Chapter 49

A scene filled only with plausible lies.

No one was right, only those hitting existed in the chaos.

The overheated atmosphere bubbled like a volcano ready to explode at any moment.

In reality, their energy began to seep out, causing the building to tremble slightly.

Thinking that the tavern might fly away if things went on like this, Victor moved his body. He filled two cups with water and approached the little elf.

“Ice.”

“Hey, that’s not what spirits are for, you know?”

“I should tell Lady Arfia that one elf wants to go back to the forest.”

“You sound like a deceitful human.”

Ice created by the ice spirit plopped into the cup.

Victor immediately approached the center of the scene and set the cup down.

“Drink some cold water and cool your head.”

The self-proclaimed slaves, glaring at each other like dogs and cats, glanced at the cup. After a moment of exchanging looks suggesting a ceasefire, they gulped it down. Even that seemed like part of the competition as they took it in one shot.

Clang!

He set the cup down loudly and exhaled deeply, releasing some of the tension.

“I apologize. I got a bit excited there.”

“Forgive me as well. As an immortal, I should have shown more grace.”

Narsha quickly regained her composure.

“Then where is that person right now?”

“She went to Vestia.”

“Vestia…”

If the Great Forest is the paradise of elves, Vestia is the kingdom of beastmen.

“But why is Miss Arfia here and not pursuing her?”

“If I had a choice, I would. But since I was ordered to raise elves as slaves, I’m just doing my role.”

“Hmm…”

Narsha fell silent, lost in thought.

‘Should I go to Vestia?’

No, that would be pointless. Even if they are in the same kingdom, they haven’t met. If she crossed into a completely different kingdom, pursuing would be impossible.

‘Then…’

The next course of action was quickly determined.

“I will stay here as well.”

“What?”

Arfia waits for Carami to return while raising the elves, right? In that case, if she spends her time leisurely here, Carami will eventually come.

There’s no need to struggle to find her.

Of course, Arfia immediately protested.

“Absolutely not.”

“Why not? This city doesn’t belong to you, and it feels like you’re just squatting in this tavern. You have no right to say no.”

“We have many kids here, so there’s no room for you. Right, Master?”

Arfia looked at Victor, but his expression was stoic.

“Take everyone and get out.”

“What?”

She had no doubt that he would side with her, but what came out of Victor’s mouth was an eviction order.

“Why?”

“Why? Do you know how much it costs to feed them?”

Including his granddaughter Emili, there were Liri, Lara, Matthew, and then Hani that Matthew brought along. Plus, Reinard.

So far, so good. Carami had generously given money to raise the kids, and Reinard was staying due to Victor’s will.

As for Arfia?

She had some emotional ties, so he was willing to understand her. However…

Victor looked at the little elf kids. The sheer volume of them.

“It’s getting hard to distinguish whether this is a tavern or a nursery. Do I have to play the role of a nursery director at my age? This is my tavern, bought with my money. I can’t live like this.”

“But it’s all for the greater good….”

“I don’t care about the greater good. I don’t have money. Go out and make some!”

Victor exploded.

As Arfia panicked and rolled her eyes, Narsha clapped her hands lightly and chimed in.

“Oh, then there will be room for one more person, right? I’m not so shameless as someone else, so I’ll be sure to pay for the room and meals.”

“Hmm, if you only pay the costs, there shouldn’t be any problem.”

“If you need extra help, feel free to call me, old man. I used to run a trading company, so I’m confident in serving customers.”

“Wow, to think there’s such a clever young lady. All I have around me are guys who don’t know how to respect their elders… Yeah, this is how the world should be!”

It seemed Victor was genuinely touched, as he covered his mouth and nose with his arm, suppressing a sob.

Narsha, with a skilled demeanor, soothed Victor. Smirking, she cast a playful smile at Arfia.

If this continues, Arfia would get kicked out, so she urgently sent a signal for help to Reinard. When Reinard, aiming to observe the situation, sighed.

“Master, if you say you have no money, where are you pulling that lie from?”

“Huh? Lie?”

Victor flinched his shoulders.

“When you guys went to the Great Forest, Master and I received a tip from your owner and went to the trading company’s basement. There was Ropermong’s artifact warehouse there. Just selling one would be enough to build several taverns…!”

“That bastard Reinard…! I explicitly told him not to tell anyone…!”

“Oh my, it must be time to feed the kids. Come on, white little ones.”

With that, Reinard shrugged his shoulders and took the kids down to the basement. Victor tried to grab her, but he was weighed down by Arfia’s fierce gaze.

A chilly frost settled into Arfia’s eyes, which once radiated the freshness of spring.

“What? You have no money?”

“No, that’s my retirement fund…”

“Retirement fund? How can you say that? The kids here are older than you. Aren’t you ashamed in front of them?”

“They’re older than me, so why are they…?”

“Enough already.”

Arfia cut off Victor’s words abruptly.

“Let’s expand the place. The kids should grow up in a sunny environment. Living underground doesn’t make sense.”

“No….”

“Or let’s build a new place entirely to separate the tavern. It seems unhealthy for the kids’ emotions.”

Victor tried to ask Narsha for help, but…

“Oh, if you’re building new, there should be plenty of space. I’d like my room to be a bit bigger. It needs to fit a large bed and a dressing table.”

She was already convinced that she would have her own room.

And on top of that, made a request.

“I feel like we get along well, somehow.”

“Hehe, after all, we’re both slaves with the same Master.”

Self-proclaimed slaves drumming and clapping amongst themselves.

Victor felt like the world was going dark in front of him!

***

That evening.

The tavern was bustling with those who had made a name for themselves. Thanks to the rumor that elves were taking orders and serving drinks, it became a must-visit spot in Nokhtar.

Of course, only Reinard was working. Arfia, being Carami’s slave, absolutely wouldn’t serve anyone else.

‘Is there any slave in the world that does whatever they want?’

That’s not a real slave.

Just a slave cosplay.

Even so, Victor had placed Arfia inside the bar, not intending to grow a parasitic attitude. He put her there as the face of the tavern. Arfia couldn’t refuse that either.

“Old man, I’ve been thinking deeply.”

There was one more presence that caught attention, though not as much as the elves. Narsha, who had reserved a room at a nearby inn since there was no available room at the tavern, dropped by.

“What do you want to say?”

“I think running a small tavern with this setup is wasteful.”

“I’ve always run a tavern, and these guys just tagged along.”

“If you’re a merchant, you should be able to adjust your business methods to the changing environment.”

“What?”

Victor was greatly flustered.

“Why, why are you like this?”

“This is a miracle! To think I’ll meet a rational person before I die!”

Recently, there had been a decline in intelligent beings around Victor.

Little ones running around town trying to make slaves. Elves who talk back, barely taller than his waist.

Only those spouting nonsense like ‘I’m going to become a slave master!’ were plentiful.

When Emili had said, ‘Should I also become Carami’s slave?’ he felt like his heart would break. He almost rushed to find Carami with a bottle in hand.

To Victor, what she just said was the first sensible statement he’d heard in a long time. He couldn’t help but be surprised.

Of course, Narsha showed some traits of those types, but she was a cut above the rest.

Narsha smiled stiffly.

“May you live a long time, old man.”

“What are you planning? You’re not thinking anything strange, are you?”

Next to him, Arfia couldn’t hold back and chimed in.

“I’m planning to expand the business.”

“Business?”

“Yes.”

When Narsha returned to the inn, she thought about it carefully.

Arfia had brought back the elf slaves. If Carami returned, she would surely be delighted. Even having just one would make others envious, and having a bunch would be quite something.

If that happens, Master’s love and trust will be solely reserved for Arfia. On the other hand, Narsha would be compared to Arfia.

‘I can’t let that happen.’

So, she thought of establishing a business that wouldn’t fall behind. ‘Let’s do what I’m good at.’

She had been confident in one thing above all else before drawing her sword.

It was none other than commerce.

“From what I’ve learned, the city has been chaotic lately. Obtaining ingredients has become as difficult as picking stars from the sky, and even if you get them, they’re not at prices you can afford.”

Taking advantage of the fall of the Desert Rose Trading Company, small trading companies and merchants had begun fighting for dominance. The market was fragmenting.

With the supply of goods originally handled by Ropermong’s trading company disrupted, essential items, from grains to spices and metals, had vanished from the market, causing prices to skyrocket.

The economic downturn presented an opportunity for Narsha to exploit.

The power of her family absolutely wouldn’t fail.

She wouldn’t be so shameless as to stir worries and then beg for help.

In the first place, she didn’t need her family’s assistance.

All the groundwork was already laid out.

Firstly, she has confidence, and although she pretended not to notice earlier, she knew that Baron Bardelli was secretly hoping for success. If she could stabilize the market economy, she would receive his full support.

Also, Victor had good commercial sense. The refinement of the tavern indicates an understanding of user needs.

Not to mention Victor’s capital for expanding the business.

Victor’s shop.

Victor’s connections.

Most importantly, the most crucial element of this business.

‘Elves.’

With just them, she could operate a unique store in the world. She would gather the wealth from the rich and establish a completely new trading company.

That was Narsha’s plan.

The name of the trading company would be….

‘The Trading Company of Death.’

If she handed the trading company entirely to Carami, receiving affection would be guaranteed.

‘Ah, I wonder what kind of expression Master will have. What kind of praise will he give me?’

Just imagining this filled Narsha’s expression with ecstasy.

What could that person be doing right now?

He was definitely doing something beyond her wildest imagination.

***

“No, damn it, my points!!!”

In an inn located near the city on the way to the beastmen’s country, Vestia, a man’s desperate scream echoed.

All sorts of clutter were strewn around the room.

In the man’s hand was only a shabby piece of paper.

[Available Points: 3,120pt]

He had eagerly liberated a bunch of slaves, accumulating those points, only to have them wiped out in an instant by the devil’s temptation, which drove him into a moment of despair.

[New System: Slave Gacha]

He couldn’t resist the gacha.

Not even if an angel came down.

He couldn’t resist and ended up in ruins.