With Zeke defeated, the situation in Frost Hollow quickly came under control.
The self-proclaimed ruler of the north, along with his followers, had been humbled by a single woman. Now they gathered before Ashies, kneeling meekly.
There were injuries but no deaths.
A few were frozen, a few were cut, but none were killed—all thanks to Ashies’ strict adherence to Karami’s order not to take any lives.
“What kind of person is she?”
From a corner, Bipen watched the unfolding scene in disbelief.
To his knowledge, there was no one as strong as Zeke. Yet the so-called strongest man had been utterly defeated.
All his boasts about being unbeatable had amounted to nothing. Bipen silently cursed himself for trusting a savage.
“My business is ruined.”
He was already planning his escape, intending to return and shut everything down. With Zeke gone, the people he’d cheated would undoubtedly come for his head.
It was frustrating to leave Karami without exacting revenge, but opportunities always came around in business.
“Just you wait. I’ll make sure you can’t set foot in this world again,” he muttered, a standard line from a defeated man. Bipen turned to slip away unnoticed.
Thwack!
“Ahhh!”
An arrow whizzed past Bipen’s nose and embedded itself in the wall. Pain shot through him as a bead of blood appeared on the bridge of his nose.
If the arrow had been just a little to the side—or if Bipen had taken another step forward—it would’ve pierced his cheek clean through.
“Who did that?! Who’s firing dangerous arrows like that?!”
Outraged, Bipen turned toward the direction the arrow had come from.
“It’s me, you swindling bastard.”
It was Rinbar.
“What’s wrong with you?! Are you trying to kill me?!”
“Exactly, you scumbag. I’ve come to collect the price for what you stole from our tribe—with your life.”
Rinbar nocked another arrow on her bowstring, her eyes cold and steady. Bipen’s skin crawled. As a merchant, he was quick to pick up on intent, and her threat was genuine.
He couldn’t die in a desolate place like this at the hands of a mere savage.
“W-wait! Please wait! I’ll give you everything! Everything I’ve taken and more! If you kill me here, you’ll lose access to the supplies you need!”
“Oh, we’ve taken care of that,” came a voice from behind Rinbar.
Emerging from the shadows, Karami stepped forward. Bipen’s slit-like eyes widened in alarm.
“Th-the Reaper of Slaves?!”
“Ah, no need to be so surprised. Anyone would think I’m an actual reaper with a reaction like that.”
Of course, with Ashies present, it was only natural that her master, Karami, would also be nearby.
“What do you mean you’ve taken care of it?” Bipen asked cautiously.
“I have connections far and wide,” Karami replied with a sly grin. “I’ve already found someone to replace you. And unlike you, they won’t stab their clients in the back.”
“You’ve... already found someone? That quickly?”
It had barely been a week since Bipen had parted ways with Karami. Even transporting goods in such a short time was difficult, let alone replacing a merchant.
To Bipen, it was unbelievable.
“So then... what are we going to do with you?” Karami mused aloud. “You’re not particularly useful. Maybe we’ll offer you up as a sacrifice to appease the tribe’s anger?”
“Huh?! No! I’ll do whatever you want! Just spare my life!”
Bipen fell to his knees, groveling instinctively. For a merchant, pride was a distant second to survival.
“Oh? You’ll do anything?” Karami asked with a smirk.
“Yes! Of course!”
Bipen didn’t hesitate for a second.
If he could escape this situation, he could rebuild. He still had resources; survival was all that mattered.
“Good. I don’t particularly enjoy harming people.”
Hearing this, Bipen’s face lit up with hope, even though the thought of a so-called Reaper disliking harm was laughable.
“All you have to do,” Karami continued, “is hand over all your money, trade rights, and information about the merchant guild. Do that, and I’ll let you live.”
“...What?”
Bipen’s face fell.
“Come now. If I take everything, how am I supposed to survive?”
“Do I look like someone who cares about that? If you’re really such a great merchant, you’ll claw your way back from the bottom. Why? Don’t you have faith in yourself? I do.”
Karami squatted down in front of the groveling Bipen, flashing a taunting smile.
“I’d also recommend against hiding anything. I only offer mercy once.”
It was only then that Bipen realized the truth.
The so-called Reaper of Slaves wasn’t just a slaver. He was a merchant who played with people’s lives like commodities.
+++++
Having secured a favorable deal with Bipen, Karami left him in Rinbar’s hands.
If Rinbar decided to settle personal scores with Bipen, it wasn’t Karami’s concern.
Karami returned to Ashies, who stood before a group of tribesmen, their limbs bound in ice.
Zeke glared sharply at Karami, his voice thundering.
“So you’re the so-called Reaper of Slaves! Hiding behind a woman and barking orders—what a disgrace! Your grandiose title doesn’t match the lack of manliness you display!”
“Hahaha, if I were the type to fight myself, I wouldn’t be a merchant. I’d be a knight. And let’s be honest, losing to a woman makes you look far worse than I do.”
“You insolent—!”
Zeke tried to rise, but the ice around him crept up, freezing him completely below the neck, immobilizing him.
“You’d do well to watch your words. One kick from me, and your body will shatter like ice,” Karami said coolly.
“Urgh...!”
Karami planted his foot firmly on Zeke’s chest. Though Zeke ground his teeth in fury, he could do nothing.
“Rami... can’t break it,” Ashies said suddenly.
“Pardon?”
Ashies interjected from beside him.
“This... my magic. Rami can’t break it... ever.”
She was well aware of how weak Karami was. He had no magical prowess, and this wasn’t ordinary ice but enchanted ice. Breaking it was out of the question for him.
An awkward silence followed.
Karami picked up a discarded weapon from the ground.
“Haha, if you don’t answer my questions, I’ll... use this weapon on you.”
“That won’t work either...” Ashies commented bluntly.
“...”
Karami tossed the weapon aside with a sigh.
“Hahaha! If you show even the slightest hint of rebellion, my slave will shatter you to pieces. You’d be wise to cooperate.”
He studiously ignored the judging stares from everyone around him.
“What do you want?” Zeke finally asked.
“First, I plan to free the people you’ve kidnapped and brought here. Now, I need two volunteers to bring them over. First come, first served.”
Few understood what “first come, first served” meant, but two quick-witted tribesmen immediately scrambled forward.
“You traitorous bastards!”
Those who realized what was happening too late cursed them, but it was pointless. This group had always been driven by self-interest rather than loyalty.
The two returned shortly, escorting a group of people—most of them women. Their battered appearances made it clear they had suffered greatly.
The women, upon seeing the kneeling tribesmen, were shocked. But their gazes quickly shifted to Karami, who had subdued the tribesmen, and fear gripped them.
“Greetings, everyone. You must have endured a lot of hardship, but you can rest easy now,” Karami said, his tone almost cheerful.
“...Who are you?” one of the women asked warily.
“I’m a slave trader,” Karami replied matter-of-factly.
“Oh...”
Misfortune after misfortune. The bleakness of their future made one of the women sway unsteadily.
“S-sister!” another woman called out, catching her.
“Oh dear, I didn’t realize you were all so weak. But don’t worry. I’ll make sure you’re all in excellent health in no time,” Karami reassured them.
“Oh...”
One by one, the women fainted, collapsing to the ground.
This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēwebnovel.com.
+++++
The trauma must have been severe; every victim I spoke to fainted as if struck by sudden anemia.
These barbaric, heartless northerners—how could they leave people in such a state?
I gathered all the clothing I could find, dressing the women, and loaded them onto the carriages I had arranged in advance through the Seolwoonhoe. They were sent to the city, where they would be properly cared for.
The subdued tribesmen were handed over to the knights of Brund. They seemed eager to take them, thanking me repeatedly as they marched the prisoners away with bright smiles.
A perfect cleanup.
“And I even got what I came for~”
The jeweled ring in my hand—a piece Zeke had worn—would certainly make for an interesting story when I handed it over to Darka.
Frost Hollow was now empty, its inhabitants gone. At the center of the desolate stronghold, Ashies stood, staring blankly at her surroundings.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Just... thinking,” she replied, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.
It looked like she was imprinting the scene into her memory.
“Miss Ashies, how did you feel when you fought those people?”
“Well... I’m not sure,” she said hesitantly.
“Their expressions, their voices—did nothing stand out to you?”
Reflecting on the recent battle, Ashies finally spoke.
“They... looked scared.”
“And?”
“They were... angry?”
Her voice was uncertain, as though unsure of her own observations.
This was unfamiliar territory for Ashies. Having grown up surrounded by the positive environment of Lake Fortress, such negative emotions must have felt foreign to her.
“And how about when you wielded your sword, Miss Ashies? Did you enjoy it?”
Ashies shook her head.
“No... I didn’t. I don’t want to do it again.”
Her usual slow speech was imbued with an unfamiliar determination.
I couldn’t help but smile.
I’d been worried she might have found it enjoyable, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
“Well then, Miss Ashies. If you dislike it, I won’t ask you to do it again.”
“You won’t...?”
“Of course not. A master should never force a slave to do something they hate.”
Ashies tilted her head, her expression puzzled but unconcerned. She seemed content to accept the explanation at face value.
Ashies, whose emotions were often locked away, needed to experience a variety of feelings—not just the good ones but also the unpleasant ones.
Emotions, in most cases, precede reason. Even someone who doesn’t think deeply will naturally encounter them throughout life.
Today’s new emotions would gradually chip away at Ashies’ frozen heart, adding to her inner depth.
I was confident it would benefit her in the long run.
“Now, let’s leave this dreary place and head back to the village. Everyone must be eagerly waiting for you, Miss Ashies.”
“Okay...”
I began walking toward the exit, but Ashies didn’t follow. She stood still, staring at the ground.
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s nothing...”
Huh? I’d never seen her act evasive before.
Her gaze was slightly downward... Could it be?
“Did you just check out my butt?”
“No...”
“Ah, they say children learn bad habits first. I never thought you’d take an interest in a man’s backside, Miss Ashies.”
“It’s not like that...”
The way she couldn’t meet my eyes only made it seem more likely.
Shocking.
“A slave ogling their master with lustful eyes... This is unacceptable. Miss Ashies, you go on ahead. I’ll follow behind.”
“...”
If I hadn’t been paying attention, I might have missed it, but Ashies pouted ever so slightly.
“Are you sulking? Rebelling against your heavenly master?”
Her narrowed eyes bore into me briefly before she turned and walked away without a word. I couldn’t believe even Ashies would look at me like that.
“Could she be hitting puberty?”
As they say, you reap what you sow. But why were all my slaves turning out this way?
If they’d inherited even half the greatness of their master, I’d have no regrets.