Reincarnated with the Country System

Alberto and his companions made their way to the upper commerce zone of the capital, which was the complete opposite of the lower commerce zone. The streets here were impeccably clean, with not a scrap of litter in sight. Cobblestones, polished and well-maintained. This area was also guarded by trained knights who regularly patrolled the streets.

The shops and establishments lining the streets were well-built. Each building was constructed with sturdy stone and adorned with intricate carvings. Colourful awnings fluttered gently in the breeze.

As they ventured deeper into the upper commerce district, the grandeur of the surroundings became even more pronounced.

Alberto felt how different the way of life was for the people here, even though they lived in the same city.

Alberto stopped in front of a shop. It was a two-story building. "Is this a bookstore?"

Aisha said, "Yes, Your Majesty. Would you like to go inside?"

With a nod of approval, they entered the shop.

As they stepped inside, they were greeted by a goblin wearing round spectacles perched on his nose, dressed in a merchant's attire that was surprisingly neat and well-fitted, and he stood behind a polished wooden counter, a welcoming smile on his face.

"Welcome, Respectful customers, what kind of books do you want to buy?" said the Goblin.

Alberto raised an eyebrow, taken aback. "I thought goblins were barbaric and stupid," he mumbled, unaware that his words had reached the goblin's keen ears.

The goblin's smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "Respectful customer, please don't compare me to those uncivilized goblins. We are civilized goblins. Our ancestors have been trading in Barta for hundreds of years,"

"Please don't mind. They are our guests from a foreign country," said Aisha.

The goblin studied Alberto and his security closely, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Hmm, their clothes look strange," he mused, but then his expression brightened. "What kind of books do you want to buy? I would be very happy to sell books to foreign guests like you."

Alberto glanced around the shop, noticing that many of the books were chained to the shelves, a precaution against theft in this medieval world where knowledge was both precious and rare, so only nobles and the rich could afford to buy them.

"Okay, then show me some books."

"Of course" The Goblin quickly left and returned with three books. The covers of these books were plated with gold and iron.

"Wow these books look very valuable" Aisha said

"Indeed," the goblin replied, holding up one of the books. "This is an encyclopedia written by a great man, and this book here is the most valuable: 'The Journey of Apocastro.'"

Aisha was very surprised to hear this. "Was it written by Captain Apocastro"

"Yes, it was written by Lord Apocastro who was the greatest explorer and navigator of Britannia. He crossed three oceans and most of the sea routes of our country were discovered by him."

Aisha's eyes widened at this. Her excitement was palpable.

"Hmm, by the way, Miss Aisha you seem to be very interested in this book"

"I am a big fan of Lord Apocastro" Aisha then looked at the goblin shopkeeper and said, "How much does this book cost?"

The goblin's expression turned serious. "I want one hundred gold coins for this book because it is very rare. There are only twelve copies in existence, and I purchased this one from a former nobleman."

Aisha's face fell as she began to count the coins in her purse, her disappointment growing as she realized she didn't have nearly enough.

"Okay, I'm buying these three books," Alberto said suddenly.

Carl then opened the briefcase in his hand, which contained a lot of gold bars.

The goblin's eyes widened in disbelief, his jaw dropping slightly. His eyes lit up with golden light. Because with the amount of gold there was, it was easy to buy several villages.

After the transaction was completed, Alberto and his companions stepped out of the shop, and walking some distance, they stopped in front of another building.

This structure was grander than the bookstore, with tall, arched windows that glimmered in the sunlight. A large wooden sign swung gently above the entrance, emblazoned with the words "The Adventurer's Guild" in bold, ornate lettering.

As they approached, the atmosphere shifted. The sounds of laughter and clinking glasses spilled out from the open doors, mingling with the chatter of excited adventurers discussing their latest quests. The air was thick with the scent of roasted meats and spiced wines, making Alberto's stomach rumble in anticipation.

They entered it. Inside, adventurers of all kinds filled the spacious hall, some counting their earnings at a long wooden counter, some accepting new missions. The walls were lined with posters advertising various missions, from slaying fearsome beasts to retrieving lost artifacts. There was also a bar where adventurers were drinking wine. Alberto and his group drew curious glances as they stepped further inside. Whispers rippled through the crowd, questions about who they were and what had brought them to the guild.

"Look, it's a knight!" one adventurer exclaimed, nudging his companion. "What brings a Royal Knight to a place like this?"

They were most surprised to see Aisha since she was a Royal knight. Because Knights rarely came here.

Aisha smiled politely, but Alberto could sense the tension in the air.

After leaving adventure guild, Alberto and his group visited several other places, including a magic shop where he purchased various magical items.

They then went to the slave market in the city. Since Alberto was very interested in seeing the slaves.

After arriving at the slave market, the environment around them completely changed.

The slave market was at the end of the Commerce District. The buying and selling of slaves was common here. While this does not mean that the slave trade was legal in all countries, there are many countries where slavery was abolished, such as Malak and the Aurilea Republic, which outlawed it in their countries.

Also, in many countries, the slave trade was an essential part of the economy. For example, the Kingdom of Britannia, whose 10% GDP comes from here. There are also countries whose economies depend heavily on the slave trade. That they would never survive without it.

People became slaves for various reasons. There were those orphaned during wars. There were those who were sold as children by their parents when crop harvests failed and they had no other options. There were also those who sold themselves as a way to save their family. There are also slave farms where slaves are raised like cattle. These slaves were also in great demand in the market. Since slaves raised on farms were taught to serve their masters from birth, so there was no need to use magic to make them obedient, which made these slaves much cheaper.

They had rows of slaves for purchase, ones slave traders either bought or gathered from various places.

The clientele gathered around them was fairly diverse: There were adventurers, people in noble attire, townspeople, peasants, students, and merchants, including some merchants shopping for resale opportunities. There were also a few slave owners who were standing with their newly purchased slaves, chatting happily among themselves.

There were also many people here in dirty clothes who looked like pickpockets~though it was unlikely they could slip into a guarded market like this. Instead, they appeared to be slaves themselves, sent by their masters to find additional slaves to purchase. Their ragged clothing hung loosely on their frames, and their eyes darted nervously as they navigated the bustling streets, clearly out of place among the well-dressed merchants and nobles.

As Alberto and others continued their exploration, they noticed a group of these poorly attired individuals huddled together near a corner, whispering among themselves. Their demeanour was cautious, and they kept their heads down, avoiding the gaze of the patrolling knights.

"Uh, um, wow… they really are all naked." Alberto was looking at the shops, his eyes wide with surprise. Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire

Alberto looked at a group of lean, muscled slaves, likely warriors. The female warrior in the centre caught his attention, standing out among the rest. She was impressive, not just in height but also in the pronounced curve of her chest, which was enough to make anyone's mouth full of water.

There were different species and different types of slaves.

There were beautiful female elves and humans who were popular as sex slaves, strong men who were used for physical labor, dwarves who were skilled craftsman, and many other types of slaves.

The vendors, often boisterous and loud, called out to potential buyers, boasting about the strength, skills, and potential of the people they were selling. "This one can work the fields!" one seller shouted, gesturing to a young man with broad shoulders and a defiant glare. "And this girl is a skilled weaver!" another proclaimed, pointing to a girl no older than twelve, her eyes downcast, clutching a tattered piece of fabric.

As they move deeper into the market, they hear a haunting cry of a woman who had just been separated from her child. The anguish in her voice pierced through the noise, a stark reminder of the personal tragedies unfolding in this place. Alberto's heart ached for her, and he felt a surge of anger at the system that allowed such cruelty to exist.

"How can they treat people like this?"

Alberto looks at Aisha, "Miss Aisha, how many slaves are there in total?"

"It's hard to say," she replied. "Estimates vary, but in this market alone, there could be hundreds, if not thousands. The numbers fluctuate daily, depending on the trades and the influx of new captives"

Alberto then looks at Carl, his expression serious."Carl, buy them all!"