Chapter 69: A Life Bought and Sold

Chapter 69: A Life Bought and Sold

She keeps staring at me as we sit alone in the room with only her attendant nearby. Then she turns away, and to my surprise, I am still alive.

"Why did you do it?"

"He wanted to kill me."

She pauses once more and doesn't ask more about that, as if my answer explains everything.

"Do you regret it?" There is a hint of curiosity in her voice.

I open my mouth, about to lie, but then stop myself just in time, remembering her warning. I still believe that I have no other choice, so I answer honestly.

"No."

She nods, "I see."

Is she not going to ask me how I did it?

"Why didn't you run away?"

"I thought I would get caught, and staying here would be much less suspicious. I also tried to cover it as much as possible."

She leans back on the couch with one of her legs crossed over the other and still looking at me, curiously. There is some mana at the top of her hands spinning wildly, but I do not dare to try to probe it to see what she does.

"What will you do if I try to kill you?"

Try? Don't be funny. There is no way it would be trying. I will die the moment you decide to do so. Still, I answer honestly.

"I will try to kill you too."

A small laugh escapes her mouth, and her attendant, a young redhead woman, seems to be shocked.

"What do you regret more, killing Emeric or getting caught?"

"Getting caught."

"No regrets for taking his life?"

"The moment he said he would kill me, there was none."

Mana in her hand spins faster and faster, and I realize that it's something like a fidget toy for her, maybe also an exercise. The mana continues to spin, then it stops, changes density, creates shapes, and disappears only to be summoned back. All at a terrifying speed, showing her mastery over it.

"You can ask one question."

Huh?

That makes me lose control of my mana for a second, but I quickly regain control and continue to move it in my body, ready to at least try to fight back. I am sure she knows about it. There is no way she doesn't.

Yet she looks totally unbothered by it. Is she finding that funny?

"What do I need to do to stay alive?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Oh, finally you talk. Sure, go ahead! But I won't answer most of them anyway."

Why would you... whatever.

"Why am I still alive?"

"I will answer this one because you look so pitiful," She giggles. "It's most likely because you are interesting and the master found it amusing. She won't show it, but she is super bored all the time and rarely something catches her interest. That's why!"

Huh? Is that a good enough reason to glance over the murder of your family member?

"Ask more!"

Please, leave me alone.

"How much is 100 gold?"

"I almost forgot, you are a drifter, so obviously you won't know! A level 50 soldier makes 1 gold a year! 1 gold is 100 silver, and one silver is 100 copper. Bread costs 1-3 copper. A glass of ale costs 2 to 4 coppers. Farmers make 15 silver a year? Something like that. So yeah, it's a lot of money."

Oh dang it.

"Why would they want to throw me to the frontlines if I am worth that much?"

Her laugh is the loudest I've heard from her up until now.

"Of course, you're not! Drifters are rare but not worth that much. The master is too busy to deal with little things, so I bought you instead of her! Henry sold you for 2 gold to the frontlines, and Emeric paid him 5 gold to let him take you 'under his wing'."

Then where did the 100 gold amount come from?

A strong suspicion hits me.

It can't be, right?

"The master is super rich and bad with money."

Oh no.

"I told her you would cost 100 gold!"

"..."

Yup, it's just as I thought.

"I actually paid only 8 gold for you!" Her smile is victorious and proud as she looks at me. "Oh, and it's expected for you to pay double. 100 for the money she spent and 100 more for her to have a return on investment."

She is totally shameless as she says this.

For heaven's sake.

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