Hakai no Miko

"Hey, Shemr. Isn't that strange?

The Ethereal Horse, dressed in clothes she had asked Hopkins to hasten on, looks at herself with a glimpse.

The outfit is like trousers on a piece that's not too different from the people in the city, but the fabric seems to be made of fine objects. Most importantly, it is a coarse fabric that is very unlikely to be of high quality in terms of the feeling of a pale horse.

And he wears a large shoulder strap with ethnic costume-style embroidery from above that jacket, and a blue cylindrical hat with a thin cloth hanging from the back of his head.

"I'm not sure about human costumes, but I think they look great in exotic style."

To Shemr's words, the pale horse lowered his chest with relief.

I intend to match my costume with the image that Ethereal Horse came from a distant eastern country that I cheated on when entering the city, but Hopkins just took something that looked like it because he doesn't know what the eastern country looks like in the first place either.

Still, the color of the hair and skin of the Ethereal Horse is something I don't see around here, so I don't even manage to look like a human from an exotic country.

"Hey, you two. That's where the slave traders live."

From the podium of the front carriage, Hopkins looked back and pointed forward.

What Hopkins pointed out was a large mansion surrounded by high earthen walls. The roof of the house peeking across the dirt walls is a domed roof loaded with bricks rather than the straw (straw) or planks of ordinary people that are commonly found in the city.

"I'm sorry, but I don't want to get too involved with the slave traders, so I'll make you wait here."

That's what Hopkins said and slowed down the front carriage.

I was wondering if Ethereal Horse would be resistant to engaging himself with the same merchant that could bring disaster to this city, but it was for another reason that Hopkins did not want to engage the slave trader.

Slave traders treat slaves such as those sold themselves out of poverty and criminals who have been stripped of their right to freedom as punishment, but most commonly prisoners of war and conquered peoples have been sold out as slaves.

And that means that in this world, where the ecclesiastical Church of subhuman elimination expands its forces, people of other races called subhumans are the greatest commodity of the slave traders.

For that reason, the slave traders who wanted to acquire the slaves of the subhuman race had healed with the ecclesiastical priests and had even begun to wage war against the subhuman race on nations.

Moreover, the Ecclesiastical Church, which knew that the slave trade of subhumanity would make enormous profits, said that dealing with dirty subhumanity was a fear of heresy, creating a system that made the slave trader an ecclesiastical authorisation system and obtaining enormous renunciations from the slave traders.

But also the slave traders.

Taking the opposite of what became an ecclesiastical authorisation system, the slave traders insisted that they belonged to the ecclesiastical religion and took on various privileges, including exemptions from taxes on the use of roads and bridges and city tariffs everywhere.

It was the slave traders who became more profitable than they would thus give up, but at the same time it ended up buying fierce opposition from the other traders.

Next to the serious taxes we pay ourselves, no one will feel good because we wield ecclesiastical rights and are exempt from taxes.

Moreover, rumors that some slave traders secretly handle non-slave goods are often whispered among traders.

If tax-free goods are really being brought in, for the other merchants, it is just a matter of death and viability. I'm not sure that's true, but the fact that there was a deep crack between slave traders and other merchants remains unchanged.

It is now even said that the Merchant Alliance, which brings together slave traders and other merchants, is a relationship in which they hold a knife in their backhand smiling at each other.

This was why Hopkins was alienating the slave traders.

When the front carriage can be stopped in front of the house, the Ethereal Horse takes only Shemr to the slave trader's mansion.

At the gates of the dirt walls stood two men of good stature with heads up like villain prowlers with spears.

The Ethereal Horse walked before them in grand footsteps so as not to be suspected,

"Could you please catch up with your husband in this house?

Plus one of the gatekeepers said a word, "Wait," and he went inside the mansion.

After a while, a good middle-aged man comes with a gatekeeper.

The Ethereal Horse offers both palms so that he can hold his baggage. And I bowed my head and said the words of greeting as Hopkins taught me.

"I've come to bring you luck and wealth"

Hopkins says, that seems to be a greeting that merchants make to each other.

Both palms up and showing the opponent is indicating that they are unarmed and "no harm to you". Also, at the same time I brought you invisible luck, which also means.

The man showed the same trick before stating his words of thanks.

"To you too, good luck and wealth. - I am the master of this mansion, Glocacos."

The man, who named himself Glocacos, looked around the pale horse from head to toe.

"So, where are you, who are you, and what are you doing here?

"Yes, from a far eastern country, I came to take my father's life and do business in this land, my name is Soma"

I also thought about using a pseudonym, but it's not yet known about me, so I decided to name my real name over using a bad pseudonym.

"Well, from the east..."

"I tried to get a slave, and this one depends on coming along with the best slaver in the city."

To the flattery of the Ethereal Horse, Glocacos snorted, as he naturally said.

"Well. Sure, we'd be the best"

Grokakos saw Shemr standing next to the Ethereal Horse.

"But you still want slaves with such superb things next door?

"Yeah, I heard Zoan was rampaging around here, and I want a slave for a non-Zoan escort."

"Right. Well, this way."

Knock through the gate about after Grocacos and enter the mansion. Its mansion, made of roasted bricks, rather than sun-dried bricks commonly seen in the city, showed the financial strength of Grocacos.

Once in the mansion and through the short passage, the Ethereal Horses go out into the sun again.

It is too large for the courtyard of the mansion, a square where the red soil has been swept out. The mansion, which was built to surround the square, looked like a residence on the second floor, but the first floor part was a cage with an iron lattice. The sight of a cage divided into several rooms surrounding the square is like a zoo.

But it is not the animals that are put in that cage.

It was the enslaved who stood together in the dim cage.

The Ethereal Horse softly holds her nose to the smell of sweat and dirt drifting around her, even though she has been given a decent water bath.

"We have all kinds of slaves. Sword fighting slaves to agricultural slaves. Fine knowledge slaves who can also manage teachers and property. And, of course, women's slaves."

Grocacos laughed inferiorly, as he would know what it meant.

Glocacos lowers his back in a transverse manner, beneath a tree for daydressing planted in the middle of the square. And invite the female slave, who wears only one hipster to say it's winter, to pour alcohol into the cup on the table.

The brown-skinned female slave, presumably a southern human, was shaking her body slightly, producing a poppy (wrinkle) on her skin. I have more trouble with the place of my eyes because of the pain when I think of her predicament than that exposed and full breast.

"Nevertheless, you're in luck. Now there are good slaves alive."

To the words of Glocacos, the pale horse rushes to concentrate his consciousness on him.

"Is something wrong?

"You don't know? It's almost the king's birthday celebration. I'm just 40 years old this year. They celebrate it bigger than ever.

So we are gathering subhuman slaves for the sake of organizing them. There are only Zoan around here, so we are purchasing slaves who have been sold from distant countries on purpose in Jeboa. In five days' time, there will be a caravan of slave traders of the Holmeer royal family who bought and collected slaves in Jeboa, so I will go with them to Wang Capital and try to earn one. "

When Glocacos drank the liquor all at once, he welcomed the empty cup with his hands.

"So, what kind of slave do you want?

"Subhuman, a strong man. If possible, smart people are good."

"Subhuman, strong, smart..."

Glocacos let the universe wander his gaze for a while as he mouthed the order of the Ethereal Horse.

"Hey! Bring me Dvarin!

When Glocacos cried out that way, one of the slave directors took one slave out of the cage and pulled the chain and came.

The Ethereal Horse watches over the slave he is brought to.

Back length is only as good as children's, but disappointing stature as sharpened out of a rock. Grey beard covering the lower half of the face. The face with disturbed hair was engraved with deep wrinkles like an ancient wooden annual wheel, characterized by two seemingly powerful eyes of will in it and a large dough nose.

It is difficult to extrapolate that age from its appearance, but it drifts through quite an aging style.

But that flesh doesn't make you feel the age fade at all. From the body, which had only a lumbar cloth together, I could see thick muscles all over my body moving under my skin whenever I moved my legs one step.

He wears shackles (shackles) with holes in his neck and wrists on the two wooden plates stopped by a hinge like a sun table, and chains with iron balls on his ankles. Still, however, from its appearance of majesty and breast stretching rather than humility, the slave director holding the chain stretching from the shackles even looked as if he was a squire following him.

Ethereal horses raise their voices to excitement at the presence of familiar species in numerous fantasy novels.

"Is it a dwarf?

"That's right. This guy's name is Doverlyn. Far from the land of the Empire, he was the warrior chief of the Dwarves who was leading the Dwarves in battle."

Grokakos takes the whip out of the slave director's hand when he stands up and slaps the thick chest plate of the dwarf, known as Dvarin, numbingly.

"Look, you sturdy body! It's going to bounce back with a spear or a sword. Besides, these shitty arms. If you get beat up with this guy, most of him is a dick! And smart. He led many Dwarves as warrior chief! It's hard to see a dig like this."

Red marks on the breast plate slapped with a whip, but Doverlin didn't move one expression.

But the moment he was slapped on the chest plate with a whip, the Ethereal Horse noticed even though Doverlin's right hand was slightly gripped. That is not a reflexive movement due to pain. Only his right hand was slightly gripped.

"I like it. How much is it?

"Ha! This is a product that will be the highlight of the gladiatorial tournament. If I were to sell it... right. Eight hundred pieces of silver."

Glocacos, are you underestimating that there's no way they can buy it, or they snort like they made a little fool of themselves.

"Okay. - Shemr, bring the money from the front carriage."

"To?"

But even though the Ethereal Horse responded instantly, Glocacos raised his bare voice.

Shemr, who was told by the Ethereal Horse to carry a bag of silver coins from the front carriage, piles it up in front of Glocacos. Every time the bag is piled up, Glocacos' eyes open wide.

"It's 800 silver coins. Please check."

The Ethereal Horse tells me, and the Glocacos who have retrieved me, call the servants in haste. When the servants remove the silver coins from the bag, they make sure of their quality by tapping them with their nails, and then arrange the silver coins in the trenches dug into the wooden planks. The trenches were dug just ten pieces of silver coin into the length, and the servants counted the silver coins with it.

When the servants, who had finished counting all the silver coins, nodded small, Glocacos was surprised and asked, "Are you sure?" But he turns his gaze to the pale horse like he asks.

"Now can you sell him?

"Also, of course you are!

Glocacos replies hastily, saying it would be difficult if he changed his mind.

"Do you need any formalities?

"No. I haven't even pressed the baking mark yet. He's a sarcastic guy, so you can keep taking it home. Yes!"

Glocacos, whose palate draws on the word baking marks, but whose soul is taken by silver coins piled in front of him, did not even realize that.

Somehow, the Ethereal Horse, who seemed to get dirty to herself when she stayed here, tried to return her heel (bits) and walk away as soon as she received the keys to Doverine's shackles and iron balled ankles.

But Glocacos rushes to stop such a pale horse.

"Hey, wait a minute. There are other good slaves in there, so I want you to see them too. Look, you guys! Pour your guests wine!

With a loving laugh, Glocacos recommends it to the Ethereal Horse when he pays the dust on the back seat he was sitting on with his sleeve. It was disgusting for a man like Glocacos to use his sitting back, but he had no choice but to lower his back because it was also troublesome to say no and be offended.

Then a female slave tried to pour the wine into a new cup, but only then did the Ethereal Horse, who had just exposed himself to ugliness with a glass of ale.

Shemr glanced gently at the female slave and turned away, leaning her mouth in the ear of the Ethereal Horse.

"He suddenly changed his attitude, what's wrong?

"... right? I wonder if I've failed something."

A slightly pondered Ethereal Horse had a good idea of his faults.

I've read about it in a comic book before, but when buying a product in a foreign country, price negotiation seems to be the norm. The store was aware of it, and the first offer was a fairly blown price.

If that were the case, my behavior, which I bought at the merchant's word, would have been seen by a good duck. Suddenly, I also nod that my love has gotten better as I returned my palm.

The Ethereal Horse decided to pay the price next time.

A full grin there, Glocacos, draws another slave.

"No, no, thank you for waiting. Come on, these guys are pretty good diggers, too."

The rubbing glucacos lined up the five dwarves drawn by the slave director in front of the pale horse.

To its dwarf slaves, the pale horse wrinkles his nose.

Even from the bareback of the Ethereal Horse, its Dwarves were in terrible condition. None of the five of us can feel alive with their eyes lying around like dead fish. There is a bloody bandage wrapped around his face. Poor skin color and tension, maybe you have a disease.

"What do you say, two hundred silver coins a piece. Buy five of them together and save 800 silver coins."

"I'm not kidding. At best, a dozen silver coins would be a good place."

Sometimes I was frustrated by the severity of the Dwarves' treatment, and Soma's tone was stuck.

"Huh? Oh? To?"

Grocacos' face changes like it's funny.

The Ethereal Horse was anxious to see if he had failed.

Originally a typical Japanese who doesn't like negotiating price cuts. Even at the price, I didn't know how much money to offer at first, I just said 10 pieces with appropriately well-separated numbers.

Even if it might be worth the price, I sweated cold that I'd done just over a twentieth of it. However, there is also anxiety that once you undo what you have said, you may be able to see your feet, and you manage to show them under the guise of calm.

Then Glocacos did a surprise trick before yelling at the slave director who was standing next to the slave.

"You idiot! If you look closely, aren't you the slave I told you to bring!

Besides, the Ethereal Horse almost put in a penetration, "No, you brought him with you, didn't you," but wisely kept it only in his heart.

The slave director, who was somehow struck by Glocacos, hurriedly pushes the Dwarves back into the cage where they were, brings back five new Dwarf slaves from another cage.

The next time they brought me in, it was different because I saw it with the Dwarves earlier. They are just inferior compared to the dwarves they called Dvarin, but they are nevertheless the dwarves of a healthy and resilient body.

"Thank you very much for your patience earlier. Boy, this is the slave I really recommend."

"You're a pretty good slave. How much do you want?

Now the Ethereal Horse says something that he figured out, even though he's about to pull off to call it a sudden "little boy".

"I may have apologized earlier, but one of your customers said ten pieces of silver coin. Five pieces of silver is fine."

"Is that good?!"

I didn't think of the Ethereal Horse, and that's what I screamed.

Much better health than the Dwarves did earlier, and it's annoying. Yet I think it was too expensive for the price.

Even the Ethereal Horse could not hide his surprise in this.

Seeing the surprise of that pale horse, Glocacos had somehow nodded satisfactorily over and over again.

"Okay. Now at that price…"

I felt bored by the fox, but for now, the Ethereal Horse agreed.

◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆

Grocacos, who deliberately walked out of the mansion and dropped off his pale horse, remembered earlier as he drank to lick the raw wine as he lowered back again to the square's waist.

In Glocacos' view, the kid, who says he's from the eastern country, is a long time amateur.

It doesn't seem like a lie to say you're from an eastern country far from your face and outfit, but you haven't gotten any rush for business.

A dumb merchant who failed to do business in an oddly eastern country must have dropped by his son first, dreaming of a resumption in a distant exotic land.

That's what I thought, Glocacos, was completely underestimating the pale horse.

For that reason, it was only an appeal that my shop had so many slaves that I showed Dvarin that I was going to sell in the King's Capital of the Holmeer Country. Because at last I didn't think I had enough assets to buy Doverlin.

However, the Ethereal Horse paid the amount of money that this one had blown without even trying to pay the price.

That also drained Glocacos just as much of his liver.

This guy's got a hell of a wallet mouth and a loose head.

That's what I thought. Glocacos decided to push Dwarf's slave that the buyer was unlikely to come with.

They were slaves brought on a boat with Dvarin, but they broke their bodies from fatigue and undernourishment coming from poor living conditions, two of which were also sick. None of this is going to last that long.

He is a slave who has only enough use to feed the Beasts in the aftermath of the gladiatorial tournament.

"What do you say, two hundred silver coins a piece. Buy five of them together and save 800 silver coins."

Glocacos is going to have a humble laugh at the sight of himself when he calls it 200 silver coins per person.

If it's a cheap slave, you can buy 40 silver coins in a sword slave and 60 silver coins in an agricultural slave. I offered the price of two hundred silver coins to a slave who could only feed it on the Beast, so I know exactly how gross Glocacos are.

"I'm not kidding. At best, a dozen silver coins would be a good place."

But contrary to Glocacos' expectations, now I see Dwarves, and I've said they're too expensive in a grumpy way.

Besides, The amount offered by the Ethereal Horse was perfectly centered on the Dwarves' sales value, which Glocacos had assumed.

What the hell is this all about?

Glocacos thought as he pushed and killed the upset, spun his head around.

And they realized it.

What if the so-called celebratory price was the one that bought Doverlin at this price?

This kid was ordered by his father and said he was going to start doing business here. This guy's father wasn't a merchant who failed in what he thought he was, he was really a big merchant trying to spread his hand to exotic lands.

And to start doing business in exotic lands, I thought about keeping a leading merchant in the city - that is, face to face with myself. So I've accepted the price this one has blown up in two replies, and I've shown that I have so much financial resources.

But besides, I hadn't noticed and mistakenly assumed I was an easy customer to handle. I wonder if this kid has shown off his business talent by arguing that the price of the slaves is perfect, even though he has tried to push it all the way to cheap.

Glocacos shuddered when he hit the thought of himself.

This guy is a hell of a merchant, not just a boss with a loose purse mouth and head.

What a horrible kid to take this Glocacos in your hand with that young man!

Glocacos thought this was a bad idea.

If you're a big exotic merchant with as much financial power as you can afford to pomp with that much money at all costs, you can undoubtedly turn to the big profits later if you stay connected here. Conversely, if you buy here even if you are unhappy, it will flow under other merchants.

How do I fix this mess?

Glocacos did a deliberately surprising trick before yelling at the slave director.

"You idiot! If you look closely, aren't you the slave I told you to bring!

I whisper in a whisper to the ear of a slave director who did what he was ordered to do but is confused without knowing why he would yell at me.

"From the dwarves we plan to sell to the King's Capital, we'll see about five good living guys and hurry up and bring them in!

The slave director rushed to push the Dwarves into the cage they were in, bringing back five new Dwarf slaves from another cage.

"Thank you very much for your patience earlier. Boy, this is the slave I really recommend."

"You're a pretty good slave. How much do you want?

You say you've brought superior slaves, but you don't respond well.

This was an earlier lapse, and Grokakos, who thought the interest of the Ethereal Horse was moving away from him, thought he had to strike his opponent with a hand that surprised him so much to restore his honor.

"I may have apologized earlier, but one of your customers said ten pieces of silver coin. Five pieces of silver is fine."

"Is that okay?!"

It doesn't matter! I put up with it all the time wanting to say.

This is the only Dwarf slave I've ever had, and in perfect health. It would do a good job, both as a slave for gladiators and as a slave to let them work in agriculture and mines.

Two hundred to three hundred pieces of silver coins are hard slaves if you want to sell them.

Earlier, it is such a loss that the money gained by blowing Dvarin is almost wiped out.

But it seemed worth it just being prepared for that much loss.

Glocacos was satisfied with the pale horse, who was surprised without being able to hide his expression, and nodded again and again.

This would not only have fixed the earlier lapse, but would have made a strong impression on the generosity of this one.

"Okay. Now at that price…"

Seeing a pale horse still unable to get out of the surprise, Glocacos was convinced of his success.

On her departure, that boy came to hear about the day off he was leaving for the King's Capital, etc., so he was probably going to visit the store again soon.

By that time, Glocacos was just giggling that if he purchased another good living slave, he would buy it as high as Dvarin did.

◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆

Around that time, the Ethereal Horses were leaving the city in front of the Dwarf slaves they had bought up.

Hopkins and Ethereal Horse lined the table of your servants, and in the front carriage Shemr sat watching the Dwarf slaves with his back to the two of your servants.

The Dwarves were both shackles and ankles removed by the Ethereal Horse, but so far they are adult and have no disobedience.

"These Dwarves didn't do 900 silver coins in total?

Hopkins, who had heard from Ethereal Horse in his spare time about the slave trader's mansion, was surprised by what Ethereal Horse was talking about.

If you look back just at your neck and look in the front carriage behind you, there are six Dwarf slaves who seem to be bent on seeing it.

Strong, robust, and patient, Dwarf slaves are traded at a higher price than human slaves. As far as Hopkins knows, a hundred silver coins is crap if you're not so hurt, sick, etc.

Hopkins stepped on it that if you look at the dwarf being put in the front carriage now, it wouldn't be strange to have a value of about 300 pieces of silver coins.

"What kind of magic can I use to buy that kind of money?

Slave traders who don't think of people as people are known for their stubbornness. Hopkins truly wanted me to tell him if he had the secret to buying and beating all these slaves against him.

"What kind of magic... I just normally tried to get the price, right?

Such an idiot, Hopkins shrugged back, glanced at Shemr, who was turning his back on this one, for help.

Then Sheml, who noticed Hopkins' gaze and looked back, thought for a moment before answering:

"Isn't it Soma's virtue?

Hopkins nodded his neck disappointed when he misheard.