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Chapter 32 – Exchange Conditions
The day after they finished shopping, the innkeeper called out to Wataru and the others as they were about to leave after breakfast to explore the town.
According to the innkeeper, Baron Moye had agreed to give Wataru an audience and told them to go to the castle after lunch today.
Even if Moye had returned yesterday, it was still the next day.
There must have been many other people who wanted to see him, so he was surprised that he would be granted an audience so soon.
He thought of all sorts of reasons, but it was only speculation.
Right now, there was something he had to do in a hurry.
In the room he had rented, Wataru changed his clothes and went in and out of the room several times.
He went to a certain position and stopped.
“Please wear these clothes. When you are allowed to enter the room, stop at the designated position and put your hands together in front of your body.”
“Is it like this? It’s a strange pose.”
“That’s right. The palms facing forward are a sign that you are not holding any weapons. Stand a little straighter, and don’t raise your face until you are allowed to. Keep your eyes on the ground.”
“This is difficult.”
“Raise your face.”
“Yes. How is it?”
“It’s fine.”
Wataru lifted his head in response to Mariel’s voice.
As he was about to meet the noble, Wataru learned about etiquette from Mariel in a practical way.
Mariel’s former title as a noble was also useful in this situation.
Normally, just learning the proper etiquette would cost a lot of money.
The common sense and social norms of nobility and a wealth of knowledge.
Considering all these added values, Mariel’s fee was probably still too cheap.
“Normally, commoners are not expected to have such well-established manners. But the other party is a noble. If you are too rude and impolite, you will be punished, and even if you are not, it might affect the negotiations.”
“If it weren’t for Mariel, they would have judged me as lacking in manners. Thank God.”
“It’s a pleasure to be of service. The problem is…”
“It’s Aire, isn’t it?”
Even on the same planet, etiquette could vary from country to country.
Wataru had heard about it before, but it was quite difficult for him to actually dress up and move in the way he had been taught.
While receiving detailed instructions, Wataru learns the etiquette of this country.
Wataru looks anxiously at his other slave, Aire.
She yawns in front of her master, who is practicing so hard.
She also refuses to accept Mariel’s instructions.
“I have my own tribe’s etiquette, so I’m fine!”
“Well, as long as you don’t get rude, I don’t mind… We’re going to get Aire’s sword back, so be careful not to offend the other party.”
“Don’t worry about that!”
“Are you sure?”
“Trust me!”
“Yes, I trust you.”
The way she held her hands out in front of her and flexed her fingers did not show any fear or anxiety.
She was so confident that it worried Wataru, but he had no choice but to trust her, and Wataru didn’t have much time to spare either.
After practicing a few more times, Wataru and the others checked their clothes and belongings and then hurriedly finished their meal before heading to the castle.
○○○
“Stop! We’re going to check your belongings to see if there’s anything suspicious.”
“Thank you for your cooperation. These are very delicate and fragile items that we’re going to show the lord, so it would be very helpful if you could handle them with care.”
“I see. I understand. Hmm, we’ll take your weapons here.”
“Aire.”
“I understand.”
At the castle gate, they were checked by the gatekeepers and allowed to enter the castle.
Wataru was worried that Aire might not be happy about having her weapons taken away, but to his relief, she handed over her wooden sword without any fuss.
It was a surprisingly uneventful entry into the castle.
“My master underestimated me. I’m a mercenary, so I’ve talked to nobles before, and I know how to hand over weapons, you know?”
“I see. I was wrong about that.”
“Well, if I wanted to, I could just take their weapons away.”
“Hey!”
Wataru was disturbed by the little voice that said something terrible.
Well, at least she’s not a lunatic who goes crazy everywhere.
One of the gatekeepers stood up to lead them.
“(So we’re going to meet the nobles, huh? Just thinking about it makes me nervous…)”
Normally, he would have been able to enjoy the unusual sight of the inside of the castle, but right now, Wataru didn’t have the luxury of being able to do so.
His throat was dry, and his heart was pounding.
His head wasn’t working properly, and all he could think about was how he had to be more careful.
○○○
Soon, Wataru found himself in the hall, having already finished his greetings.
He had been so desperate that he had lost his composure, but as soon as he thought that he had finally managed to do what he had been told, his thoughts came back to him.
When the butler told him to raise his head, Wataru did so.
His first impression of Baron Moye was that of a fresh-looking middle-aged man.
He was slightly thin and had a chiseled face.
His hair, which was a bit gray, was neatly trimmed, and his gray eyes seemed to shine.
“Thank you for taking the time to see me, Baron. My name is Wataru, and I’m a traveling merchant.”
“Wataru, huh? I don’t hear that kind of name around here.”
“Yes. I’m from a faraway land. Right now, I’m mainly active in Minamifune Town.”
“As a collector, I always make it a point to meet the previous owners of the items I acquire. I can empathize more than anyone else with the pain of parting with a treasured possession.”
“Is that the reason? I heard that you were in the royal capital and had just returned. I was wondering why my request for a meeting was granted so quickly, given your busy schedule.”
“Hmph. I wanted to show off my precious collection, but everyone was more interested in the rare sugar. There was no information at all about the source, so I came back immediately, thinking there was no point in continuing.”
“I-I see.”
Wataru was not sure how much information he should reveal.
By not revealing the source, the person must want to keep it a secret and profit from it.
Wataru didn’t want to accidentally say something that would offend him.
On the other hand, if he knew, it wouldn’t be good to keep it a secret either.
Wataru wondered if he should tell him, but when the busy Moye moved on to the next topic, he lost the chance to tell him where the sugar came from.
“I hear the reason for this meeting is ‘Great Tiger Ice.'”
“It once belonged to my slave, Aire.”
“I heard the details when I bought it, and they were also written in the letter of introduction. Hmm. Hey, what do you think?”
“Ha… She is a formidable user. Even if we risk our lives, we will do our best to let the baron escape. If possible, we would like to avoid a confrontation.”
“Oh, is that what you would say?”
Although he was a low-ranking noble, Baron Moye had many fierce warriors under his wing.
In particular, the knights who protected him were among the best, and Moye had complete confidence in their abilities.
When he heard the answer from the knight protecting him from behind, Moye’s expression showed that he had never seen anything like it.
He then placed the Great Tiger Ice on the table.
“Very well. I was worried that it would be a waste since it was a gladiator who had fallen into slavery, but it seems that you have enough bargaining power.”
“Is this the Great Tiger Ice?”
It seemed to be being tested.
The sheath of the Great Tiger Ice is much larger than a Japanese sword.
The curved shape suggests that it is a single-edged sword, and it is easy to imagine that the blade is quite large.
The handle is probably made from the skin of some kind of monster, but Wataru cannot tell what kind. However, he could tell at a glance that it was very smooth and shiny.
Even though he couldn’t judge the weapon, which was still in its scabbard, the sword gave him an indescribable feeling of dignity and intimidation.
His spine involuntarily went cold.
How terrifying would it be if he pulled it out of the scabbard?
“(Is this Aire’s beloved sword…? How will Aire react…?)”
Aire, who was standing right next to Wataru, stared at it as if she was going to devour it, but she didn’t move at all.
The sight of her staring at it without even blinking made Wataru’s heart sink.
Even though she wanted to get it back right now, she desperately suppressed her urge.
He wanted to somehow succeed in the negotiations and get it back for her.
Wataru gathered his strength in his stomach and braced himself.
Unlike Wataru, who was preparing for the negotiations, Moye was extremely calm.
His nerve, which allows him to remain calm despite knowing Aire’s martial prowess, is not something to be taken lightly, even though he is a nobleman.
Even though he knows that his own life could be in danger if the negotiations fail, he still maintains his composure.
Moye’s eyes move from Wataru and Aire to Mariel.
“By the way, you look familiar. Could it be… aren’t you the daughter of the Hanover family?”
“Yes, I am Mariel, and I am very grateful for your kindness in the past. I am now a slave of this Wataru-sama and serve him.”
“I see. The Hanover family was ruined, wasn’t it? Well, I’m glad to hear that you are not in danger.”
Wataru did not miss the fact that Mariel’s expression had momentarily become pained, as if she was enduring something when Moye made that comment.
“(Mariel’s family name is Hanover, huh?)”
He had no idea that he would learn her former family name at a time like this.
Was it really a good thing that he had just found out?
Even though they were in the middle of a conversation, he could not stop thinking about Mariel’s information.
“I heard she only met you once, but you have an amazing memory.”
“It’s almost like my job as a Lord to remember people’s faces and names. Most people I meet I remember after seeing them once, and if they’re as good-looking and memorable as your slave, even more so.”
“I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting someone like Lord Baron, and it’s a memory I’ll never forget.”
Not only nobles but also people like Wataru who want to meet him will probably come every day.
Looking at it that way, it’s true that his job is to remember people.
“I think I’ve prepared an attractive product that will satisfy the Baron. Could I please buy it back?”
“Very well. I can understand your desire to buy it back. I also wanted to get back a good item that I had to give up for some reason.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
“However, I don’t want to give it up without getting something in return.”
“I think that’s only natural. In return, I would like to offer you this…”
When Wataru was about to continue, Moye interrupted him and made a request.
“――Well, how about this? If you are willing to exchange your slave Mariel for me, then I will accept your terms.”
“Th-That’s…”
Wataru was caught off guard by this unexpected request.
He tried to think of a way to refuse without offending.
But Moye continued to speak, cutting off Wataru’s escape route.
“Surely you wouldn’t ignore the kindness of a noble like me, who is doing you a favor by listening to a request I normally wouldn’t have to make?”
Wataru’s face broke into a sweat at the continued remarks.
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That’s being pushy using their difference in status. The MC is not his subject, so he is not obliged to agree to something too ridiculous. He might ask Mariel about her opinion which outcome she would prefer.
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