blueteamnovel Chapter 26 You Can't Afford It
Chapter 26 You Can't Afford It
Richard coughed lightly, trying to appear calm, to hide the bewilderment in his eyes.
He had no idea that magic could predict the future; it was just an excuse he made up on the spot. Little did he know that it would actually lead Karl to encounter a caravan.
but...
He found it very inexplicable.
Chiffon Wasteland is already the northernmost border of the empire. A few hundred kilometers further north, beyond the wasteland and across a barren, rocky forest, lies the endless Arctic Sea.
To the west of Chiffon Wasteland lies a continuous snow-capped mountain range that stretches all the way to the Rocky Forest.
The only human settlements nearby are behind the black pine forest to the south, yet this caravan came from the direction of the rocky forest.
That direction was deserted, with no towns or markets, which was quite illogical.
"Tell me in detail where this caravan came from, how many people are in it, what goods they are carrying, and where they are headed?"
In response to the lord's inquiry.
Karl immediately reported this.
"There are five people in total, two of whom are junior warriors and three are ordinary people."
"This is a caravan from Maple Leaf Territory, heading south to the capital. They're passing through Chiffon Territory and want to replenish their food supplies. I've checked everyone's identity documents, and there are no issues."
"only..."
Carlton paused, his brow furrowing slightly.
"They weren't carrying any goods, unlike a typical caravan with a large number of wagons; they just had a strange box on a horse's back."
"I couldn't see what was inside, so I asked a few questions, but they only said that the goods were rather special and it was inconvenient to show them."
"Because they have proper caravan certificates and did not enter the Chiffon camp, I cannot force an inspection, so I am reporting to you first."
After listening to the report.
Richard was filled with doubts, vaguely feeling that this "caravan" must have an unusual origin.
"Let's go take a look."
He tightened his fox fur robe, mounted Da Yun's back, and headed out of the camp.
Not long after.
They met with the other party 800 meters away from the camp, and as Karl had said, the five men and six riders were all there was.
They were all wrapped in thick cotton-padded clothes, even covering their entire heads, leaving only their eyes and nostrils exposed.
He was covered in dirt, as if he had traveled a long way, looking travel-worn and dusty.
When the other party saw a handsome and imposing young man riding a Star-level Rock Armored Earth Dragon, their expressions changed.
The packhorses beneath them also sensed the approaching terrifying monster and reared up and neighed.
The five men quickly dismounted to comfort him.
He then bowed and stepped forward to pay his respects.
The leader was a burly middle-aged man who pulled off the cotton headscarf covering his face so that Richard could see his face clearly.
With a fawning smile.
Bending over and leaning forward, he said:
"Your Excellency Baron Chiffon, I am Fernst, the leader of this caravan."
"We are passing through this area and would like to stay overnight and replenish our food supplies. We hope you will be accommodating."
Richard looked down at him, his gaze sweeping over the horse carrying the wooden box.
Asked:
"Since you are a caravan, why are there no goods in sight? Also, you came from the Rocky Forest, but there are no human towns there."
"so..."
"Who are you doing business with?"
...
Lox glanced at the rock-armored earth dragon, swallowed hard, and waved to the caravan members behind him to lift the tarpaulin off the wooden crates.
"Please forgive us, Your Excellency, but our goods are rather special and cannot be displayed easily."
"But you are an aristocrat, and a potential buyer for us. If you are curious, please take a look."
The tarpaulin slipped down.
After removing the four partitions of the wooden box, they found an iron cage inside!
Inside the cage, iron chains were tangled and intertwined, and in the center huddled a ragged girl.
She had long, snow-white hair, skin as white as snow with a delicate pinkish hue, and features as exquisite as if sculpted from ice and snow.
What's most eye-catching are her long, fluffy, snow-white rabbit ears on her head and a fluffy rabbit tail behind her.
His whole body trembled slightly, his eyes filled with fear and unease, his clear gaze fixed on Richard through the chains and cage.
"The Snow Rabbit Clan!"
Richard was greatly alarmed, but his face remained impassive.
but...
This is clearly a slave-hunting team disguised as a caravan; no wonder they're on the border!
In upper-class aristocratic circles, beautiful foreign slaves were quite rare and prized possessions.
Especially for races like the Snow Rabbit, whose appearance is exceptionally outstanding and whose temperament is gentle, a single Snow Rabbit can fetch an astronomical price of tens to hundreds of gold coins.
This is the price of thousands of serfs!
Driven by the lure of huge profits, slave-catching teams emerged, heading to the border regions to capture lone and beautiful members of foreign tribes.
Seeing Richard's calm expression, Finnster smiled and said softly:
"Your Excellency, this is something we painstakingly captured in the Rocky Forest over a month. We plan to bring it to the capital to try our luck."
"We've almost run out of food, so we hope you can be accommodating and sell us some fresh vegetables."
"I am willing to pay two silver coins, one as a toll and the other as a subsidy for you to develop your territory."
Finnster did not ask Richard if he wanted to buy it.
Because it is not necessary.
This Chiffon Territory is clearly a territory still in the process of being developed. The lord's funds would definitely be invested in the development, so how could he possibly buy alien slaves as playthings?
Can I afford it?
They were all wealthy lords with ample funds and rich territories.
Although the baron in front of him possessed a Star-level battle mount, he did not have the means to purchase the Snow Rabbit Girl.
As for the toll, it was to be expected. I hoped to gain the right to buy vegetables through it. I had been hiding in the rocky forest for more than a month, and all I was missing was drinking water infused with grass roots to satisfy my cravings.
Richard thought about it.
He nodded in agreement.
"You can stay overnight nearby, and food will be sold to you."
"But you must not approach the walls of the encampment or the fields, or you will be treated as trespassers."
Finnster was overjoyed and, along with all the members of the slave-catching team, bowed in gratitude.
"Thank you for your leniency, sir!"
Richard nodded slightly, signaling Im to fetch a basket of carrots purchased from the Wolf Territory.
Immediately.
His gaze fell on the Snow Rabbit girl in the cage. She was huddled in a corner, her long rabbit ears drooping, her eyes filled with despair.
He sighed inwardly.
I find this kind of behavior of forcing a girl's will extremely disgusting.
pity...
Although he felt pity, he had no intention of saving anyone.
In this hierarchical, dog-eat-dog world, pity is of no use.
Chiffon collars are still in their early stages, so it's really not advisable to provoke unnecessary disputes at this time.
"You've been in the Rocky Forest for so long, do you know anything about the Snow Rabbit tribe?"
"What is the size of their group? Do they possess supernatural powers?"
Richard looked away.
They began gathering intelligence.
This was also the main reason why he agreed to let the other party stay, after all, Chiffon Wasteland was so close to the Chaotic Stone Forest.
If a foreign race appears nearby, you need to find a way to get their detailed information, lest you get touched by them one day without even knowing it.
To know...
Even a rabbit will bite when cornered.