An incredibly pale man bowed his head politely to the group in front of him.
“First of all, I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to all you customers who chose to participate in this event despite your busy schedules. I am Rutan, and I will be the host for these proceedings.”
The man, Rutan, bowed once again as polite applause filled the room.
Rutan had long ears, sharp teeth, and above all, his pupils were slitted like a cat. He was wearing a very professional looking tuxedo which went well with his pale skin.
“In addition, I would like to also express my gratitude to the customers who could not be here with us today, but who have always shown interest in our company. Our company will accompany our customers to the day we’re disbanded and we promise to continuously introduce you to even better products.”
A relaxed smile blossomed on Rutan’s lips.
“Let’s cut the greeting short and move on to the explanation of this event. Those who are here are all verified customers, so I will skip the unnecessary introduction. The basic process will be the same as always. If you happen to see a product you like, please tell us your price through the attendants assigned to each row.”
Rutan briefly explained the rules with a calm voice.
Those in the hall all nodded with serious expressions.
“The event will be held over the course of three days, and today’s proceedings will begin in about an hour. Before that, we’ve prepared a small feast with a few special delicacies. So please enjoy it.”
“I heard that there would be humans in this event.”
It was a heavy voice.
It was a purple-skinned man with a very large stomach. He had four eyes, and no nose. There was also green mist which flowed gently around his body.
Rutan chuckled.
“It is as you said. Count Gomes.”
“How many did you prepare?”
“…”
Rutan didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he smiled mysteriously.
Everyone in the hall was paying attention to his mouth at that moment. Nevertheless, he didn’t speak.
Instead, he waited until their concentration had reached the peak and they could barely hold themselves back before letting out a small cough.
“-eleven.”
When Rutan said this, the hall stirred.
Then Rutan shrugged slightly and continued with an amused voice.
“To be precise, there are seven men and four women.”
“I’m curious about the variety.”
“We have yellow, white and black. They are also of various nationalities. American, British, Italian, Chinese, Korean, etc… Of course, they are all under 30 years of age. After all, our company only deals in premium products.”
“Hmm.”
Gomes snorted, this deep, nasal sound showing just how pleased he was.
“I’m confident that there won’t be any flaws with the products since they carry the Chester Company’s brand. We also have a few amazing luxury items on hand, so please anticipate them.”
“Huhu! No one here is foolish enough to doubt your abilities. This event will be among the best the company has ever hosted.”
The one who spoke this time wasn’t Count Gomes, but one of the Company’s VIPs, Duke Sandro.
Rutan chuckled softly at those words.
His words were correct. This event was being held on the largest scale, and was, in a way, a turning point for the Chester Company.
They had dug up the greatest treasures in their warehouse, acquired slaves worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and sent invitations to their VIP customers together with a product list.
And more than 70% of the customers had announced their participation.
‘If things go well, I might even become a noble.’
Rutan smiled brightly from the bottom of his heart.
* * *
It was very cool in the cage. The temperature was always moderate.
This was natural. After all, the products weren’t allowed to get sick.
Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin hugged her shoulders as she felt a bone piercing chill fill her body. Her body shook heavily.
She looked out past the bars of the cage.
There she saw another human with a lowered head and lifeless eyes. Perhaps in their eyes, she was no different.
She knew very well what kind of end those who became slaves had. Because she was one of those who’d chosen to become a hunter and fight against the Demons.
Unfortunately, she’d made two mistakes.
One was that she’d become overconfident in her own strength and left the designated area, and the other was that she hadn’t taken her own life after being captured.
This was the result.
Min Ha-rin stroked the collar around her neck.
It was a shackle. It prevented from harming herself or killing herself.
She didn’t know how such a thing was possible, but in the first place, Demons were already unfathomable beings.
‘Demons.’
Although every single one of them had individual characteristics, there were still commonalities between them.
From the humans’ perspective, they were horrifically strong and incredibly greedy.
It was said that the world had been peaceful just a few decades ago. Min Ha-rin’s father had once told her that if the times were the same, she would have been attending college and enjoying her youth at her age. She would have had to deal with the stress of studying or finding a job. But regardless of that, it would still be better than the present.
Peace had shattered, and the era had come to an end.
Humans faced the unprecedented threat of extinction.
The Hunter Association, which was the only group to remain functional in this chaotic world, had estimated that the population of humans in the world had plummeted to below 1 billion.
Even if the accuracy of the report was uncertain, that estimation should not be far from the truth.
‘Half of them are livestock anyway.’
Demons.
The moment she thought of the root cause for everything, people came into the room.
There were two of them.
One was the tuxedo wearing Rutan, and the other appeared to be a Demon Noble.
“Is this it? The special product you mentioned?”
“Yes, sir. A Demon Hunter. Her name is Min Ha-rin, she’s Korean, age twenty two.”
“The one called the White Flower.”
The nobleman laughed as though satisfied.
Rutan’s expression was a bit strange.
“In the first place, previewing the product before the event is…”
“I know. I apologize for overdoing it. And thank you for complying with my request.”
“Only because Duke Sandro is our company’s VIP. Such treatment is natural. So… do you like it?”
“Why are you still asking when you know the answer?”
“Haha. It really was a foolish question.”
They exchanged smiles.
Then something in the corner caught Sandro’s eyes.
“Hmm… but what’s wrong with that one?”
There was one more cage in the room and there was a person in it.
It was a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes who sat in the corner of his cage with a blank expression.
Rutan’s expression was a bit embarrassed as he answered.
“Ah. That guy…. You don’t have to care about him.”
“Mm?”
“He’s one that I picked up. He was in a daze near this city. He didn’t fight back even when I put the collar on him. He is completely unresponsive. I even tried to torture him or affect his mind, but there is still no response.”
“Are you saying he’s already gone mad?”
If he was already crazy then there would be nothing to enjoy. In addition, the man’s ordinary face and blank expression did nothing to attract Sandro’s attention.
On the other hand, there was Min Ha-rin. Her expression was still lively like a fish that had just been caught. She tried to hide it, but the hostility in her eyes was still clear to him.
Such a slave would be quite delicious to train.
‘…but he found a human around here?’
Sandro paused for a moment.
This area used to be the territory of the European powers, but it had long fallen into their hands.
No sane human would dare to infiltrate it, and even if they did break in with some kind of goal in mind, they wouldn’t be able to get so close to the city.
He had this thought for a while, but there were many cases of slaves who had been abandoned or fled from their masters, so finding a rogue human was not strange.
Sandro shook his head for a moment before turning to look at Min Ha-rin once again.
A smile blossomed on his lip.s
“This one will definitely become mine.”
After saying that, Sandro left the room.
Then someone approached Rutan, who had been left alone. It was another Demon.
“That’s an area I really can’t understand. Sleeping with a human girl.”
The Demon looked at Min Ha-rin with a disgusted expression.
“Even if they have intelligence, they are a race who are no better than livestock…”
“Watch your mouth. It is because of nobles like him that our company is able to survive.”
“…yes.”
The Demon bowed his head with a slightly fearful expression at those words.
“Well. I do admit that it is a unique hobby. But there are many more kinds in this world than we expected.”
Rutan looked at Min Ha-rin before shaking his head.
“Anyway, finish the final inspection before the auction begins. You understand Duke Sandro’s temper, don’t you? It should be submitted in perfect condition without any scars.”
“Understood. But it seems this guy didn’t touch her food today either…”
“So that’s why she’s so thin. Her skin is rough too. Well, it doesn’t matter. That can be covered by proper lighting and directing.”
He muttered under his breath before lifting Min Ha-rin’s chin and inspecting her up and down.
“…instead, Duke Sandro might enjoy this kind of weakness. He’ll find it interesting to improve your condition.”
Rutan left, then the Demon who had been standing beside him entered the iron cage. He stripped Min Ha-rin naked and began inspecting her entire body like a food inspector.
At first, she rebelled against such a humiliating act, but now she knew it was better to just let it happen.
Thump.
After the humiliating inspection was concluded, the cage door was shut tightly once again.
And once again, silence fell.
Min Ha-rin looked at the diluted porridge and water in front of her. The food was provided in a bowl similar to a feed container used for pets.
Gulp. Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t remember when last she’d eaten.
If she kept starving herself like this, she might die.
That was what she thought.
‘They say people can’t last a week without water.’
With that thought, she buried her face in her knees.”
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
Min Ha-rin raised her head at that.
It was obvious who the voice had come from.
It was the blonde man.
Min Ha-rin was shocked.
This was the first time this man opened his mouth since being trapped there. Min Ha-rin had tried to talk to him several times, but he ignored her every time.
That was why she had thought the same thing as Rutan. Believing he had gone mad.
But he clearly wasn’t.
While his expression was still the same, his voice was very clear in comparison.
In any case, she felt like she had to answer.
“This isn’t food. It’s feed.”
“So that’s why you don’t eat.”
The man muttered to himself before looking down at the feed container.
“It’s definitely more like feed than food. It will taste like boiled mud.”
“…”
“But it still has enough nutrients. If you ate it consistently, you would be in much better condition than you are now.”
“Even though I was captured, I still have my pride.”
Min Ha-rin spoke in a soft voice.
The man responded calmly.
“Pride and dignity are certainly important. But if you are not alive to keep them, then they are worthless. If you intend to starve to death, then you are more foolish than I thought.”
“It’s my life. I’ll decide what to do with it.”
“You’re not wrong. But what is the point of such a death?”
The man’s tone didn’t change.
“Dying in this cold cage and leaving nothing behind. Do you think they will consider your fasting as a rebellion? In the end, they will only curse the fact that the product was not managed properly.
“What are you trying to say?”
“Eat. Replenish your strength, conserve it, and wait for the right time.”
“Ha.”
Min Ha-rin sneered.
“Save up my strength and then what?”
She didn’t even know where this place was.
All she knew was that this place was similar to a Demon lair. As long as the collar was around her neck, she had absolutely no chance of escaping.
And even if she did manage to escape, she would inevitably be caught again.
There was nowhere to run.
However, the man’s next words completely surpassed Min Ha-rin’s expectations.
“How about praying for a miracle?”
“What?”
“Opportunity only presents itself to those who are ready to receive it. I wonder what choice you will make.”
After saying that, the man closed his eyes and leaned his head back.
Min Ha-rin looked at the man’s face with an incomprehensible gaze.
Then she forcibly looked away and closed her eyes as though imitating him.
‘I won’t eat it. I won’t eat it. I won’t be livestock.’
Min Ha-rin constantly thought these words, but the man’s words refused to disappear, as though it had become lodged in her mind.