Sugar Road | Episode 2: The Child Who Became Cargo
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Chapter 1: The Shadow Fallen on Sugar Road
5: The Child Who Became Cargo
"Watch your head. This is your room from today on."
Nerve lightly pushed Lilu's back as he lifted the canvas of the wagon.
The inside was surprisingly tidy. A folding cot was tucked into the space between wooden crates, and a small shelf stood against the wall. Travel gear, ledgers, and spare clothes were packed neatly away.
"...It's small."
"Better than being outside, right?"
"Hmm..."
The child groaned, pushing against a bundle of cloth on the shelf to test its texture. The tension began to drain from her fingertips.
Lea peeked in from outside the canvas.
"You're really taking her with us, aren't you?"
"Is there any reason not to?"
"There are. Plenty."
Lea began counting on her fingers.
"One, she's a demi-human. Two, she's a child. Three, we picked her up right in front of the Temple Knights. Four—"
"If you've already reached four, that's enough."
Nerve gave a wry smile and stopped Lea's hand.
"But I'm taking her anyway. When you see a gold coin lying on the side of the road, you pick it up."
"Are you treating her like money?"
"That's a compliment, you know?"
Lilu looked back and forth between Nerve and Lea, looking bewildered.
"...Am I money?"
"You will be."
Nerve winked.
"Once you can walk on your own two feet and think with your own head—you'll be worth more than any gold coin."
"I don't understand."
"You don't have to. For now, you're hungry, right?"
When Nerve pulled dried meat and hardtack from a bag, Lilu's eyes lit up. But just as she reached out, she suddenly pulled her hand back.
"...The price."
"Good girl."
Nerve couldn't help but laugh.
"Then, today's price is answering my questions. How about that?"
"Questions?"
"I heard your name. Lilu, right? Next—why were you all alone in a place like that?"
At that question, Lilu's shoulders gave a small twitch.
A brief silence. Outside the wagon, only the sound of the wind hitting the canvas could be heard.
Eventually, a faint voice leaked out.
"...Mom, was taken away."
"Taken away?"
"Yesterday. Human soldiers came and said the settlement was no good. They said, 'Demi-humans are dangerous, so you can't stay here.'"
Lilu continued in broken sentences, as if searching for the words.
"They said the men were being sent back to Mead. But me, and the little ones... they said they were taking us somewhere else."
"Somewhere else?"
Lea frowned.
"Did they say where?"
"I don't know. But Mom, her eyes got scary."
Lilu hugged her knees.
"She said, 'If I go back, I might never see you again.' So, I ran."
Nerve let out a quiet breath.
(The 'managed demi-humans' within Yorn, huh...)
Even after the war ended, those from Mead who remained in the Empire were gradually being pushed into areas called "settlements."
On the surface, it was protection. In reality, it was surveillance and segregation.
Recently, there had been rumors at the guild that there were moves to further reorganize those settlements.
"...Where did you run from?"
"Um..."
Lilu traced something in the air with her finger, trying to piece together a faint memory.
"There was a river, one bridge, and on the hill, there was a white tower."
"A river, a bridge, a white tower..."
Lea narrowed her eyes as if unfolding a traveler's map in her mind.
"It might be the Seventh Settlement southwest of Yorn. I heard the crackdowns have been getting stricter around there lately."
"I bet."
Nerve tapped the side of the wagon lightly with his fist.
"In other words—this child is an 'unwanted guest.'"
"The way you put things."
Lea said, sounding exasperated.
Nerve shrugged theatrically.
"But it's the truth, isn't it? When things become inconvenient, countries are quick to use the word 'unwanted.'"
He turned his gaze back to Lilu.
"Alright, Lilu. From today on, you're our 'cargo.'"
"Am I still money?"
"Of course."
Nerve smiled mischievously.
"But not just any gold coin. Perhaps—you might be an 'investment' so incredible that you'll turn the coming era upside down."
Lilu looked like she didn't quite understand, but she reached out firmly for the dried meat.
At that gesture, something that had been stiff inside Nerve loosened slightly.
(Well, no matter how it turns out—it doesn't look like it'll be boring.)
He decided to leave it at that.
6: In the Village of Graz
As they passed through the checkpoint, simple stone houses came into view between the hills.
A small village—Graz. On a sign weathered by the wind, the name of the village could barely be read.
"It's as lonely a village as ever," Lea muttered.
"I've been here a few times, but it doesn't feel like the population has grown."
"Well, this place is like a 'gap in the path,'" Nerve shrugged.
"It's off the main Sugar Road, and since the Temple Knights are always prowling nearby, no one but curious merchants ever stops by."
"And here we are, the curious merchants."
"I'm honored."
As they pulled the wagon into the village square, gazes gathered here and there.
Old men, children, a farmer who had stopped with his hoe still in hand. Their expressions were a mix of caution and expectation.
Nerve spread his arms wide.
"Continental Traveling Merchant Guild, Nerve Iryun Caravan, has arrived! We've got salt, cloth, and nails today! And on the side—a little bit of sweet talk, too."
"Please keep the sweet talk for the back," Lea interjected in a low voice.
At the edge of the square, near a half-collapsed well, stood an old man who appeared to be the village chief.
"Oh, if it isn't that young Nerve."
"The 'young' part is unnecessary, Chief. But I'm glad you remembered me."
The old man—Horn, the chief of Graz—patted Nerve's shoulder with a cracked hand.
"Of course I remember. You were the first fool to bring nectar stones to this village. It would be impossible to forget."
"The honorable 'first fool,' then."
Nerve laughed and introduced Lea and Lilu.
"This is my assistant, Lea. She's in charge of ledgers and numbers. And this little one—is our 'cargo' from today on."
Lilu bowed awkwardly, looking a bit bewildered.
"...Lilu."
Horn narrowed his eyes as he looked at her, nodding as if he had sensed something.
"Hmm. I suppose one more mouth to feed is no big deal."
"Are you treating her like a dog?" Lea said with a wry smile.
"So, what's expensive today?"
At Horn's question, Nerve grinned.
"Above all else—sweetness."
At that, the air in the square wavered slightly.
Sweetness. Nerve knew well how much weight that single word held in this village.
"The man who said he wanted to let his sick wife taste something sweet one more time..."
As Nerve looked around, a man with a tired face stepped forward from the crowd.
"Y-yes... I'm here."
"I'm glad you came."
Nerve returned to the wagon and pulled a small wooden box from the back.
When he opened the box, a transparent fragment cut to the size of a little finger reflected a pale amber light.
Lilu gasped involuntarily.
"...Candy?"
"That's right. Some parts of Mead call it 'hard rain.'"
Nerve pinched the fragment and showed it to the man.
"Dissolve it in water for a sweet drink. Lick it as is, and you'll have a sweetness you can't let go of for a while. Just one piece for the patient, that was the promise, right?"
The man's lips trembled.
"B-but... isn't it expensive...?"
"It's not cheap, that's for sure. But this time, it's a 'special price.'"
Nerve held up one finger.
"There's one condition. After you give this to her, if your wife says even a single word—tell me what that word is next time."
"...Is that all you want?"
"That's it. Merchants are creatures that collect 'returns' other than money."
After hesitating for a moment, the man bowed deeply.
"Please... please."
As the deal was struck, a small murmur arose from the crowd.
"I'd like some too..."
"Just one lick for my child is enough..."
The voices seeking sweetness were not asking for luxury. Amidst war, hunger, and sickness, it was a wish to regain the 'feeling of being alive.'
Nerve carefully divided the contents of the box while meeting each person's gaze.
Lilu watched him intently.
(...He's a strange person.)
The merchants she had seen in the Mead Empire always had greedy eyes, trying to sell as much as possible at the highest price possible.
This man decided prices while laughing and distributed the nectar stones with the touch of someone dispensing medicine.
It wasn't that he was bad at counting money. But he wasn't just a good person, either.
(What is he doing?)
Lilu still didn't know the answer.
7: The Spark
As dusk approached, the air in the village changed.
The scent of iron and oil mixed into the smell of the wind.
"...A caravan?" Lea frowned.
"No, this is—"
Without waiting for Nerve's answer, a line of shadows appeared at the village entrance.
Armor. Spears. The flag of the Temple Knights raised high.
The Temple Knights—their equipment was a cut above the ones at the checkpoint.
"They didn't come to offer prayers at this hour, that's for sure."
At the front was a face he recognized.
"...Captain Raul?"
He seemed to notice Nerve and the others, and their eyes met for a split second.
What resided in his eyes was a hardness different from what he had shown at the checkpoint.
Chief Horn stepped forward with a tense expression.
"Members of the Temple Knights... what is your business here today?"
"By order of the Papal Office, we have come to investigate illegal stays and smuggling of demi-humans in this area. Chief, we request your cooperation."
The air in the square turned cold in an instant.
Nerve moved naturally to the front of the wagon, positioning himself to hide Lilu in the shadow of the canvas.
"Lea."
"I know."
Lea reached out to the canvas and whispered inside in a low voice.
"Lilu, get under the cot in the back. Don't make a sound, and don't come out."
In the back of the cargo box was a narrow storage space made for hiding travel valuables. Lilu's golden eyes, as she slid under the cot, blinked anxiously.
"...Running again?"
"No," Lea shook her head.
"This time—it's our turn to protect."
"Nerve Iryun," Raul called his name.
"I appreciate your help earlier. Immediately after leaving the checkpoint, an additional search order arrived. To re-examine the neighboring villages."
"Not at all. If I can buy favor with that much dried meat, I'll bring as much as you want."
Nerve replied with a laugh.
"...May I examine your cargo?"
"Didn't you just examine it?"
"It's an order."
Short words. But the weight behind them was heavy.
Nerve shrugged slightly.
"You've got it tough, Captain. Understood. Go ahead. —But if you break anything, you're buying it, okay?"
The soldiers approached the wagon again. This time, it was clearly more thorough than at the checkpoint.
The sound of moving wooden crates echoed loudly. Inside the canvas, Lea could clearly tell that Lilu's breathing was quickening.
(Calm down, calm down...)
Telling herself the same thing, Lea gently held the canvas down.
A soldier reached for the row of nectar stone boxes.
"Captain. This area is strangely heavy."
"Open all the cargo boxes. Do not touch the cot or the merchant's personal belongings."
Raul's voice dropped.
(...I guess luck alone won't get us through this.)
Cold sweat ran down Nerve's spine.
The soldiers opened the cargo boxes one by one. Cloth, tools, pottery. Under the cot, outside the range Raul had specified, Lilu held her breath.
And then—
The lid of the nectar stone box opened with a sound.
The amber fragments reflected the setting sun, stopping the surrounding air for a moment.
"Captain. I found them. Nectar stones."
"It's a personal amount, isn't it? Selling them little by little to the villagers..."
Raul stopped Nerve's words with his hand.
"By the standards of the Papal Office, it's an 'excessive' amount. There is sufficient suspicion of smuggling."
A murmur ran through the villagers.
Horn stepped forward.
"Wait, Captain. We asked for them. For the sick and the children, even a little—"
"Chief. I understand your feelings. But we are those who follow the 'Law.'"
There was hesitation in Raul's expression, but his voice did not waver.
"Nerve Iryun. I am placing you under arrest."
At that moment, there was a sign of something shrinking in the shadow of the canvas.
Lea gasped.
Nerve closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them immediately.
"For an arrest, no one has laid a hand on me yet."
"Do you intend to resist?"
"Of course not."
Nerve held up both hands.
"Just—could you let me speak?"
"Speak?"
"Even if you tie me up, it won't solve anything, will it?"
Nerve looked around.
The man who had received the nectar stones was looking at him anxiously. The other villagers were also standing still, holding their breath.
"What is this village struggling with? What do these nectar stones replace? Captain, do you really intend to leave without knowing, saying you 'upheld the law'?"
Raul's eyes narrowed.
"...You're a smooth talker."
"Occupational hazard."
Nerve laughed, but only his eyes were serious.
"Five minutes. Just five minutes, listen to me. If you still say you'll tie me up after that, I'll offer my wrists willingly."
Silence fell.
Eventually, Raul ordered briefly.
"...Understood. You lot, keep watch on the surroundings. Don't do anything rash."
The soldiers followed the order, though they looked dissatisfied.
Nerve let out a sigh of relief and gathered the chief, the man, and Raul in the center.
Lilu watched the scene from the gap in the canvas, holding her breath.
(Am I being protected again? Am I going to be abandoned again?)
Questions she couldn't answer herself swirled in her chest.
At that moment—a thin light crossed the sky in the distance again.
A light like a whisper of a star, so small that no one noticed.
If someone had been watching it from above the tower, they surely would have said this:
"Another boundary has wavered."
But in this village, the color of dusk was simply deepening.
Nerve opened his mouth and began to weave his words as a 'border-crosser.'
Lilu, hiding in the canvas, listened intently to his voice.
8: The Words of a Border-Crosser
Nerve slowly raised his gaze. Raul, Chief Horn, the man who had received the nectar stones—and the villagers forming a semicircle around them. Everyone was silent, as if frozen.
Being the center of attention isn't bad for a traveling merchant. But this time, the burden was heavy.
"Well then."
Nerve steadied his breath.
"Captain. The word 'smuggling' is certainly correct. Nectar stones are supposed to only enter through regular distribution from the Mead Empire, after all."
"So you admit you brought them knowing that?"
Raul's voice was hard. But behind it, there was a 'willingness to listen.'
Nerve nodded quietly.
"Yes. But—a 'correct law' only holds true when there is a 'correct reality.'"
"A correct reality?"
"The reality of this village."
Nerve pointed to the ground.
"In this land, let alone nectar stones, even thin molasses is rarely available. Due to the aftermath of the war, there are more sick people, children are thin, and tired adults are just barely managing to live today."
The villagers nodded at his words.
"There are no doctors, no apothecaries. The medicinal herbs available are few, and the food is nothing but salty preserved rations. Their mouths are sore, and their spirits are low. Can you imagine... Captain, how much of a salvation 'a single bit of sweetness' is in times like that?"
Raul's eyebrows moved. He found himself clenching his fist.
"...Are nectar stones that necessary?"
"They are. Only people living in cities see this as a luxury item. Here—sweetness is 'medicine.'"
Nerve took a breath and turned to the chief.
"Horn-san. Didn't you tell me before that since this village has no doctor, you've been breaking nectar stones little by little to use as medicine?"
The old man nodded and let out a deep breath.
"...Aye, that's right. Nectar stones work for dry coughs and heavy stomachs. More than anything... they ease the mind."
"The mind?"
Raul frowned.
Horn continued slowly.
"Once a person's spirit is broken, it's the end. There were many days in this village after the war when a single sweet thing brought back the strength to live."
Small voices rose from among the villagers.
"...It's true. Because of that, my mother survived."
"When they eat something sweet, the children smile."
"When I licked a nectar stone for the first time in a while, I remembered the old days and cried."
Every time he heard those voices, Raul's clenched fist tightened.
Nerve said quietly.
"Captain. I am a 'merchant who defies the law.' I won't deny that. But—between acting to save someone here and just being bound by the law, which do you think is right?"
Raul's fist trembled slightly.
Silence. The chief, the villagers, Lea. And Lilu, peeking from the shadow of the canvas. Everyone was waiting for Raul's reply.
And then—
"...You have too smooth a tongue."
"It's a waste to keep you as just a merchant."
As Nerve gave a wry smile, Raul sharpened his gaze and slowly approached.
"However—I am a guardian of the law. I cannot make the decision to 'look the other way' here on my own."
"I suppose not."
"Therefore—even if I decide to arrest you here. I need to inspect this village first."
"Inspect?"
There was a faint 'wavering' in Raul's expression.
"I must thoroughly investigate whether there are any 'luxury items worthy of being called contraband' in this village. Whether there is evidence that 'nectar stones are being stored as expensive luxury goods.'"
What those words meant.
Nerve smiled slightly.
"I see. If the investigation is thorough, there might be various things 'overlooked,' perhaps."
"...Don't say things I didn't say."
Raul sighed.
"I heard your five-minute story. Based on that—I judge this cargo to be 'exceptionally problem-free.'"
A sigh of relief leaked from the villagers. Lea pressed her chest and let out a deep breath.
But Raul immediately continued.
"However. Iryun, there won't be a next time."
"Next time, I'll do it even better."
"You...!"
Raul almost laughed, but tightened his expression at the last second.
"Chief. There have been successive escapes of demi-humans in this region. If you see any, contact us immediately."
Horn nodded. But a somewhat knowing smile was mixed into the corner of his mouth.
Raul ordered his subordinates, and the party of Temple Knights left the village.
Nerve watched their backs in silence for a while.
(...Thank you, Captain.)
He whispered in his heart, without breaking his smile as a traveling merchant.
9: The Sound of the Boundary Wavering
As the tension in the village gradually eased, Lilu came out from the shadow of the wagon.
"...Nerve?"
"Hmm?"
"What was that just now?"
"A business negotiation."
"No. That, Nerve protected."
Lea added from the side.
"Both you and this village. You could at least be a little grateful, you know?"
Lilu looked down, started to open her mouth several times, and finally squeezed out the words in a small voice.
"...Thank you."
Nerve gently patted her head.
"No need for thanks. I'm just picking up gold coins lying on the road while I can."
"Gold coins...?"
Lilu frowned.
Nerve laughed.
"That's you. Though I don't know what kind of value you'll have yet."
"...I don't really understand."
"That's fine for now."
Nerve turned his gaze to the road leading out of the village.
In the distant sky, deep within the colors of sunset, a single star slightly changed its orbit.
If Rina had been watching it from above the tower—she surely would have said this:
"The boundary has wavered once again."
Nerve gripped the reins of the wagon again.
"Come on, let's go. Our work doesn't end here."
Lea nodded, and Lilu also started walking behind them in small steps.
In the night sky, the stars were twinkling quietly.
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