Chapter 23: The Broker’s Shadow
「That was amazing Nii-chaa~~n!」
「It’s been awhile since I got ‘ta see something so good」
「Yea, if ya lost like that then there’d be no regrets」
「And that pretty slave Nee-chan with dem giant t.i.ts tried her best too ～ I think I might become a fan ～～」
Melissa had already returned to my side and I was relieved to find that she didn’t have any injuries. But still, the surrounding gallery getting fired up like that was a bit of a put off.
Actually, the corpses of the three I just killed are still rolling around you know.
For them to be completely fine with seeing dead bodies… This must be an everyday occurrence around here.
That being said, we seriously stood out too much. Melissa and I aren’t people from the slums to begin with, so I wouldn’t want our faces to be easily recognized here but…… Well, at this point I feel that it’s already the case. But still――
「Melissa, we’ve already retrieved the wagon so let’s hurry up and get out of here. I wouldn’t want to stay in a place like this for too long」(Hitto)
「Y-Yes, Goshujin-sama! Then we should immediately――」(Melissa)
「Oh~ How magnificent. Bravo~ Bravo~」
As I was leading Melissa away, the sound of violent clapping reached our ears. A voice from behind us called out words of praise as if trying to prevent us from leaving.
Normally it would be fine to just ignore it all together, but once I realized that the voice and applause had instantly silenced the surrounding gallery, I ended up being a bit curious.
While firmly holding onto Melissa’s soft hand, I turned towards the owner of that voice.
Standing there was a man wearing a black coat, and on his head was a brimmed hat matching the same color as his coat.
Catching glimpses of his hair I could tell that it was ink black, as if everything other than his skin was dyed in the color of darkness.
With a befitting medium-sized build, he didn’t seem like the type that had the strength to instantly silence people.
His face was thin and pale, upon his nose sat a pair of round rim-less gla.s.ses, and his eyes were so thin that I couldn’t tell if they were open or closed. I guess you could say he was one of those slit-eye kind of guys[1].
But…… Even though it would’ve been better to hurry up and leave, I was still intrigued for some reason.
「It isn’t like we did anything worthy of praise though」(Hitto)
「No, no. That’s definitely not the case. Because of you two, I was able to earn quite a lot」
Earn? …… Oh, I see.
「You mean because of a bet? But gambling on the outcome was something you guys started on your own. It has nothing to do with me」(Hitto)
「Nothing to do with you, is it. For the inhabitants here, normally the earnings would be split among those who picked correctly you see. Because of that it was a really huge profit, since I was the only one who bet on you two after all」
The only one? No, I guess that would be obvious. Our opponents were three men, and our side only had me and Melissa who was a woman.
But to think that there would be only one winner huh. If this man hadn’t bet on us then no on would’ve made a bet that was correct in the end. How does it feel to lose like that?
「By the way, is this really all right? The hyenas will swarming here in search of flesh, won’t they?」
Hyenas? as I was pondering that in my mind, my attention shifted to the corpses of the three guys from earlier.
And then I understood, exactly like hyenas, the people of the slums were shredding the corpses looking for valuable possessions.
……Well when you put it like that, Don’t Screw With Me! Although I’m not really thinking that.
「I don’t mind. That bunch doesn’t have anything of significant value. It’s just――」(Hitto)
That’s right, either way I didn’t care for anything those guys had, and I planned on taking Melissa and leaving right away. But you know, that’s why That is a completely different matter!
I aimed a knife towards a bunch that were close to the wagon and threw it at them.
And thus the blade landed in front of their feet, and with an unsightly “Hiii-” a person coming close to the wagon fell back on his a.s.s.
「That wagon is ours. Hands, Off!」(Hitto)
I scowled at them while letting out all my blood l.u.s.t. Probably sensing the danger of the situation, the hyenas that were drawing near to the wagon all ran off at full speed.
「Oh I see, I see. So the reason why you went as far as to fight them is because they stole your wagon」
I turned my gaze to the slit-eyed man, and checked is appearance again.
Placing his finger on his chin, he made a gesture like he just solved a mystery.
But that isn’t exactly very impressive. Judging by the situation you could easily come to that conclusion after all.
「A-Amazing, Goshujin-sama. How does he know that?」(Melissa)
「……」(Hitto)
Melissa whispered closely into my ear. I think you’re airheadedness is cute too, you know.
「Well, it’s true that that wagon belongs to us. But now that our business is done I’d like to hurry up and get out of here. If you don’t have anything else to say then we’re leaving now」
Though I’m still a bit curious about this guy, I don’t want him taking up too much of our time.
I turned around thinking ‘This time we’re leaving for real‘ but…
「Now, Now, don’t be so cold-hearted. I even went through the trouble of establishing mutual curiosity between me and the original owner of the wagon I planned on buying, after all」
I stopped in place after hearing those words casually spoken from behind.
Did he say “I planned on buying” ?
「Wait, Could it be… Are you the rumored ‘Broker’?」
I turned my head as I asked. I did think that he had a strange atmosphere about him though.
「Yes. I am the one who specializes in purchasing stolen goods in these slums, I am called “Shadow”. A pleasure to make your acquaintance」(Shadow)
He then, as if drawing an arc in the air, brought his right hand and placed it on his chest. With an impression of elegance he lightly bowed his head.
Well, rather than to show his respects it was more like he did it in a joking manner.
After all, once he raised his head he was smiling excessively. As expected of the Broker, he is basically the definition of “Shady-Looking”.
「I see. So the reason why you called out to us is because we obstructed your business. Something like a bit of revenge for that?」(Hitto)
「Oh, not at all」(Shadow)
Shadow placed his right hand before his face and lightly waved it from side to side, trying to convey “You are incorrect”.
「They went and stole a person’s belongings without first a.s.sessing that person’s strength, which lead to their unsightly demise. Who cares about idiots like that. Also, that bunch, despite going to conduct an underhanded deal, they made no effort to conceal themselves. They are fools who displayed themselves out in the open as they waited. Rather than wanting revenge, I should be thanking you for killing them off instead」(Shadow)
……Well, it’s just like he said. Aside from these guys, the other people waiting at the transaction site were hiding their figures in the shadows. I could hear their voices but I wasn’t able to visibly identify any of them.
Wait, these guys even had a thief in their party and yet they still didn’t realize that?
Seriously, this just confirms that they were a bunch of blockheads.
「But, if that’s the case then why did you call out to us?」(Hitto)
「Like I said earlier, it was because you piqued my curiosity. Also I wanted to convey my grat.i.tude for helping me earn such a large profit, after all」(Shadow)
「Curiosity, huh…… Wait, is it alright for you to be fooling around over here? Isn’t it time that the transaction started?」(Hitto)
「No need to worry. After all, I have people working for me who are basically my a.s.sistants. It should be fine if I show up later just to check on how they are doing」(Shadow)
I see. So he doesn’t do all the work by himself huh.
「Is that so. But still, for you to have interest in us, huh. Melissa and I aren’t residents of the slums, so if it wasn’t for some reason like today’s then we would never set foot in this place, you know?」(Hitto)
「Well, I wonder about that. From the looks of it you are an adventurer, no? In that case then you will probably procure various useful items. If that time comes then I would be grateful if you made use of our services. Of course, we won’t be able to buy things that hold no value, but if you obtain some treasures during your adventures then, by all means, you are welcome to utilize our services」(Shadow)
……So this was basically public advertising huh? Well, like Shadow said, if I continued working as an adventurer then there’s a possibility that I would get my hands on something good. But even so, there’s no need to go out of my way to sell it here.
Although their prices might be higher than the Thieves Guild, their prices were still lower than the market value after all.
「Also, one more thing. Although I am still a small figure in these slums, I am running a store you see」(Shadow)
“A store?” I answered back.
「Yes. The goods we purchase are primarily sold and distributed right away, but items that I am particularly fond of are being held on display at personal store. If you would like, please pay us a visit」(Shadow)
Shadow then told us the location of his store. But he asked us to not share the location with other people.
It seems like he only tells people he likes about it.
Apparently it’s because if he didn’t keep it a secret then some idiots might show up wanting to sell their stolen goods there.
「With that, it is about time that I went to go have a look on how business is going. I am terribly sorry for stopping you. Well then, we graciously await your patronage」(Shadow)
Having said his parting words, Shadow left our sights.
Still, despite having a build that didn’t look fit for fighting, Shadow’s footwork was impressive.
His movements looked as if he was gliding across the floor as he left.
「Somehow, he seems like a very peculiar person, doesn’t he――」(Melissa)
Melissa murmured as if she had witnessed some strange creature. I also replied “He sure is” as I placed my hand on my chin.
Fumu, apart from selling him goods, I’m still a bit interested in this store of his. He might have some really unique items there. And above all else, he might have items that didn’t exist in the game.
Well, either way, it’s about time we left this place already. We ended up spending a bit too much time here.
「Alright then, we shall go now, Melissa」(Hitto)
Melissa turned her head to me, and with a smile on her face,
「Okay, Goshujin-sama」
She replied.
Boarding the wagon, we left the slums behind. On the ride out, I praised Melissa on how well she did during the battle and was so happy that her eyes started to well up.
It really was quite impressive though. It might even be possible for her to get a combat related Job, but still… I still don’t think it’s the best decision.
Or rather, the battle today made it all the more clear that it would be better if she should have more of an auxiliary Job.
Especially since her judgmental skills are high, she would be able to a.n.a.lyze and find out an opponent’s weaknesses.
That being said, before we even consider which Job to pick, it’s pointless if we don’t do something about Melissa’s status as a slave first.
For now we should go and find out how much we earned from the Nankou Gra.s.s we harvested this morning.
But first things first, we haven’t had anything to eat since yesterday. Melissa must be famished as well.
「Melissa. You’re hungry by now, right? It’s a bit past the time, but before we head to the Guild let’s stop for some lunch」(Hitto)
「No, Goshujin-sama. I believe it best for us to head towards the Adventurer’s Guild first. It would be best if we finished our errands so that we can enjoy our meal with peace of mind」(Melissa)
I see, Melissa really has it all together. In that case――
「Then, keep going until we reach the Adventurer’s Guild. Sorry about that」(Hitto)
「Oh no, please do not worry about it, Goshujin-sama. Now then, I will take us to the Guild, okay」(Melissa)
And thus, while Melissa and I discussed various other things, in order to complete our first request, we made our way to the Guild――
1.
TL Note: The original word here is [糸目]/”Itome” which means “fine line/thread”. In context, it is a word used to refer to anime/manga characters who’s eyes are so thin that they always look like slits. Think Brock from Pokemon.