Chapter Ten: Zeltoble
Our journey went smoothly, and we arrived at the capital city of Zeltoble.
“Pretty lively place.”
We made our way noisily through the city’s bustling streets. Even the Melromarc castle town wasn’t this lively. Once we arrived, I went back and fetched Raphtalia and Rishia, of course. There was plenty to be uncertain about, and I wanted to be able to fight if needed. It didn’t really feel so much like we had traveled to a faraway place, since we were returning to the village at night.
As for Zeltoble, how should I describe it? The country was full of stone coliseum-looking buildings that really stood out.
“What kind of country is Zeltoble, anyway? I don’t really know anything about it.”
“Well, then, allow me to explain! Yes sir!”
The slave trader began his explanation, full of excitement.
“Zeltoble is known as the country of merchants and mercenaries. Just like it sounds, the country runs on mercantilism and the mercenary business.”
“Yeah, I got that impression.”
“You know what mercenaries are, I take it. They’re people who earn money by fighting. The country also has strong ties with the guild that oversees all of the adventurer business. As a commercial hub, it single-handedly takes care of everything from distributing weapons and armor to supplying medicines and other consumables that the guild needs. Here money changes hands on a scale that is unheard of in other countries.”
Looking out of the carriage as we trotted along down the streets it wasn’t hard to believe. The Melromarc castle town was full of life, too, but this place felt like a real smorgasbord. The urban landscape seemed to continue on and on, alternating between bustling business districts and slums.
“The country has no king, by the way. It is administered by a council comprised of the most influential merchants.”
“Oh?”
So the country was more of a republic, then? It made sense for a country that touted itself as the country of mercenaries. Maybe it was a merit-based society.
“The country also has a profound dark side, as evidenced by the saying, ‘war is fought in the shadow of Zeltoble.’ Do be careful, Shield Hero.”
“I will.”
“My family is based out of Zeltoble. The country has treated our pockets well.”
“I thought that might be the case.”
That reminded me, I had a nightmare the night before. A whole crowd of creeps that looked just like the slave trader appeared out of nowhere and started trying to sell me slaves and monsters.
“Zeltoble is famous for the coliseum events that are held all around the country.”
“Coliseum?”
He was talking about fighting arenas, right? They were probably pitting mercenaries against each other and betting on who would win.
“It’s one of Zeltoble’s top attractions. I am confident that attending one of the events would make your whole trip worth it, Shield Hero.”
“I’ll think about it. So where are we supposed to go now?”
“We need to get off of the main street. Turn down that back alley over there. That should work.”
“Got it. Filo.”
I guided Filo toward the back alley that the slave trader had pointed out. As soon as we entered the alley, a rope came flying toward Filo from out of nowhere.
“Heh heh heh . . . That sure is an unusual monster you have there, eh?”
A group of brutish-looking guys stepped out in front of us. Did these idiots not know who Filo was? Either way, they reminded me of another group of idiots I knew.
“Hiya!”
“Arghhhh!!!”
Filo kicked the fool that had recklessly tried to capture her with a lasso and sent him flying off into space.
“Huh?! What is this thing?! Stop struggling! Ugh!”
“This monster is a savage! Hurry up and wring its ne—arghhh!”
Ah, Filo had bitten down on the head of one of the idiots. He struggled
for a few moments before going limp. I guess he’d passed out.
“M . . . monster!”
“Somebody save me!”
Filo spit the unconscious half-wit out and tore the rope from her neck.
“I prefer them a bit saltier. He didn’t taste very healthy!”
“. . .”
The thought that Filo might actually turn into a man-eating monster scared me. I had a feeling she was growing up to be a real basket case.
“Filo, people are not for eating.”
“Huh?”
She was just a filolial, after all. Maybe it was delayed intellectual development. What a bother. Considering what I needed her for, less intellect would be better.
“Filo. The thing about people is . . . it’s the children that taste best. They’re nice and tender.”
“Rafu! Rafu rafu!”
“Don’t tell her that, Mr. Naofumi! And don’t you encourage him, Raph-chan!”
I remembered there being a monster from some game or book that said something like that, so I tried repeating it to Filo, but she shook her head with revulsion.
“Nooo!”
“See, that kind of thing works better on Filo.”
“Oh, for crying out loud. I can’t tell if she actually gets it or not.”
“Look, Filo. Don’t go putting people in your mouth unless you’re trying to scare them. It’s for your own good.”
“Yup! I just did it because I figured it would make them run away!”
Oh? So she actually understood intimidation and that’s why she did it. I guess she was learning, after all. I couldn’t have her being too smart, but understanding that much should be fine.
“What was that about being salty?”
“The taste he left in my mouth.”
I just had to pray she didn’t acquire a taste for humans because of that.
We stopped the carriage in front of a shop owned by an acquaintance of the slave trader, and then we got out and followed the slave trader down the alley. When we came out of the other side, I could see a huge coliseum. It was a stone building that resembled a domed ballpark, and a brawny man stood guard at its entrance. It must have been a pretty popular place, because there was a long line of people waiting to get in.
“This way.”
The slave trader continued around to the back entrance and gave a quick nod to the man standing guard, who then stepped aside and let us through.
“This place is a coliseum on the surface, but underground is a black market where slaves are sold. Yes sir.”
“Oh?”
“Of course, the same is true for the vast majority of coliseums in this country. The wares offered vary with each guild. Yes sir.”
“What about yours?”
“Needless to say, we deal primarily in slaves. Even so, we don’t control the market exclusively.”
After continuing on for a few moments, we came to a stairway leading underground. As we walked down the steps, I could hear cheers coming from above. Business must have been good.
“Business seems good on the coliseum side of things. What kind of competitions go on up there?”
“Fights, for the most part, but sometimes there are other events, such as eating contests. Yes sir.”
“I’d like to get Filo in on one of those.”
I wouldn’t have minded seeing just how far that bottomless pit could go.
“Huh? I’m going to enter?”
“It’s a possibility.”
We could cut our food expenses and even make some extra cash. Then again, I was sure losing would carry significant risks.
“I’m sure that would turn out to be quite interesting. Yes sir.”
The slave trader made some kind of strange signal to the brawny man. He knew I was just running with the conversation he started, right?
“So? How much further?”
“We’re almost there.”
A few moments after he responded, we arrived at the bottom of the stairs. I could see countless cages at the end of a corridor lined with stone walls. There were more cages here than in the slave trader’s tent, and they were packed full of slaves with no regard for their race—human, demi-human, or otherwise. I could see a small room beyond the prison area. Inside, another slave trader stood waiting.
“Ohhh! If it isn’t Melromarc’s—”
“Ohhh! My dear uncle!”
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the man that the slave trader was hugging, evidently overjoyed to see him. The slave trader was an excessively obese, odd-looking gentleman who wore a tailcoat and spectacles, and this other merchant had the exact same figure. Even his face was nearly identical. The only difference between them was the design of their spectacles and tailcoats.
“Mr. Naofumi, I think there’s something wrong with my eyes.”
“What a coincidence. Me too.”
“Fehhh . . .”
He had said it was a family business, but these two were practically clones. Shit. My nightmare had become reality. I’d seen something similar in an anime about a girl at a family-run hospital, but this . . . You wouldn’t be able to tell them apart at all if they wore the same outfit.
“This is the man that invited you here, Shield Hero. My uncle. Yes sir.”
“Well, well, if it isn’t the Shield Hero. Pleasure to meet you. That look in your eyes is liable to steal my heart. Yes sir.”
“Just stop now!”
This was bad. I was getting goosebumps. I wanted to run away immediately. The thought of having come all that way for nothing pissed me off, though, so I resisted the urge to turn around and leave.
“Now that’s a voice fit for a slave driver! How thrilling! Can I interest you in taking my daughter’s hand in marriage?”
I imagined a female version of the slave trader.
“Oh god, spare me.”
“Spare us both! Did you call Mr. Naofumi here just to make such ridiculous remarks?!”
An angry Raphtalia rested her hand on the handle of her katana. We were searching for her friends and fellow villagers, so you couldn’t hold it against her for getting upset. Lash out, Raphtalia! It’ll confuse them.
“Ha ha ha! Just a joke!”
“You’re bad, uncle.”
“Ha ha ha! Not as bad as you are!”
The two were laughing together. I felt sick . . .
“Get back to the subject!”
“You want to talk business, already? I was hoping to develop a bit more camaraderie with the Shield Hero. Yes sir.” “Whether that happens or not depends on how you behave, uncle. Yes sir.”
Yes sir! Yes sir! Yes sir! Was there no end to it? I’d seriously had enough. Could I leave yet? I didn’t get the slave trader one bit. I had no idea why, but he always agreed with me no matter what I said. It made me think he had a hidden agenda, so I was always on my guard.
“Heh heh heh . . . I fear his ominous aura may bewitch me. Yes sir.” “What, am I supposed to be evil incarnate or something?” “Oh, no. I’m simply referring to your special knack for using slaves. It’s
something that we can sense.”
“The Shield Hero keeps his slaves squirming just the right amount and has a charisma that would make them happily leap into the jaws of death for his sake.”
“Bubba! I’m hungry!” “Maaaster! I’m huuuungry!” “Shield Hero! I’m hungry!”
Why did I hear their cries for food playing in the back in my head? Was
that charisma? I couldn’t let it get to me . . . “Enough about that, slave trader. Tell me about those slaves I want.” “Understood. Yes sir. Uncle, what is the status of those slaves I asked
you about? Yes sir.”
The slave trader asked the other slave trader. The other slave trader . . .
Okay, this is getting ridiculous! The Zeltoble slave trader wiped the sweat from his brow.
“About that . . . The situation has become a bit complicated. Yes sir.”
“What does that mean?”
“After receiving the request for slaves from Melromarc, I did make an attempt to search, but you’re looking specifically for slaves from the village of Lurolona in the Seaetto territory, are you not?”
“That’s right.”
The territory that I’d been given had originally belonged to Eclair, and . . . Wait, so Raphtalia’s village was called Lurolona? I didn’t know that.
“Is that a problem?”
“Very much so. Yes sir.”
“Wh . . . why is that?”
The color drained from Raphtalia’s face as she asked. I had a bad feeling about this. Or rather, I had a feeling something had happened that was going to cause us a lot of trouble.
“The thing is . . . Slaves from the village of Lurolona in Melromarc’s Seaetto territory are currently being traded for exorbitant prices in Zeltoble.”
“Why?”
Why in the world would the prices of the very slaves that I wanted to buy be skyrocketing? If this was thanks to some nonsense like fate, then I wanted to find whoever pushed that fate on me and beat them to death.
But no, something as ambiguous as fate had no place in business. There was certain to be a reason for the surge in prices. Was it because the slaves had been victims of the wave? No, that couldn’t be it. If that were the case, then the prices would have gone up a while back.
“When did the surge in prices begin?”
“Around one month ago, I would guess. That’s when I started hearing Lurolona and the territory being mentioned in several places. Yes sir.”
One month ago . . . We were still in Kizuna’s world then. Taking into account the difference in the rate at which time passed in this world, that would make it right around the time that the Spirit Tortoise was defeated.
“So it’s our fault?”
The Spirit Tortoise had destroyed multiple countries, and the commander-in-chief of the coalition army that defeated that Spirit Tortoise was me, the Shield Hero. The Shield Hero’s star slave, Raphtalia, was from Lurolona. It was only natural that the hero who had disappeared into another world in pursuit of the villain, and that hero’s slave, would gather attention. Since Raphtalia personally wasn’t as well-known as I was, the focus ended up on her village and the fact that she was a demi-human. This was the result. I might have been overthinking things, but it made sense.
“As to be expected of the Shield Hero! Yes sir.”
“Shit! I was right?”
“We can only speculate, but I believe the likelihood is quite high.”
Damn. To think our heroic deeds had backfired . . .
“If I remember correctly, it all began when a certain merchant offered a lofty reward for the delivery of the slaves. After that, talk of the Shield Hero and his Lurolona slave gradually began to spread. Before long, any slave said to be a Lurolona demi-human—despite being unable to tell whether they truly were or not—began to fetch a high price. Yes sir.”
So prices were skyrocketing now even though it had become difficult to tell whether the slaves being sold were actually from Raphtalia’s village. I’d seen this before. It wasn’t limited to slaves. This was what they referred to as a bubble in stock market terms. You could never know when it would crash.
It was easier to think of it in terms of Japanese yen. Every now and then, the price of yen would begin to rise for some mysterious reason, so everyone would start buying up yen. As a result, the value of the yen would rise even further. There would still be people selling yen, of course, but the majority of people would be buying, and so the price would continue to rise. Right now, the slaves from Raphtalia’s village, Lurolona, were that yen.
“Even so, demi-human slaves are everywhere you look. No matter how much of a hot item they are right now, there would just be too many fakes for that trend to continue, right?”
“Indeed. That’s why it has become a requirement that the slaves speak not only the official language of Melromarc, but also the unique dialect of the Seaetto territory. Yes sir.”
Surely that was something that they could just be taught. Then again, the language that you grew up speaking tended to be more deeply ingrained than most people realized. I had a friend once that was always speaking a certain regional dialect, even though he thought he was speaking standard Japanese. It would be obvious to anyone that knew the difference.
That probably had something to do with the rising prices, too. Since it was only slaves from Lurolona in Melromarc’s Seaetto territory, they were kind of like limited-edition products.
“I can’t believe this . . .”
Raphtalia seemed to grow dizzy. She stumbled backward a few steps and I reached out and held her in place.
“So what? Is the money that I prepared enough to buy them?”
“To be honest, that’s not likely. Yes sir.”
“The slaves should be appearing in the underground auctions shortly. Yes sir. I believe it would be best for the Shield Hero to go and observe the situation for himself. Yes sir.”
I couldn’t imagine a situation so bad that even the slave traders couldn’t afford to buy up the slaves. This place sure looked like whoever was running it was filthy rich.
“Fehhh . . .”
Even Rishia’s whimper sounded frustrated.
“Well let’s have a look, then.”
“Right this way. Yes sir.”
We put on our cloaks and followed the slave traders out into the Zeltoble night. We made our way through the back alleys, passing a variety of shops before arriving at a tavern. The slave trader approached the counter and spoke to the man standing behind it.
“We’ll have a bottle of Goodnight Binary.”
The tavern master furrowed his brow and cast a stern glance at us.
“Anything to mix that with?”
“Loose Winner Money. Yes sir.”
The tavern master stepped aside so that we could join him behind the counter and then signaled us to follow him. He led us to a door in the back, and we continued through the doorway and down a stairway leading to the basement. Was that some kind of secret password back there? Before long, we ended up in a large hall and were shown to our seats in what appeared to be a special section.
“This is the venue for tonight. Yes sir.”
“Ah . . . I see.”
So this was the underground arena where they showcased illegal fights? It looked more like a place where you might see the opera or something. Or maybe a concert by some Japanese idol was more likely.
“First, the Shield Hero should familiarize himself with the hand signals used to make a purchase during the auction.”
Ugh, what a hassle. The slave trader began to lecture me on the hand signals used to indicate different amounts of money. He started with the cues given to the auctioneer for increasing the current bid by one copper, silver, or gold, and then moved on to the cues for increasing the bid by two, five, and even ten times. The auction began before I could finish learning them all.
The races of the slaves that appeared on the stage varied from human to demi-human to therianthrope. The slaves were divided up into a range of categories—children, adults, the elderly, men, women, etc.—and even minute details, such as lineage, seemed to be treated as part of the product package. On top of that, a detailed introduction included things like place of birth, level, and aptitude for magic.
“Our next slave here has won seven out of ten fights in the coliseum.”
A rather well-built slave was standing in the spotlight.
“A coliseum record? So he’s a mercenary?”
That wasn’t a very impressive fight record. Just a bit above average, maybe.
“Yes sir. He amassed a sizable amount of debt and is participating in the coliseum as a slave in order to repay that debt.”
“Ah . . .”
I looked over at Raphtalia. She seemed to be looking over the slaves that were up on the stage.
“Next up is the showpiece of tonight’s auction! A demi-human slave from Lurolona!”
The spotlight suddenly moved to the next slave. That was the showpiece? The slave looked like a demi-human child and seemed to be trembling ever so slightly.
“No.”
Raphtalia shook her head.
“There was no such child in my village. One of the children did look similar, but that’s not her.”
“So it’s a fake . . .”
No one could tell the difference, anyway. Lurolona slaves were the hot item, so you could just dress it up as that. If you managed to fetch a hefty sum for it, that would be the end of it, even if they did find out otherwise afterward.
“We’ll start the bidding at 20 gold pieces!”
Twenty gold?! That high?!
“Twenty-five gold!”
“Thirty gold!”
The price continued to surge. I knew prices were up, but come on! And for a fake?! Even if we did find the real thing, there was no way I would be able to afford it.
“Fehhh . . .”
“Mr . . . Naofumi? I think your face is probably even paler than mine.”
“Uhhh . . . yeah . . .”
It got worse. The dud slave currently being bid on was considerably emaciated. We could try waiting until the trend had run its course and prices dropped, but if they were all in this kind of shape then the real Lurolona slaves might very well be dead by then.
But wait, this slave might have received special care thanks to the price surge, and yet it still looked frail. It wasn’t unthinkable that one of the real ones might be treated carelessly and end up dead. Not to mention, it was highly likely that they had been abused, considering the condition that Raphtalia, Keel, and the other slaves had been in.
In all honesty, the situation looked really bad. We probably needed to recover the slaves as quickly as possible. But damn . . . Solving this problem with the money we had just wasn’t realistic, and the queen of Melromarc made it clear that providing monetary aid wouldn’t be possible at the moment. With the reconstruction efforts after such extensive damage, the funds just weren’t there.
“Even if we can tell the real ones apart from the fakes . . . this . . .”
The thought of giving up crossed my mind, but Raphtalia and Raph¬chan were both looking at me expectantly. I couldn’t say no to those eyes.
“We need to figure out a way to make some quick money and buy up the slaves fast.”
Should we buy them one at a time using the money we made from peddling? No, that would take too long. Besides, the amount of money we needed was on a completely different level. We’d also needed to be here at the underground auctions every night to look for the real slaves, and even if we went the route of negotiating with the merchants that purchased them, we would need to prepare enough money to match the purchasing price at the bare minimum.
Maybe I could take advantage of my position as the Shield Hero? No, that wouldn’t work. The prices were already skyrocketing. If news spread that someone famous wanted the slaves, prices would surge even higher. Perhaps we should break into the homes of the merchants that bought them and confiscate the slaves? That wouldn’t work, either. The slave curse could be set to kill, so that was too dangerous. What about crashing the bubble by spreading nasty rumors about the Lurolona slaves? That would take too long even if it did work.
I could go crying for help to the demi-human country of Siltvelt, or maybe Shieldfreeden, and have them purchase the slaves on my behalf. That would be a last resort, though. I wanted to avoid it if at all possible. They might end up holding the demi-human slaves ransom and force me to go to Siltvelt. I was in the middle of preparing for the next wave. The risk of getting caught up in some kind of mess with Siltvelt was just too high. Even worse, we might get caught up in some kind of big conspiracy that affected Raphtalia and the others, too.
I needed to make a ridiculous amount of money, and I needed to do it fast. Surely there had to be a way. We were in Zeltoble—the country of mercenaries and merchants . . . and underground auctions. Now that I thought about it, the slave trader had been whispering something about making money just a second ago.
“Hey, slave trader.”
“What is it? Yes sir.”
“How much money can you make fighting in the coliseum?”
We may have been temporarily weakened at the moment, but we were still a lot stronger than your average adventurer, knight, or warrior. I could conceal my identity as a hero and participate in a coliseum fight that allowed betting. Then, if I bet on myself . . . This wasn’t horse racing, but it would be like betting on a horse with 100 to 1 odds and winning.
“Payouts range from extravagant to insignificant. Yes sir.”
“I’m interested in that extravagant. If we concealed our true identities and fought in a coliseum that allowed betting . . . Let’s say we managed to win in the most dangerous one. Could we make enough money to buy the slaves at these inflated prices?”
“Hold on just a moment. Yes sir.”
The slave trader began whispering back and forth with his uncle. A few moments later . . .
“It’s not impossible. That said, I can’t guarantee you will make it out alive. It’s quite likely to prove rather dangerous.”
“Hmph . . . I’m not worried about that.”
I mean, come on. If we were talking about a risk of death, that’s something we had faced countless times, and we were still here. I’d fought against the waves, against conspiracy, and against religion. I’d fought against the Spirit Tortoise, and I’d even fought in another world. I had been on the verge of death time and again, and that wasn’t going to stop any time soon. If that was the only problem, then I’d face that risk again fighting in the coliseum for the sake of Raphtalia’s village.
“. . .”
Raphtalia looked at me with a mix of expectation and apprehension on her face. Raph-chan was doing the same. Rishia was panicking over what my decision would be, and Filo had her head cocked to the side as if she had no idea what was going on.
“Don’t worry, Raphtalia. I’ll get your friends back, no matter what.”
“Mr. Naofumi . . .”
Raphtalia’s expression transformed into one of relief upon hearing my words. I knew this kind of behavior didn’t really fit my image, but I had plenty of reason to do this for Raphtalia.
“That said, the prices of the slaves have skyrocketed, and we don’t have enough money to buy them right now. I can’t say I like the thought of doing this, but we’ll just have to buy Raphtalia’s friends with money earned by fighting in the coliseum. I’m sorry it has to be dirty money, but it’s the only way.”
Raphtalia nodded decisively. And so it was settled—we would use the slave trader’s connections to take up the gauntlet and fight in the vicious coliseum.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login