Aoleimaris, the City of Commerce.
It is governed by seven major families, and seven terrifyingly powerful patriarchs form its council.
Tomorrow's auction will be very lively. It's a joint auction held by the seven major families, happening only once a year.
Many nobles and wealthy merchants have been drawn here. It's said that a rare treasure will be unveiled...
Of course, it's not the “kiss of rebirth,” which is worth ten cities; compared to that, it's just an appetizer.
The true treasure has not yet been announced...
Meanwhile, in a cage near the dock, a huge, transparent, and dazzling crystal was bound by chains.
Inside the crystal, a young girl was sealed...
Mil strolled alone by the sea, enjoying the evening breeze;
Looking at the “fake” kiss of rebirth in his hand, a smile he couldn't suppress spread across his lips.
It clearly bore traces of chaotic erosion, as well as magical spell formations he couldn't yet decipher, but none of this affected its use.
Alice was chatting with Viktor, the representative, about the chamber of commerce;
And those Pope Knights were all lost in the revelry of the night...
Mil wasn't with them, mainly because those sensually dressed, curvaceous ladies didn't catch his eye. Mil was a clean freak, and his standards were very high;
It couldn't be said he was experienced, as the most intense thing Mil had ever experienced in bed was just a calf cramp.
He mainly felt that the first experience of a noble Demon God's Child shouldn't be given to fallen women; it wouldn't be dignified to speak of...
Viktor had arranged for his family's people to keep watch nearby. Those in the distance with shark tattoos on their arms were all from the Sharkfin-Umbra Family.
The damp sea breeze carried a hint of coolness. The myriad stars in the sky formed a long, white-purple river;
The waves repeatedly washed the beach, accompanied by the clanking of ships, making it seem exceptionally peaceful.
Suddenly, a bright, sharp dog bark came from afar:
“Woof—! Roar...”
“Catch her! You go that way!”
The shouts of several burly men caught Mil’s attention. Following his gaze...
A blonde girl was barefoot, wearing a gray linen cloth, with shackles still on her feet.
The hounds were swift, and at a corner not far in front of Mil, one bit the girl's leg.
Five burly men rushed towards the girl, pinning her firmly to the ground and binding her hands with hemp rope.
Even from a distance, Mil could clearly see the girl's long, pointed ears...
Smuggling, slaves, elves?
His favorite episode.
A mischievous smile played on Mil’s lips as he stepped forward and shouted, “Stop.”
“Who are you? Mind your own business!”
The bald man turned back, cursing, and four thugs menacingly blocked the way.
Mil saw the handkerchiefs tied to their arms and immediately recognized them as the most notorious financial family on the entire Atla Continent—
The Sea Serpent-Lozoren.
So, Mil unhurriedly pulled out a family crest pendant and said,
“I am Mil, Cardinal Deacon from the Holy City, Assistant of the Tribunal, and Holy Maiden’s Attendant, from the Lyata Family.”
At the same time, the family members arranged by Viktor, the representative, also rushed over.
“Stop! This is our family’s distinguished guest, Mil from the Holy City! You guys, show some discernment!”
Seeing this, the other party spat, shook his head, and said,
“Damn it, let’s go! Sons of bitches...”
With that, the burly men picked up the Elf Clan girl and prepared to leave.
The feeling of being ignored was not very comfortable. Mil frowned, a fierce glint appearing in his eyes, and his clerical robe fluttered without wind;
He raised his hand, like a conductor of an orchestra, gently waving it. Each movement produced a cracking sound of air being torn—
“Crackle—!”
The heads of the five burly men rolled to the ground, blood spraying several meters high before falling like raindrops.
Mil, however, unfurled a wind screen, remaining spotless.
Then, like the priests who prayed every morning, he clutched the pendant, made the sign of the holy mark, and chanted,
“May the Lord God forgive you.”
The few family members behind him, though not unaccustomed to bloodshed, still felt their legs weaken at the sight:
“Mil... Is this really appropriate? Their family will come looking for trouble!”
“Oh? Selling Elf Clan slaves is explicitly forbidden by the church, and these heretics just openly insulted the great Lord God, saying he had sons without anuses? I have an obligation to judge them.”
“Woof—! Woah... Roar—!”
The hound growled, then leaped, lunging at Mil, but its gaping maw met a wind blade head-on and was sliced in half...
Five men and one dog, left dead in the street.
Everyone exchanged glances, speechless for a moment. Mil sneered disdainfully:
“Oh, by the way, I am the Holy Maiden’s brother, and the Duke of Paradiso’s son-in-law. Which family’s six dogs are so blind?”
Saying this, he walked towards the Elf Clan girl in front, helped her up, and then said with a smile,
“Don’t be afraid, child, I will save you all. Take me to find your other kin... Okay?”
The pure and flawless Elf Clan are the best food for high-ranking demons; normally they might be hard to catch, but if someone helps, it's naturally a good thing.
However, Mil didn't need a middleman...
Seeing that Mil was from the church, the Elf Clan girl's eyes suddenly lit up, and she nodded firmly.
A moment later, the Elf Clan girl led Mil to where the others were being held.
The location was right by the harbor...
Sailors busy unloading, those who made mistakes were hung from the bow, the crack of whips echoing through the harbor.
This was Aoleimaris’s largest slave trading post, publicly advertised as a talent market.
The representatives of both families, hearing the news, arrived with their people...
Viktor, on the surface, was trying to calm the other party's emotions, but in reality, his words subtly and intentionally stirred up conflict.
And the other party's representative came with an aggressive stance:
“Mil! Hello, I am Caro Lucent, the representative of the Lorenzo Vitraro Family.”
Caro was dressed in a suit, wearing a gold-rimmed monocle, looking like a gentleman;
He held his head up arrogantly, his eyes full of disdain, putting on an unapproachable demeanor:
“The matter... I've roughly heard about it, Mil. My subordinates are rough men, and their words were indeed a bit harsh, but you executed them directly without trial? I’d like to ask, who gave you that right?”
“Why don’t you listen to what you’re saying? Those disrespectful wretches insulted the Lord God right in front of me; everyone heard it!”
However, Caro scoffed disdainfully as if he had heard something childish:
“Mil, I must remind you, this is Aoleimaris! Not the Holy City! If you kill our people and don’t provide an explanation, there’s no way we’ll let you leave just like that!”
“What? You want to detain me? So, your family is confident enough to contend with the Holy Flame Knights of the Duchy and the Holy Knights of the Theocracy?”
Mil’s expression was calm, showing no fear, but Caro let out a burst of arrogant laughter:
“Hahaha! Theocracy? Duchy? Mil, you are still too young. Do you know how much money the Pope owes us? Do you know how much property we own in the Duchy?”
Mil, of course, knew these things. It was precisely because of this that this family could act so rampantly.
It was truly too foolish...
The last organization that was wiped out due to too many debts was called the Knights Templar.
“Alright! Go ahead and try it?”
Viktor, the family representative who had received Mil, then stepped forward and said,
“Calm down, Mil is after all an honored guest invited by our family. This matter can be discussed further, but the people... cannot just be handed over to you.”
“No, what if you secretly let them escape?”
Caro’s attitude was firm. He clapped his hands, and the people of the Sea Serpent-Lozoren Family immediately surrounded them;
On the other side, the people of the Sharkfin-Umbra Family also refused to yield, and both sides were at loggerheads.