Episode 100: Slave Tribute

Pebrio conveyed every bit of information he possessed to Siegfried without holding anything back.

(If both King Luverios and Commander Bertram are absent… then I have no choice but to ingratiate myself with this man!)

Having resolved himself to that, he offered Siegfried every possible piece of information, including even the most trivial details.

“…And that is the extent of the information I know.”

Having finished speaking, Pebrio concluded with those words, his expression tense as he gauged Siegfried’s reaction.

“I see.”

Siegfried nodded.

“There was a lot of worthless talk mixed in… but as expected from a marquis. Regarding political and financial circles, there were several pieces of valuable information included.”

“Th-then…”

A hint of hope colored Pebrio’s face.

“Does that mean, since I’ve been of use to you, Lord Siegfried, I can expect to receive treatment befitting a noble… Is that how I should understand it!?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Eh…?”

“I believe I told you beforehand. I have no intention of giving you all special treatment.”

“N-no way…!”

The color drained from Pebrio’s face.

“Th-this is too cruel! Even though I’ve provided so much information…!”

“I don’t recall ever saying a single word about ‘if you provide information, I’ll give you special treatment.’”

“Th-that can’t be…”

Pebrio hung his head.

Being shoved into the same cell as the soldiers, given meager meals and tattered clothes to live in—that was something utterly unacceptable for him as a high-ranking noble.

“P-please… Isn’t there something that can be done!? If it’s money, I’ll give you as much as I can!”

“Unnecessary. Lately, I’ve had the good fortune to come into a massive fortune. I’m not lacking for money.”

That massive fortune, needless to say, was Bertram’s assets.

“If money won’t do…”

Pebrio clutched his head.

Then, after a brief silence, he timidly squeezed out his words while observing Siegfried’s expression.

“H-how about… people…?”

“Oh…?”

“The soldiers from my unit who are prisoners—I’ll offer them to you, Lord Siegfried, as slaves!”

Even if they are prisoners of war, treating them as slaves is prohibited by the ‘Eastern Countries Treaty.’

This treaty was established hundreds of years ago.

At the time, various countries frequently waged wars by invading neighboring nations to abduct residents and turn them into slaves as a means to supplement labor shortages.

As a result, the eastern countries, including Kirchhen and Serodonia, fell into a quagmire of conflicts over slaves, leading to the devastation of the surrounding regions.

Eventually, the countries judged that ‘if this continues, we’ll all collapse together,’ and they concluded a treaty banning the slave system.

If violated, that country would face simultaneous attacks from the other eastern countries as well as the ‘Holy Religion’ nation group.

However—if one turns it around, it also means ‘as long as it’s not exposed, there’s no problem.’

If a nation is openly handling slaves on a large scale, that’s one thing, but if it’s just an individual owning slaves on the scale of a few to a few hundred people, it won’t easily become public knowledge.

In fact, there are more than a few nobles who secretly keep slaves under the surface.

“The soldiers in my unit are all people from my territory. I can make the stories match up however I need to.”

So said Pebrio.

“I see, that’s an intriguing proposal.”

At those words from Siegfried, Pebrio’s voice rose with excitement.

“R-right!? The soldiers are all healthy and well-trained individuals. They’re impeccable as slaves!”

Then, lowering his voice, he continued.

“To tell the truth… I’ve been involved in slave trading back in my home country. One way or another, slaves are quite convenient to have around.”

“Very well.”

Siegfried nodded.

“If you’ll offer your soldiers as slaves—then starting tomorrow, I’ll grant you special treatment befitting a noble. I’ll prepare a private room for you, and ensure the utmost comfort possible with meals, clothing, and so on. Once the war ends, I’ll even send you back to your home country.”

“I-is that really true!?”

“Yes. I’ll keep my promise. But a verbal agreement alone isn’t trustworthy. Wait a moment.”

Siegfried ordered a nearby soldier to bring three sets each of paper and quill pens.

These quill pens were magical writing instruments called ‘Magic Oath Pens,’ imbued with mana. Made from the feathers of the monstrous bird Simurgh, they have the property of causing the written letters to faintly glow when touched by the writer themselves.

In other words, they are special items used to prevent document forgery.

“Write a pledge on this paper stating ‘I offer my subordinate soldiers as slaves.’ Of course, this pledge has no legal binding force. But once you’ve written it—you won’t be able to make excuses anymore.”

“…I see. Understood.”

Even if Pebrio offers his subordinate soldiers as slaves, later he could claim ‘they were turned into slaves without permission.’

However, if he writes the pledge, he can’t make that excuse.

In other words, Pebrio would be unable to betray Siegfried as a co-conspirator.

Pebrio quietly took the pen and began inscribing the letters on the pledge.

Confirming that, Siegfried handed pieces of paper and pens to the two commanders sitting beside him.

“What about you two? If you also pledge to offer your subordinates as slaves, I could treat you with special noble privileges starting tomorrow.”

“Y-yes…”

The commander with glasses hesitantly picked up the pen.

But the moment he tried to write the letters with trembling fingertips—he stopped dead in his tracks.

“Wh-what… will happen to the soldiers who become slaves?”

The glasses-wearing commander looked up at Siegfried pleadingly.

“Let’s see. Perhaps send them to a frontier full of monsters and force them to labor until they die. Or… I’ve heard rumors that Ignas, the head court magician, is looking for materials for human experiments. Handing them over to him wouldn’t be bad either.”

“H-human experiments…!”

The lips of the glasses-wearing commander trembled uncontrollably. But seeing that, Pebrio snorted in derision.

“What’s there to be afraid of? Lowly commoners being of use to Lord Siegfried or Lord Ignas. If anything, they should consider it an honor.”

Saying that, Pebrio directed a sycophantic gaze toward Siegfried.

But the glasses-wearing commander looked down and slowly shook his head.

“I-I just… can’t bring myself to offer my soldiers as slaves.”

With that declaration, he gently placed the pen back on the desk.

“…Me too. The same goes for me.”

This time, the thin commander spoke up.

“I-I’m a commander of a defeated army… an incompetent man. I have no intention of pretending to be a person of character now. However, even so… I just can’t do something like selling my soldiers to buy a comfortable life for myself.”

Siegfried directed a chilly gaze at the two and declared.

“I see, so in other words, you’re half-baked fools without even the guts to become evil. In that case, I have no use for you. …Take them away.”

“Yes, sir.”

At Siegfried’s command, the soldiers waiting behind escorted the two out.

Watching their backs, Pebrio snorted mockingly with a “hmph.”

To him, Siegfried turned a smile.

“In that regard, you’re different. Marquis Pebrio de Parnia—I hold deep admiration for someone like you.”

“O-oh! Those are words far too generous!”

Pebrio beamed with a full smile, puffing out his chest proudly.

But he didn’t know. The kind of person Siegfried held admiration for was, in other words—.