Chapter 248: Summit (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 248: Summit (1)
It wasn't half-forced; it was fully forced. Erma had to continue the game, a decision so agonizing it felt like she was coughing up blood.
The moment she refused, Skadia would turn her into an ice sculpture and shatter her to bits.
The game that followed was a complete victory for Azyeth. Despite Erma mobilizing every trick she had prepared, not just bribing the dealer, she couldn't win a single round.
Azyeth kept completing Royal Straight Flushes, one for every suit.
The impossible odds made it seem as if the goddess of luck herself had descended upon Azyeth.
Erma, who had seen her defeat the moment Skadia appeared, had long since lost her mind.
“That was a good meal.”
“Wait! Please, listen to me! This casino is my everything. If I lose it, my family will be ruined!”
As per the contract, Erma had to hand over the casino.
It was a bitter pill to swallow, but that part was fine.
She could just use her family’s power to take it back.
She hadn't expected to lose, but even if she did, that had been her plan all along. Who would say anything if she simply took back a casino lost on a mere bet?
But this was far beyond her expectations.
A dragon was glaring at her with murderous eyes.
There was no way a single noble family could defeat an opponent that the entire kingdom might not be able to beat.
All Erma could do was beg for mercy.
“I suppose you'll just have to be ruined. Nothing to be done about it.”
But Karami had no intention of letting her off.
He had no plans to recklessly abuse the power of his slaves, which was the epitome of unfairness, but if an opponent attacked him so openly, he wouldn't hesitate.
“This is your punishment for daring to covet my slave. I’ll send someone soon, so you can hand over the ownership then.”
It was the price for looking down on Azyeth and trying to cheat her.
She had brought this upon herself.
Turning his back on the screaming Erma, Karami left the VIP room with Azyeth.
Having experienced the biggest dopamine rush of her life, Azyeth couldn't hide her excitement.
Her steps were light and bouncy, and her blinking grew rapid.
“Are you that happy?”
“Yes.”
She felt like the luckiest person in the world. It seemed as if, right now, the world would be on her side no matter what she did.
They arrived at the lounge.
Azyeth spotted Rin waiting with her arms crossed and a disgruntled look on her face.
“…Yapper?”
“I told you to call me Rin, not Yapper.”
“But you yap…”
“That’s because you keep grabbing my tail!”
How many times had she said this?
Rin was too tired to argue further.
“But Yapper… why are you here?”
“I called her.”
If Azyeth had become unlucky because Rin disliked her, then all he had to do was reverse it.
He had summoned Rin from the merchant group and had her shower Azyeth with a waterfall of good fortune—so much so that even the dealer who had been rigging the game came to his senses and started dealing Azyeth winning hands.
It was cheating, but their opponent had cheated first. And besides…
Isn't it ridiculous to expect fairness from a slave trader?
That was all there was to it.
“It wasn’t my luck…?”
Azyeth, who had firmly believed in her own good fortune, was deeply shocked to learn that it had all been rigged.
Seeing her frozen like a statue, Rin let out a scoff.
“As if.”
It was hard to tell if she was being naive or shameless. One thing was for sure: she had no conscience.
“So? Why are you two here? I’m sure I saw you in your room.”
“A date…”
“What? That’s not fair, Master! Why are you only on a date with her?”
She asked why, but he couldn't answer. The moment he admitted to taking a bribe, his credibility as a master would plummet.
“Then shall we all go on a date together, Rin?”
“Really?”
“Of course. But you can’t tell the others, okay? Got it?”
“Understood, perfectly!”
He made Rin his accomplice, and the three of them went out to enjoy the city.
Later that evening, Rin had to be scolded for bragging to the other girls.
*
In the royal council chamber of the Traul Kingdom, a nation of humans. A man sat at the end of a long table.
Gregory de Carsein.
Not only him, but various ministers who served in the royal castle were gathered in one place. The atmosphere was more solemn than ever.
It was because of a report that had come from Belhast, a city located on the kingdom's eastern edge.
Tents had been erected on the horizon visible from Belhast. When they went to investigate, they found the dwarves of Doomheim, who had lived hidden underground.
When asked why they were here, the answer they received was:
—We plan to build a city here. A kingdom for slaves.
They asked for more details, wondering what this sudden declaration meant, and learned that a man called the Slave Reaper was planning to establish a kingdom made of slaves.
The Slave Reaper's notoriety had reached the ears of not just powerful nobles, but the king himself.
A man with a vile hobby of tormenting and killing female slaves. They had thought he delivered death in the name of liberation, but what they heard was the exact opposite.
It was liberation in the literal sense. He didn't kill the slaves; he gathered all sorts of them and set them free.
His goal, they said, was the liberation of every slave in the world.
For the Traul Kingdom, where the importance of slaves was overwhelmingly higher than in any other kingdom, this was something that absolutely could not be allowed to happen.
If they weren't careful, the kingdom's own slaves might be inspired by him and turn against them. The entire kingdom could be shaken.
It was unlikely that a mere slave trader could build a nation, but it wasn't a matter to be taken lightly.
The recently rising Merchants of Death was said to be his. He commanded dozens of elf slaves, and even the dwarves were helping him.
“What should we do?”
“How about we capture him? If we can just capture him, we can turn his merchant group to the kingdom’s benefit and absorb his assets into the national treasury.”
“Is that possible?”
“If his elf slaves obey his commands, we can expect significant losses.”
Elves, who were master archers and spirit masters, possessed power comparable to an Archmage. Dozens of them were equivalent to an army.
“Hmm…”
“Your Majesty, what about holding a summit with the leaders of each nation?”
“A summit?”
“From what I’ve heard, the Holy Kingdom suffered greatly at the hands of the Slave Reaper, and Princess Hilde, the regent of Vestia, also despises him. Since he commands elf slaves, the Great Forest will surely feel the same.”
“So you propose we get help from other nations to subjugate the Slave Reaper.”
The Foreign Minister nodded.
“Furthermore, if we can persuade Doomheim, we may be able to stop his plan.”
Every word he said was right.
To face a common enemy, it was best for everyone to join forces.
“Foreign Minister, contact the kingdoms you mentioned immediately.”
*
A groggy mind.
The soft sensation on his lips.
Cool water flowed in, moistening his dry mouth.
And then, a squirming movement within.
My eyes fluttered open at the strange sensations. Mirabelle, who was stroking my hair, was diligently giving me a morning kiss as ordered.
Then, her eyes met mine.
“Ah… M-Master. Are you awake?”
Mirabelle lifted her head, her face blushing shyly.
“Yes. I woke up thanks to you.”
“Hehe…”
A pot sat on the nightstand. It seemed she wasn't just kissing me, but passing water into my mouth.
She was growing on her own, without even being taught. As her master, I was deeply moved.
But I’m still sleepy.
I wanted to sleep more.
But Mirabelle had gone to the trouble of waking me, and it felt wrong to go back to sleep.
Ah. I had a good idea.
“Mirabelle, you must be tired since you woke up so early.”
“I’m fine. I’m used to it now, and I like watching you sleep, and… hehe.”
“Is that so? I was going to suggest we sleep in together if you were tired, but if you’re fine, I guess there’s nothing to be done.”
When I said this, making it painfully obvious how disappointed I was, Mirabelle’s expression shifted to one of ‘Oops!’.
“I-I’m tired!”
“Right? You are tired, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I think I need to sleep more.”
“I thought so. Here, come on in.”
It was a small deviation to be enjoyed amidst a busy life. With her master’s permission, she didn't have to feel guilty.
It was truly the Reaper’s temptation.
Mirabelle did not refuse. As I lifted the blanket, she slipped inside and lay on top of me.
“Warm, isn’t it?”
“It’s warm.”
As we were lazily sleeping in, the morning passed in a flash. I was finally forced awake by Narsha, who came looking for me when I refused to get up.
Azyeth, who had stubbornly refused to get up just because I hadn't come to wake her, was a legend in her own right.
After a late breakfast, I sat in my office, chin in hand.
“It’s kind of quiet today.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
The office, which was usually bustling with slaves, was silent.
It was just me, Mirabelle who would now be attending to me, and Azyeth, who was passed out on the sofa again.
“Is everyone busy with something?”
“I wonder. Let’s just wait and see.”
The girls didn't come even after lunchtime, only appearing as the afternoon was ending.
“Where has everyone been?”
“There was urgent business in the Great Forest.”
“Same for our Holy Kingdom.”
“And for Vestia.”
All the kingdoms had business at the same time?
Did a demon king appear or something?
“The king of the kingdom sent a message to His Holiness. He proposed a summit.”
“To our Queen, too.”
“And to our black cat.”
“Did he ask you to hunt a demon king?”
“No, he asked them to hunt you.”
So it wasn't a demon king hunt, but a reaper hunt.
“Why are they trying to catch me?”
“I don’t know the details.”
Narsha, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.
“It’s likely because of the city construction. They know our merchant group has elves, so they won’t face you recklessly. It seems they intend to use the other kingdoms.”
I just want to build a comfortable home for pitiful slaves, and they won't leave me alone.
“What should we do? Should I punish them for their insolence?”
“No, since it’s come to this, let’s proceed with the summit.”
It was a chance to see the highest-ranking people from each country gathered in one place.
There was no way I was going to miss an event this juicy.