It’s a grimy place, dirty and disputing even when appearances device.

It looked like an opera house but actually, this is where most of the underworld's most horrendous practices were staged, even right now.

I was leaning on the edge of a balcony looking down on the other attendees.

The rich and representatives of shadowy cabals lurked, giddily waiting to buy another person's life for their own.

I was here for one of them too though I was not here to take life as my own but to save one.

Tracking these auctions wasn’t hard, even when I’m a bit advanced in age my espionage skills were still as good as when I was young.

The young guards I followed, who weren’t all that careful because one could not keep his mouth shut, were a big help too.

Inexperience does pay off for some.

I don’t think any suspicion would be raised on me. This auction was already so secretive that even knowing where it would be and ‘casually and confidently’ entering it the other guards would not suspect me.

There was a bell ringing and soon it would have been time for the bidders to take their places.

I’ve taken the liberty to liberate one of the bidders of his place. I’ve also taken his mask, it was with the design of a smiling fox with red streaks, face barely visible with the exception of the eyes to ensure the most privacy.

I was in seat number 13, squished between a thin, sickly old man who wore a traditional Alaranian opera mask,

And a very large, muscled man with a mask that was styled after a red folk monster with a very long nose and bushy angry eyebrows.

A few of the seated were chatting with each other as if they were familiar with one another.

People who are in the same business tend to know who comes and who goes.

As time went on and things quieted down a man appeared, elevated on the stage in front of us.

I, like many others, knew of him as Fubai. In the whole of Alaran as one of the lowest scum, trying to make as much money as he could no matter who had gotten the short end of the stick as long as it was not him.

Dealing in drugs, slavery, money laundering, and other crimes a coward would participate in.

Fubai bellowed at the guards to bring in the ‘wares’, all with contrasts to each other.

One of them I recognized, how could I ever forget her.

Aini, my precious daughter…

If you could only see me.

How will I free her?

I do not have enough money to buy her.

Maybe I could follow the one that does buy her? Or free her while she is transferred?

Even with my strength, there is only a slight possibility for me to survive if I started a fight with these guys.

What am I going to do to save her from this place?

Deep in thought thinking of strategies, there was an interruption.

One of the slaves ripped off his collar with such ease I could not believe that it was made of metal.

He was a Horse Beast-man but it seemed that he was not very comfortable in his own skin.

He used a skill then began talking, “Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen. Sadly tonight there will be no entertainment, for you that is. For me, on the other hand, this all could be very exciting,” though he had slight problems using his mouth he spoke very eloquently.

Guards sprang up and pointed their weapons at the man.

“Faye, if you will, can you take care of the people here while I free the slaves that are still housed here?”

The horseman looked directly at me, “except the man in the Anbu mask, he gives me a feeling, you know, deep inside.”

After that, a small fox-woman with violet hair popped out from nowhere and stood between the horseman and them.

She held out a hand and then in an instant the four guards that were in front of her exploded into a violent bloody mess.

Then she held it in my direction and I could see the blood flying.