Chapter 195: The Slave Girl with Lions Hidden in Her Eyes
The Town of Ljós
It was a town that expanded outwards from a clear oasis, like a lone island floating in the desert. It was also their destination for this trip.
They arrived at the special port on the south side of the town and used thick chains to tie the ship to the mooring posts. After the ship was firmly secured, Kobayashi and the others were able to disembark.
"It really is dry here."
Freya came down and set foot in the port.
Even though the Goddess of Beauty was wearing a hood and cloak, those who noticed her still couldn't help but stop in their tracks. Regardless of gender or age, their gazes were stolen by her. She acted as if she didn't see, as if she were already familiar with those fervent gazes, and led Kobayashi, Bofman, and the others leisurely through the center of the port channel.
"Ottar and the others should have already infiltrated."
"...What did you say, Goddess Freya?"
Her murmur was covered by the hustle and bustle of the port, and Bofman did not hear her clearly.
Kobayashi glanced around but couldn't see the figures of those jealous kings. They are probably lurking in the dark, not wanting to disturb her fun. After all, no matter how you think about it, there's no way those guys would be shaken off by a mere ship.
Seeing this, she couldn't help but smile.
She must also understand what her Familia members' absence meant, and had decided not to be polite anymore, but to enjoy this journey freely.
Kobayashi, however, had no intention of accompanying her.
Accompanying a ruler is like accompanying a tiger. Freya was very dangerous. Whether it was her divinity or her wisdom, neither could be underestimated.
However, she had no intention of letting him go. Her tone was light, but filled with an authority that could not be refused. She said, "Kobayashi. You will follow me for this period of time."
Her airy words blocked his mouth. Her eyes, which looked straight into his, were filled with a wisdom that had seen through everything.
The more he resisted, the more interested she became. It seemed his subconscious, repulsive reaction had already caught her attention.
The other party was a goddess, and the main god of one of the strongest Familias in Orario at that. He was very interested in the Falna. Offending her was not a wise move. Since that was the case, he would just agree to satisfy her, and take the opportunity to seek some benefits.
For example: the ceremony of bestowing the divine Falna.
"It is my honor, Lady Freya."
He accepted the order with respect and elegance.
Bofman made no comment. Back on the ship, he had understood that her attitude towards him was somewhat different, completely unlike how she treated himself. So the shrewd merchant, after he had become the goddess's guard, was determined to hold on to his position as a guide.
"Bofman, what kind of place is this?"
"In reply to Lady Freya, this is a city of merchants, called Ljós."
Hearing her question, he began to introduce the town with all his heart, while also leading the group towards his—the Fazzil—merchant association.
With his introduction, they learned that this town was located in the central part of the western desert.
Because it was an oasis, and because it was in the central region, not only was the local law and order good, but there were also few monster attacks. It easily attracted visitors, and it was no exaggeration to call it a trade center.
In that case, it was also understandable why the port here was so well-developed.
"Is that why it's called the 'City of Plenty'?"
"Yes! Because this city provides access to every country in the western desert, I believe, in my humble opinion, that you will surely be able to find what you are looking for here, Your Ladyship!"
Bofman concluded in a tone of currying favor.
Freya did not explain to him that what she was looking for was actually a partner. As for Bofman, who was inexplicably smug, she just let his words go in one ear and out the other, and walked straight ahead.
However, she was still a little expectant.
She had only been gone for a day, and she had already met a somewhat strange child (Kobayashi) on the way. Perhaps she really could find him here?
She quickened her pace.
After passing through the warehouse district adjacent to the port, their field of vision suddenly widened, and what greeted them was a large market.
Even though the road was very wide, it was crowded with open-air shops along the way. Both sides were filled with merchants and customers.
The sound of hawking was endless, and the goods sold were all-encompassing. From carpets and pottery to clothes, food, and even swords and magic stones, everything was here.
"Oooh~" she let out a rare, light exclamation. "No wonder this is called the 'City of Merchants'."
Her heart was filled with even more anticipation.
The goddess walked elegantly through the streets, looking left and right, appreciating the surrounding scenery, and enjoying the exotic atmosphere of the desert.
Looking ahead.
On the other side of the market, one could see the surface of an azure lake. It was lush and green, a scene of spring, completely different from the black and yellow of the surroundings.
Crossing the bridge, one could reach the small island in the center of the lake, on which there were many strangely shaped mansions.
Among them, the most striking was the mansion in the very center, which had a deliberate round roof, making one think it was some kind of castle at first glance. Even the headquarters of a middle-tier Familia in Orario could not reach such a spectacular level.
She gave it a deep look and said, "The people and things here are truly novel. One never tires of looking at them."
"Your Ladyship is wise, Your Ladyship is wise!" Bofman, who had completely transformed into a guide, kept rubbing his hands together, looking quite pleased.
However, the atmosphere here made one's blood run cold.
The market itself was bustling, but there was an inexplicable, murderous aura permeating the air.
He keenly sensed the strange atmosphere in the town. She also frowned slightly. As the Goddess of Beauty, who could see through all things with her divine eyes, she had also discovered the strangeness.
But Bofman, completely oblivious, spread his hands and pointed around. "As you can see, all kinds of people and things are gathered in this town. Not only exotic goods, but also... slaves."
The scene, as if in sync with this word, became even noisier, and a clamor different from before resounded through the market.
"Oh? Speak of the devil."
She turned her head, following Bofman's gaze. A group of people had just appeared on another bustling street.
A trace of anticipation rose in her heart, hoping to meet an outstanding child.
But it was immediately extinguished.
It was a group of people of mixed genders and races. Their only commonality was that they were all scantily clad, all were handcuffed and collared, and were all being led by a rusty iron chain.
Their faces were full of fatigue. Some had looks of pessimism, and some even showed despair.
They were, through and through, slaves.
"Bofman, that group of slaves is..."
"They must have just been brought back by a slave trader. After all, there is a slave market here."
"Looking at the number, there seems to be quite a lot. Does human hunting often happen here?"
Human hunting, simply put, was to attack multiple towns and villages and forcibly turn the captured villagers into slaves. It was a very vile act.
As she asked in confusion, a slight, terrifying low pressure emanated from Kobayashi's body.
"Y-you've misunderstood! Absolutely not! No matter what, no one dares to disrupt the order in the surrounding area!" Bofman, his forehead breaking out in a sweat, quickly explained, "This is actually because a war is breaking out in the West Kaos Desert..."
Just as she had thought.
The strange atmosphere, and the large number of slaves. What these two things meant... she, with her divinity of war, knew best.
"A war."
"Yes. Right now, the Shalzard Kingdom, located to the north, is being attacked by the Wal-sha Kingdom from the east, so..."
All the countries founded in the Kaos Desert had adopted a monarchical system. There were no state-based Familias that reflected the will of the gods. The related divine factions were mostly listed under the military's framework.
Although small-scale conflicts would break out between the countries, a full-scale war between nations for hegemony should not have occurred.
However...
Bofman wiped the sweat from his forehead and said in a small voice, "It is said that in recent years, the Wal-sha Kingdom has introduced a powerful mercenary-type Familia into its military, and then unilaterally declared war on the neighboring Shalzard Kingdom..."
"So the Shalzard Kingdom was defeated?"
She also understood.
With the "Falna" and without the "Falna"—the difference was like heaven and earth. The Shalzard Kingdom would surely be beaten to a pulp, the royal capital would instantly fall, and the land would surely be ravaged. And slaves... were a natural product of a lost war.
It was feared that the Wal-sha Kingdom, in the process of attacking its neighboring country, had decided not to spare a single village, in order to prevent a counter-attack.
The innocent residents had met with disaster, and those who had managed to escape had been unlucky enough to be caught.
The tense atmosphere here must also be for this reason.
Only then did he realize that, although there were many luxury goods for sale in the market, there were even more weapons and fuel. The merchants, having smelled the smoke of gunpowder, had immediately imported all kinds of supplies needed in wartime to make a big profit.
And in contrast, the local residents were uneasy about the atmosphere of war.
"Please rest assured, Lady Freya! The royal capital of Shalzard has indeed fallen, but the remaining army has decided to support the surviving prince and is still continuing to resist in various places! Wal-sha will also be too busy to wipe out the remnants, so I believe the flames of war will not spread here!"
Bofman repeatedly emphasized the safety of this place.
It wasn't just to keep the Goddess of Beauty here, but also to prevent her from blaming him, otherwise his head would surely roll! But by the same token, it also showed from the side that the invasion was still ongoing.
At this moment, a large group of slaves was forced to walk in the center of the market. The commoners who had retreated to the roadside were whispering, their words a mixture of contempt and sympathy.
She was not interested in this.
Because just now, through her own silver eyes, she had directly seen the color of the souls' radiance within the children. And the scene that had entered her eyes was, to her, simply boring to the extreme.
After these people had been reduced to slaves, the souls within them had all turned a murky gray, even more unsightly than Kobayashi, who was gold on the outside but rotten on the inside!
In her eyes, which were in search of a dazzling radiance, this sight was enough to make her displeased. After all, if you were looking for delicious food, but ended up in a toilet, you probably wouldn't be happy to take a big bite.
Even if she wasn't going to eat, just lingering in the toilet was enough to annoy her. If this continued, it would spoil her mood for finding a partner.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in their faces.
"L-Lady Freya, your hood...!"
When Bofman saw that her hood had been blown off, he was so scared he fumbled.
If the Goddess of Beauty's appearance were to be exposed on the spot, it was hard to say if it would cause the market to fall into chaos. The reason was that when he had seen her side profile, even he had lost his senses and had been bewitched.
The scream startled her from her thoughts.
Kobayashi was fast. He took two or three steps and came in front of her, shielding her with his own body and blocking most of her appearance.
But it was too late.
Her appearance had been completely exposed.
He had thought that this commotion would spread outwards like a ripple, but the actual situation was as quiet as a calm sea. The passersby who had noticed her had all stopped, their gazes fixed on her, with expressions on their faces as if they were immersed in a beautiful dream.
The slaves also had the same reaction.
They all stopped in their tracks, dumbfounded, as if they had just seen a wonderful thing that could not possibly exist in this world. Even in the midst of despair, they did not care. Even the subordinates of the slave trader, who were pulling on the chains or brandishing their whips, were also intoxicated by her beauty.
And he just felt a chill at this sight. At the same time, he felt a strong sense of gratitude towards Aqua in his heart.
He hadn't thought it was scary before, but when he saw the reactions of the others, he knew how dangerous his situation had been at that time, and how powerful the blue crystal necklace Aqua had made was.
Praise Aqua! Praise the idiot... Goddess of Wisdom! When I get back, I'll treat her to sparkling liquor until she's drunk!
"Thank you, Kobayashi."
She smiled enchantingly.
As expected, only the strange child she had met by chance on the way was somewhat outstanding, able to bloom with a touch of brilliance in the gray sand, allowing her to wash her eyes.
Just at this moment—
Her silver eyes captured a radiance.
The location was in the center of the crowded, twisted procession. It was as if it were hiding in the crowd, lurking among the countless chaotic souls. A light that had almost been ignored, blocked by the brilliance nearby (Kobayashi)!
A young girl was standing there.
She had purple eyes, brown skin, and black hair. Although she was disheveled, her face was comely.
That appearance, which was between a girl and a woman, was, in her eyes, like a fresh, juicy, unripe fruit.
The girl, like the others, had her head covered with a rag and her head lowered, trying her best to avoid attention.
As if sensing her gaze, the girl, after looking over and seeing her face-to-face, widened her eyes in surprise just like the other slaves, but quickly averted her gaze again.
This surprised her greatly.
The Goddess of Beauty's appearance was enough to charm all living beings, yet this girl had actually been able to resist it with her own will.
After the girl had lowered her head again, a very pained expression appeared on her face, yet she also looked heroic. Those sharp, blade-like eyes were not dead. On the contrary, they made one think of a lion, lying in wait for the right moment.
At least, in her eyes, that was how it was.
"Lady Freya, you should put your hood on." He put the fallen hood back on her head.
As the face that had captivated all living beings disappeared, the others also came back to their senses.
The slave trader's subordinates cracked their whips, and the procession began to move forward again. The girl also followed the large group of slaves towards the end, disappearing from sight.
"Interesting. Truly interesting."
Freya, who was being protected in his arms, looked up, her silver eyes full of interest. She said to him, "Kobayashi, let's go."
He asked in a low voice, "Lady Freya, don't tell me..."
"That's right! It's just as you think!"
She confirmed his question and then strode forward.
Bofman, seeing this, quickly hurried to catch up and, puzzled by their riddle, asked, "Lady Freya, wh-where are you going?"
At this moment, the goddess's lips had already curved up, and she said loudly, "I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to take me to the slave market."
As expected. She has her eyes on that girl.
(End of Chapter)