Peak Between Two: Mushoku Tensei

-Luciel Greyrat-

As soon as the ship docked at Zanto Port, Norn, Aisha, and I stepped onto the bustling pier.

The salty sea breeze still lingered in the air, but the solid ground beneath our feet finally eased the trauma of sea travel for my two younger siblings.

Without wasting time, we headed straight for an inn.

However, midway through our walk, Norn turned to me with a worried expression.

"Big brother… where's Ruijerd?" she asked in a quiet voice, as if afraid of the answer.

I glanced at her briefly before continuing forward.

"Ah, he ran into some trouble when we boarded the ship," I replied casually. "Don't worry. Once we get to the inn, I'll go pick him up."

Of course, I couldn't tell them the truth.

There was no way I could admit that Ruijerd had been smuggled aboard as a slave just to get on the ship.

I could only hope my plan worked smoothly.

After making sure Aisha and Norn were safe at the inn, I immediately headed to the location given to me by Gallus Cleaner.

By the way, that man was a complete psychopath.

The only reason he agreed to help me wasn't out of kindness but because I had paid him a hefty sum.

Not that I minded.

Throughout this journey, I had amassed a lot of money.

Not from hunting monsters or taking adventurer quests, but through trade.

I had a knack for business, so it wasn't difficult for me to earn huge profits in a short time without risking my life.

Night had begun to shroud Zanto Port when I finally arrived at the location provided by Gallus Cleaner.

The place was not a grand building or a large warehouse like most people imagined when they heard the words "slave trade." No—it was worse.

A dark, damp alleyway leading to a hidden dock, with a group of ragged men standing guard. The stench of saltwater mixed with the metallic scent of blood filled the air.

As I approached, one of the men stopped me.

"Who are you?"

His sharp eyes were filled with suspicion. I had expected this, so I adjusted my demeanor.

I couldn't enter this place as just some ordinary kid.

I had to play the right role.

With a relaxed expression, I pulled out a small medallion from my pocket—a small token borrowed from Gallus, a symbol that I was a "client" worthy of their service.

"Gallus sent me."

The man scrutinized me for a few seconds before sneering. "Hah, this brat? Well… as long as you have money, I don't care. Go on in."

With a flick of his hand, he stepped aside.

I walked forward, making my way into the dark corridor leading deeper inside.

Inside the Slave Den

Upon passing through the back entrance, a disgusting sight greeted me.

Rows of cages lined the stone walls, filled with slaves of various races.

The elderly, teenagers, and—most painfully to see—children.

Their eyes were hollow, their bodies thin, and some bore wounds that were still fresh.

I forced myself to keep my expression neutral.

I already knew this world was cruel, but seeing it firsthand was an entirely different matter.

Moving further inside, I finally found one of Gallus's men—a bald man with narrow eyes and a face full of scars.

"You here to pick up the goods?" he asked bluntly.

Goods.

He referred to Ruijerd as goods.

I nodded, suppressing the rage bubbling inside me. "Yeah. I want to see him first."

The man chuckled, then opened a cell door in the corner of the room.

Inside, Ruijerd sat cross-legged, his hands bound with thick iron chains.

Yet even in that position, his presence remained intimidating.

His sharp gaze met mine, assessing whether I was unharmed before he spoke.

"You came just in time."

I nodded slightly. "I won't take long. Let's get out of here."

But just as I was about to finalize the transaction, the sound of hurried footsteps and a small cry echoed from down the corridor.

I turned my head.

A child from another cell was being forced to stand by one of the guards, his arm twisted harshly.

"I told you to shut up! Otherwise, I'll cut out your tongue!"

The child sobbed, his small body covered in bruises.

I tensed.

From the start, my only goal was to retrieve Ruijerd and leave.

But…

Seeing these children treated like this…

These bastards—they truly didn't see them as human.

My right hand moved instinctively, fingers clenching into a fist.

I took a deep breath.

There were many ways to handle this situation.

I could walk away now and ignore it all. That would be the safest choice.

Or…

I could turn this place into chaos.

I glanced at Ruijerd.

He saw it too.

And I knew—we were thinking the same thing.

A small smirk tugged at my lips.

"Hey, Ruijerd."

"What?"

"Do you still feel the need to protect the Supard image?"

Ruijerd raised an eyebrow, then turned toward the guard tormenting the child.

His gaze turned ice-cold.

"For now, no."

The atmosphere changed in an instant.

Five minutes later, this place had become a living hell for those bastards.

I activated sound magic, swallowing every scream into the void, ensuring that no one could call for help or escape.

And Ruijerd?

He was death itself, moving through the shadows.

In an astonishingly short time, the entire area was littered with the corpses of the slave traders.

I had never enjoyed unnecessary killing.

But in this case?

I felt no remorse.

After dealing with the remaining scumbags, I found one man who had chosen to surrender.

He knelt before me, his body trembling, his face filled with terror.

Beside him, a beastwoman sat on the floor of the same cell—her clothes tattered, her body covered in wounds. Her eyes were hollow, but beneath them, a seething hatred burned.

This man… had violated her.

And now, he was crying, begging for his life. "Please! I swear I won't do this again!"

I looked down at him coldly.

Did he think I was that naive?

This world had no mercy for those who deserved judgment.

In this world, an unspoken rule was ingrained in everyone's mind.

I didn't need to act as a judge.

Without a word, I picked up the dagger that had once been his—the very weapon he had used to threaten others.

Then, I handed it to the beastwoman.

She didn't ask questions.

She didn't hesitate.

Without a single word, she gripped the dagger tightly and swung it.

Blood splattered.

A scream should have echoed, but I had erased all sound with my magic.

The only thing left was the look of utter despair on the man's face as he realized—there was no mercy for him.

I turned away, leaving them behind.

I didn't need to see what happened next.

The woman deserved her justice.

And I wouldn't stop her.