Chapter 447

Chapter 447: Chapter 447

The merchant’s voice cut through the air, carrying a mixture of business acumen and a purported sense of benevolence. He announced to the gathered crowd, "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!"

With these words, he established a connection, seeking the attention of everyone present. He acknowledged the nature of his trade, emphasizing the need to maximize profits. Yet, he cunningly wove in an altruistic thread, claiming kindness in his heart and a willingness to endure a financial setback for the sake of the girl’s fate.

"But I am a kind person by nature and am willing to bear a loss if it means that this girl can be taken away by a kind person," he declared, revealing a conflict within himself. The audience, now hanging on to his every word, felt the tension between commerce and compassion in the merchant’s proclamation.

"I am offering her to all of you at a twenty percent discount on the original price," he continued, presenting the audience with a seemingly generous offer. The discount, a tantalizing prospect, aimed to entice those contemplating the acquisition of the young girl.

"The little girl is someone who is coveted even by our worthy Viscount Smith who is willing to pay a sky-high price. But I can’t bring myself to let that happen," he added, injecting a sense of exclusivity and urgency into the situation. The mention of Viscount Smith’s interest heightened the intrigue, creating a competitive atmosphere among potential buyers. The crowd, now stirred with a blend of curiosity, moral dilemma, and self-interest, awaited the next turn of events.

As there were no offers from the audience, the merchant felt the need to clarify the quality of his product. He believed that there were no offers from the crowd only because the girl appeared to be too tiny and malnourished. No one in their right mind would willingly pay to acquire such a slave.

"I will sell it to the first person who offers me the asking price immediately. The girl is a little scrawny but rest assured, she is a tough one. She is a virgin to boot. As a maid, she will be perfect once she is all cleaned up. Don’t waste this chance when even the Viscount can’t have her for himself."

The merchant was using Zach to promote his business which made Zach’s blood boil in anger. Even Brittany couldn’t hold it in any longer and wanted to rush at the merchant with the need for his blood clouding her vision.

"Do you have no shame? Don’t you fear that you would be struck by heavenly punishment for your unforgivable acts? How can you live with yourself after committing such heinous deeds?" Brittany yelled at the merchant as she grieved the fate of the little girl in her heart.

She could almost picture the hopelessness that was in store for the little girl in the future. After all, she had been through the same for the past few years.

Unlike her, there was a very slim chance of the girl ending up with a master like Zach who was not only compassionate but also considerate towards what his people desired in their hearts.

While Brittany lost control of her emotions for a second there, the merchant was far from being like that. He seemed unfazed by Brittany’s sudden outburst, as if he was well aware that something like that could happen and was well prepared in advance.

There wasn’t even a frown on his face like the fate of the little girl had nothing to do with him. He had no conscience and couldn’t even care less about what might happen to the little girl after he sold her for the right price.

As for the fact that he could annoy Zach in the process of selling the slave girl, it was an added bonus for the merchant above everything else.

He was enjoying every minute of it as he knew that he was perfectly justified if he wanted to sell his product to some customer or not. It was well within his rights according to the business creed being followed in Byzantium city.

"Are you angry? Do you feel wrath bubbling up in your body? Want to take it out on me?" The merchant tried his best to put on a smug smile as he provoked Zach into acting against him so that he would have an excuse to move against Zach.

The merchant, despite attempting to wield control over the situation, found himself at a disadvantage. Unbeknownst to him, Zach was no loose cannon; he tightly gripped his emotions, concealing any signs of wrath. However, the seasoned merchant, well-versed in the nuances of human expression, could discern the subtlest shifts in Zach’s demeanor.

Zach, masterfully masking his true feelings, didn’t allow even a hint of his displeasure to surface on his countenance. Yet, the experienced merchant, keenly observant, could read Zach’s mood through the slightest quiver of his eyebrows.

Carefully observing Zach’s micro expressions, the merchant astutely deduced that he had successfully targeted a sensitive nerve, igniting a potential storm within Zach. However, much to the merchant’s chagrin, Zach’s formidable self-control triumphed. Despite the merchant’s apparent victory in discerning Zach’s emotional response, Zach managed to restrain himself from unleashing his fury and dismantling the merchant on the spot.

In this delicate back and forth of control and restraint, Zach’s composed demeanor belied the storm of emotions raging beneath the surface. The merchant, having gauged the impact of his words, now faced the challenge of navigating the aftermath of his calculated provocation.

The trafficker, fueled by a malevolent spirit, cast a provocative gaze at Zach before callously lifting his foot high and delivering a vicious kick to the chest of the defenseless little girl.

A perverse satisfaction adorned his face, devoid of any semblance of guilt or remorse.

The innocent child lay sprawled on the unforgiving ground, her tear-stained face a canvas of pain, and her anguished screams echoing through the once serene marketplace.

The heartlessness of the merchant was stark, an embodiment of callousness that seemed to seep into the very air around him. The little girl, on the other hand, embodied pure innocence, a fragile soul marred by the cruelties of the world.

Her cries pierced the hearts of onlookers, a stark reminder of the vulnerability that innocence carries in the face of malevolence.

The contrast between the heartless trafficker and the defenseless child painted a harrowing scene, leaving the spectators grappling with the harsh realities of a world that could be so unkind.

In that heart-wrenching moment, even the coldest hearts would thaw, as if a glacier were succumbing to the warmth of an unexpected sunbeam.

The merciless actions of the trafficker carved a rift in the fabric of humanity, exposing a raw wound that tugged at the strings of empathy.

It was as if the callousness had stirred a dormant storm, awakening the dormant compassion within the witnesses.

The scene unfolded like a cruel novella, each heartache etched into the collective consciousness like indelible ink on a fragile parchment, leaving an indescribable ache that resonated within the deepest recesses of the human soul.

In the face of such cruelty, even Zach, typically composed and stoic, felt an unprecedented surge of wrath boiling within him. The onlookers, though seething with anger, remained paralyzed by the chains of societal norms that granted the trafficker dominion over the fate of the innocent girl.

It was as if an invisible force field held back the collective indignation, leaving them helpless witnesses to the unfolding tragedy.

The curses hurled at the merchant echoed like distant thunder, a cacophony of suppressed rage that reverberated through the air, yet none dared to challenge the twisted authority that allowed such brutality to persist.

In this unforgiving realm, the plight of slaves served as a tragic testament to the glaring inequality etched into the very fabric of society. Once ensnared by the cold, unyielding chains of slavery, individuals were mercilessly stripped of their fundamental rights, reduced to mere commodities existing solely at the mercy of their heartless owners.

The law, instead of standing as a bastion of protection, resonated with the cruel sentiment, endorsing the dehumanization of those unfortunate souls sold into the cruel clutches of bondage.

The anguished cries of the innocent echoed through the marketplace, a haunting melody of suffering that fell on indifferent ears.

The onlookers, while cursing the heartless merchant, remained paralyzed by the cruel reality that slaves, devoid of rights and condemned by societal norms, could be treated with such callous disregard.

It was a stark and gut-wrenching reminder for Zach that, in this harsh world, the cherished notion of equality was nothing more than a distant dream for those ensnared in the oppressive clutches of servitude.

And so, the cries of the little girl echoed all around but not a single person moved forward to help her.

In the depths of her despair, she clung to a fragment of hope, casting pleading glances at the indifferent faces in the audience. Her eyes, filled with the reflection of countless disappointments, searched for a savior among the masses.

However, her plea for salvation fell on deaf ears, as the onlookers remained either disinterested in performing a noble act or shackled by the chains of poverty, rendering them unable to bid for her freedom.

The arena of humanity, seemingly vast, appeared desolate as her hopeful gaze traversed the faces that mirrored apathy.

Each unresponsive stare chipped away at the fragile remnants of her faith in the goodness of people, leaving her with the bitter realization that in this unforgiving world, compassion was a rare commodity, and the currency of kindness had depreciated to a point of scarcity.