Profession, Merchant Volume 14 Chapter 3 (Patreon)

Chapter 3 – Clash With the Four Devas! III

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What was brought into their eyes were an army of Demon Soldiers of Newland, armed to the teeth and obviously ready for battle.


It seemed as if they had been expecting the women to attack the castle.


No matter what angle, this was terrible news.


Because no matter how weak they are, sufficient numbers will overcome them.


Like, if they faced such prepared enemies, they would be exhausted before they even reached the Demon Lord’s chambers. Then they would be easy pickings for their elites.


‘Oh no. We’ve been caught. This was a failure.’


Such thoughts crossed the female warrior’s mind after imagining such a horrible scene.


Then, something unexpected happened.


Instead of attacking, the Demon soldiers paid no attention to the women on the Pegasus and simply passed them by.


And when they did pass, the entire army and all, only distant war cries and the fading torches were left echoing behind them.


“What’s going on?”


“I don’t know, but what I know is we’ve been saved. This means we can reach the Demon Lord’s castle unharmed now.”


The holy knight beamed with excitement as he manipulated the reins of the Pegasus again.


But something didn’t sit right with her.


“Wait a minute!”


“Whoa!”


Neigh!!


Suddenly, she yanked the reins from behind the horse’s neck, nearly knocking them both off their mounts.


“Just what do you think you’re doing?”


“Wait. Just hear me out for a second. Why were those guys so well prepared, as if they were expecting us?”


“It means that our actions were anticipated.”


“But today’s mission should only be known to the two of us. Such a plan couldn’t have been leaked or anticipated by anyone else.”


“What are you trying to say?”


“What I meant to say is, those Demon soldiers must have been gathered for some other purpose, and we just happened to run into them. That’s why they let us through so easily. It all makes sense when you think about it, or else they would have attacked us first since we were trying to raid the Demon Lord’s castle in the first place.”


“Hmm, is such a coincidence really possible?”


“If you don’t think of it that way, then I can’t think of any other possibility as to why they let us through.”


The holy knight turned forward again, pondering as she calmed the Pegasus.


“Hmm.”


“But even if that’s the case, it’s not a problem for us, is it? After all, they were soldiers sent out for another purpose. Or rather, it’s actually quite convenient for us.”


“Just think about the direction in which they disappeared. If we consider that it wasn’t just a coincidence that they crossed our path, then their likely destination is probably… our town.”


“No way… then we need to stop them!”


This was no longer about attacking the demon castle and getting the merchant back.


Realizing this, the Pegasus carrying the women veered around, and they quickly changed course and headed back towards the town the merchant had built.


◇◆◇


The town that the merchant was granted permission to build on the outskirts of Newland was home to several hundred people, including his original subordinates, technicians, and workers, regardless of their human or demonic backgrounds.


Though a makeshift creation, the rapid development of everything from infrastructure to housing on the vacant land demonstrated his formidable skills in territory management.


As a result, a unique culture had begun to emerge, attracting a large number of fans from the central area of Newland.


However, when such a culture is formed within a community, and especially when outsiders establish it, it is natural for tensions to arise. What I mean is that resentment will grow between those who say, “I have a problem with them,” and those who say, “I have a problem with the person who has a problem with them.”


But even if the presence of conflict were to occur in the midst of such emotions, it wouldn’t necessarily mean that the individuals would harbor animosity toward each other. In fact, those involved in this resentment are primarily just a bunch of hot-headed, talk-but-not-bite individuals. As such, they’d rather keep it to themselves if they have no choice, to avoid the actual pain of confrontation altogether.


Or rather, physical confrontations tend to be initiated by only those who are interested in violence itself, using hatred as a catalyst. Violence requires justification, but more importantly, it creates hatred. And hatred with a legitimate reason is the most efficient way to gain the approval of the majority.


Now, at this very moment, a thousand Demon soldiers are marching toward the merchant town with the intention of destroying it. They harbor no animosity; their interest lies only in violence.


“From here, we’ll wipe out the evil human town! Get ready, you lot!!”


A giant man with a lion’s face and a golden mane, one of the Four Devas, the Demon Beast King Kriou, rallied the troops with fervor. The Demon soldiers, spitting saliva as they roared in excitement, struck fear into the hearts of the town’s residents.


“Wait!!”


But at that moment, what seemed to be a streak of white light flashed across the evening sky, and a Pegasus with two female riders appeared in front of Kriou and his troops.


“We will not allow you to destroy this town!”


“These two must be the female warrior and the holy knight Proditus mentioned,” Kriou muttered, immediately gathering his wits. While his heart burned for battle, he also knew that he had to assess the situation clearly.


According to Proditus, these two possessed fighting skills equal to the Four Devas. Whether that meant that two of them were equal to one of the Devas or that each one was equal to one of the Devas, he didn’t know. Either way, he found it hard to believe.


But Proditus had claimed it, which meant that their competence was undeniable.


Still, it was good that he had gathered soldiers. Using them as fodder, he could hold these women temporarily while he quickly destroys the town and then deal with them once the battle had drained them of their strength.


And once he destroyed the city and defeated these women, no one will call him the weakest of the four Devas again. Ever.


“Hehehe, alright! My Beast Demon soldiers, all of you, go after those women! Do not underestimate them just because they are of the opposite sex! Fight them with all you can!”


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