The big-eared monsters were the most prevalent subhuman species, found in nearly every corner of the continent. They were about the same height as humans, with green skin and rather unattractive features, most notably a pair of large ears protruding from the back of their heads. Strictly speaking, they should be classified as a type of orc. Although their intelligence was slightly inferior to that of humans, they still spoke the human language. It seemed they had their own language as well. It was said that they once had their own nation long ago, though it had since collapsed for unknown reasons. Being the only subhuman race somewhat connected to human society, people tended to regard them not as beasts like other orcs, but as a lower-order humans. They typically lived in the fringes of human society, excelling in petty theft and various menial jobs. Incidents of kidnapping for ransom were unheard of in the past.
Following the map left by the big-eared monsters, Asa originally expected to find a hidden, heavily guarded lair. However, to his surprise, it was merely a makeshift camp set up on a hill just a few dozen miles outside of Bracada. The obvious wooden structures erected at the cave entrance were easily visible from afar.
After reporting his identity and intentions, the big-eared monsters led him into their camp. Inside, there were about a hundred of them. Upon learning that Asa had come to ransom a hostage, they excitedly pointed and chattered among themselves. Asa noticed that this did not seem like a heavily fortified lair but more like a temporary encampment made from hastily constructed wooden boards and straw.
The big-eared monsters had not stated a ransom amount when they initially contacted the duke; they simply instructed him to send someone. It seemed they hadn't anticipated such a valuable haul and needed time to deliberate on how much they could demand.
"Where is she?" Asa's primary concern was for the book. He needed to see Christine first.
After some chattering among themselves, a few big-eared monsters led him to a cave.
The cave entrance was fenced off with wooden bars, forming an impromptu prison. Judging by the leftover food inside, it seemed the big-eared monsters had not mistreated their valuable hostage. However, Christine looked terrified and quite worn out. Upon hearing that someone had come to ransom her, she was so overjoyed that she collapsed beside the wooden bars, crying. When she finally saw Asa clearly, she was taken aback. "It's you?"
"What about the book?" Asa asked.
"The book? What book?" Christine's response sent a chill down his spine.
"The one I lent you, from the library at the magic academy. You said you wanted to read it on the way."
"I've been locked up here for so long, I was scared to death! You see me and you don't even ask how I am. You don't care at all, and you're just asking about a book!" Christine began to cry.
Asa struggled to stay calm and tried to speak in the soft, reassuring tone one would use with a child. "Don't worry. Now that I'm here, you'll be fine. Seeing that you're okay makes me happy. But that book is really important. Do you remember where it is?"
"I put it in my bag, and these guys took it from me."
That revelation almost made Asa jump out of his skin. But then he thought, perhaps the big-eared monsters wouldn't have checked the cargo before transporting it. If they saw the book, they might have just tossed it aside.
"Stay here. I'll negotiate with them, and I'll get you out right away." Asa reached through the bars to pat Christine's head to comfort her. Turning to the big-eared monsters behind him, he said, "I want to see your leader."
One of them grumbled and led him back outside.
In the center of a hastily built wooden hut, there was a conspicuously luxurious table that had clearly been stolen. At the table sat a big-eared monster who appeared to be the leader, sitting upright with an air of authority. Several other big-eared monsters stood behind him.
Asa wanted to immediately ask about the book but remembered he was there to negotiate for the hostage first. It would be better to get that settled before discussing anything else. He sat down at the table and asked, "How much ransom do you want?"
The leader cleared his throat with a gurgling sound and spoke in a heavy, nasally voice characteristic of the big-eared monsters. "You humans have always looked down on us and oppressed us, degrading us as a savage race. But we have a long-standing culture…" He made an effort to adopt the serious demeanor of a diplomat, trying to maintain an air of dignity.
Asa grew impatient. "Cut to the chase. What do you want? How much ransom?"
The leader seemed offended and slammed his hand on the table. "Your attitude shows contempt for us! Do you think we are a inferior people? I'll tell you, the time for our uprising has come; we will no longer allow you humans to bully us." His ugly face contorted with determination.
Asa nodded and waved his hand, "How much do you want?"
The big-eared leader turned to confer with a few companions behind him, then faced Asa again. "Don't underestimate us. We know she is the daughter of Duke Murak, and we've done our research. This duke has great power and wealth." He initially raised five fingers but quickly retracted them to one. "We want five... one thousand gold coins." His beady eyes flickered anxiously as they scrutinized Asa.
"Alright," Asa replied without hesitation.
The leader was momentarily stunned, not expecting such a quick acceptance. A big-eared monster behind him seemed to nudge him, prompting him to raise a finger again. "No, wait, it's two thousand gold coins."
"Okay," Asa agreed even more readily, eager to finalize the price so he could inquire about the book.
The big-eared monsters behind the leader exchanged surprised glances. This time, the leader didn't wait for any further prompts and stood up excitedly. "No, I misspoke! We want... we want five thousand gold coins!"
Asa frowned, realizing these creatures were testing the waters. If it were merely a few silver coins, he might still be able to grasp the significance of the amount. But once it exceeded his experience, the numbers all blurred into a single concept of "a lot." Considering the duke's status and power, any sum would likely be manageable, so he nodded again.
"Decided then, we want ten thousand," the leader boldly declared, spurred on by Asa's eagerness.
Asa slammed his hand on the table and stood up, angered. The leader immediately raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, saying, "That's the price! We absolutely won't increase it, I promise!" He noticed Asa sitting back down and continued, "Who wouldn't care for their children? Think about it: every creature loves and protects its offspring. If anything happened to my children, I'd spare no expense to rescue them. The duke must feel the same way. His daughter is more important than gold. He will pay this price."
Asa frowned. "Alright, this matter is settled. I'll bring the money tomorrow, and you will release her." The leader's eyes sparkled with excitement as he vigorously agreed.
"By the way, there's one more thing…" Asa finally broached his real objective, casually adding, "Our young lady had a book with her. I hope you can return it to me."
"A book? I don't know where it is," the leader and the other big-eared monsters looked at each other, shaking their heads.
"That book isn't of much use to you. It's not valuable; it just holds sentimental value. It was in our young lady's bag. Please check and see if you can find it for me." Asa watched the expressions of the big-eared monsters cautiously.
"The bag? All the goods have long since... been dealt with," the leader replied vaguely but cautiously, confirming Asa's worst fears.
"Where is the book now?" Asa asked, clinging to a last shred of hope.
Suddenly, the leader became agitated, slamming his hand on the table and standing up. "We are not to be trifled with! Don't think you can worm information out of us!" He waved Asa away, "Alright, go now. Remember to bring the money tomorrow. Otherwise, expect to collect your young lady's corpse."
Asa was practically pushed out by the big-eared monsters. He nearly exploded with anger, fighting the urge to turn around and smash the hideous faces of the monsters behind him but ultimately restrained himself.
Indeed, it was the worst-case scenario; the book had been sent to that city of beasts. How could he retrieve it? Asa felt utterly frustrated. He had never been this angry before; the unvented fury surged inside him, escalating endlessly. If not for the fact that Christine was still in their hands, he would have turned around and wiped out those green-skinned idiots without a second thought.
That smoldering rage followed him all the way back to Bracada's town hall. He intended to explain the ransom situation to Lord Borugan.
"Ten thousand gold coins?" Lord Borugan leaped from his chair, looking as though he had been stabbed by the number. His large, bulging eyes stared blankly at Asa.
"Is this the amount that the duke authorized you to pay, Sir Envoy?"
Seeing Lord Borugan's reaction, Asa realized he might have made a mistake. He shook his head.
"Do you know what ten thousand gold coins could do?" Lord Borugan's expression was completely blank.
Asa still shook his head. He had no concept of such sums.
"One silver coin can sustain a poor family for a month. Do you understand?"
Asa nodded; he had once worked as a mercenary for just a handful of copper coins.
"One gold coin is enough for an average family to live for ten years; five coins can support them for a lifetime. Ten thousand can provide for two thousand households for a lifetime. Two thousand households, over ten thousand people, for a lifetime." Lord Borugan's face remained impassive, while his voice, tinged with a high-pitched quack, helped Asa comprehend the severity of the situation.
"Even if I seized all the merchant caravans in this city and immediately liquidated their assets, plus gathered all the funds from the city and sold off every building, it might just barely add up to ten thousand. And even that is unlikely."
Asa gulped hard.
The two exchanged glances for several minutes before Lord Borugan leaped onto the table and said, "Sir Envoy, please sit down and tell me what exactly happened."
After Asa recounted the events, Lord Borugan shook his head in disbelief. "I suspect the duke sent the wrong person; you are really not suited to handle these matters." Asa felt a flush of embarrassment.
"Those big-eared monsters must be used to poverty; they have no real concept of money. How could they come up with such a price? Do they think the duke has control over the treasury?" Lord Borugan's brows furrowed, not noticing Asa's face turning redder.
"I didn't know they set up their lair in such a place. Hmph! If all the troops stationed here hadn't been reassigned to the south, my men would still be dealing with the thieves and other groups of big-eared monsters in the city. Otherwise, we could have wiped them out already. But it seems they are inexperienced with kidnapping, which is why they are acting so recklessly. It would be unwise to pay them. Perhaps we could think of our own method..."
Asa didn't pay much attention to Lord Borugan's words, his mind swirling with anger and embarrassment. He had never experienced such emotions before. He was always the one who acted on impulse—doing whatever he wanted, pushing harder when he couldn't, and even drawing blood when necessary, like an animal. He had never lacked courage or intelligence, but he had no experience dealing with situations like this and lacked the ability to process his complex feelings.
However, amidst his fog of frustration, one of Lord Borugan's comments suddenly sparked clarity in his mind. With a new direction, the anger that had been spinning in his head transformed into determination and strength. He looked up at Borugan and said, "Don't worry; I know what to do." He stood up, turned, and strode out.
"Hey, wait!" Lord Borugan called after him, but as soon as he stepped outside the town hall, Asa had vanished without a trace.