¡Booooome!
I broke down the wall, crawled down it into a new empty hallway, and resumed my run. Every time I saw myself surrounded, I would just hit another wall with the hammer and continue on my happy path.
¡Bum!
Every once in a while, one of the walls would lead to a dead end, but that wasn't a problem. Due to the layout of the building, it could also go up and down stairs.
¡Booooome!
When I crossed the roof and jumped up the stairs, I found myself in an unusual place. It was a poorly lit hallway with dozens of steel bars on either side. Behind those bars were people of all races, including some barbarians. And each of them was marked with an identical tattoo in a similar place.
Slaves...
Even though a huge barbarian had just passed through the ground, everyone was looking into space, looking completely inert. As a 21st century barbarian, it was a disturbing sight.
So there are still slaves in this world.
Slavery was illegal in Rafdonia. At one point in its history, those who committed serious sins had been legally forced into slavery, but that practice had long since disappeared, after the law was revised about a hundred years ago. Slaves who had committed heinous crimes were promptly executed and those who had been enslaved for minor crimes were forced to pay a fine before being restored to their status as ordinary citizens. In the end, however, most died soon after, as a former slave had no hope of paying his taxes.
As I looked around, I noticed a boy who still had some life in his eyes. I went over to talk to him. «Hello». When I called him, he slipped away until his back was against the wall, clearly terrified. I ignored his reaction and continued. «How did they catch you and put you here?».
Unfortunately, the only answer I got came from somewhere behind me. «...Stop! Baron Yandel!»
Don't those guys know when to stop? They should already know that they won't be able to subdue me.
I ignored them too and stared at the child in front of me. Surprisingly, the screams of the people chasing me seemed to help get a response from the boy. «The Giant...?», he murmured quietly, eyes wide open. «Giant... I heard you are a hero who saves people and punishes bad guys... Is that true?».
«Well, more or less».
«...Have you also come to save us?».
«No», I said sincerely. «I only found you by chance. So tell me, how did you end up here?».
The big guy who had been chasing me and begging me to stop slowly approached. The boy looked at us both before answering me cautiously. «My mother... couldn't pay her debt, so I had to pay it instead».
«Your mother? What happened to him?»
«Since he couldn't pay his taxes... he died».
«And the elf girl next to you?». I asked, looking at the girl sitting next to him behind bars.
«She couldn't pay her debts either», the boy explained quietly. «He had the money, but the bad guys didn't want to accept it. That's why they brought her here».
Yo no dije archa.
«She actually managed to escape once and came back to save me, but... after the bad guys dragged her several times, she no longer speaks».
«Ya veo.»
That's why this boy was the only one who had a spark of life left in his eyes. Those who tried to rebel and fight had to face intense abuse. It was easier to break a person's spirit than most would assume.
So that solves it...
After finishing my conversation with the little one, I turned my attention to the big ones. The one in front of the pack shuddered when our eyes met. He looked like a bully who had just been caught messing with someone weaker than him.
Step.
I approached, my steps deliberately slow. «Do you know something?» Asked. He raised his shield with a silent drink. «So far I haven't killed any of you». I knew they were bad, so I beat them mercilessly, but I still moderated my strength so that at least they wouldn't die. «Why do you think that's it?»
«...You don't want to make us enemies either. That is what those at the top have determined».
«Is that so? That's right», I accepted calmly.
The reason those guys hadn't hurt me was because they had guessed my intentions from the beginning. Otherwise, they would never have treated an intruder like that. If I had gone around beating everyone to death, it was impossible for them to just raise shields and try to subdue me. That's why I had planned to impose my dominance just a little, then have a peaceful conversation with the boss here to get what I wanted and leave.
However, now things were different.
«Please tell us what you want».
Why do I always make a plan B? Because this world was full of variables. There would always be something out there that could force me to change my plans... like this.
«We are ready to have a conversation with...»
Before I could finish the sentence, I put all my strength into punching him in the jaw.
¡Crack!
Despite its large size, it flew against the wall like a baseball and fell to the ground with a bang, writhing like an insect on its last legs.
«How resistant», I said, looking at him. «I even swung to kill».
Everyone behind him immediately shuddered in response. However, despite what he had done to him, the bug had not yet realized the situation he was in. «Why... did you do that?»
Ah, #eso?
«Didn't you say it yourself, Your Honor? Don't you want to make us enemies?».
«Yes, I said it». I walked over, raised my hammer, and stared at him as he writhed in pain.
When he saw that I had my gun raised, his expression changed. «Stop. You're going to regret this...»
What a strange thing. «Why would I regret it?» I hit my hammer as hard as I could.
¡Crack!
His writhing body stopped moving.
«You will be the ones who repent.»
This was the right decision.
There was no more conversation to have. When I finished hitting his face with my hammer, the rest closed their mouths and stood guard, scrutinizing every little movement he made.
Step.
As soon as I took a step forward, the group of burly men retreated in unison. But just when I was about to pounce on all of them...
¡Creeks!
Suddenly, the thick iron door behind me creaked open. When I turned around, I found a middle-aged man surrounded by a strong escort of large guards entering the room.
«Let's stop here, Baron Yandel», he called me.
«Who are you?»
«I'm Mel, the current head of the Shadow Organization». Simply put, he was in charge of this black market. The man calling himself Mel looked at his subordinate on the ground. «That friend of mine over there. Still alive?»
«... Still breathing, boss.»
«That's a relief». Then Mel turned to me and asked: «Baron Yandel, before we start our conversation, can I attend to my friend there first?».
«Do you think I, a baron of Rafdonia, would accept the demands of a criminal who committed treason?».
«Haha, betrayal... It seems like you have a very low opinion of us».
«So is there another opinion I should have? You clearly disobey the strict laws of Rafdonia».
«Um, I see.» He nodded as if he was right. «So, everyone, get out of the way».
The eyes of our audience widened at his orders.
«Boss!»
«It's too dangerous!»
His subordinates began to protest, but Mel was stubborn. «I won't say it twice».
He didn't know how he normally disciplined them, but as soon as he said that, everyone closed their mouths and started leaving.
Step step.
Mel walked forward, approaching me. Now, the only ones left in this hallway full of cells were the two of us. To be honest, I was surprised by his impudence. Was he incredibly strong? Was he so sure he could beat me? Or did he just not mind dying here? There were a million possibilities filling my head.
Step.
However, even as my mind was spinning, he walked past me and squatted next to his subordinate on the floor, leaving his back completely helpless as he took out a potion from his pocket.
Chispas!
boiling bubbles began to boil on his subordinate's beaten face. The big guy, who had been on the verge of death, began to shake a little.
«It is a high quality potion».
«Sí, use es.»
I didn't understand anything. What the hell was going on? Unable to find an answer no matter how many times I thought about it, I decided to ask him. «What are you trying to do here?»
«I'm just saving someone who was about to die».
«But you could have died instead».
«Yes it's true. But this man is one of mine».
I was momentarily speechless. He had met countless leaders before, but he had never met someone like him. «Are you risking your life for a reason like that?».
«A person's values and priorities are subjective. Just like you changed your plan the moment you stumbled upon these slaves here.»
«...You're a funny guy.»
«Now, how about we go somewhere else? This place is not the most conducive to conversation». He immediately turned down the hallway, offering me his helpless back again. I was stunned, but all I could do for the moment was follow him.
After passing through several doors, we arrived at a small room. «This is a private room reserved for our guests. All of our clients have already returned to town for today, so you don't have to worry about anyone bothering us». He sat at the table in the center of the room and then looked at me in an apparent invitation to sit with him.
At that moment, I couldn't help but ask him: «Aren't you afraid?».
«I'm afraid».
«It doesn't seem like it».
«Well, it can't be helped, right? If I hurt you, Baron Yandel, it will be the end of me. Both my family and this place will be wiped off the map. I'm not reckless enough to risk such a thing happening».
«Isn't what you're doing now also reckless?»
«Well, if I die, then I die. There is nothing else. At the end of the day, someone else will take my place, and even if it takes some time, everything will go back to the way it was before. After all, dirty water always accumulates at the bottom».
I stood looking at him in silence.
«Oh, and killing me might help you vent your anger, but it would also mean that you wouldn't leave here with what you originally came for».
How can anyone be so brave? Despite having exchanged a few words with him, I already realized how impressive he was. However, there was no need to beat around the bush any longer. «So what do you mean?»
«You should be the one to answer that, not me. Didn't you come here because you wanted something?»
Oh. Damn, yes, it's true.
Once again I was speechless by his response. Even so, since I didn't want to seem like the weakest party in this negotiation, I decided to go ahead and demand without thinking twice. «Give me the identity of your clients». That was my main motivation for visiting the black market today.
«Some of the magicians... are placing orders through the black market.»
As the supply dwindled, some wizards had been going to the black market to obtain barbarian hearts.
«Your Honor! On the black market... there is also a reward for your heart.»
Someone had asked about my heart.
«I'm not lying... They only offered me the job through the black market. I-I don't know anything else... I-I don't know who made the request either...»
Someone else had made a request to sabotage our raid against the Soil Lord.
«I see... So that's why you came here».
«I don't need excuses, so give me an answer».
«Asking for personal information from our clients is a very difficult demand to make from someone in my position».
«Are you saying you won't?»
«No. After all, I am a merchant. This will reduce the number of commissions we receive, but it would still be more beneficial for us than antagonizing you.»
«So?»
«I will have our clients' personal information delivered to you on the same day», Mel said, calmly accepting my request.
This conversation wasn't going as I expected at all. The only reason I ran around causing all that chaos beforehand was because I assumed our negotiations would be a long, drawn-out fight.
«Is that all?», he asked.
«No, there is one more thing».
«Por favor, dime».
I gave Mel my last request. «Free the slaves who are locked up here».
I can't leave after seeing that.
«Hmmm. I see that you are one of those who believe in universal dignity».
«You ask a lot of questions and a lot of noises, but all I need to hear from you is a yes or no».
«...Can I think about it for a moment?»
«Forward».
Once my permission was given, Mel closed her eyes without any fear, meditating on my request. About three minutes later, he finally opened them. «Okay. I will free the slaves and refrain from working in the slave industry from now on».
«...You made that decision quickly».
He looked me in the eyes like a man with nothing to hide. «Actually, it is a business that I myself have wanted to separate myself from».
«Did you want to leave it?»
«There have been quite a few cases where buyers have been unable to properly manage their slaves, and there have been several occasions where this almost led to major problems and scandals».
So you had tried to cut ties with the industry several times as a result, but had been unable to find the justification you needed to do so? Well, it must have been difficult to just close it, given the huge profits this facet of the business had brought to the black market for hundreds of years.
«However, as it is at your request», he continued, «now no one will be able to oppose my decision. This has turned out quite well for us. So that's all?»
«Yeah. I'll get out of the way as soon as they give me your clients' information and I see that they are freeing the slaves».
«In that case, I will work to fulfill your requests as soon as possible».
After finishing our conversation, he called his subordinates again and gave them orders. At dawn, I was given the information I needed and the hundreds of slaves were freed.
«Mel Asmond», I asked him as I was about to leave, «why were you willing to give in so easily to my demands?».
Instead of responding, he stared at me for a long moment, a strange expression on his face. «...I see that you already know the house I come from».
That's because I completed the Black Market event in the game.
As a result, he knew that House Asmond had reigned as king of this jungle for many years.
Still, I didn't let it distract me. «That's not what I asked you», I said firmly.
Faced with my stubbornness, he freely said what he thought. «Heroes always don't last long. There is no reason for us to be at the end of a falling leaf».
In other words, the way I acted meant I wouldn't live much longer anyway.
Mel Asmond, the head of the black market. What an interesting guy.
For some reason, I had a feeling I would see him again in the future.