Lies, betrayals and revenge… Am I the villain?

The sun had not yet reached its peak when three firm knocks echoed on Ras's door. The wood vibrated slightly, breaking the calm of the bedroom.

—"Come in," said Ras, already awake, fastening the last buttons of his shirt.

The door creaked softly open, and Vaelis, the silent and imposing elf, entered with his solemn presence.

—"Everything is ready. We can leave."

Ras smiled, as always, wearing that kind gesture that concealed far more calculating thoughts.

—"Perfect. Thank you very much."

As they walked down the lavishly decorated corridor, all the servants stepped aside. Though everyone recognized Vaelis's authority, Ras's name was still unknown to them. Just another hero.

Meanwhile, within the castle, behind heavy oak-carved doors, a secret conversation was unfolding.

The eldest princess, Ariane, was seated on an armchair embroidered with golden threads. She wore a tight crimson robe that accentuated her figure, and her intense golden eyes were fixed on the young man before her.

—"Thank you for coming, Eron," she said softly, though her tone carried a venomous edge.

Eron, son of the Supreme Mage, had jet-black hair, short and neat. His demeanor was elegant and refined, with a smile that tried to appear courteous… but couldn't quite mask the poison behind his words.

—"Always a pleasure to serve Princess Ariane," he replied, giving a slight bow.

Ariane watched him with a sharp gaze, full of intention.

—"I have a small favor to ask… or rather, a little test for one of our heroes."

Eron raised an eyebrow.

—"You mean that Raz guy?"

—"Exactly."

—"What do you want me to do?"

The princess smiled with malice.

—"I want you to take him to the southern forest, under any excuse. Make it seem like a special activity, something to help him improve his magic. And there… let fate decide."

Eron slowly smiled.

—"And if he doesn't survive?"

Ariane turned her head with disdain.

—"Then… better. No one in this family cares if he disappears. The king smiles a lot… but deep down, he knows Ras is useless."

Eron lowered his eyes briefly, but his tone darkened.

—"Besides… I heard a rumor."

—"Oh?"

—"They say Raz is interested in your little sister, Elysia."

A flicker passed through Ariane's eyes—a memory of that dinner when Ras had complimented Elysia in a gentle but clearly calculated tone.

—"I had forgotten…"

Eron straightened, his smile now darker.

—"I won't allow a nobody to get close to her. She will be mine and mine alone! If I have to deal with him personally… I will."

Ariane chuckled, soft and cruel.

—"Do it however you like, Eron. Take him to the forest… and if anything happens, just say it was an accident."

Both laughed, two shadows conspiring while outside, the world believed everything was peace and harmony.

Meanwhile, Ras and Vaelis were walking through the city streets, moving away from the castle.

The slave market was on the far end of the commercial district. Wherever they passed, people cleared the path, respectful before the imposing figure of Commander Vaelis. Raz, though mostly ignored by the townsfolk, observed everything… with surgical attention.

He quickly noticed the hostile environment toward slaves.

To his right, a man forced his slave to crawl through the mud. To his left, another yanked violently on the rope tied to a little girl with bandaged hands. But the worst came just ahead…

A woman dressed in emerald silk laughed maniacally as she lashed a shirtless slave with a thorned whip, each strike tearing apart his flesh. Blood was everywhere.

—"Faster! More obedient! You're trash!" she screamed with a shrill cackle.

Ras glanced sideways at Vaelis… and noticed how the elf looked away, lips tense, brow furrowed, eyes… dimmed and sorrowful.

"He doesn't agree with this…?" thought Ras.

His smile returned.

"Why is he the only one who looks uncomfortable?"

And suddenly, a suspicion grew in his mind, like a seed planted in fertile soil:

"What if, by any chance… he's a slave serving the king?"

"Nah… I don't think so. But… Let's see if he can tell me without realizing it"

—"Vaelis," Ras suddenly said, "Don't you have slaves?"

—"No," he answered curtly.

—"Why not?" Ras asked in a casual tone. "You could have one and treat them well if you dislike violence."

Vaelis clenched his jaw.

—"I ask you not to continue with this topic."

Ras smiled even wider.

—"Is slavery illegal in your country?"

Vaelis lowered his gaze, and with a bitter voice, replied:

—"Yes."

"He said it in present time… not in the past."

"Then the elves are not extinct…? The king lied to me?"

Ras looked up at the sky, smiling sarcastically, his hands behind his head.

—"I'd love to visit your country someday."

Vaelis stopped for a moment. A tear slipped from his eye before he could stop it.

—"Yes…"

And at that moment, Ras slowly turned his head toward him, stepping closer with a wicked smile. His eyes sparkled with cunning, and his voice became low and piercing.

—"So my suspicions were right. The king is deceiving us."

Vaelis took a step back, trembling. His face filled with panic.

—"That's not…!" he tried to deny, but his voice quivered.

—"Don't deny it, the king and his family lie to us." Ras said more seriously now. "Your people still alive! Why he lie to us? Are you also a slave to the king? If you weren't, you wouldn't be forbidden to speak. Am I wrong? The king put you here to use your power… but chained with invisible restraints. Isn't that so?"

Vaelis lowered his head, defeated.

—"I have no choice… I have orders. I can't speak of the past. I can't refuse. I can't tell anyone that im a slave. I'm bound to his will… and now, I have to protect you. If not, I'd be forced to kill you for discovering this."

Ras remained silent for a few seconds, then placed a hand on the elf's shoulder.

—"Don't worry. I won't reveal anything. It benefits me to keep this secret. A powerful slave used as the image of the kingdom… it's a brilliant move. But now I know more than the king thinks."

Vaelis looked at him, caught between gratitude and fear.

—"Who are you really…?"

Ras smiled.

—"Just a guy who smiles… and someday, Vaelis," he said with a dark aura and wicked grin, "You'll be mine!"

They finally arrived at the slave market. A wide structure, filled with tents, cages, and a stone building where the highest-value slaves were kept.

A fluffy merchant, with a well-groomed mustache and rings on every finger, came out to greet them. The moment he saw Vaelis, his expression changed immediately—going from disinterest to absolute servility.

—"C-Captain Vaelis! What an honor to have you at my humble establishment!" he said, bowing clumsily. "Please, come in, come in… how can I help you?"

But Ras raised his voice, and his gaze darkened just slightly. The merchant had assumed he was just an assistant, a servant of the imposing figure accompanying him.

Ras noticed immediately, but simply smiled with that warm.

—"I'd like to see the slaves with the highest magical level and combat skills first, please."

The merchant looked at him, confused, then glanced at Vaelis, as if seeking approval.

Vaelis noticed the hesitation and pointed to Ras without even looking at the merchant.

—"Speak with the young man," he said coldly. "I'm only his escort today."

The merchant tensed for a second, then swallowed and forced a nervous smile.

—"Oh, of course… my apologies for the confusion."

He quickly straightened up, bowed to Ras, and said:

—"My name is Garent, at your service. I'll take you to the special section right away."

As they walked between rows of slaves, the air was thick with the smell of dried blood, sweat, and hopelessness. Garent spoke almost proudly, as if showing off a gallery of fine art.

—"Currently, my best are at magic level 3. Unfortunately, I sold the last level 4 a couple of weeks ago… a nobleman from the frontier bought him."

—"I see," Ras replied casually, carefully observing the faces, the markings, the bodies.

They passed by humans, demi-humans, dwarves… even a few demons. Garent kept talking, gesturing dramatically.

—"Many of them were once soldiers or important merchants… but they fell into disgrace through debts, betrayal, bad deals, or war. Since they're new slaves, they're still rebellious. Some keep trying to escape, others refuse to obey. Hard to mold, you see?"

But Ras wasn't listening much anymore. His eyes had locked onto a particular figure.

A woman in chains, sitting on her own poodle of pee, separated from the rest. Her hair was long and tangled, a dirty dark violet streaked with dust. Her body, though covered in torn, stained rags, still showed a perfectly feminine figure—voluptuous, elegant, with defined curves, ghostly pale skin and a horn on the right side of her head. She was beautiful, even in such a pitiful state.

But what captivated him most was her empty gaze. As if she no longer existed.

—"And her?" Ras asked, stopping in front of her. "She looks like she's suffered more than the others."

Garent snorted and lowered his voice.

—"Ah… that one. That's a complicated case. She's of demon race. A succubus. High magical resistance, natural power. But…"

He paused, glancing around as if to ensure no one was listening.

—"She was captured by traffickers. Passed through several masters… the last one was a sick noble who used her for entertainment with his guests. They'd compete to see who could hit her harder, who could make her scream the most. If she disobeyed, he used electric collars, burned her, starved her for days. She tried to kill herself several times. We had to bind her to keep her from doing it again."

Ras crouched in front of her carefully. She didn't even look at him.

—"Can you speak?" he asked softly.

The woman barely moved her lips.

—"…Yes."

—"What kind of magic does she use?" Ras asked, glancing at Garent.

—"Dark magic and dimensional magic."

Ras raised an eyebrow.

—"Dimensional?"

—"Yes. She can store items in a personal dimension—like a bottomless storage. Ideal for carrying weapons or supplies. But we haven't tested it. Her last owner's record says so."

—"And what kind of dark magic?"

—"Not entirely sure. The report just says shadow manipulation, curses… and something about life energy. We haven't verified it yet. We bought her recently."

Garent crossed his arms, looking down at her.

—"Honestly, I wouldn't recommend her. She's broken. Too damaged. Probably won't last long. But if you're interested, I'll let her go for two gold coins."

Ras looked around. All level 3 slaves were valued at five gold coins. This was an opportunity.

Then he remembered Alzareth's explanation: four bronze coins make one silver, four silver make one gold. He'd been given five gold coins to buy something valuable.

But greed stirred inside him—he saw a chance for profit.

—"What if I offer you one gold coin and two silvers?" he asked, still smiling. "I doubt anyone else would want her. Besides… she's probably already been violated, I don't like secondhand slaves."

He didn't care if she had or hadn't been violated. He had no desire for sex. He only said it to gain an advantage.

Garent chuckled mockingly.

—"Believe it or not… she's still a virgin. Her last master was more interested in torturing her than sleeping with her. According to the report, she's 300 years old. Succubi age differently. She'll live for centuries. By the time you die… she'll probably still be alive."

Ras let out a low laugh and decided to press his advantage, using Vaelis's presence to intimidate further.

—"Still seems expensive. Come on… one gold and two silvers. Don't be greedy."

Then Ras turned deliberately toward Vaelis and asked:

—"What do you think, Vaelis?"

Garent sighed, glancing at Vaelis, aware he was making a deal in front of the Royal Guard Captain.

—"Fine. One gold, two silvers."

—"Excellent," Ras replied with a cordial bow. "Mark her."

Garent signaled an assistant, who brought a magic stone. They activated it and engraved the slave mark on the woman's shoulder.

While doing so, Garent asked:

—"What will her name be?"

Ras looked at her for a moment… and answered without much thought:

—"Violeta."

And just like that, Violeta, the broken succubus, became Ras's property.

When they finished, Ras paid and thanked them politely, still wearing that charming smile that confused fools.

—"Let's return to the castle," he finally said. He was also pleased to have made such a profitable deal and still have money left.

And without looking back, they walked the same path they had come…