I underestimated roads in another world.
When Mishinie said it took five days by wagon, you would think there was an actual road. But once we left Baron Meyer’s territory, there were barely any paths wide enough for a wagon, and there were no bridges over the rivers. It was at the point where even animal trails were better. On the second day, we did not even make twenty kilometers.
「It used to be better than this.」
When exactly was *used to*? There was no way it could have become like this in ten or twenty years.
I swallowed that shout.
My instincts told me it was probably something I should not say.
The third day was the same. At narrow sections and rivers, we alternated storing the Pioneer and Wolverine in Home, then moved along what I desperately wanted to believe was a road.
「Even taking turns bringing them out is a struggle.」
「I would like to have giants build roads for us, but this is another lord’s territory after all.」
That was true. Giants could live because we were in Koraus. If they appeared in another territory, it was obvious it would cause a huge uproar.
「For now, we just have to keep going. Mishinie, are you sure this is the right path?」
「Yeah. There are traces of people walking and horse hoofprints too. It is used regularly.」
It meant nothing to me, but if a silver-ranked adventurer said so, then it had to be true.
Just as I thought that, Mishinie’s expression tightened.
M-monsters!?
「No, people. And quite a lot of them. It might be a merchant slave caravan.」
A merchant slave caravan? What was that?
「A punishment unique to this country.」
「Criminals and war criminals are made into slaves and used for trade. Well, more like making slaves carry goods while traveling through frontier regions.」
「…Something like that exists…」
As expected of another world. They were doing things a factory worker like me could never understand.
「I have only seen one or two myself, so I do not know if it really is a merchant slave caravan. Takato, you have a whistle, right? Blow it long and let them know we are here. They bear slave crests. Once an order is given, they will fight until they die.」
What was that!?
Magic could do something like that too?!
Then make magical tools already! Why go in that direction instead!?
Putting that aside, I wanted no part in fighting humans. I took out the whistle and blew a long note.
I blew for around ten seconds.
Then a whistle answered back.
They were closer than I expected.
「They do not want pointless bloodshed either. They are probably showing they have no hostility.」
「Did you know I had a whistle?」
「A whistle, yes. But theirs is a magic flute.」
A magic flute? Like the one Misaro had?
「I do not know much myself, but there is magic that controls sound. Magic that confuses people or drives monsters away. There are rumors that merchant slave caravans have a clan that can use slave crests and sound magic.」
So, like some secret society?
After a while, a strange group appeared ahead of us.
「Adventurers?」
「Yeah. We are heading to a place called the Forest of Mysenz, which borders Count Ashikka’s territory. Are you the merchant slave caravan?」
I did not want to get involved with them, but I was the leader of this group. I could not avoid stepping forward, so I just had to accept it.
「That is right. We are the Second Black Company.」
So that meant there was more than one merchant slave caravan?
「I am Takato of Sefuti Bullet. We make our living exterminating goblins. If you have any information about goblins, I would like to buy it. I can pay in gold or food.」
If they were merchants, then business had to matter more to them. If I offered trade, they should not refuse.
「Do you have water?」
I answered yes and called over a poly tank filled with water.
「In Count Ashikka’s territory, goblins have multiplied in great numbers. Crops are being ravaged, and they do not know if they can survive this winter.」
Seriously, they were pests no matter where you went.
「You have given me useful information. I will add more water.」
I called over another one and handed it to the man who seemed to be the leader.
They let the slaves drink from the eighteen liters of water, then poured what remained into leather bags they carried by hand, probably canteens.
「Is there no water ahead?」
「That is right. There are no more rivers safe to drink from.」
That sounded like harsh land. I was glad I had not been teleported somewhere like that.
Then again, I had only ever drunk water from Home or water I bought.
「Then we will be going.」
Maybe they could not act cheerful while leading slaves, but if they were in customer business, they could at least be more friendly. It was surprising they managed to trade like that.
Every slave who passed by had a dead look in their eyes, like living dolls. I could hardly bear to look at them.
「…They are the people of Morris…」
Once the merchant slave caravan had disappeared, Kainzel-san muttered quietly.
The people of Morris? I had heard that somewhere…
Ah, Miriel was one of the people of Morris too!
「If you lose a war, do you become slaves?」
「Not everyone, but I have heard that thousands were made into slaves in place of postwar reparations.」
「…So if you lose a war, your rights, your future, everything can be taken away…」
I wanted to show that to the ignorant peaceniks from my old world.
Is this the peace you wanted?
「Do not trouble yourself too much over it.」
「Yeah. I will focus all my strength on protecting what is precious to me.」
My sense of justice was not that strong, and I was not noble enough to devote my life to strangers. Even if people called me selfish, words like that meant nothing to an ordinary man like me.
More than that, even living selfishly was hard enough.
「Come on. Let us make up for the delay today.」
Right now, the priority was reaching Count Ashikka’s territory.
The real challenge would begin after arriving at Mysenz.
Leave a Reply