HC:Pacifist | Ch. 102 - Green Pastures (Patreon)

Chain quest activated: [Entanglement] has changed into [Green Pastures].

Green Pastures (Rare)

The group of sheep that Thadeus was exploiting has been through a lot, and they deserve some peace.

Quest objectives:

Find a peaceful place for the sheep to rest and take them there;

You can't lose any of the sheep, or you'll fail the quest;

Collect your reward from Jack when you're done.

Do you choose to accept? [Y/N]

Roth blinked uncomprehendingly. How in the world had this become a rare quest suddenly? Roth accepted it immediately.

"Leave it to me, sir. I'll take care of these poor animals and find them a safe place to stay."

"Very well. Let me know how it goes."

Roth looked at the frightened bunch of sheep huddled in the corner. What could he take them to? There was Mario's lab, but it was probably not a good idea for him to keep a flock of helpless sheep in a closed space with a hungry alligator. He shuddered at the thought of Mario having lamb curry for dinner.

"Hello, sheep. I know you've been through much, but I will take you somewhere safe. All you have to do is follow after me. OK? Can you all walk?" Roth regretted having unlearned the [Healing Ray] skill. The animals looked very weak.

The animals very meekly just all drew closer to him. Roth was shocked at how easily they trusted him. Poor things. They were naive and meek. The thought of them being mistreated as they had for such a long time here was revolting him. He looked at the map and sighed. "I just hope he doesn't get upset with me for doing this to him."

*

Roth had expected more people to stare at him as he guided the flock of twenty sheep behind him up the road. It turned out that it didn't cause that much of a commotion. Seeing caravans of camels or herds of oxen being guided up and down the street was an everyday occurrence, and players didn't think much of seeing a player guiding sheep down the street.

Roth constantly paused to allow the weaker sheep to rest or to lie down for a few minutes. They were too weak to make the trip he was considering. Roth took a left once he reached the crossing he was looking for and headed toward Merchant Street.

Things didn't seem to be much different from what he remembered when he was here last time. Merchants were driving their carriages and herding the animals carrying their cargo up and down the road. Players entered and exited the multiple wealthy merchant associations, and the dust kicked up by the air formed a permanent rust-colored haze in the street.

Roth headed toward the little alley that would take him to the Golden Mountain. As he did so, he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Martyr? Is that you?" Turning, Roth saw old man Soros running toward him and felt the impact of the old man hugging him as if he were a grandfather welcoming his grandchild after returning from a tour in the army. "Oh, young broker, you did it! You did it!"

"Soros! You're outside!"

"You bet I am. Now that those Gazpachos have been caught red-handed, they have been kicked out of Merchant Street by the Peace Corps. I haven't felt this alive in years." Soros puffed his chest. He wore the most luxurious and catchy outfit Roth had seen him wear so far. It was a cloth garment made of shiny purple silk with intricate golden patterns embroidered in it. He had a rosy healthy tone in his skin, and was smiling genuinely from ear to ear.

"Oh, my boy! Am I glad that I trusted you." Now that the wave of excitement passed, Soros took a good look at Roth. "Hmmm... You have a nice new outfit. And there's something different about you. You seem more... focused. Someone with a purpose." Was this a reference to him unlocking the pacifist class? "We have a lot to talk about." Soros looked at the sheep behind him. "Much indeed? Why are you bringing a flock of sheep into Merchant Street?"

"Soros, meet my new friends. They were being mistreated in a secret lab under a tailoring shop run by the mob." As Roth mentioned the mob, Soros' eyes burned passionately, and his nostrils started flaring.

"The poor things!"

"I was hoping you could give me an idea of where to keep them. It's only for a couple of days. After that, I'll take them somewhere safe."

"Come. There's something I have to show you."

Roth gestured at the sheep to resume their march and followed after his merchant friend. Soros strolled confidently on the street, providing looks of respect from other merchants. Roth didn't know what was there of such importance that Soros wanted to show him, but he felt a warm glow in his heart from seeing how happier the man looked compared to when he first met him.

"Soros, shouldn't we turn here to get to your merchant association?" Soros giddily chuckled as if a child was trying to hold a secret. "Later, later. Come!"

Roth shrugged and kept following after him. Finally, Soros stopped in front of a massive shop front made of white marble. It looked like a miniature version of the auction house with its imperial-looking columns. On the top, a sign was being pulled by a group of workers. It read 'Golden Mountain Inc..'

"Soros, you...?"

"Haha! I told you I was a big shot! After they caught Ethos, they found that the Gazpachos had targeted me because they were after my shop. As you can see, it's in a prime location. They used it as their headquarters here on Merchant Street. The Peace Corps came here, took all the Gazpacho trash out, and the commissioner himself came to give me the keys. It's mine again."

Roth gulped. He hadn't expected Soros to be the owner of such a prestigious merchant association. He smiled. "I'm happy for you, Soros. You've been through a lot, and it's good to see you so happy." The old man wiped a tear off the corner of his eye.

"Thanks, my boy. Now, come. Let me show you my new place."

As Roth and the sheep drew closer to the shop's entrance, he noticed how several players were looking curiously at the renovation works being done in the building. Seeing Soros arrive in his prestigious attire, one of them approached Soros. He wore a very fashionable merchant outfit. It seemed like he was a high-leveled merchant.

"Excuse me, sir. Are you, by any chance, the new owner of this establishment? I have a business proposition that might interest you."

Soros stopped and studied the player. Roth noticed the high-end equipment that the player wore and guessed that he was at least an experienced merchant. Soros' eyes turned gold, and he then frowned, looking at the young man.

"Hmmm. You still have much to learn before you do business with the big boys. Get out of my sight. Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?" Roth's jaw dropped. The player was given the cold shoulder even though he was much higher-leveled than Roth. They both stood there looking at each other dumbly.

"Martyr, come here. Ignore this merchant wannabe. You and I have a business to discuss."

"Sure, sure. Coming!" Roth guided the sheep into the association, leaving a group of flabbergasted players staring at them.

*

Coming into the building, Roth was amazed at the high ceilings and at the shiny chandeliers. It felt like Roth had just entered some sort of fancy bank. No wonder the Gazpachos had wanted to push Soros out of this place. It looked so prestigious and luxurious.

Soros walked around comfortably, sometimes pausing to pass his ring-ridden hand over the columns or marble walls of the association.

"Here are different counters. I'll start hiring some merchants soon enough. The city paid me appropriate compensation after discovering what the Gazpachos did. It came out of the money they confiscated from the Gazpachos. I also got to keep everything in the warehouses when they raided the place. That's more than enough for me to get back on track." There were several counters at appropriate distances from each other to afford customers privacy. Roth could count at least ten counters.

"This is where the warehouses are. Why don't we find a place to leave the sheep so that they can rest?"

Roth turned to the battered sheep. "Is it OK if I leave you here for a few days? That way, you can regain your strength." The sheep looked at each other apprehensively. "I can vouch for Soros. He's a righteous man and a friend." They still looked fidgety and suspicious.

"Let me try, martyr." Soros's eyes lit up in yellow, and Roth felt a slight pang of pain in his head. It was similar to feeling a brain freeze after having an ice cream. The sheep visibly relaxed and started heading toward one of the warehouses.

"What did you do?"

"Sheep are telepathic. They trust you more if you use telepathy. After all, it's impossible to lie when you speak that way." Roth stared at Soros dumbfounded.

"How do you know this?"

"I'm well-traveled. Also, telepathy is a handy skill for a merchant or a broker."

"How do I learn how to do it?"

"It requires practice. But you don't seem to be ready for it. You first need to expand your mind. Try reading more. That can help you prepare your brain for telepathic communication." Was Soros speaking of intelligence? Roth looked at his character sheet. Intelligence was one of his worst stats. Anyway, it was precious information! He would try something later after the sheep rested a while.

"Let me show you my office." Soros left the hallway with different big doors that led to different warehouses and made it into a corridor with different doors leading into offices. At the center of the corridor, Roth read in golden letters, 'Soros, CEO.'

They stepped in. Roth felt like he had entered a palace. In one of the walls, an artificial waterfall gave the place a feeling of tranquility. There were tall shelves lining up one of the walls. Roth saw that Soros had already brought several of the books he had kept in the old building. Even with all of them here, it was hard enough to fill one of the ten shelves in the office.

Soros's tapestry in his office was also brought here with the desk. The chairs had visibly been upgraded. They were now armchairs covered in cushioned velvet, making them seem more like thrones to Roth.

"This is amazing, Soros."

"I had to sell much of the decoration when things started going poorly for me, but I'll make it as glorious as it used to be. Now, please sit, broker. We need to talk business."

Roth sat and felt his body sink into the comfortable chair. It was comfortable enough to make him want to stay on it forever but not so comfortable that it made him drowsy. This old man left nothing to chance. Roth looked at Soros and found him smirking. Was he reading his mind telepathically? No. That couldn't be.

"Let's talk about our future, broker. After all, things have changed slightly for me." He said, gesturing toward the grandeur of his office space. Roth felt his heart sink. Was Soros about to throw him off to the curb, as he had done with the player outside?

"You have helped me in my direst straits, and Soros never forgets a friend. I've always specialized in trading with other humans, but if there's something I have learned over the last few years, it is that you can't put all your golden eggs in the same basket. I wouldn't have fallen so low if I had diversified my customer portfolio and trade routes."

"So, what does that mean for us?"

"Simple. I'm about to offer you a good deal. Seeing how talented you are as a broker, I'm confident it will be profitable for both of us."

Soros wants to offer you an exclusive trade agreement with Golden Mountain Inc.

Do you wish to accept? [Y/N]

Ch. 101 - Raid

INDEX

Ch. 103 - The Song