Chapter 235: The Greed Game (Top)
Only one Kiris gold coin left…
I heard such a voice coming out of nowhere.
The sound of “Gold coins” Made me look around. Perhaps it was because I had spent the whole day yesterday cleaning the vault, but I was somewhat curious.
The owner of the voice was easy to spot.
On top of the barrels that lined the eaves of the inn, a young man was sitting down and spreading out a drawstring bag.
He was probably a …… Traveler.
The atmosphere is different from that of a peddler.Judging from his outfit, he might be from the southern part of the country.He looked a little younger than me, who turned 23 this year.
The young man seems to be checking his possessions, spreading a cloth on his lap, and arranging what looks like money.When he held up something in his hand to the sky, it glittered for a moment with a golden color in the sunlight.
It must be the Kiris gold coin. He was being very careless.
I was a little intrigued, so I decided to talk to the young man.
“Are you trying to lure me into a scavenger hunt by laying coins on the side of the road?”
His gaze turned toward me.There was no hint of alarm in his eyes.
I thought I knew how to talk to him, but he was too defenseless.
He was so defenseless. “Ha-ha-ha, there are some good collectors in New Nellie City, aren't there?”
He spreads out his arms as if to say, “Take a look at this. There was a wide variety of coins.
Many of the coins were a hazy reddish-bronze color, without the luster characteristic of metal. And within each small circle was a blindingly elaborate pattern.
'…… Holy coins?”
Oh. Nice work, brother.
I have a friend who has a habit of collecting coins. I have a friend who collects coins. Most of the ones he has are white and clean.
It is said that all the coins that once existed in this land were made in the holy city of Maguaussee. I don't know how true it is, though, since it was a long time ago.
'It was made out of clay, wasn't it?
Yes, it is. I heard that the old holy coins were made in the same way as ceramics, so they may be no different from those jars.
“Really? It is hard to believe that there was a time when people valued such things.
It is no use having coins that do not contain silver or gold.
The most important thing to remember is that you can't get a job at the castle without getting hired as an innkeeper. If I don't get hired at the castle soon, I won't be able to pay for lodging. I had switched to the new holy coin. I've only got this one …… On hand.”
The young man dexterously flicked the gold Kyris coin with his thumb. The gold coin flew up vertically with a high pitched “Ki” Sound, and when it reached the top, it just fell down and settled in his hand again.
I wondered what he meant by “Hired at the castle.
The young man's expression showed no sign of anxiety at all, even though he was saying, “I'm in trouble, I'm in trouble. Apparently, he had plans to be hired in New Nellie City.
I wondered how in the world he could get a job, as he did not seem to be a “Strong” Man.
Just as I was about to ask him a question, a voice called out to me from somewhere else.
“Oh, Tamaya's husband! Did you know this Anchan?”
I wondered when he had arrived, but there he was, the innkeeper. He was also the owner of the barrel in which the young man was sitting.
We just met,” He said.
I had seen him several times at meetings in the area. I had seen him several times at meetings in the community, and although we had never talked, we seemed to know each other's faces and what we did.
“Tamaya?”
Tamaya, Tamaya, Tamaya, “The young man muttered with a curious expression on his facehis.
I'm in business. I deal mainly in thick haired rabbits.
This is the family business he inherited from his father, who passed away suddenly a few years ago.
It is a small business, but as I have always loved thick-haired rabbits, it is a job I enjoy.
Thick-haired rabbits are wonderful. Their fur is soft and warm, they are cute when they move around, and above all, they are delicious.
So why Tamaya?
Why don't you call them that where you come from? A thick haired rabbit with good quality hair is called a jade, so the people who work with them become jade dealers.
And rabbits that are called jade are very pretty. I don't sell the best jade rabbits, and I even take them from farmers and keep them at home.
The young man nodded in understanding.
Now that I had answered his question, it would be easier for him to ask me questions.I decided to ask him about something that had been bothering me.
Speaking of work, you were talking earlier as if you were employed by the city. Were you invited?”
But it was the innkeeper who answered.
That's it, that's it. Ask him, Tamaya-san! This anchan said she would be hired at the castle, and she won't listen to me! Hey, don't you think this is too reckless? Try to spoil his mood even for a moment, and you'll have a bunch of lowlifes like us in a heartbeat.
The owner makes a decapitating motion with two fingers as he says “This.
The owner's words suggest that the young man was not introduced by anyone in particular, nor did he receive an offer of employment from the city, and he is going to go into the castle on his own.
I asked him, “Are you serious, ……? No, I doubt they would even give you a chance to ask to be hired in the first place.”
If they were to ask for employment from the soldiers packed at the castle gates, their assignment would be to the army, not the city. First of all, I doubt that someone from outside the territory would be hired as a soldier. The looks of it, the young man doesn't seem to be a mercenary who eats with his arms.
The owner of the store looked a little troubled by my question.
No, that doesn't mean I don't have any contacts,” He says. I was busy back then, so I don't know the details of the story……. Do you remember Tamaya? Beginning of the year, there was a tournament for playing cards and other toys.
I remember it.
This is an annual festival held at the beginning of each year, but this year's event was different. A card game was held in the name of the Daimon's heir apparent, Quardenze Wilk.
Anyone who owned a deck of playing cards could participate. In addition to the joyous and lively atmosphere of the New Year, the tournament was a great success, as the winners of the tournament were awarded gorgeous prizes.
Since that tournament, the number of citizens who buy playing cards has been increasing. Nowadays, it is not so easy to get them.
This man won the tournament,” He said. He was ordered by the city to come to the castle tomorrow to receive an additional prize. I was in a lot of trouble the other day.
The city official came to the inn to check on the young man's stay. The city officials were having a hard time figuring out where the young man was staying. Because of this, the owner was strictly ordered to keep an eye on the young man until the day he arrived at the castle.
The reward that was supposed to be given at the beginning of the new year is now being given to me,……, And I'm getting tired of waiting for it.
The young man shakes his head and says, “I'm in a bind. I couldn't help but laugh.
The reason for the delay in the bestowal had to do with the great victory that took place just after the new year. The young lord had defeated the enemy nobleman and won the unbeatable castle. Place.
Haha, that's a lucky thing.”
The owner of the restaurant laughed and continued.
Yes, that's right, that's right, that's lucky. Don't say a word tomorrow at the castle.
For the Grand Master, the defeat of his enemies, the Spierzeig family, was the best thing that could have happened to him. Naturally, the young lord would feel the same way. If he spoke negatively, he would be displeased, and in some cases, he might even be considered disrespectful and truly punished.
The young man shrugged his shoulders.
I've had my fill of free food, so I'm not complaining.
The castle fell just after the New Year. The New Year's festivities had just ended when a huge celebration of the castle's fall began, and I remember how busy and fun it was.
The city was in a frenzy every day, with sake and food being served at such a rate that it seemed as if all the warehouses in the city had been opened to the public. Not rejoice at the fall of the castle.
I remember thinking, “…… Well, I know I can climb the castle. I also know that you were awarded at the card tournament. But what can you do? If you're going to be hired, you must have something to show for it.”
It is difficult ……, If not impossible, for a commoner traveler who can't even use magic to get hired at the castle.
The powerful officials who work at the castle recognize commoners as little more than domestic animals who can speak the language.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to have a direct dialogue with a high-ranking city official.
At that time, I was full of blood and ambition. I was determined to make the most of this opportunity, to market myself, to not be like my father who kept a small business going, to become a big businessman who was not limited to the city, and to show the world that thick rabbit yarn was much better than the new Nellie silk that had recently appeared. But then, I was confronted with the problem of my own identity.
I was confronted with the reality of my status.
The city officials showed no dislike, no ill will, and no interest in me. It was not me, with the name “Hacto,” Who was present at that meeting. I was nothing more than a mere symbol, a “Commoner.
Compared to him, the haughty and overbearing government officials with whom I have many opportunities to interact on a daily basis are much more human. The high official at that time had a look in his eyes as if he was about to cut off the commoner without hesitation or spirit, as if he were shearing the hair of a thick-haired rabbit.
You're not powerful, you're just a man, aren't you? I won't say anything bad about you.
He said, “It's the other side that will be the judge. It would be boring if we were to decide for ourselves whether or not we would be taken seriously.
The young man's tone seemed to be enjoying himself even though he was talking about himself.
I draw pictures, you know.
So you are a painter.
You must be very confident of your skills if you are selling your work to the castle.
I have heard that aristocrats and wealthy people sometimes pay large sums of money to invite skilled artists from other places.The most important thing to remember is that the castle is not a place where you can get a good deal on a painting, but a place where you can show your skills. It was much smarter than bringing a story to a high official with only …… Baseless confidence and ambition.
But the owner exhaled heavily and shook his head.
I'm sure it won't work. I don't know anything about painting,……, But I think the brushwork is superb. I don't know anything about painting, but…… I think the brushwork is brilliant, but the main thing is that the paintings are kind of creepy.
Creepy?
Yes. If I were you, I wouldn't want your painting.
His words he was too harsh.The young man who heard this,however,was smiling as if he were talking about something else.
The young man said, “I thought that if it was a nobleman's domain, there would be no aversion, but there wasn't. I'm in trouble.”
The young man got off the barrel and walked into the inn. Then, after a short pause, he returned with a board in his hand. It seemed to be a picture he had painted.
Ugh………….”
The drawing was a scene of a main street with many people and carriages passing by.
You see?
The owner of the store seemed pleased with himself. But I agree wholeheartedly, I don't want this picture.
But the young man seemed to enjoy even my reaction.
See? I told you so, didn't I? Of course people will react like this. I'm sure the castle officials won't like it either.
I don't care what they think. As long as the young lady here likes it, everything is fine.
Are you going to offer this disgusting picture to ……?I wonder if they will refuse to accept it on the grounds that it is a disgrace.I'm sure the officials under his command will check the offering in advance.
When I mentioned this to him, he chuckled.
I don't know,” He said. But I think New Nellie is a curious young man who likes new things. You know, tomorrow's ceremony is a special event that they don't usually do, right? I think she'd like to see for herself the offerings that will be presented there.
Although he calls his own work strange, there is no sense of humility or condescension.
How can you know that when you've never even met him?”
'I don't think ordinary aristocrat sama would hold card tournaments or invite the top scorers to their castles.
…… Indeed.
When the announcement of the card tournament was made, I thought it was a nobleman who would start something strange.
I'm trying to see the faces of the commoners, here, young Samah.”
'The nobility, the commoners? Are you kidding me?'
The aristocrats are the ones who reign even higher than those inorganic-eyed dignitaries. The absolute person is going to look at the commoner?
It's not a joke. There are eccentric ancestors who appreciate even commoners. I used to work for one a while ago. I know I'm in the minority, but I know it's not zero.
……Were you employed by the founder?”
But the young man does not answer my question.
I've heard rumors about the city of Nambonan. I hear that the people of Nambonan City love you as a gentle aristocrat.
I have heard that rumor, too, but I think it is a defensive measure on the part of the city of Nambonan. If they show defiance to the nobles, the next time they show defiance to the nobles, the entire city will be burned to the ground, so they are showing them more support than necessary.
The reason why the Nambonan city government is running so well must be due to the involvement of the Milord, the great protector of Galiana. Perspective of the common people. A genuine aristocrat could never do such a thing.
…… And the other book, The History of the Other World.
I couldn't help reacting to this unexpected word.
“Otherworldly history, you mean that otherworldly history?”
Oh! Do you know about it, brother? It is a book published in New Nellie City.
When I replied that I had read all the existing volumes, the young man cheered. Unfortunately, the owner of the store did not know.
The commercial association I belong to buys otherworldly histories, and members of the association can borrow them and read them.
I had read through the book a few years ago, thinking that it might be a good source of information when talking with government officials and dignitaries. Unexpectedly, I got hooked on the stories of this mysterious world, and now I follow their publication purely as a hobby.
According to what I heard, the union president bought all the books in order to flatter city officials. I hear that other unions and big shopkeepers' husbands are doing similar things.
I've never met anyone who has read the book properly, even though it's called “……. Most people seem to read a little of the first book and throw it away.”
I think the goal is to purchase the book, and there are never many people who read it properly.
I think it's just the way it is with everyone. It's interesting if you read it carefully.”
Apparently, the young man in front of me is a lover of otherworldly history. I was a little glad to have unexpectedly met a like-minded person.
What do you like about Otherworldly History?
There are many things, …… But I think it's the weirdness. There's a lot of war in that world.
The young man was right, the people in the otherworldly history are at war all the time.
The reason for this was still to be told, so I silently waited for the young man to speak.
Most people imagine a peaceful world when they are told that it is a world of only slave ancestors,” He said. There would be no large-scale wars, just skirmishes between villages, towns, and cities at most.
No, that's true. You can't have tens of thousands of people fighting each other.
In a world where there are only slave ancestors, kings, generals, and soldiers are all slave ancestors.
The young man spread his hands wide in a gesture of dismay and opened his mouth.
In a village of 30 commoners, the leader can wield great power. In a town with 300 commoners, or in a city with 3,000 commoners, it is the same. But in a country with 3,000 commoners, it is impossible. What happens if 300 out of 30,000 revolt? What would happen if 300 out of 30000 revolted? Even if they call themselves kings, they are still slave ancestors, and a stone to the head is enough to kill them. 300 people throwing stones at them all at once would destroy the system. A country ruled by a king with a fragile body cannot achieve stable order. There is an upper limit to the size of a group composed only of slave ancestors. A nation cannot be built by slave ancestors. .”
The young man is right.
When I imagine a world of only slave ancestors, a relatively peaceful world in which only small-scale group conflicts occur comes to mind. There is no way that a powerhouse could be created that could send tens of thousands of soldiers to their deaths.
I heard that more than 100,000 soldiers gathered on the city side during last year's Nambonan War, but that was only temporary, and above all, it must have been “Powerful” Mercenaries who took command on the battlefield. I believe that armies and countries are established because there is a proper division between those who are not powerful and those who are.
I agree with his logic his.However, the person who said it does not seem to agree.It was clear from the way he spoke, as if he was intentionally not expressing emotion, as if he was expressing someone else's thoughts on behalf of someone else.
The author of “……,” However, does not seem to like this idea. He wants to say that a nation can be born even if there are only slave ancestors.
His tone of voice changed to one of amusement as he continued.It seemed to be in line with his idea.
I thought it was an interesting idea. Everything in that world is based on that single definition, where the slave ancestors are enslaved according to a false authority created by the slave ancestors,…….
False authority, huh?
In the history of other worlds, aristocrats reign as nobles because of their ancestors' greatness, their ancestors' blood, and other such trivial reasons.
I thought it was a bit much to create a class of nobles and commoners, even though it is a story. It's impossible for a slave ancestor to become a noble on vague grounds.
Well, it is somewhat understandable. If it were a small farming village, the son of the village chief might have a big face. But even that, if taken too far, will be retaliated by the villagers. After all, he is just a commoner with no power.
Brother, that's not true. If there were only slave ancestors from the beginning, there would be nobles and commoners. If there were only slave ancestors from the beginning, I would not find it ridiculous that slave ancestors would follow slave ancestors. Who would find it ridiculous would be the readers who know about the existence of the master-ancestor and the follower-ancestor.”
I don't know what he meant, but I just can't get my senses to agree with him.
That high official I saw in the castle comes to mind. I think of the relationship between the ruler and the ruled that is created only when there is an absolute difference in power,……
What was it that attracted you to otherworldly history, brother?
The young man did not seem to be trying to persuade me with his own argument.
The question posed to me was simple.
It is not that I liked the history of other worlds from the beginning.
It is a dream come true for a slave ancestor to establish a nation. But in the history of other worlds, there are only wars. It seems like a dream, but it is not a dream. I could not accept it at first.
However, the content was rather well thought out. Something that appeared in the first volume is subtly related to something that appears in the second volume. If you read the book carefully, it is interesting to see such historical connections. The extras at the end of the book were also very elaborate and I liked them.
The reason why I was attracted to this book in the first place is because of …….
There is an allegorical story at the end of the first volume that I found …….
“Could it be Pandora's Box?”
“…… Oh, yeah. That's what drew me to it. How did you know?
It's one of my favorites, too, so it just clicked.
When the Great Spirit created the heavens and the earth, there was no defilement on the earth.
One day, the spirit created a woman and brought her down to earth.Her name her was Pandora.
The spirit gave Pandora a box and said, “The box contains misfortune. The spirit gave Pandora a box and told her that it contained evil and that she must never open it.
However, Pandora opened the box out of curiosity.As the genie said, the box contained the source of all kinds of dirt, including pestilence, war, scarcity, hatred, and jealousy.
Pandora hurriedly closed the lid. But they had already flown out. The only thing left in the box was hope.
Thus, people were to live in the land of filth.
How people take that story is up to them, but what did you think about it? Tadatomi, who used to work for me, said that the hope people have is a kind of disaster.
I think back to myself a few years ago.
To make it big as a merchant, you have to build a relationship with your superiors. But it is not an easy path. City officials, high ranking officials of knightly families, knights, and nobles …… Can easily ruin a commoner if he or she tries to make poor contact with them.
For me, when I was motivated by ambition, New Nellie Castle was Pandora's Box. Inside the box, along with the danger of disaster, was the hope of a bright future as the great merchant Hact.
But that ambition was shattered by the high official in question.
I closed the lid of the box, my legs stiffening at the mere sight of the disaster that lurked inside.Even though I knew there was hope in it, I could not go on.I did not know the true horror of the disaster.
Only a fool or a master of fables could know that the box contained disaster and still be able to open it…….
If I had been a bigger daredevil fool in the past, I might have been able to push forward.
To cover my embarrassment, I decided to return the question to the young man.
'What was it you thought? Seeking employment at the castle would be like opening Pandora's box, wouldn't it?”
Is that not advice, but self-deprecation?
Looking at the young man so full of confidence and vigor, I feel somewhat disgusted with myself. Perhaps I have not yet given up on my dream of becoming a great merchant.
Haha, that's good. If my brother is right, I am either a fool or a master. I pray to the spirits that it is the latter.
After a light laugh, the young man continued quietly.
Besides, I interpret Pandora's Box as a positive story.
What …… Does that mean?”
If you have an audience at the castle, I'd like to ask you then. How would you interpret Pandora's Box?
No, he would not be allowed to talk to a nobleman in an audience. In the first place, there is no way that the young lord has read the history of the other world.
The actual head might be chopped off if you say anything unnecessary.
Just as I was about to speak up, the young man smiled and held out his hand.
I said, “That's why I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Mr. Hakuto of the Vina Chamber of Commerce is the winner of the Bubakudan division and is scheduled to be at the castle.
I could not return his handshake because of the sudden call of his name.
It is true that I am scheduled to come to the castle tomorrow as the winner of the grand prize in the haggis division of the card tournament. I had no intention of hiding it. I just somehow didn't have a chance to tell him. It's just a little embarrassing.
I was just a little embarrassed. …… Well, he was also at the award ceremony on the last day of the card tournament. He must have learned my name and business association there. Town had won the grand prize in the poker and nervous breakdown categories.
I was a little late, but I shook his hand.
Yes, I believe his name is…….
I'm Vidardo. Nice to meet you.”
