Chapter 41

"Stop that carriage! If you're entering the town, we need to inspect your cargo and passengers!"

The squad leader, who was in charge of inspecting people and goods entering and exiting the gate of Bornis, stopped the covered carriage and the carts following behind it on the road.

When the squad leader saw the man sitting on the driver's seat of the covered carriage pulled by a load dragon, he felt a sense of familiarity. The man seemed trustworthy as a small merchant but didn't look like someone who would become a successful businessman. His honest but timid face didn't resemble that of a criminal described in wanted posters.

The squad leader's question of where he had met the man was resolved when he saw a boy bowing to him from inside the covered carriage over the man's shoulder, and the Zuan standing next to him.

"Are you the same traveling merchant and his nephew I met before? You just left the town the other day, so what brings you back now?"

"Of course, it's business. This time, I've brought a full load of goods, not just this carriage but also the carts behind it."

Following the man's words, the squad leader looked at the carts attached to the back of the carriage. As the man said, the carts were piled high with goods. It seemed they were carrying something quite heavy, as the two dwarves pulling the carts and the two more pushing from behind were drenched in sweat and panting heavily.

"What kind of goods are you carrying?"

"Yes. I've brought swords and spears."

The squad leader was surprised by the ominous words that came from the merchant's mouth.

"You! Bringing in such a large amount of weapons, what do you intend to do?!"

Startled by the squad leader's stern tone, the merchant hurriedly replied.

"Didn't you hear that the Zuans are causing trouble in the northern plains?"

At these words, the squad leader's face darkened.

For the Holmea national army, suffering a defeat at the hands of the Zuans was a terrible disgrace, and the soldiers were under a strict gag order. However, when young soldiers visited taverns or brothels, they couldn't help but let slip information to the maids and prostitutes to gain their attention.

The squad leader was aware that this had become common knowledge in the town.

However, it didn't feel good to have it used as a topic of conversation.

With a bitter expression, the squad leader took the man's hand and slipped several bronze coins into it.

"Having more good weapons wouldn't be a bad thing for everyone, would it? If my pockets get a little warmer, I can't think of a greater happiness."

"Indeed. Good weapons would certainly help us, which is very reasonable."

The weight of the coins in his palm improved the squad leader's mood. He then slipped a silver coin into his hand and whispered in his ear.

"These are the goods I've brought to help everyone. Think of it as helping me as well..."

"Oh, oh! That's right."

The squad leader called out to the tax collector, who was inspecting the types and quantities of the weapons.

"This man is quite considerate."

The tax collector, understanding the squad leader's implication, cut the inspection short. He dipped a sharpened stick into an ink pot and wrote on a piece of paper placed on a rough wooden table by the side of the gate.

"How about this?"

The traveling merchant shook his head at the tax amount presented by the soldier.

"I've heard that a formal declaration is required when bringing in a certain quantity of weapons. Could you do something about that?"

To emphasize his point, the merchant slipped another silver coin to the soldier, who glanced at the squad leader. After receiving a nod, the soldier rewrote the document.

"How about this?"

"...This will do."

After carefully reading the document and being satisfied, the traveling merchant paid the tax.

The soldier, unable to hide his delight at the unexpected extra income, noticed that the squad leader was watching the covered carriage and carts disappear into the crowd with a strange expression and called out to him.

"What's wrong, Captain?"

The squad leader tilted his head and replied to his subordinate.

"Well, the boy in the carriage said something odd..."

He couldn't understand why such words had slipped out.

He thought it might be a mishearing, but the squad leader clearly heard the boy whisper:

"Sorry to you."

What a strange thing for a boy to say.

Bribing the gate guards to enrich oneself is a kind of privilege. Merchants also benefit from this arrangement, so it's a mutually beneficial relationship. In fact, that's exactly what happened.

He had never heard of a merchant apologizing for such a thing.

"Maybe he felt guilty about bringing in so many weapons without recording them?"

The squad leader nodded in agreement.

"If so, I'll make sure the boy doesn't feel guilty by celebrating with this silver tonight."

The gate guards exchanged sly smiles at the squad leader's words.

◆◇◆◇◆

"Oh! Welcome back!"

When Soma visited Grokakos's mansion and announced his arrival to the gatekeeper, Gorkakos soon came out with a beaming face, a stark contrast to his previous reception. Slightly taken aback, Soma greeted the merchant.

"I've come to bring you fortune and wealth."

"And to you as well, fortune and wealth."

Without much formalities, Gorkakos asked:

"So, Soma, what brings you here today?"

"Yes. I have a small favor to ask."

Soma glanced to the side, and Gorkakos, following his gaze, spotted the carts parked on the road.

"Hmm. It seems you've put the slaves you bought to good use."

Gorkakos nodded in satisfaction as he saw the dwarves chained to the carts.

"Yes. They're not just for guarding; they're also useful for pulling the carts."

"That makes me, as the one who sold them to you, very happy."

Gorkakos almost licked his lips as he said:

"Are you looking for more slaves?"

"Yes, that's part of it, but I have a bit of a problem..."

"What is it?"

"Actually, I'm having trouble finding a place to stay for the night. I've found a place for myself and this one," Soma indicated Shemul, "but I don't have a place to store the goods and the dwarves..."

Gorkakos thought for a moment.

Right now, a caravan from Jebao is staying in the capital. The main members are staying in the lord's residence, but the servants and guards are staying in various accommodations in the town, so it's likely to be full today.

"Is there somewhere you could recommend to store the carts with the slaves and goods?"

"Ah, I see. That would be a problem." Gorkakos thought for a moment and then clapped his hands. "How about this? I'll take care of the slaves and the carts. The slaves were originally from my place, so I know how to handle them."

"Really?!"

"Of course. How about it? Why don't you stay at my mansion as well? I'd be happy to welcome you."

"No, just taking care of the slaves and carts is enough."

Soma said with a playful tone.

"Besides, if I stay with a shrewd merchant like you, I might go bankrupt by morning. Please spare me that."

"Hahaha! I see, you're quite wary of me."

Soma handed a small bag of silver coins to Gorkakos, who was in a good mood from the flattery.

"This is a small token of appreciation for the trouble."

Gorkakos was surprised by the weight of the coins in his hand.

"Taking care of the slaves and carts doesn't warrant such a generous payment..."

"The extra can be deducted from the price of the slaves I'll buy tomorrow."

"Ah, I see. That makes sense."

Gorkakos accepted the bag of silver coins.

"So, what are the goods on the carts?"

"Here they are."

Soma uncovered the goods on the cart, revealing a large pile of swords and spears.

"I've heard that the army sent to defeat the Zuans was defeated. The plains will likely be in turmoil for a while, so I thought I'd sell these to the Holmea national army."

Until recently, the rumor was that the army was burned by the fire they had set, causing many injuries. Now, the correct information that they were defeated by the Zuans has spread among the soldiers.

Gorkakos was impressed by the quick information gathering of a merchant from a distant eastern country.

While the dwarves pulled the carts to the back of the mansion, Gorkakos and Soma chatted. Suddenly, Gorkakos clapped his hands.

"By the way, I have a rare slave that I'd like you to see."

Without waiting for Soma's response, Gorkakos walked towards the courtyard. Soma, not wanting to offend Gorkakos, reluctantly followed with Shemul.

"Here, take a look. This is a valuable slave I specially acquired from a royal supplier."

In front of a particularly large cage in the courtyard, Gorkakos spoke like a showman.

The large shadow inside the cage stirred slightly, causing the numerous chains on its body to rattle.

"…! What is this?!"

Not only Soma but also Shemul were amazed by the unusual sight.

"Hmm, even a seasoned merchant like you hasn't seen this before? Well, that's understandable. They mainly live in the southern deserts and the Fire Island."

Encouraged by their reactions, Gorkakos continued dramatically.

"Look at this mountain-like body. It's not just for show. Its strength can overpower even a dwarf! It's not just brute strength. Its skin is so tough that a knife can't even scratch it! It has claws that can tear flesh and sharp teeth that can rip it apart! And most terrifying of all, its ferocious nature! It's a race born for battle, no exaggeration."

After a pause, Gorkakos took a deep breath and revealed the name of the race.

"This is a Dinosaurian!"

◆◇◆◇◆

After seeing Soma off, Gorkakos wore a satisfied smile.

Although he couldn't sell anything today, Soma's reaction to the Dinosaurian gladiator slave exceeded his expectations. It was worth the effort of persuading a familiar royal supplier to part with it.

Tomorrow, when Soma comes to pick up the slaves and goods, he will surely pay a high price.

Imagining the bag of silver coins Soma would pay, Gorkakos let out a creepy laugh.

As he did, he noticed the dwarves being led into the cage by the slave supervisors.

"Feeling nostalgic, Dwarven? You must be happy to see me again."

In a good mood, Gorkakos called out to Dwarven, who often showed a rebellious look but never acted on it. Gorkakos often found reasons to scold and whip him, careful not to lower his value.

Knowing that Dwarven wouldn't be happy to see him again, Gorkakos asked anyway, revealing his twisted nature.

However, Dwarven's response was unexpected.

"Yes, I'm happy too."

Caught off guard by the unexpected answer, Gorkakos was momentarily speechless. He cleared his throat and regained his composure.

"If you weren't someone else's slave, I'd give you a whipping for that insolence. Be grateful to your master."

Dwarven's unexpected reaction left Gorkakos deflated. He knew Dwarven would be upset by his sarcasm, but he couldn't treat Soma's property too roughly, as he wanted to maintain a good relationship.

Reluctantly, Gorkakos turned to go back into the mansion, but a voice called out to him from behind.

"Yes, I'm deeply grateful."

Gorkakos, sensing an ominous tone in the voice, turned around to meet Dwarven's eyes in the dimly lit cage.

Dwarven's bearded face twisted into a smile.

"…What?!"

The smile reminded Gorkakos of a fierce guard dog's face when given a large piece of meat as bait, and he was speechless.

However, Dwarven soon joined the other dwarves at the back of the cage, turning his back to Gorkakos.

"You insolent worm…!"

Gorkakos cursed, trying to hide his inner turmoil, but his voice trembled with an indescribable unease.

◆◇◆◇◆

The next morning, Soma and Shemul were in the same empty lot where Soma had sobered up the last time they visited the town.

Soma had lied when he said Gorkakos had arranged their accommodation. He had only let Hopkins stay at an inn, while he and Shemul spent the night in the lot to avoid unnecessary contact with others.

Last night, he hardly slept due to tension, but as the sun rose, Soma got up and watched the smoke from breakfast preparations rise from the houses.

It was a peaceful scene.

If you only looked at this, it seemed like a very peaceful world. The image of a mother preparing breakfast for her husband and children before the start of a new day came to mind.

Closing his eyes, Soma recalled the morning scenes from his home in Japan.

The typical Japanese breakfast of rice, miso soup, and grilled fish was laid out on the table.

His mother, who always woke up earlier than anyone else to prepare breakfast.

The nagging words of his mother, which he found annoying at the time, now seemed nostalgic.

His father, who had finished his breakfast, was reading the newspaper and drinking coffee.

He had heard that drinking hot coffee after eating Japanese food was to get pumped up for work, but when was that?

Despite only a few months having passed since he fell into this world, those scenes felt like they were from a distant past.

He was about to destroy such a warm, gentle, and heart-wrenching scene.

Soma gently pressed his chest, which ached sharply.

"What are you being a good person for now? My terrifying Soma."

A sweet, loving voice, like that of a girl, touched Soma's ears.

Suddenly, something pressed against his back.

It was the heat of burning flames, the smell of burning flesh, and the presence of countless spirits.

Like a frog frozen by a snake's gaze, Soma's body was paralyzed by fear.

His pores opened all at once, and cold sweat poured out.

"My gentle Soma. Who made these children like this?"

The