Chapter 73

Upon arriving in the Duchy of Elk, I immediately finished the entry procedures and stepped into the country.

People were shocked to see me dragging those massive spiders behind me, but once I told them I was going to sell them to the Guild, they let me through without much fuss. The public order in Elk didn’t seem all that bad; there were people out in the town, and the atmosphere wasn’t particularly strange.

I headed straight for the Guild. There, I ran into someone I never expected to see.

“Mark?”

“…Huh? Ryu? What a coincidence! I never imagined I’d run into you here!”

It really was Mark. Even though some time had passed since we parted ways in Fall Crown, I hadn’t expected to meet him here at all.

“It’s been a long time. Do you have business in this country today?”

“No, I’m just here to sell some wares. I was hoping to get someone to buy these spiders off me.”

“These are Poison Spiders. The silk harvested from their silk sacs can be sold at a high price. What’s more, with this many of them, you’re looking at quite a windfall.”

Looking at the spiders with a merchant’s eye, Mark gave his assessment. With twenty of them, it was bound to be a lot of money.

“I’ll go sell them now, then.”

“I shall accompany you. You don’t seem to have a firm grasp on the market value of monsters, Ryu.”

Ahaha… he hit me where it hurts. It’s true that I don’t know the worth of monsters; to a merchant, that must sound absurd.

“I’d appreciate the help, then.”

I managed to sell all the spiders at the Guild, but since they didn’t have enough cash on hand to pay me the full amount immediately, it was decided I’d collect the money the following day. We decided to grab lunch at the Guild while we were there.

“By the way, why did you come to this country to sell? Things are quite unstable here right now. And where are your wives?”

“I took on a bit of a troublesome request, so I left them behind. What do you mean by ‘unstable’?”

“Well, you see…”

I was surprised by the situation Mark began to describe. Apparently, this country was originally unified by a high-ranking noble family capable of commanding Spirits, but recently, fewer and fewer people in that family have been able to do so. In a panic, the noble household has been searching far and wide for Spirits willing to form contracts with their children.

“The rule is that only those who can contract with Spirits may rule this country. So, if the current rulers disappear, things could get very ugly.”

“…A country ruled by whoever can make a Spirit Contract, huh?”

I suspect the first ruler was simply an exceptional person and they’re just trying to ride his coattails, but that’s a brutal rule to follow. Spirit Contracts are heavily influenced by the state of one’s heart. Spirits prefer those with kind hearts, or those with strong Spirits, like the brave. The reason Elves can form contracts so effortlessly is their gentle nature. Conversely, Spirits who contract with violent or weak-willed people are considered eccentrics.

“It’s a strange tale, a country ruled by people chosen by the whims of Spirits.”

“Truly. I hear Spirits are incredibly fickle. To be favored by them is, in a sense, close to a miracle. Anyway, what was this request of yours?”

Oof, he went there. I couldn’t exactly say I was here to buy back Elven slaves…

“Actually… a request involving slaves came my way, and I’ve been struggling with it. What do you think, as a merchant?”

I didn’t specify what the request was, but I lowered my voice.

“You don’t mean illegal slaves, do you?”

“Yeah. I was asked to help some people who were kidnapped from a certain village and turned into slaves…”

“You actually accepted that?! Ryu, you’re far too kind-hearted…”

“Ahaha, sorry about that.”

Mark spoke as if he were exasperated, but he offered a helping hand.

“…In that case, follow me. I know of one place. By the way, how do you plan to save them?”

“Doing it the hard way is a pain, so I figured I’d just buy them fair and square.”

“That is the right choice. They are merchants; as long as you pay, they won’t try anything funny.”

It was surprising that Mark knew that kind of shop, but it was convenient. I couldn’t buy them right in front of him, but if I could get even a single piece of information, that would be enough.

Leaving the Guild, we headed—for some reason—toward the shopping district, and entered a slave-trading shop at the very edge of it. I hadn’t expected a slave trader to be right in the middle of a commercial area.

“An unexpected customer, Master Mark.”

“I’m not the one buying. He is.”

“Is the gentleman behind you an adventurer?”

“That’s right.”

“I see. Welcome, customer. What kind of slave are you looking for today?”

Was he the shopkeeper? A well-fed, tidy-looking middle-aged man addressed me.

“I want a good woman. For the bed.”

“I see, a rare request. Most adventurers come looking for combat slaves.”

“She’s not for me. She’s a gift for my sponsor.”

“Is that so? In that case, the price will be quite high. Is that acceptable?”

“I don’t mind.”

I spoke as confidently as possible. I wanted to avoid being looked down upon by this kind of merchant.

“This way, then.”

The slave trader guided me toward the shop’s basement. That was where the slaves were kept.

“I’ll head back first. I can’t stand the smell down here.”

“Thank you, Mark. Thanks for showing me the way.”

“…Be careful. The merchants here are rotten to the core.”

Mark left me with those final words and made his exit. Taking Mark’s warning to heart, I descended into the basement.