abcnovels
Chapter 011 – Town of Vale
Chapter 011 – Town of Vale
Town of Vale
The wagon kept advancing as the question about bonus points was solved.
The woods parted suddenly and a castle wall can be seen ahead.
“Is that the town of vale?”
“Yes”
“It is very big.”
I think the length of one side of the walls might be one kilometer.
It can’t compare to a modern Japanese city, however given the cost to build the walls it would be quite a city.
There are fields outside the walls, probably maintained by residents of Vale.
I could not see them until the forest stopped.
The sun isn’t even halfway across the sky yet.
If I consider the time to hunt the Gumi slime along with the travel time, is it about 3 hours?
Probably, the length of one hour here is the same as one hour from earth.
“It is the best city around here.”
The merchant proudly speaks.
Several wagons had gathered in the surroundings of the city.
The merchants wagon passes by them as it approaches the city.
Even though there is a castle gate, there is no guard.
There doesn’t appear to be any inspections carried out either.
“Can you freely enter the town?”
“Of course, because of movement magic even the walls are not that high.”
Movement magic. Are there these kind of things?
If you can move with magic, I guess it would be pointless to have inspections at the gate.
Is that it?
Then what is the point of the castle walls?
If people can move around with magic, why did we come to Vale by wagon?????
“Really?”
It’s strange, but there is probably a reason.
Is the castle wall to protect against demons?
We probably came by wagon because we can’t use movement magic.
The wagon entered into the town.
“First stop is the slave dealers, next is the knights headquarters, followed by the weapon and armor vendors. How does that sound to you?
“Good.”
The merchant tells me his plans while entering the town.
The wagon advanced into the town.
The road is wide, and paved with stone. The buildings on both sides are an amazing four stories high and covered with plaster.
It is a remarkable thing, especially for a civilization level that doesn’t even have a store.
There is plenty of people walking about, though I wouldn’t call it crowded.
It could be called a calm town.
I saw villagers, merchants, farmers, fighters, and swordsmen walking around.
I wonder if they all live in this city?
“The center of the city is just ahead, but we are heading to the right.”
“I understand.”
The wagon turns right onto another road.
“This area of town is a bit dangerous, don’t go onto the back roads.”
“I’ll be careful.”
There is a place that looks like it might be a brothel.
Shops to dazzle your senses.
There must be a demand on these things in this world.
The slums are nearby, are there gangs ruling these kinds of places in this world?
This needs to be investigated.
It’s fine if I don’t go there, but since I live in this world now it is important that I know what kind of danger there is.
If it is a place that is dangerous, I will have to learn about it.I should go for investigation.
I should investigate thoroughly. (TN: It’s not clear, but he’s still thinking about the brothel I think.)
It is investigation in a different world.
Even if you go to those kinds of places for investigation it is an excusable thing.
It is unavoidable if it’s for investigation.
It’s not right or wrong.
While thinking about it, the wagon turns right and then stops next to the second house along.
Is this the slave dealer? Red brick 3 stories. It looks like a common private house.
“Are you here for business?”
When the cart stops, A young man dashes out from in the house.
Merchant Lv3. Since his level is low he must still be an apprentice.
“I came to deliver a criminal who has been dropped to slave rank.”
After hearing the words of the merchant, the man checks the cage.
“I accepted it, please enter the shop.”
The merchant and I enter the shop.
“It will be better if I sell the slave.”
I mention this to the merchant as we are lead to the back.
If it’s me, there is a rise of 30 percent.
“Sure, please take this then.”
The merchant passes me a letter.
“What’s this?”
“The letter of ownership from the village chief. ”
Was there such a thing?
I accept the letter as we are guided into a room.
I sit on a sofa, and after a short time a man comes out.
Alan: Male, 63 years old
Slave trader Lv44
Is there also a Slave trader job?
And this guy is the highest level I’ve seen so far, is he really skillful?
Or was the village i was in too far into the country to see many high level people?
“I am Alan, the master of this house.”
“I’m Michio.”
“I’m Bikka of the Somara village.”
“Please take a seat.”
After the greetings i sit down on the sofa.
The sofa is very comfortable .
He must be a rich person since he can afford slaves.
“The city seems to be quite busy today.”
The merchant began to talk.
It’s just a chat.
“Didn’t you know? A Maze was found two days ago.”
“Is it a labyrinth?”
Hmm. Is there a labyrinth?
Come to think of it , did I choose a setting where there is both fields and dungeons?
I devoted myself to silently collecting information.
“Didn’t you encounter demons near the town?”
“We encountered them twice, but it wasn’t that close to Vale.”
“It’s probably increasing the strength of other Labyrinths too.”
“Yes, we encountered a Gumi Slime today.”
“Wow, are you alright?”
The slave merchant asks with a worried look on his face.
?????????????????
“Yes, Mishio here defeated it.”
“On his own?”
“Yes, Michio is also the person who helped the village against theives recently.”
I felt uncomfortable getting praised.
So i changed the topic.
“The man who tried to steal the thief’s equipment got his rank dropped to that of a slave in accordance with the rules of the village.”
“I understand.”
“This is the letter of ownership from the village chief.”
I take out the letter.
The Slave merchant accepts the letter.
“I’ll look it over.”
“We will hand over half of the sale price to Michio.”
The merchant Bikka explains to the slave trader while he reads the letter.
“I see.”
“How is it?”
“Everything is in order. The man has a healthy body and is in the prime of life, I think that about 30,000 nars should be the market price.”
I watched the merchant.
I don’t understand the market price.
The merchant nods slightly.
“I see. That will be fine.”
“Thank you.”
“Please pay half to me and the other half to Michio.”
The 30% bonus did not seem to work.
When it is a slave, maybe it does not work?
“Is this your first time here?”
The slave trader asks me.
“This is the first time I’ve been to this town.”
“Is that so. Are you an adventurer?”
It might happen.
Does my face look like that of an adventurer?
Or maybe adventurers wander around villages handling thieves?
“No, I’m not part of a guild either.”
“Then, are you thinking of buying a slave in future?”
Wait. What did you say?
“A slave… Buy… You can buy an adventurer?”
I worked out the story somehow.
“Yes, there are quite a few.”
I could buy a slave.
I didn’t even consider it for some reason.
Am I being influenced by my modern day Japanese common sense too much?
There are slaves in this world.
Because I sold a slave, I should be able to buy a slave.
If I buy a female slave, what kind of things can I ask her to do?
If I buy a female slave, will she…
If I buy a female slave…
“Really? It hasn’t been long since I’ve left my teacher, I was training in the mountains before this so I’m a bit ignorant on how things work.”
I use an excuse I was thinking about.
If I say I’m from the country and was training in the mountains then it’s a good excuse for why I don’t know things, and why I am so strong.
Though the truth is I’m strong because of durandal.
“I see. You do look quite young, are you thinking of going to the Labyrinth near town?”
“Maybe, that might be good.”
If there is dungeon, you go in.
If there is a hole, you stick it in. That’s what it means to be a man.
“In that case, let’s talk about it again another time.”
“Sure, I’ll come by again.”
I’ve heard something good.
The slave dealer goes out of a room briefly, and returns with money.
“Here’s 15,000 nars, its half of the money.”
“Thank you.”
The merchant receives his half first.
One gold coin and a lot of silver coins. Is 10,000 nars a gold coin?
“I look forward to future’s dealings with you, your half is 19,500 nars.”
The slave trader offers me the second plate of money.
One gold coin, and an amazing amount of silver coins.
Am I the only one that receives the 30% bonus?
I watch the merchant of the village for an instant, but seem to think nothing at all in particular.
About having been said that I bought a slave about the 30% up.
“Thank you.”
Being able to buy a slave shocks me a bit.
How do I buy a slave?
Isn’t it a crime to buy a slave?
No, that’s just modern Japanese ethics.
I need to use this worlds ethics here.
I came to sell a slave because of the rules of the village, but now that I’ve done that I guess it wouldn’t be that strange if I bought one.
Though it feels strange to sell people as slaves.
It makes me feel a bit depressed.
Now I’m feeling bad, so I might try and run away.
“Well Michio, I look forward to seeing you again.”
He seems to have remembered my name.
I guess it’s not possible to run away.
Maybe that’s good. I should come again.
I want to hear about the labyrinth.
The merchant and I leave the slave traders house.
After the merchant makes a U-turn in the wagon, I get in too.
After heading back the way we came a bit we then start heading towards the city center.
“Is that a market?”
There were stalls set up along both sides of the road.
Food and clothing on display, with people gathering around.
Soldier Lv41
Swordsman Lv47
Shinto priest Lv35
Cook Lv28
There’s a lot of good jobs.
The people also seem to be of quite a high level.
Adventurer Lv13
There really is a job named adventurer too.
That building is the headquarters of the knight group.
As we head towards the middle of the city the merchant points to it.
Is it the center of the town? There is a large open plaza with a large brick bell tower building to the left.
The wagon stops in front of the that building.
“××××××××××”
“××××××××××”
A knight comes out of the building and speaks to the merchant about something.
Knight Lv4
His level is low.
I guess he’s still an apprentice.
“Michio, show him the thief’s intelligence card.”
The merchant spoke.
“Okay.”
Oh, I see.
I didn’t know why we came here.
I can get reward money for the thief.
I take down a rucksack and open a drawstring purse bag and take the card out of the inside.
I handed it to the apprentice knight.
The merchant also hands two over, I assume from the thieves the villagers defeated.
I looked at the thief’s intelligence card, but nothing was written on it.
Can he get information from it?
“I will confirm the intelligence cards.”
“Yes, please do.”
The merchant stretches out an arm towards the Lv4 Knight.
The back of his hand is near the Knight’s face.
“Intentions of the soul, breath of wisdom, intelligence card, open!”
So the intelligence cards that need to be confirmed are ours?
Dangerous.
Will you confirm mine?
Do I really have an intelligence card?
If i don’t, what happens?
The knight finishes confirming the card of the merchant.
The merchant lowers his arm. The knight watches me next.
Oh, I have no choice but to try.
There didn’t seem to be a choice, so I held out my left hand.
I raised it in front of the knights face.
“Is this fine?”
“Intentions of the soul, breath of wisdom, intelligence card, open!”
An intelligence card came out from the back of my hand, despite me feeling anxious about it.
Now I’m anxious because it came out.
What will happen.
“…How is it?”
I’m worried because the knight is silent, so I ask about it.
The silence is scary.
“…You have a family name?…Odd. Your a free man. That’s fine.”
I seem to pass.
The knight went into the building.
I try to look at my intelligence card.
Kaga Michio: Male 17 years old, Villager, free man.
It was written as kanji with Arabic numerals.
It’s probably unusual in this world to have a family name.
I seem to be a free man.
There are slaves, and there are free men, are there also nobles?
“What did he check?”
“Whether your job is a thief or not. If it was a thief I cannot hand over the reward. ”
When the merchant responds, I freeze up for a second.
I have the job of thief.
My job written on the intelligence card is Villager it seems.
Is the first job shown as the main job?
Villager is good as the first job.
“Oh.”
I breathe out lightly.
It seems the intelligence card can’t be separated from the hand, even if pulled. After pushing it slightly, it disappeared back into my hand.
I wonder how it works.
“The thief’s card is being checked inside. We’ll know the result straight away.”
“How did we get the cards from the thieves?”
“Thirty minutes after a person dies, it comes out naturally.”
The merchant explains it.
You can’t take an intelligence card from someone still living.
One woman came out before long from the headquarters.
Radia Maxi Nantes Gozzeru: Female, 28 years old.
Knight Lv27
Equipment: Magical armor, Boots of acceleration.
Her level isn’t high, but she has equipment I haven’t seen before, and her name is complicated.
She is probably from a noble family.
She is beautiful with a well defined body. Her chest is not that big though.
She has blonde hair, tied together at the back.
” Are you the one who defeated the thief?”
She looks at me with curious eyes.
“Yes”
“They are from the band of thieves that control the slums in this town. Some of them probably went out to plunder from villages. We are preparing bounty money for you. The other thieves did not have a bounty yet.”
The Knight looked towards the merchant for an instant.
“I understand.”
The two cards that the merchant gave them must have been useless.
The Lv4 Knight comes out of the headquarters.
He passes a white bag to the female knight.
“Here is the bounty money.”
She tosses me the bag.
“Wow.”
I quickly grabbed it.
“You should leave here quickly.”
The female Knight finishes speaking, then hurries back into the headquarters.
Oh?
Is that all that happens?
It’s a pity, since she is beautiful I should have at least given her my name.
“Thank you very much.”
A merchant says, and we start to leave with the wagon.
Is this really all that happens?
Blunt.
Even though this is the knights headquarters, there is no discussion about the attack on the village?
No. I understand it.
I really understand it.
A person with an appearance like mine can only get this far when speaking to a beautiful woman.
A guy who is not popular on earth will not be popular here either.
Why would I be popular here when I wasn’t on earth?
There is no reason.
“Is the weapon shop next?”
I check with the merchant in a tired voice.
Haa.
“Yes.”
The merchant guides the wagon forwards.
I put the bounty money into the rucksack. Did the 30% bonus work?
Maybe not, because it’s a bounty?
I’m not sure.
Getting a 30% bonus.
That would have been nice.
After we travel for a while, a shop with a sword comes into view.
Is this the weapon shop?
Two handed sword.
Skill: Double intellect, Flame sword, Purification.
An amazing large sword is the centerpiece of the store.
It has three skills. It must be quite good.
The wagon stops, so I get out.
A man comes over.
Weapon merchant Lv21
Is there a weapon merchant job too?
“Greetings.”
“Welcome, what can I do for you?”
“I want to sell swords.”
I show the weapon merchant the swords in the wagon.
“Soul of the weapon, unleash the power, weapon judgment!”
The weapons merchant looks at the copper sword while muttering.
Wow.
I’m quite shocked.
I’m surprised because an intelligence card came out.
It looks like there is a skill for weapon appraisal.
Though my judgement skill doesn’t use an incantation, and it’s really good.
“How is it?”
“18 copper swords, they are 250 nars each.”
The merchant nods lightly.
Two of the eighteen shares belong to the villagers.
“Ok. ”
“One iron sword, the price is 1000 nars.”
“Yea.”
“After that……”
The weapon merchant picks up the Flame Rapier.
“How is it?”
“A weapon with a skill, Flame Rapier. I will buy it for 18,000 nars.”
As expected of a weapon with a skill, the price is higher.
The merchant looks a bit surprised, but nods.
“I see.”
“The price of the Scimitar is 500 nars.”
The arms dealer says after only a quick look at the Scimitar.
“Does that price consider the empty skill slots?”
“I don’t know what you mean, you can’t put a skill on this sword.”
The weapons merchant seems annoyed at my request.
Doesn’t he understand the empty slots?
“Ok, so there is no skill. How much is this one?”
I show the weapon merchant the copper sword that I keep at my waist.
“Soul of the weapon, unleash the power, weapon judgment! It’s just a plain copper sword, 250 nars is the market price.”
He put emphasis on “plain”.
There is an empty slot in my copper sword.
Maybe he really doesn’t understand empty slots?
Anyway, it’s apparent that it isn’t reflected by the price.
“I understand. I will keep the Scimitar. I would like to sell the other swords.”
“Thank you very much. You brought a large quantity. I’d like to buy the lot for 30,550 nars.”
So is it 30% bonus?
I don’t really know if it works.
“That will be fine.”
“Certainly. Just a moment.”
The weapons dealer goes inside, then returns with a plate of coins.”
Three gold coins, Five silver coins, and a large amount of copper coins.
Is 10,000 nars a gold coin after all?
Because it is troublesome I take the copper coins without counting them.
“Thank you for this.”
“Thank you.”
I put one gold coin, and all the smaller coins into my drawstring bag.
I offer two gold coins to the merchant.
“Is this all right for the villages share?”
“This is quite a bit.”
Two copper swords, the Flame Rapier, and the Scimitar come to 19,000 nars.
“I like the Scimitar, so I’ve paid highly for it.”
“Thank you, you are very kind.”
The merchant said nothing about the sale price having improved 30%.
He gets the right amount.
The skill is mine.
Next we go to the armor shop.
“The thieves the villagers defeated didn’t have any protective items, so after you unload your stuff at the armor shop we will part ways.
“Is it so? Thank you for taking care of me.”
“No. It is you who have taken care of us, thank you again for saving our village.”
I’m still sad Tirihi didn’t come along.
After unloading my stuff near the armor shop, the merchant leaves in the wagon.
The centerpiece of this shop is the same armor the beautiful female knight was wearing earlier.
Body equipment: Magical armor.
Skill: Magic damage reduction.
It seems to be a good protective item with a skill.
I set aside a set of Leather armor & Leather shoes that look good.
Then I called for a merchant.
“Excuse me?”
“Hello. Can I help you?”
Armor merchant Lv33
Weapons, and Armor merchants seem to be a different jobs.
So armor and weapons shops are all separate?
“I want you to buy these.”
“Soul of the armor, unleash the defense, armor judgement!
The armor merchant looks at the equipment.
I feel a little shy.
Are weapon appraisal and armor appraisal different skills?
A weapons merchant can use only weapon appraisal, and an armor merchant can use only armor appraisal.
“How is it?”
“The Thief’s bandana is 500 nars, Iron armor is 1,800 nars, Leather armors are 200 nars, and leather shoes are 20 nars.”
“I see.”
I do not understand the market price, so I just nod at the prices said.
The bandana of the thief was not high as expected.
Is 500 nars a sum of money someone would risk becoming a slave for?
“There are two leather armors, and seven leather boots. I’ll offer 3,692 nars for the lot.”
“Thank you.”
Maybe I’ll get the 30% bonus.
I accept the price offered.
The armor merchant brings the money.
I have a lot of small change now.