Field had thought about buying more slaves.
Unfortunately, his purse had other opinions.
If someone wanted to survive inside the Death Mist, monsters weren't even the biggest problem. Just breathing required a Fog-Repelling Lamp—a magical item sold exclusively by the Church.
And naturally, it wasn't cheap.
On top of that, more than two hundred people needed food, water, and basic supplies every day.
That kind of expense could crush a small noble family.
"So? Did you manage to get the loan?" Field asked as soon as he saw his steward walking out of the Merchants' Guild.
He stepped forward quickly, but the moment he saw Kao's expression—like a rat that had been dead for three days—he already knew the answer.
"Sorry, my lord." Kao spread his hands helplessly. "Even the greediest merchants won't lend money once they hear your name."
"After all, the Northern Province is practically another word for hell. Even the royal expedition army was wiped out there. No merchant wants to throw money into a place like that."
Field frowned.
"That's strange. I only received the appointment order today. How are the merchants already this well informed?"
His plan had been simple.
Borrow a large sum of money.
If he died in the North, the debt wouldn't matter.
If he survived, repaying it would be the least of his problems.
Kao rolled his eyes.
Truth be told, he had little motivation to serve a noble who was practically walking toward his own grave.
If he hadn't accidentally discovered the Count's sister secretly meeting with a stable boy, his life might have gone very differently.
He could have become a promising steward in Golden Eagle City.
Maybe even the Count's right hand.
Or the tutor of the Count's eldest grandson.
Instead, he was now heading toward a cursed wasteland.
"Your second sister learned about your territory ahead of time," Kao said tiredly. "She warned the merchants in the city. Any goods you buy will cost ten times the normal price."
"And the merchants understood her meaning very clearly."
"They won't offer you any convenience."
Cold sweat ran down Field's back.
Luckily, he hadn't mentioned his name when buying slaves earlier.
Otherwise it definitely wouldn't have cost only fifty gold coins.
"…Wow."
"What a considerate sister I have."
The veins on Field's forehead twitched.
One by one, they were all trying to make things difficult for him.
The most frustrating part was that the previous owner of this body had lived for so many years without saving even half a copper coin.
One third of his money had been donated to the family treasury.
The other two thirds had been sent to the frontier fortress to buy weapons for fighting corrupted creatures.
The result?
Quite possibly the poorest noble in the entire kingdom.
"Forget the loan." Field waved it off. "Their short-sightedness will be their loss."
"Let's go buy some supplies."
In the end, Field spent 180 gold coins on pack horses, farming tools, food, and books needed for the expedition.
Among them were seventeen pack horses, though most of them were old or weak.
In medieval times, horses were extremely important production assets, strictly controlled by the nobility.
Getting this many at once was already difficult.
As for food, Field bought as much as he could.
Even so, the total amount would only last a modern person about half a month.
Fortunately, slaves didn't require that level of comfort.
One loaf of black bread a day was enough to keep them alive.
Two loaves—especially the kind mixed with bark and wood scraps—and some slaves might even kneel down and call you father.
With that standard, the food could last roughly thirty-five days.
More than enough.
"As for magical equipment," Field said, "we'll buy it in the border cities."
"The officers stationed there are always willing to sell things at a discount."
Just like feudal armies in ancient times.
Selling off soldiers' equipment and still collecting their pay.
Some habits apparently existed in every world.
Originally, Field had planned to recruit some talents or mercenaries at the tavern.
Unfortunately, the moment they heard the destination was Nightfall Territory, they refused without hesitation.
"That place? That's basically a death sentence."
"If I were you, I'd run to another country," one mercenary advised. "Even cockroaches would have to watch their backs there."
The words echoed in Field's mind.
He rubbed his temples, then glanced toward the beast-eared girl curled up in a wagon filled with hay.
He couldn't help feeling curious.
What exactly was special about this girl?
That night, they stayed at an inn and rested.
Early the next morning, Field had the beast-eared girl brought to him.
"What's your name?" Field asked, looking her up and down.
"Did you sleep well last night?"
The slave worth fifty silver coins stared at him blankly.
The expression made Field feel slightly amused.
"A… Ashina."
Her lips moved several times before the words finally came out.
She hadn't spoken in nearly a month.
All this time, she had simply waited in fear for whatever fate awaited her.
She never expected to have a normal conversation again.
After being thoroughly washed by the maids, the beast-eared girl looked completely different.
Her tangled fur had been cleaned and brushed smooth.
Her snow-white hair fell softly over her shoulders.
With her delicate features, she looked quiet and elegant.
Exactly the kind of mature beauty Field liked.
But the wolf ears twitching constantly—and the restless tail behind her—made it obvious how nervous she was.
The moment she finished saying her name, the green dot above her head disappeared.
In its place appeared a simple panel.
Name: Ashina
Level: Unawakened
Advancement Path: Wolf Cavalry – Chosen One
Status: Malnourished, Near Collapse
(Nutrition required!)
"…What the hell?"
Field couldn't stop himself from blurting it out.
The green dot…
was actually an unawakened Chosen One.
He stood there in stunned silence.
If the map could mark a green dot once…
there was no reason it would only mark one.
Every year on September 1st, the kingdom held Awakening Day.
All girls of the appropriate age had to be examined.
Although the chance of awakening as a Chosen One was extremely small, their value was so great that the kingdom still invested massive resources searching for them.
Field began pacing back and forth excitedly.
Then he clenched his fists.
His ability clearly had enormous potential.
Maybe…
just maybe…
he could truly establish himself in Nightfall Territory.
Seeing Field's strange behavior, Ashina misunderstood.
She thought he had come up with some new way to torment her.
Her legs trembled slightly.
Her fingers clenched and released the hem of her skirt.
She had no idea what awaited her.
In truth, after being bought by Field, she had already thought about attacking him.
Even if the slave contract killed her in retaliation—
she refused to die in humiliation.
She would bite her enemy's throat first.
But then the maids had dragged her away.
They stripped off her clothes.
Bathed her.
Scrubbed every inch of her body clean.
Since the day she was born, she had never imagined someone would help her bathe.
Even more unbelievable…
They dressed her afterward.
The fabric was soft and light.
No biting fleas.
No rough cloth scratching her skin.
"Maybe I'm being prepared as a sacrifice to some demon…" Ashina thought nervously.
"When the moment comes… I'll fight back."
"I'll make these evil humans pay!"
"No need to be afraid," Field said, lowering his voice and trying to appear gentle.
He leaned lazily against the chair, making himself look as non-threatening as possible.
"I'm not some lunatic who enjoys killing people."
"I bought you because I need people to help develop my territory."
Then he glanced at her clothes.
"Oh, right."
"Does the outfit fit?"
It was a modified maid uniform based on common servant clothing.
Servant outfits in this world were extremely conservative.
Only a small part of the calves and the hands were exposed.
Honestly, it looked more like a nun's habit.
Definitely not the kind designed for entertainment.