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Episode 7: Forest Crasher
It wasn’t long before I heard the scream of Sislin, who had gone to the mansion to change into wet clothes.
“…!”
I was startled and ran after the scream.
As I turned the corner, I saw the silhouette of an adult grabbing the boy’s clothes hard enough to tear it apart and pulling him away.
“Did you think that if you ran away, I wouldn’t be able to find you? Because of you, I took on a lot of damage. You filthy bastard!”
The gray eyes set in the yellowed whites gleamed with greed, and the slumped back… He was a very strong man with dry hands like branches.
With his unique appearance, words, and deeds, I was able to guess who he was.
What was it? The name? Ah, at that moment, lightning struck my mind.
‘Viscount Puterio!’
It was the slave trader. A vicious human trader who brought water trauma to Sislin.
Viscount Puterio was pulling and intimidating Sislin without any consideration as if he was a dog, pig or livestock.
“I’ll scold you so that you don’t run away again. You’re my slave. My money!”
Sislin just shook his head and trembled. As if learned fear had paralyzed his whole body.
The moment I saw those red eyes, I became unbearably sad and angry.
“Let go of that hand now!”
Viscount Puterio looked at me and frowned.
“Who do you think you are to disturb me! Go away before I slap you!”
I opened my eyes and looked straight at him.
“Let go, now!”
“…How dare this young bitch have no fear!”
Just then, when his strong hand was raised high to slap me on the cheek.
“Argh!”
With a scream, Viscount Puterio struggled. Heinrich had bitten his arm with all his might.
“Don’t even think about touching my sister, you filthy bastard!”
“These wretched children…!”
It was when Viscount Puterio, who was furious, glared at Heinrich with a vengeful spirit.
Tearing the noisy air, a cold voice flew in like an arrow.
“What the hell is this fuss?”
Blonde hair tied perfectly, strict golden eyes.
–It was Madam Mimosa.
“You’re making loud noises in our Forest. It’s unheard of in this mansion where children are growing up. Definitely.”
Hmph, Viscount Puterio seemed to be at a loss for a moment at Madam Mimosa’s frost-like momentum.
However, thinking that he could not be pushed back this quickly, he straightened his coat collar and waist.
“I am Viscount Puterio, who came to find my ‘lost item’ on my way to visit Madam Iogre, who had requested an interview with my fugitive slave today!”
Viscount Puterio pointed to the frightened Sislin.
“This little guy is mine, so I’ll take him!”
“…Madam Mimosa.”
I looked at Madam Mimosa, holding Sislin in my arms.
With eyes desperately begging for help.
Because she was the only guardian we had in this mansion.
‘I can’t let it go like this.’
Moreover, to a wicked person who called a child a ‘lost item’. Madam Mimosa looked at us with an incomprehensible cold face, and opened her mouth towards Viscount Puterio.
“First, follow me inside.”
Then she headed back into the mansion first.
* * *
“He’s a slave of my possession at ‘Ferdes Slave Shop’! But unfortunately, he ran away during the fire.”
Viscount Puterio made a strong claim to Sislin.
Looking at Viscount Puterio, I traced the memory of the original.
‘He made money from the slave trade, so he bought himself a title.’
Originally, he was just a commoner, but he was a very successful slave trader due to his know-how in business and his vicious heart that did not waver while buying and selling humans.
With that capital, he bought the title of a fallen nobleman and was playing his role as a nobleman.
However, it was clear that he could not buy dignity.
“That kid is originally mine, so I’ll take him back!”
Madam Mimosa responded unwaveringly to the reckless utterance.
“A child who becomes a Tree is protected by the Forest. You can’t take him with you.”
“Then what about my money?! You’re going to eat it raw?!”
Sislin felt fear just hearing Viscount Puterio’s voice, and trembled as he held my hands…
Madam Mimosa glanced at such a Sislin, and then opened her mouth.
“I’ll pay for that child.”
‘Oh, I’m glad…’
The cleanest solution was to send money to a human who came for money.
It was clear that Madam Mimosa felt the same way.
“I’ll give you 10 million gold.”
Usually, the average price was 3 million gold for a young slave and 10 million gold for an adult.
There was a price difference based on gender, health status, and origin, but it was a slight difference.
The amount offered by Madam Mimosa was generously higher than the average market price.
I could feel her will to get things done quickly without much fuss.
But.
“Ha! Do you think I’m easy to fool?”
Beneath Viscount Puterio’s green hair, his gray eyes glistened with greed. Biting his lips, he said,
“No less than 50 million gold!”
“…!!!”
Nonsense!
Like me, Madam Mimosa seemed a little perplexed. Her expressionless composure was slightly broken.
“Looking at you trying to send me away with 10 million gold, that ‘Tree’ must have a lot of value! Like he has an ‘awakening ability’ or something?”
“……”
Viscount Puterio seems to have already known about the Forest. This was a secret nurturing institution, but secret stories had spread among the nobles.
This vicious human who had an amazing sense for money was poised to take a solid amount.
“Did my stuff have that kind of value… If I didn’t know, I wouldn’t know, but now that I know it, I can’t pass it on at a cheap price.”
Viscount Puterio giggled as if he was in a good mood.
“That child’s ransom is 50 million gold, it can’t be lower!”
Madam Mimosa lowered her eyes and spoke quietly,
“…Then negotiations have broken down.”
As if he had expected that, Viscount Puterio replied,
“This is the territory of Corel, so it would be right to follow the judgment of the lord, Marquis Corel, I request so! You better bring him tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
The two agreed to follow the judgment of Lord Corel about Sislin’s residence tomorrow.
Facing Madam Mimosa’s face that was as cold as a piece of marble, Viscount Puterio smirked.
* * *
‘Stupid bitch, you don’t even know what my relationship is with Marquis Corel.’
Viscount Puterio was in the best mood. It was because he was confident in winning tomorrow’s small trial.
During his time as a slave trader, he often sold the finest ‘things’ to the Marquis of Corel for cheap.
Marquis Corel then sold the slaves back to the vassals in his territory and profitted.
‘Of course, the lord is sure to listen to me.’
‘Tomorrow, that expensive slave will become my thing again. It has a rare awakening ability, so no matter who I sell it to, I will be able to receive 50 million gold.’
In fact, the children of the Forest were worth much more than that, but Viscount Puterio didn’t know that much.
Viscount Puterio, who was in a good mood, looked at Sislin and licked his lips again, and Annette blocked his front.
“Don’t look at him like that. Sislin is scared!”
“You’re trying quite hard to protect your friend. Even so, your friend will be mine.”
“…That’s something we don’t know yet.”
At Annette’s bold remark, Viscount Puterio burst out laughing as if it was absurd.
He was well aware of this kind.
Life that was born like a bug; it wriggled and did everything. Still weak and young.
“You are the lives abandoned by your parents.”
“…”
“…”
Two children froze at the same time at his abusive language.
“Normal children are born with love. But sometimes there are children who are just ‘feces’ of sexual desire.”
His gray eyes flashed cruelly.
“Just like you.”
Annette’s expression darkened.
“So, whether you care about each other, love each other, or have any human feelings…”
“…”
“You are going to live a life that is sold like a commodity. A human like a bug who has no support for the rest of his life has no choice but to live like that.”
Viscount Puterio rolled his eyes and smiled.
“It’s very pitiful.”
“…”
After saying that, Viscount Puterio got into the carriage, casting contemptuous glances at the two children embracing each other.
Annette just stared blankly at the back of Viscount Puterio’s carriage leaving the garden.