01]
Shabby tents were lined up in a mess on the sand.
Shuna was looking around the campsite.
The dry air was laced with a sandy breeze.
It was hot.
Sweat evaporated. The glare of the light made his headache worse. My lips tickled with thirst. I've experienced a variety of bad environments in dungeons, but the heat of this desert was exceptionally unbearable.
Am I just getting old?
For the past few years, I've been feeling physically ill. (Am I just getting old?) Over the past few years, I've been feeling a lot of physical discomfort, probably due to the pressure of being in charge, but I also feel like I'm suddenly getting old.
In fact, I'm already on the verge of thirty.
The days when I was an adventurer seem very, very far away. Back then, everything was left to the leader and I could concentrate only on my sword.
(Let's not do that. "The good old days" is what the old man thinks. (I'll stop now. "The good old days" is what the old man thinks.
A group of children were running past me.
It was one of the few things I could hope for in such a situation.
I moved my feet to see if I could come up with any ideas, but I couldn't think of anything to break the ice.
Then...
"Shogun!
What's wrong?
Shogun!" "What's wrong?" I was approached by a beastly child with a sword on his back. It was a child who had recently become a soldier.
"A merchant is here. He's in trouble with Torra.
"A merchant? Oh, no way.
More than two months ago, I ordered some supplies from a merchant in Lemuria on the right continent.
We can't do business with merchants in the central or left continent because they have too bad an impression of the beastman army.
After learning the location from the child, Shuna ran to the merchant.
From a distance, she could see six wagons. Large desert-crossing reptiles were pulling their cargo. Gasping for breath, she drew closer and saw thirty carriages.
It had been a while since I had smiled.
Now we can fill the bellies of the people at the camp. That's what makes me happy right now, not what I'm going to do after that.
But as we approached, my smile faltered.
As reported, there was a struggle.
They were shouting at each other.
One of them was an armed beastman named Torra, a soldier who had been a slave. His former master was a merchant, and since he could understand the value of money to some extent, he had entrusted him with money to do business with him.
The other was a young man, a boy whose frame had not yet fully developed. He wore a loose-fitting black outfit for the desert, and his hair was black with a strong habit. His face was familiar to me. I can't remember, but I do remember.
The conversation between the two was simple.
"Pay the money.
"Can you pay?
And on and on it goes.
There are men and women in the carriage who are older than the boy, but no one seems to be willing to help.
How can you let a kid run a business meeting?
Is he being lambasted?
Or is there another reason?
"Torra, I'll take over.
General! He's done something terrible!
I'll take care of it.
I tapped Torra on the shoulder and made her take three steps back.
It's Shuna. I'm the representative here.
"You're the Dragon Armor Slayer? It's not at all what I've heard. You're a tired old man, aren't you?
I'm not afraid to say it," he said, laughing.
I'm not sure what to make of it.
I'm not sure if I've ever seen you like this. You're very young, but you can't be the head of a business association. ------
"Representative of the Chamber of Commerce.
The boy unfolded a long scroll. The boy unfolded a long scroll, the length of which could be mistaken for a sermon.
He is the vice president of the Zava Night Owl Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Lemurian Chamber of Commerce and other continental merchants. He is also the head of negotiations for the Beastman Army. These scrolls are the names of the merchant associations and countries that have entrusted me with their work.
There was a long list of names.
The right continent's Adventurer's Guild, the central continent's Grand Chamber of Commerce, the League of Brave Men, the kings' slavers, Lemuria, Ashtaria, and other famous kings' names are all listed. At the bottom of the list is the Central Continent City Cluster, and of course, the name of the prince.
That's impressive. So, what does this have to do with the supplies I brought you?
The boy smiled wryly.
That's easy. You beastmen have made too many enemies. You beastmen have made too many enemies, and if you do business with them, your credibility is at stake. Both as an organization and as the country in which it is located.
"So? What do we do?
There was no excuse for the beastman army's looting. If Shuna wasn't in a position to stop them, the rest of us wouldn't care.
I want compensation. But it's hard for you guys to do that with this part.
The boy tore the bottom of the scroll.
Elysian City Cluster, the part with the prince's name on it.
That's great. How much is that?
The amount of money is limited considering the contents of the beastman army's purse.
Roughly 18.5 million in gold coins.
"..................?
It's a joke, but it's not funny.
I'm not sure even the new Vindobnickle army in its prime can afford it.
It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your money. It's a price I'm learning a lot about. I've been ignoring the psychological pain and secondary damage.
These were words with an undertone.
When a group of roughnecks get together, it's natural for them to rob people. It is natural for them to attack women. If they don't like it, they draw their swords. Of course there will be damage. Some unfortunate children may be born as a result. If we had to compensate for that, we wouldn't have wars ------.
(Do you want me to compensate you separately for what you dared to ignore?
(Do you dare to ask me to compensate you for something you ignored?) You're trying to rip off a beastman army that's about to be defeated.
What if I told you that you couldn't pay?
If you don't have the money, give me something of value.
"Worth.
Shuna looked around the desert camp. There is only one thing of value here.
"Boy, if you're here to buy people, I'll have a fight with you.
He didn't touch his sword, but he intimidated him with the intent to kill.
The boy disappears.
"Good move.
I can't help but admire it.
The boy had retreated from Shuna's line of sight. 'Nice leap on this sand.
(That's not a merchant's move. No way, neither are the guys behind him.
"Oh, you scared me. It's okay, it's okay, we're still negotiating.
The people in the carriage all have weapons at the ready.
On their chests and in their hands were familiar containers. It was a regeneration point, the sign of an adventurer.
Are you adventurers from Lemuria?
Yes, including me. Including me.
Torra walks past Shuna.
(Oh, shit.)
Torra was slashing at the boy. The remaining soldiers were mentally unstable due to repeated battles and defeats. No matter who they were, they had survived by killing anyone who had a weapon at the ready, no questions asked.
Agathion.
The boy called, and the sand danced.
Torra was blown away.
In the boy's hand, sweeping away the dust, is a red magic sword. It's a big sword as tall as he is. This, too, looks familiar.
Do you know what this sword is called? It's the Demon Sword of the Beast Hunters.
Boy, do you work for the prince?
Just kidding. He's my business partner.
You think you can trust him?
A beastmurdering demon sword and armed adventurers, how can you not think of them as enemies?
You think I don't trust you for the trouble you've gone through to bring us supplies across the sea and across the desert?
I'll trust you if it's a fair price.
There's no trust if you can't afford it.
It's fair.
I can't pay it.
No, pay it.
We were in the same roundabout way as Torra. This forcefulness is more like an adventurer than a merchant.
"You know, kid. I don't have anything.
"So, you have to have something other than money.
That's -----.
People are gathering.
That's not good.
Soldiers, women and children, all starving people. They instinctively know that there is food in the wagon. If there's a rush of people, there's no time to negotiate.
"Step back, please. I'm all alone here.
The boy had the carriage lowered. None of the adventurers stopped him and obeyed.
"So, General Shuna.
"Just Shuna.
"So, Shuna. If you don't have the money, get a replacement.
What's that supposed to mean?
The people behind you.
"Cut the crap. I won't let you intimidate me next time.
I guess I'll have to kill him.
A kid. And an adventurer from Lemuria.
A soldier in a losing battle can be so quick-tempered. I've learned a lesson. I'm not trying to turn you into slaves.
"Then what?
So what? Shuna was annoyed.
We're here to hire you.
Hire?
I'm hiring the entire beastman army, young and old, male and female.
Don't be ridiculous.
That's exactly what you'll be used for, or sold into slavery.
Trust is important, isn't it? I can see why you're bracing yourself when you see them lined up in the scrolls. But soon, the prince will officially abolish slavery. The king's raiders were bankrupted by the war, and their names are just a formality. And what they're worried about is the large number of refugees from the defeated armies.
"..................
Shuna is quietly angry and silent.
The world already has a plan for after the beastman army is defeated. I'm angry. I'm angry, but I can't even dream of a way to turn this around.
The general public thinks that we can't have another Beastmen army like the one that was created because of slavery. Even if we can destroy the Beastmen, there will still be beastmen who believe in Lola. Faith cannot be suppressed by violence. It will always come back in some other form. It may be more evil and violent than now.
Behind Shuna, a deadly beastman raised his weapon.
The boy was unconcerned and carried his sword.
The world is afraid of you," he said. The world is afraid of you, afraid that a second or third Lola will be born. While I was looking for a way to reconcile the two, Shuna sent me a request. The Kingdom of Lemuria was about to expand its business to the central continent. Naturally, they needed manpower. With the right opportunity, Princess ----- Rancille went around to the right people to build this plan and put this story together.
It's an understandable story. It seems to make sense.
But still.
I don't trust her.
In the end, this feeling comes out.
"I'll sign the contract. I'll sign the contract, and I'll pay you well. But you have to make a profit on the amount of money I just offered you.
"Boy, that's the logic of a merchant. It doesn't work like that for us.
So do you refuse?
..................
(Now, what should I do?)
Shuna was unsure.
I'm not sure what to do.
Most of what the boy said would be true. If it was just this one boy and Lemuria, I would have trusted him. But there were too many things involved. There would always be a side step.
Even if they broke it in front of him, he shouldn't trust them once he saw the name of the enemy. It's not up to Shuna alone.
I don't want to go home empty-handed. I don't know about you, but I'd like to know if you'd like to migrate. I'm sure many of you are feeling the limitations of living in tents. We'll treat you well. We'll even provide food. You can even bring your kids.
"You know, kid. Do you think I'll trust you with my people if you say I can't trust you?
"Then how can I trust you?"
The boy smiles carefree. I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but it's a good idea.
A crowd of people had gathered behind Shuna. If he said something here and now, it would spread throughout the camp in no time.
(If he was aiming for this, he would be chosen as a negotiator. But I still don't think that's all.
"Get some food from ------.
Shuna hurriedly closed her mouth.
I was almost swept away. If you ask for food here, the boy will give it to you for free. It was enough to give credibility to the starving people behind Shuna.
I'm going to hold a meeting and finalize my opinion. Come back later.
Roger that, Shuna. You got it, Shuna. I'll just wait here and see what happens.
The boy sat down and started to relax.
He was a cocky kid. I don't like the way he looks at me. He really does look just like that guy.
Shuna told the others to gather people for the meeting.
Oh, by the way...
I forgot one thing.
"What's your name, boy?
Asked his name, the boy answered.
"Kunashiri. Kunashiri Zava Sevenworks.