Beastmen: She Tames the Land-Chapter 126: Choosing Slaves (2)

Xeno, beside her, went stiff, his muscles taut. She grabbed his hand to stop him from saying anything. This was not the time to go against the Fox tribe. There are things in this world that people cannot control. The slave trade is one of them.

Visha is more than aware of the fact that even in her own world, although it is not explicitly stated, there is still a slave trade. Doing it openly in this world actually makes her a little relieved. At least, if the person is gone, you have a chance to find out which tribes might have them and buy them back.

It’s better than disappearing silently and never being found again.

Whether Reyn saw the interaction, he did not falter in his notions. His eyes swept over the three people briefly. His salesman smile never left his lips. She knew he was watching the dynamics. He was searching for weakness.

He was deliberately attempting to cause a scene or discover their bottom line.

As Reyn led them to another section, with the two slaves following behind, he began to speak, "The brand is a form of protection. A slave without a brand is a stray. Free for anyone to do as they please. Being an idealist won’t change anything. The world is cruel, and the sooner you learn that, the sooner you will be able to accept both yourself and the world."

Visha listened as he spoke. She couldn’t deny that what he said resonated with her. Accepting the cruelty of the world is a way to protect yourself. She had done it before in her other world. In the short time she has been here, she has seen the simplicity of the people here. Their belief in gods and magic made it seem that things were simpler than her previous world.

Even after learning the lore of the First Beast, she always thought this world had gone through a disaster that reset the world. But the more she knew, the more she understood that this world is more than meets the eye. And she doesn’t know how much longer she will be able to remain innocent.

Walking along the path, Reyn introduced some of the slaves they had. He pointed at a beautiful half-shifted fox. He explained the symbol of her brand. As she was weak, she was used to tend to the cubs. Another was a half-shifted wolf. He became their best tracker after his brand.

A part of Visha wondered if the brand helped some sort of magical property to make them so docile. Primarily because when he described the wolf shifter, he had told them that he was ferocious before being branded.

They left the wide open space and entered a different part of the settlement. It was a dark, muddy clearing filled with pens and ramshackle shelters. There weren’t flowers here. There was only filth, damp earth, and the taste of despair.

The slaves in this place were a stark contrast to the ’prized’ ones. They were thin, their bodies dirty, their eyes hollow, and their movements were listless.

"Here they are," Reyn said, waving his hand dismissively. "The weak, the broken, the flawed. I’m sure you can find something...to your liking."

When he said those last words, he looked directly at Uri.

Uri’s cold eyes met his gaze, locking in a battle of wit and self-control. Reyn was the first to turn away. Even after he did, Uri kept his eyes level. Only when Visha touched his arm did he look away.

Her eyes scanned the clearing. She would choose ten people. Not because she didn’t want to choose more, but because they had to be mindful of the River Clan. They knew they would be buying slaves. Even if she had given them the raft blueprint, she still needed to ensure they could carry their own goods back as well.

Her eyes fell on a man whose spirits looked crushed; she chose him. Then a pair of twin females. A tall man with bulging muscles and intelligent eyes. She turned to Xeno and Uri, gesturing for them to choose the people they wanted.

Uri and Xeno also chose people for the pack. In the end, there were a total of twelve people chosen. This includes the two ’prized’ slaves. They were unable to choose more than this. Mainly because of the capacity of the River Clan’s raft.

As they stood in a line, they showed no sign of resistance. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Leading them to an enclosed workshop. Instead, a large male was stoking a fire. On the table lay a series of brands. Each containing its own intricate symbol. Reyn walked forward and picked up a branding iron.

The brand was simple. It was two vertical lines with two intersecting horizontal lines in the middle. He placed it in the fire, waiting for it to be hot enough to brand the chosen slaves.

"Using this brand, everyone will know they are slaves. If your people have their own brands, it is best to brand them as soon as possible. Let them know their place," Reyn advised.

When the brand was hot enough, one of the Fox tribe people walked towards the slaves. When the first person was branded, he didn’t make a sound. He didn’t flinch, as if he had already accepted his fate.

As they continued to brand, there were some who flinched away; however, they didn’t try to run or scream. The scene made the trio’s hearts heavy. However, there was nothing they could do to stop what was happening. They could only make changes when they went back to their pack.

Uri sent a message through their link telling them not to look away. He knew this was a matter they needed to deal with. They would not be saints, and they must harden themselves. As leaders, they are not allowed to be soft. There will always be times for hard decisions. This isn’t one of them. This was simply the way people lived life.

It wasn’t until Nyx was to be branded that things became complicated. She had been silent this entire time, and only now was she acting agitated. She began to sob. Her cries were heartwrenching, and they echoed in the warehouse.

Visha remembered the system telling her that Nyx was unstable. She stepped forward, gripped Nyx’s chin, holding herface steady, forcing her to look at her. Nyx tried to look away, but Visha held her tight.

Reyn watched the interaction. A cunning smile on his lips.

"Look at me," Visha demanded. "You have to do this."

She saw the flicker in Nyx’s eyes. She stopped crying, and her expression became fierce. Uri and Xeno walked over quickly, Xeno growling as he felt her aggression.

"Do it," Visha said to the person doing the branding.

As soon as she spoke, Nyx was branded. If looks could kill, Visha would have died long ago. After Nyx was branded, she fainted.

Once everyone was branded. They made their way back to the River Clan raft. Reyn followed, still taking in the trio.

Before they left, Visha handed Reyn five jars of moisturizer. For the twelve slaves. They also left a jar of spices and one bag of cement.

"The Tribe Leader has said he has no interest in these things. However, I think it would be best if you try them. You may find you like it. For the spices, don’t use too much. We have told you how to use the cement; the rest is up to you." Visha kept her tone neutral.

"This is for you." Reyn handed Visha a small clay bottle. "You don’t want your slaves dying on you, do you?"

Seeing the cunning smile, Visha couldn’t help looking at the bottle in his hand.

"Are they poisoned?" she asked.

"Yes." The simple answer spoke volumes.

Visha took the bottle from his hand, not allowing herself to show any emotions. She knew he was still trying to get them to react.

Reyn stood watching the River Clan raft leave their glen.

It was only after they were out of sight that a figure appeared from the shadows.

It was Zeek, the Tiger tribe priest.