Chapter 137

Chapter 137

***

There is a saying that human history is the process of God's will unfolding.

However, human history repeated prosperity and downfall, tragedy and comedy, corpses forming mountains and blood flowing becoming rivers.

Could God's will truly dwell within that endlessly turning cycle of destruction and despair?

The capital of the Tyzis Sultanate, Tyzis, had traces of that repeating history left in various places.

When the Ancient Empire was once city-states, this place was where the faction that had been their arch-nemesis settled down.

But they fell before the Empire, and after long years passed they were destroyed by barbarians, and those settled barbarians also weakened before the flow of time and were occupied, and as time passed again it was a land conquered by the Salaman people.

Several civilizations bloomed and withered, and each time destruction and looting occurred, and it was a land where people believing in different Gods had lived.

In the natural harbor, huge Vikings with bushy beards were wandering around. Here, they seemed to be called Varangians.

Unlike the Nords who settled in the Empire and assimilated, these ones came all the way here by ship from the far north.

They were both mercenaries and merchants. They were sometimes hired by the Sultan, and also hired by Imperial lords.

Of course, there were also Nords who settled down and lived there.

Naturally, there were many merchants who crossed over from the southern part of the Empire too. While it was originally the land of the Salaman people, they were not under the influence of the Caliph, who could be said to be their religious leader and Emperor.

However, the majority of the population were mixed bloods. People called Tyzistans, and the Sultan of Tyzis was also a Tyzistan and not a Salaman.

The Tyzistans had features similar to Frankens but their skin was copper-toned. And somehow, they were all exclusively handsome men and beautiful women.

The men were healthy and had intense gazes, while the women had voluptuous figures and striking facial features.

Rickart wasn't here for sightseeing, nevertheless his gaze was inevitably stolen here and there. In the meantime, he also began to have doubts. Why don't they fight?

When their appearances are different, cultures are different, and even the Gods they believe in are different, it would normally be plausible for them to fight.

"It is money. Any human harbors desires. That desire, money, is what bestows peace upon them and balances them. If it yields profit they hold hands even if believing in different Gods, and if it causes harm they are enemies even if believing in the same God."

As he looked around the market near the harbor, Hashim said, as if reading Rickart's thoughts.

"What about honor?"

"Here, wealth is exactly honor."

"......It's good that it's recognizable at a glance."

Things like loyalty, courage, and faith were not visible to the eyes. Conversely, money was clearly visible. In other words, if one walked around draped in expensive clothes or good equipment, that precisely made an honorable person. Here anyway.

However, it wasn't that simple. Being wealthy and able to show off meant they possessed a corresponding martial prowess, and that their social reputation was also good.

Of course, that social reputation didn't merely mean being a good-natured person. It comprehensively meant being ruthless when it's time to be ruthless, keeping faith when it's time to keep faith, and being generous and gutsy.

It was just that all of that converged on money, not that they expressed respect evaluating only the genuine money itself. To begin with, such a person couldn't amass much money here.

Right now, Rickart intended to go to a middleman and dispose of the goods left over from trading with the Azure Tribe. It was mostly silk and spices.

Although prices would skyrocket through the roof the further inland he brought them, Rickart himself wasn't a merchant and needed to lessen his load, so he intended to dispose of them here.

The merchant he decided to trade with coincidentally belonged to the Benicio Merchant Guild. Barbara, who had let Rickart board his ship, was of the Benicio Merchant Guild.

Things went awry midway because they encountered pirates but it wasn't like he became enemies with these people, so he intended to trade.

The merchant was a man of good build wearing loose-fitting silk clothes. Perhaps because wealth was honor here, he was draped clinking with rings and necklaces.

With rough and thick hands, he unfolded the silk to examine it, and carefully smelled the spices one by one and tasted them slightly.

Then he tilted his head and asked Rickart.

"Where did you bring these goods from?"

"The silk was a gift received from the Sultan of Mayub, and the spices were obtained through a trade with the Azure Tribe."

Then finding it hard to believe readily, the merchant's face frowned slightly. Clicking his tongue as if brushing something off on his own, he said.

"Regardless, the silk and spices are all of the finest quality. I will speak honestly. We cannot pay the price with the money we currently have."

Are they that expensive? More importantly, Rickart thought he was an extremely honest merchant to state it verbatim.

However, the merchant spoke honestly to Rickart due to one misunderstanding. Due to nothing else but his blond hair and the Viking bracelet he wore on his arm.

Rickart's appearance was too neat for a Viking, but since the Viking bracelet was given when a father acknowledged his son as a warrior, the Vikings never took off their bracelets for life and treated them like their lives. Therefore, it wasn't something just anyone could wear.

And if you lied to a Viking or a Nord, there was one thing you could definitely guarantee. That was that they would chase you to the end of the world, pull out your tongue, and split your head with an axe.

The merchant speaking honestly originated from a misunderstanding, but was based on clear grounds in its own way.

"Is there a bigger merchant who could pay the price?"

Rickart asked.

"There probably aren't any. Unless it is the Sultan. But as you probably know, trading with people in power is not very beneficial. It's not clean. So how about just selling a portion? Controlling the moisture for spices won't be easy while crossing the sea."

At the merchant's recommendation, Rickart quietly thought before answering.

"Then let us do this. I will sell all the silk and spices, so craft me a surcoat, armor, a couple of jousting lances, and horse gear. I have a breastplate so the shoulder, arm, lower body, and shin guards I mean. Then I will receive the value minus the cost of that."

The merchant carefully inspected Rickart from top to bottom. Covered by silk, but the slightly protruding Emperor's armor shone with a golden light catching the sunlight.

Because people who unusually loved showing off sometimes plated their armor with gold, that was nothing very surprising.

However, only that the armor style was an ancient one, which was just a bit fascinating. Someone doing a theatrical play perhaps? The merchant thought so.

Of course, a person doing a play wouldn't receive gifts from the Sultan of Mayub, cross that boiling desert, and meet the Azure Tribe though.

"That is not difficult. The best Nord artisan belongs to our merchant guild. Let's write up a contract then."

The merchant brought out parchment from inside the shop. And wrote up a contract on the spot.

It contained contents such as transferring the goods, paying an intermediate payment, crafting the armor, and paying the remainder to finalize the contract. And it included oaths about fulfilling the contract in the name of God, Emperor, and the Empire, and what would happen if violated.

By the way, as Rickart signed, seeing it the merchant tilted his head once again. Because his handwriting in the Imperial language was incredibly elegant for a Viking or a Nord. My, my, how strange.

Anyway, perhaps because they wrote a contract, the wariness between them softened a notch. So the merchant asked with a light heart while putting away the contract.

"By the way, are you a mercenary, or a merchant? Do you have an affiliation? Like the Black Tooth Troupe or something."

Rickart shook his head.

"I am neither a mercenary nor a merchant. I am merely a traveler. This here is my friend Hashim, and we are on our way together to Sinatria."

"There? It would be better not to go there right now."

"Why is that?"

"Due to the Flame Knights. Bickering with the Sultans on that side has been a given since ancient times, but lately it's somewhat bloody. Massacring at village levels is common, and they say they occupied a city called Dostia and killed everyone inside. Everyone entirely, children, women, the elderly alike. I heard blood rose to their ankles?"

"......"

At the unexpected news, Rickart was slightly shocked. Not knowing Rickart was in such a state, the merchant kept blathering on.

"Is it because the Emperor completely robbed their branches...... Not just the Emperor actually. Wherever there are branches of the knighthood, the kings of those regions are robbing them all. Calling them followers of demons. So whether they're doing this to redeem that dishonor, or because they are pressed for money...... How would I know. Anyway, it shows no sign of calming down easily."

"......"

When Rickart kept keeping silent, the merchant rolled his eyes wondering if he made a slip of the tongue.

Nothing he said was a mistake. Only, Rickart's heart was merely heavy regarding innocent people dying off.

Whether knowing that feeling, Hashim put his hand on Rickart's shoulder.

"What is the fastest way to get to Sinatria?"

Rickart asked.

"As expected, taking a ship is the fastest naturally. It doesn't even take a day. If fast, half a day? It could be even faster than that. If getting to Sinatria rather than a specific city is the goal, you could get off anywhere, no?"

"What about over land?"

"If you keep going west there's the 'End of the World'. There's a very narrow strait going north and south, getting there will take two or three days even taking a horse."

Rickart looked back at Hashim. Mostly because taking a ship didn't appeal to him. However, his heart was pointlessly urging him now.

"Are pirates somewhat fewer here?"

Hashim asked. Then the merchant burst into a chuckle as if the question was truly absurd, and couldn't stop for a while.

"Hahahaha...... This place is exactly the pirate stronghold. Who would punish what happens at sea? There's no way to know either. Only, wouldn't a ship flying the Sultan's flag be a bit safer? Or...... perhaps a Viking's ship. Which crazy bastard would mess with Vikings at sea?"

"......Understood. Thank you for the information."

"Information of this degree is no trouble. Follow me then. I will introduce you to a blacksmith."

Rickart and Hashim followed the merchant. Getting away from the harbor and walking alongside a large lake, the lake where sunlight shattered upon it was truly beautiful. A few fishing boats floated around too.

The smithy wasn't far away from the merchant's shop, and there were many other workshops here besides the smithy. It was a kind of complex industrial estate operated by the Benicio Merchant Guild.

The Benicio Merchant Guild didn't monopolize production and distribution of specific items professionally, but handled almost all goods used by humans. Even with some degree of qualitative facet to boot.

Because there was nothing as lucrative as war, and whenever war happened anywhere they would supply goods there and earn money.

Compared to them, the Ehrenberg Merchant Guild in the past was merely on the level of peddlers.

Anyway, Rickart went to not only the blacksmith but also the tailor to get his body measurements taken and explained what he desired this and that.

Even if defensive capability dropped somewhat, it shouldn't be uncomfortable to move his shoulders, the lance length should be about this much, and so on.

To the tailor, he told him the desired color, material, sewing method, and the like.

Since he had been together with Hashim all this while, he naturally also ordered clothes for him to wear or necessary goods.

He handed the goods to the merchant, and received the intermediate payment. It was a whopping 120 gold coins. Computed in silver coins it was 2400.

If it were Bori he would've been delighted saying he became rich, that thought flashed briefly through his head. Hashim merely remained indifferent to the money.

As that thought came up, Rickart, hearing that the Benicio Merchant Guild also conveyed news, sent a letter with them with words to convey to Marie and friends who would be in Adelorn.

That the ship got shipwrecked on the way and he had some hardship, but he was safe. And he wrote in the letter about visiting the Holy City, obtaining the red horse at the Mayub Sultanate and receiving gifts from the Sultan, meeting Auku of the Azure Tribe while crossing the desert, and what happened at the Emperor's mausoleum.

He also added personal impressions like the Holy City wasn't much compared to what he thought it would be, there's an ocean made of sand in the desert, and there's a flower that faintly shines like moonlight and doesn't wither even if plucked.

But having written it out, every single thing was hard to believe. For starters, the fact that he survived a shipwreck in the middle of the sea didn't make sense. So he even felt worried wondering what to do if they don't believe him.

Regardless, Rickart handed the letter to the surprisingly young delivery boy and asked.

"Have you heard any news about Adelorn lately?"

"The legendary Red Prince appeared, they say? Alone he defeated the Invincible Grantz and drove him far away, they say."

Listening to it, it was roughly correct, but not accurate. Moreover it seemed they didn't know the absolute latest news. But still, even just this level was impressive information-gathering capability. Being that this was Tyzis currently.

Rickart finished what he had to do and booked a lodging at an exotic inn by the lakeside together with Hashim. Once the armor was completed, he reckoned he would leave.

"Are you going to take a ship?"

Unpacking baggage and waiting for the bath water to fill, Hashim asked.

"Since we have horses I think traveling over land is better by any measure. We unpacked our baggage too so once the goods are completed let's go while switching horses."

"That sounds good. Loading horses on a ship is no easy task by any measure."

Although livestock could be loaded onto ships too, it was inconvenient in many ways and carried the risk of getting diseases. From personally experiencing it, Rickart knew how unsanitary it was. He couldn't treat the red horse like that.

Before long, a young clerk came to convey that the bathwater was all drawn. Rickart went to the exotic Tyzis bathhouse, took off his clothes, and immersed his body in the hot water.

Perhaps due to the travel fatigue built up all this while, his mind turned dizzy and his body felt like it was going to melt.

Actually since getting shipwrecked, it was his first time properly resting. Because until now he took catnaps while solely walking or running.

Closing his eyes and leaning his head against the bathtub, his older brother Vilter naturally came to mind. He couldn't ever forget that bewildered and fearful expression on the day they parted ways.

Right now, he merely wished he was alive. If he were to see him it would be the first time in 8 years, how much would he have grown. Did he adapt well to the knighthood?

Times aren't good these days they say, how is he faring......

This and that curiosity bit each other's tails.

When sleepiness suddenly poured over him, Vilter, standing in a burning village with blood sloshing on the floor, flickered before his eyes. Looking exactly like me, as if looking into a mirror.