Ugly Merchant

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Safely Escort The Wives.



Franco arrived at the stronghold, striding up to the gate with the swagger of a man who owned the place. He bellowed, "Open up! The boss's most capable man is here!"

The gate swung open instantly. Two hulking guards stepped forward, bowing slightly. "Welcome to our stronghold, Mr... uh..."

"Franco," he said, flashing a grin. "Just Franco."

"Welcome, Mr. Franco!"

He marched inside like he'd built the place himself. "Show me around. I'm here for inspection, and—" His words died in his throat as he spotted them—six miserable souls slumped in the corner, their faces long with envy while the rest of the stronghold laughed, drank, and flirted.

Franco tilted his head. "Hey, you six. Why the funeral faces?" One eye narrowed, the other bulging in exaggerated scrutiny.

One of the men lifted his head, his expression half-melted in despair. "It's not just us. There's five more."

"That's not an answer," Franco snapped.

The man sighed. "The boss said we can't force ourselves on the women—we have to court them properly, win them over. But none of us got picked. Meanwhile, that bastard Draven's got two wives."

Franco's jaw tightened. "Two wives?" His voice dropped to a dangerous growl. "Show me."

"Right there."

Franco stormed forward, the six trailing behind like a vengeful entourage. His blood boiled—he hadn't so much as received a smile from a woman since the boss took over, and this guy was hoarding two?

Then he saw Draven, tall and charming.

Franco froze. His eyes flicked between the handsome rogue and the pitiful men behind him.

Then, with a heavy sigh, he pulled them into a crushing group hug.

"It's okay, boys," he muttered, forcing a bitter smile. "Not your fault. Life's just... A bit harsh."

Franco straightened his back, a sly grin spreading across his face as an idea struck him.

"Gather around—everyone! Now!"

The crowd assembled, murmuring in confusion. Franco cleared his throat, his voice booming with authority.

"Listen up! The Boss sent me here to teach you lot how to read and write. But since I'm feeling generous…" He paused, letting the suspense build. "I'll put in a good word—get each of you unmarried fools a decent wife. As for you married men?" His grin turned sharp. "Slack off, and you'll regret it."

"That's not fair!" the married men protested.

Franco shrugged. "Call it bias if you want. My word's final."

Draven smirked, crossing his arms. "Can't blame us if the women preferred us."

Franco's eyes narrowly locked onto him, cold and unamused. "Oh, you? Feeling arrogant, huh? Well, don't blame me if punishment prefers you. Slack off even a little—and I'll make sure yours is tripled"

 

 

Twenty days later, Jasper lounged in his chair, fingers drumming against the armrest as he reviewed the latest intelligence report. The parchment crackled as he straightened it, his eyes scanning the dated entries:

Year 71, Zoliland Lunar Calendar

[15/2] Royal knights harassed a grieving father demanding justice for his son's death.

"Not the first. Won't be the last."

 

[9/2] Barbarians spotted moving toward the Royal Capital. Serenith is unlikely their target; they may change course.

"I have to send Ivar and a few trackers to confirm. If it's Azm or his tribe I need to speak with them."

 

[11/2] Franco demanded eleven women for Phoenix Nest—eleven men remained single. (Would've been ten, but that Basta Draven secured two wives purely using his looks.)

"Ruin his face. Let's see if they stay then— No. I won't let Franco's pettiness sway me. While there are unmarried men, polygamy is forbidden in the stronghold. Draven will work twice as hard, until every man is wed—or envy would kill them."

 

[17/2] Baron Buck and Count Geob arrived unannounced at the capital. Purpose unknown.

"Difficult to probe directly. Let's have Wolf press his knight contact for details."

 

[15/2] Master Milo's champion mare delivered a healthy foal.

"…Not entirely useless, I suppose."

 

[16/2] Unspecified suspicious activity detected in capital districts.

"Update me when you have something concrete. Until then—we stay out of it."

 

Jasper pinched the bridge of his nose. The disorganized reporting grated on him, they needed proper categorization by date, location, and priority. So many issues demanded his attention, each more pressing than the last.

"Ivar!" he barked. When he appeared, Jasper instructed, "Take a team and search for barbarians who are moving toward the capital, I'm not sure if they changed direction or not though. I need confirmation whether they're Azm's tribe or not." A pause, then: "And send Wolf to me before you depart."

"At your command, master."

Jasper noticed that Ivar's personality is changing a bit, 'Probably from the time he got one punch knock out from Tertius or probably he don't want his wife to see him humiliated like before, hmmm… or maybe he want his not-yet-born child to see how strong his/her father is. Well it's good enough that he is striving to be better.' Jasper Thought.

 

 

"Did you call for me, boss?" Wolf said, panting as if he'd run all the way to meet Jasper. His exhausted appearance spoke volumes.

"Sit down. You look dead on your feet."

"Thanks, boss." Wolf slumped into a chair.

"I've got a lot of missions for you this time. Do them well, and the rewards will be substantial."

Wolf's eyes lit up with anticipation. "I'm ready."

Jasper leaned forward. "First, since I don't know all our organization members , pick a few trustworthy ones. They'll handle transporting the women we're buying to Phoenix Nest. Second, put pressure on that greedy knight - I want to know why both the Baron and Count are visiting. But the most critical mission…" Jasper's voice turned grave. "I need half our members searching for families of noble house staff, especially the poorest. We need eyes in every noble mansion. We'll support their families... in exchange for lifelong loyalty. Anyone who betrays us will live to regret it."

"The first two are simple, boss," Wolf said, rubbing his chin. "But the last one... That's dangerous. Scouring every village for noble staff? Some fiefdoms are too scared of their rulers to even speak with outsiders. And if we're caught—if some loyal maid or butler overhears us and snitches—we'll be hunted to the ends of the continent. Worse, it'll trace back to you, bos—."

"You're right," Jasper cut in. "That was careless of me. We need to be smarter." He fell silent, staring into space while Wolf waited nervously. Suddenly, Jasper slammed the table. "That's it!"

Wolf straightened. "What is it, boss?"

"We'll take over other city gangs - by coin or steel. Both choices are more than welcome."

A thrill ran through Wolf. It had been too long since he'd fought, and his muscles ached for action. Yet part of him hesitated - was it worth risking everything they'd built?

"Bo-" he began, but Jasper continued: "When Ivar returns, you'll all train under him. You will be pushed to the limit, you will train until you dry out of sweat. I need those gangs under our control quickly. Breeze will monitor your progress."

Wolf gulped audibly, his earlier excitement fading as he realized his comfortable days were numbered.

Jasper rose from his seat and moved toward the door, then paused mid-stride. "What's wrong? Why aren't you moving?" he asked, glancing back.

"Where to?" Wolf asked, genuine confusion in his voice.

"Did you forget already? We're going to rescue some ladies in distress."

 

As they walked, Wolf broke the silence. "You know, boss... sometimes I wonder if you're really a monster."

"Oh? And why would you think that?" Jasper replied, amusement coloring his tone.

"You're too... gentle to be a monster. You actually care about how others feel."

Jasper responded with an eerie chuckle that sent chills down Wolf's spine. "Don't you understand what that means, Wolf?"

Wolf slowly shook his head, his expression blank with confusion as he continued walking - until Jasper's next words froze him in his tracks.

"It means that as a monster, I know exactly how to control all of you. My gentleness? That's just laziness. I can't be bothered with pointless fights or…"

"Or?" Wolf prompted, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Or you would have seen the Sunken Slums truly sunken... in the blood of its people."

Wolf's mind reeled as if plunging into an endless void, his consciousness detaching from his body - until Jasper's voice snapped him back to reality.

"Still," Jasper continued, his tone calm, "don't worry! I've no interest in enslaving or mistreating my people. Stay loyal, and you'll only ever see my kindness. I sincerely hope none of you ever witness my... uglier side. That would be tragic for everyone involved."

 

As they reached the partially-repaired slums, Jasper noticed a familiar silhouette. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Lisa!"

"Heek!" Lisa's entire body stiffened at the unmistakable voice. She turned slowly, her worst fears confirmed.

"M-M-Master Jasper! What a... pleasant surprise!"

"Really now?" Jasper smiled.

"Y-yes, really! See? My body is practically dancing with joy!"

"How reassuring. I almost thought you were shivering from cold... or perhaps… fear. Since that's not the case, would you consider rejoining us at the guild? We could use your help."

Lisa swallowed hard. "Master Jasper, I... I don't think I'm worthy of the guild."

Jasper's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Isn't it interesting, Wolf? Unlike villains, good people never refuse polite requests from their master. Wouldn't you agree?"

"But of course, boss!" Wolf answered without hesitation.

"After careful consideration... I suppose the guild truly does need me." With forced resolve, she took a step toward the guild. A chilling memory surfaced—Jasper's words about dining on bad people—those who displeased him or defied his will.

Jasper chuckled to himself as he and Wolf made their way to the slave market.

 

Despite his frequent visits, the place never lost its air of wretchedness, a misery he could never quite grow accustomed to. After lengthy negotiations, he selected eleven women that cost him 300-350 silver each, all sharing one distinctive quality: they were noticeably stronger than the others. Their strength didn't come at the expense of appearance – far from it. While some were merely decent-looking, others possessed genuine charm. But for Jasper, physical power trumped all other considerations. The Phoenix Nest lacked formidable defensive walls like the cities' stone walls, leaving it perpetually vulnerable to attack - whether from monsters, knights, or rival bandit gangs. Weakness in the wilderness is fatal and fragile women would only become liabilities in crisis.

Wolf watched the silver change hands, feeling each coin's departure like a plucked heartstring.

As they departed with their new charges, Wolf flushed with embarrassment at leading nearly a dozen women through the streets. While Jasper's cloak concealed his identity, Wolf found himself the center of attention. He instinctively fell a step behind, silently indicating who held true authority.

"Hmm? Why lagging behind?" Jasper chided. "Go fetch some trustworthy members to escort these women."

Eager to escape the awkward procession, Wolf broke into a run. "My pleasure, boss!"

Jasper turned to the women, " Who looked puzzled and a bit scared."

"Fear not, my ladies. I'm here to ask you something, and afterwards, you probably won't see me much—or maybe you'll never see me again. Who knows?" He paused for a few seconds, then continued, "Would you find it comfortable to live in a stronghold? Ah, sorry—let me rephrase that so there's no misunderstanding. I want to send you to a stronghold where my informants work. There, you will choose a man to marry and live a free life. No one will discriminate against you, beat you, or starve you. But you must create a family, have children, and teach them the same work as their fathers. You must also encourage them to train and grow strong. So… Do you like my proposition?"

One woman stepped forward. "This looks too good to be true, you're not deceiving us, are you?"

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't even need to speak politely to you if I wanted to deceive you, all I needed was to order you. Now, do we have an agreement?"

After exchanging glances, they nodded collectively.

"Excellent! When the carriage arrives, you'll bid farewell to slavery forever."

 

Wolf returned swiftly with three trusted members and two carriages. Among them stood Richard—former sub-leader of the Northern Castle gang.

Jasper turned to face the three men, who shifted nervously under his gaze.

"Listen carefully," Jasper began, his voice deceptively calm. "If even a single hair on these women's heads is harmed, I won't need to punish you. Do you know why?"

The men shook their heads in unison, their throats dry.

"Because you won't live long enough to return. Eleven men are waiting for them—on edge with anticipation. I can't predict how they'll react if you fail to deliver these women safely. Keep that in mind."

Turning to the women, his tone shifted slightly. "And you—don't mistake my informants for servants. They've been warned against mistreating you, but you're not to take advantage of them either. I expect you all to live harmoniously and support each other. Understood?"

"Yes, Master!" they chorused.

"Good. You may depart now."

"Yes, Boss!"

As the carriages rolled away, Jasper returned to the guild, his mind already consumed by his next move. This time, he wouldn't stop until he discovered how to safely consume the monster's heart.

"Power On."


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