"Fuck!"
Ketch wanted to smack him on the head again, but just then, the sound of fingernails scraping wood suddenly rang out, accompanied by barely audible whimpers.
All five immediately tensed and drew their revolvers.
"The sound seems to be coming from below deck."
"Boss, there's a hidden door here."
"Should we open it?"
Ketch hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly. "Open it!"
With a creak, a concealed wooden door in the deck was pulled open, revealing a pitch-black entrance.
None of them approached immediately, however. Only after waiting patiently for several minutes without anything happening did they cautiously walk to the entrance, guns raised.
Just then, the wind blew away the clouds obscuring the crimson moon. Bright, scarlet moonlight shone down, allowing Ketch and his four companions to see the densely packed people imprisoned at the bottom of the hold.
There were men, women, and children among them. Some had typical Southern Continent features, some were Bayam natives, and others had Loen faces, but without exception, they wore rags, their faces terrified and their bodies filthy.
These were all slaves?!
So the "supplies" the Iron Hook used to transport for important people had all been slaves?
One-Eyed Kedge was not particularly surprised. After all, there was no money-making work at sea that was not illegal.
What puzzled him was why these slaves... were being transported all the way to Loen. Did that mean those important people were Loen dignitaries?
But hadn't Loen abolished slavery long ago?
Although remnants of slavery still existed, and some wealthy people secretly used slaves, transporting them by the shipload like this... wasn't that a little excessive?
Ketch suddenly froze. During his time in the Harbor Borough, one of the topics he had most often heard people drinking in bars discuss was how so-and-so