Chapter 15
The Chase Beneath the Market
The underground slave hall smelled of smoke, sweat, and cheap alcohol.
Torches burned along the stone walls, casting flickering shadows across the crowded chamber.
Merchants.
Slave traders.
Mercenaries.
Nobles hiding their faces beneath dark cloaks.
All of them gathered in the same place for one purpose.
Money.
And human lives were simply another commodity.
Alex stood calmly near the auction table, his cloak hiding most of his royal clothing.
Across from him, the slave trader rubbed his hands together with a polite smile.
"So, esteemed guest…"
"Have you decided?"
His eyes flicked toward the chained family standing nearby.
A thin man with tired eyes.
A quiet woman protecting her daughter.
And the girl herself.
Selene Virelia.
Even in chains, her gaze remained sharp.
Observing.
Calculating.
Alex glanced at them briefly before returning his attention to the trader.
"…Yes."
"I will buy them."
The slave trader's smile widened.
"Excellent decision."
"These types of merchandise usually go through a proper auction."
He tapped the wooden table lightly.
"The starting bid for such a family would normally be around 1200 gold coins."
Alex slowly raised his eyes.
A cold expression crossed his face.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop slightly.
The slave trader quickly cleared his throat.
"But of course…"
"We would not wish to offend the Raven Merchant Guild."
"So if you wish…"
"You may simply pay 1200 gold coins and take them immediately."
Alex stared at him for a few seconds.
Then he nodded once.
"…Fine."
"Bring me their slave contracts."
He placed a pouch of coins on the table.
"And bring me a new contract as well."
The trader blinked.
"A new contract?"
"Yes."
"A private one."
The man bowed quickly.
"As you wish, esteemed guest."
He turned and disappeared through a wooden door behind the auction stage.
The underground hall grew quieter.
Selene watched Alex carefully.
Her eyes were calm, but inside her mind countless thoughts raced.
Why is this noble buying us?
Why not simply send servants?
Why come personally?
This situation felt wrong.
Too strange.
Too unexpected.
And that made it dangerous.
Meanwhile, Alex leaned against the table casually.
But inside his mind—
DING.
A bright blue notification appeared.
URGENT QUEST
Escape the Underground Market while protecting the Virelia Family.
Reward: 10,000 SC Coins
Failure: Sold as slaves
Alex froze.
Sweat instantly formed on his forehead.
What…?
He read the message again.
Escape?
From the underground market?
His heart began beating faster.
Everything was going perfectly.
Why did a quest appear now?
That meant only one thing.
Danger.
Immediate danger.
Footsteps approached.
The slave trader returned carrying several documents.
"Here are the contracts, esteemed guest."
He placed them on the table.
Alex forced himself to remain calm.
But before he could respond—
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on the door behind the stage.
The slave trader frowned.
"Come in."
The door opened.
A nervous servant rushed inside, bowing repeatedly.
"S-Sir!"
"You must forgive the interruption!"
The slave trader's expression darkened.
"You had better have a good reason for disturbing me."
The servant swallowed nervously.
"…Sir."
"VVIP3 has arrived."
The room suddenly grew very quiet.
The trader's eyes widened slightly.
"…What?"
"VVIP3 is here."
A slow smile spread across the trader's face.
"Well… well…"
He turned toward Alex.
"My apologies, esteemed guest."
"It seems an important client has arrived."
He adjusted his coat politely.
"If you would kindly wait here for a moment…"
"I will return shortly."
Then he added with a chuckle—
"You may even meet our proud customer."
"VVIP3."
The moment the man left the room—
Alex's brain exploded with alarms.
VVIP.
Underworld.
Urgent quest.
Everything connected instantly.
This place is about to become a battlefield.
He slammed the pouch of coins onto the table.
"Take it."
Without waiting for confirmation, he grabbed the slave contracts.
Then he turned toward Selene and her parents.
"Listen carefully."
His voice was sharp.
"We don't have time."
"Follow me."
Selene blinked.
"…What?"
"We are leaving."
"Now."
His tone left no room for argument.
For a moment she hesitated.
But something in the prince's expression made her move.
They followed him quickly through the side corridor.
Alex's heart was pounding.
Move.
Move faster.
Behind them, the underground complex continued operating normally.
Gamblers laughed.
Drinks were poured.
Deals were made.
But beneath the calm surface…
A storm was forming.
Meanwhile, deep inside the underground casino…
A massive man sat at the center table.
His cloak was dark.
His face hidden beneath shadows.
The entire room felt colder around him.
"What took you so long?"
His voice was quiet.
But it carried the weight of authority.
The slave trader bowed quickly.
"My apologies."
"I was dealing with another customer."
The man tapped the table slowly.
"Are the auction preparations complete?"
"Yes, sir."
But the trader hesitated.
"…There is one small problem."
The man's eyes sharpened.
"What problem?"
"Well…"
"You know the Raven Guild."
"They sent someone earlier."
"To collect the newly arrived merchandise."
Silence.
Then the temperature in the room dropped dramatically.
"…What did you say?"
"The Raven Guild requested the family."
"So I had no choice but to hand them over."
The man slowly stood.
His presence filled the entire chamber.
"The auction plan was created by Raven himself."
"And those slaves were sent here by Raven."
"So tell me something…"
His voice turned deadly.
"Why would Raven send someone to retrieve them?"
The slave trader's blood turned cold.
"…I…"
Suddenly realization hit him.
His eyes widened.
"…I've been played."
He sprinted toward the auction room.
The door slammed open.
The table stood empty.
Only one thing remained.
A pouch of gold coins.
The trader's mind exploded.
"THAT BASTARD!"
He turned toward the guards.
"MOVE!"
"Catch them before they escape!"
The underground casino erupted into chaos.
Guards rushed through the corridors.
Mercenaries grabbed their weapons.
Doors slammed open.
The hunt had begun.
Meanwhile, Alex and the Virelia family were already halfway through the underground corridors.
"Hurry!"
Selene ran beside him.
Her breathing was steady despite the chains on her wrists.
"Why are we running?"
"Because they realized the trick."
"They will chase us soon."
As if answering his words—
Shouts echoed behind them.
"Stop them!"
"Catch them!"
Selene's eyes widened.
"…They're coming."
Alex cursed quietly.
Too fast.
He glanced around quickly.
The underground complex was a maze of corridors.
Gambling halls.
Storage rooms.
Hidden tunnels.
But if they reached the main exit—
They might survive.
"Keep moving."
Footsteps thundered behind them.
Guards were closing in.
Then suddenly—
A violent wave of heat exploded behind Alex.
He turned just in time to see a glowing sphere flying toward him.
A fireball.
"MOVE!"
The explosion lit the corridor like daylight.
BOOM!
Stone shattered.
Flames roared.
The shockwave slammed Alex against the wall.
Smoke filled the hallway.
Selene coughed.
Her ears rang from the blast.
Through the smoke…
A shadow slowly stepped forward.
A mage.
Wearing dark robes.
His voice echoed calmly.
"…Interesting."
"You managed to escape this far."
Alex forced himself to stand.
His head was spinning.
But one thought echoed loudly in his mind.
We're not safe yet.
The mage raised his hand again.
Flames gathered around his fingers.
Selene looked at Alex.
"…What do we do?"
Alex wiped the blood from his lip.
Then he smiled.
"Well…"
"This is going to be interesting."
Behind them—
The guards were approaching.
Ahead of them—
A powerful mage blocked the corridor.
And somewhere in the underground labyrinth of the capital…
The entire underworld had begun hunting them.
To be continued…