CH 144

Chapter 144 – Merchants

“…Sigh.” (Noalia)

“Noalia-sama?!” (D’esta)

For some reason, Noalia let out a sigh, and she began to topple over as if about to collapse. D’esta moved quickly to catch her before she fell, then brought her over to the bed in the room and laid her down upon it.

“What’s wrong with her all of a sudden? Why did she collapse?” (Bouchi)

“Noalia-sama is a very kind person. The truth is, ever since she learned about the truth regarding Shuren-sama, she’s been feeling very tense all this time. She kept telling herself that if she let herself relax even a little, she wouldn’t be able to rescue Nike-sama. She worked day in, day out to gather information and organize a strategy…” (D’esta)

D’esta explained that she had been looking for a way to rescue Nike with as little sacrifice as possible. Furthermore, all of the people who believed in her and followed her would have certainly lived as traitors after the rescue operation. To make matters worse, some of them might have been wounded or even died in the process.

But then I came along and completed the entire endeavor without any sacrifices exactly as she had hoped, which suddenly made all of her worries unfounded. The ever-present tension in her was cut like a string, which had apparently caused her to suddenly collapse like this.

“…Hey, Bouchi.” (D’esta)

“What is it?” (Bouchi)

“Is… Nike-sama really safe and sound?” (D’esta)

“I wouldn’t come here and lie to you. Having a trustworthy reputation is of utmost importance to a merchant.” (Bouchi)

“…I see. But… why would you do something so reckless? Wouldn’t the rescue operation have been easier to carry out if we were there?” (D’esta)

In a quiet voice, D’esta glared at me and asked what my ulterior motives were.

“A merchant could only have one ulterior motive.” (Bouchi)

“…..The reward?” (D’esta)

“Precisely. I could expect a better reward if I completed the rescue operation with my own forces than if I borrowed your help, no?” (Bouchi)

“….You’d risk your life for something like that?” (D’esta)

“Hey, I only did it because I knew I could do it. Merchants don’t try to take on the impossible.” (Bouchi)

“…..I still don’t like you merchants in the end.” (D’esta)

“….The village I lived in was swindled by a merchant.” (D’esta)

What a surprise. I didn’t expect her to actually talk about it.

“Swindled?” (Bouchi)

“The village I grew up in was a poor but peaceful place. My parents raised me with smiles always present on their faces, even though we were poor. But one day, a peddler came to the village. It was the first time a merchant had stopped by our village, and considering how remote and out of the way it was, everyone looked at him with curiosity.” (D’esta)

Her eyes half-closed in reminiscence, D’esta began to recount the past.

The merchant had come from the imperial capital, so he had a wide selection of goods that would normally never reach the village. As a result, all of the villagers’ eyes lit up with interest when they saw what he had to offer.

And it wasn’t just a one time thing, either. The merchant came by the village often. Each time, he would sell food, clothing, medicine, and other items at low prices, building a relationship of trust with the villagers.

“And then one day, the village’s lifeline, the well that everyone drew water from, became unusable.” (D’esta)

“What do you mean?” (Bouchi)

“Something contaminated the water in the well and made it undrinkable. Before we realized it, many had already fallen ill—my family and I as well. Only one or two people were fine.” (D’esta)

“Do you know what caused it?” (Bouchi)

“….Yeah. But the cause was only ascertained long after the fact. While many of us were confined to our beds, that merchant showed up, somehow at just the right time.” (D’esta)

Just the right time? No way…

“The merchant was offering the medicine that could cure the disease. Naturally, everyone rejoiced, because we thought we were saved. In fact, I had been treated on the spot.” (D’esta)

Apparently, D’esta had been the one with the most severe symptoms at the time. Because of that, the merchant cured her first to show that such a wonder drug really existed.

“But… that was when he revealed his true nature.” (D’esta)

An expression that was completely unlike that of the merchant, who had been so kind to the villagers to that point, descended upon his face at that moment.

“If left untreated, this disease will kill you in the near future. If you want to keep your precious lives, sign this.”

The merchant presented the villagers with a slave contract. Once signed, they would never be allowed to defy their master’s command.

In other words, all of the villagers would become the slaves of the merchant. Naturally, all of the adults, including the village chief, strongly refused.

But the merchant said cold-bloodedly, ‘then I suppose you’ll all just have to die here’.

Parents wanted to save their children, and children wanted to save their parents.

To protect their families, all of the adults signed the contract. But adults didn’t realize at the time that this was just the beginning of the end.

Having enslaved the adults, it turned out that the merchant was actually a despicable slave trader, a scoundrel who didn’t find it below himself to engage in human trafficking.

The merchant ordered them to give up their children and young women.

The men were put to work in the merchant’s mines as physical labor. After they were enslaved, the adults could no longer disobey the merchant, and they had no choice but to do as the merchant said.

“Of course, I and all the other children were against it. Who would want to leave their parents? We didn’t want to leave the village that we lived in. But every time we resisted, the merchant would resort to violence. We were told that our parents would be killed if we defied him. Eventually, none of the children dared to disobey anymore. Including me.” (D’esta)

It couldn’t be helped. To a child, their parents were everything. If they knew that their parents would be killed because of them, it was only natural that they wouldn’t dare to disobey.

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