When we return to the Dancing Dragon, the bard is already there. He's chatting with a needlessly cute waitress. As expected of the playboy, she's quite taken with him. If only she knew how useless he is.
"You have me already, but you still try to pick up other girls?" Let's mess with him. I know, it goes against the flow of the situation, in which time seems to be of the essence, but I can't let such a golden opportunity pass. I approach him with a pout and cling to Senka.
"Huh, you already have someone?" The waitress looks at me, then looks down at the doll I'm carrying with fear and disgust. The bard is taken aback by my words but shares her sentiment upon seeing Senka. Why does everyone feel such aversion toward her? Can't you see how creepy-cute she is? I guess that concept doesn't exist in this world.
"I was not aware of such a relationship between us, Lady Marcott." The bard is speaking the truth, but that's only going to add oil to the fire.
"What? Now you act as if nothing is going on between us! Even though you were so forceful every night." Watching the bard's confusion and the waitress' growing contempt for him is so fun. Time for the finisher. "Now that I am with child, you want to wash your hands of me?"
Oh, I see a switch being flipped in her eyes.
"You're scum!" The waitress slaps him across the face and stomps off, leaving behind a completely bewildered bard.
"Miss Marcott, what..." Ah, Luna is also looking at me strangely, but there's doubt flickering in her eyes when she looks at her party member. Wow, she has so little faith in you, it's almost pitiful.
"I was just joking. It seems it was not apparent enough." Or my acting got much better.
"Please, Lady Marcott, do not scare me so." Strangely enough, the bard looks relieved. What? Do you think you forgot something happening that didn't really happen?
"Anyway..." Luna tries to bring the situation back on track. Right, we came here for a reason. "Where are Rolan and Gram?"
"They are not back yet. I found some interesting information and returned early, in case someone was here already." He looks proud of himself. Let us hear what you found out, and see if it can compare to my information. "It appears the merchant Sveinn Itkonen used to be a slave trader up until the ban on slavery. Since then he has changed his business and is dealing in luxury items for nobles in the capital."
So it's only superficial knowledge, even though the slave-trading part is quite significant.
"No, he has not quit that trade. We learned from an encounter with a group of kidnappers aiming for elves that Sveinn is turning them into slaves and smuggling them out of the city. They were in the process of taking Lady Nightwane when we found them." Luna's leaving out the fact that she was knocked out cold during the most important part and that I gleaned that information from them, but I won't complain. She has more persuasiveness within the group.
"If that is true, I wonder why he needs to hire so many security guards from the outside? Would it not be better to hire members of the underground slave ring?" The bard falls into thought.
"Maybe the guards employed from the guild act as camouflage?" Luna makes that point. I thought so, too. Seeing as how Gram was all friendly with the gate guards, it wouldn't be surprising for them to let the caravan through upon seeing their buddies escorting it.
"But how does he intend to transport ten carriages full of slaves and not let the escorts know? It's impossible to keep that many people silent for such a long journey." The bard brings up something that has been bothering me, too. Frankly speaking, how does he intend to keep such a big thing under wraps? Of course, on the surface, he can be trading in luxury goods, but having ten carriages means he has a large number of kidnapped elves to transport. It would need them to remain entirely still during the journey, locked inside hidden compartments inside the wagons. I'd think that some of them would scream for help when they hear voices not belonging to the slavers outside.
Additionally, if they kidnap established people in this town, such as Lady Nightwane - no matter how badly her business is going - it will cause suspicion, too. Maybe he doesn't intend to return here after the job.
"I think it is possible that the slaves are put under a Stasis spell for the journey, and are then simply stacked up inside wooden crates." What's that spell? It sounds sci-fi. Luna seems to have found a plausible explanation. You're quite the detective, aren't you?
From then on, I just kept listening until their discussion seemed to draw to a close. The question in the room now is what they should do about it. If it's an organization, not knowing how far it reaches could be dangerous when trying to expose it. After all, adventurers don't have any social standing to speak of since they're considered drifters - kind of like part-timers in Japan.
"Oh, you're back already." It's Gram's voice, with Rolan walking next to him. So the party is back together.
- Adventurers are sharing information -
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
"I see... we have to do something about it. To think such problems still existed in this kingdom." Rolan states with a grim expression. I knew he was the righteous type from the very beginning because he "saved" me from the streets and wants to slay the demon lord to make life better for humans. If I had been reincarnated as a human, I could see myself joining him in his endeavor.
"I think it'd be best to let the guild know about this. We can have someone adept at stealth search his carriages to see if there really are slaves on board, then deliver him to the city watch on departure." Gram's suggestion seems quite solid. I'd vote for you if I had a say in this matter. I'm not a proper member of the party, so I keep quiet.
"Yes, that sounds good. Let's go and find the three that attacked Runa. If we capture them, we can get them to confess." Rolan is getting ahead of himself. That might be quite dangerous. Actually, please don't try to search for them; they're all inside me. But even if they weren't and you found them, what would you do if they belonged to a large group with an extensive underground network that includes skilled assassins and mercenaries? At least that's how these things usually go in these stories.
"I don't think we should do that. If they have powerful people backing them, then we're at a disadvantage." Yes, listen to Gram. "If the slaves are being delivered to the capital, it can only mean they're being sold to the nobles there. Running afoul of them would be quite dangerous."
Is it just me or is this whole thing getting bigger and bigger? I've stumbled into something outrageous here. I just wanted to get to the capital and learn more about this country, but now I'm with a group that's talking about breaking up an underground slave ring that might be operating on a national scale. You're only four people! Oh wait, maybe with the whole adventurers guild, they also have quite some reach? But what makes you think they don't have their finger in the pie, too?
"What do you think, Miss Chloe?" Oh, interesting. Luna isn't glaring at Rolan for calling me by my given name.
"As a noble, I believe it would be my duty to act in the interest of the people." I'm spouting some typical idealistic nonsense I learned from manga. Either they dismiss my idealism and continue to think that I'm pure, or they are inspired by it - no loss for me either way. "We cannot leave slavery alone. Individual freedom is the most sacred right one has."
I don't mind going to war against these slavers, but I'll abandon ship if it takes too long. I have to be somewhere within three years, and at this point I don't even know how many days make up a year in this world.
"Miss Chloe..." Rolan looks at me in astonishment and a hint of admiration. Oh, did you fall for me? "If only all nobles thought that way, the kingdom would be a much better place." Praise me more! "Yes, I believe it is our duty to stop these unlawful machinations. As a matter of fact, they attacked Runa and could have taken her, too." I can smell an ulterior motive called revenge.
Ah, the topic is going to head in that direction now.
"But... you say this doll saved you?" He points at Senka with an unmistakably displeased face. So even you dislike this design? Well, it makes sense; her appearance is quite harrowing if you were to think of her as an actual human being.
As if in response, Senka's neck makes a creaking noise, and she turns to face Rolan. Her mouth moves and she laughs mechanically. Wow, you even got the perfect angle, the same as the one you used on Luna earlier. This way you'll look consistent and you being an automaton will be more believable. Hah, even he is freaked out by you moving like that.
"That is... quite the doll." I know, right? "You really want to bring it along?" Yes, anything wrong with that?
"Yes, anything wrong with that?" Oops, I said it out loud. And in my usual tone, too.
"Ah? Well... no, it's alright." He's surprised but doesn't comment on it, but instead gives in. Hah, what a pushover.
"Actually, I almost forgot about it, but where did you get the money for the doll from?" I've been expecting that question from Luna for a while now.
"The kidnappers dropped their purses and some other items when they ran away." It may be unbelievable, but I have a few other items to show if you want more evidence. "I thought it was only fair to use their money to free our savior from that awful store."
There, I said it, the store was awful. Luna has a sympathetic expression on her face when I say that. So even you think it's awful. Why do you even know it in the first place? Must have something to do with magic, I guess.
Nobody questions it any further. In fact, Gram laughs heartily at the explanation. Good, Senka was accepted by the others, so there's no problem anymore. Luna has also resigned with a sigh and doesn't try to resist me carrying the creepy doll with me anymore.
"So, our next move is to contact the guild." Rolan is entering his leader mode. "Gram, talk to your friends in the city watch. Only those you really trust. We don't know if the governor is in on it. Sigurd, you accompany him. Runa and Miss Chloe come with me to the guild. We may need you to tell how it happened again."
Ah, a flower in each hand for you, huh?
With this, we split up again and quickly head in the direction of the guild. I wasn't there earlier, so I'm interested in how it looks on the inside, and what kind of people are frequenting it.
"Phew..." Senka makes that noise after a while. "I couldn't talk with the bard around. I'm sure he has incredibly sharp ears." You're right on the mark. Lucky that you're so perceptive. I'm walking a few steps behind the adventurer couple so that we can whisper to each other. "So, you intend to stick with them for the time being?"
"Yes, they're quite interesting. I have to be back in the demon castle within three years, but I have enough time for a small adventure like this." It's refreshing to be able to talk about my true goals. For some reason, I fully trust this horror doll-like girl; there must be a good reason for it. I'm sure of it.
"I can see that. These two in front of us make the perfect targets for messing around with. The bard, too." A kindred spirit~ "That Gram guy reminds me of my foster father from a different era, though. Only that this one has no hair on his head, but a magnificent amount in his face, while my foster father was the other way round. Their height is similar, too. I want to climb on his shoulders..." Please don't do that; I feel like he'll have a heart attack from that.
"What do you think about this whole slavery affair?"
"Very textbook for such a fantasy setting."
"I know, right? At least the demons really do some evil stuff and the humans aren't the actual bad guys, as is often the case when one is reincarnated on the demons' side." I've read a lot of such stories. Escapism? No such thing.
"Just don't trip over that trope later on. Don't let your sympathy with the humans cause you to hesitate, when the time comes."
"That, I won't." I think I'm having a pretty sinister grin on my face. "Human lives don't matter to me."
Ah, the brainiac inside me just died. That was quite a bit longer than the first time when I tried to keep the Vularen alive inside my body. I'm getting better at this. I'll need to find more to practice with soon.