One Silver Coin For a Pound of Demon

Chapter 1

Draft

This is in NU (novelupdates) so leave your reviews there!
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On payday, you walk to the market after getting off work and prepare to buy some cheap food. Nowadays, your salary is considerable but expenses were still the same. You need to save some money to prepare for the mass next month. You walked into the West End without stopping, but just before you reached your destination, a salesman stopped you.

The West Side wasn't a very good wet market, it had the cheapest discounts and second-hand goods; as well as the most annoying shopkeepers. Even if you wear your robe, you'll occasionally be caught and made to listen to promotions. You stand there without saying a word, listening to the salesman's endless introduction of his products, "Almost as good as new!" he said. Even though you know that this is a phrase every secondhand seller will say, you still smile.

Only when you close your eyes could the recommended product be described as "as good as new". It has a broken horn and was covered in wounds. There are obvious scars on one nipple. There was probably a nipple ring pierced there before being forcefully torn off. There was an unclean breath on its body, all sorts of unclean stains condensed on its naked skin, blood and a heather scent lingered. Of course, it was a demon, the cheap mixed-blood kind. Purebred demons will not have so many fresh wounds, they will not be tied by a few magic silver chains, and they will not appear here.

Your expression made the shopkeeper a little embarrassed, "It was only delivered this morning! I swear it doesn't have any curses, disease or pollution on it! Its current state is sufficient to show that its vitality is tenacious!" He hurriedly remedied, slapping the devil's back like one would a strong horse, "And it's very cheap! A silver coin a pound!"

This was indeed very cheap, but considering it as an additional expense, the total price is still too high. The demon knelt on the ground with its head down, you can still see its tall and strong body- a racial talent, even if it is starved to death, the half-blood demon will still look healthy seconds before death. You looked at its body, estimated the total price in your mind, and shook your head.

"This is almost my purchase price. I can't reduce the price anymore, father!" the shop owner said bitterly. "It can work, and it's also a very good teaching tool, whether it's for apprentice training or testing weapons, it'll make a very good target. If it weren't, how could I recommend it to you, the honourable priest?"

But apart from you, few people in this area will buy whole demon at this price. The owner didn't introduce its talents and abilities, most likely it's incapable. It has a male appearance, too unkind for the ladies and not sweet enough for people with special hobbies. If this was an adult man, you would've liked his looks, but he was just a bastard demon.

You expressed your intentions to leave as tactfully as possible, but the shopkeeper seemed to be desperate. "If you think the total price is expensive, you can buy them separately!" He gritted his teeth. "Which part do you want?"

The shopkeeper looked very heartbroken, the meat of the half-blood demon sold less than a silver coin and a pound and the taste was unsatisfactory. You think about it and say, "Leave the head and torso." After all, you don't plan to have a demon helper, limbs won't matter.

You can probably get it half the price this way.

The shopkeeper nodded and went back to the counter, he pushed out a table with a chopping board and knife, pushed the demon on it. The creature that had been bowing its head finally moved. When you look at it, you suddenly wonder what expression it will show.

It has dark brown eyes, too ordinary for a monster. Its face was pressed on the cutting board and its eyes were chasing the raised blade. You thought you would see fear, anger, or pain in them- you don't know if you really saw this; its eyes were numb, its expression was numb. There is only a blank, with no shadow of emotion. It looked at the knife, you looked at it, its chest was heaving before the blade fell, it took a hasty breath, a little hope flashed in its eyes.

Boom!

The shopkeeper yelled, the bastard who had been docile and cooperative suddenly bumped back and stretched his neck to where the knife should have fallen. The devil uttered a shrivelled cry, probably because the shopkeeper kicked his foot heavily on its chest, or maybe because you grabbed the knife in advance. If the head of the devil left its body instead of its arms, even a pure-blooded demon would have difficulty surviving, the mixed-bloods would definitely die. But now it's alive, alive and temporarily intact.

"Forget it." You said, changing your attention, "Sell me the whole thing."

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PastTimer: Was my decision to suddenly translate this too rash? School's over anyhow so let's enjoy this free time. Suddenly changing to second-person and present tense is so jarring, I'm sure I made many mistakes. Tell me in the comments what you think!

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