Ye Mu stared blankly at everything before him...

"Slaves..." someone muttered to themselves.

"Where did these slaves come from...?" another person asked in confusion.

"Such a young child...it's so pitiful!" someone said with emotion.

As the sound drew closer, the murmurs of the crowd grew louder and louder.

Following the gaze of the people, Leon saw a girl of about six years old. Her clothes were tattered, her messy hair hung listlessly on her body, and her body was covered with dark wounds of varying sizes. Old gauze was wrapped around her body, seemingly to cover the wounds, but there were far more new wounds than old ones.

The girl had her head down, holding a huge basket in both hands. You could see that the basket was full of clothes, but the heavy shackles on her feet forced her to move forward slowly, inch by inch.

The whispers and gossip around her were unbearable, and she would repeatedly try to cover the chains on her feet with her tattered clothes...

"Slaves?"

Leon didn't have much of an impression of slavery; he would occasionally hear about children being abducted and used as tools for human traffickers to make money...

But Leon would never forget that look in his eyes—a look of utter despair, a look of someone yearning for death…

"We must save her..."

Leon actually hated getting involved in things that had nothing to do with him. At this moment, he wished that someone in the crowd would step forward and take her away without hesitation...

Leon knew perfectly well that these people were just there to watch the show. They said all sorts of things with regret, but they didn't do anything about it. To him, it sounded like unwarranted sarcasm and contempt.

It's so cruel that a child has to go through such a cruel reality.

"I think I've had that expression before?"

Even after locking myself in a dark, sunless room, I could still hear people whispering...

What are you saying?

Perhaps it's better for a royal son like me, who's practically useless, to just die!

Yes! Death...

"Can't!"

Leon understood that there were probably many people in this world living in dire straits. It didn't matter if he hadn't met them, since they were people he had no connection with. But he couldn't just stand by and watch them die!

Wasn't I also saved by someone else?

Is it Mother? Is it Sylvie? Is it the so-called deity?

No, none of that matters anymore! What matters is wanting to live in this world! Rekindling the courage to live! That's enough!

Leon pushed his way through the crowd and slowly walked towards the girl, reaching out to help her. However, she recoiled as if she had encountered a monster, her body giving way, and the basket crashed heavily to the ground, scattering its contents everywhere...

"Don't be afraid... I..."

Leon tried to approach the girl, but she retreated in terror, cowering on the ground with her head down, constantly trying to cover the chains with her clothes. However, how could her tattered clothes possibly conceal the deep marks left by the chains?

"Get out of the way!"

Just as Leon was about to approach the girl again, the crowd suddenly stirred again, and a loud shout rang out from within...

Upon hearing this voice, the girl seemed to feel an unprecedented fear, and her whole body began to tremble...

Completely disregarding the chains binding her, she frantically tried to pick up the clothes scattered on the ground, as if this was the only way to soothe her inner fear...

"Ah...you good-for-nothing, you've made a mess of the master's clothes everywhere..." With this vicious scolding, something like a whip lashed out at the girl.

A bright red gash was instantly left on her delicate skin, like a cruel flower blooming on her skin. However, the girl showed no reaction, continuing to pick up her scattered clothes, as if she felt no pain whatsoever…

Leon finally saw the man's face clearly: a fat body, an ugly mouth, and an expression full of contempt and anger. He knew exactly who it was.

A sharp crack echoed through the air, a blur followed, and another fierce lash struck the girl...

Leon lunged forward, shielding the girl in his arms. The whip slammed into his back, sending a piercing pain through his entire body, making him grimace in agony…

"Damn it..."

Leon cursed inwardly...

"Where did this wild child come from? Get out of here..." the trafficker shouted fiercely, raising his foot to kick Leon away, but found that although Leon was thin, he was very strong and could not be moved at all.

"How much do you want? I'll buy it!" Leon suppressed his anger and turned to ask.

He understood that such human traffickers must have a powerful force behind them that he couldn't afford to offend...

Since that's the case! It seems the only solution is to link it to profit; otherwise, they definitely won't give up today. If the girl is left unattended, she might be beaten to death...

"Buy? Can you afford it..." The trafficker was stunned for a moment, then sneered and looked at Leon with disdain. He obviously didn't believe that a brat would have that kind of money.

"Hmph... Is this how you treat Duke Croggs?" Forced by circumstances, Leon could only rely on Duke Croggs's status, otherwise this human trafficker might not have made a deal with me, who was also a child.

"Lord Krogos...please forgive me!"

This is the city of Buryen. Although it's unclear whether the Croggs family's reputation extends here, the slave trade shouldn't be limited to this area. You should have heard of Duke Croggs to some extent.

"Ah... so it's Duke Croggs who wants to buy slaves! I was truly blind..."

Sure enough, upon hearing "Krogus," the slave trader's demeanor immediately changed. He smiled obsequiously and said, "Since you are Duke Krogus, what type do you require? We have all kinds of slaves here… I wonder what kind of slave you are looking for…"

“I want her!” Leon pointed at the girl curled up on the ground, covered in dust.

"Hmm...Are you sure you want her? She can't do anything. Look, she just made a mess of the master's clothes everywhere...Why don't you come with me to the shop? There are better slaves there..."

Honestly, that human trafficker's fawning look made Leon really want to beat him up...

"How disgusting..."

“No need! I want her!” Leon said coldly, his tone carrying a hint of authority and displeasure. He had to project the aura of Krogh, otherwise the human traffickers would definitely rip him off.

“Uh… well… then you can choose for yourself, sir… but I still recommend that you choose a better slave…” The slave trader didn’t seem to notice Leon’s change and continued to sell. After all, he was Krogos, and he was only thinking about getting more profit.

“I said! I want her! Don’t you understand?” Leon glared at the trafficker, his tone growing increasingly forceful as he pressured him.

"Uh... okay, fine, since you insist..." The trafficker seemed very afraid of the Krogh family's power and could only nod reluctantly.

I finally bought the girl for 1200 magic crystals, which is an astronomical price. I worked hard for a year, and that was it...

"That damned human trafficker even tried to sell me for 2000 magic crystals! Luckily, I'm quick-witted... but..."

Staring at the silent wallet, I felt like crying, as if my body had been emptied, not just my wallet...

"It's quite a strange feeling to be a fox borrowing the tiger's power! Next time, don't rely on Lord Krogus; if we get caught, it'll be a real problem..."