Episode 10

(nighttime)

(Rabbit's Inn stable)

(hands over legal papers)

"I must be honest, I thought you don't have it in you. But fortunately, I was wrong." (Garland)

(pleased)

"Now, its your turn to honor your end of the barging." (Arnel)

"Of course. Trust is the most important part of commerce, is it not?" (Garland)

(gesture to a cart wagon)

(approach)

(pull covers!)

"!?" (Arnel)

"Beautiful, aren't they? Elves, beast-folk, and ugh! Didn't see that one. But alas, they'll fetch quite the price to the right clients after a bit of cleaning…" (Garland)

[This is the items that he mentioned!?] (Arnel)

"As I promised, you can pick half of them as well as the cart itself. The rest will belong to me. Though I hoped you be kind enough to let me have all the Elves since they were the main products that my clients desperately needed." (Garland)

(quiver, quiver!)

[There are at least ten of them inside this cart wagon. All of them were children about the age of five to ten. Seeing them, I can feel my stomach twisted as to imagine what had they been through to had such lifeless eyes… wait. That one! Isn't that…?] (Arnel)

"The way you made that expression, I say… you found one that suited your taste, right…?" (Garland)

(grin)

[That red hair human girl with scar under her left eye! The only one who had fierce beast like gaze amongst the children within the cage. Is it "her"…?!] (Arnel)

(glare!)

"Arandel…" (Arnel)

(mutters quietly)

(eyebrow twitch!)

[It is her! Seeing how she reacted when I said that name, she's the lost princess of the fallen kingdom of Arandel. One of the new generation Transcendent as well as one of the important characters of the novel!] (Arnel)

"I take that one. You can have the rest." (Arnel)

(twitch!)

(glare!)

"A-are you sure?! Y-you won't regret letting these beauties for "that"? It looks like a tiny feral beast. Ugh… just look at it glares like a monster." (Garland)

"I wont. Though, I would be pleased if you can supply me with a full cart of goods as an exchange for the rest." (Arnel)

(nervous)

"T-that… if you sell your part of the share, you can have at least ten full carts… for you to accept only a cart… it really makes my merchant's honor waiver for such unbalance transaction." (Garland)

"That's my final proposal. Take it or leave it." (Arnel)

(gave up)

"You sure are one strange youngster… alright. I will accept your terms. A true merchant must always honor their deals." (Garland)

[Though the merchant is handling peoples lives as items, towards children above all of that. But I can't do anything since I'm powerless as I am right now. And I'm not some hero who helps others that will not benefit my survival in this world. Feelings such a kindness will only brings unnecessary burden, that I know very well…] (Arnel)

...

(afterwards)

(near one of the town's road entrances)

"I had transfer all the "items" and exchange them with goods as much as this cart wagon can fit. I bid you farewell, youngster." (Garland)

"Have you deal with the dead drunkard's corpse?" (Arnel)

"I had the Inn's worker handles it quietly, since they are my people. But I suggest you hid yourself from any known town since the drunkard's employers will surely point their blades toward you to exact revenge for their losses." (Garland)

[I would do so even without him telling me that. Our destination is a secluded village that hardly known by the people of this world. The Dernam village.] (Arnel)

"I bid you farewell, youngster. Oh, before you go, could I know your name?" (Garland)

"Don't you think its a bit late for introduction?" (Arnel)

"Ah… but I did tell my name earlier at noon, didn't I…? Its fair for you to share yours as well." (Garland)

"I see no harm in that. My name is Arnel. And my wife's name is Naiah. If that is all, I should take my leave." (Arnel)

(takes the coach seat)

"Oh, please do." (Garland)

"Then, I'm off. Hiyaa!" (Arnel)

(horse startled!)

(clop, clop!)

(watch as the carriage vanish through the dark night)

(stop smiling)

"Banor." (Garland)

(suddenly appeared)

"Master." (Banor)

"Put up a wanted poster for one "Arnel" and "Naiah" by tomorrow." (Garland)

"Their "offense"?" (Banor)

(grin)

"Murder, of course! Killing a peddler from the Merchant Association is a serious crime. Spread them widely by using our connection. Make sure their wanted poster are posted in every bounty board all across the land. Ah, and their reward is a hundred gold, dead or alive." (Garland)

"Yes!" (Banor)

(vanish!)

[Do forgive me for doing this, youngster. But this world is a cruel one and you are an easy target for a scapegoat. But its not like we will meet again~….] (Garland)

"Pff! Ahahahah….!" (Garland)

......…

(several hours later)

(nearing dawn)

(clop, clop!)

[By this time, Garland must be thinking of a way of tying his loose ends. Its a good thing that I didn't take the slaves with me, safe for one.] (Arnel)

"Arne, you need to rest. You haven't rest since we left the town hours ago…" (Naiah)

"Don't worry about me. I'm alright. You just go and take a nap." (Arnel)

"But I can't sleep…" (Naiah)

"Why so?" (Arnel)

"….That "thing" smells." (Naiah)

[She must be referring to the red hair slave girl. Since there's little space inside the cart wagon with all the goods, they cannot avoid from seeing each others faces.] (Arnel)

"….. Why did you take me with you…?" (Svana)

[hmm? She finally say something.] (Arnel)

"No reason. I found you cute-…" (Arnel)

"Cut the crap. Saying me cute is a sacrilege to that address. I know well what I looked like." (Svana)

[She's a princess alright. well, ex princess that is. But no normal fourteen year old say such complicated words. Perhaps I should teased her for a bit since I become quite bored.] (Arnel)

"I had a "thing" with redheads, though. Face ain't matter to me." (Arnel)

(shivers!)

"I knew you are an evil perverted man! The way you looked at me with those luscious gaze back at the stable proves me right!" (Svana)

[The hell did she came up with those thoughts? Is she delusional? Well, after what she's been through after being caught by slavers, she bound to have some short circuits.] (Arnel)

(growls!)

[Naiah, please stop growling to that delusional kid…] (Arnel)

"And what's this? A grown woman but acts like a child? I guess all witches are dumb. No wonder your kind went extinct." (Svana)

(furious glare!)

"Why you!?" (Naiah)

"You talk a lot for a princess turned a slave, Svana." (Arnel)

"!?" (Svana)

"W-wha…? How did you-…" (Svana)

"Svana. Or should I say Svana Von Crau Arandel. Third princess of the freshly destroyed Arandel kingdom…" (Arnel)

"Stop it…" (Svana)

(mutters)

(pretend not to hear)

"….got into slavery after her "loyal" knight escorts betrayed her…" (Arnel)

"Stop it!" (Svana)

(ignores)

"….sold to a passing slaver for a petty pennies…" (Arnel)

"I said sto-…!!?" (Svana)

(pull!)

(wagon suddenly stopped!)

"Ack!" (Naiah, Svana)

(stand up)

(enters wagon)

(approach)

"….and now, a mere slave." (Arnel)

"….you bastard!!" (Svana)

(attempting to charge)

(neck suddenly glows!)

"Ack!" (Svana)

"Perhaps you miss the part that you are a slave, Svana." (Arnel)

(show a glowing ring)

"This is your bondage. Trying to hurt the one who holds your bondage is a no, no. Or the mighty princess of Arandel skipped her lesson about this stuff that led to her country's demise?" (Arnel)

"Y-you…!? Ackkk!!! It hurts!! Make it stop…! P-please….!" (Svana)

[This stuff is handy to control her untamed fiery spirit. From what I read in the novel, she had quite the temper even amongst the Transcendent.] (Arnel)

"I will make it stop if you promised not to be a nuisance afterwards." (Arnel)

"Ghhhekk!" (Svana)

[I can understand why she's one of the important characters within the novel by looking how she reacted. What a indomitable spirit she she possessed for a fourteen year old. it shivers me to imagine how she will as she grows later on…] (Arnel)

...

(after a while)

"….. I-I promise…. P-please… make it s-stop…" (Svana)

(ring stops glowing)

"*gasp! *cough, cough!" (Svana)

[To think that it took half an hour for her to submit to the pain. Even an adult find it agonizing to fight against the pain and can only last about five minutes the longest. She's truly are a monster…] (Arnel)

"Now we reached an understanding, from this moment on, you will act my daughter." (Arnel)

(confused)

"Wha…?" (Svana)

"I want you to call me dad. And she will be your mother." (Arnel)

"A-are you serious…? Your joking, right? Why the hell should I call the perverted person who tormented me as my parents!? No wait… don't tell me you are like those people who likes to play house as a front to please their sexual lusts!!?" (Svana)

[what is going on in her head for her to thought of that…? Even Naiah looked at her pitiful gaze… this is going to be hard…] (Arnel)

"I don't know what messed up fantasies you had in your head, but I had no interest with your child's body. Ask me that ten years from now and maybe, I consider it." (Arnel)

(blush!)

"Y-y-you perverted, vile, disgusting, *etc…." (Svana)

[*sigh… this is going to be a long and exhausting journey….] (Arnel)