Joel didn't take too long to think about it. The idea had already taken root, and there was no room for doubt in his mind.

  "What is the elf woman's value?" he asked directly, without hesitation.

  The merchant raised an eyebrow, surprised only for a moment. Then, with a broad smile, he took the liberty of answering a little more than he had been asked.

  "Forty crystals for each of the canine adepts," he listed in a clear voice. "One hundred and twenty crystals for the expert. And for our dear elf… two hundred crystals."

  He paused briefly, savoring the reaction those figures provoked, before adding:

  "Although I can give you a special price if you decide to take them all. Let's say… four hundred crystals."

  Basil reacted immediately, turning to Joel and then to the merchant, his eyes wide.

  “Are you crazy?” he exclaimed, unable to hide his indignation. “That’s outright robbery!”

  Joel, on the other hand, remained silent. While Basil was outraged, he was performing mental calculations with absolute composure. And it was no wonder, considering that the value assigned to the elf was within the range of a level four mystical artifact. A completely disproportionate price for a mere mystical adept… even considering her affinity.

  He knew it. And yet he had no intention whatsoever of haggling. Not in his current state of mind.

  “Do you accept Zakha notes?” Joel asked, reaching into one of his pockets.

  The merchant’s smile widened instantly.

  “Of course,” he replied, rubbing his hands together with obvious enthusiasm.

  Banknotes—or bills, as Joel knew them on modern Earth—were not unknown on Gaea. However, their use was uncommon. The reason was simple: their value depended entirely on trust in the entity that issued them.

  In Dirmistan, very few institutions were capable of issuing banknotes, and these were only used for values ??denominated in crystals. They were a practical solution for those who didn't want to transport large quantities of such a valuable—and dangerously vulnerable—resource.

  In that case, only the governors of the largest cities were in a position to safeguard large-scale crystal deposits. Of course, this came at a cost, usually one or two percent of the deposited value.

  And for these depositors, the greatest risk could only come from extreme scenarios: the fall of the city, the destruction of their vault, or, in the worst-case scenario, the governor himself deciding to flee with everything. In any of these situations, the banknotes became worthless. Something that, without a doubt, had already happened more than once. In fact, that was the reason why so few remained in circulation.

  The banknotes of the city of Zakha were a notable exception. They were the most reliable in all of Dirmistan, even more so than those issued by the capital. Centuries of reputation backed them up, along with security systems so complex that forging them was, for most, an impossible task.

  Joel pulled two notes from his pocket. Each one was worth one hundred level one crystals. He handed them over as payment for the elf woman.

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  The merchant then produced a small artifact from his clothing. It looked like a clear, polished gem, about the size of a thumb. As soon as he brought it close to the notes, it began to glow with a soft, steady blue light, reacting to the authenticity seals printed on them.

  "Apparently, everything is in order," the merchant said with satisfaction.

  Without wasting any time, he approached the elf woman and prepared to separate her from the group with a firm, yet polite, gesture.

  It was then that something happened that Joel hadn't anticipated at all. The elf woman didn't react well to being bought. On the contrary, her expression immediately tightened, and obvious discomfort crossed her face as she realized she would be separated from the others. She took a hesitant step back, as if the situation were tearing her apart inside.

  What was supposed to be a quick transaction turned into an emotional farewell.

  The eldest of the werewolves—who, judging by her bearing and presence, could only be the expert mystic—advanced without hesitation toward the grieving woman and enveloped her in a firm, prolonged embrace. There were no words, for they seemed unnecessary. They clung to each other for long seconds, their eyes closed, as tears began to stream uncontrollably down the elf woman's face.

  The elf sobbed silently. The werewolf did not, though the trembling in her arms spoke louder than any sob. The scene was profoundly moving. Perhaps too much so.

  Something broke inside Joel as he witnessed it. An uncomfortable pressure tightened in his chest, awakening emotions he had tried to keep under control since the emotional barrier had been opened. And he didn't hesitate to make an impulsive decision.

  "I'll buy them all," he said, his voice firm.

  The merchant barely had time to react before Joel handed over two more banknotes, equivalent to an additional two hundred crystals.

  The effect of this action was immediate, with surprise sweeping through the room. Especially on the face of the elf woman, tears still streaming down her cheeks, unable to fully comprehend what had just happened. Her eyes widened in disbelief, a mixture of relief, confusion, and a glimmer of hope she dared not acknowledge.

  The merchant, on the other hand, could only stare at the new banknotes in his hands, blinking several times, as if afraid they would vanish. Then he looked up at Joel, assessing him with a new perspective. Not as a customer. But as a gift from heaven… A complete fool with deep pockets. And he decided to exploit this opportunity to the fullest.

  With renewed affability, he quickly led the group to another section of the establishment: the area where the child slaves were kept. Conveniently by chance, several relatives of the demihumans Joel had just purchased were there. And so, another emotional scene unfolded.

  The reunions followed one after another, each more painful than the last. Desperate embraces, uncontrollable sobs, children's voices trembling with fear and relief. The children's tears filled the room, and with them, Joel's eyes began to redden, unable to remain indifferent.

  It didn't take much more. After too many heartbreaking scenes, Joel ended up spending another two hundred crystals on more than sixty demihuman children of various races, all snatched from an uncertain fate… and thrown into one they didn't yet understand.

  It was then that Basil finally had to intervene. He stood before the merchant with a stern expression, cutting them off before he could exploit the situation any further.

  "That's enough," he said firmly. "Not today."

  Then he turned to Joel, whose eyes were red and unfocused. It was clear he wasn't in the best mental state after witnessing so many emotionally charged scenes.

  Basil feared, in all seriousness, that if no one stopped him, Joel would end up buying not only that establishment… but the entire slave district.

  When they finally left that place, the scene they left in their wake was hard to ignore. Behind them stretched a long line of demihuman children, advancing silently, while the five women walked around them, keeping them together and in order with a calmness that betrayed that they had all been trained in some way.

  It was during that journey that Joel began, little by little, to regain his composure. The emotional fervor that had gripped him in the market began to dissipate, and with it came an unsettling feeling: the stark awareness of how impulsive he had been. That lack of control was not only uncharacteristic of him, but also profoundly risky.

  He understood this immediately, so he decided that he would not expose himself in public again until he had closed his emotional barrier once more.

  Fortunately, the city was already beginning to empty. Travelers, merchants, and adventurers were preparing to depart, which made it easier to find enough rooms at the inn to house the new slaves.

  On the other hand, the group led by Calista had fared better in the commercial district and returned with a considerable amount of resources for the company, especially potions and elixirs intended to strengthen its members. In practical terms, their journey had been a resounding success.

  However, when everyone returned to the inn and learned of the kind of slaves Joel had acquired, uncomfortable glances quickly appeared, intensifying even more when they saw the women, whose presence drew attention even when they tried to remain inconspicuous.

  Even so, no one dared to stare at the women for too long. The memory of what had happened in that tavern was still fresh in everyone's mind. Provoking Joel was not an option anyone was willing to consider.

  Thus, on the day they left to return to the city of Thurion, it was necessary to acquire five additional wagons to transport all the women and children. And despite the number, the journey began without major problems.

  They would all be taken to a village north of Kelion, where Joel owned a property capable of housing them for a while, while he decided if it was worthwhile to take them to his refuge.