seeing Ryan's placid stare, Mistress Elena twitched her eyelid in frustration and thought, 'Although the rumors say he cheated to get a good score, he's at least got some brains up there. Perhaps he could be useful...'

"As the first place contestant of the class of 415, instead of getting one slave, you get to take home two."

"All you have to do is place your hand on their slave mark, and I will transfer them over to you."

Since coming in here, Ryan had a stoic expression but hearing the words from Mistress Elena, his lips couldn't help but break out into a grin.

"Mistress Elena, I presume?"

Taken aback, Elena slowly nodded. Just what was this man playing at?

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mistress Elena," Ryan said, bowing. "But the first time I meet someone, I usually don't try and swindle them."

"Usually makes for a bad first impression." Lowing his tone, Ryan's smile turned into a frown, and he unconsciously released his battle aura.

In the eyes of the three women, when Ryan unleashed his aura, he turned from a smiling young man to a beast of slaughter.

Mistress Elena's eyes widened, and she instinctively pressed the panic button under the desk.

A moment later, a female guard came through the door with an axe in her hand as she looked around the room for the reason for the alarm.

But the moment the door opened, Ryan's focus shifted, and the aura that Ryan somehow conjured disappeared, leaving both him and the three women baffled at what had just happened.

After the guard didn't see or sense anything amiss, she turned to Mistress Elena, "What's the problem, Mistress?"

Elena hesitatingly looked at Ryan before saying, "Sorry, accidentally pressed it."

The guard looked at Elena, confused as the button required the user to mean to press the alarm, but she didn't sense any lie in Mistress' voice, so bowing, she left the room.

After the guard left, Ryan turned towards Elena and said, "Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't walk out of this room right now and go pick two slaves from the pool of trained ones like I'm authorized to?"

Hearing this, Elena rubbed her forehead and said, "It's not exactly what you think…."

Seeing Ryan turn towards the door, Elena says, "They are trained! It's just…."

As her voice trailed off and she stopped talking, Ryan continued towards the door and was reaching for the handle when he heard a soft and tearful voice cry, "Wait, please!"

Ryan's body jolted, and he stopped.

He remembered a voice like that.

His voice.