Daredevils

"Send this brat to that hucarnis merchant group in the capital!" Huvel ordered Chance: his finger was pointing at 'little doggy' who was licking his feet.

The past few days, little doggy had been trying to follow Huvel everywhere he went. Huvel was not happy with that since he did not want the servants in the castle to see him. For a few days, he could only lock the hucarnis boy in his room. But that was not a solution so he decided to send the boy away.

"Master," Chance replied, "it seems like he has recognized Bellamy as his kin and you as his master, just like Bellamy did. If he feels he was abandoned by his kin again, he would be too heartbroken that he might no longer wants to live. Don't you think so?"

Chance found the hucarnis boy to be pitiful and adorable at the same time. He could not help but took the boy's side.

Huvel sighed. He regrated leaving little doggy to Bellamy. Little doggy watched whatever Bellamy did and imitated every single thing. In a short time, he became more and more closer to a real dog than a hucarnis and that concerned Huvel.

"Is this really alright?" he thought. "Will the hucarnis countries declare war on me for making their kin go astray? Never mind, let's deal with it when the time comes. It is better to have two dogs than only one."

"Well, take that aside for now," Huvel spoke to Chance again. "Who do you think is the one behind this human… no, homo trafficking business?"

"I believe it is both of the other two elders of Black Python," replied Chance.

"Reason?"

"According to Brandan, the identity of one of the other three elders was Winfrey, the chief of 'Four Brown Horses' Merchant Group from Blue Hippogriff Kingdom and the other was Meoldwyn, the chief of 'Grüne Glocke' Merchant Group from the hufelis nation, MeowLamar Federation.

Hucarnises and hufelises are enemies. The leaders of both sides ban visiting the other's territories. But hucarnises and humans are the favourite slaves of hufelise lords. Winfrey must have bought those eight people from his country to sell them in MeowLamar Federation."

"What if Meoldwyn bought them here?" Huvel interjected.

"even if there are a few people who want to sell slaves," Chance continued, "the price must be very high due to the big risks. It is more profitable for Meoldwym to trade in other countries.

The merchants of MeowLamer and Blue Hippogriff usually go to the capital for trading. But when this place, Boswel, became safe after the construction of the wall, it was a good place to trade directly between the merchants of the two countries since this town was closer to them than the capital. For the merchants that want to do illegal trades, this town would be the best place since the inspection here is much looser than the capital."

"Even so, to get to here, they have to cross the other lords' territories. Isn't it your father's land that shared the border with MeowLamar Federation? I cannot believe that your father dare takes bribery from the slave traders!"

"… It surprises me as well. When I was young, I thought our Boden March was poor because my father was very… careful about spending money. Just where is he using all his wealth?"

"That's unexpected. Anyway, whose land was on border of Blue Hippogriff side?"

"It is Algernon March. Marquis Algernon also is the lord of Sir Luc, the knight who was rude to you before."

"Now that you mention him, I just remembered that I still haven't wrote to his lord to complain about him. Never mind, I can do that later. It seems the two marquises are not afraid of the punishment for letting the traders with slaves pass their marches."

"The marquises dare to do so only because even if the slave traders are caught, they could always say they did not know anything. They could get a big punishment for not inspecting the merchants well but the bribery might be worth enough for them to ignore the punishment."

"I see. I have to gather enough evidence first to blackmail them. I wonder if that knight called Luc knows anything. It is time to visit him, huhuhu."

Seeing his master's smiling eyes, Chance could only shake his head slowly, pitying the knight who had to entertain his master.

-----

Huvel descended to the dungeon in the underground with Colin who followed him to become his personal attendant. Two guards were stationed at the entrance but there was nothing much to guard. On the first floor were two knights waiting for their punishment. There were two servants working on the second floor. The third and the last floor was empty: there might only be ghosts, if they existed.

Huvel order Colin to call the two servants to come to the first floor. Meanwhile, he went to the cell Knight Luc was in.

"I'm honoured to be visited by the lord," said Luc as soon as he saw Huvel: his gestures, however, were not respectful at all. "I guess the lord has decided to set me free now."

"You are really something," said Huvel as he knotted his brows. "It seems you don't understand the word 'repent'."

"Hmph!" snorted Luc. "Lord Senebres, even if you are the lord of this land, it is wrong of you to detain a knight of other nobles. I advise you that it would not do you any good if you anger my lord, Marquis Algernon! Release me before it's too late."

"It seems your brain does not work like a human's after stealing too much like a rat."

Huvel did not want to talk to Luc anymore and went down to the other floor.

"My lord!" the two servants greeted Huvel as soon as they saw him while lowering their head.

"Have you two recovered?" Huvel asked them after sizing them up.

Both of them have large physiques. They looked stronger after having meal to their full. They must have been sold off to do manual labour.

"Thanks to my lord's grace, we have fully recovered," replied the servants.

"Imm. How is the cleaning?"

"Among the ten big cells on this floor, we have thoroughly cleaned three of them, my lord."

"Good. There are two men on the floor above. Drag down the man in the first cell here!"