Herald of Steel

Chapter 1404 Revisiting The Eastern District (Part-6)

In the slave market, strong male slaves were always in the greatest demand, desired to be used as extra hands in all sorts of manual work- farming, mining, looking after livestock, transport, assistants, you name it.

But as could be seen from their prices, they were not cheap.

Even normal, healthy slaves cost an average farmer three to four years of his entire annual income, and powerful warriors could go two, three, or if they were famous enough even up to ten times the value.

So buying a slave was roughly the modern equivalent of buying a house or mansion.

Except this 'house' had the risk of being moody, temperamental, disloyal, a tendency to run away, and worst of all, falling ill and dying!

In the other cases, at least there was a chance to retrieve or even sell the slave away to make back some of the money.

Your next read is at empire

But a slave dying was a cause of great misery for many middle class and even some rich families.

This was the same as a modern man losing his house to a flood or hurricane, and having no insurance to cover it, i.e.- the equivalent of losing one's own entire life savings.

Thus, because of the enormous risks involved, the customers were understandably very thorough in checking their goods before buying.

They poked and prodded every muscle in the slave's body for any lump or unnatural softness.

Inspected the mouth for any hidden diseases like scurvy or rot and some men even brazenly shoved their fingers into the slaves' mouth to feel for the teeth at the back, checking for missing dentals or decay.

All these were thought to be signs of a weak, unfit slave.

Some even took the checking to the next extreme, having the slaves shed their loin clothes and check for warts or infections around the crotch.

Given the humidity of the season and lack of general hygiene in the slave pens, it was very common for men to develop diseases around there from all the sweat and chaffing.

....

Right beside the strong male slave types, another popular sub type were young boys and adolescents.

They were catered to more target the poorer class as they cost quite less than their adult counterpart, but many rich and famous also bought them for both utilitarian and hedonistic reasons.

"Dear masters, why spend your coin on these brutes? Come, see this young Cantagenian boy here! Quick, clever, and ideal for a household servant. Just 4,000 ropal! He even speaks some Azhak and learns quickly. Perfect for the busy matron!"

"Unbroken boys from Iyizarids! Healthy and quick learners, knows how to take care of horses and sheep, fit for household service or errands. Train them as you please! Only 3,000!"

"Three sons of a destroyed noble house from Thesos! All well learned and mannered. Speaks Azhak! Perfect servants for any lord's house, squires for the young master, and bed mates to play with! Only 70,000 ropals for the trio! A bargain, a bargain!"

As seen, the prices varied greatly for these young boys, based on their skills, origins, and looks.

Although the above example might seem extremely tasteless to a modern audience, such dealing there a dime a dozen here.

Women tended to usually go for a third to half of what a similar man went for, but in return, they also usually had to endure less physical hardship.

Cooking, cleaning, sewing, mending, and taking care of the kids, a large part of these jobs were done indoors, which at least gave some respite from the sweltering sun or the freezing rains.

This is not to say the girls had it easier than the boys, they had their own trials, the most conspicuous being having to lay with their master without any say in it and many times unwittingly becoming pregnant.

But society of the time seemed to think this was easier than working the fields or mines in those abject weathers.

....

Now one type of slave that truly did have it easy were the skilled and learned ones- artisans, skilled tradesmen, and learned individuals.

They were multiple times more expensive than the ordinary laborers and almost exclusively bought by the rich and powerful.

And because of their high status clientele, they were not even sold like the rest of the plebians.

Unlike the common slave man unkemptly dressed in a sheer loincloth, and women dressed in poor, low quality chiltons or robes and then left to sweat under the sun, these highly prized goods were smartly dressed in beautiful, colorful clothes, offered a shade from the sun and occasionally even had a slave attendant.

They were treated better even most commoners.

And if you heard what they went for, you would agree, they deserved very bit of that luxury.

"Look here! A young, educated scribe from Ankoot! Fluent in Tibian, Azhak, and Thesis, perfect for working as a translator or tutoring your children! Only 30,000 ropals"

"Look no further, patricians! A skilled scribe from the maester halls of the capital— educated in philosophy and mathematics! He can take care of your books, tutor your children, write poetry for your guests, and debate with even the most erudite of scholars in any literary gathering.

"Imagine the prestige he'll bring to your villa. Only 70,000 ropals! For someone of his status, this is a bargain. Come, come, do not miss this rare treasure!"

"Oh? How did a respectable measter from the capital end up here? Did he offend the head priest?"

The one who made his query was none other than Alexander, who always had a hunger to obtain skilled, learned men.

Let us say no to piracy! Don't take part in a crime! Don't patronize thieves!

Please come Here!

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