The Merchant's Gamble
For the first leg of her journey into the forest west of the village, Kaira’s steps were filled with confidence. The deep, twin sets of footprints carved into the dirt served as a clear, friendly signpost. She had practically been humming a tune, her mind dancing with visions of a golden future as she plunged deeper into the woods.
But that leisurely pursuit hit a wall in less than two hours.
"Damn it! Where the hell did the tracks go?"
Kaira gasped for air, bracing her hands on her knees. As the forest grew denser, the soft dirt path vanished, replaced by a thick, tangled mess of undergrowth that made tracking impossible.
She was a sharp-witted, resourceful merchant, not a forest-tracking hunter. When the footprints abruptly cut off in the dense brush, she lost her sense of direction entirely. Amidst the identical trees and chaotic thickets, the trail of money she had been chasing evaporated like smoke.
To make matters worse, the sky was rapidly bleeding into a deep crimson.
Dusk had arrived. In the forest, sunset meant the probability of death skyrocketed. It was the time when nocturnal beasts—creatures that stayed hidden during the day—and the rare but lethal mutants began to roam. As a cool breeze swept through, a chilling shiver raced down Kaira’s sweat-drenched spine.
"Ah, this is insane. What kind of wealth was I chasing that I’d crawl this deep into the woods without a single plan?"
She slumped onto a hard rock and pulled a piece of dried jerky and a brick-hard chunk of black bread from her backpack. As she gnawed on the tough jerky, feeling the ache in her jaw, she began to bitterly regret the greed that had driven her to rush into the forest on such a reckless whim.
Should I turn back now? No, traveling back to the village at night is even more dangerous. But if I try to camp here, ten lives wouldn't be enough to keep me safe...
Turn back, or push forward? Just as Kaira was about to nervously swallow a piece of the tough bread amidst her internal conflict, it happened.
Whirrr... Click! Thud!
"......!"
It was faint, but unmistakable. Kaira stopped chewing and perked her ears up like a rabbit.
Whirrr... Hiss! Click!
She hadn't misheard. It was faint, but definitely there. It wasn't the sound of the wind or the cry of a beast. It was a sound she had only heard around the scrap factories of the Underground City—a distinctly "artificial and mechanical" friction.
The flames of greed and hope ignited in Kaira’s eyes once more. The sound of machinery running in the middle of this barren forest was clear evidence that the base of "that man" she had been so desperately seeking was not far off.
"...Is it over there!"
Kaira adjusted her backpack and moved cautiously, silencing her footsteps as she headed toward the sound. Surprisingly, as she followed the noise, the unique footprints she had lost reappeared on the damp mud. Convinced, she parted the bushes without even letting out a breath.
How long had she walked? When the dense trees cleared to reveal an open space, a stifled gasp escaped Kaira, who was crouched behind the brush.
"My god... what is all this?"
The sight before her was nothing short of miraculous. Massive panels, glittering under the red glow of the setting sun, were lined up in a long row. Beneath them, heavy machinery churned in complex patterns, incessantly churning out mysterious parts and resources.
She was left speechless by the sight of perfect, overwhelming high-tech facilities, so alien to the backdrop of the desolate forest.
It’s certain. This is it, 100 percent. The place that churned out those high-purity iron bars and high-quality potatoes!
Kaira scanned the clearing with heart-pounding excitement. But there was one strange thing. Despite the rows of massive factory equipment, she couldn't see a proper "house" or "building" where a person might live.
"That’s strange. Where do they sleep? Do they just leave the machines running and live somewhere else?"
Just as Kaira was craning her neck, filled with questions, it happened.
Whack!
"Gah...!"
The immense impact to her abdomen came without warning, stealing her breath and preventing even a scream. Her insides twisted, the air left her lungs, and she collapsed to her knees, gasping like a wounded animal.
As she writhed in pain, clutching her stomach while seeing stars, a blade—chilling enough to freeze her blood—pressed firmly against the skin under her chin.
"If you make a single move, I will slit your throat immediately."
"Hiiik!"
The voice was terrifyingly cold and professional. As Kaira rolled her trembling eyes upward, she saw a woman with flowing silver hair looking down at her as if she were a bug. It was a silver-haired woman.
The sight of her looking down with eyes that were mysteriously beautiful yet ruthless was a nightmare to Kaira. The woman held a sharp sickle, and the cold blade was aimed precisely at Kaira’s carotid artery.
"I will ask you. How did you find this place, and for what purpose did you approach it?"
There was not a shred of emotion or mercy in her blue eyes. Kaira felt her entire body freeze under the murderous intent radiating from the woman's gaze.
"Ugh... M-misunderstanding! I just... I got lost in the forest... and when I heard the machine sounds, I thought I’d ask for help...!"
She tried to weave a lie with the typical improvisation of a merchant, but such a flimsy excuse wouldn't work on the silver-haired woman. Instead of answering, she pressed the blade of the sickle just a fraction deeper into Kaira’s neck. The skin pricked, and a single drop of red blood trickled down.
"I will ask again. If you lie one more time, I will cease the interrogation and dispose of you immediately."
With her life hanging by a thread, the merchant's petty pride vanished in an instant. She confessed, practically screaming the truth.
"Please, spare me! I’ll tell you everything! I heard rumors in the village! I saw with my own eyes that there were 100 high-quality potatoes piled up that you gave them! I wanted to meet the amazing benefactor and somehow open a trade route! I just followed the footprints blindly! Please, just spare my life!"
At Kaira’s confession, poured out like a machine gun while she trembled, the silver-haired woman looked down at her silently. Her blue eyes coldly scanned Kaira’s entire body. After a long silence, as if weighing the truth, she spoke coldly without retracting the sickle.
"Stand up. Your life and death are in the hands of my master."
The silver-haired woman grabbed Kaira by the scruff of her neck and dragged her toward the camouflaged entrance of the research bunker, the sickle still leveled at her throat. As Kaira was dragged along, her legs failing her, she was struck with awe as the wall she thought was mere forest earth slid open to reveal a massive mechanical fortress.
Inside the research bunker, she saw blindingly bright white lights and a stark, sterile interior. Moving deeper, they arrived at a warehouse filled with potatoes. In the warehouse, the back of a man was visible.
Whack!
"Guh."
The silver-haired woman kicked the back of Kaira’s knees, forcing her to kneel. Kaira fell helplessly from the unexpected blow.
"Jaero. I have captured an intruder with malicious intent."
At the silver-haired woman’s report, the man turned around.
"Huh? Eve? What’s going on? Who is that woman?"
"She is an intruder who entered this place secretly. She confessed to following our footprints to track us to this facility. I await your orders for her disposal."
While the cold explanation from the woman named Eve continued, Kaira, still kneeling, instinctively looked up at the man’s face. And in that moment, she forgot the severe abdominal pain and the chilling sensation of the sickle at her throat, losing herself entirely.
My god...
He was dressed in rough work clothes with a bit of grime on them, but his overwhelming features made even that look like a perfect painting. Even considering that the world had run dry of such men, he was a man more unrealistically beautiful and handsome than any painting or statue she had seen in her entire life.
Only then did Kaira understand why the women of the village had gone so crazy, fawning over the potatoes and throwing themselves at him. It wasn't because of the potatoes. If a woman’s instincts didn't stir when faced with this impossibly perfect man, she might as well be a stone. Kaira, too, felt an intense impulse to cling to him and offer him everything she had.
However, she was a merchant who had seen it all. Just as she was about to lose her mind to his overwhelming beauty, Kaira reminded herself of her own desire: to make a lot of money and live a life of luxury.
That face, and a man with this kind of impossible technology. This is an opportunity. I must, by any means necessary, make a connection with this man! Even if I have to bet my entire life on it!
Kaira forced her trembling legs to steady themselves and put on a forced smile, looking as pitiful and desperate as possible.
"A-ahem, n-nice to meet you, sir! My name is Kaira. I’m a wandering merchant who sells goods between villages. I’ve committed a capital crime by barging in so rudely. But if you trust me, I can bring you unimaginable, massive profits!"
The man tilted his head, looking at Kaira.
The handsome man crossed his arms and looked down at Kaira as if intrigued.
"Huh? A wandering merchant? If you're a merchant, where do you usually get your goods? I didn't think there was anything around here besides that village."
At his question, Kaira swallowed hard and played her biggest card.
"I come from the 'Underground City,' a few days' journey from here. That is my base of operations."
"The Underground City?"
The man’s eyebrows twitched slightly at the unfamiliar name. Kaira, not missing that flicker of curiosity, quickly continued her explanation.
"Yes! When the old civilization collapsed and the world was devastated, it was formed by 'Raiders'—scavengers who survived by digging up the remains of civilization. Since it’s too dangerous to build and live in the open on the desolate, harsh surface, we built a massive city by digging into the ground, using the giant underground research facilities of the old civilization as our starting point."
"A city underground? How big is it?"
"I’ve never done a census, so I’m not sure, but... at the very least, if you include the outer slum areas, there are up to 10,000 people crowded in there. There are markets, merchant guilds, and people in power."
At those words, the man looked visibly surprised. Kaira didn't miss the strong interest rising in his expression.
"Ho... 10,000 people. So, what kind of trade do you want to open with me?"
Kaira cheered internally at his positive reaction and her eyes sparkled.
"Doesn't this factory you manage overflow with goods? If you pass on any surplus production or materials you have to spare, I will sell them in the Underground City and bring back 'everything' you desire. Hehe, because I’m a merchant!"
"Everything I desire... for example, what could you bring me?"
"Haha, I can get almost anything! Strong liquor or tobacco that lets you feel the nostalgia of the old civilization, rare ornaments once used by nobles, flashy and soft fabrics... Ah! If you want, I can even bring you 'people'."
"...People? You don't mean slaves, do you?"
When the man asked, frowning, Kaira waved her hands in a panic.
"N-no, not at all! I don't mean slaves caught by force or subjugated. Life in the Underground City is hellish. So, people who are starving to death today or tomorrow are desperately looking for someone who will feed them and keep them safe in exchange for their labor and their entire lives. In short, they are like servants or employees who voluntarily want to put on a leash. If you are a man of such great ability, having hundreds of servants would be nothing!"
At Kaira’s words that people pushed to the brink of survival would sell themselves, the man chewed on his lip with a bitter expression. Even to Kaira, it seemed like her proposal was tempting, but he didn't answer right away. He seemed lost in deep thought, carefully stroking his chin.
"Hmm, I see. Though I’ll have to think a bit about what kind of trade we should do. I’ll need to consider what I should ask you to buy first."
He turned his gaze to the forest outside the bunker. The red sunset had faded, and the surroundings were already dyed in pitch-black darkness.
"Talking like this, it’s already evening. Since it’s dangerous outside now that night has fallen, why don't you sleep here tonight? We can discuss the specifics of the trade tomorrow..."
"That will not do, Jaero."
As soon as the man’s favorable offer fell, Eve cut him off with a sharp voice. Her sickle flashed toward Kaira’s neck again, making a threatening sound.
"This person is a threat who followed us with malicious intent. We cannot have an unidentified person staying in the safest place we have. To prepare for any contingency, she should be expelled immediately."
"Hieeeeeek!!!"
Kaira screamed, terrified by the cold sensation of the sickle digging into her neck and Eve’s murderous eyes staring at her as if to tear her apart. If she insisted on staying in their hideout like this, it was obvious she would be chopped up by that scary silver-haired woman in the middle of the night and ground into fertilizer for the factory machines.
"N-no, sir! You don't have to worry about me at all!!! As it happens, I have a tent and camping gear in my backpack! I will pitch my tent in a corner next to your wonderful outdoor factory where I won't be in the way, and I will sleep quietly as if I were dead!!!"
As Kaira, her survival instincts dominating her brain, shouted while begging with both hands, the man gave a bitter smile as if he had no choice and nodded.
"Well... if you insist, I suppose I can't help it. Still, it’s a guest who came from afar, so I feel bad making you sleep outside. Eve, even if her intent is impure, she doesn't seem like she’ll do anything dangerous, right? Put the sickle away for now. At least let’s have dinner together."
"...If that is your command, I will follow it."
As Eve reluctantly put away the sickle and stepped back, Kaira finally let out a breath she had been holding and slumped down. Although she was in a position where she had to pitch a tent outside, the very fact that she could remain in this terrifying fortress and share a table with that handsome man was a massive success for her.
I-I survived...
A deep, greedy smile began to bloom on the lips of Kaira, the wandering merchant who had barely managed to keep her life.