Wholesome Local Customs

At the Western Border of the Empire, the local customs were wholesome. Broly, Akame, Kurome, and the others had just left the Marsh Region when a passing merchant caravan happened to take them in.

Although the caravan chose to launch a sneak attack on them the following evening over that bundle of pearls, it also delivered them a pile of food, transportation tools to ride in, and other supplies such as merchandise.

Afterward, on the way to Map Border City, they encountered two Slave Catching Teams. Seeing that the merchant caravan was run by a group of children, the slave catchers not only wanted the caravan's goods, but also intended to capture Broly and the others as slaves.

The result was that the entire Slave Catching Teams went down. The slaves they had painstakingly captured were freed; those who could return home did so, while those who could not or had nowhere to go joined Broly's Big Brother's Merchant Caravan and became helpers.

Later, as they approached the Main Road, perhaps because they were a merchant caravan, they were attacked in succession by eight bandit gangs from different factions.

Five of those groups attacked without a word, directly injuring members of the caravan. An enraged Broly vaporized them, along with their ambush sites, with Energy Blasts.

The remaining three groups merely wanted to collect a Toll Fee and could be considered relatively rule-abiding gangs. Because they had engaged in friendly communication before attempting their robbery, they successfully found work as guards in Big Brother's Merchant Caravan.

"Please spare us, sir. We only became bandits because the taxes were too heavy and we couldn't survive.

"Since we started out, we've only taken money, never lives. We just want to stay alive. Please show mercy and spare us this once..."

The process of applying to be caravan guards went roughly like that. Fortunately, these sallow-faced, emaciated bandits had dropped to their knees quickly enough that Broly had not blasted them to death outright.

Sitting in the carriage and chewing on a sweet, refreshing Purple Thorny Fruit, Broly felt that the people of the Western Border of the Empire were simply far too welcoming. Before they had even reached the first city marked on the map, so many people had already brought them all kinds of supplies and manpower.

It would have been wonderful if there had been people like that on Vampa, bringing him all sorts of supplies. Unfortunately, no such good people existed on Vampa.

"Hyah!"

The caravan suddenly came to a stop.

"What is it? Have more good people come knocking?"

Broly stuck his head out of the carriage and asked.

"Not bandits. We've reached the Border Pass and are waiting in line to cross."

Nahash explained. He wore a well-tailored outfit that had once belonged to a merchant caravan leader, with a monocle frame over his right eye. His skin was somewhat brown, giving him the air of a young steward.

He looked at least four or five years older than he actually was.

"So no good people have come knocking..."

Broly was somewhat disappointed. Since no good people had come calling, he ducked back into the carriage and continued eating the fruit inside.

The inspections for entering the city through the Border Pass were not particularly strict. The reason was that three years ago, the Imperial Center had withheld the military pay of the Western Border Garrison.

To keep the border army going and prevent a mutiny, the commander of the garrison had turned his hand to the Passage Fee. By now, as long as enough money was slipped in for the fee, the soldiers guarding the pass would not even open vehicles carrying goods for inspection.

This situation had also created the prosperity of this border city. Smugglers who once traveled dangerous private trade routes to sneak across the border no longer did so. They all flocked to this border city, where inspections were lax and one could enter or leave the Empire as long as they paid enough passage money.

"However, this also makes the city's population extremely complicated. It has people from every walk of life—bandits like me, Western Visitors, different races from the Barbaric Region..."

The bandit leader Broly had subdued by force introduced the situation in this border city. Broadly speaking, it could be regarded as a massive goods market where the Eastern Empire, the Various Western Kingdoms, and several different races had gathered.

Within the city, the border troops maintained order, so it still appeared peaceful. But once outside the city, everyone showed their abilities, displaying the wholesome customs of the western frontier together.

Everyone was a traveling merchant, yet everyone could also turn into a bandit. The major factions were roughly divided into three sides. The largest was the Western Merchant Group formed by the Imperial Chamber of Commerce, followed by the Foreign Merchant Group jointly formed by chambers of commerce from the various Western Kingdoms to oppose the Western Merchant Group, and lastly the different races regarded as uncivilized savages.

Usually, the first two fought each other, but they would unite in suppressing the merchant caravans of the different races in order to obtain cheaper goods.

However, some powerful different races were not easy to provoke. They were the true border bandits—the kind who robbed wealth and took lives.

Of course, when others robbed wealth and took lives, they would usually pin the blame on the different races. After all, there was no telling what uncivilized barbarians might do.

Thus, despite being the weaker of the three groups, the different races had the worst reputation. Even in this border city, few people welcomed their merchant caravans.

"No wonder Red Leaf Chieftain couldn't come here to do business."

The lack of unity among the different races was one reason; the tacit joint suppression of them by the eastern and western chambers of commerce was another.

"Sir Steward, do you need goods moved? We have some good laborers here, and they're cheap."

"No need. Our caravan has its own laborers."

After dismissing the broker who had come looking for business, Nahash returned beside the carriage.

"Broly Big Brother, you can go eat first. I'll handle the caravan's goods."

"Can't you leave it to someone else?"

"I wouldn't feel at ease leaving it to others. I'll stay and keep watch."

The others had either joined under duress or halfway through the journey. Who knew whether someone might run off with the money? Nahash felt it necessary to help Big Brother keep an eye on this wealth.

"We'll bring you something to eat."

Some chose to stay behind and help, but not the food lovers.

"If any of you hurt them, I'll beat you to death."

Broly seriously told the subdued bandits.

"We wouldn't dare."

The group hurriedly waved their hands. Most of them had seen Broly fire blasts, completely vaporizing the bandits who had attacked without even giving an opening speech.

That terrifying scene, which had even altered the terrain, filled them with awe for the boy who looked harmless to humans and animals alike.

They feared him because of his terrifying power, but they also respected him because he had not killed them despite them being road bandits as well, and had instead given them a way to live.

In the bustling border city, Broly followed the many scents along the streets before finally leading the group of children into a noodle shop.

The noodle shop was packed and bustling. At the front, a rich broth made from the bones of some unknown animal simmered with added spices, its fragrance drifting nearly halfway down the street.

"It smells so good, Boss. Bring us a hundred bowls of noodles first!"

"Sure thing, just a moment. A hundred bowls? Can you kids even eat that much?"

"The money's here. Even if we can't finish it, we'll still pay."

"My apologies. The noodles will be right out."

The moment he saw the money, the noodle shop owner stopped caring whether his customers could finish the food.

As long as they could pay the bill, they could even smash up his noodle shop if they wanted.

Besides noodles, the shop also sold other food.

It had to be said, even with the same grilled meat, the kind made with spices and the kind made without them were practically two different things.

"Delicious."

Broly wolfed down his food, and the other children were no different. Everyone at the table was thoroughly satisfied by the delicious food.

But where there were satisfied children, there were also unsatisfied ones—the Street Children of this border city.

They stood on street corners and in alleyways, watching with envy those who had the money to eat in restaurants.

Their eyes were full of longing as they hoped that customers seated at the outdoor tables might leave behind some scraps.

For homeless children like them, that was one of the few ways they could get decent food.

As for going inside the restaurants, they didn't dare. The restaurant staff would beat them.

And the scraps inside were kitchen waste fought over by groups of children.

"Boss, the bill!"

As soon as the customer seated at an outdoor table of the Steamed Bun Shop said that, several pairs of hungry little eyes turned toward him. When the Street Children sitting at the street corner saw the bits of bun wrapper left on his plate, they couldn't help swallowing.

But they still didn't dare approach. Like stray cats, they feared they might displease him and be hurt.

For children like them, even if someone beat them to death, that person might only need to pay the local Street Security Officer a street-cleaning fee.

But even stray cats came in different kinds—those who were merely hungry but not yet starving to death, and those on the verge of starvation.

"Excuse me, sir. Could you give me the bun wrappers on your plate that you don't want?"

The girl wrapped in a filthy scarf revealed a sweet smile. She approached the customer who was about to pay and, from two meters away, asked cautiously.

Her little belly growled. Mine hadn't eaten for two days.