Chapter 42

First Update of the Day

In the capital city, the sun shone directly from above at noon.

To obtain an unconditional slave for shopkeeping, I, Lillisha, and Edgar ventured into the upscale residential area on the north side of town.

There were few people around, but the wide roads allowed the sunlight to fall pleasantly.

After walking for a while, Edgar pointed to a mansion.

A grand residence with a large gate and expansive garden.

It was a three-story building with white walls, and decorations adorned the roof and pillars.

"That's it. The venue is Sir Thomson's mansion."

"I've seen him at the castle before; he must be a high-ranking official in the country."

"There are also rumors that he might be the next minister."

Edgar's information made Lillisha nod vigorously.

"It's no wonder the slave trader couldn't find any wrongdoing... He must have been covering up all sorts of unfavorable things."

"Alright, Edgar. Follow the plan."

"Understood."

Edgar left without making a sound.

As he turned the corner and disappeared, it felt as if he had never existed.

It was almost as if the time spent with him had been a dream.

--- Edgar must have already activated his special technique.

By the way, we had already discussed the plan on the way here.

Following the plan, Lillisha and I approached Thomson's mansion boldly from the front.

A guard at the gate-like entrance glared at us suspiciously.

"What do you want, you two?"

"We were invited as guests to the viewing party—Lillisha."

"Yes, Master."

Lillisha extended her right hand and rolled up her sleeve to reveal the complex slave mark on her white skin.

The guard's expression was stern, but he nodded.

"Next time, come by carriage. It's more discreet."

"Alright, got it. If there is a next time."

The gate-like entrance opened, and Lillisha and I entered.

We walked through the well-maintained garden, which had a fountain in the center.

I glanced over my shoulder.

The guard was closing the gate.

However, despite being made of iron, it made no sound.

Upon closer inspection, there were two gates.

The guard had used the illusory gate to close the real one.

We continued through the garden to the front of the mansion.

I knocked on the door: twice, then three times, and finally once.

The door opened.

A man in a butler's outfit stood there, wearing a black hood with holes for the eyes.

He held the same hood in his hand.

"Welcome. Do you have a hood?"

"I forgot it."

"I see. Please use this one."

He handed me a black hood, which I put on.

We were then led into a large hall.

The room was spacious enough to hold hundreds of people, with a high ceiling and a chandelier hanging from it.

The party was a standing reception, and the tables, covered in white tablecloths, were lined with various drinks and foods.

All the people in the room, both men and women, wore black hoods.

They were all looking at the center of the room.

There, an elf girl named Tety was tied to a platform, spread-eagled.

She was being whipped and pierced with needles, and her white skin was marred with cruel marks.

One of her long ears, a symbol of elves, was half torn off.

"Stop... It hurts... Please, stop...!"

The frail girl twisted her body, her unfocused eyes pleading.

Her eyes were probably already blind. Her once straight nose was now...

Her young and beautiful face was in a terrible state.

But no one stopped.

They laughed sadistically and sipped their drinks.

I glanced at Lillisha.

She winced in pain and nodded slightly before scanning the participants with her monocle.

Then she leaned close to my ear and whispered the names of the participants.

After hearing the names, I took Lillisha to one of the named individuals, Sir Thomson.

He was a fat man with a large belly.

"Excuse me, are you in charge here?"

"Hmm? Have we met before?"

"Well, we look similar... Anyway, I'm a bit late. Can I exchange my slave for a new show?"

The middle-aged man in the black hood examined Lillisha from head to toe.

"Hehe, she seems to scream quite well... Very well."

Sir Thomson clapped his hands.

Then, a different door opened, and a group of teenagers and young adults, ranging from their teens to their twenties, filed in.

They were dressed in thin clothes that revealed their naked bodies and had handcuffs on their hands.

However, they all lacked vitality, with fearful or resigned expressions.

I removed my hood and drew my sword.

"Alright, everyone, stay where you are. This is a crime of slave abuse—Lillisha, Tety."

"Understood!"

Lillisha ran and swung her flail.

The chain moved like a snake, knocking the whip out of the man's hand.

It then wrapped around his neck and pulled him backward.

A dull thud sounded, and he stopped moving.

Lillisha rushed to Tety, freed her bound hands and feet, and cast a spell.

"Full recovery—what, the magic!?"

Her palm did not glow, and Lillisha's eyes widened in surprise.

Sir Thomson chuckled.

"Did you think you could use magic here?"

"I don't know what kind of setup you have, but I just need to make it work."

"What?"

I held my sword with both hands and poured all my magic power into it.

"Haahaaa—!"

The mansion shook in response to my voice, and the chandelier swayed.

Rumble... Crack—!

The sound of something exploding and cracking came from a distance.

A magic barrier would break if it received more power than it could handle.

I had experienced this in past adventures when I used my full holy wave power.

Sir Thomson looked around in shock.

"What is this!?"

"Lillisha, use magic."

"Understood—Full recovery!"

Lillisha's hand glowed, and Tety was healed.

"It worked! As expected, Master—"

---

But the next moment, the floor gave way.

"Whoa!"

I was surprised, but so were the others.

"Ah!" "Kyaaa!" "Help!"

With the floor, everyone screamed as they fell into the underground.

Thank you for reading!

Since it became very long, I will split it.

The next part will be updated in the evening.

→ 43. The Real Reason There Was No Evidence