374 374 Time To Go
“Do the other eastern nations do the same thing?” Wolfe asked, hoping that someone could answer.
“No, just the Grand Dutchies. From what I’ve heard, it’s part of why they got themselves embargoed. They arrested too many travellers and accused them of serious crimes to keep the flow of prisoners going.” John shrugged.
That explained some of the friction as well as the distance between the Gormana-held villages and the Grand Dutchies-controlled ones.
Wolfe looked down to the stage. “We can talk about the politics of the Eastern side of the Continent later, assuming that someone among the group knows enough to teach me. But for now, we should pay attention. It looks like they are going to get things moving again now that they have the bodies cleaned up and off the stage.”
John picked up the schedule and looked over it, making extra sure that he didn’t mess up the people that they wanted to get now that Wolfe had purchased his daughter to keep the two of them together.
It would also please the prisoners to know that it was Wolfe who ordered the perverted guards to be investigated and charged. The Auction Master had been covering for them as long as John was there, and the whispers from the ones who had been passed over at previous auctions said that there were at least a few who never made it to the auction block, spirited away by the Auction Master and his trusted staff.
John hoped that they would be alright wherever they were, now that their captors were dead without telling anyone where they were. But there was no time to get into details. The next group coming onto the stage had two that he knew were good people falsely accused.
“Those Guardians, the first and second in line, they are both good men. They’re not Grand Dutchy Traitors. They are Gormana soldiers.” John whispered.
With the prisoner chains on, it didn’t make much difference anyhow, and Wolfe wondered what sort of deal the Witches in the keep had made that allowed the foreign soldiers to use their magical items to sell their own kinfolk off as slaves.
That level of betrayal was well beyond what even the Rebels should have found tolerable, so Wolfe wondered if the Witches had only held the keep when the agreement was signed.
Unlike the first village he had stopped at, it didn’t look like they were trying to build up enough farm resources to keep a nation fed. They were barely collecting enough for the city, and nobody seemed bothered by it, so the biggest trade back to the Grand Dutchies had to be these prisoners that they were taking as personal servants of various sorts.
“Buy both of the first two, and then I have good news for you.” Wolfe directed John as he sensed the staff bringing the three girls who were the center of the whole recent controversy up the stairs.
The enthusiasm to bid on the two capable labourers died quickly as soon as John started with his “My Master bids” routine, and both men were purchased at a very reasonable price, then ushered to the back to join the rest of Wolfe’s team.
The Auction house staff looked incredibly nervous when she brought the girls in and was about to run away when Wolfe’s words stopped her.
“Has the Army gathered outside the Auction house yet?” He asked.
She nodded mutely, and Wolfe got to his feet.
“I suppose it’s time then.”
John picked up Justine, who was sleeping on the couch and handed her to Wolfe, then turned to hug his daughter.
“You have some plan that doesn’t end with us all dying, right? Because I would really rather not die today.” He asked.
“Of course. It’s going to be messy, but I assure you that everyone who follows me will make it out of the city unharmed.” Wolfe agreed, causing the worker to panic.
“Wait, what are you talking about? Are there more criminals other than the ones they got? Is there going to be a battle? How did you know that the Army was gathering outside?” She begged.
“You didn’t seriously think that they were going to simply let a Demon Lord walk out with a dozen or more of their slaves, did you? It’s only natural that they sent the Army to deal with me.
What they’re wagering is that they can take me out before I take out the entire city around them.”
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Most of the senior military officers had already sent for their purchases to be sent to them, and Wolfe knew that they would use the imprisoned Witches to erect a barrier to protect the building from stray gunfire.
They were in for a surprise, though, because Wolfe had already located all the imprisoned Witches that were being held by the staff members, and he was getting ready to shatter the spells on their Prisoner Chains.
The witches would surely save themselves, but there were no guarantees for the rest of the people in the building.
Wolfe led his small group down the stairs, accompanied by both of the staff members. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Wolfe used a [Wind Blade] to remove the shock collar from the little one who was hiding in his room and walked up to the group of prisoners he had purchased.
“Good morning, everyone. As you might know, I am the Demon Lord known as the Snow Demon, and I have purchased your debts to society today. Now, the Army seems a bit miffed about that fact, so they are likely going to attack when I leave.
Any of you that want to stay, please return to your cages. But if the rest of you follow me, I will keep you in a protective barrier, and we will be heading out now.”
“You’re a psychopath.” One of the prisoners gasped when the name Wolfe had given finally registered.
Everyone here knew the Snow Demon. The soldiers used his name as a curse word; they told horror stories of his attacks, and now he was here, in the flesh, purchasing prisoners.
“You know what, I have a stack of cash to pay for you all if I want, and the army is likely going to turn this place into rubble anyhow. Any of you who are waiting for your turn and want to go with me, come along. Just know that it might very well cost you your life if the barrier falls, and you’ll never be able to return to a Grand Dutchy-controlled city. Ever.”