Winter Solstice Festival

The world Mongge lived in wasn't home to humans alone. Besides humans, there were many other humanoid races, such as the Giant Tribe, Merfolk, Longarm Tribe, and Tontatta.

But these nonhuman races were ultimately few in number.

In this world, where feudalism and slavery coexisted, differences in appearance often led to discrimination. The more numerous ordinary humans looked down on the less numerous nonhuman races and captured them to make them slaves. Such things happened all the time.

The Giant Tribe was one of these nonhuman races.

However, compared to other nonhuman nations, the Giant Tribe was much stronger. Even the World Government wasn't willing to provoke the giants of Elbaf lightly.

Mongge and Harald sat on the ground.

"Fish-Man Island is an Affiliated Nation of the World Government, but because humans despise Fish-Men, and because of its location, Fish-Man Island has always been in a very awkward position."

"You mean pirates?"

"Not just pirates. Slave traders, too."

Mongge held a porcelain bowl bigger than his whole body and gently clinked it against Harald's.

"Humans despise Fish-Men, but the nobles of the upper class take pride in keeping a young mermaid. In the black market, a young mermaid can sell for tens of millions of Beli. Such enormous profits mean that kidnappings and raids happen on Fish-Man Island from time to time."

Fish-Man Island lay ten thousand meters beneath the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. In theory, it should have been very safe. But ever since the coating craftsmen appeared, pirates, Marines, and all kinds of people had been able to dive into the depths by coating their ships.

"If Elbaf wants to trade with other countries, it needs a product of its own. In my eyes, is there anything more distinctive than Adam Wood?"

Out in the world, the starting bid for a cubic meter of Adam Wood was a million Beli. Building a sailboat entirely out of Adam Wood would cost hundreds of millions of Beli just for the lumber.

Elbaf had plenty of things, but what it had most was Adam Wood.

"But I imagine you wouldn't trade Adam Wood easily."

Seeing Harald's tightly furrowed brow, Mongge knew this plan wouldn't work. Getting the giants to hand over the Adam Wood they'd been forced to cut down after the great fire was already the limit.

But the giants would never willingly cut down the Adam Tree.

"Besides Adam Wood, you don't have anything else to trade. Handicrafts aren't worth much, and an agricultural nation can only export produce—but most agricultural goods don't keep well."

"So, after thinking it over, there's only that one option, isn't there?"

Mongge smiled. "If you're willing to serve as bodyguards for the merfolk, I don't think the king of Fish-Man Island would refuse to pay a small fee for it."

Though all sorts of people came and went on Fish-Man Island, making it a jumble of all kinds, the travelers passing through were never reluctant to spend money.

Fish-Man Island was wealthy.

But despite its wealth, the merfolk had no way to protect themselves.

Fish-Man Island's location meant that anyone who could reach it was a powerful pirate. Even the slave traders had connections and powerful backers.

So even though Fish-Man Island paid the full amount of Celestial Gold to the World Government each year, the Marines under the World Government still couldn't protect it properly.

On Fish-Man Island, you could toss a brick at random and hit several pirates with bounties worth tens of millions of Beli. There were even Great Pirates with bounties exceeding a hundred million.

Under such circumstances, ordinary Marines couldn't keep the peace.

The Giant Tribe was different.

Adult giants had bounties starting at ten million Beli. As long as there were enough of them, even Great Pirates with bounties over a hundred million wouldn't dare cause trouble.

If they only wanted to be self-sufficient, Elbaf was more than enough for the giants to make a living.

But if they didn't want to be limited to that—

To make contact with other countries and trade with them, they needed a signature product of their own.

"What, Harald? Do you think giving up force will bring peace?"

Mongge shook his head.

"In the end, this world respects strength. Power isn't right or wrong; the difference lies in whether you use it to invade others or protect yourself."

"..."

Harald wasn't so naïve as to think that giving up force would bring peace. He was just wondering: if they did this, how would the Giant Tribe be any different from mercenaries?

"Of course there's a difference!"

Hearing Harald's concern, Mongge answered without hesitation.

"Mercenaries will do anything for money, but the Giant Tribe would only protect its employers. Having principles and having none—how could that not be a big difference?"

"...I'll think about it."

This concerned the future of the entire Giant Tribe, so Harald had to give it serious thought. Mongge wasn't in a hurry. As long as the Adam Wood was secured, that was enough.

"Take your time. That's all the advice I can offer. Maybe you could also use Garumoro's connections to become an Affiliated Nation of the World Government. I doubt the World Government would mind if you paid the Celestial Gold you owe each year with people as collateral."

The World Government had long coveted the Giant Tribe. Otherwise, it wouldn't have staged that charade with Garumoro, making him the bridge between them and the giants.

But working for yourself and working for someone else were definitely different.

"Sigh..."

Aruru had listened to the two of them talk the whole time and let out a sigh.

The world was changing.

Old men like him would sooner or later be swept away by the tides of the times.

In the past, the Giant Tribe could make a living through raiding.

That didn't mean they could do the same in the future.

What made Mongge happy was that after leaving the castle, Aruru ordered the giants to bring out the Adam Wood from the warehouse and prepare to build Mongge a ship.

According to Aruru, no matter what path Harald chose, they might need Mongge's help in the future.

In that case, they might as well hand over the lumber generously.

In the pirate world, where heavy industry was barely developed, building a sailboat took years. Most pirates who wanted to buy a ship either bought a secondhand one or chose one that was already built. Few would wait several years for a ship to be made just for them.

Mongge was one of those few.

Better to have nothing than something inferior. After sailing the seas for so many years, Mongge understood all too well how important a good ship was. Out on the sea, it was like having a second life.

That was also why Mongge had agreed to stay in Elbaf for two years and help teach the giants' children.

In two years, his ship should be nearly finished.

The days that followed passed quickly.

After meeting with Harald, Mongge spent most of his time in the giant village, playing with the giants and the children from the Home of Lambs.

Sometimes Mongge even thought that, if not for the system reigniting his fighting spirit, spending the rest of his life here in peace wouldn't be so bad.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

Mongge and the others in Elbaf welcomed the giants' Winter Solstice Festival.