Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

The Floating Marketplace was, as its name suggested, a floating marketplace where merchants and pirates sold wares straight off the decks of their ships.

All kinds of rare poisons, forbidden spellbooks, and magical artifacts could be found here—if one had money, that is.

This place was a melting pot of illegal dealings, where goods flowed as freely as blood!

As the trio traversed their way through this marketplace, they couldn't help but notice that the air here was a mixture of seawater, roasting meats of unquestionable origins, and the pungent aroma of spices smuggled from distant lands.

This was a place where lawlessness thrived, and no items were too rare or too forbidden to be sold.

Though slavery was outlawed in the Empire, in the Floating Marketplace flesh was just another commodity. Shackled men, women, and even rare creatures were paraded before the highest bidder.

Adam and the two Agents of the Brotherhood were currently on their way to meet Blackshore's most infamous slaver known for her silver tongue and a penchant for cruelty.

Her name was Silver Vess, a Rank 2 Mana Liquefaction Magus, and the perfect new identity for Liriel—who was currently pretending to be a slave.

Another reason why this trio targeted her was because according to the intel from the Brotherhood, Silver Vess was one of the Magi who sat on the council that ruled the city for the Umbra Thieves.

Located in a shadowy corner of the market, behind a rotting wooden arch, lay the domain of Silver Mess. It was called The Cage—a name brimming with cruel irony.

The trio finally arrived at their destination. From the outside, The Cage appeared rather unassuming. It was a building reinforced with black wood and windows sealed with iron bars.

A pair of Rank 1 Magi in mismatched armor lounged by the entrance to the building, their hands never far from the hilts of their blade.

Seeing Adam and Kael arrive with a slave in tow, the guards weren't all that surprised. Such sights were quite common. However, when they saw that the slave was a beautiful elven elf, their eyes gleamed with interest.

"Oh?" One of the guards, a man with a scar running diagonally across his face, walked towards the trio, his gaze glued to the silver-haired Liriel.

"I bet the Boss is going to be quite happy with this one," said he as he reached out to caress Liriel's cheek.

But right at that moment, Kael drew both his blades—one pointing at the guard who had almost touched Liriel, while the other pointed at the second guard.

He silently gazed at them with his cold eyes.

The guards were furious that someone had the audacity to point weapons at them in their own backyard. Before the two of them could even retaliate, Adam stepped forward with a wine gourd in hand and a drunken smile on his face.

"Be careful, ya bums." He grinned. He then pointed at the slave and added, "That slave right there can kill you with a simple thought."

He came closer to the guard with the scar on his face and spoke coldly, "She's a Mana Liquefaction Magus."

"Rank 2!!" The guards were astonished.

If the slave was a Mana Liquefaction Magus, didn't that mean that the two men who caught her would be as strong as, if not stronger than her?

When they thought of that, their back was drenched in a layer of cold sweat. After all, these people were on the same level of strength as the proprietor of The Cage.

"Now, won't you take us to your Boss?" Adam said before taking a large mouthful of wine from the gourd. "I'd like to negotiate the price with her directly. You see, it was quite difficult for my friend and me to procure this elf."

"Y-Yes, my lord!"

"Right this way!"

The two guards immediately nodded in fear and apprehension. They then led the trio inside the building.

Seeing the two scurry into the building with their tails tucked between their legs, Adam found it hard to contain his laughter.

He then gazed at Kael, his drunken smile vanishing momentarily, and mentally spoke to them through Mind Whisper, 'No matter what happens inside, no matter what you see inside, make sure to stick to the plan.'

Kale and Liriel nodded. They knew that the things that they'd witness inside would not be pleasant. It was a slaver's den they were entering, after all.

Stepping inside The Cage was like walking into a nightmare. The space was dimly lit with flickering lanterns, their dim glows casting eerie shadows against the walls.

A long counter of aged mahogany ran along the front, where a bald man as thin as a vulture with sunken eyes and yellowed teeth conducted business with a lazy smirk on his face.

In front of him there were several people who had come here either to buy or sell their products.

Behind the lanky bald man, there were wooden shelves stacked with iron collars, manacles, and crude brands—some still caked with flesh from their last use.

The two guards guided Adam, Kael, and Liriel past the counter where the true horror lay.

Rows of iron barred cages stretched into the darkness, each barely large enough to hold its occupants.

The slaves within varied widely, from captured sailors, kidnapped nobles, war orphans, and even exotic creatures from all across Uriel, and perhaps even from beyond the Galestine Ocean!

Seeing such a scene caused Adam and the group's expressions to darken. They noticed that some of these slaves sat in silent despair, while others clung to bars with desperate eyes, hoping for a miracle that would perhaps never come.

"What happens to these people once they're sold?" Kael suddenly asked, trying his best to mask the anger in his voice.

"People?" The guard with the scar on his face asked. "Ah, you mean the merchandise? Right, we don't care what happens to them after they're sold, really. We just make sure they're in decent enough shape before the transaction.

"After that, whether their owners mutilate them, sleep with them, experiment on them, or even kill them, it doesn't matter. At that point, these things become their property so they can do whatever they want to."

The trio descended into silence. The guard must have mistaken their silence for piqued interest because he went on to explain with a prideful smile on his face.

"We, at The Cage, boast a selection for every type of buyer out there," he began. "There are skilled labors, for example, smiths, cooks, and scribes. Then we have warriors and gladiators. They're captured mercenaries and pit fighters, really.

"We also sell elves, dwarves, and gnomes." He paused, gazing at Liriel with a light chuckle, "I might add, the elves are highly sought after in this place. And last, but not least, the most lucrative trade of them all - children!"

"Children?" Kael asked, his tone oozing with a chill never heard before.

"Ah, yes." The guard nodded. "Personally, I don't condone such transactions, but there are quite a lot of folks out there with a twisted appetite, and children fetch sky-high prices—"

"Okay, that's enough talking," Adam interrupted the man, afraid that if he spoke more, then Kael would cut his head right there and then without hesitation. "Just take us to your Boss already."

"Ah, yes, yes!" The guard humbly nodded. "She sits on the second floor. My Lords, please follow me."

Along the way, the group came across a large underground training pit where the slaves, once they were captured, were trained.

Disobedience was swiftly punished and the unruly slaves were beaten into submission. Or worse. There were Magi personally handpicked by Silver Vess who ensured that the slaves' resistance was nothing but a fantasy.

The two guards led the trio up the staircase, towards the second floor. This floor was strictly for personnel only. This was also where the proprietor of the slave business operated out of.

After going through several checkpoints, the group finally arrived before a pair of mahogany doors guarded by two more Rank 1 Magi.

The guards talked amongst one another, then one of them entered through the doors while the rest waited outside.

Within less than a minute, the guard came out and looked at Adam and Kael with a welcoming smile, "The Boss will see you now."

Adam and Kael were the first ones to enter, followed by Liriel who was still in chains. The moment they entered the office, their nostrils were assaulted by a heavy scent of intoxicating perfume.

The walls were richly adorned and crimson curtains covered the windows, silencing the outside world, ensuring that whatever occurred within remained a secret.

At the center of it all sat Silver Vess, a striking woman with silver hair and piercing blue eyes. She was draped in silk robes and looked extremely alluring.

Before Adam or Kael had the opportunity to even greet her, Silver Vess pointed her fair finger at Liriel and spoke in a seductive yet authoritative tone.

"You! I want you all for myself."