Chapter 11 – The Rubis rchants
“Who are they?”
Yesterday, the village held a festival after seeing the various mushrooms and grasses I had harvested. Knowing they didn’t have to rely on potatoes and wheat—their village’s lifeline—to pay the tax made smiles bloom on the villagers’ faces for the first ti in a while. However, I didn’t show the villagers the demon beast hide. Seeing as I wandered the forest alone, they were already curious about my identity, so they would definitely be wary of if I were to show them the hide as well.
“Are they rchants?”
I was dwelling on the battle with the demonic beast while practicing my insufficient sword skills atop the cliff, where I could see in every direction, when a line of carriages and people approached the village. A rough look at the twenty plus carriages and fifty or so ard people made think they were rchants and rcenaries.
“The rchants are coming!” A villager who was on lookout on top of the village barricade alerted the arrival of rchants.
‘Oh-ho, the rchants, you say?’
Sothing I’d only seen in novels—this world’s rchants! I was pretty curious.
“I’ve finished what I needed to do today, so shall I go and watch?”
Unlike the simple villagers, the rchants and rcenaries knew more about the vast world. I needed to get ready to go out into the world, so I welcod their arrival.
“Dry nicely even if I’m not here~!”
I was told that leather had to be dried in the shade, so I was drying the golden panther hide under a small overhang atop the cliff. The villagers couldn’t co this far; surprisingly enough, even the bugs vanished the mont I brought the demon beast hide here, leaving the place deserted. It was clear evidence that the beast’s habitual killing had been rather terrible indeed.
* * *
‘The rcenaries aren’t allowed in the village, huh.’
After climbing down the cliff, I saw dozens of tough-looking rcenaries who had co as the rchants’ escort sitting comfortably in front of the village barricade. They scrutinized as I tried to enter the village with a sword on my hip.
“Hey, kiddo.”
‘Hey? K-kiddo?’
The carriages the rchants brought were mostly empty. Now that they were done guarding those empty carriages, so of the rcenaries must have been bored because the few who were close by called to stop . They dared to lose their sense of fear.
“Bros, what’s up?”
Only those who spoke politely would be spoken to with the sa courtesy.
“Bros? Puhahahaha!”
“Kuhahaha!”
Most of the rcenaries were wearing worm-shaped scars on their faces and bodies like dals of honor. They must have found my provocation funny, because they were busy laughing, revealing yellowed teeth.
‘Should I give these guys a taste of fire?’
You could tell just by looking at them that they were third-rate rcenaries who didn’t have a hint of mana—only their thick skulls and idiotic strength. If I wanted to, I could probably take care of them in the ti it took to eat a al.
“You, do you know how to use that sword?” There was a decent-looking fellow among the rcenaries. A man in his mid-thirties approached , gesturing at my sword with his eyes.
“Can’t you tell just by looking?” I didn’t like how the rcenaries were treating , so I responded flatly. As soone who lived proudly and unrestrained in the world, of course I felt offended when these inept rcenaries were provoking .
“You’re quite the irritable young man, aren’t you. How about it? Instead of staying in this backcountry, why don’t you join our rcenary group? You look to be pretty fit, and you’ve got a good look in your eye.”
‘What? I-is this the rumored street recruiting?’
[TN: In Korea, people sotis get recruited into idol groups or acting gigs by agents prowling the streets.]
The man was suddenly offering to join the rcenaries. Considering the earnest look in his eyes, it didn’t seem to be a joke.
“Leader, when will we have the ti to take care of a kid like him?”
“The Black Wyvern rcenaries might be treated like a third-rate group, but taking in a child is…”
‘The Black Wyvern rcenaries? You guys?’
Just by looking at them, it was clear that their na, The Black Wyvern rcenaries, was an exaggeration.
“No thanks.”
“You don’t want to? Wouldn’t it be better to live like a real man as a rcenary rather than just farming in a backcountry like this and then dying one day?”
“It doesn’t sound that attractive to . Just look at that big-bellied mister over there.” I pointed at the rcenary who had been the first to ruffle my feathers.
“Gahahahaha! Ron, he says he doesn’t like your potbelly.”
“Kekeke, for the great Ron to be insulted by a kiddo! Don’t eat anything from now on. The food is wasted on you~!”
They must have been rather bored, because the rcenaries enjoyed making fun of Ron.
“This… this kiddo!”
If he weren’t such an ignoramus, Ron would not have been so enraged by a little teasing. The big rcenary—whose belly jiggled as he walked—was holding a simple axe, from which I could feel an imposing air.
“Mister Belly.” Snickering, I teased Ron, whose eyes were as wide as a cow’s.
“Why you little kiddo with no manners!”
Ron was all hot air—he wasn’t as violent-natured as I had thought.
“Watch your step at night.”
“……”
I turned around and headed towards the village walls, ignoring Ron, who had frozen at my quiet warning.
“Hahahahahaha!”
“Oh my god! Oh god, I’m—I’m dying! Kahahahaha!”
I could hear the stream of the rcenaries’ deep-bellied laughter from behind . Even if these third-rate rcenaries were to grab by the pants and beg to beco a rcenary, I might just barely consider it. The way they acted was third-rate too.
* * *
‘All the villagers have gathered.’
There was only one reason for rchants and rcenaries to have co all the way here—it was to sell sothing. The people who looked like rchants were talking to the villagers, including the chief, at an empty lot in the village.
“You… you won’t sell your grain? Village chief, please say it again.”
“Harrumph, why are you making repeat myself. This year, we don’t have enough grain to pass over to you rchants.”
The village chief was believing in the mushrooms and acting bold. He clasped his hands behind his back and feigned indifference.
“But what is our company supposed to do, then? We used 10 Gold to hire those rcenaries.”
“That’s not our problem. Last year, you wheedled the prices down so low that we were forced to sell our remaining cow, and even the donkey, in order to pay the taxes. But to say that you’ll maintain those prices this year as well… I don’t have to say any more.”
‘Oi, are these guys those wicked Daron rchants?’
The evil Daron rchants had made the kind Hans spout curses when he had ntioned them with the taxes. Ten years ago, after the monster invasion, they had apparently taken advantage of the fact that other rchant groups didn’t co this far out and had continually lowered the prices. Moreover, whenever the village sold to the Daron rchants, the rchants would buy at their price and pay the village tax for them at the viscounty. With that, there would be no need to take the potatoes and grain and sell them separately.
However, the problem was their excessive profiteering. After a certain point, they began to buy the precious grain at ridiculous prices, forcing the villagers to sell even the grain they had starved to save.
‘When they were talking about the official rchants who stole from the poor citizens in the Joseon era, they were talking about these guys.’
You could tell with a single glance that these round, fattened rchants were cunning as hell.
“I don’t know what you’re believing in to do such a thing… You will be in trouble if you do this, you know? If you do not pay the taxes by the end of the month, everyone will be sold into slavery… Huhuhu.”
The guy that seed to be the rchants’ boss was slowly revealing his true colors. His balding head, glistening oily face and beady eyes so small you couldn’t see them made him look like the model specin of an evil rchant.
“Hmph! It’s fine as long as we pay the tax!”
As if to prove that he had really lived a fairly rough life when he was young, Chief Aves showed off his guts. Unlike the other villagers, who were looking on with uncertain expressions, the chief was emanating an aura of utter confidence.
“This is your last chance! Will you really not sell your wheat or potatoes? Keep in mind that no rchant group will co all this way after we leave today!” Despite being flustered, the rchant didn’t forget to spit out one last threat.
“Do as you wish. The negotiations have broken down, so please get out. Captain Jacob, our guests wish to leave, so please politely escort them to the exit.”
“Yes, Chief!” shouted Mister Jacob, the tall captain of the village militia.
‘Pretty cool~!’
As if venting the injustices he had suffered from the rchants all this ti, the Chief was going out fists akimbo.
“J-just wait and see!”
Cowed by the approaching ard militian, the rchants rapidly went out and disappeared, shouting ‘just wait and see!’
‘Even an onlooker like feels refreshed.’
The rchants, whose nas I didn’t know, had turned tail and left behind vicious words. I had the feeling that this wouldn’t be the end, but I didn’t worry too much.
‘Huhu, tomorrow is finally the day.’
Hans and I planned to leave for the viscount’s castle to go pay the tax—a two-day trip on foot.
The rchants left, their carriages rattling. After coming with empty pockets, they left with still-empty pockets.
* * *
“We’ve arrived. That over there is Fiore Castle where the Lord resides.”
Before stood the territory’s castle, which had taken two days of walking to reach. Hans and I had arrived at the castle with the mushrooms we planned to use for the tax, two blankets and a few simple things to eat. In the past, the villagers would have needed at least twenty ard villagers to get here, but no one doubted my skills, so I was able to co here no problem with just Hans.
‘Impressive!’
The sturdy castle had been built with large stones even without a crane or other construction tools. Despite being the castle of a rural lord, it looked like a typical dieval castle—towering at least 7 ters high with several watchtowers.
“Kyre, watch what you say while we’re here. If commoners like us say sothing wrong, we could be killed right away,” warned Hans, who was more cowardly than his bulk suggested.
‘Commoner… Haah, I’m a commoner, huh.’
This world’s civilization was completely different from the 21st century’s. I was once again rendered speechless by the realization that I was a commoner.
“Let’s go in.”
The castle was bigger than the Eastern European ones I had seen on the school trip. Squeezing through the countless people coming and going, Hans and I managed to reach the front of the castle gate.
“Halt! Where are you from?”
Dozens of archers with bows, alongside ard soldiers, were on the lookout atop the castle wall; in front of the gate were around ten soldiers who were screening the people coming and going for anyone suspicious.
“Thank you for your hard work. We are people from Luna Village and have co to pay the taxes.”
“Luna Village? Ah! You an that village that burned down ten years ago.”
I was itching to et those people who were called true knights, but the people in front of the castle gate were normal soldiers with chainmail and halberd-like polearms. The one that looked like the senior among them was talking to Hans.
“Here, this is our village identification token.” Hans offered the identification token that represented Luna Village.
“It’s fine. You may enter.”
Looking at the round token in Han’s hand with a look of annoyance, the soldier permitted our entrance. Because quite a lot of people were coming and going, they couldn’t hold just us back.
‘That armor is sick!’
It was ordinary armor worn by regular soldiers who weren’t even knights, but the well-oiled armor sparkled in the sun, inspiring a burst of admiration from .
“Wait!”
The mont I was about to follow Hans into the castle while admiring the armor, one soldier called us.
“Wh-what is the matter?” asked Hans hurriedly with the typical mannerism of a normal commoner.
“Is he also one of your villagers? Black hair is quite a rare sight…”
The soldier closely examined my face, which had beco as rough as a hillbilly’s after these last few months of sun.
“That—that is…” stamred Hans, true to his honest personality that couldn’t tell a lie.
“Haha, you have worked hard. I should have greeted you all earlier, but I was unable to open my mouth because you all looked so outstanding. My na is Kyre,” I greeted politely with a smiling face.
‘Dammit, to think I have to lower my head to run-of-the-mill soldiers that aren’t even the lord!’
In this world, status determined everything. As a person who had only reached the level of a commoner, I was forced to experience what it felt like to be at the very bottom.
“Kyre? A good na. Alright. You may pass.”
As per the saying ‘don’t spit on a smiling face’, the soldier nodded at my courteous words and let pass.
‘Over here, it’s not money that counts, but status alone! I should at least beco a knight.’
It wasn’t even so kind of license you could get, but I’ve decided to beco a knight. I couldn’t keep living while bowing and scraping the floor like a eunuch with this commoner status.
“Thank you for your hard work, sirs,” I shouted loudly as I dragged Hans along, the mushrooms strapped to his back.
‘This is no good. If I just leave things to Hans, we’ll be thrown into prison without even being able to pay the taxes.’
In the village, Hans was the reliable, kind and simple farr; in a city like this, I couldn’t leave things to him. His clumsy appearance was just like a runaway teen who had just arrived in Seoul.
“Hans, let’s go.”
“Yeah, o-okay.”
Dragged by my hand, Hans moved along.
Thus, I was able to enter a castle from Master’s hotown, the Kallian Continent, for the first ti.
‘This is a place where rchants gather, right?’
In the village, only the Chief and a few others had visited the castle. Hans was one of them, but because it had been such a long ti, he couldn’t gather his bearings once we entered. In particular, he was quick to lose his wits as soon as he saw the middle-aged ladies shaking their voluminous butts.
‘I’m gonna go nuts.’
How could soone like him possibly sell the mushrooms, pay the taxes and acquire the necessary items for the village? I could only shake my head at the Chief’s inability to have a single shred of foresight.
“Hans…”
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
“Wipe your drool.”
“S-sorry. It’s been such a long ti since I’ve been here that I’m completely out of it.”
More specifically, it wasn’t because it had been a long ti, but because he was spirited away by the sight of those middle-aged ladies wearing rather clean and flashy clothes.
“We’re selling the mushrooms now. Please don’t say a thing and just stay still next to .”
“You will? Alright.” Perhaps aware of his own condition, Hans ekly nodded. At least he listened well.
“Please take out one mushroom.”
“Why? Y-you aren’t selling it here, are you?”
As soon as we passed the castle gates, I saw various stores. Ringing with the sounds of hamring, the expansive street was filled with shops that sold clothes, food and other goods necessary for daily life. This was the perfect place to sell sothing.
‘I can’t trust the rchants here. So there’s only one way—a price war.’
From what I’ve heard, sharif mushrooms were precious goods that couldn’t be easily acquired. In particular, the ones we brought were top-grade. As the seller, there was nothing to regret about these goods.
‘It would have been better if the castle was a bit bigger, but this is good enough.’
“Ahem, ahem!” I organized my thoughts and cleared my voice. “Alright! They’re here, they’re here! This is a rare opportunity that doesn’t co every day! Sharif mushrooms of the highest grade, picked fresh from Luna Village, where the water runs clear and the air is clean!”
I stood on a leg-high boulder and bellowed like I had seen often in dramas.
“Sh-sharif mushrooms?”
“Really?”
The people about to pass had been staring at like I was crazy at first, but at the ntion of ‘sharif mushrooms’, their eyes grew wide with surprise.
“Wh-where—sharif mushrooms?!”
“OH! They really are top-grade!”
As soon as I drew out the round, grey mushroom the size of an adult’s fist I had gotten from Hans, people gathered with excited exclamations.
“Kyaa, the fragrance is so intense!”
“My goodness, how very desirable.”
From what the villagers said, sharif mushrooms could only be enjoyed by the nobility because of their amazing fragrance and taste. The gathered crowd licked their lips at the fragrance emitted by the luxurious sharif mushrooms.
‘Today, we brought a total of 70 sharif mushrooms. Even if we earn just 2 Gold per piece… Huhuhu.’
There probably weren’t many within the crowd who could buy a sharif mushroom. However, seeing as several people ran off like flas were lit under their butts after checking the mushroom in my hand, I was sure that the real custors would soon co calling.
“These are precious sharif mushrooms that you never know when you will be able to taste. As these sharif mushrooms are top-quality, the auction starts at 2 Gold per mushroom. This isn’t your everyday occurrence, so I hope you won’t miss out on this good opportunity, everyone!”
“T-two Gold!”
“It’s cheap! At that price, you could fill your stomach with it…”
Just like how matsutake mushrooms were treated as valuable in Korea, here, people knew the value of sharif mushrooms. Everything was progressing as smoothly as I had hoped.
‘Ara? Those guys are—?’
People wearing rchant clothes—not commoners—ca hurriedly running to where I was. Among them were the all-too-familiar Daron rchants. After disappearing from the village as if fleeing, at so point, they had co to the castle.
‘Have a taste of frustration today! Kuku.’
An evil thought ca to mind. The sharif mushroom in my hand was an item that rchants could not easily acquire with money alone. I had easily discovered them, but actually, sharif mushrooms weren’t supposed to be mushrooms that you could find so easily.
Not only that, but apparently, sharif mushrooms picked on the rising of Luena’s moon—which brought everyone’s movents to a grinding halt—were the cream of the crop.
“These are sharif mushrooms gathered by risking one’s life to go into the mountains during Luena’s moon! It seems that everyone has gathered, so we will go right into the auctioning! As a commoration, the sharif mushroom in my hand will start at 1 Gold!”
After around ten rchants that gave off the stench of money gathered, I added oil to the fla and boosted the desirability of the sharif mushroom.
‘Ah, this is why dostic education is so important!’
From the mont I entered middle school, my parents would sotis give a survival mission. Saying that there was a possibility that they could die from an unfortunate accident, I was made to take the kimbap made by my mother and sell them at subway entrances or the airport.
And it wasn’t just kimbap, either. I sotis had to take the things we didn’t need at ho, change it to cash and contribute to the family. As a result of such missions, I rose to a level where I could easily lure in these rchants.
“I’ll buy it for 2 Gold!”
‘Woot! Good start!’
One of the rchants in the mixed crowd yelled out 2 Gold.
“3 Gold! I’ll buy it!”
“4 Gold! Please sell it to !”
The start wasn’t the problem. The rchants were going crazy, shouting 1 Gold higher than the prices given by others.
‘Was 1 Gold really such a worthless amount?’
From what I heard, 1 Gold was enough to feed a regular family until they were full for a month. That was a considerable amount even with a rough calculation, but it seed these rchants didn’t see money as money.
“7 Gold! I’ll buy!”
Even as I sank into speculation, a familiar person’s cry rang out.
‘Jerk, let’s see you get mad this ti.’
“Sold! This one goes to the rchant sir over there for 4 Gold!”
“Wh-what!”
“Cough!”
At my words, the triumphant Daron rchant Group’s fat rchant stiffened in a manner that sure was nice to see.
“Please do not worry~! We have a lot in stock! Once you are successful with a bid, please give the money to this person here and co find your wares!”
Three Gold was wasted, but I thought of it as a fee to see the twisted face of this evil rchant.
“Next item!” As I spoke, Hans took out another mushroom. “From now on, they will be sold in bundles of ten!”
Who was it that said the sale was at the whim of the seller?
“Alright! Ten top-grade sharif mushrooms begin at 20 Gold!”
“25 Gold!”
“30 Gold!”
“35 Gold!”
Their eyes rolling back at the very reasonable price I started off with, the rchants frothed at the mouths again and shot their fingers up.
“7-70 Gold!” For so reason, the pig Daron rchant would always call at least 7 Gold per piece.
“Is there anyone there! I will sell ten for 50 Gold!”
“50 Gold! I’ll buyout!”
As I feigned deafness at the Daron rchant and sought a different buyer, a quick rchant cried out 50 Gold.
“Sold! Ten mushrooms to the thin person over there!”
“You bastard!”
‘Ara? This guy—?’
He must have been angered, because the fatty Daron rchant pointed at while cussing out.
“What did you just call ?” I wasn’t one to take things sitting down.
“A re commoner dares to insult the Daron rchants!”
“Aren’t you also a commoner? And when did I insult you?”
The red-faced pig spat out, “Th-then why didn’t you sell at the price I offered?”
“Oh, that? What to do? My ears only hear human speech.”
“Wh-what did you say?!” The piggy rchant’s face went from being so red it seed it would burst, to pale blue.
“You wanna complain about selling at that price? If so, you can go into the mountains crawling with demon beasts yourself and dig them up to sell.”
When making a kill, do it thoroughly. I rubbed my ear with an unconcerned look and made him feel really crappy.
“J-just wait and see! Graah!”
He was boiling with so much anger that I could even hear the sound of his teeth grinding.
“Alright then. But I’m busy today, so let’s see about that later. Okay?” I teased the pig as if talking to a neighborhood kiddo.
‘Jerk, he’s real determined.’
He was much older than , but a person only had worth if they acted like one. The pig rchant glared at viciously while leaving.
“I will buy the remaining sharif mushrooms for 8 Gold per piece.”
‘8 Gold? What kind of sucker is this?’
While I was faintly watching the panting pig hustle away, I heard a sitting duck’s voice ring out from the crowd.
“It…it’s the Rubis rchants.”
“Che, it’s over for today.”
‘Rubis rchants?’
There were still many things I needed to learn about the Kallian Continent. A neat and tidy man in his early thirties who looked like a noble appeared. As soon as he made his entrance, the other rchants smacked their lips in regret and backed off.
“Isn’t Rubis one of the continent’s Big Five?”
“To think they’ve even co to our territory, what a surprise.”
The people watching the exciting mushroom auction suddenly began to whisper amongst themselves.
‘Continent’s Big Five? Hooh, a conglorate?’
Now that I looked at him, the person seed to be shining.
“I am Jamir from the Rubis rchants.”
If the typical appearance of an evil rchant was the pig from the Daron rchants, the person nad Jamir, who offered his hand for a handshake, was a picture-perfect example of a rchant with principles.
“I am called Kyre.”
“Kyre? It’s a na that suits your unique hair well.”
‘Ooh! Dong-gun hyung, go away!’
[TN: Jang Dong-gun is a Korean actor known for his suaveness.]
Jamir was about as tall as . His golden head of hair and lavender-colored eyes were charming, and deeply set eyes and raised nose were more than enough to qualify him as a handso man.
“It’s not appropriate to talk here, so let us go to the inn I am staying at.”
“Sounds good. Only, I’m hungry, so please treat !”
“Treat you? Haha! Alright. I’ll treat you to a al.”
Though he was still in his early 30s, Jamir looked like a person who would achieve great success later on as a rchant.
“Hans, let’s go.”
“Huh? Oh, okay.”
Still unable to figure out head or tail of what was happening, Hans nodded as he followed us with a stupefied expression.
Reviews
All reviews (0)