Buying a Slave (1)
A few days ago I showed Marcus the gold coin Phelton had left behind and asked how much it was worth. What Marcus told me then was this:
“This is a limited-edition commemorative coin minted to celebrate our kingdom’s victory in the war. It’s 91 percent pure and weighs about seventeen grams. A regular gold coin of the same purity but only four grams is worth roughly 130 beni. Back then these commemorative pieces went for 800 beni each. Ten years have passed since, so with the premium that comes from being a rare commemorative item, the value has shot up several times over. The last time I saw one on the market it was going for around 3,000 beni, so I imagine it’s even higher now.”
After living in this other world I had learned a little about the value of money. 130 beni seemed to equal about 500,000 won back in Korea. Which meant that if one of Phelton’s coins was still worth 3,000 beni, each was worth roughly 11.5 million won in Korean money. All ninety-nine of them together would come to about 1.1385 billion won. And if the price had risen since then, the total would be even larger.
In short, I was now a rich man.
The guy who used to live in a tiny studio apartment and survive on convenience-store food was now carrying enough money in this world to found his own bandit group. It still felt surreal.
“If I buy slaves and bring them back, will they be treated as squad members and have to follow the orders of their superiors?”
I was only buying them to share the workload and make my own life easier; I had zero intention of turning them into outlaws.
“No need to worry about that. The boss is very strict about protecting a member’s personal property. Just like that crying girl you brought in before, any slave belonging to a squad member is recognized as private property.”
“So I only have to worry about them listening to me?”
“That’s right.”
“And separately from us using slaves, the open slots in our squad can still be filled, right?”
“Correct.”
My mind was steadily tilting toward buying slaves.
“But the soldiers in Nobern are still searching for us with fire in their eyes. Is it safe to go there so casually?”
“You think Nobern is the only city in the region? Besides, you don’t even have to set foot in a city. There’s the black market held in the Albirose Refugee Camp. The prices there run higher than elsewhere, though.”
Oh, that was an option. Marcus gave me a light nudge in the ribs.
“It’s time for the squad-leader meeting. Get dressed and ready. You have to attend too.”
“Wait. Could you put in a good word for me at the meeting, Marcus? Tell them the 15th Squad is taking the day off. I’m really going to die at this rate. We need to recruit new members before we worry about helping with the band’s regular duties.”
“You planning to visit the slave market today?”
“If I want to stay alive, yes. I need to find people and split up the work.”
Might as well take one gold coin and see if there were any useful slaves for sale.
Marcus mulled it over for a moment, then gave a hearty nod.
“Hmm, all right. I know how hard it’s been on you. I’ll tell the meeting that the 15th is standing down today.”
I clenched my fist tight.
“Thanks! I’ll do my best!”
I was happy. One gold coin could buy one person, two, three—however many I could afford. Since the only other person in our stuffy 15th Squad tent was that old man, maybe I should buy several women to brighten the atmosphere? Ha ha ha. It was a delightful dilemma that stretched my mouth from ear to ear.
I felt no guilt about buying slaves. Kelly and Dana were similar cases, yet fundamentally different. Their situations had been nothing alike. If Kelly had come to me as a slave now—after I had grown used to bandit life instead of the naïve me from back then—she would never have seen the outside world again. I had been her owner. She had been my property. The me from that time had been driven by guilt and released her; the current me was now trying to forget that guilt.
But Dana was different. She was an ordinary person who had simply been kidnapped by bandits, and our relationship was not one of domination. The reason I had worked to free her wasn’t guilt but simple compassion for a fellow human being on equal footing. I now lived in a different world with different common sense. “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” as the saying went. From now on I would follow this world’s standards.
That was the whole reason I felt no hesitation about buying slaves.
So when I explained the situation to Bernhardt at the morning squad-leader meeting and asked for the day off, he granted it immediately. I always thought the same thing—Bernhardt’s decisiveness was truly refreshing.
Back at the tent, we hurriedly prepared to leave. Our destination would be the Albirose Refugee Camp, where rare slaves of good pedigree frequently appeared.
“That place is ruled by violence and disorder, so make sure you bring your sword.”
“Yes, sir.”
After finishing our preparations, I took out the gold coin I had hidden inside my pillow. It was one I had brought from the cave earlier when I wanted to ask Marcus about it. I also gathered the money I had received as weekly pay, stuffed everything into a pouch, and sealed the entrance. One gold coin and 73 beni in total. While I was at it, I decided to buy some useful daggers and traps as well. I wasn’t going to skimp on tools that could protect my life. I would invest properly.
Fifteen years had passed since the war that left deep scars across the land. The Albirose Refugee Camp had been built by those wounded souls who gathered together. Adelia and Sinclair walked down a street packed with thousands of tents and shacks.
“What a filthy town.”
“Indeed.”
Both women had hidden their faces under hoods and wore light armor beneath their robes, disguised as ordinary travelers. They walked side by side, brows furrowed. Everything that caught the eye was shabby, crude, and dirty. Fights broke out everywhere, and unidentified stenches assaulted the nose at every corner.
“There are many pickpockets, so please stay alert, Lady Adelia.”
At Sinclair’s warning, Adelia swept her gaze across the surroundings with open contempt.
“What is Lord Roten doing, leaving this filthy slum standing? If it were me, I would have sent in soldiers and razed the entire place. This is nothing but a breeding pit for mosquitoes.”
“I completely agree. Simply clearing this camp would reduce crime rates in the southern region by at least fifteen percent.”
Soon the pair stopped in front of a two-story wooden building with no signboard. A small plaque hung on the tightly closed door, displaying nothing but a crude drawing of a fish.
“This must be the place.”
“An inn, perhaps?”
When Adelia tilted her head, Sinclair took several steps back and looked up at the second floor.
“I’m not sure. The exterior is too dirty and ominous to look like an inn. Would anyone actually come here?”
“Look at this camp. People live in places that seem uninhabitable, so for them this building might qualify as an inn. People like us who care about cleanliness would never use such a place, but those of low status and no money would have no problem with it.”
“Mm. I’m almost afraid I’ll catch some infectious disease just by stepping inside.”
“Try not to touch anything once we’re in. Don’t sit on the chairs, don’t drink anything they offer, and keep your distance from the informant.”
“Understood. And to protect your hygiene, Lady Adelia, please leave everything to me. Stay behind me at all times once we enter. I will handle the conversation.”
Adelia stared at the door for a moment, then shook her head with a meaningful expression.
“The interrogation will be done by me. I have many questions for the informant—about that heteromorphic youth.”
The moment the young man’s face rose in her mind, a surge of frustration made Adelia bite her lip.
I’ll take back my precious sword along with your life soon enough!
A letter had arrived at the Lion Heart Unit not long ago. The sender claimed to be an insider of the Elk Bandits and expressed a desire to meet the unit’s commander to trade information. Adelia, who had been attending endless social gatherings hosted by the local lord and nobles in order to bolster the unit’s influence, had set everything aside and rushed all the way to the Albirose Refugee Camp to meet the informant in person.
“It could be a trap, so stay on your guard, Sinclair. I will handle the informant myself. Follow slowly behind me and examine the interior of the building carefully.”
“I will keep it in mind.”
“Let’s go in.”
Adelia pulled on a pair of black leather gloves, gripped the rusty door handle, and opened the door.
“Only two women came?”
Elchapo, leader of the Baskio criminal organization that ruled the Albirose Refugee Camp, was receiving an urgent report from one of his subordinates inside his luxurious mansion.
“Only two people entered the camp. No other suspicious individuals were spotted.”
“Aha ha! What kind of guts do they have, coming without any troops! What can two little girls possibly do? Aha ha ha! So, where are they now?”
“They’ve entered the building where we set the trap.”
Elchapo, clearly delighted, slammed his fist on the desk and stood up. He turned and looked out the window. A beautifully landscaped, expansive garden stretched before him.
“Good. Everything is proceeding smoothly.”
He turned back to his subordinate.
“Make sure the catch succeeds. Station plenty of men around the building so they can’t escape. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
After the subordinate left, Elchapo twirled his thick black mustache and broke into a sinister smile.
“Lion Heart bastards. What was it you said? You came to wipe out all the bandits in the south? Hmph, don’t make me laugh. I’ll teach you exactly how cruel and cunning the bandits of the south can be. Heh heh heh…”