episode_0109

The atmosphere in the capital city of Pifnel, which I visited after a long time, was noticeably different.

Before heading to the underground waterway through the slums, I was looking for an expensive restaurant in the bustling district to feed Meruru, who had to play the role of a slave.

As Meruru and I were walking the streets, a man in strange clothing stood on a wooden box in front of the square, shouting.

“Everyone! The end is near! Do you know what the earthquake that shook the Central Church signifies? It’s the end! The goddess has forsaken us! Repent! Fake heroes and fake saints! The calamity caused by the corrupt church is coming!”

What a charlatan preaching like a cult leader…

Dressed in shabby attire resembling a priest’s robe and wearing a pointed hat on his head, he addressed the passing people.

The amusing part was that amidst the nonsense spewing from that obvious charlatan, there were some truths mixed in.

“Repent! The end is near! The armies of demons and the devil will engulf the kingdom, bringing the day of destruction! Do not rely on the corrupt church to survive; believe in the goddess directly! Since the current church has lost the trust of the goddess, I have decided to establish a new religion! Believe in the goddess and pray for salvation from the impending doom!”

There were hardly any listeners paying attention to the man’s absurd words.

Shortly after, some guards appeared from the back street.

“That lunatic is spouting nonsense again! Catch him!”

“Repent! Repenttttt!”

Seeing the guards, the man who was preaching on the wooden box fled in a hurry.

Seems like this isn’t the first or second time this has happened.

The man denouncing the cult quickly disappeared.

“Let’s go too.”

Feeling like the situation was under control, I stopped watching and hurried back on our way.

I asked Meruru if there was anything she wanted to eat, and she pointed to a restaurant with her finger.

It was a dessert shop specializing in cakes.

“I want to try that!”

“Haven’t you tried it before?”

She shook her head.

Taking Meruru, who was already drooling, I stepped into the shop.

***

“Uh… it wasn’t the taste I expected.”

Leaving the dessert shop, we headed straight to the slums.

We ordered a few recommended slices of cake at the shop and they were so sweet that it made us dizzy.

Meruru took a bite and her eyes widened in shock, staying frozen for a while.

“It’s a bit too sweet.”

“Uh… my taste buds still haven’t recovered.”

Surprisingly, she doesn’t like sweet things.

I thought she would like sweet flavors since she acts like a child most of the time.

The guards were still on duty in the slums.

This time, I didn’t have Alcott’s delegation letter, but showing my adventurer badge allowed us to pass through easily.

Seeing the guards treat me respectfully and courteously, I felt the power of the Gold-grade adventurer badge for the first time.

And so, we arrived back at the Demon Protection Ward.

Mirabelle, the deputy commander of the kingdom’s knights and the supervisor of the Demon Protection Ward, welcomed us.

We could have also met Meruru’s sister, Aruru, inside, but we decided to meet her after finishing our business.

That way, Meruru could meet her sister more comfortably and without time constraints.

“Alcott told me about you. Here, your attire.”

Alcott had prepared disguises for us to wear at the Demon Protection Ward.

Mirabelle handed me a robe as tattered as the one she had given Meruru in the past when she had no money.

It was the attire for Meruru, who had to play the role of a slave.

On the other hand, the clothes I was given to wear were very expensive-looking, adorned with intricate designs.

“Isn’t my outfit too flashy?”

“I didn’t prepare to look like an ordinary slave merchant, but to appear as a very successful one. In reality, the slave merchants who do business here have a lot of money. The extravagance you see symbolizes the power of a merchant.”

“Hmm….”

Extravagance symbolizes the power of a merchant….

As I looked closely, there was a box filled with all sorts of accessories next to the prepared outfit.

“Is this what I’m supposed to wear?”

At that moment, Meruru started to hastily take off her clothes in place.

“Hey! Wait… what are you doing?”

“Huh? I’m changing clothes.”

“No, I’m watching!”

“It doesn’t matter.”

I managed to stop Meruru before she could undress even more dangerously.

It doesn’t matter to her, but it matters to me.

How would Mirabel, who is watching, think…?

And if Aruru finds out, she will definitely try to kill me.

Anyway, Meruru and I changed into the prepared clothes.

After changing in our respective private rooms, Meruru burst into laughter when she saw me.

“Hahaha! Yunoa! You look so strange!”

“You’re not so ordinary yourself to say that.”

With a slave collar around her neck, Meruru looked like a typical slave, emitting a strong scent of servitude.

On the other hand, I looked uncomfortable with all the accessories dangling from me.

In flashy clothes adorned with jewelry, rings on every finger, and various accessories on the necklace.

Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I appeared as a greedy slave merchant.

“Here, there’s also a fake beard for you.”

Mirabel handed me a fake beard.

Putting on the beard and looking at myself again, I looked like a formidable villain.

For some reason, it seemed like I should laugh in a strange way, like chuckling or snickering.

“And I’ll also disguise myself and accompany you. Slave merchants visiting this place always have skilled bodyguards with them.”

“I can protect myself just fine…”

“Slave merchants without bodyguards while looking like that don’t exist.”

Indeed, Mirabel following as a bodyguard was part of the disguise.

And so, the group of three consisting of me, Meruru, and Mirabel as slave merchants was complete.

* * *

To enter the slave market, we followed Mirabel through an underground passage.

I felt some people casting suspicious glances at me, but surprisingly, there were no pickpockets or anything like that.

“If you look like this, people won’t mess with you. There’s nothing to gain from bothering someone on the same shady ground.”

As I continued to look around nervously, Mirabel whispered to me.

The surroundings were filled with hawkers promoting illegal businesses, gamblers, and drunkards.

Since the slave market wasn’t openly visible from outside, I had no choice but to follow Mirabel’s lead.

“To enter the market, you have to talk to the ‘broker’ first and get an introduction. Since it’s your first deal, you have to be extra careful. When you first talk to them, they’ll ask what kind of merchandise you have. At that time, refer to Meruru as the merchandise.”

“Ugh… my neck is uncomfortable….”

Meruru made a slight groaning sound from behind.

It must be uncomfortable wearing a metal slave collar.

Moreover, the collar was connected to a leash, which I was holding in my hand.

“But where is this ‘broker’ person…?”

“Shh, over here.”

As we continued through the underground passage, Mirabel seemed to have spotted something, quickening her pace.

“Algott had prepared quite thoroughly to infiltrate Yunoa into Piphnel’s slave market.”

After running a store in the underground waterway for a long time and leveraging the know-how and connections, I learned how to trade in the slave market.

The person arranging the trade in the slave market had a black handkerchief tied around his left wrist.

Upon hearing the narrator’s words, Mirabel looked in the direction and indeed saw a man with a black handkerchief tied around his left wrist.

I paused for a moment and told Mirabel to wait.

“Just a moment. There’s something we need to make sure of before we go.”

“What is it?”

“Let’s talk to Meruru for a moment…”

Saying that, I went behind a inconspicuous pillar.

I thought my current disguise was enough, but when it came to meeting a real slave market broker, I felt the need for a discussion with Meruru for a coordinated act.

Meruru knew well what we were up to, but still, I felt the need to double-check.

“Meruru, from now on, we are going into the real slave market. I am the slave merchant, and you are the slave. Understand?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“To safely finish our work and come out, we must not get caught. Think of it as playing a game of completely fooling others with our true identities until we finish our work in the slave market. Got it?”

“Meruru is not a fool.”

Meruru murmured softly in protest.

I was trying to refresh my memory just in case, but surprisingly, she seemed to understand her role well.

Was I worrying for nothing? Still, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.

“Meruru, there is a method of acting called method acting.”

“Method? Is it something you eat?”

“When acting, you completely immerse yourself in the role and adjust all emotions and actions to fit that role. I am the slave merchant, and you are the slave… If something dangerous happens, I will definitely protect you, so don’t worry.”

“…”

Meruru nodded quietly.

Yes, this should be enough.

In fact, if I don’t remind myself like this, I might forget that I am playing the role of a slave merchant.

So, we met with the broker arranging trades in the slave market.

Mirabel played the role of a bodyguard, so I was the one to speak first.

“Excuse me, I want to make a trade.”

When I spoke to the man with the black handkerchief tied around his left arm, his gaze immediately turned scrutinizing, as if he was examining me from top to bottom.

After looking me up and down a few times, he asked, “…The merchandise?”

In response to his question, I pointed to Meruru with my chin and slightly pulled the necklace of the slave she was holding in her hand.

Then, Meruru suddenly dropped to the ground and clung to my leg, pleading, “Please… I want to see my sister… Please don’t sell me as a slave…”

“…”

What, what’s happening all of a sudden?

This unnecessary action and dialogue…

And tears welled up in her eyes as she looked up at me, holding onto my leg.

Did… Did I do something wrong? Did I say something wrong earlier? Should I have met Aruru first?

“Meruru has completed the preparation to perform ‘method acting’ taught by Yunoa perfectly.

At this moment, it was safe to say that Meruru had truly blossomed her hidden talent.

However, even with excellent acting, if the recipient’s acting is poor, it was only a matter of time before they were caught.”

I didn’t expect this.

How am I supposed to respond to this kind of acting?

At that moment, the broker in the slave market was staring at me and Meruru intently.

Meruru was pleading desperately not to be sold as a slave, and her emotions seemed to touch even the onlookers with the sad feelings of the enslaved people who had been separated from their families and sold as slaves without proper food for days.

What kind of talent is this…?

Feeling flustered, I stood still, sensing the organizer’s gaze becoming increasingly suspicious.

I don’t know.

Even though Meruru is so enthusiastic…

I am… a slave merchant.

The most corrupt, despicable, greedy slave merchant in the world.

I immediately kicked Meruru away.

Then, I pulled the slave collar tightly and forced Meruru to stand up.

“Quiet! If you don’t behave, I’ll sell your whole family.”

“Ugh… Mom… Dad… Sister…”

“Hmph, so annoying. Anyway, this one is the merchandise.”

Naturally, I spewed out the words of a wicked slave merchant.

Meruru, I’m sorry…

But I felt the doubt disappearing from the organizer’s expression as they watched.

“Follow me.”

I feel like I’ve become a bad person…

Anyway, we started moving along with the organizer.