Vol 1 Chapter 9 – For the Money【Vol 1: A Man Who Wants to Buy a Slave】

After leaving the Adventurer’s Guild and walking through town for a while, I started heading into a back alley.

Once I’d left the main street, I cast recognition-disruption magic on myself, wrapped myself in a pitch-black robe, and hid my face behind a mask. Now no one would be able to recognize who I was.

“All right, this should work… Teleport.“

The spell activated soundlessly, and I arrived at my destination.

A town far from Ortelia. I walked deeper into its dim streets, down roads where people rarely ventured.

Midway along one such road, I entered a garbage dump and opened a door at the very back. Beyond it was a hideaway tavern with a single man standing at the counter.

“…What’ll it be?”

When he asked in a low voice, I held out a silver coin and said:

“Give me some meat dripping with grease. I’m in the mood to eat while looking at the moon tonight.”

“…Coming right up. Wait in the back room.”

After hearing my order, the man silently began grilling meat. Following his directions, I headed to the back room and passed through another door inside. Finally, I reached my real destination.

A counter similar to the one at Ortelia’s Adventurer’s Guild. A woman stood there alone. When she saw my mask, she smiled brightly.

“It’s been ages, Beat! How long has it been? You could come more often, you know!?”

The woman who called me Beat was the receptionist here. Her cheerful demeanor fooled plenty of people, but this wasn’t some friendly neighborhood bar. In this land of creeping political corruption, there existed another guild separate from the Adventurer’s Guild.

“It’s been a while, Jen… Even so, it’s obviously better not to visit the Dark Guild too often, right?”

The “Dark Guild” was where goods that couldn’t be traded openly changed hands, and where illegal requests were brokered.

Those illegal requests ranged from kidnapping to murder. Collecting drugs banned by the kingdom—that sort of thing. In return, the rewards were exorbitant. Naturally, its existence wasn’t publicly acknowledged.

I’d discovered this place half a year ago and occasionally stopped by to sell the “goods” I’d acquired.

The materials and monster corpses from my daily adventures normally went to the Adventurer’s Guild. But anything that would raise my rank if submitted—those items I sold here instead.

“Don’t be so cold! If Beat doesn’t come, we can’t get the good stuff, and everyone suffers!”

Jen puffed out her cheeks in an exaggerated display. She was putting on a cute act, but she was a full-fledged assassin.

Beat was obviously a fake name, and I used recognition-disruption magic to keep my identity hidden. Otherwise I’d risk getting dragged into troublesome situations.

“No one suffers just because I don’t come—I don’t even take requests. I’m only here to sell goods.”

“Those goods are exactly what matters! You brought something good this time too, right? Hurry up and show me!!”

Urged on by Jen, I pulled out the item from my magic bag and placed it on the counter. The poison stinger I’d cut from the wyvern’s tail and kept hidden. When she saw it, Jen clasped her hands together happily.

“Oh my!! A wyvern poison stinger! We just ran out and I was worried! As expected of Beat!”

“…Was there really that much demand? I sold you about five before.”

Her words made my chest tighten slightly. Out of stock meant someone had purchased and used them for an assassination. In other words, someone had died because of the “goods” I’d sold. I hadn’t killed anyone with my own hands, but it still didn’t feel good.

Still, I’d learned to accept it. Whether I sold to the Dark Guild or the Adventurer’s Guild, the destination was assassins or their kind. This was the world I’d been reincarnated into. A world where lives could be snuffed out so easily.

While I was getting sentimental, Jen giggled and explained.

“A lot’s been happening lately! Things have calmed down now, but they’ll heat up again soon enough!”

“I see… Then demand will rise again. Buy at a high price, will you?”

“Obviously! The current rate is fifty gold coins per poison stinger! Here, check it!”

Jen began lining up fifty gold coins on the counter. After counting them all, she wrapped them in a drawstring pouch and handed it over.

“Ahh, now everyone can work more smoothly! Oh, that reminds me, Beat! Do you have any drowsy tree branches? Someone requested them a while ago, but they’re really hard to find.”

Jen made a troubled face.

Drowsy tree branches were materials for ultra-powerful sleeping drugs. That’s why the Rodest Kingdom, where I operated, had burned down all wild drowsy trees and subsequently banned cultivation.

In other words, the client wanted illegal drowsy tree branches to make sleeping drugs. They probably weren’t planning anything decent, but that wasn’t my problem.

“Drowsy tree branches… If you head to the Büffelt Allied Nations, you should be able to find some, right?”

“So we really do have to go that far. Can’t be helped! I’ll send someone free next time!”

“Please do. I only sell legal goods.”

“I know, I know! Just bring me more quality goods next time, okay? I’m counting on you!”

After saying goodbye to the smiling Jen, I left the room. Once outside, I returned to Ortelia.