Horlaide

Horlaide is the manager of Floating Dragon Island's slave market and a subordinate within the island's commercial organization. He uses the ruler's reputation, paid connections to the Dragon Guards, and coercive bargaining to protect his trade, but his greed brings him into conflict with Han Xiao during the rescue of captive Silvers.

Biography

The Black Star Mercenary Group

Horlaide negotiates to buy the Silvers from Peggy, attempts to have Captain Theon stop the mercenaries, and then takes the captured rescue teams as additional leverage. He pressures their employers for an inflated ransom and tries to bribe Han Xiao into supporting the deal. His market is subsequently infiltrated and destroyed during Ember's operation, allowing Han Xiao to free the captives and Aroshia, whom Horlaide had been repeatedly selling despite knowing she would return to her cell. When Horlaide cannot reclaim the freed slaves and falsely accuses Han Xiao of arranging the attack, Jenny suspends him and promises him a different job. (Chapters 366–380 and 390)

Appearance and personality

Horlaide is short and thin, dresses in luxurious clothes, and covers his fingers and neck with expensive jewelry. He is enthusiastic and smooth with customers but stingy about expenses, reluctant to enter rough districts, and obsessed with maximizing profit. His confidence collapses when his market is ruined; he screams, faints, bargains desperately, and finally tries to shift blame to Han Xiao when official support does not restore his property. (Chapters 366, 368, and 379–380)

Abilities and class

The supplied corpus establishes no Super class or personal combat ability for Horlaide. His practical power comes from commerce and institutional proximity: he manages a luxurious slave market, buys from scavengers, negotiates with wealthy clients, and can pay Dragon Guards such as Theon for assistance. He does not command those guards by right, and once senior figures withhold support, he has no means to recover the people Han Xiao frees. (Chapters 366, 368–370, and 379–380)

Relationships

• Han Xiao: Horlaide first treats Han Xiao as a buyer, later tries to bribe and manipulate him, and finally loses his slaves and position when Han Xiao turns Floating Dragon's own rules against him.
• Aroshia: Horlaide names and markets Aroshia while concealing that she repeatedly returns to the same cell, making her the basis of a recurring sales scam.
• Peggy: Peggy supplies Horlaide with captives and expects him to retrieve the Silvers, but the attempted delivery is intercepted.
• Theon: Horlaide pays the Dragon Guard captain for protection, but Theon retreats from the dispute once Han Xiao gains higher-level backing.
• Jenny: Jenny refuses to restore the freed slaves and suspends Horlaide after he accuses Han Xiao without evidence.

Items

No persistent named personal item is established for Horlaide. His expensive jewelry and luxurious clothing display his wealth, while the slave market's cells, restraints, self-destructive collars, and commercial records belong to the business he manages rather than to a distinct personal arsenal. (Chapters 366–367 and 379)