This Is How the World Is

Lai Er's gaze swept over the uneasy and frightened eyes. The cramped room was crammed with hundreds of people and filled with a pungent odor that made Lai Er frown. But when he thought of the value of these people, his frown quickly relaxed.

"Hey, where are you planning to sell it to?" Lai Er asked Ha Luo behind him. "Rhine?"

"Rhine is indeed the biggest buyer, but they don't want it all." Ha Luo squeezed into the room from Lai Er's side and stood in front of the group of children, not to protect them, but to show Lai Er that the goods belonged to him, "Especially recently."

What's been going on lately?

"The Rhine region just suffered a once-in-twenty-year famine, so they have plenty of resources." Ha Luo grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Even we go there to buy goods and then sell them back."

"Oh, I see. I thought you meant that Rhine only wanted little boys."

"No, they want girls too."

"Rhine actually wants a girl? What, tired of using connections?"

"It's for reproduction." Ha Luo shrugged. "Girls are tools for reproduction, boys are toys. Of course, whether it's a tool or a toy, the primary condition is that they're presentable. You've been to the Rhine, so you should know that's what they care about most there. The closer you get to the higher-ups, the more they care about this. In fact, whether someone is good-looking or not isn't up to us. They have a fixed template, and the closer someone is to that template, the easier it is to sell them... Of course, this is a secret, and most people don't know it."

"Hmph, I'm not an ordinary person now." Lai Er raised his eyebrows smugly, then asked, "What if they're not good-looking? Will they be sent to the mines?"

"Only the stronger ones will be sent to the mines," Ha Luo said. "The weak ones won't be accepted."

Lai Er looked like he understood. "Too skinny to mine, right?"

"No, it's that the body can't withstand the activation of the spell."

"What the heck?"

Ha Luo looked at Lai Er with an expression that said, "Do you really think that just sending a little kid over there can handle such heavy work? Wouldn't it be better to use an adult if you're just relying on your body to mine? The reason Rhine wants children is because children are not fully developed yet. They can use magic to force them to grow into the shape they want, while children who are too weak cannot withstand the cost of magic activation."

"If that's the case, why didn't you tell me before?"

"Because you're not even Silver Merchant," Ha Luo said. "Think about it, what would happen if this got out? The Rhine claims to be the greatest orthodox church, how could they allow those copper merchants who roam around to know their secrets? So this is also the condition from the Rhine. We have no problem doing business with them, but only those above the level of Silver Merchant can participate. That's why I've never taken you with me, understand?"

Lai Er naturally understood Ha Luo's unspoken meaning—"I had my reasons for not taking you with me before, but I hope you can forgive me and take me with you in the future."

Lai Er responded by humming and crossing his hands.

Ha Luo thought Lai Er was showing off the Seed of Covenant he was holding in his hand, which was also the identity of a prospective Gold Merchant, but what Lai Er actually wanted to show off was the middle finger holding the Seed of Covenant, which was more important than anything else.

"So what about those who aren't so good-looking, or whose bodies can't handle it?" Lai Er looked again at the hundred or so children in the room, their hands bound and mouths covered. "Aren't they unwanted?"

Those will be sold elsewhere.

"Oh, where?"

Ha Luo really didn't want to explain all this to Lai Er, but he figured there were only two possible outcomes for the guy: either the deal with the Northern Church Rhine succeeded and he became Gold Merchant, in which case telling him all this wouldn't be a problem; or the deal failed and he got killed on the spot, in which case telling him wouldn't be a problem either, investing in a prospective Gold Merchant was never a bad idea.

So Ha Luo said "Come with me" and left the house, then closed the door behind him.

Lai Er glanced back. As the door was slowly pulled shut, the light streaming into the room gradually diminished, and the unrealistic hope in the children's eyes turned into despair as the light faded.

This reminded Lai Er of the carriage he had closed himself a week earlier in Rhine, and a strange, indescribable feeling welled up inside him.

"What's wrong?" Ha Luo asked.

"It's nothing." Lai Er took two steps back, then looked up at the row of low houses connected to the one they had just entered. The doors of each house were locked, the locks rusted and clearly many years old. "Is this all your stuff?"

"How could that be?" Ha Luo said irritably. "If they were all mine, would I still be just a Silver Merchant? These belong to other Gold Merchant, and you shouldn't be able to see them... But since you want to know, I'll let you take a look. Just don't tell anyone else."

Lai Er patted his chest. "Of course, don't you know me?"

Ha Luo rolled his eyes, thinking that he was giving this advice precisely because he understood him, but he didn't say it aloud.

"Alright, come with me." Ha Luo led the way, Lai Er followed leisurely.

It had been quite a few days since Visas-sama had "fallen into slumber." Without any instructions from Visas-sama, Lai Er, who remained in the Nameless Town, naturally wanted to find something to do, preferably something that could earn money.

Ahem, this isn't for himself, but for Visas-sama!

After all, although Visas-sama is powerful, he can't be asked to make money himself, so this kind of small matter can naturally be left to him, the little apostle.

A qualified lackey should be able to think of what he can do and what else he can do even before his master has spoken.

As for making a little money during this time, Lai Er thought Visas-sama probably wouldn't mind.

That's why he approached Ha Luo again. He knew this old bastard had a whole host of ways to make money, like this one, which is why he half-lured and half-coerced Ha Luo into bringing him here. But before coming here, he really hadn't expected the scale of this deal to be so enormous. Looking around, there were countless houses like the one he'd just seen.

"Look, we're here." Ha Luo stopped in front of one of the houses. "You see, these are the people you were talking about who couldn't sell to the Rhine."

Lai Er stepped forward and peered through the iron gate.

He saw a group of thin children. The children didn't speak, or even make much noise, but they were awake, staring blankly ahead.

And on their foreheads, there is a fine suture line.

"These are sold to Eternal Nightmare," Ha Luo said calmly. "The people and their heads are sold separately."

Lai Er instinctively covered his forehead, feeling a chill on his head, as if a draft was blowing through it.

"There's been a rumor that the Eternal Nightmare Apostle like to eat human brains, but that's false. However, they do need brains," Ha Luo said. "Because only brains can contain dreams. It's said that they built a dream kingdom, but the price of that kingdom is to support these brains."

Lai Er asked, "So, the ones in here have had their brains removed?"

"They remove a part of it, and they'll infer the value of the whole brain based on the part that was removed, and use that to pay for it." Ha Luo shrugged. "Those guys are stingy, after all, most of their wealth is in dreams. And they also want the body after the brain is removed, to achieve one of their researches on 'immortality'—that is, to put their brain in a young body, thereby prolonging their lives indefinitely."

"... This research is rather nauseating."

"That's true. That's why they call themselves Esoteric Sect," Ha Luo said. "Alright, stop looking. This isn't my business; it's some Gold Merchant's business."

"Gold Merchant are involved in this? Weren't you just saying that Yongyan and his gang are stingy?"

"Being stingy is relative. For those exceptional minds, they're very willing to pay. And they can only rely on us to do this kind of thing because they spend most of their time hiding in their dream world, living a life of blissful ignorance," Ha Luo said. "An entire church depends on you. Just think how much profit that is. From what I've heard, there are..."

Ha Luo gestured a number to Lai Er eyelids twitched upon seeing it. "Suddenly, I don't think this research is so disgusting anymore."

"Yes, it's actually quite interesting." Ha Luo flashed his big yellow teeth again. "They call it opening blind boxes. Before you open it, you never know which one is valuable and which one is a loss... Well, their costs are actually very low, so there's no such thing as losing money. There's only big profits and small profits, and the Esoteric Sect won't turn against you, which makes this business risk-free. But those who get involved are basically Gold Merchant. Even if you become Gold Merchant, it's very difficult to get in, since your main profits are in the Rhine."

"Tsk, what you're saying makes me want to try my luck at the Esoteric Sect," Lai Er said, half-jokingly and half-seriously. "It seems that Rhine is too honest, and they keep trying to squeeze us out when they're not satisfied with the price."

"That's true, but that money is enough, at least for me." Ha Luo glanced at Lai Er again, as if to emphasize that Lai Er shouldn't forget him. "Alright, we should go."

Lai Er actually wanted to go and see the other rooms, since Rhine and Eternal Nightmare weren't the only ones involved in human trafficking with the black marketeers; he wanted to see what those people were doing.

But Ha Luo had already said that the business in the Esoteric Sect was monopolized by established Gold Merchant, and even if he became Gold Merchant, it wouldn't be easy for him to get involved. He couldn't trouble Visas-sama with such a trivial matter. So he could only leave reluctantly, turning back to look at the room one last time before he left.

The children inside the iron gate remained bewildered and quiet, like broken dolls.

A strange feeling rose in Lai Er's heart again. He immediately looked away and said to Ha Luo as they walked, "If you're willing to give me 30% of your business, I'll give it to you..."

"Thirty percent?! You're fucking greedy!"

"How can this be called greed?" Lai Er said. "You should know that if I succeed, I will directly connect with the Northern Bishop of Rhine. You can imagine how much profit there will be, right? There will be more money than you can count."

"That's assuming you can actually succeed."

"Would I lie to you? I'm..."

Before Lai Er could finish speaking, as he passed a tin shack, a strange hand reached out from it and grabbed his shoulder tightly.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Lai Er was startled. "What's going on?!"

He looked over, and then his pupils dilated instantly.

Because what he saw inside the door was a young boy's face, but the boy's outstretched hand was full of abnormally bulging muscles.

What kind of monster is this?!

"Help me!" the boy cried to Lai Er. "Please, help me!"

Before Lai Er could react, the two black market dealers on night duty heard the commotion and rushed over.

"Damn it, how did this guy break free?"

"You idiot, what are you still standing there for?! Get out of the way!"

Lai Er was then roughly pushed away, and the boy's fingernails pierced through his clothes, leaving two bloody marks on his shoulder.

But that was all. The two black marketeers on night duty expertly shoved the boy back in, and then began punching and kicking him.

Lai Er was still in a daze, while Ha Luo calmly explained beside him, "See? This is what a failed spell to induce growth looks like. We're still not very skilled with magic. We originally wanted to induce growth successfully and then sell it to Rhine to earn more in labor fees, but... tsk tsk. If you can get the specific usage of the induction spell from Rhine after you become Gold Merchant, then I'm willing to split 30% with you... What do you think?"

"Hmm... Ah, no problem." Lai Er snapped out of his reverie and said somewhat absentmindedly, "Thirty percent it is."

"It's settled then, let's go." Ha Luo walked forward again.

Lai Er glanced back once more; the deformed boy lay dying on the ground.

He didn't say much and prepared to catch up with Ha Luo.

Just as he turned around, he heard the boy behind him mutter unconsciously.

"Dad, Mom... help... me..."

His body trembled, but he didn't stop. Instead, he quickened his pace and fled the place as if escaping.

"Alright, it's settled then." Ha Luo said with a smile, trying to show Lai Er his sincerity. "Before you succeed, I can give you 10% of the profits as an investment in you... You won't let me lose everything, will you?"

What do you think?

"Hehe, I don't think so. I knew it the moment you left your children and wife to come with me five years ago," Ha Luo said flatteringly. "You were destined for greatness, you just haven't had the chance yet."

"Of course." Lai Er put a cigarette in his mouth, then, while fumbling for a match, said seemingly casually, "Oh, by the way, where did all this stuff come from?"

"They're everywhere," Ha Luo said casually. "They either kidnap, rob, or wait for Year of Disaster. For example, we've been keeping an eye on Wildfire lately. There was an accident there, wasn't there? We just go wherever there's an opportunity."

"Oh..." Lai Er asked casually, "Will we go to the No Man's Land?"

Upon hearing this, Ha Luo understood what he was thinking and said with a smile, "Of course not. The No Man's Land is the property of the Contract Land, and it's the only place we won't take action against. At most, it's people like you who voluntarily came out with us. You're different from them, aren't you? Your children are different from them too."

"Of course." Lai Er straightened his chest. "I'm way more awesome."

"Yes, yes, yes, future Gold Merchant, do your best, so that your children can also live a life of luxury in this world." Ha Luo laughed and left after saying this, "I hope that when we meet again, you will be a real Gold Merchant."

Lai Er didn't speak, but waited until Ha Luo's figure disappeared from sight before taking out a match. However, he couldn't light the fire no matter how many times he tried, because the scene from earlier kept replaying in his mind, causing his hands to tremble slightly.

"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath. "That's just how the world is!"

Then, with a "crack," flames ignited.

He took a deep, greedy breath to try and erase the strange feeling from his mind.

"That's just how the world is," Lai Er said softly through the swirling smoke. "It has nothing to do with me."

Then he heard a mocking laugh in his mind.

"Oh, really?"

As I write this, I suddenly feel a bit regretful, because I feel that the Church of Eternal Nightmare could have been written as a separate, interesting story, but now it's just been crammed in like background scenery. My plan at the beginning of the year was to finish this book by May, but it seems I won't be able to finish it now, so I'll just take it slow.