Episode 2: True Villain (5)

Wait, no…what?

“Reene…?!”

So the reason for her disappearance was this?!

“Fifty gold! Do we have another… number forty-six, a hundred gold! Number one hundred and sixteen, a hundred and ten gold…!”

The moment they heard the word ‘succubus’, participants riled into a frenzy.

Regardless of their intentions for buying her, I knew that there was no way I would allow it. 

I wrote a number and raised my card.

“Number seven, 300 gold!”

300 gold wasn’t a small sum, but it wasn’t something I couldn’t afford either. 

Participants given a single digit number were VIPS; anonymous participants who held influential power and possessed a strong financial backing. So the mere announcement of my number made everyone plenty aware that I was willing to spare my resources fighting for her.

It was a warning to those lesser than me that they could never compete.

Yet…

“Number ninety-nine, 400 gold!” There was one bidder who remained stubborn.

An unfamiliar individual hidden under a dark hood, male. Compared to the rest of the audience who wore striking clothes to flaunt their wealth, his dull attire stood out, making him even more suspicious.

Nevertheless, I had no plans to lose. 

“Number seven, 500 gold!”

“Number ninety-nine, 600 gold!”

“Number seven, 700 gold!”

“Number ninety-nine, 750 gold!”

“Number seven… 1000 gold! One thousand! Now do we have any more!” 

The robed individual turned to me. Behind the noir coloured mask, I could sense his glare with a fervent hatred.

Oh? That mask… could he be that black magician? So he was the one who abused Reene in the original huh?

I didn’t know why, but I found myself smirking.

“Going once! Going twice…! Sold to number seven!”

Was it luck or fate that I even decided to come here? I sighed in relief, glad that I managed to secure her before he got his hands on her.

“Please come to the retrieval counter, or you may seek the help of an attendant to guide you to your product.” The auctioneer winked at me from afar

Seriously, this guy’s personality is the same wherever he is, isn’t it?

The slavemancer yanked on the chain and pulled Reene off the stage. She struggled. I watched the way they handled her, appalled. 

The love potion which Drew should have bought went to a nameless participant of a double-digit number. It should be clear by now that Lowe and Drew weren’t present. 

And, since I had no interest in the rest of the products anyways, there was no point in staying. Before Reene received any more punishing treatments, I had to retrieve her. 

Just as I was about to leave, my eyes met the figure of the robed man down below. He too was departing.

⌌✧ ⫺⪼▫◆▫⪻⫹ ✧⌍

After passing a check as proof of payment, I was escorted to the room where Reene was kept.

I entered, her entire body trembled in reaction to the door’s screech. From the shadows, she cautiously raised her head to look at me.

“Who…”

Different from how most slaves were displayed, Reene was withheld in a more presentable room, restrained to one corner of the bed.

For those with twisted intentions, this room provided a suitable environment to ‘play-test’ their product before officially bringing them back home.

I had no such preferences.

“Miss, should we proceed with the transference of ownership?” The slavemancer asked.

I took off my mask, revealed myself to her quickly before putting it back on. Her eyes clouded over in disbelief. 

Her small body trembled.

“From today, you will be working for me.” I spoke calmly, hoping that showing her my face would provide her some assurance. Yet…

She struggled, tearing at her hair with what little strength she had. “You…! N-No… this… isn't it. This isn’t… this isn’t what he promised…!” 

In the original, Reene was bought by some twisted client and broke from all the abuse. Seeing her react this way I couldn’t help but wonder if I had come too late—

“Stop such unsightly behaviour in front of your master!” The slavemancer shouted. He looked like he was about to utter an ‘order’ when I stopped him.

“No need.” I cut away the chain withholding her with ice. Then kneeling down I reached out to her. “Reene.”

If she was enslaved so early on in the story, why was it that she was safe and well in my previous life?

I pulled my arms over her. 

“Reene, it’s alright. You’re safe with me.” I reassured her. She kept crying.

“Miss…” The slavemancer called out to me, wanting to say something.

“Proceed with it.”

“Miss, are you certain you don’t wish to first—”

“Don’t make me repeat myself!”

He was startled.

With my body, and Reene in close contact, the slavemancer finally began transferring Reene’s ownership to me.

Excruciating… indescribable pain. The hurt that came with the process of the spell was something I had never experienced. But I could empathise… knowing well just what it was like to suffer. 

Reene pressed her body against me, her hands dug deep into my shoulder.

Not once did she scream.

I stroked her back.

Shedding tears, she whimpered. “Brother… I hate you.” 

Leaving behind lingering regrets, the only thing I could do was console her.

⌌✧ ⫺⪼▫◆▫⪻⫹ ✧⌍

Saving Reene was impossible in the original story. Playing as Lowe, you only meet her after she has become completely ‘broken’. Listening to her life story before she took her own life was the last solace you could provide her. 

You learn about the experiments, the cruelty—withheld by black magicians to become a living experiment. It was a plot device which became the preamble to the ‘Exaltist’ scenario later down in the story.

But… oddly enough this didn’t happen. In fact, in my previous life, by the time the third academy year came rolling around, seeing Reene as a freshman gave me quite the shock.

Regressing, and now holding Reene’s cold hands, the recollection of it only left me puzzled. 

Why did things deviate, and when was she saved? Even if it were the butterfly effect at play, the discrepancy in the original story and my previous life made no sense. 

Was Kairen the one who saved her? I could hardly believe that. 

Leaving the auction house through the mysterious hallways, we eventually emerged back to the surface, the labyrinth of alleys.

“Reene, we still have a bit further to go. Can you continue?” I asked, looking at her who seemed to be struggling to keep up. 

“...Yes, master…” Reene responded softly, keeping her head low.

I squeezed her hand. 

I felt her squeeze back.

“Let’s go.” I led her gently.

Had it been anyone else, she would’ve been severely punished for her dull response. But knowing her personally, I couldn’t bring myself to treat her like that. I didn’t want Reene to actually behave like a slave.

We walked a few steps, then took a right turn. 

I knew the exit was just ahead.

… White mask.

“Reene, stand behind me.” 

I put Reene behind me and stood in front.

… The same one I had seen back in the auction house. 

The distance between me and the shadowy figure was a few meters.

His build wasn’t large, typical of a black magician who focused mostly on attacking with magic spells from a distance. 

… Stalking huh? Seeing how he was willing to pay so much for Reene, I guess I should’ve expected as much.

“Let’s make a deal.” The man walked towards us with calm, bold strides. “Give her to me, and I’ll spare your life. Simple instructions, right?”

“And what are you going to do with her?” I prepared a spell.

“Better than what you’re going to do.”

These people weren’t the kind to be reasoned with.

4th-tier magic, <Frostborne: Ivy Helix>.

“As if!” 

Frost burst outwards in a radius, the ground frosted over as blue ivy thorn structures grew, intertwined and shot towards him.

I was assured of my victory, since most black magicians which appeared in the beginning of the story weren’t that strong—

<Reverse Amplitude Deconstruction: From Groundshift, Resonance>.

He brought his foot up and stomped hard on the ground. A light quake quickly broke the influence of my ice domain.

Frozen ivy shattered like glass. The backlash of the interrupted spell caused the mana in my body to go numb.

… What the… how?!

I felt Reene’s trembling grip on my clothes.

I bit my lips. This wouldn’t do, I needed something bigger.

4th-tier magic, <Frostborne: Fury>.

Glaciers ruptured from the ground up, gushing forth immediately after.

I heard him sigh. “I didn’t want to do this but you left me no choice.” 

For some reason the world seemed to slow.

… A sword appeared in his hand, suddenly engulfed in oozing black soot.

<Blight: Bleach Black Umbra>.

A slow crawling upward swing—

He ploughed the heavy air. 

Black aura swept through the alley.

A sense of dread welled up inside me.

I quickly pulled Reene into my arms—

My glacier was sliced into two.

… And then together we leapt away.

The sword aura passed through where I stood, and rammed into the wall beyond.

“I’ll just kill you then.” His undulating voice rang.

Five magic circles spinning in cobalt light formed behind me. Dozens of spears crystalised at once.

4th-tier magic, <Frostborne: Spear Legion>.

“Discharge!” I uttered the trigger verse.

The spears rushed forth like a giant wave. 

<Blight: Discharge>.

But with one swing of his blade.

“...!”

They all shattered.