Chapter 69
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: The Black Card
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5.
A shabby tavern tucked away in an alley.
Creeeak.
As Karron pushed the door open and stepped inside, the screech of old hinges echoed through the room.
And then.
Scored big, I tell ya!
Yeah, mercenary work just aint enough these days! If you come with me next time
All we need is to land one big haul.
A cacophony of boisterous voices assaulted his ears.
The reek of sweat, stale liquor, and a dozen other smells mingled into a nauseating stench.
A few patrons glanced at Karron as he entered, but they quickly lost interest and returned to their conversations.
Karron let out a soft breath and walked deeper into the tavern.
Ive already spoken to the broker in Reben. You can meet him at a tavern called the Cold Night. But remember, hes not a member of Kalligo. Think of it as a collaborative relationship, or maybe a necessary evil? Anyway, if he shows any sign of betrayal, you know what to do, right? Its your specialty, Young Master, so Ill trust you with it. I told him a client was interested in purchasing slaves, so just go with that.
In the taverns deepest corner.
A middle-aged man with a black eyepatch and a prominent snaggletooth sat nursing a glass of strong rum.
His thinning, patchy hair only accentuated his fierce yet petty appearance.
Karron approached the man and spoke casually.
Are you with anyone?
The man answered in a bored tone.
You got two eyes, cant you see? What does it look like? Im alone.
His tone was clearly belligerent.
They say you can tell how a man has lived by the way he speaks, and the ugly man before him was a perfect example.
Karron smirked, then pulled out a chair and sat down opposite him.
The man spoke with irritation.
What, you got a thing for cripples like me?
Kobler.
Huh. And howd you know my name?
Youre the only ugly bastard in here with one eye and a receding hairline. If there was an ugly contest, youd take first place. The person who sent me said to just look for the ugliest son of a bitch in the room. Ha, he was spot on.
Ah, so youre from Tebe. Shouldve said so sooner. Im always real pleasant to my clients!
Kobler grinned, baring his teeth. His yellowed fangs stood out.
Right, so youve come to check out the slave market.
I was thinking of picking up some slaves in Tebe, but I heard they dont deal in them anymore.
Heh heh. Kalligo. A bunch of former slaves getting all high and mighty. They used to do anything for money, and now theyre pretending to be decent. Anyway, you came to the right place. Unlike them, we still do anything that makes a profit.
We.
The word bothered him slightly.
Karron glanced around at the men filling the tavern.
He had felt their furtive gazes on him even while talking to Kobler.
Normally, one would unbuckle their gear before drinking in a tavern, but every one of these men, who looked like mercenaries, still had weapons at their hips.
Youre all in this together?
Our line of work isnt something you can do alone. Im sure you understand.
I heard you were a broker.
I double as a slave trader! Thats how everyone does business around here. If my slaves arent to your liking, I can set you up with another trader, so dont you worry.
He was, for all intents and purposes, surrounded.
An ordinary person might have felt pressured by the situation.
But Karron simply raised his hand and called for the tavern owner.
The owner, a man with a scarred forehead and a grim face, approached them.
Need something?
A beer.
Wait.
A moment later, the owner served him a lukewarm mug of beer.
Karron took a sip, his face twisting in a grimace.
Whats the point of drinking lukewarm piss like this?
Meanwhile, Kobler sized Karron up.
Typical mercenary attire, complete with an iron mask that covered more than half his face.
But from his voice and his fair hands, it was obvious he was a young nobleman.
A noble brat looking for slaves?
Its obvious.
The ones who came all the way to this prison-like southern border for slaves were all psychos.
They either had peculiar sexual tastes or harbored some dark desire.
Like enjoying killing people, for instance.
How many pieces of trash had he encountered while selling slaves?
Some of the lunatics were so depraved they made even him, a slave trader, shake his head.
First, lets see how much money I can squeeze out of him.
The fact that the referral came through Kalligo was a slight concern.
Kalligo was a massive organization that controlled Tebes underworld.
If something happened to this noble brat, it could escalate into a conflict between their organizations.
But fleecing him a little should be fine.
Having sorted his thoughts, Kobler smirked.
So, what kind of product are you looking for? Just say the word, and Ill make it happen.
How many do you have?
At least over a hundred and fifty. Ah, if you cant decide, I can show you the products first.
Ah, Im not interested in humans.
Other races? Weve got a few of them too. Some beastkin
No elves? Thats what I came for.
At that, Koblers expression hardened slightly.
The trade of non-human slaves, especially elves, was a closely guarded secret.
Where on earth did this brat hear about that?
Kobler decided to feign ignorance for now.
Elves arent exactly an easy product to acquire
Just then.
The brat before him pulled something from his coat and placed it on the shabby table.
A single black card.
At first, he squinted, trying to figure out what it was.
But a moment later, he realized its identity.
A B-Black Card?
The symbol of wealth that only the Empires highest elite could possess.
He had only heard whispers of it from a banker who helped him launder moneya truly fantastical object.
Possessing this card meant one thing.
The brat before him was no ordinary noble.
Are they really that hard to get?
At the brats question, Kobler swallowed hard and shook his head.
O-of course not! Its true theyre hard to acquire but for you, Young Master, anything is possible.
Why the sudden formality?
How could I dare speak informally when someone so esteemed has graced us with their presence!
Those bastards at Kalligo, who the hell did they send me?
He didnt know for sure, but this kid had to be the son of a big shot.
Only the most powerful families, names that everyone knew, were issued these cards.
Or else.
Worst case, he could be from the Imperial family
Someone with imperial blood.
In any case, he likely hailed from a family far too powerful for a lowly slave trader to handle.
But there was something he had to confirm first.
Kobler rubbed his hands together and spoke cautiously.
Um Young Master. Not that I doubt you, but I have an acquaintance who works at a branch of the Imperial Bank
Ah, you want to verify it? Fine. Go ahead and check if you want.
Th-thank
But be prepared. Got it? Ill make sure you pay the price for bothering me.
With that, Karron took another sip of his beer.
He was in a bad mood.
This beer tastes like absolute shit.
Ill get you a cold one right away
Shut up and verify the card. Youre pissing me off.
It wasnt just the bad beer; old memories kept surfacing.
Karron ground his teeth and glared at Kobler.
6.
I-Its real, Kobler! Its real! I ran it through the forgery detector, and its authenticissued from the Imperial Banks main branch!
After bringing in his contact from the Reben branch of the Imperial Bank to verify it, the result was clear: the Black Card was genuine.
He had wanted to ask who the card belonged to, but even his friend didnt know.
Apparently, only the governor of the main branch in the capital knew.
In the first place, Black Cards were impossible to forge.
Dozens of complex anti-counterfeiting measures were built into them.
In any case.
Having confirmed the cards authenticity, Koblers attitude did a complete one-eighty.
Hehe, Young Master. I will escort you myself! The place that handles elf slaves is the slave auction house. Since they are such valuable slaves, theyre sold by auction. Its normally a members-only establishment, but for you, Young Master, I, Kobler, will gladly guide you!
Koblers face shone with a greasy film.
An unmistakable greed was written all over his face.
Am I actually allowed in?
My goodness, of course! It would be an honor for us if such an esteemed person were to grace us with their presence, would it not?
His mouth ran nonstop.
Just then, a fleck of spittle, launched by his protruding jaw, landed squarely on Karrons iron mask.
And in that instant.
SMACK.
Karron raised his hand and slapped Kobler across the face.
Kuaaargh!
You spit on me, you vermin.
Blood began to trickle from the nose of his already ugly face.
His men, standing behind him, bristled at the sudden violence, but Kobler quickly raised a hand to stop them.
Stay put, you bastards! Do you have any idea who this is?! Hehe, Young Master. I will be more careful.
Walk further away. Keep your distance.
He had no idea who was backing this brat.
But one thing was certain: it was someone unimaginably powerful.
If any trouble were to break out?
Not only would he be driven out of the territory he had worked so hard to establish, but he would also spend the rest of his life being relentlessly hunted.
And so, Kobler endured the humiliation.
Humiliation was fleeting.
As long as he could serve this brat well and get a hefty sum of money, it didnt matter.
Um, Young Master.
Your breath stinks. Get to the point.
The, uh, auction that handles elves is being held this evening. Before that, how about you come to my holding pen and check out the other products?
Karron frowned at Koblers suggestion.
His attitude of treating slaves as mere products grated on his nerves.
Was it because old memories kept flashing before his eyes? His nerves were on edge.
He felt an overwhelming urge to draw Guillotine and lop off the mans head right then and there.
But Karron suppressed the impulse.
Killing these scumbags could wait until after he had achieved his goal.
What was important now was gathering information.
Infiltrating their hideout himself would be a useful way to do that.
Is the holding pen far from here?
Kobler shook his head vigorously.
Not at all, sir. Its just around the corner. Hehe. We can go have some tea, and I can give you a brief explanation of the slave auction. How does that sound?
Liquor.
Pardon?
Liquor instead of tea. Not that piss-like beer. You must have something good, right?
O-of course.
Lets go. Ill take a look.
He still didnt have a full grasp of this city, Reben.
Shaking down this ugly bastard would surely yield something.
As Karron stood to leave, Kobler waved his hand and spoke.
Ah! The holding pen is connected this way, Young Master.
Kobler pointed to a door leading to the taverns basement.
I shall lead the way. Please, follow me!
After saying that, Kobler briefly exchanged a look with his men.
But then, as if nothing had happened, he put on an exaggerated smile and started down the stairs to the basement.
Young Master! This way, this way!
Listening to Koblers effusive chatter, Karron slowly set foot in the basement, his hand resting on the hilt of Guillotine.
Any traces of magic?
Guillotine replied.
Just some alarm spells. Nothing dangerous, Master.
If you sense anything strange, tell me immediately. Ill kill them all.
How many times do I have to tell you I dont like the blood of vermin like them? Ill warn you if it gets dangerous, so stop bothering me, you damn Master.
While bickering with Guillotine, Karron soon reached the bottom of the stairs.
A massive iron door was set into one of the basement walls.
It was clearly a thick door.
Kobler gave a grotesque smile.
Cant have the products escaping, now can we?
The door was far too thick to have been made just for slaves.
Boys, open the door!
Yes, boss!
His suspicion was brief. At Koblers command, his burly men opened the iron door, revealing a wide underground passage.
This is more than just an underground passage
Karron frowned.
It didnt look like a passage so much as a bomb shelter. The iron door, the reinforced tunnel
What was the true identity of these people?
There were too many suspicious things for them to be simple slave traders.
Nevertheless, Karron quietly followed Kobler.
How long did they walk?
What the hell is this?
Upon finally arriving at the holding pen, Karron was confronted with a completely unexpected sight.