I Alone Regress in a Hero Party That Was Annihilated - Chapter 38

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#38. To Meursault Mountain (2)

 

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One hundred prisoners pull the wagon.

 

The frozen earth stretched endlessly.

 

It was as if the sky had completely collapsed and spread across the floor.

 

Crunch—crunch—crunch—

 

The prisoners pulling the wagon by gripping the iron chains looked wretched.

 

Every time they stepped forward, the sound of snow compressing under their feet echoed eerily.

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

The prisoners walked through frozen silence.

 

The wind broke their anger, and the cold made servility sprout.

 

Creak—creak—creak—creak—

 

As the blizzard intensified, snow piled up on the wagon, making it even heavier.

 

Pale faces floating on the endless white snowfield.

 

They repeatedly got buried in snow and struggled out, growing paler and paler.

 

Just then.

 

“Stop.”

 

A voice colder than the arctic wind came from behind.

 

Featherback.

 

The teenage boy who served as commander of this expedition revealed himself from inside the wagon.

 

Featherback looked at the prisoners and spoke.

 

“I’m thinking of giving you trash a chance. Those interested, come forward.”

 

Who would dare ignore those words for safety?

 

The prisoners threw down their iron chains and rushed forward, kneeling before Featherback.

 

Walking the snowfield wearing tattered rags with bare hands and bare feet was killing them.

 

The prisoners thought.

 

‘Right. A person can’t treat another person like this. Everything until now must have been for show.’

 

‘If I die, he won’t be able to find the money I’ve hidden. So he can’t kill me.’

 

‘By now it should be time for him to make a proper deal…’

 

They trusted in the assets they had hidden away.

 

They thought Featherback wouldn’t be able to kill them, if only to recover that money.

 

In front of such prisoners, Featherback threw something.

 

…Thud! Clang!

 

It was a small crate.

 

The prisoners trembled as they stared at the crate.

 

“…?”

 

Inside the wooden crate, jewels and gold coins were piled high.

 

Featherback scratched his ear as if annoyed.

 

“This is all my wealth. I received it as performance bonuses during this large-scale trash cleanup operation.”

 

It was quite a lot of money.

 

With it before their eyes, Featherback asked the prisoners.

 

“Is there anyone who wants this? If so, raise your hand.”

 

At those words, the prisoners looked at each other’s faces.

 

The gold and silver treasures inside the wooden crate.

 

But right now, in this moment and situation, such things were completely useless.

 

When they were about to freeze to death or starve to death immediately, what use could such things possibly have?

 

The prisoners hesitated and watched each other’s reactions.

 

Then Featherback shrugged his shoulders.

 

“I guess you don’t need it.”

 

Soon after, Featherback came down from under the wagon and kicked the crate hard.

 

Gold coins and jewels rolled away like trash, tumbling down the cliff below the mountain slope.

 

Clang— Clang—Clang—Clang—Clang—Clang—Clang—Clang—

 

The loud noises of stone and metal colliding broke the silence of the snowy field.

 

After that, Featherback picked up the wooden crate.

 

…Crack!

 

Featherback broke the crate and turned it into wood pieces.

 

Then he took out flint from his chest and lit the wood pieces on fire.

 

Whoosh—

 

Warm firelight spread in all directions.

 

The prisoners’ mouths fell open at the sight.

 

Fire, warmth, heat.

 

The prisoners’ eyes went slack as if mesmerized.

 

But Featherback’s voice remained cold.

 

“You guys must not be cold enough yet. Right?”

 

A campfire blazed on top of the broken wooden crate.

 

Featherback filled a tin cup with snow and placed it over the fire.

 

Bubble bubble bubble bubble…

 

The snow in the tin cup melted and became water.

 

Featherback lifted the steaming cup.

 

The gazes of the prisoners, who had been shivering in the cold, also followed the cup of boiling water upward.

 

Soon after.

 

Featherback turned the cup upside down.

 

The melted snow water poured out and extinguished the campfire.

 

Hissss…

 

At the same time, the longing that had briefly flickered in the prisoners’ eyes also cooled down.

 

Featherback spoke.

 

“What did you just see?”

 

No one answered.

 

In the silence and cold, Featherback continued speaking.

 

“There were treasures inside the wooden crate. Originally, you lot were the type who could only see the treasures without noticing the wooden crate.”

 

The prisoners still gave no response.

 

Featherback narrowed his eyes toward those prisoners.

 

“But what about now? Was there anyone who kept staring at the gold coins that rolled down the cliff to the very end? From what I saw, there wasn’t a single one.”

 

Those words were correct.

 

In this current situation, gold coins and jewels were no different from trash.

 

So whether such things rolled off a cliff or into a dung heap, it was none of their concern.

 

Featherback continued speaking.

 

“In the current situation, the wooden crate that contained them is far more valuable than the gold and silver treasures. You pieces of trash must have seen it too, right? Me lighting a campfire with the wooden crate.”

 

…What was more essential?

 

…Which side better served the fundamental purpose of survival?

 

The prisoners’ eyes changed.

 

They finally understood completely.

 

Right now, wooden crates and leather pouches that contained things were more precious than countless riches.

 

Because while gold coins and jewels provided no help for immediate survival, wooden crates could be broken apart and used as firewood, and leather pouches could wrap frostbitten and swollen feet.

 

The prisoners began to murmur.

 

Featherback noticed the white breath coming from the prisoners’ mouths, and the light of agitation melting within it.

 

…Thud!

 

Dried jerky and warm fur gloves emerged from the wagon.

 

Featherback waved them in front of the prisoners.

 

“This is dried rat meat. The gloves are also made from skinned rat leather.”

 

The prisoners swallowed their saliva.

 

They were all staring intently at the jerky and gloves in Featherback’s hands.

 

Featherback continued speaking in an indifferent tone.

 

“Just a few months ago, you would have considered this worthless. You would have despised it as something belonging to the poor.”

 

“N-no, that’s not true!”

 

Someone among the prisoners shouted.

 

It seemed they had spoken without realizing it.

 

Featherback continued what he had to say, regardless.

 

“But now it’s different. I believe that you can now recognize the value of these items. Just like with the wooden crate earlier.”

 

The prisoners had seen it.

 

Gold coins and jewels were completely useless trash, while wooden crates could become precious firewood.

 

The standards of value they had held until now were completely overturned, and from now on, adapting to new value standards was the only way to survive.

 

Featherback drove the point home.

 

“Now. I want to exchange the useless things you have for the useful things I have. I recommend that those who fail to recognize this opportunity take their own lives right now.”

 

The prisoners competed to raise their hands.

 

“Me! I’ll buy it!”

 

“Give me all the rat meat jerky!”

 

“Gloves! Please sell me gloves!”

 

“Don’t you have boots!? I need ointment for frostbite too!”

 

Hands shooting up frantically.

 

Faced with such passionate enthusiasm, Featherback nodded.

 

“Payment is in advance. First, detail your list of assets and write a written agreement to transfer them to the Mörsolt Family free of charge. I will tie it to a messenger bird and send it to the castle, and when I receive a reply confirming the donation is complete, then I’ll give you the goods.”

 

“I’ll write whatever it takes!”

 

The prisoners were ready to sell their liver and gallbladder for a single piece of rat meat jerky.

 

Featherback continued speaking to these prisoners.

 

“Oh. Come to think of it, I haven’t set the price.”

 

“…!”

 

The prisoners’ eyes widened.

 

Price. This was a sensitive matter.

 

The prisoners began watching each other’s reactions.

 

Just how much would Featherback price the provisions and winter gear?

 

Amid the tense atmosphere, Featherback opened his mouth.

 

“The price will be set by auction. The minimum bid per piece of jerky is 100,000 gold.”

 

100,000 gold.

 

To think they had to pay that much to eat jerky made from catching one dirty rat running around the sewers.

 

Hesitation spread among the prisoners for a moment.

 

Right then.

 

“110,000 gold!”

 

Someone raised their hand.

 

A man with a goatee and the look of a scheming sycophant.

 

Sancho was staring with wide eyes.

 

Featherback nodded his head.

 

“Good. 110,000 gold. Any more?”

 

“….”

 

The prisoners’ eyes changed again.

 

After all, auctions are meant to stir up competitive psychology.

 

Soon, another prisoner shouted.

 

“O-one hundred twenty thousand gold!”

 

“130,000 gold!”

 

“Damn it! I bid 140,000 gold!”

 

“150,000 over here!”

 

“O-o-one hundred sixty thousand gold!”

 

“Fucking bastards! I bid 170,000!”

 

“Shut up! I haven’t eaten anything for three days! 180,000!”

 

“Fuck that! 190,000!”

 

“Please give me a break! 200,000! I don’t have any more!”

 

“Bullshit! If you don’t have money, you should die! I bid 210,000!”

 

Then hands shot up from all over.

 

Featherback stroked his chin.

 

“I’ll raise the bidding increment. From now on, only increments of 100,000.”

 

It was an absurd profit margin with mind-numbing addition, but no one cared about that.

 

In the end, a single piece of rat meat jerky was sold for the enormous sum of 500,000 gold.

 

“Sob! Thank you! Thank you!”

 

The winning bidder was Sancho, who had first called out 110,000 gold.

 

Featherback asked Sancho.

 

“What should I write on the messenger bird?”

 

“…I have a cousin named Ashkan. In the garlic field where he farms in Orthodox City, there’s a red scarecrow standing. If you dig under it, you’ll find a buried coffin. Gold bars are stored inside it. Since it’s money earned illegally anyway, he can’t explain the source of the funds, so you can just confiscate it directly. So there’s no need to write a separate transfer agreement.”

 

“Good. I’ll give you the jerky as soon as that’s confirmed.”

 

“Thank you! Thank you, Young Lord!”

 

Sancho was crying and expressing gratitude even though he hadn’t received the jerky yet.

 

That sight was drawing out anxiety, competitiveness, and envy from the other prisoners.

 

Soon.

 

“Now, the next auction. Winter gear, starting at 1 million gold.”

 

Featherback held up crude quality fur boots and gloves.

 

It was merchandise sufficient to make all the prisoners’ eyes burn with madness.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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