Chapter 97

"Is that the merchant who offered assistance?"

Cangma, who had been checking the merchant's appearance from the shadows in the waiting room, asked Elladia, who stood beside him.

"As you command, Master Soma. That merchant, who calls himself Robnas, claims to have been sent by a wealthy merchant who sympathizes with your cause," Elladia replied.

After hearing Elladia's explanation, Cangma asked Garam what he thought of the merchant.

"Hmm. From his manner, he doesn't seem like a merchant at all. He appears to have some training in combat," Garam observed.

Zug disagreed with Garam's assessment.

"In these times, even merchants can have some combat skills, you know?"

It's not uncommon for merchants, who travel from town to town, to arm themselves to protect their goods and lives from bandits and pirates. Sometimes, when negotiations fail, these merchants can quickly turn into bandits themselves.

Given this, it's not strange for a merchant to have some combat training. Considering this, Cangma found himself in a dilemma.

"Why did you think he wasn't a merchant, Elladia?"

"Intuition, perhaps?" Elladia replied, and everyone's face showed a look of disappointment. However, Elladia didn't seem upset; instead, she smiled softly.

"Oh, I have confidence in my ability to judge men. Otherwise, I wouldn't have survived," she said casually.

Cangma cleared his throat to break the awkward silence.

"Anyway, the issue is the man's true identity and purpose."

Cangma held up two fingers.

"There are two possibilities. One, he's trying to gather information about us under the pretense of offering assistance. Two, he genuinely wants to help us."

"If it's someone trying to gather information, it could be the Holmeans, right?" Garam asked, frowning.

Cangma shook his head.

"That's uncertain. It could be a different faction, especially since we're currently in conflict with the Jevau merchants."

"But, Soma, if he's trying to gather information, that makes sense. However, I can't imagine anyone genuinely wanting to help us," Shemul said, clearly skeptical.

Cangma smiled wryly.

"I agree that it's unlikely for someone to offer assistance out of pure goodwill. But if they think they can gain some benefit by helping us, it's not impossible."

Given the current situation, where the trade routes have been blocked, there might be a faction that sees an opportunity to weaken the Jevau merchant guild by sustaining this blockade.

If such a faction exists, this man could be a potential lead to break the deadlock.

Thinking about this, it's crucial to uncover his true identity and purpose.

"Is there any way we can find out his intentions?"

Cangma asked everyone if they had any good ideas.

"I'll take care of it!" Jahangir volunteered immediately.

"I'll just twist his neck a bit, and he'll be honest!" he said, wagging his tail and looking pleased as he literally went to twist the man's neck. Cangma, panicking, grabbed Jahangir's belt to stop him.

"Wait! No, you can't do that!"

However, Jahangir, who couldn't stop immediately, dragged Cangma along before finally stopping. Looking over his shoulder at Cangma, he asked,

"Can't I?"

"No, you can't!"

"…I see."

Jahangir's dinosaurian face was hard to read, but he seemed somewhat dejected.

Thinking about how Jahangir was trying to help, Cangma felt bad, but it was too early to resort to direct methods.

"Can I take care of it, Master Soma?"

Elladia stepped forward. Cangma, not expecting her to use direct methods like Jahangir, asked how she planned to do it. Elladia smiled seductively and said,

"There are ways to uncover a man's secrets that only a woman can use."

Implied in her words was that she would use her body to seduce the man and uncover his true identity.

Cangma and the others grimaced at this.

Especially, Cangma felt a strong resistance to making her do something that would hurt her again, after he had once freed her from being a sex slave.

"That's a bit… Is there another way—"

As Cangma tried to reject Elladia's proposal, her previously gentle expression changed. Her lips tightened, and her eyebrows furrowed, expressing a quiet anger.

"Master Soma, are you underestimating our resolve?"

Her voice, though not raised, was sharp enough to make anyone tense.

Cangma was stunned by the anger he had never seen from the usually calm Elladia.

"To create a country where all races can live equally, as you said. But the path to that goal is fraught with danger and requires great sacrifices."

Elladia placed her hand on her chest gently.

"We believe in that cause and are prepared to make those sacrifices. So why are you hesitating over just one elf woman? Are you insulting our resolve, Master Soma?"

Her words hit Cangma like a punch to the gut.

He realized the weight of his words and was speechless. The others were similarly speechless.

Considering Elladia's past, it was clear how much this would hurt her. Yet, she had volunteered to do it for Cangma and everyone else.

Her resolve left everyone speechless.

It would be easy to tell her to stop, but without offering any solutions or alternatives, it would be nothing more than pity.

Pitying someone who has decided to sacrifice their heart for the sake of others would be a great insult.

That's why no one could say anything.

After a moment of silence, Cangma finally spoke.

"Elladia…"

Seeing the determination on Cangma's face, Elladia smiled softly and replied, "Yes."

"I order you."

To Elladia, who had asked to take care of it, Cangma deliberately said,

"Uncover that man's true identity and purpose by any means necessary."

"As you command, Master Soma."

Cangma, who had decided to dirty his hands and immerse himself in filth for the sake of those who believed in his words, still had his limits.

"But I don't like the phrase 'just a.' No matter who it is, I consider them important. Please don't use such phrases in the future."

Elladia bowed deeply in response to his words.

◆◇◆◇◆

Now, the merchant who offered assistance to Cangma and his group, Robnas, whose real name is Robnas Fabius, is not just a merchant.

As his surname suggests, he is actually a general of the Romanya Kingdom.

About a month ago, he was secretly summoned by King Dordae and asked,

"Robnas, do you know the city of Bornis?"

King Dordae, who is sixty-nine years old, has a thin, withered body, but his eyes are full of vitality. Despite his age, he still rules the Romanya Kingdom.

"I remember it as a city in the west of the Holmea Kingdom," Robnas replied.

"Then, you know about the recent rebellion of subhumans in that city and the defeat of Darius, who was sent to suppress it?"

"There is no one in the capital who doesn't know about it," Robnas replied.

Darius, the general of the Holmea Kingdom, was a renowned commander and a long-time enemy of Romanya. The king had even offered a reward of a thousand gold coins for his head.

The news of Darius's defeat by rebellious slaves was a shock not only to the Holmea Kingdom but also to Romanya.

"The rebels in Bornis are quite interesting," Dordae mused.

Recently, in the back alleys of the capital, a traveling merchant who claimed to have witnessed the rebellion was a topic of conversation. The stories of subhuman slaves defeating Holmea soldiers were met with cheers from the patrons.

Dordae, intrigued by the rumors, secretly invited the merchant to the palace and listened to his tales. While the merchant's account exaggerated the strength of the subhumans, the weakness of the Holmea soldiers was a satisfying story for Dordae.

Recalling this, Dordae smiled.

"Conquering the Holmea Kingdom and ruling the Western Region is the long-standing ambition of Romanya."

The rivalry between Romanya and Holmea dates back to the founding of their kingdoms. Once a great nation, it split into two due to a dispute over succession, leading to the formation of Romanya and Holmea. Both kingdoms have the ambition to conquer each other and restore the original great nation.

"Given Darius's fall, now is the perfect opportunity. I want you to go to Bornis and see the subhuman slaves for yourself."

Thus, Robnas, accompanied by a few guards, boldly traveled through the Holmea Kingdom to reach Bornis.

"I have been instructed by my master to offer you assistance."

Robnas posed as a messenger from a wealthy merchant, based on the information he gathered along the way, which suggested that Cangma and his group were suffering from a lack of funds due to conflicts with the Jevau merchant guild.

To investigate the strength of the subhuman slaves, he needed to infiltrate their ranks. Offering them what they most needed was the best approach.

However, despite his efforts, the leader of the slaves, Soma, was absent. Robnas, who had come to offer assistance, felt it was rude to be absent. He thought Soma should have greeted him humbly.

The welcome banquet that night only added to his frustration.

Malcronis, who replaced the absent Soma, failed to engage in conversation, making the banquet dull. Robnas tried to probe for information, but Malcronis only repeated, "You should ask Master Soma."

The only highlight was the time he spent talking to Elladia, an elf, who served him drinks.

The banquet ended without any useful information, and Robnas was left to stay in a room in the lord's residence.

"Truly, a waste of time…"

Robnas was considering an early return when there was a knock on his door. When he asked who it was, the door opened slightly.

"I thought you might need more wine, so I brought some."

It was Elladia, the elf from the banquet, carrying a bottle of wine and a basket of food.

Recognizing her, Robnas welcomed her with a relieved expression.

"Oh, this is wonderful. I was just thinking I hadn't had enough to drink."

At this hour, a woman visiting his room as an important guest, Robnas knew what it meant.

As Elladia arranged the food and wine on the table, Robnas swallowed hard, watching her seductive movements.

He had always wanted to own a beautiful elf slave like those he saw in the royal palace and noble residences of Romanya.

But after meeting Elladia, the other elf slaves seemed like plain village girls in comparison.

"Robnas, let's start with a drink."

The wine offered by such a beautiful elf tasted especially good.

Moreover, Elladia was not just beautiful. Her perfect timing in nodding and her broad knowledge made her stand out.

She must be a high-class slave from the central continent, Robnas thought.

As he drank more, he became increasingly aroused by her suggestive movements.

He reached out to touch her, but she slipped away just before his hand could touch her. When he pulled back his hand, she would move closer again.

This repeated, teasing him.

Robnas, unable to resist, finally grabbed her shoulder.

"Ahh…"

The breathy sound from Elladia's rose-petal lips made Robnas even more excited.

They tumbled onto the bed, entangled in each other.

◆◇◆◇◆

After quietly leaving the guest room where Robnas was staying, Elladia washed and cleansed herself before heading to Cangma's office. Despite the late hour, the room was brightly lit by candles, and Cangma and the key members were gathered there.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting."

Cangma thanked her and asked about the outcome. Before answering, Elladia first confirmed with Malcronis.

"Malcronis, I have a question. I recall that the Holmea Kingdom had a long-standing enemy, correct?"

"That's the Romanya Kingdom. There are a few smaller countries, but the two major powers, Holmea and Romanya, are vying for dominance in the Western Region."

Hearing this, Elladia turned to Cangma and declared,

"That man is undoubtedly a spy from the Romanya Kingdom. Moreover, he is not just a common soldier but a general or officer of some rank."

Everyone gasped in surprise.

"Romanya…"

Cangma thought of Hopkins, the traveling merchant who had helped them capture the city. When Hopkins had to leave, Cangma had given him the means to start anew in Romanya, along with a request to spread exaggerated stories about their group in the Romanya capital.

If the Romanya Kingdom learned of the chaos in Holmea, they might take action, even if not immediately. Cangma had hoped this would serve as a deterrent to Holmea, but it seemed to have unexpected results.

"So, he wasn't a merchant after all."

Cangma confirmed, and Elladia nodded.

"Yes. —First, his hands are different."

Cangma looked down at his own hands.

"His hands?"

"Yes. A person's hands change based on their lifestyle. For example, a farmer's hands will have dirt in the creases and under the nails that won't wash off. A scholar's fingers will have calluses from holding a pen. But the man's hands were those of someone