Chapter 12

012.

Barbarians.

And not just any barbarians, but spoils of war painstakingly gathered by young barbarians who had not even become adults yet.

He was trying to settle the precious fruits of their blood and sweat with just three sacks of potatoes that were one step away from rotting.

Deep fury surged up from my core.

“Wh-why are you doing this! Let go of me! Chief, please stop him!”

Zakan took a step closer, seemingly flustered by my sudden action.

“What is wrong, Shaman? He is a valuable merchant.”

There was a warning in Zakan’s voice.

From his perspective, it was only natural.

For barbarians who had never once left this barren land before the Black Barrier in their entire lives, this traveling merchant was their only channel for obtaining supplies from the outside world.

But I ignored him and glared down at Tofu with a frightening expression.

Of course, unlike my outward appearance, I was not blindly reckless inside.

‘This guy crossed this terrifying frontier. What if he turns out to be insanely strong and beats the hell out of me?’

In fantasy novels and games, traveling merchants sometimes turned out to be hidden masters or martial arts experts, didn’t they?

‘I need to check whether it’s safe first.’

Only then could I continue throwing my weight around without worry, so I decided to use my skill.

But…… the activation condition for this skill was the problem.

After hesitating inwardly for a moment, I had no other good option, so I deliberately made a fierce expression and shouted toward the sky.

“BARBARIAAAAN-!”

A thunderous Warrior’s Roar that seemed capable of splitting the square apart.

At my sudden shout, Tofu hunched his shoulders and flailed.

But something unexpected happened.

“BARBARIAAAN-!”

“BARBARIANS DO NOT BREAK-!”

The young barbarians, their blood boiling at the Warrior’s Roar filled with valiant spirit, began shouting along.

In an instant, the square heated up with feverish energy.

- Boom, boom, boom-!

The frail human Tofu stood in the middle of dozens of crazed, muscular giants stomping their feet and shouting “Barbarian.”

His face went beyond pale and was rapidly turning deathly white.

Of course, I had not meant to frighten him.

I had simply used my skill.

A translucent system window appeared above Tofu’s head in my vision.

==========

【Target Information】

• Name : Tofu

• Race : Human

【Basic Stats】

• Strength : 7 / Agility : 12

• Constitution : 25 / Intelligence : 14

【Potential】

• Overall Rank : A (Bloodline of a Super Merchant)

• Growth : 18%

==========

I quickly scanned the text.

His Strength is terrible.

‘At least the chance of him beating me up is 0%.’

Still, as befitted a merchant who crossed the wasteland in search of customers, his Constitution was exceptionally high.

But what truly caught my attention was his Potential and trait.

‘What the hell! Why are there so many A-ranks!’

Within the veins of this scrawny little brat flowed the blood of a great merchant capable of controlling the continent.

“Wh-why are you doing this? You’ve never acted like this before!”

He blinked innocently and asked.

“If it weren’t for my family, there wouldn’t be any merchants comin’ all the way out to this barren land.”

When I remained silent, he subtly raised his own value with a displeased tone, wearing a fairly firm expression.

I had him figured out.

His family had clearly been making outrageous profits off these isolated, naive barbarian tribes for generations.

No wonder his skill at swindling people like an old fox came so naturally despite his age.

‘Tsk, tsk. Good. Life sentence for you.’

Having understood the situation, I inwardly passed sentence on him and immersed myself once again in my menacing performance.

I could feel Zakan approaching in confusion at my craziness, but I did not stop.

“What is wrong, Shaman? Do not be rude to the merchant.”

“Chief.”

Still gripping Tofu’s wrist, I looked at Zakan.

“What is the shaman’s job?”

“Managing the household.”

“Then what is trading with merchants? Is this important duty of managing the tribe’s livelihood the chief’s responsibility?”

At my wise rebuttal, a look of realization crossed Zakan’s face.

“Now that I hear it, Izak, you are right.”

Like the S-rank chief with Intelligence 11 that he was, Zakan quickly acknowledged his mistake.

“I am sorry. This is the shaman’s work. Handle it as you see fit.”

When Zakan took a step back, Tofu’s face completely crumpled as though he were about to cry.

“Ch-Chief! Where are you goin’! Save me! Why are you doin’ this?”

Ignoring his scream, I gave him the brightest smile I could make.

Smiling…… while my eyes were not smiling at all.

“Merchant.”

“Eek-!”

“I have something to say to you, just the two of us, somewhere very private and quiet. Follow me.”

“Chief! Save me! I’m scared! Somebody help!”

_______________

Inside the shaman’s tent.

Seeing him up close again, he truly looked like nothing more than an ordinary, youthful human boy.

His freckled cheeks and frightened, wide eyes certainly suggested as much.

‘But inside that head, hundreds of calculations for fleecing barbarians must be running.’

I deliberately spoke to him in a gentle voice.

“Coming all the way here at such a young age, aren’t you afraid?”

As my attitude softened, Tofu seemed slightly relieved and cautiously answered while watching my expression.

“Af-afraid? It’s what I always do. I’ve memorized every path that avoids monsters, so I’m fine.”

He moved his lips, then carefully added.

“More importantly, right now you’re scarier than anything, Shaman. Why are you actin’ like this? Did I do something wrong?”

Shameless brat. Even now, he still had not grasped the situation and was darting his eyes around, which made him seem perfectly suited to becoming a great merchant.

Instead of answering, I pulled aside the leather cloth covering something in the corner of the tent.

“Eeeek-!”

A sharp gasp escaped him.

Naturally.

Because what Tofu was looking at was a pile of very large, plump D-rank potatoes with glossy skins.

Miraculous crops I had personally grown and harvested, with the effect of providing twice the satiety.

Top-grade food fundamentally different in quality from the rotten potatoes he had just offered us had suddenly appeared before Tofu’s eyes.

“Wh-what are these……? There’s no way stuff like this can grow in the Northern Frontier…….”

I smiled.

“Do you know barbarians well?”

“Well…… can’t say I don’t.”

“How do you know us? What kind of beings do you think we barbarians are?”

Could he not bring himself to say his true thoughts: ‘Idiots with bad brains who are easy to fool’?

He avoided my gaze and hesitated.

“W-well…… you’re all really tall…… and really strong…… and, well, very tough and excellent warriors.”

“Correct. Exactly right. But one thing is wrong.”

Just as I opened my mouth to list his fraudulent acts one by one,

that familiar resistance slammed into my mind.

[Warning! Barbarian Spirit resists logical thought.]

Inside my head, Barbarian Kang Jin-ho suddenly whispered that I should shout, ‘Give me money or I’ll crack your skull!’

I clenched my molars.

Now that my Mental Strength had reached 10, I could endure this much.

“Ugh…….”

But I could not do anything about the pain that felt like a thick needle stabbing into my brain.

Enduring the pain, I spoke to him.

“We are no longer poor. We are not starving either.”

Tofu’s gaze shifted back toward the pile of potatoes.

“That’s good news. But just because you found a few potatoes in this wasteland doesn’t mean you don’t need my goods, does it?”

“You are lying right now. Trading with you is important, but we cannot trade with a merchant who lies.”

“Oh, Shaman! Seems like you don’t know much about this…… things are real bad outside too. The potatoes I offered are considered a pretty good price even out there. I’m not makin’ anything off this either…….”

Tofu thumped his chest indignantly while protesting, and honestly, even I almost wavered.

But I quietly cut him off.

“Our Rock Tribe has laws.”

“Huh……?”

“Those who lie have their tongues cut off, and those who steal have their wrists cut off.”

“Wh-why are you bringing that up now……?”

At my abrupt words, he sucked in a breath.

“If those prices and market values you just mentioned are not true, what happens to you? Will your tongue be cut off, or your wrist? Or perhaps both?”

All color drained from his face.

“Sh-Shaman. That’s a pretty harsh joke. Got proof? Proof that I lied?”

“You see.”

I stopped pretending to be a stupid barbarian and whispered beside his ear.

“I’m different from the other barbarians.”

With someone like this, I had to completely seize the initiative from the beginning.

If he was the heir of a family that had treated us as suckers for generations, I needed to engrave into his bones that he was no longer the one holding the upper hand.

‘Besides, he’s a slave who walked right into my hands!’

Suppressing the gleeful laughter inside me, I put on the mask of a ruthless shaman and continued threatening him.

“That Winter Wolf Hide you appraised outside earlier is E-rank. If taken to a human trading post, it would easily fetch 50,000 shillings as cold-weather material. Am I wrong?”

The moment I opened my mouth to crush him logically,

[Warning! Barbarian Spirit resists logical thought.]

[Mental Strength is being consumed.]

‘Ghk……!’

No! If I lose here, this sly merchant will control the negotiation!

“Th-this…… considering the condition of the hide and the demand in the northern Empire…….”

Oh, the words are coming out!

But ominous red messages appeared one after another before my eyes.

[Failure! Barbarian Spirit activated.]

‘N-no!’

I desperately tried to shout.

“Hide good. Expensive.”

“Huh……??”

Tofu asked back with a dumbfounded expression.

I panted while glaring at him with bloodshot, murderous eyes.

Because of the headache, my brow naturally furrowed menacingly and killing intent poured out.

“Fang more expensive. But you gave garbage potatoes……!”

“Sh-Shaman? Y-your nose is bleeding?”

“I’LL KILL YOUUU! BARBARIAN!”

“……!”

Tofu’s eyes widened so much they looked ready to pop out.

Damn it.

For a moment, my Mental Strength wavered and I became a crazed barbarian shaman.

I gathered myself and barely managed to continue.

“And the Tusk Boar Fang. That is D-rank. At least 100,000 shillings.”

A faint wheezing sound leaked between Tofu’s trembling lips.

Because exact human-world terms like ranks and shillings had come out of the mouth of a barbarian he thought was a savage.

“Will you still lie to me?”

I patted his shoulder, but he could not even answer.

“Let us say you insist that you are innocent. Will the chief outside and the other barbarians believe you? Or will they believe me?”

I grinned while looking at Tofu, who now seemed so terrified he was almost pitiful.

“P-please spare me!”

Tofu flattened himself to the ground until his forehead touched the dirt floor.

“I-I committed a terrible crime! If you spare my life, I’ll do anything! I’ll do whatever you tell me!”

“Hmm…….”

A satisfied smile bloomed on my face.

Though I felt dizzy, I smiled contentedly and roughly wiped away my nosebleed.

Perfect.

The first step toward bringing the distribution network and information-gathering ability of this boy with the potential of a Super Merchant entirely under my control.

“Get up, Tofu.”

I raised the groveling boy with a benevolent voice.

“I am a merciful shaman. If you repent of your wrongdoing and promise to trade ‘fairly’ with our Rock Tribe from now on, I will keep what happened today a secret.”

“Oh, thank you! I’ll treat you as my lifelong benefactor!”

“However.”

I pointed at his enormous bundle.

“You still need to settle all the overdue debt from before…… right?”

“Huh??”

“Why? Do you have a complaint?”

“A complaint? Of course not! What would you like me to do?”

It somehow sounded like he was sniffling, but that was none of my concern.

.

.

.

I cleaned out Tofu’s entire bundle.

‘What a windfall. What a windfall.’

It was not as though some incredible treasure came out, but our tribe was so poor to begin with.

Still, compared to the crime of this detestable brat making outrageous profits off us all this time, it was not enough.

“Something is missing.”

“Wh-what else? You really took everythin’. I’ve got nothin’ left. Want me to take off my underwear too?”

Liar.

Under my menacing gaze, he thought deeply for a moment, then rummaged through his bundle and took out a small box tied with a red ribbon.

It was a rather pretty box.

“This here…… is somethin’ incredibly valuable. Normally I absolutely shouldn’t give this away so carelessly…… sigh. But my crime was just too great. So I got no choice, no choice at all. It’s incredibly valuable, but I’m givin’ it to you.”

As if. It was a tear-jerking performance, but it was probably not very important.

Still, for even the smallest possibility, I drew up my fighting spirit from deep inside my stomach.

“BARBARIAAAAN-!”

“Eeeeeek!”

At my roar exploding inside the cramped tent, Tofu flattened himself against the floor, but my gaze remained fixed on the box.

==========

【Target Information】

• Name : Ancient Spirit Tree Seed (Dormant)

• Rank : Mythic

【Detailed Description】

• A great legacy left behind by spirits who ruled the ancient earth in the distant past.

• Its shell is currently fossilized and it has entered a dormant state, but a great farmer can break this seed’s shell and make it sprout.

==========

Jackpot.

_____________

The village clearing as the sun was setting.

Chief Zakan stood with his arms crossed, looking at me with puzzled eyes.

Behind me, Tofu was piling up the items I had ordered into a mountain, wearing an expression like his soul had nearly left his body.

Three sacks of salt, two sturdy iron pots, butcher knives, and various other necessities.

As I smiled sinisterly inside, Zakan asked.

“Seriously, Izak…… how did you buy all those things?”

“The merchant was moved by the great spirit of our tribe and gave us an exceptionally good price. Right, Tofu?”

I spoke smoothly while glancing back at the half-crying Tofu.

“Y-yes…… yeah…… long live the Rock Tribe…… long live…….”

Tofu answered in a barely audible voice.

I had given him 100 D-rank potatoes, so it was not as though he was losing money on the deal.

They were potatoes originally meant for the Volcano Tribe anyway, so it was no loss to me either.

I slapped Zakan on the shoulder and changed the subject.

“More importantly, Zakan. Gather every tribe member in the square tonight. There is something very important.”

“Something important?”

Zakan tilted his head.

I lovingly stroked the sacks of salt and iron pots piled on the ground and thought.

Big brother will show you heaven.