Chapter 41: 20. Slaves (1)

There were at least twenty cages each filled with a desolate-looking creature. Mana restricting chains bound their wrists and legs. Around their necks, dominating chokers hung. Leko scowled at the crude method of keeping the creatures in line. Being made from mana, restricting it was painful, like someone constantly choked them. The bind on their necks kept them obedient by causing constant pain. The more they resisted, the more painful it became.

The number of cages didn't seem like much but considering that slavery, human or otherwise, was illegal, anything significant would be too risky. 

Leko walked up to the first cage he saw. His eyes roamed the room taking note of the different creatures and the state their bodies were in. Leko couldn't possibly place them by visuals alone. They had some type of humanoid figure. Plenty of creatures could fit their description. He was relatively confident that they were all the same race.

No word in his extensive vocabulary could touch on these creatures' beauty. Shabby as they were, their looks still shinned more than any human could ever hope to achieve.

Shaking his head, Leko focused on his task.

The first thing Leko needed to do once he got the creatures out was to inform the Duke. As the current official heir, it was his duty. With this incident happening in the Hosyn territory, the Duke must investigate the viscount and take care of the problem.

Leko sent a silent prayer of apology to the Duke for the paperwork he'd end up with.

Crouched in front of the cage, Leko observed the creature. They had long, dusty pink hair and pointed ears. Their skin was a milky brown, smoother than the most luxurious chocolate. Leko couldn't see the eyes, but he'd be surprised if it wasn't as stunning as the rest of the creature.

The creatures that invaded earth and the monsters and gods didn't know any human languages. It has been a few thousand years since then, and they naturally adapted. He needed to see if they understood him. Even though they could learn the human language, some chose not to. They considered humans inferior and refused to learn the unworthy trash language.

"Hey, can you understand me?"

There was a twenty per cent chance that this creature understood him. Leko dropped it to ten, with the creature not even responding. Leko clicked his tongue and observed the almost lifeless body. 

Leko tapped against the bar of the cage. His eyes stayed on the creature as he contemplated what he should do.

Even if they understood him, they wouldn't respond. Humans put them in these cages. Leko was human. 

He wanted to curse. Leko needed to get the creatures out, and he needed to find the mastermind behind this event. He couldn't allow this to happen on the Hosyn territory without retribution. If it came to light, it would deal a blow to Hosyn's reputation. Leko sighed, his annoyance leaking through.

The blow would be lighter if the Duke took care of it. If they managed to control the information leak, the opinions they didn't want  could be squashed and the ones they did could be spread more. Leko bit his lip. 

He'd need to plan for it.

Leko shifted his attention away from the creatures. Firstly, he needed to get them out of the cages. Unfortunately, he didn't have mana, nor did he have the keys. He also had a time limit. Thankfully it seemed to be a slave ring. He'd have until after the auction to get them out. If it was a fighting ring, he'd lose about half of them before he could do anything. 

Standing up, Leko moved back to the exit. Knowing what exactly was going on was important. Finding the head was also preferred. He'd do this while working on getting keys for the cages.

The next time he decided to wander off, Leko was dragging his servants with him.

Hopefully, the viscount had no relation to the slave ring. It was another issue if he was in on this.

A quick draw breath was all that gave Leko's surprise away as he stepped out of the room. He breathed out, and his lips twitched.

"You shouldn't disappear on us like that, young master," Faier scolded. Her eyes darted behind him. They were tinted with a dark rage.

He hummed as he eyed the group in front of him. His servants and the knights loitered outside the door. Tor and Buni were carrying unconscious men.

"You're here." He kept them all in his line of sight. Folding his arms across his chest, he asked, "Any of you against creatures?" Leko watched their expressions for any sign of disgust or discomfort.

"No, sir." Lio shook his head. His brows furrowed as his eyes shifted between the door and Faier's trembling hands. 

Leko placed a calming hand on Faier's shoulder. he locked eyes with her. The shaking eyes of his maid stared deep into his. Kurio stepped up behind his sister and pressed against her back. His furious face glared into the room. His teeth gnawed at his lips. 

"I want three of you to stay in there and keep them safe," Leko said. He reached up with his other hand and cupped the back of Kurio's head. The butler laid his forehead against his sister's shoulder.

"There are creatures in there," Faier stated. Her voice shook with repressed rage. "I will volunteer to stay behind."

“Faier, Lance, and Lio.” Leko gestured to the door. "Stay here and keep them safe." He turned to the assassin. "Buni, I want you and Tor to find the head. Anyone else you deem important, take them too. Make sure they're alive. I need to have a chat with them." He eyed the knights. Leko resisted the urge to frown. He didn't have much choice. He sure hoped they weren't going to screw him over. "The rest of you-"

"Young master," Faier interrupted him. Leko glanced at her. "Allow me and Kurio to stay with the creatures. We can get them out while you do your work." She met his eyes with determination. Leko breathed out a sigh and nodded. Kurio lifted his head, his eyes alight with just as much determination as his sister.
Leko met their gazes before turning away.

"Fine, Faier and Kurio will get the creatures out of here. Take them to the Inn. Lio will go with you. He seemed to have cosied up to the lady there." Lio scratched his cheek and laughed but nodded. The inn lady's father seemed pretty sympathetic to creatures. Hopefully, he'd be willing to hide a couple until Leko could arrange something better. "That leaves the rest of the knights with me. Our job is simple." Leko grinned at the group. His eyes glint with terrifying excitement.

They were going to blow shit up.

 "We're burning this place down. Anyone who runs out, you kill them. I want no survivors other than those who Buni and Tor are grabbing."
Glee spread through Leko's body. These bastards would learn what happens when they play with others' lives.

"Are you sure?" Lance hesitated. His lips twisted in a grimace. He didn't want to kill. Leko could see that and understood it too. Lance's personality was kind, killing only when necessary. Calen might have been okay with that but to Leko? That was a weakness he wasn't going to accept.

Not in this world where such feelings could result in your life ending.

"Yes, that is an order. If you disobey, then it's your life you'll be losing instead." Leko kept his voice firm. He locked eyes with Lance. Leko's gaze burned into the other man's eyes. The captain glanced away and bowed his head. 

He was lying. Leko wouldn't have Lance killed, the man was needed for the future, but Lance didn't know that.

"Elf, dragon, nymph, jinn, dwarf, orc, satyr, Valkyrie, unicorn, griffin, werewolf. No matter what shape a creature takes, they are just like humans. They have lives and families. They get excited, angry, or hurt, just like us. Right now, there are twenty cages filled with them. Whether they were going to be sold or pitted against each other for other's amusement. I don't know for certain. What I do know is that they're the victims. As a hunter, it's my job to save the victims and kill the monsters. I will not let one of these monsters walk away from tonight alive." Leko stared Lance down. The man had lifted his head during Leko's speech and locked eyes with him again. "If they walk out of here, they'll do it again, and again, and again. They will rip families apart and take life after life with no care. I'd rather have their blood on my hands than the blood of innocent creatures that they'll kill and torture because I let them go," Leko continued.

There was no place in this world for humans like this. He wasn't naïve. He knew there would never be a day when humans like this didn't exist. At the very least, when Leko ran into these types of vermin, he would dispose of them. 

Leko wasn't a hero. He wasn't a saint. Hell, Leko wasn't a good person. He had rules, though, he had mortals, and he'd happily burn anyone who walked over them.

"I understand," Lance said.

"Buni, Tor. Go now. Kurio, Faier, Lio. Good luck. The rest of you, follow me."

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Leko turned on his heel and marched down the hall.

The plan was simple and very stupid. It relied far too much on luck. Leko wasn't satisfied, but there wasn't time to go hunting for information. He'd need to improvise as they go. Leko trusted Faier and Kurio. They wouldn't fail him. The creatures would be safe. The Knights, on the other hand. They weren't loyal to him, nor did he have a good grasp on any of their characters, except for Lance. Leko didn't trust them. Only he needed to rely on them. He wouldn't get to all the places he needed to go quickly. He needed them. 

“Jaika,” Leko called. He kept his voice low. His eyes darted around the hall. Leko kept his ears peeled for any incoming people.

Jaika is here!

"I need to burn this place to the ground," Leko said. His voice was firm with just a hint of askance. 

Due to his terrible charisma, Leko has no access to a merchant. He couldn't leave to get what he needed, either. What he does have is a benevolent god.

Jaika says she knows just the thing!-

A relieved sigh came from Leko. He was glad for Jaika's willingness to help. Leko pretty much accepted that he had the best god in this world. A god being genuinely helpful? Never happened. Not in the world's history, he checked, and not in the novel.

He'd deal with whatever she'd eventually ask for in return for all the help when she decided to bring it up. Until then, the power would be mercilessly abused by him.
Like how the gods could gift abilities, they could gift items. This, of course, relied on how much they were willing to and could afford to spend on the hunter. He had no idea about Jaika's financial situation, but he hoped he could get something decent.

Jaika has gifted Hunter Leko Hosyn

Grade 5 burning seal: 10

Grade 5 bombing seal: 5

Leko froze mid-step. Zerin walked into Leko's back and stumbled. The guard repeatedly bowed while stuttering apologies. Leko ignored him and stared at the notification. Grade 5 seals were the highest grade seals you could get. Each ran for about 100,000 EXP, counting on the type of seal. 

Magical seals were tough to make, so it was expensive. Only the best of hunters with a serious amount of EXP could get their hands on them through merchants. If you were lucky, you might get it through a dungeon or quest, but rarely.

Jaika spent at least 1.5 million EXP on him.

He's been in this world for under four months and only had 1540 EXP. Leko felt poor. His lips twitched. Jaika was his sugar mommy. A snicker slipped from him.

He coughed and turned to the staring knights. Holding the seals in his hands, he hummed. He stared at them with a pleased expression. A smile graced his features. The knights shifted and glanced at each other.

"We're splitting up." There were five of them in total. If Leko allowed them to run off with the seals, he could look around and see if anything important or valuable was stored in the building. It required him to trust them. Leko wanted to huff. His pleased smile slipped from his face. "The five of you. I trust you with this job. You will each take a bombing seal and two burning seals." He took caution while handing the seals to the knights. One of the reasons these things were so expensive was because they didn't need mana to activate. Leko didn't want to lose a hand. "Put a bombing seal on each of the four sides of the building and one close to the centre. Spread the burning seals through the house. Do not get caught." 

He didn't know how long they had before people went looking for the creatures. 

"Jaika, can you tell me what the people in cloaks are doing?"

Jaika says that they are drinking in a room. Jaika heard that the auction starts in thirty minutes.

His lips twitched. He loved his god. Leko glanced back to the knights.

"Twenty minutes. I want all of you outside by the entrance gate in twenty minutes."

The knights nodded. Some looked hesitant, while others, Tirik and Ran, looked excited.

Jaika has sent a party quest to Hunters Lance, Tirik, Ran, and Zerin.

Party quest.

Plant one bombing seal and two burning seals across the house used by slavers.

Meet up by the entrance gate when you are done.

Clear time: 20 minutes.

Rewards: 1000 EXP, a five-star seal of choice.

Failure: Death.

Leko grinned at the notification. The quest wasn't for him, but Jaika allowed him to see it. His pleased eyes stared the knight down.

Hunter Tirik has accepted the quest.

He watched the scowling woman march away. Leko hid his satisfaction. This way, he wouldn't have to worry about them not doing the job.

Hunter Ran has accepted the quest.

Hunter Zerin has accepted the quest.

Hunter Venas has accepted the quest.

Hunter Lance has accepted the quest.

His stiff shoulders sagged a little as the knights dispersed. The worry he had disappeared with them. The quest was a blessing. He didn't need to fear them walking out and not doing what he needed them to do.

"Jaika, I think you're the best god out there."

Jaika agrees and is very pleased with her hunter's words

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