Chapter 52: Chapter 52: The Captured Merchant
Ron gave the Indomitable ring, which had one use left, to Sera. The barbarian’s kill-or-be-killed fighting style was a perfect match for it.
Besides, they had an advantage over the Mad Frogman King: they had a Priest who could heal. Although taking double damage was still dangerous, it meant that when their backs were against the wall, they wouldn’t have to let Sera just die.
Aive and Victoria had no objections to this arrangement. Delaford had actually wanted the ring, but after Sera "kindly" suggested they compete for it fairly, one look at her muscles was enough for him to back down.
"Let’s rest for a bit, then explore a little deeper." Ron looked into the seemingly empty depths of the cave, but decided to be thorough just in case.
"Ron... Is that Lord Ron?"
Just as the party was slowly advancing deeper into the cave, a hoarse voice caught their attention.
They were cages woven from some kind of tough plant, hung from the cave ceiling by the Mad Frogmen. Three of the cages still held living people, while the rest were beginning to give off the stench of decay.
The voice had come from one of the three prisoners.
"You know me?" Ron looked up. It was a Dragon Descendant in their early thirties, but Ron couldn’t tell their gender. Dragon Descendants were generally much taller and more robust than typical humanoids, and their physiology differed from that of humans. Judging their sex based on body shape and physical characteristics was quite difficult for him.
"Of course! I stayed at the trading post for two days, and you were there at the time!" The Dragon Descendant coughed with difficulty a couple of times. When they spoke again, their voice was much clearer, and only then did Ron realize she was female.
However, her current state was not exactly dignified—the Mad Frogmen had taken almost everything from her, not even leaving behind a scrap of clothing. The bronze scales covering the Dragon Descendant’s entire body were completely exposed.
"You’re Sulina?" Victoria recognized her. "Weren’t you heading to Fromm Town to do business? How did you get captured here?"
"It’s a long story..." The Dragon Descendant, Sulina, sounded embarrassed. "If it’s not too much trouble, could you let us down first before we talk?"
After the group found the ropes holding the cages and lowered the three prisoners, Victoria recognized the other two as well. They were all travelling merchants who had crossed from the other side of the Delusional Land, heading for Fromm Town. Because Ron had been recovering from an illness for the past few days, Victoria had been managing most of the affairs at the trading post, which naturally included registering all who passed through.
"Oh, thank you! You’re such kind people!" Sulina took the blanket Aive offered, wrapped it around herself, and finally let out a sigh of relief. "If only you were a little more efficient, though."
"More efficient? In what way?" Ron was confused.
"Clearing out the Delusional Land, of course," Sulina said, glancing at her two companions. They were ordinary humans, their constitutions much weaker than hers. Though still alive, they were so gaunt they were barely recognizable. She was the only one who could still speak. "There are still so many monsters running around this place. The safety of people like us still isn’t guaranteed—of course, it was never guaranteed before, either."
"The only thing that’s changed now is the addition of the trading post, and for that, we really have you to thank. You know, compared to preparing all the supplies for a long journey, paying a small fee here is nothing."
"Why do you want to do business in Fromm Town?" Ron asked curiously. "Do they have any special local products?"
"Honestly, no," Sulina said, winking playfully. "But Fromm Town is on the shortest route to Cloud Port. Even though both the Delusional Land and the Gobi Desert are dangerous, if you make the trip successfully just once, you can live well for years. So, people like us are willing to take a bit of a risk."
"Take me, for example. I bring lumber from the other side, then import pearls and other materials from Cloud Port on the way back. I’ve travelled this route four times, and including this trip, my success rate is fifty percent."
"But the profit margin can reach one to two thousand percent."
"That’s an insane profit..." Ron couldn’t help but be astonished. "But is it really worth it? Aren’t there any safer routes?"
"There are, but they’re too far," Sulina said after a moment’s thought. "It’s safer to travel by water along the continental coastline, but just getting to the port from my home is a huge detour. Do you have any idea how many towns and city-states you have to pass through? And how much they all charge in tolls? After being fleeced again and again, there’s no money left for us to make!"
"Add to that all sorts of miscellaneous taxes. After getting robbed in the Gobi Desert last time, a companion of mine tried that long route once. In the end, he actually lost six Gold Coins and three Silver Coins. Isn’t that hilarious?"
"No wonder that guy I was escorting before wanted to cross the mountains," Aive nodded. "He just didn’t expect the mountains to be even more dangerous than the lowlands."
"We wouldn’t dare go into the great mountains!" Sulina said hurriedly. "I heard that a spice merchant from Rose City went to pioneer a new trade route and was never heard from again!"
Aive: "..."
’Of course there was no news! The only survivor is standing right in front of you!’
"I think I understand now. So, tell me, what went wrong this time?" Ron nodded slightly. "You had already reached the trading post, so why were you captured by the Mad Frogmen out here?"
"We resupplied at your place and then set out for Fromm Town, but something happened that night," Sulina said, her head hanging low. "A giant flying monster spotted the horses pulling our cargo. It swooped down and began to feast on them. The guards tried to stop it, but they were easily crushed."
"We saw with our own eyes as its tail pierced several soldiers, stringing them together like a shish kebab before it started eating them."
"We were terrified and ran for our lives in this direction. But it was too dark, and in our panic, we ran right into a swamp. Suddenly, the ground gave way beneath our feet—and the next thing we knew, we woke up here."
As Sulina spoke, she clutched the blanket tighter around herself, still shaken by the memory.
"Don’t tell me you ran into a wild griffin..." Victoria frowned. "Those powerful creatures love to prey on horses. You were really unlucky to encounter one."
"It wasn’t a griffin. You think I wouldn’t recognize a griffin?" Sulina shook her head repeatedly. "It did have the body of a lion, but its tail was long and thin, and its face was flat. It was bizarre-looking."
"Oh, right! It could also speak the Common Language, but it sounded awful!"
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