The elven border post was stationed near a considerably large city.
According to the accounts of many villagers who cultivated the surrounding farmland, Fronte was the second most populated city in the human kingdom.
Standing before walls several dozen meters high, a majestic manor could be seen in the center of the city. Unlike the two-story houses, the manor was elevated, perhaps to symbolize the lord's status.
In any case, it had an architectural style typical of the Middle Ages. As they approached the gates, a human guard stood holding a spear.
"Guard!"
Several human guards surrounded them.
"Who are you?!"
"State your identity!"
The guards gripped their spears tightly, ready to strike if they were deemed hostile.
"Wait! We are natives who came to trade with Fronte!" Roan quickly reacted upon seeing the guards reach for their weapons.
"Trade?"
Roan presented his goods.
"We're selling food!"
"Food?!"
The guards rushed toward the cart, pushing Roan and his companions aside.
"This is…"
Orus.
"Are you mocking human guards?!"
"Take them to the gallows!"
The guards grew furious.
"W-wait! This really is food! Damn it…!"
Despite Roan's pleas, they held his arms tightly behind his back.
"Leave our master alone! Look, it's food…!"
Kelly, one of the companions, suddenly grabbed an orus and ate it in front of everyone.
"…"
The guards froze.
Well done, Kelly!
I praised her ingenuity.
For several minutes, no one spoke. Contrary to the guards' expectations, Killy didn't die.
In truth, death would only occur several hours after consumption, but early symptoms of poisoning usually appeared. Kelly showed none.
The guards knew this and exchanged looks.
"What are you doing?" one guard asked.
"Call the captain immediately!"
"Yes!"
The highest-ranking guard at the post hurried over and escorted the group inside the city. Surrounded by several guards, our cart became visible.
However, I didn't care much. I began looking around houses, lampposts with burning flames, and humans walking peacefully through the streets.
Indeed... this could be considered a haven for persecuted humans from outside.
But deep down, it felt more like racial confinement trapping an entire race within stone walls while allowing their existence.
"Oh... Mages."
Killy looked at the mages placing stone bricks on the ground.
Three mages: one mixing raw materials, one forming bricks, and the last placing them using wooden wands.
Contrary to my expectations, human mages seemed a bit pale compared to elven mages. It was rather… expected.
At least in the novels, human mages were impressive fighting demon kings or acting as wise sages. Here, they looked more like builders.
Is this really the level of human mages in this world?
"They're rather weak compared to the mages I know." I sighed.
However, Roan and his companions, who could hear me, frowned.
But I paid them no mind or rather, I didn't care.
We kept moving, heading toward some shady areas. We even saw slums on the outskirts of some districts. Well, back in the Middle Ages, slums were everywhere. Even in modern times, they still exist.
Soon, we arrived in front of a grand manor. At the top of the steps, a thin man stood with his arms crossed, watching us.
Is this the lord?
The man turned to the guards. "Did anyone see them?"
He must've meant the scene where Killy ate an orus in public.
"No! We left the guard post to the second group. Only those present witnessed it!"
The man nodded, satisfied.
"Please follow me."
Roan climbed the steps, leaving Kelly and Loyd behind to watch the goods. If we lost our merchandise, the trip would've been in vain or worse, a waste of precious time.
Roan didn't forget to bring my branch, allowing me to follow the conversation.
"Are you the lord?"
"No, I'm the steward who handles both trivial and important matters for the lord."
Ah, so this is the famous Sebastian.
Roan walked through several hallways and arrived before a room with an ornate door.
Sebastian, as he was called, knocked and spoke, "I've brought the visitors."
"Good. Enter." A voice echoed from inside.
Sebastian opened the door, letting Roan in alone.
"Are you the ones who traded orus within our kingdom?" Asked the man.
In front of him stood a man with piercing eyes and a pointed nose. A certain royal air surrounded him.
Could he be of royal blood?
Considering the possibility, Roan began to introduce himself. " I'm Roan, a native living in the far east of the continent."
"Oh ? Interesting."
"I've come to trade food with you, my lord."
The lord raised his hand.
"Before continuing the conversation, may I have a sample of this edible orus?"
Roan nodded.
"Of course! Wait, I'll call my companions-"
"No need." The lord rang a small bell on his desk, and Sebastian appeared behind the door holding an orus in his hand.
So fast?
"Oh…?"
Roan was nervous.
"We've produced edible orus in our village. We hope to make it our primary product. And we wish to trade it with you, the human kingdom."
The man remained silent, staring at the orus in his hand before taking a bite.
"My lord!!" Sebastian was shocked and immediately asked him to spit it out.
However, the man continued chewing and eventually swallowed it.
Sebastian's face had turned pale.
But for Roan and me, who knew the orus in his hands was harmless, we remained calm.
"...Delicious."
A compliment escaped his lips.
"It's no wonder you passed through customs. Who would have thought the infamous orus could be edible?" He spoke while scratching his beard, mumbling his thoughts.
"Would it be possible to cultivate them on our own land? That would greatly increase our independence from foreign kingdoms."
"Indeed, my lord… It would be profitable and a strategic advantage for the future."
Sebastian replied, having recovered from his near-heart attack.
The lord made a proposal.
"50 gold coins for one full cart."
In other words, with our current stock, that would be 500 gold coins.
Considering that every four months we harvest nearly ten surplus carts, that would make 1,500 gold coins per year.
Knowing that just 10 coins would be enough to rent a house in downtown Fronte and one year's income for a simple household, that's a considerable sum!
Roan shook his head.
"Is the price not enough?"
"It's not possible. Our orus are edible because we use a special method to detoxify them, making reproduction impossible."
The lord tapped the table.
"I see."
Was he going to reject the deal?
That made me nervous.
"Alright. We agree to purchase your orus on the condition that we are resupplied every year with a total of 30 carts. We will also show you a smuggling route. The arrival of too many carts through official routes would arouse suspicion from the elves."
Indeed, although our orus had passed once, if large numbers of carts passed through every four months, the elves would start asking questions.
By the way, there was something else he needed alongside the money.
"Excuse me, would it be possible to have some laborers? Or rather, people willing to settle in another territory."
This question was quite unexpected, so they didn't have high hopes.
"Of course."
"Oh, that's fine- Wait, you accept??"
The lord nodded.
"We're facing a serious homelessness issue in Fronte. Reducing their numbers would help shrink the slums. It's a good trade-off, isn't it? You need people, and I need to lower the number of homeless. A coincidence."