Chapter 120

Chapter 120 - Desert's Method (5)

Tripol was a massive city with a barren wasteland at its front and the blue ocean at its rear.

The ocean maintained perfect currents for sailing year-round, functioning as a strategic point for maritime trade.

A desert trade route stretched out on the opposite side of the ocean. It was a golden path connecting to Gord, Roman, and the minor kingdoms in the southwestern part of the continent.

Most of all sorts of goods flowing into Bonyard also came in through Tripol.

"This is a place anyone who makes a living through trade must pass through at least once in their life. You could call it a holy land for merchants."

The recruitment officer smiled with pride at Eugene's expression as he looked at the city.

The northern part of Samur is blocked by mountain ranges and jungles. It was not just geographically harsh, but also teeming with all kinds of monsters. Bastards like the Rakshasas they had fought a fierce battle with two days prior, for example.

If one disliked that route, they had to land on the Sicily Peninsula at the southern tip of Roman.

However, going from there to Gord, western Roman, or the minor kingdoms in the southwestern continent required going through an epic overland transport. In short, it was a city without alternatives.

'I suppose I can call for a high ransom?'

From Eugene's perspective, it did not seem like negotiations would break down. He immediately got a sense of how much wealth the city was accumulating.

Above all, various merchant caravans were encamped in the city's front yard, which would normally be wide open.

"Are they all stranded here because of the dangerous trade routes?"

"That is correct. The trade route leading to our city used to be the safest in all of Samur, but..."

"Now even a distance of two days has become dangerous."

Unlike the recruitment officer who nodded with a bitter expression, the waiting merchant caravans all looked like lumps of money to Eugene.

If an operation of that scale was anxiously stamping its feet, the demand for mercenaries would skyrocket.

When the caravan that suffered the Rakshasa ambush appeared pulling tattered wagons, the waiting merchants also grew fearful.

They could viscerally feel that the monsters had finally stretched their demonic claws close to the city.

"The sunlight is quite strong."

Eugene placed two wide-brimmed straw hats on Valda and Homi.

"Thank you. When did you prepare things like this, though?"

"When the subordinates were busy buying food from the merchants on the road."

Her face, having sneakily joined that line, flushed with embarrassment.

... This is camel meat. It is a specialty that can only be tasted in Samur.

... Oho.

... Beautiful lady. Please try this as well.

... This is a snake...

... It is a delicious snake.

... Hmm.

Valda loves meat. She could not resist the exotic grilled dishes introduced by the Samur grocers.

"W-wait! It tickles! I can do it myself, so..."

"Stay still. It's not going into the holes."

As Eugene's hands gently stroked Valda's long ears, she twisted her body.

The straw hat was made for humans, so it required a bit of tweaking to put on an elf. Eugene slipped Valda's ears into holes he had pierced in advance on both sides of the brim.

Wearing it for a long time without such modifications would cause her ears to be pressed and hurt.

"... You are quite skillful."

"I have imagined this scene many times."

Eugene smiled while looking at the tips of her ears cutely poking out through the yellow straw hat.

"Because the locations change drastically thanks to the Moving Castle, there is a tendency to become desensitized to responding to the environment."

"I should also pay attention to these things in the future. I must secure mosquito nets as soon as we enter the city. There will be many mosquitoes from the jungle or poisonous insects roaming the desert here."

Valda also nodded at the realistic discussion.

Meanwhile, Homi was watching the camels passing by alongside the tribal warriors.

The camel Eugene received as a gift when he was assigned to Northfork was a small, cute pet. In contrast, the ones passing by here were large, sturdy breeds used for transport and combat.

Fitting for Homi, whose nature was closer to a tomboy than a delicate lady, she was more intrigued by the camels walking vigorously while carrying warriors.

"Squire. We will get jealous if you keep looking with those eyes."

"Can you properly scout while riding those tall, lanky things?"

As an equestrian race, the tribal warriors seemed to have their competitive spirit stimulated.

They inherently held goodwill toward Homi due to her being Eugene's squire and her capabilities as a scout.

On top of that, as her skills as a horse archer blossomed the more battles increased, they had come to look at her with respect.

"..."

Homi was not used to receiving these kinds of emotions, however. She smiled awkwardly and pulled down the brim of her hat.

"Are you all alright?"

The Dark Elves mainly operated in Roman and were fundamentally children of the forest. They seemed incompatible with the desert in many ways.

"It is not a problem. Our bodies are tough and sturdy by nature."

"Sunlight of this level won't even make us budge. Please just take good care of the humans."

The tribal warriors lifted their dark-skinned forearms and laughed. They were not shedding a single drop of sweat.

Come to think of it, the Dark Elves' skin color was likely influenced by melanin pigment or a similar substance. If anything, they would be stronger against desert climates than humans, not weaker.

"I am fine, you know? I am a proper warrior too, despite how I look."

Cassandra made an odd face while watching Eugene placing a hat on her as well.

"I just thought it would look good on you."

"I cannot refuse such consideration, then."

Cassandra expressed her gratitude by slightly folding the brim of her hat.

She was a precious individual inheriting the blood of two influential families. Eugene always made an effort to pay more than a certain level of attention to her.

Fortunately, Cassandra also did not seem to dislike that consideration.

* * *

At the city entrance, warriors who had climbed up using ladders were hammering away. They were driving the severed heads of monsters onto tall wooden stakes.

Thwack! Thwack!

Every time they struck the top of a head, it slid down half a span with a bizarre frictional sound. A blood-stained stake soaked in brain matter protruded out.

Let alone Rakshasas, various heads of Orcs, Lizardmen, and other monsters were impaled.

Eugene looked up with interest as he rode his horse past them.

"It is a measure to reassure the caravans."

"Doesn't every country have its own culture? I do not view it negatively, so you may also rest easy."

The recruitment officer seemed worried that it might appear as barbaric behavior in the eyes of Eugene, a noble from Roman.

"What is that?"

At the place Eugene pointed, a warrior was hammering a small corpse onto a wooden stake.

Instead of cutting off the head, it was pierced through the anus and out the mouth. It felt like looking at a roasted suckling pig skewer.

At first, he was startled thinking they were impaling a child, but looking closely, it was strictly a monster. Its muscular body was devoid of an ounce of fat, and its teeth were sharp like a piranha.

"It's a Smallfolk. A nightmare of the northern Samur jungles. They originally did not venture out of their territory much either, but they have recently been expanding their habitat further south. Only gods know what is happening to the world."

Various mercenaries were coming and going inside the city. Many knights who seemed to have come to seize the opportunity to make a fortune or spread their fame were also visible.

The recruitment officer guided Eugene to the city's security magistrate.

"Welcome. I have heard of the legendary knight's reputation from the merchants who came from Bonyard. It is an honor to meet you like this."

He might be in his late thirties at most if one were generous? He was a very young man to be sitting in a key position. He grabbed both of Eugene's hands and welcomed him enthusiastically.

"...?"

Eugene felt puzzled because he acted overly friendly, but he soon understood the reason.

"Thanks to you, Sir, we were able to expel corrupt individuals gnawing away at the city's safety."

Among the guests Eugene's army released after sweeping the slave traders' hideout was Tripol's security magistrate.

Caught up in an unexpected disaster and returning looking like a beggar, he was beaten defenselessly by his political rivals in the city.

Since 'other guests' had already arrived, everyone had figured out where the security magistrate had been and how he was treated.

Through harsh interrogation, the fact that he received bribes and backed illegal slave traders was revealed to the whole world.

Consequently, the former security magistrate went to the gallows, and the current security magistrate, who was his ambitious political rival, was newly appointed.

Beyond being a powerful mercenary captain who would drive away the city's threats, Eugene was a benefactor who aided the security magistrate's rise to power.

"Tripol welcomes you, Sir. Please consider it your home while you stay."

"Thank you for your consideration. Then I would like to discuss the contract."

"I have already prepared everything."

Snap!

As the security magistrate snapped his fingers, his adjutant brought over a contract prepared in advance. The conditions could not be any better, whether concerning the compensation or the deduction of incidental expenses.

"I promise you the utmost courtesy I can provide with my authority."

"... Incredible."

Eugene made an awkward face even while signing the contract.

To think that a subjugation meant to protect the pride of the Blackhand family loyal to him would go around and cause such a butterfly effect.

Since the newly appointed security magistrate had rapidly risen to a high position, he needed someone he could rely on. The things he was offering Eugene right now were essentially a type of bribe.

* * *

Thanks to signing a formal contract, Eugene felt lighthearted.

When operating outside the Moving Castle, the mercenaries' wages leaked like water even just breathing. But now, it shifted so that it came out of the city's pockets.

Mercenaries and adventurers visited the city every day, and they left the city with assigned missions a few days later.

Some of them would be abandoned in the desert or jungle with only their bones remaining, but some would return with valuable information and receive hefty pouches of gold coins.

Eugene visited the horse market with his warriors.

... Magistrate. There is one favor I would like to ask.

... Please speak whatever it is.

... I would like to receive priority regarding military horse transactions here, would that be possible?

... Leave it to me. If it means the best military force we possess grows stronger, it is a welcome development.

Negotiating privileges concerning trade was outside the security magistrate's jurisdiction, but he could exercise influence over the distribution of strategic supplies.

Pruurr!

Homi's warhorse, Sandy, cheerfully snorted while looking at the horses radiating the same scent as himself.

"Ah! I told you those are completely reserved!"

"Is it a reservation for royalty or high nobles somewhere?"

"Well, it isn't that, but..."

"Then you can certainly exercise some flexibility. Do you not see the security magistrate's recommendation letter here?"

"Oh my!"

Tribal warriors, fronted by the clan's merchants, greedily eyed military horses all over the market. No breed could match the Samur desert warhorses in rough terrain like sand and mud.

Since the quantity was limited and traded restrictively, they seemed to intend on hoarding them given this opportunity.

They engaged in passionate haggling with the mindset that it was perfectly fine to spend all the funds they had saved while living as mercenaries today.

"Hey! Did you rent out the entire store? There are other people here..."

"What."

"N-no, well."

"What. Speak."

The other merchants were overwhelmed by the Dark Elves and couldn't even complain. Being simultaneously exposed to the bloodlust of assassins and the ferocity of mercenaries froze their bodies.

Eugene also granted free time to his other subordinates. Since they were conducting operations in unfamiliar environments, they needed to roam the local area as much as possible to familiarize themselves with the atmosphere. Enjoying sightseeing as a bonus, too.

Sizzle.

The nutty smell vibrated alongside the sound of boiling oil from all over the market.

Fried dishes gained popularity here as it was a busy city combined with its climate.

There was a diverse range of types, from common ones like fried fish, shrimp, and chicken, to fried foods with high hurdles like lizards, snakes, and several indigenous rodents.

"My Lord."

"What is it?"

Cassandra stopped Eugene as he approached a stall filled with curiosity.

"There is a perception here that fried food is a low-class dish eaten by commoners."

"I did not know that."

As expected of Cassandra, who was well-versed in the culture here because she had operated in Samur beforehand to find a place for her clan to settle down.

Just as she said, there were no members of the nobility or knight class among the people buying fried foods.

Even though the area Eugene was currently in was a fairly affluent sector within the city. The customers were only laborers, sailors, mercenaries, and farmers.

"You will meet the city nobles later, and they might try to nitpick over trivial things like this. After all, your outstanding performance at the slave traders' hideout didn't solely create gratitude."

"You mean there could be bastards harboring resentment in contrast to the security magistrate?"

"Politics are always like that, but it is especially petty and cheap in free cities."

Her violet eyes narrowed as they looked at the government office situated high in the city.

"They will pester and find faults with the most trivial things. Since the rights you desire are not light, it is better to be careful even about small matters."

As Cassandra gestured, two female warriors attending to her approached.

"Fried foods are delicious, however. How could we give up that savory taste?"

Cassandra slightly lifted her hat brim and smiled at Eugene.

Following Cassandra's instructions, the female warriors went to the stall and began filling containers with different types of fried food.

"The city nobles here are also honest with their desires. They call it vulgar with their mouths but all enjoy fried food behind their backs. Since they have their dignity to maintain, they do not buy it directly but make their subordinates run errands like this."

"Or they conceal their identities and eat it secretly like those over there?"

"Fufufu."

At the place Eugene pointed, men wearing pulled-down hoods were lining up in front of a stall.

Even though they had wrapped themselves somewhat, one could easily tell they were well-trained knights. They appeared to be poor knights unable to employ servants or squires.

"Please eat it while it is warm. Fried food loses its taste when it gets cold."

"I am well aware of that, too."

"Ah! That is a food eaten bones and all."

Eugene bit into a piping hot fried lizard. Along with the crunching texture of the crushing bones, a savory flavor filled his mouth.

In contrast to the peaceful atmosphere of the city, however, dark clouds were approaching from beyond the sky.

It was not a rain-bearing storm cloud. A dry cloud that seemed to harbor somewhat evil energy.

Eugene's instinct sensed that the time to fight was not far off.

He purchased more arrows and throwing spears for the heavy cavalry. They adjusted the saddles to fit the newly acquired desert warhorses and stockpiled dried preserved food mixed with spices.

And Eugene's intuition was not wrong.

"Ughhh."

"Khahhh."

The number of wounded people in the caravan processions arriving at the city from the desert began to increase.

Most were common injuries like cuts, tears, and fractures, but some severely wounded people with exposed bones could be seen. Entire chunks of flesh were missing as if someone had taken a massive bite out of them.