"A slave?" Rayshui raised his eyebrows, revealing a look of surprise. He wanted to take back what he just said - he was truly interested in the terms that Mafei proposed.
"Yes, a slave. Lord Rayshui would surely be pleased," said Mafei with a mysterious grin on his chubby face.
"An elf, perhaps?" Rayshui recalled an earlier gossip - following the destruction of the Forest of Elves, the market value of elves skyrocketed, and an elf could be sold at a high price. Having an elf slave at home was truly a status symbol among the nobility.
"No, no, not at all. I have no elf slaves - those are owned by Dukes," replied Mafei, slightly astonished at Rayshui's statement, and shaking his head vehemently.
"What then?" Once again realizing the true value of elves through Mafei's reaction, Rayshui nevertheless felt a sense of relief. He was more interested in ordinary human beings compared to high-cost elves. East Tower City was on the cusp of a population shortage, and an influx of ordinary people may solve this problem. Having elves would cause more trouble than it's worth.
The saying "An innocent man can become the target of desire for holding a valuable object" rings true for elves - after all, they were typically owned by Dukes. Rayshui has recently acceded to the rank of Baron; it would be best to avoid elves for now. But that did not mean he could never own one.
Rayshui had a strong faith that East Tower City could effectively guard elves by the end of the year. He always nurtured a dream of forming an Elven Archers corps.
"Orcs."
"How many?" Rayshiu inquired. Orcs were neither hot nor cold in the slave market - kind of middle of the road. Some noblemen liked to keep them as pets, others used them for heavy labor work, considering their strength surpasses that of humans.
"Ten female orcs, all checked by a lady doctor to be in perfect health."
"Snap!" Without any hesitation, Alice drew her sword, glaring fiercely at Mafei.
"You contemptuous noble, how dare you try to entice Lord Rayshui into such decadence! Anyone could figure out your hidden implication in the statement."
"I have it handled, Alice," Rayshui stopped Alice and asked Mafei, "Do you have any male Orcs?"
Rayshui, an alien to this world, had never seen an orc. His reference to orcs came from war3.
With due apology, Rayshui was not at all into female orcs. As for male orcs, a little training combined with their innate abilities could turn them into a capable squad. It's common knowledge that the Orc Empire was always in a state of total war, where food was secured through strife.
"Is Lord Rayshui...?" Seeing a possibility, Mafei shivered.
"Ten female Orcs will do then," seeing the uncomfortable look on Mafei's face, Rayshui didn't press for the male ones.
"Well, pleasant dealings. I'll be leaving for South Sea City tonight." Mafei heaved a sigh of relief but quickly realized it was still no time for relaxation. Nothing was certain before the transaction was concluded. His immediate departure seemed the best option.
