Rayven continued to search everyone, even the items in the carriage, with growing frustration. Well, no gold coins were found!
Just thirty-five silver and eighty copper.
Rayven sighed.
'So much for a reward.'
Still, he wasn't cruel. He turned to Farah, who was watching him cautiously.
"Here," he said, handing her ten silver coins and fifty copper coins. "Use this to start over."
Farah's eyes widened. "Are you sure? Lord Mage?"
She asked softly. After all, she was already 18 while Rayven was only 14 years old. It didn't seem like it was appropriate to take money from him, even if he was a mage.
However, Rayven urged her.
"It's yours… and you don't have to call me Lord Mage."
Farah no longer hesitated as she clutched the coins tightly and tears welling in her eyes. "Thank you… You don't know how much this means."
Rayven then recalled that most families only needed to earn three or four silver coins a month just to survive.
Now, he couldn't help but wonder how much Gerald and the others planned to sell Farah to the merchant.
"Forty-five silver…" Farah suddenly said as if she could read Rayven's mind.
"What? Ahh… They were going to sell you for just forty-five silver coins?"
Farah nodded bitterly. "That's all I was worth to them."
Rayven didn't reply. He just stared at the remaining coins in his hand.
'Right… I remember now.'
From the memories he could recall, copper coins were the most common currency, used for daily purchases like food, tools, and basic services.
A hundred copper coins made a single silver coin. And a hundred silver coins made one gold coin.
Gold coins were rare in villages like this. Since Farah seemed weak and could only do some odd jobs, it was indeed not surprising that she wasn't worth a lot.
For now, Rayven pocketed the remaining coins and led the bound slave traders into Dollen Village.
The guards at the entrance looked surprised as he brought the carriage, dragging four unconscious and restrained criminals behind him.
"What's this?" one of them asked, stepping forward.
"Illegal slave traders," Rayven said. "We found ledgers, the sedative they're using to capture people, and a victim. They tried to sell her."
As he said this, he gestured to Farah.
"This…" The guards exchanged glances as they swiftly inspected the documents and the bruised captive. Then, they also tried to check the carriage and found no trading permit…
It didn't take long to confirm the truth.
"None of them have permits from the Royal Trade Bureau." one of the guards muttered. "They're not registered. This is illegal."
Rayven paused for a moment as he repeated the name. "Royal Trade Bureau?"
The guard nodded. "It's the institution that oversees sanctioned slave trading. Without their seal, it's a crime. Normally, they'd be showing off those seals, but since it can't be found, they're most likely illegal, as you say."
Rayven waited, hoping for a bounty reward, but the guards shook their heads.
"Unfortunately, none of these four had bounties on their heads. Sorry, traveler."
Rayven shrugged. "It's fine."
He then informed them about the merchant that the traders were supposed to meet. "They mentioned someone waiting here to buy her. Might be worth investigating."
The guards perked up as they'd earn a bonus if they really found the merchant helping illegal slave traders…
"We'll look into it. Thanks for the tip."
Farah stood quietly beside Rayven, clutching her coins. But as the guards led the criminals away, her expression stiffened.
"I… I can't go back," she whispered. "I don't have a job anymore. My village won't take me in."
Rayven frowned. That reasoning seemed flawed, but he had no time to question or verify it…
Before he could speak, an older man with a kind face approached, having overheard the conversation.
"I'm the Village Chief, and I also heard your conversation with the guards… Since she's a victim of those criminals, she can stay here," he said gently. "We'll find her work. Dollen Village takes care of its own."
Farah's eyes filled with tears again. "Thank you…"
Rayven gave her a small nod, then turned away. He had done what he could.
***
As Rayven entered the village, he first purchased two sets of clothes worth 12 copper coins each. This includes a shirt, trousers, and underclothes.
'Finally…' Rayven felt happy seeing those clean clothes.
He needed to change his attire as he already felt uncomfortable with his coarse underwear.
Now, he just needed to take a bath before wearing them.
Thankfully, he was able to rent a room at the local inn. Furthermore, they also had a well at the back so he could fetch some water.
The cost was fifteen copper coins per night. It was steep by village standards, but it included breakfast. Well, there may not be a lot of travelers around this area, so they probably need to earn a lot.
After taking care of himself, Rayven felt extremely tired as he finally fell asleep.
The next morning, Rayven ate his simple breakfast. Hard-boiled egg, barley porridge with a drizzle of honey, and a herbal tea from the local herbs.
It wasn't as bad as he thought…
Then, he began preparing for his journey to Hesa City.
After all, if he wanted to purchase more spells or skills from the system, he needed the help of his family. He simply couldn't think of a better way to earn gold coins effectively...
He now owned the carriage and horses that had belonged to the slave traders. Because of that, he wouldn't have to walk.
Still, he would have to purchase food, water, and basic supplies.
Traveling alone, however, would be risky. Bandits, beasts, and unpredictable terrain made solo travel dangerous.
So he asked around the village, hoping to hire someone to escort him to the city.