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TL: ALT
Chapter 20 – Official Merchant
Wataru never imagined that this street vendor would dare deceive him right in front of his face.
Faced with that smug expression, he was dumbfounded.
The situation was so absurd that his face involuntarily twisted into a wry smile.
But it seemed that only the deceived man could afford to smile wryly.
Mariel, Aire, and Cloche stared at the bear-beastman salesman, their faces as expressionless as Noh masks.
Even Stella, whom he had known only briefly, twisted her face in displeasure and looked down on the man with contempt.
“That angry slave of mine is seriously scary, you know.”
Even Wataru, their master, found himself intimidated. The crowd, sensing that something was amiss, slowly backed away. Yet the man being targeted was the only one unaware of the gravity of the situation.
“What do you think we should do?”
“Impersonating an official merchant is a serious crime. We should turn him over to the guards immediately.”
“What if he’s caught?”
“Probably death, at best.”
“At best… Is there something worse?”
“Yes. Have you forgotten? The lowest-ranking slaves are used for human experiments. They suffer more than death.”
Hearing Mariel’s icy voice, Wataru gasped sharply.
He was annoyed that a fake had appeared, of course, but was it acceptable to push someone into such misery?
As if sensing Wataru’s inner conflict, Mariel—who usually respected her master’s wishes above all else—showed no sign of wavering.
“I don’t know how long this man has been impersonating you, Master, but he’s likely already caused significant harm. There’s no guarantee his schemes haven’t reached other nobles.”
“Would they really be fooled?”
“Few have seen the genuine article, and it’s possible a frontier lord might purchase it for prestige. Since they’re buying it for prestige, discovering that it’s a fake would enrage them because they’d feel deceived. Worst case, they might blame you for it.”
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Wataru could no longer afford to be optimistic.
This was no time for wry smiles.
A mere warning and letting it slide was out of the question.
He must denounce the forgery and report the damage immediately.
“For now, order Aire and Cloche to apprehend him. I’ll summon the guards at once. Stella, please guard Master.”
“Understood. Aire and Cloche, can you apprehend him without injuring him?”
“Leave it to us. Cloche.”
“Yes.”
Without saying another word, Aire and Cloche sprang forward.
The seller probably never expected to be attacked.
He offered little resistance and was pinned down on the straw mat.
Even if he had resisted, it’s doubtful it would have amounted to much.
Seeing the large, burly bear beastman easily pinned down by delicate young girls was like some kind of sideshow.
The crowd shrieked and scattered in panic at the sudden, forceful action.
“Hey, you lot! What do you think you’re doing with my merchandise?! You know who you’re messing with, right?! If you lay a finger on me, an official merchant, Lord Moye won’t just sit idly by—”
“Shut up.”
“If you don’t want to die, keep your filthy mouth shut.”
“Hii!?”
Even now, he still hadn’t realized that he had been exposed as a fraud.
The loudmouth seller’s brazen attempt to intimidate them was impressive, but Aire and Cloche’s absolute, zero-degree killing intent completely shattered his spirit.
Wait a minute.
Both Aire and Cloche have changed their attitudes too much. Don’t you think so?
Whatever happened to “Nishishi-san” and “blah blah blah”?
While Wataru was still stunned, the guards who had been called arrived and questioned him about the situation.
〇〇〇
In short, it quickly became clear that Wataru was the official merchant.
This was only natural.
After receiving proof of his status from Lord Moye, his legitimacy was easy to guarantee.
“No way… You’re Wataru, the official merchant!? Why did I have to run into the real deal?! This sucks!”
“I was truly fortunate. I rarely come to the capital, and I don’t often pass through that square. If I had missed today, I might not have found out until it was too late. Well, misdeeds always come to light. Just accept it.”
“Master, you’re quite lucky, aren’t you?”
“Well, yeah. After all, I met Mariel, Aire, Cloche, and Stella. I even became your master.”
“Well!”
“Nishishi. I’m lucky I didn’t get bought by a weird master, too.”
“I-I…! N-no. I mean, I got to meet Onee-sama, and now we live together. I-I’m not dissatisfied. But as for luck…”
“I wonder if I’ll be guided by luck from now on—”
The bear beastman seller was promptly arrested for a different offense and led away.
Even as the guards shoved him along, he shouted at Wataru—or perhaps at the heavens—about his misfortune.
“Why?! We both sell the same sugar, so why this huge difference?!” We’re both sugar sellers, aren’t we?!’
“You’re impersonating someone else’s name! What’s the same about that?! If you’re going to do that, at least do business under your own name properly! Have you no pride?”
“Guh!”
The man groaned, sharply rebuked by Aire.
Only Aire, who boasted an undefeated record as a gladiator and had built her reputation solely on her own skill, could utter such words.
“Wataru-san, this is unfortunate. This man will receive the appropriate punishment. Once the investigation concludes, I believe they will explain whether any victims were found.”
“Understood. Thank you for your assistance.”
Now that the guard knew he was an official merchant, he treated him with great courtesy.
It was unusual for an official residing in the royal capital to treat a mere merchant with such politeness.
This was undoubtedly due to the authority of Lord Moye, who stood behind him.
How would Lord Moye deal with the street vendor who had dared to insult his authority?
Wataru didn’t even want to imagine it.
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