Survive in the parallel world, please!

228 Don’t waste time, please! part “You could do that, mister client, but I assure you our prices will be a lot cheaper. Take this goblin for example, something like this is hard to capture, but even harder to keep in check. It was impossible for us to perform the slave collar ritual on it and we’re currently starving it to make it weaker. It’s highly possible that it doesn’t survive the whole process, so it’s better for us to simply sell it to you at a discounted price. In here, your mithril will buy you most of our wares, but once we get to the sacred empire I’m afraid you won’t even be able to buy more than a couple beast kin.”

It means that a beast kin’s price is considered to be something around fifty gold coins, I remember back at Ironwoods they sold people for silver coins. I wonder if it’s the slave collar what drives the price so high.

“Fine, then I’m just leaving.”

“No, no, please! you don’t understand. By buying beasts from us you would be helping the sacred empire too! There was an outburst of magical beasts and we were drafted by the sacred empire to keep them under control. Apparently, someone attacked the slave market on Bet-el and the beasts are running rampant. ”

Liu hurried up and stopped me on my way towards the exit.

“Then I’m taking this woman with me too.”

“Please, take no offense, but why are you interested in that filthy thing? it’s been used so much it’s almost broken. To you, she’s nothing but another slave, but to us she’s the only thing keeping our morale high enough to not be disbanded. She killed one of our dearest members and...”

“Are you telling me, money is not enough to raise your morale?”

I cut him short as I showed him the mithril coin in my hand, making him gulp. I could see the greed on his eyes and it was more than obvious that the only thing that kept him from extending his hand and attempting to take it from me was Bob’s presence.

.....

“You’ll need to wait about an hour until we get them ready to go.”

“Uh? there’s really no need for that, just hand me the key and I’ll manage.”

“But mister, I don’t think you get it. This isn’t your regular goblin, he’s a lot stronger! You may be in danger if you let it outside just like that.”

Maximus tried to stop me, but Liu had already handed me the key with a grin. Of course he expects either me or the goblin to drop dead in front of him. I took a few steps forward and opened the cage letting Bardun out. He seems to be different from the last time I saw him, it’s not just his size, but he looks a lot tougher now. He seemed to have trouble walking, but he wasn’t restrained in any way. For a second I thought of helping him walk outside, but it would have been awkward.

After being let out of his cage, Bardun stopped a moment and moved just enough to make his joints creak, then he rubbed his neck.

“Wow, mister, are you a beast tamer by chance?”

Maximus muttered in a gasp after noticing that Bardun wasn’t attacking me, or anyone for that matter.

“Something of the sorts. Is the other one aggressive?”

“Not really, especially not when compared to that thing.”

Being called a thing, Bardun’s joyous mood shifted into anger. He was very sensitive about insults towards his race, but I placed a hand over his shoulder calming him down immediately.

“Wow! you can keep it under control with nothing but a touch! amazing! would you consider working with us?”

Maximus was further impressed and asked blatantly, but Liu shook his head.

“Do you really think that someone like him, who can pay in mithril without so much as a second thought would need to work? I bet he’s someone important in the kingdom.”

We went through a lot just to avoid fighting, I even spent a mithril coin which is supposedly as valuable as a hundred gold coins if not more and I would hate to see all that wasted in a pointless fight.

But after seeing Bardun’s state and how did they treat the beast girl, I was tempted to punch them in the face right then and there.

It came the time to open the other cage, the young woman cowered in the corner as I got closer to it. She was mostly quiet, but a few pitiful moans escaped her mouth and even after the door was opened she remained on her corner.

She looked just like a human, except for her vertical pupils and another physical trait I failed to notice before. She had a short tail the same color as her hair and a hint of white at the end. I couldn’t help but notice that she was indeed an attractive woman, perhaps a bit older than me, not that it matters.

“Come here, I’m not going to hurt you. That’s it, come closer.”

I said after a few minutes passed without her even attempting to escape. I extended my hand and she seemed curious, but she was still distrustful, at least until Risa lost her patience.

“Get out of there already! or do you want me to go in and kick your butt?”

Risa’s loud instructor tone of voice accompanied by her powerful vocal cords managed to startle all of us, especially the poor girl who was still cuddling up to her legs.

As hostile as it seemed, it worked a lot better than my approach. The beast kin girl stood outside the cage and followed us outside. Before leaving the camp though I was able to overheard the joy of the many people that gathered outside the tent, it seemed like they weren’t doing good at all because of the many magical beast attacks they suffered and after the lost of too many people they were even thinking on quitting. At least until we came in, proving that money was indeed enough to raise their morale once again.ries!”