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Three people were passing through the north gate of Zeppelin, a city bustling with all kinds of peddlers and trading companies. They were a large man with a hood covering his head and two others, big and small, also with their faces covered.

Typically, those who walked around with their faces covered in broad daylight were bound to be up to no good. However, the guards at the north gate of Zeppelin did not bother to identify them. There wasn’t even an identity check. True to the nature of a capital’s guard force where money was everything, they passed through smoothly for five silver coins each.

After passing through the north gate, Russ glanced back and clicked his tongue.

“Seriously, is this okay? No matter what, they are supposed to be the ones responsible for the capital’s security…”

The small boy following behind, Sillan, smirked and replied.

“That’s what I told you. In this country, money is everything.”

The large man leading the way, Repenhardt, gave a wry smile.

“Thanks to that, we passed without being discovered, didn’t we?”

By now, not only Repenhardt but also Sillan and Russ had become quite famous. They had covered their faces, worrying that someone might recognize them. Considering the tasks they were about to undertake, concealing their identities was absolutely necessary.

Of course, if everyone else showed their faces and they were the only ones hiding, it would make them stand out more…

“I opposed this because I thought it would make us look more suspicious, but it wasn’t suspicious at all…”

Walking through the crowd, Russ sighed as he looked around.

The group, with their hoods covering their heads, did not stand out at all in this crowd. There were so many shady characters that half the people in the crowd had their faces covered with hoods or bushy beards. Naturally, they all had passed through the north gate with bribes instead of identification.

“Don’t they get fired from the guard for this?”

Sillan responded nonchalantly.

“That’s just how this country is.”

Both Repenhardt and Sillan, having seen so much during their last visit to Zeppelin, found this situation completely normal. Only Russ, who was visiting the Principality of Chatan for the first time, was still in shock and disbelief.

As they walked through the streets, Repenhardt calmly spoke to Russ.

“Most of them are either mercenaries with criminal backgrounds or smugglers. You can’t enter the real commercial district with your face covered like this.”

As expected of a place with a severe wealth gap, Zeppelin had significant differences in public security even within the same city. The northern district where Repenhardt’s party had entered was regarded as a slum within Zeppelin, frequented by cheap brothels, taverns, and poor peddlers. In contrast, the western district’s commercial area housed the mansions and trading companies of wealthy merchants.

“That area is even more strictly guarded than the city gates of other countries. Naturally, bribes don’t work there.”

The wealthy were protected more thoroughly than anyone else, while the poor could not even be guaranteed basic safety. This was the reality of Zeppelin, thriving as the continent’s largest commercial city.

“Anyway, we have no reason to go there, so it doesn’t matter to us.”

Lifting his hood slightly to check the sun’s position, Repenhardt spoke quietly.

“Anyway, since we’ve successfully infiltrated, we just need to wait for the sun to set.”

The three of them crossed the street. They were heading towards their destination, an inn in the northern district called ‘Sand Dust.’ Like most inns in the northern district, Sand Dust was shabby, cheap, and did not check identities, making it a perfect place for criminals. It was highly suitable for Repenhardt’s party, who needed to conceal their identities.

As they walked, Sillan muttered.

“The others said they had already infiltrated, right? Do you think they’re safe?”

While the humans Sillan, Russ, and Repenhardt had just entered Zeppelin, the non-humans had already infiltrated various parts of the city according to Karl’s plan.

Following behind Sillan, Russ replied with a chuckle.

“Considering Zeppelin hasn’t turned into a sea of flames yet, it seems everyone is safe, don’t you think?”

* * *

In Zeppelin, the Elvenheim was not only one of the oldest but also the most prosperous elf-specific slave auction house on the entire continent. At that moment, black smoke was billowing from the Elvenheim.

A sharp cry burst through the smoke.

“Again! You burned it again! What on earth are you good for!”

The source of the smoke was the large kitchen of the Elvenheim, specifically the bread-baking oven. What was once dough had turned into pitch-black charcoal, vehemently declaring, ‘I am no longer fit for human consumption.’

“I’m… sorry…”

An elf woman standing in front of the oven trembled with humiliation and bowed her head. She had purple hair, pure white skin, a slender figure, and a voluptuous chest.

The middle-aged human woman, Clara, who was the instructor of Elvenheim and taught the elf slaves cooking, clicked her tongue.

“Damn it, she’s an elf with unusually large breasts, so she could be sold for a high price. Why does she keep making so many mistakes?”

That big-breasted elf woman had been brought to Elvenheim just fifteen days ago. She was bought at a bargain price from a passing peddler, and due to her unique physique, Auctioneer Lark had been quite pleased with her.

So, as usual, they started the slave training to sell her as a product, but this elf woman was hopelessly inept at everything.

Whenever she cooked, she turned food into charcoal; when she did laundry, she ruined the clothes; when she sewed, she broke needles; and when she gave massages, she left bruises. She couldn’t handle basic training, so they hadn’t even started on the night training meant to please men.

“Are those things on your arms hands or paws? Will you ever get a grip?”

“…”

Watching Clara yell furiously, a junior instructor hesitantly asked.

“Should we put her in the punishment room?”

The punishment room was where disobedient elves were given ‘mental education.’ The core of this ‘mental education’ was essentially ‘no one can withstand a beating.’

“Hmm…”

Clara furrowed her brow. The punishment room was meant to make rebellious elves obedient. But as someone who had a lot of experience as an elf instructor, she could tell immediately that this purple-haired elf wasn’t making mistakes out of defiance. She was genuinely, absolutely talentless in domestic work.

Since she wasn’t doing it on purpose, putting her in the punishment room wouldn’t help. It might even give her scars, lowering her value as a product.

“Hmph, just starve her. Maybe she’ll come to her senses if she gets hungry.”

Snorting, Clara turned on her heel. The junior instructor yelled at the elf woman.

“Follow me, Number 323!”

The purple-haired elf woman, called Number 323, followed weakly behind. The junior instructor locked her in her lodging. Number 323 silently moved to her bed. On the opposite bed, a brown-skinned elf girl sat crouched with a similar expression.

It was clear from just looking at her. This brown-skinned elf girl was in the same position as Number 323, being scolded for her clumsiness for several days.

The junior instructor clicked his tongue.

“That one and Number 324, all the ones sold that day are strangely clumsy.”

The instructor grumbled as she ascended the stairs again. Once out of sight, number 324, a brown-skinned elf girl who had been crouching, lifted her head. The previously gloomy expression vanished, replaced by a cold and strong look in her silver eyes.

She spoke with a cold smile directed at the opposite side.

“Today’s training failed splendidly again, Ms. Iniya.”

Iniya nodded with an awkward smile.

“Y-Yes, indeed, Ms. Siris.”

It had been two weeks since Siris and Iniya infiltrated Elvenheim. They pretended to be slaves to lead other elf slaves from the inside. Of course, being sold as a slave as a woman was dangerous as it was uncertain what might happen. Naturally, Repenhardt was vehemently opposed at first.

However, with Iniya and Siris being Aura Users and possessing enough power through spirit magic to protect themselves, Repenhardt eventually had to concede to Siris’ firm determination.

The main issue was that female elf slaves would naturally receive training for nighttime duties, but Siris handled that.

She had spent her childhood in Elvenheim. This meant she was well-versed in Elvenheim’s slave training system. She knew that by consistently performing poorly in basic slave training from the start, they could buy enough time before the nighttime duties would be taught or enforced.

“The only worry was whether Ms. Iniya could manage to ‘pretend to be clumsy’ without getting caught… but you are doing surprisingly well.”

The eyes of the Elvenheim instructors were not easily deceived; they were veterans with decades of experience training elf slaves. They could instantly detect any sign of rebellion.

“Having gone through the same training here, I know how not to get caught… but I didn’t expect Ms. Iniya to pull it off so well…”

Siris muttered to herself, shaking her head. Each time, Iniya’s complexion grew a little paler. Suddenly, Siris looked at Iniya with a suspicious expression.

“Hmm, you really were ‘pretending to be clumsy,’ right? Ms. Iniya? You’re not actually clumsy, are you?”

Iniya’s face hardened more and more. Siris leaned back on the bed, speaking in a tone of disbelief.

“Hmm, no way. Someone who cooks such wonderful meals couldn’t possibly…”

Iniya turned her head away and was convinced.

‘She figured it out!’

Quickly, Iniya changed the subject.

“That, by the way, it’s about time, isn’t it? It’s today, right?”

Siris also changed her expression to a serious one and looked out the barred window. She muttered quietly.

“Yes, it’s today.”

At that, the other elf women in the lodging began to stand up one by one. The elf women approached Siris and Iniya with earnest expressions.

“Are we really going to be free?”

“Are they really going to rescue us from the Duchy of Antares?”

“Will we no longer have to live as slaves?”

Iniya nodded confidently.

“Of course, fellow kin. You will soon be saved.”

Although she had been through a lot recently, Iniya had led the Stiria tribe for decades. Her voice carried the authority of a true leader.

A light of hope flickered across the faces of the elf women. They tried not to show their joy too much, but their expressions were filled with anticipation.

Watching them, Siris felt a new sense of admiration.

They were completely different from the kin she had saved so far. They were different from those who couldn’t understand her in the Duchy of Antares, despite being in the same position as slaves.

Though they lived as slaves, these women were already dreaming of freedom.

‘Amazing. Just like Mr. Karl said.’

* * *

Karl explained.

“Those who live as slaves now are too accustomed to the system. To gain their cooperation, we first need to awaken their consciousness.”

Through their experiences, Repenhardt’s party had also come to understand well by now. Simply demolishing the auction house, breaking the shackles, and shouting ‘Now you are free!’ didn’t immediately win the slaves’ support.

To incite an uprising from within, the slaves first needed to question their current lives and feel a yearning for freedom.

“In the case of the dwarves, we can expect internal support. Due to the nature of dwarves, who are valued as slaves in tribal units, they relatively preserve their culture intact. Many of their traditions passed down orally still remain. Dwarves are at least aware that they were originally free people, and although they are currently in the position of slaves, they have the consciousness that they must find freedom someday.”

The same applied to the trolls held captive by the Alchemist Guild. These trolls had lived freely before being captured, so they naturally didn’t perceive themselves as slaves.

“The real problem is with the orcs and elves.”

The slave traders of the Principality of Chatan are masterful enough to be called specialists in slave trade. They are skilled in turning non-slaves into slaves. Their methods of training and mental conditioning are harsh enough to make even free-living humans believe that they were originally slaves.