Wolves of Hader

Chapter 87

Both ships did not press further and detoured.

Because our vessels were from another continent, we could not enter the port directly.

What's more, our ships were warships and pirate ships.

We sailed south instead, since lingering around the shore of the Robe Republic could result in our capture.

Around sunset, we found a suitable port.

It was smaller than the port we previously reached, but larger than a fishing village.

Even a small port would have coastal patrols, so we waited on a nearby island until deep night.

There were patrol boats passing by at three-hour intervals.

After a patrol boat passed, we approached the port with all the lights out.

Most fishing boats had returned, and only the lighthouse was shining.

"Stay on the island and come at dawn three days from now!"

"Should we resupply at that time as well?"

"Yes! If a patrol boat discovers you, just tell them the truth! Say you came for a trade transaction!"

"Understood!"

Urald and I, and only the crew, boarded the transport ship and headed for the shore.

We took the Elin's stone we had extracted with us, as it could be confiscated by the Robe navy.

We advanced toward a fishing village slightly apart from the port.

After arriving safely at a pier lined with fishing boats, we headed straight for the port.

All of us wore only old clothes. If we were armed, we would undoubtedly arouse suspicion.

Donnie and four crew members were sent ahead to the port city, while the rest waited and rested, lighting a campfire in the forest.

Donnie and the crew returned at dawn.

"How's the atmosphere in the city?"

"There wasn't much difference in culture or language from ours. I handed a few silver coins to a tavern keeper, and she told me everything I asked without hesitation."

"Did the tavern keeper seem suspicious?"

"She recognized me as a foreigner right away. But as long as there was profit in it for her, she didn't seem to mind. There was also no sense of xenophobia or discrimination."

"What's the city like?"

"They keep saying Robe is a developed country, and the city did feel a bit different from our empire. The streets were very clean too."

I frequently heard that the Robe Republic was the most advanced country on the continent.

The Tern Kingdom up north is a military powerhouse, but not exactly a developed country.

"What about Mart and his group?"

"No one had seen them. They must have gone to the capital through another port."

"That makes sense. Let's go for now."

We headed for the port.

As we walked, I took out a map and looked it over.

The Beltern Continent is shaped like an 'L.'

The north extends slightly to the east and spans from part of the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere.

The central region is just below the equator, and the southern part stretches out long towards the east.

The entire north of the continent is the Tern Kingdom.

Directly beneath it, along the eastern coast, is the Robe Republic.

West and below the central region are small kingdoms.

The Southern Kingdoms Union was on the far southern tip, stretched out to the east.

After it was destroyed by one of Tern's dukes, Tern set up puppet states there.

Currently, Tern and the Robe Republic are hostile.

They've fought countless times over the massive Racrill vein in the central area.

That's why the territory-poor Robe Republic poured everything into technological advancement.

They had to stand toe-to-toe with Tern, which had millions of troops.

The small southern and central countries surrounding Robe certainly follow Tern's orders.

Thus, Tern set up puppet states in the south to encircle the Robe Republic.

For this reason, the Robe Republic has a relatively good relationship with the empire.

Tern's main rival is the empire, and the empire is just across the sea.

All this I had heard from Xenon, guest warrior of the Syren family.

After a fierce two-hour battle, when we collapsed together, I asked him about the future and more.

***

Around noon, we arrived at the port city.

Everyone silently observed the city.

The entire city was well-organized. Most astonishing was the use of electricity.

"I suppose they have a power plant,"

Urald remarked.

"What's a power plant?"

Donnie asked.

"A facility for producing electricity."

"They make electricity?"

Donnie and the crew looked at Urald in wonder.

I, too, had no idea power plants even existed in this world.

"Look at the street lights lining the roads. There's no wick inside. Remarkably, you can't even see the wires."

"True."

"I've heard before that the ancestral village has generators. These people either import electricity from the ancestral village or built generators using the Dran's technology."

"Then it means this country and the Dran have a good relationship."

"Looks that way."

It was probably hydroelectric.

There's a large lake in the west of the Robe Republic where there might be a dam.

The Dran's ancestral village is also there.

The downtown area was hustling and bustling, and the men's suits were quite impressive.

They looked like suits except for the lack of ties.

There were uniformed police rather than guards, which was another surprise.

"That's the building over there,"

Donnie said, pointing.

We made our way directly to the building.

No one paid us any mind, not even the police.

From the plaza, we entered an alley.

Perhaps due to a burst water pipe, people were digging in the middle of the alley.

In front of the scene, a boy was watching alone, but when he saw us, he suddenly said,

"Hey! Take another path! There's construction going on!"

He was a straw-hatted boy.

Donnie asked, "What happened?"

"The ground sank, broke the main water pipe! The building could collapse, so use another route!"

The boy spoke and turned back to watch the construction.

The detour seemed long, so we tried squeezing by the wall instead.

"What are you doing! Go down another alley!"

Donnie was about to shout something back when I turned around first.

It didn't feel like the boy was just warning for nothing.

After a long detour, we finally arrived at the inn.

The sly-looking innkeeper greeted us.

"Oh, welcome, welcome. Please, come on in. There's food prepared as well. I was worried you might not keep your promise and not show up."

The first floor of the inn was a large dining hall.

The other patrons didn't show any interest in the Dran.

We sat around a table.

Soon, the innkeeper rubbed his hands together.

"May I help you with anything else?"

"Could you introduce us to a merchant representing this city?"

"May I ask where you're from?"

"We're merchants from Kadena."

"From Kadena, I see."

A glint appeared in the innkeeper's eyes.

He already looked like he wanted to swindle us, and things were going just as he wished.

"Have you reported to the authorities?"

"Are we required to?"

"Of course. Even if the Kadena empire is friendly with us, aren't you technically illegal entrants?"

"How much is it?"

At my words, the innkeeper held out his hand.

Five coins.

"That's a lot if it's in gold coins."

"Such is the price of vouching for your identities."

I took five gold coins from my pouch.

As the innkeeper held out his hand, I put the gold coins away from him.

"We'll only pay for room and board for now. If you introduce us to a trustworthy person, you'll get the rest."

"Yes, yes, of course."

The innkeeper's face as he pocketed one gold coin was quite a sight. That laugh was so fake it was obvious.

"Just wait a moment. I'll bring a very fine merchant for you."

The innkeeper left the inn.

Urald, watching him go, spoke.

"Reminds me of Tris."

"We need someone who can help us and offer information. Things won't go exactly as the innkeeper wants."

"Will any merchant really come?"

"Probably not."

Mart's group came to this country ahead of us to look for the Emperor's bloodline and to get acquainted with big merchants.

If they did anything at all, there must be a noble or merchant waiting for us.

We were in the middle of our meal.

The inn door opened and a well-dressed, burly man entered, with someone who looked like a secretary.

The big man stood in front of us and stared at Urald. Then he looked at Donnie and the crew.

"Who's the commander?"

Exactly as I expected.

People are the same everywhere.

"That would be me."

Only then did the man look at me.

His expression showed his thoughts.

'This kid is the commander?'

"So, what kind of business do you want?"

"What are you trading?"

"Me?"

The man answered and laughed.

"A bit of everything. I'd say I'm responsible for the safety of the docks and this alley. Think of me as the representative of the city's merchants."

He laughed again, but then stopped. He'd meant to intimidate us, but I wasn't fazed.

"Then we have nothing to trade with you."

"What?"

The man's face darkened at my words. Then, the "secretary," who'd been looking flustered, spoke up.

"Are you really here for business?"

"Yes, we are."

The secretary glanced at the innkeeper outside. Judging by his frown, he'd heard something else.

"As you said, we have nothing to sell. But if you do steady trade with us, we can introduce you to larger merchants."

"What's the meaning of this?"

"Sir, these are real merchants, and from a noble family at that."

"For real?"

"That innkeeper only judged by their clothing. We almost lost a huge customer over a few coins."

"Even I look like a southern refugee."

"But their accents aren't southern. If they aren't from Beltern's north or west, then where else?"

The man smacked his lips, looking at us.

He asked again.

"How do you know they're nobles?"

"All these large men are knights. What kind of merchant guild travels with such men? And there's even a Dran among them."

"Excuse me a moment."

The man went with his secretary to the innkeeper and scolded him fiercely, then had a conversation with the secretary.

"That young man seems decent."

"Yes."

We all laughed at Urald's comment.

The man and secretary, who'd been deep in discussion, returned to us.

The man said,

"Terribly sorry. I may just scrape by here in the city, but I have wide connections. I can introduce you to a major merchant, just say the word."

"If he's trustworthy, I don't care who."

"You don't care what's being traded?"

I looked at the man and the secretary.

"We're thinking of establishing a branch of our merchant guild in this city. I'd like that merchant and you to help with that."

"Us?"

"You can earn wages and broker's commission if you take care of our guild's affairs."

"Oh! But... what's a broker's commission?"

At the man's words, the secretary immediately jumped in.

"How much profit are you expecting?"

"That depends on what's being traded. It's best to buy and sell goods that both sides lack."

"Do you have copper?"

Just as I expected.

That metal would be most necessary in a nation that uses electricity. And the Robe Republic is quite isolated.

"Let me ask something too. It seemed like you have a water supply system here— is there a merchant guild involved with that?"

"Yes. The waterworks are a government project, but it's the merchant guild that provides supplies. That guild also does electrical wiring."

We might even be able to buy generators.

Though I assumed they were tightly controlled.

"I'd like to meet that merchant."

"That's perfect. The one I was just about to introduce you to is that merchant. He's the best in this city."

"You know him well?"

The man spoke up.

"He's even more respected than the city mayor. He used to hold one of the highest offices in the capital."

"Is the mayor a noble?"

"You wouldn't know, coming from abroad. Our local reps elect the mayor. Nobles only exist in the capital."

"So commoners can become mayor?"

"Anyone can. The current mayor used to be head of the Dockworkers' Guild. He's an old friend of mine."

"Then could you arrange an introduction?"

At my words, the man and his secretary gave a polite bow and left the inn.

I guess they weren't the kind of gangsters I'd imagined. Perhaps the system here is just different.

The group was sent up to their rooms, and I sat alone in the inn's dining hall waiting for the merchant.

But instead of the merchant, a boy wandered in and glanced my way.

He wore old, dirty work clothes, with a straw hat swinging from his back.

At first, I thought it was the boy who'd been blunt with us in the alley.

But when our eyes met, I was shocked.

It wasn't because the 'boy' turned out to be a young lady. Nor because she was incredibly beautiful.

The moment I saw her face—

My mind went blank. My chest tightened, and a heat welled up inside me, together with long-buried memories.

"What? It was you?"

The young lady crossed her arms and looked at me incredulously. It appeared she was the merchant.

But—

By then,

I was already overflowing with longing.