Reborn As A Beastman With A System

Chapter 158: Racial Differences!

"Who is this?"

Art, the fox-man, asked in surprise as his eyes landed on the figure standing next to Logan.

Logan, noticing the curiosity, smiled and gestured toward the man. "This is my uncle, Begon."

Art's surprise quickly transformed into recognition. "Ah, the chief's uncle!" he said with a broad grin. Boone, the Beastman standing beside him, also nodded respectfully. "Greetings, Lord Begon!" They both understood that Begon wasn't just a relative, he was a significant figure within the tribe's leadership, likely wielding considerable influence.

Begon offered them a polite nod, his expression calm and measured. "Hello," he responded, his tone neither warm nor cold. He had little attachment to formalities; after all, in the world they lived in, power and status were dictated by strength, wealth, and the law of the jungle. He understood that the fox-man Art and the Beastman Boone were slave traders, but it didn't matter.

Whether in the human or Beastmen world, slavery was an unfortunate reality; especially when driven by the ruthless dynamics of survival.

Breaking the silence, Art smiled and leaned forward slightly. "Mr. Chief, Mr. Begon, since we've been doing business with your tribe for quite some time, we've prepared our latest pricing."

Art spoke confidently, laying out the grim figures without hesitation. "For an ordinary Beastman warrior, the price is four silver coins. Female Beastmen will cost six silver coins each, children are five silver coins, and elderly Beastmen go for one silver coin."

He paused, glancing at the reactions of Logan and Begon before continuing. "As for other races, the higher-ranking Beastmen are priced one silver coin below the Beastmen. Mid-tier Beastmen will be two silver coins lower, and the lowest-ranking Beastmen will cost three silver coins less."

Logan listened without immediately responding. His expression was thoughtful, his mind processing the implications of the numbers. The disparity in the pricing wasn't surprising, especially for the female Beastmen. They were prized because of their ability to bear children, a value that transcended species or tribal loyalties. Reproduction, as always, was key to survival and strength.

But there was more to it. Female Beastmen were also sought after in the human world, where they fetched prices that could be many times higher than their male counterparts. The human demand for beauty aligned with their own aesthetics, and if a female Beastmen happened to meet those standards, her value could soar.

Children, too, had their market. In the human lands, they could be molded, trained, and used in various ways; some as foot soldiers in death squads, others as loyal retainers. In contrast, adult warriors were typically seen as mere laborers, their value determined by their physical strength. Only those with extraordinary abilities or brute power were truly desired.

Old Beastmen? Unless they possessed a rare skill, their worth was negligible. Some slave traders wouldn't even accept them for free.

The prices Art offered were low, far lower than Begon had anticipated. For instance, six silver coins; the price of a female Beastman, could purchase hundreds of kilograms of rye. With that much food, they could easily attract and sustain a large number of famine-stricken refugees.

Still, Begon turned his gaze toward Logan, waiting for his nephew's decision. Begon had no objections to purchasing slaves; in fact, he was in favor of it. As Logan had wisely said before, wealth without strength was useless. Gold coins, no matter how many they had, would do nothing to fortify the tribe unless they were transformed into power.

The Silver Mane Tribe was already feeling the pressure. Larger, more powerful tribes had begun taking in refugees and victims of war to grow their numbers. The Silver Mane Tribe, by comparison, had fewer opportunities to gather such people. In recent weeks, despite sending out numerous search parties led by their wolf-riders, they had managed to gather fewer than a thousand victims.

Slavery was a quick and efficient solution.

"I can accept these terms," Logan finally said, his voice steady. But then his tone grew firmer, more resolute. "However, there must be balance in the races we acquire. The ratio of upper, middle, and lower races must remain consistent."

The fox-man Art blinked, caught off-guard by the stipulation. Among Beastmen, racial divisions were always a subject of debate. What one group considered a 'superior' race, others might see as merely average. There were no fixed lines, no universal agreement; except when it came to the two undisputed giants among them: the Behemoths and the Elephant Men.

Both races were legendary, their massive forms capable of standing toe-to-toe with dragons in battle. Yet, for all their power, they were rare. Their populations were sparse, their fertility low, and they lived in isolated regions; far away from the plains, grasslands, and forests that most Beastmen tribes called home.

These mighty beings were rarely seen in the bustling Beastmen markets, and acquiring one was nearly impossible.

Still, Logan' demand for a balanced supply made sense. Strength came not only from raw numbers but from variety. A tribe that included a range of talents and strengths from different races was more likely to survive the challenges ahead.

Art, after a brief pause, nodded with a smile. "Understood, Mr. Chief. We'll ensure the balance you seek."

And with that, negotiations continued, the weight of their decisions hanging over the future of the tribe.

The lion-men and tiger-men, fierce rivals among the Beastmen races, constantly quarreled over which was the superior race. Each believed they were the most powerful, dismissing the other as inferior. Their rivalry was so notorious that other Beastmen races had largely grown indifferent to their bickering.

After all, the truly supreme races, the Behemoths and Elephant-men, were so rare that they often went unmentioned in these debates, living in isolation far from the daily concerns of the more populous tribes.

Next in line came the Beastmen. Known for their intelligence and military prowess, the Beastman tribe ranked among the top fifty Beastmen tribes; a remarkable feat in the sprawling Beastmen hierarchy. Although some might think "top fifty" sounded insignificant, the reality was far from it.

Ahead of the wolves were races like the ratmen, rabbitmen, and ogres, tribes that, while physically weaker and less intelligent, compensated with sheer numbers.

Their ability to reproduce was their greatest asset, resulting in overwhelming populations. For every Beastman in the world, there might be hundreds, even thousands of ratmen or rabbitmen. Some might find this hard to believe, but in truth, the gap was even more extreme. A world with 30 million Beastmen could easily host hundreds of millions, even billions, of ratmen and rabbitmen.

After the Beastmen came the Minotaurs, another powerful tribe. Following closely were the bear-men, boar-men, leopard-men, and the airborne races like the black eagles, golden eagles, and swans. Water races like the crocodile-men also held a strong presence. Together, these were recognized as the superior Beastmen, though their numbers were far smaller compared to the lower-tier races.

As for the middle-class beastmen, their numbers were so vast that trying to count them would be futile. Then came the inferior races; kobolds, ratmen, and rabbitmen; whose populations thrived in the shadows of the superior tribes.

Begon listened to his nephew's agreement with Art's terms and kept his thoughts to himself. Whether the price was high or low, he trusted Logan's judgment. His nephew was the best strategist in matters of trade and survival. Yet, Begon fully understood the importance of the ratio Logan insisted upon.

Flooding the tribe with low-tier Beastmen like ogres, gnolls, or ratmen wouldn't strengthen their power. It would only burden them with mouths to feed and little to gain.

Art, the fox-man, responded with a broad grin, "Of course, Chief, your request is entirely reasonable."

In fact, even if Logan hadn't made that stipulation, Art wouldn't have risked ruining their partnership. Logan was a valued client, one they couldn't afford to lose. Besides, Art's slave-hunting group had no interest in dealing with inferior races in large numbers. Though they were abundant, their market value was virtually nonexistent. Trading them was more hassle than it was worth.

"So, when can you deliver the first batch of slaves, and how many can we expect?" Logan asked, getting straight to business.

"Three days from now," Art replied confidently. "We'll deliver over 6,000 slaves in the first batch. Give me another half-month, and we'll bring in over 10,000 more."

"Three days?" Begon couldn't hide his surprise. The speed at which Art could mobilize such a large group of slaves was startling.

Logan, on the other hand, remained calm. His experience with Art's slave-hunting group left him unsurprised by their efficiency. If Art's group couldn't deliver this quickly, they wouldn't have lasted in the slave trade, much less been a successful supplier to the Silver Mane Tribe.

Transporting slaves to the Silver Mane Tribe was considerably easier than the dangerous journey to the human world, which was fraught with peril. Art and Boone, the Beastman beside him, exchanged knowing glances at Lot's surprise. This new cooperation would be a game-changer for them. No longer would they have to risk the arduous and risky trips to human lands.

Sending slaves to the human world came with countless challenges: treacherous roads teeming with thieves and rival slavers, dangerous checkpoints, and a justice-obsessed human church that looked down upon the trade. Despite accusations of cruelty and disdain from outsiders, the profits weren't as easy to come by as people thought.

Many assumed that slavers lived lives of luxury and ease, but the truth was that more often than not, half their efforts ended in failure, with heavy losses.

Yet, even with all these challenges, Art and Boone both agreed that it was still far easier than regular trade. In ordinary business, lacking strong connections and power could mean disaster. In comparison, slave trading; though filled with its own dangers, offered them a better chance at survival and profit. At least in this brutal business, they had a fighting chance to come out ahead.

And now, with a direct deal with the Silver Mane Tribe, they had found a way to maximize their profits while minimizing their risks.