Chapter 188

Chapter 188

***

Though there was an attack once it couldn't slow down Rickart and Roy's footsteps. Rather eating lunch took longer.

The two people walked the road again.

Every time the wind blew the smell of dirt, smell of grass, and scent of flowers mixed and brushed the tip of their noses. Though similar to the smell of fields in other regions, a special smell unique to Esk was mixed in.

Should it be called Esk scent, that scent was sweet yet dangerous, and passing the scent felt at first a bitter taste-like scent came up from deep down. Hovering in the nose it remained subtly for a long time.

However whether Rickart or Roy, both didn't have much interest in scents like Bori. Not that it was bad. Anyway.

Going on the road with some leisure having repeated walking and resting, they reached a considerably large mountain village around late afternoon. It even looked like a small city.

There was a village on a terrain that suddenly surged up abruptly in the wide field. The shrubs covering the mountain sparsely were much shorter in length than the trees of the North, and were only slightly taller than a person's height.

Dirt and rocks, shrubs, and bushes and the flowers blooming in them decorated the mountain. Since there were no things like city Gates or castle walls separately, Rickart and Roy climbed the uphill path leading to the village.

Buildings like houses and temples were built on a gentle slope, and at the top there was a mansion like a castle.

And the village people were seen. Though they didn't have much expectation they were wary gazes as expected. When Rickart tried to approach and ask for directions, they hurriedly avoided the spot exactly like fleeing.

"It's these people."

"What is?"

"The people who attacked us, that is."

"How do you know that?"

"Because unlike the first village we stopped by fear is mixed in. They weren't afraid of me right. By the way Roy, develop your tact a bit."

Rickart being exceptionally outstanding in observation skills or insight himself, demanded his own level from Roy. It wasn't something that would happen just because he was told to develop his tact.

"I'm sorry."

"There is nothing to be sorry about."

Rickart looked around the surroundings. Women were looking at Rickart and Roy from inside their houses. When their eyes met she closed the window shutter tap.

"Goodness, what a strange neighborhood."

Since they didn't even try to mix words they couldn't even did a minimum of investigation. Did we have to just follow the road blindly until a place where sunlight shatters comes out?

Rickart first went up to the mansion at the top of the mountain where the village's influential figures seemed to live. Even if he had to grill someone he should grab the head and grill it, he couldn't grab innocent people and intimidate them.

But reaching the mansion something strange seemed to be happening. Large iron Gates were half open, and there was no one guarding.

People were gathered in the inner courtyard of the mansion, but it definitely wasn't a banquet atmosphere, and it looked somewhat serious.

"Nowadays is not like the past, Elder. Just because we tell the thieves' guild to do this and that they don't exactly die obeying blindly. It has been a long time since some cities cut ties with us too, and even those from our hometown are complaining saying their circumstances are difficult."

"When did we do business while looking after those bastards' circumstances?"

"No...... Only when there is money can we spread informants more, and village people can also give birth to more children raise them and then we can arm them, isn't that right? But since profits have been decreasing for over 10 years now, it is natural that the situation is not like the past."

"So what is the word you want to say?"

"Right now the problem we must handle is not matters like Benzinen but olive oil prices. Recently the Benicio Merchant Guild started selling olive oil so no one buys our goods. It's more concentrated and the price is cheaper so who would buy our goods? Please, Elder, make a decision."

The words Benicio Merchant Guild stuck in Rickart's ear. So naturally he ended up listening carefully to the conversation.

"Don't make weak sounds, Raphael. When did we do business in that kind of manner? If there was a bastard in our way we grilled them, if there was a bastard blocking us we removed them and sold goods. What are the Southern armpit smellers that you are so scared?"

At the old boss's words not knowing the ways of the world the man named Raphael, utterly flabbergasted, made a dumbfounded expression.

No matter how much Eskas exert influence on various cities within the Empire in the shady side, if the Benicio Merchant Guild was an elephant Eska was at the level of a cat at best.

They just weren't an opponent from the scale. And the Benicio Merchant Guild wasn't only a large-scale organization. They were professional and systematic, and clever and tenacious.

Since such they backed by Rickart madly pushed out high-quality goods at cheap prices, small and medium merchants had no skill to endure.

Go under them, or self-destruct. They only had a choice between the two.

Competition among existing merchant guilds usually used to seize the market with actually bloody fought, but the Benicio Merchant Guild's class was different. Martial prowess and price competition, that was their weapon.

Looking at it this way Rickart madly spending money was also a type of investment in a way. Because they were seeing profits that much in other places.

By the way hearing about the Benicio Merchant Guild in an unexpected place, Rickart had the thought, the work I am doing was having a big influence on the world more than I thought.

"Do you truly not have the intention to lower the prices?"

The man named Raphael stiffened his expression again and asked. Surrounded by people he couldn't be seen well, but in his eyes seen at a glance murderous intent was glaring.

The boss perhaps because he had the years he lived until now, glaring with big round eyes faced him and answered firmly.

"No."

"Even though all of us want it like this?"

"If I knew you guys were conspiring among yourselves I would have killed you all."

"How you say? You've already all turned your backs."

"What did you say? So what do you say we do?"

"Pardon me, Elder."

Raphael bowing his waist politely said exactly as if asking for understanding, then taking out a sharp dagger from his sleeve stabbed the bulging belly of the boss who was sitting. And then sliced upwards diagonally rip.

"Heu-eo-eo-eok!"

Did he truly not know what act he would suffer. If so it was the same as having no qualification as the head of such a secret society.

Raphael wiped his bloody hand on the boss's white shirt. And then looking around the surroundings said.

"Without leaving a single dog bastard alive kill them all."

Thereupon people began to rush rumbling into the mansion. Looking at it just it looked exactly like they intended to kill all of the boss's household members.

The boss wasn't completely in a state of having breathed his last yet, and being an old and hypertrophied body not knowing what to did he merely let out ragged breaths gasp, gasp along with groaning sounds.

The man named Raphael looked down at such him coldly. He didn't bestow the mercy of cutting off his breath. He seemed to have a terrible grudge in his own way. Presently intermittent screams were heard from the mansion.

Presently the old boss breathed his last. Raphael looked around the surroundings after watching his death. Thereupon coincidentally his eyes met exactly with Rickart who was watching all this.

Rickart and Roy didn't get startled being caught or anything like that, and just calmly looked back. If you look what were you going to did?

Raphael at first wondering what outsider they were frowned his brows and looked them up and down, but soon remembered the characteristics of blonde hair and red cloaks, an adult man and a boy.

"It's you. The swordsman hired by the Benzinen group."

"It doesn't seem like your information power is that useful. Wrong."

"Then what are you? A swordsman of the Empire."

"Master's Federation, Council of Six."

"What is that?"

"Let's say adventurer."

"For what purpose did you come to Esk?"

"To find Dunkel."

"Who is that?"

"Benzinen Brotherhood?"

"You just said you weren't hired."

"I hate explaining each and every thing, if you teach me information I will retreat, if not I will obstruct the work you are doing right now."

Thereupon Raphael stared exactly as if glaring at Rickart. He couldn't rashly did anything about it, because he had heard that the skills he possessed were close to divine skills.

"Hmph, fine. Since I'm busy right now. Benzinen village was destroyed 20 years ago. The kids who survived then formed the Benzinen Brotherhood."

"Why was the village destroyed?"

"Because they were greedy. A quartz mine was discovered but they tried to occupy it alone. So all the villages in Esk attacked together and destroyed it. But well, it was revealed to have no profitability so no one digs it anymore. If you want to see even ruins go to the mine."

Not gaining anything, an innocent village was destroyed, that was. If rather the quartz mine was something that made big money would it have been less tragic. It couldn't be known.

The desperate screams of people heard from inside the mansion, were heard all throughout the conversation, and even now. Not only men but women too, and children too.

Words begging to be saved, words saying they would did anything. Such words were heard exactly like desperately holding onto Rickart and Roy's ears.

Rickart hearing the answer obediently turned his body. Before that, he said one word to Raphael.

"It's not a matter that will work by lowering the prices."

"?"

Raphael didn't understand what he meant, and whether he understood or not Rickart along with Roy went down the path opposite to where they came up.

Because they thoroughly searched and killed everyone, when they came down to about midway the mountain screams couldn't be heard.

Roy thinking whether it was right to turn their steps away like this, continuously looked back at the mansion on the mountain. Then unable to stop caring asked.

"Couldn't we have saved them? I don't know about the boss but the other people......"

"That is the way those people live. Right and wrong are not things to be rashly pushed forward, Roy. It's a separate issue from personal feelings."

"Is that so......"

"Probably such things, have been repeating since a very long time ago in the past. Unlike Adelorn unless they themselves change what can an outsider doing something change. If each and every person's life is a waste one must walk the path of a monk. But even if I die soon I'm not a saint."

"Because you're a saint to me it's fine. It's just that the aftertaste is a bit bitter."

"Rascal."

Rickart reached out his hand and stroked the lovely disciple's head.

"By the way their grudge must be immense?"

"What is?"

"The Benzinen people. The people who survived there."

"They must be."

"If, the person I like marries my sworn enemy what kind of feeling would it be?"

"Why that all of a sudden?"

"That person named Dunkel, probably wouldn't he have killed them because of that. The woman named Sally. You said they were former comrades right."

"That could be. But it's not certain yet."

"But then is it okay to kill them? If they marry an enemy?"

"Well......"

"The old woman couldn't even close her eyes properly until she conveyed the words to the Master because of that person named Dunkel. Ultimately grudges go round and round."

"Maybe that is the driving force."

"Yes?"

"That one must harbor even a grudge to gain the strength to live on. The most tragic part must be that part. It's pitiful."

"Yes......"

Rickart and Roy came all the way down the mountain. And gradually walked into an even deeper grudge.

The wind blew sweeping the field. It smelled of Esk scent. The bitter taste-like scent might be the grudge permeated deeply in the land of Esk.

Chapter 38 - Untold Stories. The End.