In the past, whenever the city turned into a ghost town due to news of war, Krais would often grumble.
"Why is it so hard to get supplies?"
Still, he benefited as much as he complained.
Isn't it only natural for things to become more expensive when they are scarce?
Compared to that time, the city was completely different now. More shops had sprung up, and merchants gathered in certain areas to sell their goods.
The areas were divided, with soldiers occasionally standing guard.
He even saw a familiar Frog. What was his name again?
"I have no intention of fighting."
The Frog, with a clear scar on his face, showed his white palm as he spoke.
Encrid sifted through his memory and recalled the name.
"…Maelrun?"
"Yeah, that's right."
He had heard that Maelrun had joined the Gilpin Guild under Krais's command.
It seemed that city life suited him well, as his cheeks had become smooth and plump.
So they said.
A healthy Frog's cheeks were shiny. That was something Luagarne once said when her cheeks had dried out in the arid climate.
"I'll be off."
After passing Maelrun, Encrid noticed that among the humans, there were also beastmen, Fairies, Dwarves, and Frogs.
Even Giants were there.
Though they were called bloodthirsty beasts, not all humans were the same, and not all Fairies were the same, just as not all Giants were alike.
Some of them pursued things other than fighting.
This one seemed to be one of them.
A Giant walked by, carrying a bundle of black cloth wrapped tightly enough to be mistaken for a club. By chance, their eyes met, and those eyes didn't seem to belong to a Giant. They reminded him of the innocent, unwavering eyes of a cow from the western regions.
"Greetings."
The moment their eyes met, the Giant greeted him and then walked over to take a seat. It was near where the peddlers had gathered.
Some of the merchants nearby looked fearful, while others seemed unfazed.
"You're late."
One of the merchants even recognized him. He had the appearance of a mercenary, though he was a peddler.
To be a successful peddler, you had to know how to fight, so there were many who were no different from mercenaries.
"I've brought something good."
The Giant responded.
From the way he casually interacted with the human merchant beside him, it seemed he wasn't new to the Border Guard.
Even the soldiers standing guard didn't say anything, which made it clear.
Curiosity piqued, Encrid approached as the Giant unfolded the cloth bundle he had been carrying on his shoulder. That cloth was his stock for trading.
Inside were large pouches that could hold an entire human, as well as chairs made from cut logs.
A Giant peddler. It wasn't a common occupation for his kind.
"Care to take a look?"
The Giant's voice was deep, like an echo from the depths of a cave.
The Giant looked at Encrid as he asked. Encrid stood there, silently nodding.
It seemed the Giant didn't know who he was.
Maybe some of the soldiers on patrol or guard duty would recognize him, but it wasn't the kind of time when you could be recognized just by your face.
Unless your gear was unique or your appearance stood out, you wouldn't be recognized right away.
Even with his black hair and blue eyes, in such a crowd, it would be hard to notice him at a glance.
"You said you brought something good."
Encrid repeated the Giant's earlier words, and the Giant untied the string at the end of a large leather pouch and began to pull out the items.
A large stone, unprocessed gemstones, and a few rolled-up pieces of leather. That was it.
What here could be considered good?
Encrid was a mercenary and a swordsman. Naturally, he had some eye for judging items, but not as much as a merchant.
It seemed like the Giant dealt in raw materials.
He wasn't skilled enough to recognize anything other than weapons or armor.
One of the rolled-up leather pieces caught his eye.
Compared to the Giant's size and hands, it wasn't very large.
The outer surface was dark brown and thick. How heavy would it be? It looked quite heavy at first glance.
"You've got a good eye, haven't you?"
The Giant spoke. His tone wasn't friendly, nor was it hostile.
He didn't seem like the type of merchant who would go out of his way to lure in customers.
"Is that so?"
Encrid turned his gaze from the leather to the Giant as he answered.
"Do you know the Black Leather Guild?"
The Giant asked in his booming voice.
How could he not?
There were a few names you would hear if you traveled across the continent.
The Shepherds of the Wilderness, the Black Leather Guild, and the Glacier Rangers were among them.
The Black Leather Guild, in particular, was known as the best hunters on the continent.
"I got this from them. I don't know what kind of leather it is, but it's tough and light."
The Giant stared straight into Encrid's eyes as he spoke. Then, holding the leather between his thumb and index finger, he finished his sentence.
"It's expensive."
The price wasn't important to Encrid. He reached out his hand, and the Giant placed the piece of leather in it.
As Encrid unrolled it, he saw that the leather was well-tanned, just as the Giant had said. It was incredibly light. It wasn't just the Giant's strength that made it feel light.
Though not as light as feathers, it was much lighter than it appeared.
There was no foul smell, and it was just wide enough to wrap around his forearm if he wrapped it around his wrist.
"Interesting."
"It's not something you see every day."
"And you're interesting too."
"Does that matter?"
"You stood out."
The Giant showed no reaction.
So what? Are you going to buy it or not?
That's all that mattered to the Giant, as a merchant.
"I'll buy it."
It was an item that caught his interest. He already had an idea of how to use it in his mind.
So, he would take it.
It wasn't like he lacked the money for it.
"Twelve gold coins."
It was an excessive price. It was also oddly precise.
Why twelve coins? Ten would have been a round number.
The leather was just long enough to wrap around his hand and forearm, but it was extremely expensive for its size.
For Audin's arm, it might barely wrap around his fist.
"Fine."
Encrid didn't haggle. He saw no reason to.
However, there was a problem.
Encrid briefly searched his waist and pockets. He realized that he hadn't brought any money with him.
-Don't people usually call you a bit lacking?
Aker, the sword, hummed with amusement.
Wasn't it said that when a sword's ego awakens, it disperses within a month?
Why did this one take a whole month?
Encrid, mulling over such thoughts, continued to search his body. Of course, there was no money to be found.
As he fumbled through his clothes with no sound of coins, the Giant's eyes narrowed.
Was this guy a thief?
He had a sword, so maybe a robber?
It was laughable.
This was the Border Guard. If you were caught stealing, your wrist would be cut off, and it wasn't the kind of place where you would encounter robbers.
In this city, if you tried any tricks in the back alleys, you'd be met by Frogs, and the soldiers didn't accept a single bribe.
Well, maybe a few coins for grease, to keep things running smoothly, but it wasn't a city where bribery was rampant.
The Giant crossed his arms. There were two soldiers nearby.
Should he call them?
The Giant hesitated for a moment but decided to give him a chance.
"If you don't have the money, then get lost."
"…I'm friends with Leona."
Encrid quietly said. It was true. Twelve gold coins were no big deal. He could bring them soon.
He would have done so if it weren't for the greedy peddler who butted in at that moment.
"I'll buy it. Seven and a half gold coins."
This bastard?
Encrid was a little angry. Couldn't he see that he was about to buy it?
Suppressing his willpower, which could be seen as threatening, Encrid glared at the peddler. The peddler met his gaze with a raised chin.
"What?"
What are you going to do?
The excellent security of the Border Guard made it a haven for merchants.
It was the kind of place where scammers, robbers, and pickpockets had a hard time making a living.
The Gilpin Guild, which operated illegally, took it upon themselves to act as the night's watchmen and protectors, and the Border Guard Reserve didn't take a single silver coin to take anyone's side. In short, they were doing their job well.
Of course, it took a lot of work to get to this point, but the current atmosphere had been established.
"I'll be back soon. Just wait for a bit…"
Encrid said. It wasn't very dignified, but there was no other choice.
"Hey, if you don't have the money, just step back. I'm busy here."
The peddler with the greedy cheeks cut off Encrid's words.
Encrid's hand twitched. The peddler's face resembled that of a toad, reminding him of Krais's tone.
It was tolerable when Krais said it, but coming from this toad-faced man full of greed, it made Encrid want to kill him.
Looks aren't everything, but they do influence things, don't they?
Encrid suppressed his anger. This wasn't something to get angry about.
"And you say you're friends with Rockfreed's people? Ha, then I'm General Encrid's uncle."
Should I kill him? Wouldn't it be fine to kill him? Can't a General kill a bastard like this?
As the atmosphere grew tense, two soldiers approached. They didn't know Encrid's face.
"If you fight, you'll both be held accountable, and that won't end well for either of you."
"Just so you know, the Lord of the Border Guard doesn't take sides."
Fairness is cold.
That was the phrase inscribed on the courthouse of the Border Guard. It was a warning not to let things get to that point.
It was Krais who had established this atmosphere.
A trial required manpower, and sometimes he had to step in personally.
He couldn't just let people suffer injustice, but if a minor matter was brought to the city's higher authorities, they would demand a hefty tax in return.
That way, only those truly wronged would come forward.
And anyone attempting to misuse their power would be eliminated.
If someone truly wronged came, their tax would even be reduced.
There had been a lot of complaints initially, but now it had become a well-established rule, one that even the merchants were familiar with.
Encrid, however, wasn't well-versed in it.
'They'll take my side, right?'
After all, he was the one who stood above the Lord.
But if he revealed that here…
Wouldn't it damage his honor?
-Hey, revealing your identity here would be like biting me and jumping off a cliff.
Aker, the sentient sword, offered his advice.
Encrid resolved to throw this sword off a cliff instead of repairing it.
It was already losing its edge, and the sword itself was becoming a useless piece of metal.
-Don't entertain such thoughts. Let me enjoy my last month.
Ignoring the ego sword's words, Encrid looked at the Giant.
He tried to communicate with his eyes. Look, this is trust. This is the look of belief.
"What?"
"…Never mind."
The Giant turned his gaze to the toad-faced merchant and spoke.
"And I'm not selling to you either."
"What? Twelve gold coins for that leather is already a rip-off!"
The merchant was furious at the Giant's words, but to Encrid, it seemed like an act. It was a ploy to gain the upper hand in the negotiation.
The Giant didn't seem to realize this, yet still shook his head.
"I'm not selling."
"Aren't you affiliated with Rockfreed?"
"So what?"
"I've been trading with Rockfreed for years. This could become a problem later."
Now it was a threat?
The soldiers seemed to consider this still part of the negotiation, as they stepped back.
Encrid remained a silent observer. His position was ambiguous. If he stepped in now, he might be mistaken for a robber.
After all, without the money, how else could he solve the problem but through force?
"I don't care."
The Giant was unfazed by the threat.
"You bastard."
The merchant fumed, but there was no show of force. The two soldiers were still watching closely.
Even without them, picking a fight with a Giant would only lead to his own loss.
And what could he do if the Giant refused to sell?
The toad-faced merchant, fuming, muttered under his breath and stormed off.
"Is that really okay?"
Encrid asked the Giant.
"What's the problem? I'm with Rockfreed, but I'm free to buy and sell as I please."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I sell good goods at the price I set. That's how I conduct my business."
Though his attempt at building trust with his gaze failed, Encrid liked both the leather and the Giant.
Especially the Giant's trading principles and the way his eyes lit up when he spoke about good goods.
This Giant found goods and sold them. Was the process, the reality, easy? Simple? Smooth?
'Of course not.'
Yet here the Giant peddler was, standing strong.
"Do you have a dream?"
Encrid asked.
"What's it to you?"
The Giant's attitude remained the same.
And Encrid liked that too. It seemed he would have to go get some money after all.
Where was Krais? No, he could just go to Graham and get it.
As he turned to leave, a familiar face approached and asked,
"What are you buying?"
It was someone who had been too busy to be seen since the morning.
"The Black Flower."
Someone muttered. Though her robe didn't part at the front, this time, the skirt she wore was slit at the side.
Her white legs were fully exposed.
A few people, both men and women, couldn't help but stare.
Her legs were captivating enough to catch anyone's attention.
"Don't gouge out eyes just for staring."
Encrid said.
"Why would I gouge out eyes? Are you feeling okay?"
Esther blinked as she responded.
Given what had happened before, Encrid felt unjustly wronged but decided to let it go.
It seemed like today was a day where everything was going against him.
"How much was it? I'll pay for it."
Encrid found the situation a bit awkward. The fact that Esther, who could be mistaken for a witch or a sage living deep in the mountains, was handing over the gold while he just stood there watching.
She carefully counted the coins and handed them over.
"It's a good deal."
The Giant finally smiled. He smiled at Esther, handed over the leather, and Esther gave the leather to Encrid, saying,
"It's a gift. I'm busy, so…"
It was a chance encounter. Esther was about to leave in a hurry.
"Black Flower, my love!"
Then, out of nowhere, a well-dressed man appeared and made a show of proposing to Esther.
He suddenly knelt before her and handed her a bouquet of flowers.
Esther looked at the man.
Encrid mentally prepared himself to protect the man's eyes if things went south.
And then Esther said,
"I'll think about it."
With that, she strode off.
"Aren't you going to leave? You're in the way of my business."
The Giant peddler spoke as Encrid stood there dumbfounded, watching the scene.
Encrid also started walking.
He was heading for the forge, his original destination.
All the while, he kept thinking that today was a strange day.
That feeling persisted even when he arrived at the forge.
It felt like he had seen a lot of unusual sights today.
Or maybe this was normal?
Perhaps it was because merchants and craftsmen were gathered, leading to such strange occurrences.
At the forge, a human, a Dwarf, and a Frog were sitting together.
Among them, the human craftsman recognized Encrid's face.
He was a craftsman sent from the Royal Palace by Krang some time ago.
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