Blade of Dawn - Chapter 113 — Gaosong's Morality - 清風書屋

Byron's proposal left everyone present somewhat puzzled, Hetty most of all, and she asked outright: "Buying slaves at thirty percent of market price? And in the form of a mercenary commission? How could anyone possibly agree to that? Never mind the absurdly low price—the mercenaries' own fee would have to come out of that thirty percent, wouldn't it... For those mercenaries it would be a complete loss."

To this question Byron merely replied, calmly: "Which is why we add one more clause: no requirement of slave registration or contract."

Hetty and Rebecca exchanged glances, while Amber had already caught on. The half-elf thief was about to say something, but before she could, it was Gaoyi who spoke first: "In that case, the mercenaries will seize displaced people and sell them as slaves for coin."

Amber glanced at Gaocen in some surprise, as though she had not expected the Duke to know of such things, while Sir Byron nodded, astonishment and all: "A sturdy serf or slave laborer with complete registration and contract papers and a clearly documented origin usually costs twenty to thirty silver pennies, or sixteen or seventeen silver shields. But the greatest cost of all is the registration itself, for it is recorded in the rolls of identity, and so the slave must be bought through proper channels. Beyond the price of the slave himself, the slave owner, the lord's tax official, the local church, the slave market, and even the 'slave labor association' formed by local thugs and scoundrels—all of them take their cut, layer upon layer, driving the cost up severalfold, even tenfold. But displaced people... displaced people cost nothing. No one protects them, they have no identity records whatsoever, and their disappearance or death draws no attention at all."

Here Byron paused, as if to give Hetty and Rebecca a moment to think, then went on: "Under normal circumstances, nobles will not buy slaves without registration contracts, because such slaves come with no guaranteed origin, and they make a noble look miserly, shabby, and vulgar. What is more, if such a slave is killed or taken by another slave owner, there is no compensation to be had. And yet even so, there are still those who issue commissions to buy cheap unregistered slaves. This is an unspoken understanding—a black rule, and what it actually refers to is... displaced people."

Hetty pressed a hand to her chest. Though she was already a model among nobles for how closely she walked with commoners, she had never come into contact with this deepest layer of darkness: "Such a thing truly happens?"

"Not only does it happen—it happens every year, and everywhere, my lady," Sir Byron said, his voice low. "In certain circles of mercenaries with no morals, these displaced people are called 'long-legged money.' They even circulate the gathering places and shelters of the displaced as paid intelligence, traded in the shadows, watching those uprooted souls like sharks and hyenas, just waiting for someone to want cheap unregistered slaves—usually in large quantities—and then they all descend at once."

Rebecca unconsciously tightened her grip on the iron staff in her hand, her knuckles going white with the force, and she murmured as though to herself: "Mercenaries... I heard their stories in taverns, tales of them wiping out bandits, slaying monsters, exploring ancient castles and secret realms. I thought that was the life of a mercenary, but..."

"My lady Viscount, when you were in the tavern, the mercenaries in that tavern were not being mercenaries," Sir Byron said, fixing Rebecca with a deep look. "Not all mercenaries do what I have just described, and what you speak of is indeed part of a mercenary's life. But it is also true that some mercenaries' hands are destined to be unclean—the only question is how much evil they have done."

Then the middle-aged knight raised his head and looked at Gaoyang: "My lord, what is your will? Regarding the commission..."