Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: In Search of the Crows (7)
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Katarina promised her full support.
That said, a deep-sea dungeon.
“The deep-sea dungeon near the Ekaitz Confederacy…”
I remembered it.
It was one of the locations that appeared in the mid-game event of Eo’en Season 1.
Of course, back then, it was a massive event where the deep-sea dungeon threatened to swallow one of the three islands that made up the Ekaitz Confederacy whole.
‘Is it in the early stages of generation right now?’
If so, then now was the perfect opportunity to conquer and seal the dungeon.
If we didn’t conquer the deep-sea dungeon now, it would turn into an overwhelming catastrophe later.
“...Haa.”
In this world where I now lived…
There were no heroes— no ‘players’— to resolve disasters.
It was a game, but at the same time, not a game. It was a real world.
...
So who would stop all the dangers heading toward this world?
The disasters I remembered under the name of ‘events’ numbered more than one or two.
In the end, there was only one way.
Cut them off at the root before they grew into massive catastrophes.
Take in El before he grew into the silver lion Reinhardt who threatened the Empire…
Become friends with Zamir before he became the red bear Arturo who devoured Roshan…
In this way, create a kind of ‘safety net.’
If this world ended, I would really…
Be left with nothing, no escape.
Game over, total game over.
And since there was a chance I might not be able to return to my original world, it was crucial to make this world as ‘safe’ and ‘livable’ as possible.
‘So, I need to conquer the deep-sea dungeon now.’
The problem was…
I didn’t have any party members to go into the deep-sea dungeon with.
‘Fine for me and El, but we need at least two more.’
But according to Katarina, there were no mercenaries willing to enter the deep-sea dungeon. What to do?
Mercenaries obsessed with money still valued their lives above all.
They had to be alive to spend that money.
So anyone willing to enter the deep-sea dungeon was either insane or suicidal.
‘What should I do?’
I had posted a notice in the square seeking mercenaries, but I doubted anyone would sign up.
Lost in thought, I walked down the street.
To get back to the inn, I had to pass through the massive market, a labyrinth of twisting paths.
True to the saying that you couldn’t find anything in the Ekaitz Confederacy that wasn’t sold here, the market overflowed with luxury goods, daily necessities, and all sorts of spectacles.
There was literally nothing it didn’t have.
‘This place…’
It was so complicated that I must have gotten lost without realizing it.
I should have reached the inn by turning left between the magic tool shop and the blacksmith, but unfamiliar paths kept appearing.
‘I just want to get back quickly and rest…’
Even hurrying, the familiar roads didn’t show up.
As I followed the darkening alleys, the atmosphere turned ominous.
‘It’s the slave market.’
That’s right.
In the Ekaitz Confederacy, where nothing was missing, there was naturally a slave market too.
The vibe wasn’t good. Just as I turned to retrace my steps.
“Let go of me! Do you know who I am?!”
“Who? You damn pirate scum!”
A commotion of fighting voices came from somewhere.
I looked up instinctively.
‘What’s going on…?’
What caught my eye was a young man kneeling like a slave amid a few people.
-Smack!
A burly-bearded man who looked like a merchant raised his whip high and brought it down, producing a vicious crack.
“Argh!!!!”
The young man on his knees toppled over and didn’t get up.
“You worthless worm. A mere plunderer daring to flap your mouth?”
The man spat at the young man.
“Pirates like you should be ground up and drunk!”
“Then just kill me! Kill me!”
“Shut up! Do you know how much I’ve lost because of scum like you? I need to sell you as a slave and make back a few coins!”
Looking closely, he held an iron chain connected to the young man’s neck.
Captured pirates were either killed or enslaved. One or the other.
‘This guy’s becoming a slave.’
Lucky or unlucky, who could say.
I silently watched as the man dragged the young man along like an animal.
Most pirates were originally poor commoners or escaped slaves.
So going back to a slave’s life must be worse than death.
“Get up already?!”
The man yanked the leash roughly and raised the whip high again.
-Smack!
Another lash tore through the already blood-soaked clothes.
‘Wait, that’s…!’
Something gleamed blue through the ripped fabric.
I rushed forward, blocking the man just as he was about to swing again.
“Hey, out of the way!”
“Stop damaging merchandise you’re supposed to sell.”
“Who asked you?! You’re not buying!”
The man bellowed, his face flushed red.
I glanced back at the young man still collapsed behind, then turned to the man.
“What if I buy him?”
“W-what?”
“If I buy him, can I interfere?”
I pulled out a hefty-looking coin pouch and dangled it in front of the man.
-Jingle jingle~.
“...Grr!”
Seeing the coin pouch, the man lowered his whip hand without a word.
“How much?”
“I-I haven’t decided yet…”
“There must be a rough price.”
Slave prices varied wildly.
From as low as 1 silver to as high as 10 gold.
The man hemmed and hawed, hesitating to answer.
Without waiting, I took five gold coins from the pouch.
“Here.”
But the man didn’t take the gold I offered and raised his voice again.
“10— 10 gold! I need 10 gold!”
Seeing the money pouch must have sparked his greed; he suddenly demanded an absurd price.
He took me for an easy mark, an obvious outsider.
With a cold expression, I put the gold back in the pouch.
“Think it over.”
“10 gold, or no deal!”
“Hah.”
I let out a hollow laugh.
“You want 10 gold for a pirate slave who’s already tried to escape?”
“...”
“Look at those limbs. He’s in no shape to work properly. You should be grateful for even one gold coin…”
“T-That’s!”
“And you just whipped him twice. Treating those wounds alone will cost at least 50 silver.”
“...T-That, uh…”
“Plus, taming a defiant one like him? That’s no small expense. And the feed up till now?”
“Fine! 5 gold, I’ll take 5 gold…”
“That was the old price.”
I tossed three gold coins onto the ground.
“Take these at least.”
“...Urk.”
The man’s face turned red and purple with wounded pride, but he couldn’t retort and started picking up the coins from the ground.
In the meantime, I used Hydra’s Fang to snap the leash he’d been holding. The cheap chain melted away under the Hydra’s venom. I helped up the blue-haired young man who still couldn’t rise. Covering his torn-back clothes with my cloak, we left the slave market street.
“Damn, damn…”
The young man muttered curses in a barely audible voice. He seemed like he might be crying.
Back at the inn, I asked the innkeeper to bring hot soup and soft bread to the room. Then I brought the young man into the room. El looked quite surprised to see I wasn’t alone.
“Master, who’s that…?”
“Later. For now, fill the tub with lukewarm water and add two lumps of rock salt.”
“Y-Yes.”
I removed the cloak I’d draped over the young man. As I reached to check the wounds on his back, he sharply slapped my hand away.
“Don’t touch me.”
“No funny business. Just trying to heal you. I’m a druid.”
“Don’t care if you’re a druid or whatever. Disgusting bastard…”
“Fine, say what you want. Let me see the wounds first.”
I forcibly grabbed his shoulder and examined the whip-lashed mess on his back. Around the torn skin…
‘As I thought…’
Blue scales shimmered.
‘A mermaid hybrid.’
I placed my hand over the wound and used [Nature’s Healing] and [Wound Healing]. Thanks to Linshaka’s divine power, the wounds closed quickly. By tomorrow, there wouldn’t even be scars.
“Master, the tub’s full. Added the salt as you said.”
“Thanks, El.”
I supported the young man again.
“Let’s get in the tub. It’ll speed up recovery.”
“Let go!”
The young man shoved me away roughly. And somehow, he’d snatched the dagger from my waist, pointing it at us.
I let out a deep sigh.
“Hey. I’m trying to help you.”
“A master helping a slave? Hilarious!”
“I don’t plan to be your master. See? I didn’t take a slave stone from those guys.”
A slave stone was a processed magic stone that prevented slaves from escaping their masters— a kind of restraint.
Once it resonated with the slave’s soul, they couldn’t stray far from it unless it was destroyed.
That’s why slavers usually fitted slaves with one upon purchase.
Of course, I hadn’t.
I didn’t need a slave anyway.
“...”
At my words, the young man floundered, mouth agape in confusion.
“More importantly, you’re in pretty bad shape right now, aren’t you? Those scales are about to fall off. You need to get in the water quick.”
“...H-How did you…”
While he hesitated, I went into the bathroom first to check the water temperature and salinity. Good enough.
“Water’s cooling. Hurry up.”
Mermaids needed to be in water at least half the day. As a hybrid, two or three hours should suffice for him. The slavers must not have realized he was a mermaid hybrid and neglected him. You could tell from the state of his scales.
He glared at me warily. But my guess must have hit the mark; unable to hold out any longer, he scrambled into the tub.
Should’ve listened sooner instead of acting tough.
“G-Get out! Pervert!”
“Ridiculous. You’re not even a guy or a girl yet.”
Mermaids reached maturity around 100 years.
For a hybrid, that meant about 50 years until adulthood.
Mermaids didn’t have a fixed gender until maturity.
So this one was asexual too.
I looked at him impassively.
“Listen up from now on. I’m going to explain the contract between you and me.”