We live in the foothills of Dragon Peak.
The Slaves’ Rebellion
We continued our journey south.
Our travels with the traveling merchant Gondo, visiting towns and villages of all sizes, were surprisingly smooth, and days passed without us getting caught up in any major disturbances.
Perhaps it was because we were heading south, or perhaps it was because spring had fully arrived, but the cold mornings and evenings had begun to ease, and our moods had become warm and relaxed, matching the season.
However, our journey began to take a sharp turn for the worse as the signs of a slave rebellion, said to be occurring in the south, grew stronger.
“That last village was a hassle, wasn’t it?”
Slaton grumbled.
“It seems like slave escapes are happening frequently in various parts of the south.”
“They had the audacity to demand we send Reiss and everyone else to replace the escaped slaves, which was really annoying.”
“If Gondo hadn’t smoothed things over, it might have escalated into something serious.”
Ristea, Slaton, and I walked behind the carriage, reflecting on the troublesome situation in the village we had left before noon.
Our job is to escort Gondo’s caravan, but it becomes complicated when the opponents are demons.
Apparently, in the last village, over ten slaves had escaped in the past few days.
The reason, of course, was to join the rebellion happening in the south.
The demons in the village had sent pursuers to retrieve the escaped slaves. However, it seemed no one had returned yet.
When slaves escape and disappear, the demons who support their lives lack workers for chores, housework, and heavy labor, which disrupts their daily lives.
It was then that Gondo’s traveling merchant entourage and we arrived.
The demons of the village had demanded that we sell Gondo’s slaves and us as replacements for the escaped slaves.
If Gondo hadn’t rushed around at that moment, it might have escalated to drawing swords.
“I can’t believe we, who are clergy, were treated so coldly,” said Mai.
“It can’t be helped, Mai. All the escapees were humans, and they are followers of the Temple Religion,” Anna replied.
“They mistakenly believe that the clergy are inciting rebellion by using people’s faith.”
Lady Mine and Lady Anna walked alongside the carriage.
All of Gondo’s slaves seemed to be devout followers and listened joyfully to their sermons during their daily prayers.
Gondo, with his magnanimous heart, tolerated their faith, but not all demons were as broad-minded as Gondo.
Especially the demons who had their slaves escape looked at Lady Mine and Lady Anna with the same malicious gaze as the followers of Baron Flame-Arm, who had tried to abduct them at the Great Shrine.
“There may be many more disturbances like the one just now in towns and villages to the south from now on.”
Gondo, a stout man sitting beside the driver, let out a sigh as if troubled.
We managed to get through the disturbance thanks to Gondo’s quick thinking, but if slaves were escaping in other towns and villages as well, the scrutiny on us slaves and ourselves would only increase.
Furthermore, if the slaves were to instigate a rebellion themselves, it would cripple us.
“I had intended to make a profit by taking advantage of the disturbances, but considering the widespread nature of the slave problem, I feel that doing business with slaves will only incur the resentment of the demons.”
Now, what should I do? Gondo pondered, scratching his head. We couldn’t afford to be indifferent.
If Gondo, who was trading in the southern regions, decided to give up and end his business there, we would be at a loss.
The situation for humans was already harsh. If we lost Gondo, our protector, we might face a life of being hunted by demons or slave hunters.
And there was one more thing.
“Although we are both human, I don’t want to get involved with the escaped slaves,” the driver muttered.
Gondo’s slaves are treated very well.
Because Gondo is a good person, they are treated like precious family, even though they are humans by status, i.e., “slaves.”
However, this only applies to Gondo’s slaves.
He did not show any special favor or kindness to the slaves in the towns and villages they visited beyond that of a business partner.
If other demons treated their slaves with more kindness than was customary, it would not only displease their masters but also the other demons living there, and if the slaves misunderstood or developed false hopes and caused trouble, it would be a disaster.
So, what would happen if we encountered escaped slaves on our journey?
Would we be able to be kind to them because their masters, the demons, weren’t watching?
No, that would be very difficult.
Because if Gondo showed mercy and lent a hand to the escaped slaves, he might be blamed later for encouraging their escape.
Although Gondo is a demon, if he attracted the attention of higher-ranking demons or his business partners among the demons, he could be swallowed by this eat-or-be-eaten society.
And if our Master Gondo were to end up on the streets, it would have a significant impact on us slaves.
Therefore, Gondo’s slaves genuinely felt that even though they were fellow humans, they did not want to get involved with the escaped slaves.
Lady Mine and Lady Anna also frowned at the complex circumstances of people and the difficulties of the social situation.
“Well, if they were being attacked by monsters, we might help them. But if the other party is a demon, it’s best to turn a blind eye. It pains me, but we all have our limits, and we have our own goals and lives.”
“We’ll just have to be vigilant if we see any figures heading south…”
As a hero and his partner, they would probably want to help those in trouble.
But I may have given them the difficult trial of choosing who to save and who to abandon, and what sacrifices to make to achieve something.
I’m sorry, and my heart aches too.
Why does the Mad Abyss Demon Lord cause so many difficult disturbances?
Is it simply the nation’s policy to have constant unrest?
Or is there a deeper intention behind it as a ruler?
Whatever the case, the citizens are greatly inconvenienced.
And what’s more, the slaves are more troubled than the demons.
When disturbances occur, slaves are the first to become victims.
In the towns and villages we had visited so far, slaves were treated like disposable rags, and for us, who came from a country without a slave system, it was a truly tragic world.
If Ristea had been born in the demon country, she might have led the fight for slave liberation.
However, we are merely outsiders in this country, and we are in a position where we cannot take responsibility until the end if we get caught up in some disturbance.
That’s why we can’t extend a hand to the escaped slaves.
“The situation looks grim, but if we proceed south for a while longer, we should arrive at the largest city in the southeastern region. Once there, we can gather information while doing business and decide on our future course of action.”
“What kind of demon governs that city?”
In response to Ristea’s question, Gondo replied with a very gentle smile.
“He holds the rank of Baron. He has a keen eye for economics and, although very young, he has single-handedly developed a small town into a city that represents the southeastern region. He is truly a magnificent person whom I admire.”
“Judging by the way you speak, are you acquainted with him?”
“Yes. I have known him well since he was a child.”
“That’s amazing!”
“In fact, my sons live in the city? So, for a time, I based my business in the city. Through that connection, I became quite close with him. He is truly amazing? He showed remarkable business acumen from a young age and was awarded the title of Baron by His Majesty the Mad Abyss Demon Lord in just ten years.”
Gondo spoke with genuine joy, as if he were talking about one of his own kin.
A lord who is so favored by Gondo must surely be a good person.
“He is also benevolent towards slaves. I’m sure the southern rebellion has not had much of an impact on the city he governs.”
“Does that mean that slaves can live safer and more prosperous lives in that city rather than joining the rebellion by escaping?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“That’s very promising. Then, let’s head to the city governed by that Baron and consider what to do next.”
We, as guards, decided to go with Gondo to the Baron’s city.
But I’m worried.
What if, after hearing about the situation in the south, it turns out to be worse than we anticipated?
Gondo is a merchant through and through, but he would prioritize his own safety and that of his slaves over immediate profit.
In that case. What choice would we make?
Would we go to another region with Gondo?
But then we wouldn’t be able to learn about the situation of the slave rebellion in the south.
No, if we can gather enough information in the Baron’s city, we might not need to throw ourselves into the midst of the unrest.
It’s a shame for Srain, with whom we expected to reunite, but we also want to prioritize our own safety.
Besides, the truth is, we want to investigate but don’t want to get caught up in the commotion.
It seemed my thoughts were in sync with everyone else’s, and Slaton said with a huff,
“Alright, you guys. Let’s gather all the information we can at the Baron’s city. Especially you, Eruru!”
“Huh?”
“You haven’t been much help on this journey so far, so do your part!”
“Whaaaat?”
It’s true, I haven’t accomplished anything remarkable on this trip.
Although I toyed with the Silver-eyed Knight’s army with the Spirit Current Sword, in the end, I ended up relying on Lord Reed, so I can’t proudly claim it as my achievement. Moreover, since I started traveling with Gondo, I’ve done practically nothing.
Even when monsters appeared, I left it to Ristea, Slaton, and Shooting Star Sama. I didn’t take on any special actions or roles as a substitute.
What I had been doing, then, was not outwardly visible, but inwardly, I was constantly practicing feeling the dragon veins.
If I don’t replenish the dragon energy, which is absorbed by the Spirit Current Sword with an appropriate amount of power drawn from the dragon veins, I will weaken just by standing.
Also, I occasionally went hunting with Lord Reed.
However, while it’s true that I went hunting with Lord Reed, Lord Reed finished hunting in an instant.
Using the time left and the lack of witnesses, I practiced swinging the Spirit Current Sword against Lord Reed, quietly honing my skills.
So, even before Slaton said anything, I had been thinking, “I’m only thinking about myself and not being useful to everyone.”
Therefore, I will really do my best to gather information!
However, my resolve was in vain.
After traveling south for about ten more days.
We saw it.
A gruesome sight of the city we were heading for engulfed in flames.
