Chapter 34: Subhumans

Mel Carlo wasn’t planning to continue speaking, but the little girl spoke up instead.

Despite being around the same age, she addressed him with honorifics:

“Mr. Mel, is what you’re saying true?”

“Just call me Mel. Actually, I’m not sure either. Like I said, the Claire I mentioned had orange-red hair.”

“Father, if I join the Demon King’s Army, can I avenge Mother?”

Claire asked her father.

“No, absolutely not. I’ve already avenged your mother.”

Freli firmly denied it.

He didn’t want his daughter to become a traitor to humanity.

“But we’re always hiding and running.”

Claire was still young and couldn’t understand many things.

The man fell silent.

He didn’t know how to answer his daughter.

The enemy was indeed dead, but they were still wanted by that noble family.

On this continent, the nobility and their interests were intertwined.

They would protect their own interests by default.

For money, or for other reasons, if they were discovered, they’d definitely be captured.

So many years had passed, and the pursuit may have weakened, but it was still possible to encounter trouble…

“Say, do you really plan to live like this forever? Do you know much about the Demon King’s Army? What are they really like?”

Mel Carlo was very curious.

Although in the game, demons and humans were natural enemies, demons were not monsters; the two couldn’t be equated.

Demons were more like another highly intelligent race, like Elves and Beastmen, similar to Subhumans.

“Of course. Claire and I have been to the Borderlands. But there was still fighting there, so we couldn’t transport goods over.”

“Are there merchants trading with the Demon King’s Army?”

Mel Carlo continued to ask.

There had always been people who profited from war.

As long as the demon race wasn’t as chaotic as the propaganda claimed, trade was possible.

But if the demons aimed to exterminate humanity, then Mel Carlo felt it necessary to help the humans of this world—unless one day he stopped being human.

“Mm, I think it exists. Otherwise, with the demon-controlled zones, even if they cleared out entire areas, there wouldn’t be enough supplies to support such a long war.”

“Mr. Freli, if you had the ability in the future, would you choose to do this kind of business? After all, it’s pure profit—a high-margin industry. The Demon King’s price must be high.”

“I don’t…”

The man wanted to deny it, but then paused.

He scratched his head, thought for a moment, and replied, “It’s hard to say. I’m not at that level now. If I ever reach that level, maybe my thinking would change.”

The noble class on the human side must be hoping the demons would enact a harsh purge, which would only increase hatred for the demon race.

Unless all humans were wiped out, demons could never unify the continent.

Mel Carlo chatted idly with him.

Even building a bit of a relationship was good, since he had a large stockpile of goods, all unavailable in this world.

If he wanted to sell them, he’d need a reliable and stable merchant—or even a merchant guild.

If his own strength wasn’t enough, just bringing out such goods for sale would make him a target.

If a new product suddenly appeared on the market and sold well, other merchants would notice, then start investigating the seller, wanting a share of the profit.

Whether trying to operate upstream or sell directly for pure profit, he needed to secure his footing in another world.

“Mr. Freli, will you continue being a merchant?”

Mel continued to ask.

“Mm. On this continent, there’s nothing more suitable for me than being a traveling merchant.”

“If you become strong enough, or establish your own merchant guild, I have some high-value goods I could offer you.”

Mel Carlo tossed out his own hook.

Freli just looked doubtfully at the empty-handed Mel.

Mel Carlo didn’t look like someone who could carry many goods—at most, a wallet with a gold coin and some silver.

He didn’t completely disbelieve.

At the very least, this kid couldn’t be viewed as just a child.

That man earlier was probably killed because of this kid.

“You don’t believe me?”

“No, even if you have such goods, I don’t have the strength to sell them right now.

A small amount might be fine, but if the quantity increases, we’d be watched.

I think you have the same worry right now, which is why you don’t dare to take out your goods.”

Freli answered Mel Carlo’s question, seeing through the situation.

If he wanted to rob and kill, he could have strangled Mel Carlo when they left the capital and entered the wilderness.

But he hadn’t done so.

Part of it was caution regarding Mel Carlo’s strength; the other part was that he simply didn’t like killing.

The first time he killed someone, he pissed himself out of uncontrollable fear.

When he fled with his daughter, it was more of a panicked escape; he took only a little money, nothing more.

“Mel, if one day I build my own merchant caravan and guild, would you still work with me?”

“Let’s talk about the future when it comes. I can’t say for sure whether my thoughts will change by then.”

With that, the conversation ended.

Compared to the man, Mel Carlo preferred talking with the little girl.

She spoke little, but her words were concise, without so much scheming.

“Claire, has your father always been like this? He doesn’t seem very reliable.”

“Mm, Father’s always been this way.

Not very reliable.

But I’m here, so I’ll definitely organize the Bernado family’s merchant caravan.”

“That won’t do, my dear Claire.

The surname will expose us.”

The man interrupted again.

“Mr. Freli, I think your worries are unnecessary.

When your fist is strong enough, your rules become the rules.

That noble can’t touch you.

You’re wanted now, but to put it bluntly, it’s because the noble class can’t profit from you.”

“Boss Mel, you speak like a poet.

But I have to say, there’s some truth to your words.

Still, it’s a bit naive.

Those noble lords won’t let you share their profits for nothing.”

The man didn’t look back, but didn’t think Mel was completely wrong.

“Then just find a way to get rid of them.

Hang them from the city gates.”

“All of them?”

“Yes, everyone who stands in the way.”

“But you don’t look like you have that ability right now.”

“Mm, but that’s just for now. The future’s uncertain.”

For Mel Carlo, helping anyone in this world was the same.

After all, he wasn’t originally from this world.

Of course, he wouldn’t be stupid enough to promote other ideologies here, either.

He’d probably be burned at the stake as a heretic by the noble lords and the church.

To put it simply, this world’s level of productivity wasn’t enough to support the birth of new ideas.