The world of Black Butler / Kuroshitsuji

The First Case [3]

The next day, I met Earl Grey near where the slave auction would start in a few minutes. It was also near the one of the docks at the Port of London. The building that where the auction takes place disguised as a traveling agency. We saw that a quite a few people, all men, walked into the building and has not come back out.

We decided that we would also go in the auction to collect information. At first glance, the inside of the building had nothing out of the ordinary, everything made it seemed like a travel agency, from the mini models of ships on the desks, a map of the world which I could see that was inaccurate, to the black and white pictures of various exotic destinations glued to the wall. However, on a closer inspection you would notice that it is strange, how no one seemed to be around the front of this place, how most people went into a door at the back of it and not come out for ages.

We followed the people and also went into the door at the back. It was a flight of stairs leading downwards to another door.

A man was guarding the door, and every visitors had a word with him. When we arrived, that guard said, "Password?"

Damn, that scarred man had neglected to tell us that particular detail.

I saw that Charles' hand edged closer to his rapier. I coughed, and his hand stopped. I took out a pile of cash, which contained a generous amount of money, possibly more than the people of lower class would ever make in their lives.

I gently put the pile into that guard's hand and got his other hand to cover it. He seemed to be fighting with himself as there was a few moments of silence. But then he quickly shoved it into his pocket, and opened the door behind him.

Inside, there were quite a few people already, none of them saying anything. From the way they dressed, I could tell that they were mostly the upper-middle class.

We sat down on chairs of the back row. Many people soon filled the seats and the auction soon began.

A tall man came out from the back of the stage, "Well come, ladies and gentlemen, to the auction of the cheapest slaves of the highest quality you could find in the country."

"That's the boss." I whispered to Charles.

He nodded and we continued listening.

"Firstly, we have one of the best from the selection, an African man of five feet nine, able to move what normally would take three people to move!"

A chained up black slave was escorted onto the stage by another black man, who seemed to be working with the whites. That black tied the slave's chain to a pole.

The boss continued, "Just look at his build! He even knows basic english, making communication way easier. He is worth three men! But we will start the price off with one hundred pounds."

"One hundred and fifty!"

"Two hundred!"

"Two hundred twenty!"

"Two hundred and-"

"I am tired of this already! Let's just get it over and done with." Charles stood up, making his chair fall over.

"Gentlemen, and what might you-"

The boss was interrupted by Charles, who ran full speed at him with his rapier out. The boss quickly realized the situation and involuntarily took a few steps backward. As Charles reached the boss and raised his rapier, the boss grabbed the black man who was working with the whites, and pulled him in front of himself. Charles' slash went into the black man and he was immediately killed. His dead body fell lifelessly to the men's feet.