Chapter 10 : Misunderstanding And Prejudice

Thomas was a merchant.

More specifically, a traveling peddler who journeyed between cities.

“This winter was especially long…”

On top of that, it had been harsh—harsh enough to be remembered for a long time.

Not that the temperatures were unusually low.

Rather, it was harsh because people’s generosity had run dry, and Thomas had to dig deep into his silver coin stash just to get by.

The war between the Kovald Empire and the Principality of Ksarna was the likely cause.

Despite being at the heart of the continent, the powerful Kovald Empire had been held off by the

Principality of Ksarna, located at the continent’s southernmost tip.

Contrary to most people’s expectations, the principality endured—and the war ended.

Considering that the entire surrounding region belonged to the Kovald Empire, it was no surprise that the people’s goodwill had diminished.

Still, the Empire’s might and influence remained formidable, so it wasn’t likely to fall.

But the aftermath couldn’t be ignored.

“…At least there were no battles around here. That’s a relief.”

Thomas couldn’t understand how a war, which was essentially a battle between a dwarf and a giant, had ended with the dwarf’s victory.

In any case, the war was over, and the weather had begun to warm.

That meant it was time for Thomas to resume his work as a peddler.

“Whoa, whoa…”

Still, Thomas was in a better situation than most.

He had an old but well-maintained wagon and a young, strong, healthy pack horse.

Thinking about how much he had spent on feed for the horse over the winter, he figured he’d have to work hard this year.

Not that he minded—it always earned him a good amount of silver.

The horse had a mischievous side.

Though he’d never told anyone, Thomas had named it “Unicorn,” after the legendary creature…

Whinny!

Suddenly, the horse reared up on its hind legs.

The wagon lurched violently, and Thomas, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, was nearly thrown off.

“…What’s gotten into you?!”

Thomas quickly yanked on the reins.

It seemed the horse had been startled by the two people walking along the side of the road.

One was an enormous man, almost like a giant, and the other appeared to be a slender woman.

Given how little they carried, they didn’t look like travelers.

More like locals moving from one city to another.

‘Could be mercenaries. He’s got axes on his belt, after all.’

A small chuckle escaped Thomas as he got a better look at them.

“Amateurs.”

010. Misunderstanding and Prejudice

Having been a peddler for many years, Thomas knew the best way to judge a mercenary’s skill was by their equipment.

‘No shield, no proper armor—not even a gambeson. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a mercenary walk around like that. And why carry two axes?’

Their size had momentarily misled him.

But now, Thomas was convinced: they were rookie mercenaries.

It was surprisingly common for farm boys from the countryside to dream of becoming mercenaries and seeing the world.

‘Light on luggage, poorly equipped… yeah, that checks out.’

The only difference might be that the man looked more like a woodsman’s son than a farmer’s.

Still, there was something inspiring about someone’s new beginning.

Thomas remembered how much he had struggled when he first started out as a peddler.

He looked up at the sky.

Then he estimated his current location.

‘By wagon it won’t take long, but on foot it’ll be quite a trek to the next city…’

Though it would only be a matter of hours’ difference.

And since they were so close to the city, the chances of them being disguised bandits were low.

Thomas decided to offer them a bit of kindness, just in case they really were rookie mercenaries.

“Hey there, friends!”

He urged his wagon forward, drawing up beside the walking pair.

“It’s gonna take you at least a few hours to reach the city on foot. Why not hop on and keep this old man company for a bit—”

Then his eyes met those of the large man—whom he had assumed was a rookie mercenary.

Thomas froze, reins still in hand.

It felt like he’d come face-to-face with a terrifying beast or monster on a mountain road.

A paralyzing fear gripped his entire body.

Sweat soaked his back, and the brief moment stretched on like an eternity.

‘Wait… a barbarian mercenary…?’

Even with the war’s aftermath, someone like that was not something you came across easily.

Thomas, who had traveled to many places, had only heard rumors about the “barbarians,” but it was the first time he was seeing one in person.

In that moment, the rumors he’d heard in the tavern about the barbarians crossed his mind.

“Barbarians? If you make eye contact for more than 3 seconds, it’s considered a challenge to fight, so be careful. By the way, if it’s a woman, making eye contact means showing interest, so watch out for that too. At this point, call the guards quickly.”

“When eating, the blood must be visible, or it’s considered an insult.”

“When they sleep, they must hold a sheep. A friend of mine, a tavern owner, is struggling with raising one because of that.”

“If a barbarian picks a fight, you have to show your belly to prove your surrender. Can you see this scar? I didn’t show my belly once, and got cut down immediately…”

As Thomas thought back on these rumors, fear began to creep in.

“Did I just make eye contact for more than 3 seconds…? Oh no, what should I do? Should I show my belly now…?!”

But fortunately, the person standing in front of him was not actually a barbarian.

Whether or not the rumors were true was a different matter.

The man, Cheon Eiden, quietly shook his head.

“…I appreciate the offer, but I must decline.”

“Th-thank you! Giddy up, Unicorn!”

Thomas wasn’t sure what he was thanking him for, but with those words, he felt his life was spared. He quickly grabbed the reins of his horse.

The horse, seemingly sharing his feelings, moved surprisingly fast, as if it were effortless to pull the heavy wagon.

As the wagon disappeared into the distance, Cheon Eiden couldn’t help but chuckle quietly.

“His horse’s name is Unicorn? How medieval…”

He couldn’t quite understand it.

In the distance, the city’s walls were visible.

“…How long has it been since I saw the city?”

Even though they hadn’t entered the city yet, the area around them was already bustling with people.

Not everyone here was trying to get inside the city.

There were street vendors spreading their goods on the ground, and beggars kneeling, seemingly asking for alms.

Thomas, despite finding some interest in the market sights, knew he had more pressing matters to handle.

“This is hard… At this rate, the goddess will die from her sore legs…”

“People don’t die from something like that.”

“What…!?”

Did he think of her as some kind of weak creature?

Thomas mentally docked Neb a few points for that comment.

But Neb’s whining didn’t end there.

“If you’d just gotten in the wagon when that person offered earlier, we wouldn’t be in this mess!”

“I can’t do something that extreme.”

It wasn’t the kind of thing you’d say to someone who was drenched in sweat, like they’d just fallen into a river.

Especially when that person was only trying to offer a kind gesture to help.

“…If the goddess’s legs break, I’ll hold you fully responsible…”

“Alright, alright. Then I’ll carry you for the rest of my life.”

“For life?”

For some reason, Neb’s face lit up with excitement at those words.

At that moment, Thomas felt every eye around them shift toward him.

Neb had only lifted her head, but suddenly everyone’s attention was fixed on them.

“Hey, look over there.”

“Is that a noble…?”

“The clothes don’t quite match, though… Hmm. Is that a barbarian slave? Or maybe a mercenary?”

Although Thomas would have attracted attention on his own, this situation felt different.

Some of the gazes were tinged with lust.

Sighing at the attention, Thomas walked over to a nearby street vendor.

“…Hey! No coins, no fruit!”

A typical medieval reaction.

Thomas picked up a sack of fruit and replied,

“I’ll take the whole sack.”

“Huh? … The fruit’s fine, but I still need the sack afterward.”

“Keep the change.”

“Thank you, kind customer! Stay healthy!”

As Thomas flicked a silver coin toward him, the merchant bent over in a bow, grateful.

Even in the face of silver coins, racial prejudices seemed to vanish.

In medieval times, fruit was considered cheap, and even the roughly made sack was something one could buy with a few coins.

‘Red fruits. Apples, maybe?’

Though they didn’t look exactly like the apples Thomas was used to, they tasted tart and sweet.

Thomas took only a couple, dumping the rest in front of a beggar.

“Th-thank you…!”

Now he had an empty sack.

Neb, who had followed him, asked curiously,

“Why did you buy those all of a sudden? The goddess didn’t even say she wanted them… Just thought it, but didn’t speak it aloud…”

He didn’t respond.

Anyway, with a piece of fruit still in his mouth, he handed the last one to Neb.

“…Th-thank you.”

He punched three holes in the empty sack—two small and one large.

“The taste is pretty good.”

Then he pulled the sack over Neb’s head.

“…What’s the meaning of this action?”

Anger began to seep through from under the sack.

If the reason for the crowd’s attention was her beauty, then he’d have to remove the source.

A full-face helmet or mask would have been ideal, but unfortunately, all he had was the sack.

Quickly, he turned to Neb and tried to explain.

“I can’t help it. Just bear with it until we can buy proper clothes inside the city.”

“Isn’t this a bit unnecessary…?”

“The rats are swarming, and we can’t do anything about it. They shouldn’t be so pretty. Try to have a little patience.”

“…This is the last time.”

Thomas wasn’t sure when his “barbarian” had gained the ability to persuade, but it was surprisingly easy to convince Neb.

He walked toward the city walls, somewhat puzzled.

A barbarian and a woman wearing a sack.

The combination still attracted attention, but it was significantly less than before.

“…Are they crazy?”

“Shh, quiet…”

Yes, this was definitely better.

As expected, the security inside the city was tighter than outside.

At the city gates, two lines of people could be seen.

One line seemed to be for those with large baggage, like carts, while the other was for lighter loads or citizens who lived inside the city.

The line for citizens moved faster.

Thomas stood at the very end of the line, quietly waiting for his turn.

“Your status?”

“…Hey Henry, didn’t I just go out yesterday? Why are you asking again today? Our city is a free-entry city! The war is nearly over, when are we going to stop with all this tight security?”

“Your status?”

“…Sigh, you’re so rigid. A citizen of the city. Here.”

The person in front of them seemed to be arguing over trivial matters, but they showed their status card, stopping the soldier’s actions.

“Purpose?”

“I was just looking around the street vendors outside the city, and now I’m heading home!”

“…Hans, as I’ve told you before, the lord specifically ordered the city’s defenses to be strict. So, stop wandering around and be more careful…”

“I’m going in!”

“Damn it…”

The soldier clicked his tongue lightly as he watched the citizen walk away.

The next turn was theirs.

Now, where did I put my mercenary papers to prove my identity?

As he prepared to answer, Thomas was waiting for the soldier’s next question.

However, what the soldier said next was slightly different from what he expected.

“…Are you a barbarian slave trader? What is your identity?”

The question was the same—asking who he was—but asking about his identity was different from simply asking for his status.

Living as a barbarian, such things were common.

I guess I’ll have to bribe him or something…

Without thinking too much, Thomas reached into his coat to pull out his bag of silver coins and mercenary papers.

“If not that… Oh, I know! You’re a kidnapper! Damn it. I’ve heard the stories of how the barbarian leaders have gone crazy, but I never imagined they’d be this insane!”

“…?”

What’s going on now?

“Let the hostage go right now! If you don’t, I’ll show everyone in this city that justice still exists…!”

He tilted his head, confused by this sudden accusation.

Then, something clicked.

Thomas slowly turned around.

There, he saw Neb, who was also tilting her head, wearing the sack just like him.

“Ah.”

It was an easy mistake to make.