Chapter 114 – Common Struggle
“Thank you, master.”
“You were very courageous too, despite being surrounded by higher-ranked fighters. I’m seeing you in a new light. You did well in choosing to become a trader. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone more fit for the job!”
“I didn’t think you’d be that impressed, master. It’s okay to praise me more.”
“Kahahah! There are always ignorant combatants who think that fighting power is everything and that they’re special because they risk their lives to earn a living.”
She glanced at the still-paralyzed Selva, who frowned when she understood her meaning.
“I was the same when I was young but I’m way past that point now. No matter what work you do, you always bet your life. A farmer who fails a harvest. A potter who can’t make a solid pot. A trader who can’t sell their goods. All of them will starve to death in the end. It’s no different from a fighter dying while fighting except that it’s a bit more indirect.”
She sent another look at Selva and I knew she was trying to educate her more than explaining her thoughts to me.
“I can tell you’re going to make it big. Just like warriors who become high-ranked, I think you can aim to be at the top of the trading world.”
It was the highest possible praise considering she wasn’t even a high-ranked fighter herself. Selva also understood this and started to watch me differently from usual. It seemed the education had gone well.
“Master, there’s something I don’t understand.”
“Yes?”
“You told us the women here treat men badly but I feel they listened to him way too obediently.”
“Right. That’s because it’s different for foreigners. That way of thinking mostly applies to men born in this country. Also, these women weren’t just anybody. They were elite warriors. Except for the younger ones, the ones with more experience probably traveled around the region a lot and had gone to Geola multiple times. They know very well that their culture doesn’t apply abroad. In particular, they know they shouldn’t treat merchants too badly since their kingdom relies on commerce a lot.”
Selva looked enlightened again and nodded with understanding. I also had something I wanted to ask.
“I have a question too. How were you planning on handling them if a fight broke out? Could you truly kill them all by yourself?”
“That’s a secret! Kahahah!”
It was a pity she didn’t want to answer because I was a bit curious about it. Now that we were done talking about the previous encounter, we switched to discuss what to do next. There had been a bit of trouble but we still sold everything before even reaching the city. We could even go back home right away if we wanted to. However, Selva and I were curious about Alfiro and we decided to spend the rest of the day there. We could depart again the following morning.
Freed from its heavy load, the carriage was now much lighter. The horses neighed happily, moving forward at a light trot. We swiftly arrived at the city, advancing in the middle of the high density of people. Our first objective was the same as always, finding an inn with stables to store the carriage and let the horses rest.
The streets were relatively animated, with a lot going on everywhere. There were many establishments on both sides of the main road, with merchants manning food stalls here and there. Some of the buildings were quite large, with several floors, and many folks were coming in and out of them.
Despite all of this, there was still a large contrast between men’s and women's attitudes. Except for a small number of foreigners like us, most men had their heads lowered as they crossed the streets, trying hard not to attract any attention. Women, on the other hand, walked proudly, their eyes full of vigor.
We asked a few passersby where the best inn was located. Since my pockets were now full, I didn’t mind splurging a little for one night of accommodation. We were directed to a place in another district and headed there. On the way, Wico pointed at a large building, the store sign being a drawing of two feline males.
“Look, Selva. That’s a brothel exclusively for women. Except for the owner, everyone inside is a man. Perfect for you.”
Selva clicked her tongue in annoyance.
“Why would I want to go there?”
“Feline men are generally docile. And since you can’t get a boyfriend…”
“Be quiet, master. It’s not that I can’t, it’s just that I don’t want to.”
“Kahahah! I know you’re interested! I can even pay for it as your master!”
Selva ignored her and we arrived at our destination. As expected of a luxury inn, the treatment was on a different level. A man immediately started taking care of the horses without even asking us and I had to convince him I wanted to do it myself. Still, he stayed on standby next to me, looking at what I was doing anxiously. I felt bad for him so I gave him a silver coin as a tip when I was done. He seemed surprised but still thanked me, after a second.
Once we entered the actual building, we were met with people wearing high-quality clothes, sitting and chatting in the opulent lobby. The three of us were only wearing normal outfits but none of us cared about the inn’s patrons’ looks. Most of them stopped scrutinizing us when noticing Wico, since rank was a status in itself in this Kingdom. It wasn’t wrong to say that high-ranked people usually had financial leisure, anyway. It was easy to understand why when looking at Wico’s daily wages.
The lady at the reception was a well-mannered feline, who smiled at us without any reluctance.
“Welcome, dear ladies and sir. What can I do for you?”
I turned toward my two companions.
“How many rooms?”
“3.”
Selva instantly answered while Wico stayed silent.
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