Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe - C.361 Freedom

?In the Acadian Empire, slavery and human trafficking had long since been banned.

This was due to the Empire's foundational principles of freedom and equality for all the major races, whether mortals or Magi.

These principles have been upheld ever since the establishment of the Empire hundreds of years ago.

The founding Emperor wanted to promote a society where every individual, whether they were born with the blessing of mana or without, could thrive and contribute to the Empire.

However, despite the official ban, slavery still persisted in the shadows.

The slave trade remained highly profitable, especially for the Magi. After all, what better way to experiment with their magic spells than on a live conscious being? Dark Magi partook in such experiments the most.

Magi in positions of power exploited their influence to protect and profit from the slave trade. They ensured that it remained undetected and unpunished.

But the biggest reason was the remnants of old traditions and societal norms.

Magi believed that they were superior to mortals. Thus, they treated them no differently than cattle. In some regions of the Empire, slavery was viewed as acceptable.

Victims of slavery lived in constant fear of retaliation. This made them less likely to seek help or even expose their captors.

These underlying issues created a dark underbelly where slavery thrived. Moreover, it also didn't help that the enforcement of anti-slavery laws was more often than not inadequate.

However, if it were found out that a Magus dealt with slavery and human trafficking, the consequences would be severe.

So when Cade learned that Adam was here to sell slaves, he panicked.

"What are you talking about?!" He yelled out. "Don't you know slavery is illegal in the Empire? Are you trying to slander us?!"

"Slander?" Adam asked in amusement. "Is it not true that you enslave young women from all over the empire and force them into a life of prostitution?"

"T-That's ridiculous!" Cade's back was drenched in cold sweat. f𝚛e𝐞𝐰𝚎b𝚗o𝚟𝚎l.c𝗼m

He didn't know how the Magus before him was able to find out about their method of operations.

Since the inception of The Velvet Dreams, the owners made sure that everything related to capturing prospective courtesans was done by their own people.

This would ensure that their secret would never be made public.

Of course, there were a few very trusted people who were privy to this. But they shared a deep relationship with the couple.

But now all of a sudden, a random Magus appeared out of nowhere and spoke about selling slaves to the pleasure house.

Cade didn't know how to react.

In all the years that he'd been working here, something like this had never happened. So he didn't know how to react.

Looking at his flustered state, Adam chuckled, "Go now, little keeper. Bring your masters. Let me talk with them. Rest assured, I'm not going anywhere."

Cade looked at Adam incredulously, wondering if he had a death wish.

After all, regardless of how the latter's meeting went with his masters, it was highly likely that Adam would never leave this place.

This secret that Adam knew held far too much weight.

Despite that, he appeared so calm that it made Cade have an unsettling feeling grip his heart. Without waiting another moment, he hurriedly turned around and ran upstairs.

Adam didn't leave the private suite. Instead, he went toward the seating area across from the oversized bed and sat down on a high-back cushioned couch.

He closed his eyes and patiently waited.

After what he had just revealed, he was certain that the owners of this pleasure house would kill him. Even if he was indeed a slave trader, there was no way the owners would risk doing business with him.

From what he had learned from the Brotherhood's intel, the owners of this establishment had their own slave traders that they'd groomed for years. They never bought slaves from a third party.

Despite knowing all that, Adam still walked into the pleasure house and offered himself on their chopping board.

This was the most direct method he could think of.

Of course, there were still other ways to deal with his targets. But that required far too much time, planning, and scheming.

But why strategize when problems can be solved with fists?

Suddenly, his eyes opened. Through his Sphere of Resonance, he could feel dozens of Rank 1 Magi approaching his private suite. However, none of them entered.

A hint of surprise flashed past his eyes and he muttered under his breath, "Three?"

Apart from the owners of this pleasure house, another Mana Liquefaction Magus was making his way toward him.

Hmm, other than the Rollins couple, there shouldn't have been another Rank 2 Magus," Adam thought to himself, could this perhaps be a client?

However, apart from his momentary surprise, there was no hint of nervousness in his countenance. He was fully confident in his capabilities to deal with these Magi.

The next moment, Adam couldn't help but grimace. "Ugh!"

He raised his hand and gently rubbed his eyes. A moment later, he looked down at his fingertips and saw that they were stained by blood.

Adam's expression turned solemn. I need to finish this quickly. The longer I use the lotus as the magical focus, the more damage I sustain.

The next moment, his expression returned to usual when he heard the sound of footsteps coming in from the entrance of the suite.

He turned his head and saw four figures walking in. The one at the front was Cade. Behind him were two men and one extremely beautiful woman.

Adam's smile widened and he thought to himself, Ah, there they are. Atkin and Nara Rollins. His gaze then shifted to the third Rank 2 Magus. But who is that man?

Cade approached Adam and stood before him. He put on a nervous smile and began, "My Lord, please allow me to introduce the owners of The Velvet Dreams."

"Atkin Rollins," Adam muttered as he glanced at the middle-

aged man wearing lavish golden robes.

Then, he looked at the mature, middle-aged woman with an exquisite temperament and charming looks, and added, "And Nara Rollins. I know who you are."

"Oh?" Nara smiled seductively as she scrutinized Adam's appearance. "Seems like you've done your research quite thoroughly. Might I ask who you are?"

Adam simply smiled.

He wasn't worried about these Magi seeing through his appearance. Firstly, they wouldn't be able to.

Secondly, why should he be worried about people who were going to die?

Hence, the youth ignored her and glanced at the young man with black hair and a pale skin complexion standing beside the couple.

From the aura and vitality that Adam could sense from this young man, he could tell that the latter was no different in age than him.

To be so young and already a Mana Liquefaction Magus indicated the young man's great talent.

"And you are?" Adam asked curiously.

Nara's eyes flashed with a cold light upon being ignored by Adam in her own house. Atkin was also seething with rage.

However, before either of them could respond, the young man had already taken a step forward and was staring at Adam with blatant hostility.

"Don't you know how ungentlemanly it is to ignore a woman's question?"

"Is that so?" Adam's lips formed a smirk. He got up from his seat and took a step toward this young man.

His lips parted and he coldly muttered,

"Then what are you gonna do about it?"