61. Slave Market

Flinch. Everyone’s mouths fell open at my impulsive action of tearing up the administrative document.

“Gasp.”

“Madam?”

“That was something Sir Daniel, who’s weak at math, reviewed all night.”

“He even stacked up law books.”

“Sir Daniel’s eyes are trembling now.”

“Sir Daniel is covering his mouth now. Poor thing.”

“I think madam went a bit too far this time.”

Then they started grumbling leisurely. Hey, is this the time to be doing this?

“Ah, what money are you talking about! They’ve been openly trafficking humans in our territory all this time, and we should be the ones receiving compensation!”

Think about it, how bad must this have been for our territory residents’ morale? It’s scary enough to hear rumors about slave auctions being held in the territory, but even worse that it’s true. A legal auction approved by the lord.

And how bad must this have been for our territory’s image? Inkheart, where the country’s largest slave market is held every harvest festival.

The slave market is open, but trading is prohibited unless the slaves have clear origins, so everyone can enjoy safe tourism.

Would anyone come? I wouldn’t either!

“Even if people from neighboring areas say your territory lives off selling slaves, we can’t even refute it!”

As I shouted loudly, the other knights who had been quiet until now began to add their thoughts one by one.

“Ah, that’s true. I heard that the Grand Duke and Sir Lucion were insulted like that when they went to the capital a long time ago.”

“But the funny thing is, those same people always sneak into Inkheart during the festival. What other reason would they have for coming to the barren North only during the harvest festival? They push slaves they don’t need but want to buy and sell onto us because they’re too embarrassed to hold auctions openly. It’s really laughable.”

“Where are there slaves in Inkheart? Every single territory resident is precious.”

By now, Sir Lucion and Darius had lost their words, and the knights and I were in sync, raising our voices. Even Sir Daniel, who had lost his overnight report, overcame his pain and wiped away his tears.

“Those who say, ‘I’m being unfairly criticized, but do you know how much I’ve contributed to society? This is a necessary profession somewhere. I’m making a sacrifice.’ That kind of person?”

“They definitely have something to hide.”

“With a personality that would make even hair run away, yet having such lush hair—he might be hiding his baldness with a wig.”

“Isn’t that just Sir Ramin’s jealousy as he starts to feel the poverty of his hair?”

“Kuhup. S-Sir, let’s see about that in ten years……”

“Never mind that. It’s all because we don’t have money. But even so, how can our representative industry be slave trading? Slave trading, of all things. Now, what should we make money from after abolishing slave trading?”

“That is…… since we haven’t particularly made money before, it’s hard to think…… Ah, I suddenly feel like crying.”

“Making several knights cry with just a few words. Madam is truly the finest lady.”

“It’s okay. If we don’t have money, we can just start extorting from now on. And you there, don’t go around crying when you’re a knight.”

“Madam, your choice of terminology is a bit cheap, isn’t it?”

At Sir Ramin’s spot-on criticism, I changed the subject. You dare to sharply rebut my words?

“Who was it that showed a miracle of gold coins multiplying like mountains when given the Grand Duke of Inkheart’s gold coins?”

“Sir Ramin.”

“Sir Ramin, whose hair flutters with even the slightest breeze.”

“Regardless of my intentions, I’ve never even attempted embezzlement!”

Regardless of his intentions, I was eagerly looking for an opportunity to put that Sir Ramin, whose integrity index was dangerously low, into the mercenary group.

“The mercenary group doesn’t need to be as clean……”

“Madam, I prefer my knighthood.”

“What if you get a bit more money by joining the mercenary group?”

“To be honest, if it’s a lot more money, I might consider it.”

“How much?”

“Well, that……”

Just as Sir Ramin was about to bring his mouth close to my ear to tell me the desired amount.

“Are you done with the meeting and chatting now?”

Whoosh. Sir Ramin, who had been approaching, disappeared behind me. Thick black hair filled my vision.

“Openly poaching talent in front of a lord who has received a knight’s oath of loyalty. You’re still too much, Anette.”

Ugh, Sir Ramin made a small groan as he backed away, seemingly bumping into something.

“Oh my, this is just department reassignment, isn’t it? The mercenary group belongs to Inkheart anyway, so what’s the issue?”

“Nicola Graus seemed to want to give me some hints about the mercenary group.”

“Ah, if you don’t trust them, why not dispatch one loyal knight to the mercenary group? It would be good to thoroughly examine how the mercenary group operates.”

“Should I do that?”

‘Ugh, that tax ghost. He’s already noticed that I’ve arranged for the mercenary group’s income to fall only into my hands.’

Behind us, Sir Ramin was crying, “Why are you doing this to me? I like being a knight. I think it’s my calling,” but we ignored him.

To take care of things properly for the divorce later, I should be nice to Nicola. That way, he might turn a blind eye when I make the property division favorable to me.

The thought of Nicola Graus siding with Darius and interfering with every asset I planned to take in the divorce was horrifying. That strict old man would probably attach all sorts of labels and prevent me from taking even half of what I planned.

“By the way, you said you would ‘extort’?”

Darius asked, half disbelieving my choice of words, half amused.

Belatedly regretting my word choice that was unbecoming of a marquis’s eldest daughter, I whispered in Darius’s ear. His crow-black hair fluttered in the breeze of my breath.

“……if we do it like this?”

Darius smiled.

“You always say what I want to hear. Unbelievably so.”

Thump. My heart fluttered at his smile. Unbelievably so.

Autumn. The harvest festival is approaching. Golden sunlight, like harvested wheat grains, was pouring abundantly into the meeting room.

* * *

“That wet-behind-the-ears lord brat! What, he’s the Grand Duke of Inkheart? What’s so great about being a Grand Duke! Until just ten years ago, he was just the owner of a rural territory paving roads with money we generously gave!”

Rigolus, who had gotten out of the carriage, kicked the carriage door with a bang. He had tucked his tail between his legs, intimidated by the knights’ killing intent until he fled from Castle Inkheart.

‘Let’s see if they’ll allow legal trading again when territory residents start disappearing without knowing why, just like in the old days!’

Ten years ago. When he was pushing for legalization of slave trading to the previous Grand Duke of Inkheart, arguing that slave trading could never be eliminated anyway.

Rigolus had actually been kidnapping residents from remote territories and selling them as slaves even before that. Claiming that this was happening because slave trading wasn’t legalized.

When the previous Grand Duke of Inkheart reluctantly approved slavery, even if temporarily, Rigolus immediately stopped kidnapping northern territory residents to show the success of legalization.

It was natural. The kidnapping of territory residents occurred in the first place because slave traders were in the North.

After Rigolus, the biggest slave trader in the North, promoted legalization and gave appropriate hints to other traders, the kidnapping incidents in the North naturally disappeared.

‘But times have changed now!’

Recently, Inkheart had increased the number of soldiers maintaining public order. It was no longer an atmosphere where anyone could kidnap passersby in secluded places like in the old days. Seeing it directly today, the knights’ discipline was sharper than ever.

Above all, that lord.

〈Haven’t you considered that I’m sparing you now because I also have a connection with you?〉

“Eek!”

Remembering that face, which had smiled languidly as if genuinely sparing him while pointing a sword at him, Rigolus stomped his foot in anger.

Darius was different from his predecessor! Unlike the previous Grand Duke of Inkheart who was weak and eventually permitted slave trading…!

“Welcome back, Master Rigolus.”

“What!”

When Rigolus’s personal slave called out to him, Rigolus screamed shrilly.

The slave trembled.

“That person is waiting inside.”

“Who!”

“‘That person.'”

The slave’s voice grew increasingly small, as if shrinking. Rigolus’s eyes widened at the fearful attitude of the slave.

“‘That person’?”

“Yes.”

Rigolus unconsciously looked around. He entered, unnecessarily conscious of the gazes around him. Despite it being his own office, his steps betrayed an unease he couldn’t hide.

Darkness was swallowing him along with the shortening day.

When he finally stood before ‘that person,’ Rigolus could feel his forehead drenched in sweat.

“You’ve come? I was just about to report to you. The matter is that Inkheart will no longer permit slave trading.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. They won’t listen even if I offer better conditions. I’m not sure what to do next……”

“Is that so?”

The figure within the robe was consistently indifferent, as if Rigolus’s troubles were of no concern.

The woman was beautifully crafted, but Rigolus dared not think of her as beautiful.

“Um, Lady Lilith. We’ve made enough money, so how about moving the slave trading location? The lord dislikes it too.”

“Haha. Listen, Rigolus. You lowly pig.”

The woman in the robe, Lilith, sneered at Rigolus as if he were contemptible.

“Who was it that raised you this far? Who taught you, a mere ordinary slave trader, to go to the North and professionally develop the slave market?”

“I-it was you, Lady Lilith.”

Rigolus prostrated himself flat before the woman.

Though he normally treated slaves like livestock, before the person in the robe, he was the lowly slave.

After all, she was the true owner of the slave market.