"How many? Say that again! I think I might've heard you wrong."
A few days later, Murphy stared at Mirian in shock from his office. The Scarlet Consul repeated herself with an exasperated expression:
"Good Pigeon, the village chief of Treasure Bay, has struck an investment deal with several northern merchants with local connections. Instead of money, they're investing displaced farmers from the Kavhoka region. Under the terms of the contract, by the end of next month the northerners must transport at least 18,000 farmers into Transia in exchange for a 10% stake in Treasure Bay.
"The shares will be held and managed by a newly established commercial company under the White Mountain faction.
"Not only you, but I never imagined your heroes could open a casino and somehow end up trafficking people on the side. Just how much do they enjoy doing this sort of thing? Professor Malcolm has already condemned it as uncivilized. We can easily imagine the kind of brutal methods those merchants might use to get it done as quickly as possible.
"And as Treasure Bay's business grows, I doubt this will be the last time something like this happens.
"Perhaps we should press Lord Raven to draft a code of law as soon as possible, even if it's only a temporary one. We can't let this kind of chaotic loophole exploitation happen over and over again."
"No, no, that's not what concerns me. I just want to know how my heroes managed to pull this off."
Murphy said in astonishment:
"How did they persuade northern merchants to profit by selling off their own countrymen? Was Count André's friendship really that important to them? Important enough to make them do something so far beyond the pale?
"Aren't they afraid of facing consequences from Nordtov's government?
"I