Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 21

After leaving the smithy, I checked on the livestock and crops being raised in Turan.

I bought what I could and took it with me.

“It seems we’re short on funds.”

“This is enough. We can receive the rest as tribute.”

“Tribute, you say?”

“Didn’t I make that simpleton a Count and forgive him?”

Count Jeremy Doran was mistaken in believing he was chosen by the Elves.

He also mistakenly believed that his older brother, Count John Doran, was punished for invading the Elves’ land.

I intended to use the goods needed for the frontier as compensation for that.

“Even if it’s not compensation, other races often demand tribute without payment. The Count probably knows this already.”

“You’re not just planting a flag, but you’re planning to take everything.”

I let out a hollow laugh.

“No. I have to do it moderately. If the tribute is too much, they’ll have to exploit the people to fulfill it. This land will be mine someday, so what’s the point if it becomes more desolate? It’s better to receive moderately and buy what’s lacking from the surrounding areas.”

From the beginning, that was the role I envisioned for Turan.

A hub mediating trade between the Great Plains and the inland.

‘The necessary goods can be supplied by developing gold mines in the Gray Mountains.’

If I could trade with the inland through Turan using those resources,

‘The development of the territory will make tremendous progress from then on.’

However, there were things that couldn’t be found even inland.

‘Still no potatoes or turnips. Do I have to venture over the Great Plains?’

I returned to the inn, suppressing my disappointment.

The inn had a sign with a fox face painted on it, with a tavern on the first floor and rooms on the second.

It was sunset, so the first floor was quite crowded with customers and filled with the smell of alcohol.

I took a seat in the middle and eavesdropped on the customers’ conversations while having a simple meal.

“I heard the lord died.”

A drunk man said with slurred pronunciation.

“They say he went into the plains and incurred the wrath of the fairy.”

“What? What an idiot!”

He banged the table with his glass and screamed.

No one cared because there were drunk people shouting everywhere.

“Who’s the moron who doesn’t know the plains are the land of the fairies!”

“I know, right? He’s lucky he was forgiven. Otherwise, who knows if the fairies would have come all the way here.”

The man drinking heavily grabbed his neck and trembled.

“What happened anyway?”

“I don’t know! I heard a new lord blessed by the fairy appeared in the plains. When our lord ignored that and invaded, the fairy killed him.”

“Heh heh… Blessed by the fairy? That’s ridiculous.”

“But the situation shows it’s true. You know? The lord took all the knights with him. How many of them came back?”

“Hmm…”

They weren’t the only ones telling this story.

The customers at the tables repeated the same story as if they had agreed upon it.

Commoners cursing the former lord while drunk, a scene that seemed both nonsensical and sensible.

Even nobles get cursed by commoners if they insult a god.

The rumor that John Doran invaded the land of the fairies, that is, the Elves, was the same.

To them, Elves, and by extension, other races, were superior beings like gods.

They curse the foolish master who insulted the superior beings and worry that the anger will not spill over to them.

‘Humans, Elves, Dwarves… just the same animals.’

I felt bitter at the slave mentality that had permeated their bones.

“The rumors are spreading fast. It seems to be going according to plan.”

“Yes, it looks like it’s going well, seeing how things are turning out.”

Griff split the hard bread the servant brought in half and dipped it in the soup.

“I don’t like the talk about the fairy’s blessing.”

“We’re using the reputation. There’s only loss for them.”

“If that prince finds out, his expression will be quite a sight to see?”

I smirked.

Raeragon hears that I’m under the protection of the Elves?

How would that guy, who was humiliated by me and is gritting his teeth wanting to kill me, react?

‘Edar-nim.’

At that moment, Gerhard’s thought reached me.

The inner castle, where the tavern and the lord’s residence were located, was not far away.

‘What’s going on?’

‘A merchant named Pinto has come to see me.’

‘Pinto?’

I ordered Griff.

“Send a familiar [a magical creature or spirit bound to a witch or wizard] to Gerhard, right now.”

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“Damn it…”

Pinto walked down the hallway, grinding his teeth.

He had just finished talking with Count Doran.

“Everything’s gone wrong, really wrong.”

He muttered to himself, biting his nails.

He had been staying at the lord’s residence and enjoying himself while John Doran was on the expedition.

He thought it was good that things were moving so quickly when he heard that the Count had returned, but the truth was that John Doran and his vassals were all dead, and only his simpleton brother had returned alive.

“Why are the Elves doing that…?”

He scratched his head with the nails he had been biting.

His skin was scratched, but he didn’t care.

His head was too preoccupied to feel the pain.

The twisted business deals and the resulting losses.

The size of the loss was manageable, but not his pride.

He had never suffered even a fingernail’s worth of loss in his life, so the wound to his pride was too great.

“It’s not over yet. There’s still a chance.”

He tried to talk to the simpleton who had become the Count, but failed.

The simpleton was too simple to understand anything to continue the conversation.

He had no idea about the secret contract between his brother John and Pinto.

‘It doesn’t seem like it would help to tell him now.’

Instead, he decided to meet the man who had returned with the simpleton.

The only surviving stranger who accompanied the simpleton.

He had never seen him, but the servants said, ‘The simpleton relies heavily on him.’

Pinto’s intuition told him that this stranger had some kind of influence over the simpleton.

“Pinto Ramirez, at your service.”

As soon as he entered the reception room, he bowed politely with a soft smile.

It was such a courteous act that anyone who knew him would be surprised.

However, Gerhard, as the Count had called him, was sitting casually.

Without even returning the greeting, he gestured towards a chair.

Pinto unconsciously twitched one eyebrow but quickly hid it.

‘Considering the value of the business, I can put up with this much.’

“I’m so glad to meet you…”

“Wait a moment.”

As he was about to finish his greeting, a kite [a type of bird, likely a trained falcon or hawk] flew in through the open window.

The kite naturally landed on Gerhard’s shoulder.

Gerhard glanced at the kite and didn’t react much.

“Do you raise birds?”

“Maybe.”

Pinto was furious at the ambiguous and impolite way of speaking.

‘Some nobody whose origins are unknown.’

Suppressing the anger that had risen to his chin, he put on a thicker smile.

While he was struggling to control his expression, the kite shifted from Gerhard’s shoulder and stared at him.

It didn’t look around or chirp.

It only looked straight ahead, and Pinto was sitting there.

Pinto felt that the kite’s eyes were like those of a human.

“Hmm.”

Gerhard ran his hand over his neck.

He cleared his throat and straightened his posture.

Only his sitting posture had changed, but the atmosphere had shifted.

It was as if the person had changed; there was a sense of weight.

“Let’s get started. Slave trader Pinto.”

Twitch.

“Do you know me?”

“I know you well. Aren’t you the human who sold the most of his own kind in history?”

Pinto’s smile hardened.

Selling humans was not a big secret.

Human trafficking was done quietly on the surface, but it was a fairly large and common business.

However, there was a barb in Gerhard’s words, and the tone was also sharp.

“Do you have anything to say?”

‘He’s acting like a judge in front of a criminal.’

Pinto smiled again and faced Gerhard.

For some reason, Gerhard’s gaze, which was meeting his, gave him the illusion of seeing someone else.

“You’re more emotional than I thought?”

“Does it seem like that?”

“Ah. I apologize if it sounded rude. But to me, it sounds like you consider my actions unfair.”

Gerhard chuckled.

“Do you eat meat?”

“I do.”

“Have you ever bought and sold horses or pigs?”

Gerhard nodded.

“What’s the difference between selling humans and selling dogs or pigs? I’m a merchant. I sell anything I can sell, whatever it is.”

More actively.

I sold them because I could sell them – humans.

Saying that, Pinto smiled without pretense.

“Indeed.”

Gerhard continued indifferently.

“Do you feel rewarded for that?”

“Rewarded? I don’t know. I guess so when my pockets get fat.”

Pinto crossed his legs while sitting in the chair.

“I know what you’re asking. Whether I have a conscience. I hear this question often. Not only me, but anyone who sells the same things. Aren’t you sorry? Do you think it’s right…? To put it bluntly, I don’t know. All I care about is whether I can sell it or not.”

He made a circle by gathering his index finger and thumb.

“Humans are sold to other races because they are weak. Isn’t it the law of nature that the strong eat the weak? It’s the same with relations between countries. Small countries that are weaker than neighboring countries are conquered. It’s the same with humans. The race is inferior, so they became slaves.”

“Are you different?”

“I’m different. Although my body is human, my spirit is different.”

Pinto, who tapped his head with his index finger, took out a necklace from his collar.

It was a metal craft with a purple hue subtly blending with silver.

“Do you know what this is?”

“It’s made of Orichalcum [a legendary metal mentioned in several ancient writings].”

“Yes. I received it as a gift.”

Pinto shrugged, saying it was a gift of friendship.

He raised his head higher than before and showed confidence.

That’s because Orichalcum was a rare metal.

It was one of the metals that even other races couldn’t get enough of.

Humans couldn’t even handle it because they didn’t even have the refining technology.

The fact that the pattern was engraved so delicately meant that it had been touched by another race.

How valuable were the items made by other races to humans?

Receiving this as a gift also meant that he had a deep relationship with them.

“As you can see from this gift, I have been recognized by that person as different from inferior humans. You could say it’s an honorary qualification?”

“You look happy. Was that gift specially made for you?”

“Of course. It’s a gift made only for my friendship. Can you see it? The inscription here is written in ancient language with my name and blessings.”

Gerhard looked at the necklace, bared his teeth, and laughed lowly.

“‘To Sanrisiga Reminera, congratulations on your birth.'”

“…?”

Pinto blinked.

“That’s the meaning of the ancient language engraved on the necklace.”

“What…?”

“Is your friend’s name Sanrisiga or Reminera?”

Only then did Pinto understand the meaning and widened his eyes.

He turned the necklace he had given to Gerhard over and looked at the ancient language.

He tried to read the letters, but he couldn’t read them because he didn’t know the ancient language, so he just glared at them.

People who knew the ancient language were rare even among other races.

“And just in case, let me ask you, was your son born from an egg?”

Pinto sent his gaze from the necklace to Gerhard, wondering what he was talking about again.

“The pattern on the back is Naga’s [a mythical race of serpent people]. Nagas are born from eggs.”

Gerhard left a remark that it was interesting and laughed insipidly.

Heat rose from below Pinto’s neck and reddened his forehead in an instant.

The word ‘lie’ surfaced from within with the heat and stopped at his throat.

Gerhard’s attitude was too natural to see it as a lie.

“…I didn’t know you were versed in ancient languages.”

“I pride myself on knowing it better than your friend.”

“You wouldn’t know that person.”

“Wouldn’t I?”

Ugdash.

Gerhard said quietly as if letting it flow.

The name of the Orc who gave Pinto a gift from beyond the Great Plains.

Pinto believed that he was the only human who knew that name.

His body trembled, and he opened his mouth because that belief was shattered.

“How do you know that name?”

“Maybe.”

“…I heard that you also serve someone. Did you hear it from that person?”

Gerhard didn’t answer.

He closed his mouth and just looked at Pinto.

Pinto was horrified because he felt that his gaze knew everything he was hiding.

“I’m sorry.”

He shrank his neck and gave an awkward smile.

“I thought that even if you and I followed different people, we could go the same way.”

Gerhard muttered the same way, and Pinto nodded.

“Yes. A partnership.”

He took out a scroll from his arms and spread it on the table.

The scroll was a map of the entire Great Plains.

Among them, the Gray Mountains were focused on, and various symbols were drawn.

“The estimated amount of reserves throughout the Gray Mountains.”

Pinto pointed his finger to the lower right of the map.

The place where his finger touched was above the village written as Olympus.

Olympus was near the beginning of the Gray Mountains, and there was a mine symbol.

“It’s a treasure that Count Doran would have obtained if he had done a good job.”

“Did you tell him this?”

“It was a good offer for each other.”

“And now you’re offering it to me.”

Pinto rubbed his hands gently and gave a soft smile.

“I’m a merchant. I don’t have military power or territory, and all I have is money. Imagine me eating delicious things alone. Would it look good?”

“So?”

The words were short but contained a lot.

The reason for proposing to Gerhard, not Olympus,

How to mine after obtaining the gold mine,

What is the reward if the work is successful?

“Aren’t you and Edar-nim, the lord of Olympus, serving the same person? Then, no matter who you propose to, you will convey it to the same person.”

Gerhard chuckled softly.

“And someone else will be in charge of mining. In fact, there is another owner of this mountain range. They have already finished preparing and are waiting. We are trading with that person.”

“Trading, but I have nothing to sell.”

“No. You have a lot. Count John Doran accepted quite a few defectors.”

“Selling humans to buy gold, is that what you mean?”

As his voice became heavy, Pinto spread his palms and shook them.

“In the old days, you sold ten humans to buy one iron sword, right?”

“I did.”

“Now is a better world than then. It’s not an iron sword, it’s gold, and the exchange rate is good. Turan supplies humans, Olympus receives brokerage fees, how about it?”

Gerhard answered Pinto, who was excited and pouring out words as if he had gold in front of him.

It was an answer without a moment’s hesitation.

“No. I won’t do it.”

Stunned.

Pinto’s smile hardened.

“Do you know how big of a profit this is?”

“I know.”

Pinto let out a long sigh.

He leaned his upper body forward and spoke gently as if persuading him.

“No. You don’t know. Count John Doran received twice the money from me that he could earn from the sheep he raised outside. Every year. He promised to give me three times that if the business was successful.”

He put emphasis on the word ‘three times’.

However, when Gerhard didn’t move, he narrowed his eyes.

“Is it because of that damn morality?”

“No.”

Pinto shook his head, leaned back on the backrest, and looked at Gerhard.

“Sir, think again…”

“Didn’t you say it? That it’s sold because it’s weak. Then I’ll speak as the strong. There will be no more humans sold as slaves in my land.”

“……”

Pinto frowned at Gerhard’s declaration.

He opened and closed his mouth several times to say something.

He nervously kicked his seat and stood up.

“You’ll regret it.”

And as he turned his back to leave the reception room, Gerhard said.

“Let me give you some advice.”

Suddenly, the atmosphere and tone in his voice changed.

The strange awkwardness as if reading from a script felt gone.

However, Pinto did not notice this because his emotions were boiling.

“If you go to Olympus, don’t even talk about selling humans.”

“Do you think I’ll accept that?”

Gerhard smiled.

Pinto read ridicule in that expression and left the reception room.

He bit his lip and suppressed his anger as he walked down the hallway.

‘Damn it! I can just get humans myself. As long as there’s a lord in Olympus, Turan doesn’t even need to be involved in this business. I was nice to him because I was thinking of his master, but he comes out like this?’

Pinto thought of the lord of Olympus in his head.

He had never met him, just like Gerhard, but it didn’t matter.

Gold mines, even reserves throughout the mountain range.

There was no innocent person in this world who could just drool over that.

Would there be two guys like Gerhard who are servants of other races and are bound by compassion?

‘Even if he’s the same guy, I can just ask Ugdash. No matter how much he hates it, it’s over if his master likes it.’

Gerhard and the lord of Olympus, I don’t know who the backers of the two guys are, but they must be other races.

Other races never judge by considering humans.

Pinto was confident.

He could make an offer that their master couldn’t refuse.

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