A week has passed since our deal with the Pseudo Trading Guild. I dedicated my time to expand our underground base to accommodate the slaves we plan to buy, while my aunt Sara continued to train and hunt monsters.

Furthermore, we sold the remaining loots that we have and earned additional hundreds of gold coins. We bought furniture for lodging and equipment for training. We almost finished preparing everything.

The underground base was renovated to include a large dormitory. This will be the main base of operation for the Shadow Intelligence Group. Their training to become skilled professionals will also start here.

I entered the main room and saw my aunt resting on a couch, I called, "Aunt Sara, are you coming?"

She stretches her arms and yawns. "Where?" she asked.

"To the slave trader."

"Oh... Is that today? I almost forgot."

"Yes, since the base is completed, we can now buy slaves."

She looks at me without saying anything, then I also stare back. I can see that she is still a little hesitant about buying slaves. "Do we really need to buy slaves? Why not just hire people?" she said.

"What we need are loyal people that wouldn't stab us in the back," I insisted, "don't worry aunt, we will treat them well."

Hearing my promise made her happy "Really?"

"Am I someone who goes back on his words?"

"Hehe."

"...Nevermind."

***

Clink.

In an alley, there is a house where a prison-like underground exists. There, different kind of slaves was sold from children to adults.

"Oh my goodness!" Sara blurted, seeing how these poor slaves were chained in a dirty and disgusting place like this. Most of them even having malnutritions.

Tatsuo and I just observed quietly as we walk and observe the depths of this place.

"How are my goods?" the slave trader asked, "Did anyone interest you? Just tell me and I'll let you guys look closer. Hahaha."

"Hmm... How many slaves do you have here?" I asked.

"I have at least 300 slaves and mostly teenagers. Fresh and young."

Sara nearly got angry who heard the slave trader talk down about the slaves, fortunately, I interrupted, "How much does one slave cost?"

The slave trader's eyes sparkled, he responded, "1 gold coins for females, and 3 gold coins for males." He explained that all of his slaves are a good product and inspected them carefully. Male slaves are more in demand because they are used in labor. "I promise you will not regret it."

When we reached the end of the place we saw the special slave he was talking about earlier.

"Hahaha," the slave trader laughed, "how about this girl, I'll sell her for 100 gold coins?"

Ischyros, a human female-only tribe that is like the Amazonians on earth. Located in the south, isolated, and lived with the monsters for centuries. They boast to be 30 times stronger than average human males.

This female who was shackled with a magic seal is said to be one of the Ischyros. She has long crimson red hair and eyes that were glimmering like jewels. She is mostly covered in dirt, but you can see that beneath everything, an extraordinary and beautiful human being exists.

"Grrrr." The female Ischyros looks at us with extreme hostility, grinding her teeth that are ready to bit someone who would approach her.

When I saw her teeth who only has one fang at the top, I chuckled, "How cute."

Sara, the slave trader, Tatsuo, and even the female Ischyros were dumbfounded. I looked into her eye as I walk towards her slowly, she said with defiance, "Don't come near me!" - rawr - "I'll eat you alive!"

"Ryu!" Sara exclaimed, preventing me further from walking.

"S-She is a bit dangerous," the slave trader explained sweating, "we haven't tamed her yet. But we already tested her strength and it is the real deal."

"Don't worry," I said, assuring them that I know what to do. I shifted my sling bag to take an item, it was a lump of cooked chicken meat.

I gently walk towards the Ischyros and show her the meat. This meat is what I prepared for a scenario like this. If ever I need to persuade them knowing that the weakness of these slaves is food. They are people who were deprived of good food since enslaved.

Sniff...

The female Ischyros who also have an enhanced sense of smell wouldn't be able to resist this, but to my surprise, she said, "Are you bribing me?!"

"Yes," I said, smiling at her. I stretched my arm to shove the meat into her mouth.

"Mmmphh!!!"

"Did you say anything?"

"Mmmph! Mmph!"

"Oh, it's delicious? Then eat more."

"Mmm..."

When she thought that talking to me is useless, she stopped bickering and started to eat the meat I gave her. She cried.

"Why are you crying?" I asked. But she didn't reply and only looked at me. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. What is your name?"

"Kaori," she replied. She finished eating the meat and calmed down.

I slowly leaned to her and whispered, "Kaori, just come with us, we will not treat you badly. Do you see the lady behind me? Her name is Sara, and she will be your master. She will treat you kindly enough like a sister."

She looks at my aunt who is looking like someone that will cry shortly. When she felt no aura of bitterness and hatred from her she agreed by reducing her hostility.

I turned around and said, "I'll buy her and all the slaves you have."

"W-What?!" the slave trader said, shouting. "Do you mean it?" Looking at Tatsuo to confirm.

"He means it," Tatsuo responded, "please wrap everything and proceed with the documents. Thank you."

"A-Alright... Right away!" The slave trader rushed upstairs to prepare the paperwork.

When the purchase is done, the magic seal on the slaves was transferred to my authority, this will prevent them from going against me. Also, we asked the slave trader to send them to our base by batch. We wouldn't want to catch the people's attention.

We completed transferring the slaves secretly to our underground base within 3 days. We made sure that no one would be suspicious by covering them with cloaks.

Then we divided them between the female and male groups. Each group will be temporarily supervised by a slave who knows how to read and write. They will be tasked to learn from the books that we bought.

There will be a stage where they will learn the basics of everything. Then after a year, they will be assigned to the field they excel in.

Medicine, Trading, Alchemy, Smithing, Farming, Spying, Scouting, Hunting, Fighting, Engineering, and more will be taught. Kaori of the Ischyros will particularly teach about Fighting, Scouting, and Hunting.

When the slaves became skilled enough to pass our test, they will be sent to a different place to work. They will be assigned to pioneer the group branch and make it grow.

Buy slaves, train, and send them to the field. This cycle will continue forever. Making the kingdom or rather the empire I was planning to make became successful.

In a decade or two, we will have enough strength and ability to fight against another kingdom. I will be able to achieve my plans to save my dear princess.

Is this obsession? Maybe... But I know I wouldn't do anything that she wouldn't want.

Is this love? I don't know. I have never experienced love. Maybe this will be answered when the time I meet her.

For now, I'll focus on improving my future and increase the odds of meeting her.

Now I accomplished preparing the wall for my plans, but I, the person behind that wall still need to improve. The wall can not maintain itself without support. So I need to get stronger.

I am now a sword expert with advanced magic. I need at least a swordmaster and a specialized mage as teachers to learn from. This will allow me to advance my skills further. These teachers are really hard to find. But there is one place that will allow me to meet them.

The Royal Academy. This place is where young nobles with talents are accepted. I wouldn't be accepted here because of my commoner background. And even if I have a fake noble title, I don't want to study there, because people who graduated from the academy will be forced to work within the kingdom. The worst is with the royal family, which is I intentionally wanting to avoid.

I don't need something that will tie me up with the kingdom that condemned Yume.

Suddenly, while sitting on a couch and thinking more about my plans. I heard a voice of an old person, saying, "This is a nice base."

I got startled, looking around to see where the voice came from. I responded, "Who are you?!" Chanting to produce fireballs with my two hands preparing for combat.

"Shush, little one," the voice said, "are you that ungrateful for someone who lends you a magic book?"

"A-Are you the one who gave that advanced magic book?

"Correct. And I didn't give it. I just lend it to test you."

"Test?" I asked, "What is this test for?"

"To test if you have the skill to be my disciple."

I deactivated the fireballs in my hands. When I was just thinking about the need to have a teacher, someone unexpectedly shows themselves in front of me. Aren't I too lucky?

"Is it free?" I asked.

"Are you that stingy? But of course, I am already rich and powerful, what would I need from a cheap brat like you?" he loathed. "So do you want to learn from me?"

"I give respect to my master," I responded, bowing my head slightly.