Merchant Noble is out (3/3 chapters for today)

 

 

Battle of the Demon

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Leo had scattered the coalition army of southern nobles. He was now preparing to continue the suppression of the remaining rebellious nobles.

“I will now exterminate the remnants of the southern nobles. We will depart in 30 minutes, so have the soldiers ready.” (Leo)

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty.” (Kureo)

Kureo, shrinking his body in fear, spoke up to Leo, who, as usual, commanded preparations in a mere 30 minutes.

“Hmm?” (Leo)

“Although our army has been winning every battle, we’ve been constantly facing enemies several times our size. The soldiers’ fatigue has reached its limit, so please grant them a little rest.” (Kureo)

Arc held a high opinion of this general named Kureo. On the battlefield, Kureo always fought on the frontlines, wielding a massive axe, and fought more than the average soldier. Furthermore, he was often the target of Leo’s outbursts, being beaten and kicked mercilessly, yet he still voiced what needed to be said. It was easy to see why the soldiers trusted him so much.

“Tsk. Do you think I’ve allowed pillaging in occupied territories for no reason? It’s to motivate them toward the feast. Or did you perhaps exhaust yourself on women in the town yesterday?” (Leo)

Leo grumbled in dissatisfaction, but it seemed even he was aware that he had been overworking the soldiers recently. Though irritated by his subordinate’s words, he eventually conceded.

“Damn it. I’ll give them two days of rest. Let the soldiers rest.” (Leo)

“Thank you.” (Kureo)

“Ah, yes, merchant.” (Leo)

Leo turned to face Arc, and in that moment, Kureo quickly slipped away.

Although Arc would prefer to avoid interacting with Leo as much as possible, he couldn’t ignore him when spoken to.

“It seems your next opponent is someone you have a grudge against.” (Leo)

“Who?” (Arc)

A chill crept into Arc’s heart.

Could it be…

“Uhh, what was it again? The largest noble around here. I’m pretty sure he’s a marquis.” (Leo)

“Marquis Ivan?” (Arc)

As usual, Leo didn’t remember the name, but it was most likely Marquis Ivan.

Marquis Ivan.

When Arc heard they would be fighting southern nobles, he suspected this might happen. So, Ivan had joined the rebel army after all. No, as the highest-ranking noble in the south, Ivan might even be the leader of the rebel forces.

Arc didn’t know his face personally. But he would never forget that name. The reason Arc had become a lord at such a young age, and the reason he was tirelessly developing the rural land of Mikanda, all stemmed from this noble. It had already been over a year.

Out of nowhere, an army of 3,000 soldiers led by Marquis Ivan invaded the former Warden territory. Arc and the others scrambled to gather troops and fought back, but they couldn’t withstand the surprise attack and were forced to flee. In the midst of this, Arc’s father, who was the head of the family at the time, was struck by an arrow and soon died.

Arc had petitioned the kingdom for a strict punishment against the marquis’ house for the attack, but not only did the kingdom fail to impose any significant penalty, they also ordered the Warden Household to transfer their land.

Yes. It all started from there.

Had this not happened, Arc’s father would still be alive. Arc and his family would not have to endure such hardships and could have lived happily. It was up to Arc to make sure Marquis Ivan, who was pampered by the kingdom and received no punishment, would be made to pay.

Suddenly, Arc recalled a book about demons that his father had read to him when he was a child.

“Arc, look at this demon. Why do you think it lived so long?” (Arc’s Father)

“Because it was strong, Father?” (Young Arc)

“Haha, read the book properly. In the end, the demon was defeated by a village girl.” (Arc’s Father)

“That’s right. Then why was it able to corner humans despite being weak?” (Young Arc)

“This demon, you see, created its minions night after night. In battles with humans, it had the minions fight while it never fought itself.” (Arc’s Father)

“I see. That’s all it took. Now that you mention it, it’s a simple strategy.” (Young Arc)

“Merchants are the same, Arc. Leave the fighting to the hot-headed ones. Whether you win or lose, war costs money the moment you engage. We will sit back and conduct our business leisurely.” (Arc’s Father)

“I understand, Father.” (Young Arc)

Arc suddenly remembered the demon’s way of fighting. And in that moment, he realized he could apply that strategy. Perhaps it was because he had remembered his father after such a long time. Or maybe it was a sign that he should use this strategy to plunge the Marquis Ivan Household into the depths of despair. But…

Is this really okay?

If he shared this strategy, Leo’s army would be safe for a while. The soldiers’ fatigue would be drastically reduced. However, this also meant the kingdom’s time in hell would be prolonged. It would extend a time where no one would be happy.

But I am now part of Leo’s faction. We’re inseparable at this point. It’s not because I hate Marquis Ivan. As part of Leo’s side, I’ll simply provide him with useful information. That’s all there is to it.

“Your Majesty. I have a suggestion regarding our strategy.” (Arc)

Arc proposed quietly to Leo.

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