Merchants Of Death
*
In contrast to the glaringly bright town, the place they alighted at after riding on the carriage, hadn’t a single lamp. The metal building surrounded by pine trees, gave off a stern and cold atmosphere and was significantly far from the place most merchants are.
“It, it is kinda dark huh”
Feeling uneasy, Mira whispers to Asch.
“……be it noisy or quiet, you have something to complain about huh”
“Co, complain, you say! I’m only saying it because you don’t bring me to normal places”
“Am I your butler? Let me just say that it’s not a trip for entertaining you”
“……kiーーーーーーーー”
Mira swings her arms around, trying to hit the ill-natured Magician, but as always, it ends with a failure because of the shortness of her hands.
‘The magnificent atmosphere went to waste because of you, you know’ when he was about to say sarcastically with a sigh,
“Now then, please come on in”
Schwinn led the way and opened a gate made of metal.
That building, it had an appearance that resembles Asch’s mansion somewhere. It’s made entirely of metallic black metal, and there are no plants or whatnot either; one can go as far as to say there’s completely no presence of life. It’s just that, there’s a point that’s decisively different from the Taboo Mansion. There’s not a single gravestone there.
When they go inside, numerous taxidermy of animals were lined up over there.
“……”
The young girl’s shoulders tremble slightly at that odd atmosphere.
“Fuu……looks like my butler, doesn’t really like this place. I’d like to finish up the business discussion quickly”
He gently places his palm on top of the back of the young girl’s hand, calming her down.
“……understood”
When Schwinn snaps his finger, in an instant, people who are entirely in black surround every direction.
“Hmm……Assassin squad huh. It’s truly brilliant”
Without being particularly shaken, Asch answers.
“……that way of calling is, upsetting. We too have our cause”
“Is that, because you people are natives?”
“……”
At the Dark Magician’s words, Schwinn closed his mouth.
One can say that the founding of the Bardyst Holy Kindom is, a history of gruesome bloodshed. The Hero who named himself the First Holy King, led the Holy Cross Army(Saint Crusaders), stole the indigenous people’s land, humiliated, massacred, and stigmatized them as the ‘People of Darkness’.
Afterwards, this war was labelled by historians as the Holy War.
However, they survived while holding onto that stigmatization. They did not raise a large army; instead, they picked out elites on a small scale and focused on self-defense. They were, the Guardians of the natives, and the opposers(Resistance) of the intruders that called themselves Holy.
The Bardyst Holy Kingdom, they called them, Assassins.
“I can understand the righteousness of your revenge, but I can’t appreciate you threatening this peaceful gentleman”
“Not even this much is enough, you know. No……if the other party is that highly infamous Asch＝Dahl, it is meaningless no matter what kind of preparation we make”
“Hmm……not many bring a business proposal to me knowing that it’s me”
It’s precisely so, that he waited for an opportunity with the bait(Mira) as the representative. Even amongst the Merchants of Death, this man’s reputation is at the bottom of the barrel.
According to Asch, ‘it is the consequences of their own actions that they disappeared completely without a trace’, though.
“You can think of it as that’s how pressed we are as well”
“……King Raizer huh”
At Asch’s question, Schwinn bites his lips lightly.
The Hero who destroyed the neighbouring country in the blink of an eye is, galloping towards the continent’s unification with that overwhelming charisma. They’ll, reach their limit at guarding the natives at this rate. They only have two choices. Serve as slaves, or raise a rebellion.
“……at this rate, we have no chance to win. However, there’s nobody else who’ll provide their assistance either”
“Kuku……”
The Dark Magician laughs lowly.
“What’s so funny!”
“Stop it!”
Schwinn restrains one of the Assassins that got furious.
“Well……pardon me”
Asch, despite saying that,
looked at Schwinn with an ominous glint in his eyes.
“……but, you people are, lucky”
Schwinn, who saw those jet black eyes, couldn’t help but feel a chill and cold sweat like never before.
