- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 17
Chapter 17: Purchasing Serfs
To the right of the city hall stood a smaller, more modest building. While it lacked the grandeur of the city hall, it was far busier, with a constant stream of knights passing through. Many wore noble crests, and even someone like Thor, a member of the prestigious Dressrosa family, did not stand out as much here.
But that didn’t mean no one noticed.
As Thor and his companions entered, a servant quickly approached to greet them.
“Welcome, esteemed knight. How may I assist you?” the servant asked respectfully, his demeanor showing no hint of neglect.
“I’ve heard you have various slaves for sale. I’m looking to purchase a batch of serfs,” Thor said warmly, not rushing to find the half-elf girl mentioned in the intelligence report. Instead, he focused on another matter—buying serfs.
Developing a territory required more than just knights.
Knights provided security and military strength, but a large number of serfs were needed for construction and labor.
Building up a territory required manpower, and without serfs, there would be no progress.
“Of course!”
“We are the largest slave market in the Northern Province. Our serfs are strong and capable, guaranteed to meet your needs.”
“Please follow me,” the servant said with a smile, leading Thor forward.
Thor nodded, and with Raine and Steve in tow, they followed the servant.
Soon, they arrived in the basement.
Magical crystals illuminated the area.
Iron cages came into view, each filled with figures bound by ropes.
The serfs inside were small and gaunt, their eyes dull and lifeless. Their faces were marked by apathy, and it was clear they were far from the robust workers the servant had promised.
But Thor wasn’t surprised.
Slave traders often exaggerated. Considering the state of the freemen in Loren City, it was unrealistic to expect much better from the slaves.
As long as they were functional, that was enough.
“Honored Sir, these serfs here are ten silver coins each, while those over there are one silver coin each. How many do you need?” the servant asked again, still respectful, gesturing to the nearby cages.
Hearing this, Thor couldn’t help but sigh.
Even though he had anticipated high prices, he was still shocked.
In Frostmoon Province, a serf typically cost around one silver coin. But here, some serfs were priced at ten times that.
Granted, there were cheaper options available, but when Thor looked at the one-silver serfs, his lips twitched. If the first group of slaves at least looked somewhat usable, the cheaper ones were nothing short of pitiful—skin and bones, many missing limbs or severely crippled.
Thor shook his head.
“These will do,” Thor said after a brief pause. “I need 500 of them.”
With over 400 knights under his command, theoretically, he could manage thousands of serfs.
But he had to consider his finances and the undeveloped state of his territory.
Gold wasn’t something he had in abundance. Despite his father’s support and the wealth he’d accumulated along the way, Thor had just over 10,000 gold coins, which, while substantial, wasn’t much in the context of developing a territory. He couldn’t afford to spend a large portion on serfs alone.
And then there was the issue of the territory itself. The land was still wild and untamed, and simply surviving there would be a challenge for many of the serfs.
All these factors had to be considered.
Still, this large purchase was enough to make the servant visibly excited.
“Of course, Sir! I’ll arrange everything immediately!”
“Five hundred serfs will cost 5,000 silver coins, or 50 gold coins in total!” the servant said, his tone even more respectful.
Fifty gold coins was a significant transaction, one that could potentially earn the servant a promotion. His excitement was evident.
“By the way, aside from these serfs, do you have any other types of slaves available?” Thor asked casually, as if something had just occurred to him.
“Other types of slaves?”
The servant hesitated for a moment, but then his eyes lit up as he understood what Thor was asking.
“Of course! We’ve just received a fresh batch of female slaves today. Would you like to take a look?”
“Female slaves?” Thor pretended to consider it before nodding. “Sure, show me.”
“Right away!” the servant responded eagerly before hurrying off.
Thor waited patiently, his anticipation building.
A few moments later, the servant returned, leading a new group of slaves.
Compared to the earlier serfs, these slaves were noticeably cleaner.
Dressed in ragged clothing that accentuated their appearance, they seemed to have been selected for their looks.
“Gulp!”
Behind Thor, Raine couldn’t help but swallow as he looked at them.
Thor glanced at the group but remained unimpressed. After all, he had seen far more in his previous life.
These female slaves were nothing special to him.
And they certainly weren’t his goal.
“Bring in the next group.”
Thor’s voice was calm and measured.
“Yes, Sir!”
The servant nodded quickly and called for another round of replacements.
Soon, a new group of slaves was brought in.
“Honored Sir, this group is truly the best of the best, handpicked from the kingdom itself. Their prices are also very reasonable!” the servant said with enthusiasm.
“Next,” Thor said with a quick glance, shaking his head.
The servant had no choice but to bring in another group.
This time, the wait was longer.
The third group finally arrived, but unlike the first two, which had included 40 or 50 individuals, this group had only about 20 slaves.
Thor’s eyes scanned the group before settling on the third girl on the right.
She was a young woman in gray, plain clothing. Her face was rather ordinary, and she didn’t stand out at all among the other slaves.
When Thor’s gaze landed on her, the girl, like the others, instinctively lowered her head.
“Honored Sir, this is the final group. If none of these are to your liking, we will have a batch of orc slaves arriving in seven days,” the servant said softly, his tone laced with anxiety.
Female slaves were typically more expensive than male slaves, and with Thor rejecting two groups already, the servant’s hopes were dimming.
“I’ll take this one,” Thor said, pointing to the half-elf girl.
“And these as well,” he added, listing off several others from the earlier groups. “First batch, first row, the fifth and seventh on the right. Second row, the third, first, and ninth. And from the second batch, the third, sixth, and twelfth on the left.”
“How much in total?”
The servant, though nervous, was surprised by Thor’s sudden decision.
(End of chapter)