Magnum couldn’t stop thinking about the experiments the mercs could be running. He knew he couldn’t just go in there so he thought of a way to get in. For the rest of the day, however, he decided to sell what he got and earn some silvers. He squatted like what many people were doing near the center of the town. He placed a cloth beside the road and placed all the instruments he had from all the scavenging he did. He sat there and a lot of people were checking out the instruments, but he only sold a few which were for cooking, and some lamps.

“These are great items but we can’t use them,” one man said and he was right.

Originally, he thought the instruments would sell well but there were no power sources available so it makes sense that no one would be willing to buy. Phos units were no longer working except for those around Midandria and the Corone, the capital city.

Magnum then decided to add whatever he had. Clothes, sheets and some scents. He needed to sell something so that he would have enough money when he checked all the merc merchandise he could find later that day. Lots of women started checking out the sheets and clothes.

“How much for all these scents?” a middle-aged-looking woman asks. Her clothes looked expensive and there was a hint of sweet scent coming out of her.

“Lad, how much for all?” she pointed down to the scents.

“How much would you buy it?” Magnum didn’t know what to say. He had an idea that scents were expensive because its rare since the fall of the country but don’t exactly know how rare.

“Two hundred fifty each,” she said.

“Three thousand for five of em,” Magnum calmly said. Judging by the woman’s scent, what he was selling was far better.

The woman raised her eyebrow and turned around. The others who were checking the sheets and clothes also reacted and frowned on Magnum.

But It was Magnum’s turn now to raise his eyebrows, “You won’t find these even in Corone. It's a scent from the Central Continent!” he said but the middle-aged woman did not look back.

Magnum then picked up one of the scents. It was one from the witch. He found three from her and then the other three he had were from houses he stayed in. Six in total but he kept the one that the witch was using. He won't sell it. He opened one bottle and a warm scent of flowers escaped. The people all around him took notice even the middle-aged woman and they all went to Magnum. They loved the scent and competed to get a bottle. The middle-aged woman was only able to buy one.

Magnum closed his shop after three hours and earned five thousand silvers; four thousand from the scents. It was a good day. The sun was about to set and many of the shops were still open. Magnum walked around checking armor, boots, and guns, He bought a leather armor that looked like most of the mercs were using and then he also bought the common clothes. He was also observing the mercs walking around and the places that were being guarded.

The bells rang again and the mercs started running to the southern gate.

“Another one? This is ridiculous!” one of them said.

“This is my chance!”

Magnum hid in a corner and wore the armor and clothes he bought. Now he looked like the general merc from that place. He checked the East Gate. No one was guarding it. He ran towards the forest and not far from it, he found three houses. A simple but long house on his left. It doesn’t have windows but has one door. On his right was an oriental-style house facing the long and simple house. At the center and further away is a two-story house colored white.

Magnum saw the two mercenaries go to the long house earlier.

“It looks like this is the place.”

No one was guarding the house so Magnum approached it casually so as to not raise suspicion if someone saw him. Just as he opened the door he felt a person behind him and a knife was on his neck.

“You think you’re so smart?” a voice of a girl, “You didn’t even notice me following. Who are you?” she said.

“What are you hiding here?” Magnum replied.

The girl was Tanna. She pinned Magnum on the wall beside the door, “Nothing to do with you” she said.

Magnum then let a smoke marble escape out of his hand falling in between their foot. As it fell, Tanna jumped backward and covered her body with her arms. She thought it would explode and Magnum took this chance to go inside the house. A room with glass walls welcomed him. A demon bear can be seen on the other side. Its not moving but its red eyes and thick skin meant it had been a demon for a long time.

“There you are!” You dirty mercs!”

The few people inside were surprised to see him. They wore normal everyday clothes, unlike the mercs.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Magnum felt a kick coming from behind and evaded it by ducking. He turned around and a punch hit him on his chin. His knees wobbled and he fell on the floor. He tried to stand but Tanna quickly tied him and punched him again knocking him out. He was pulled outside and other mercs came and surrounded him.

He was put on the ground in front of the oriental house. Two men were now sitting on the elevated wooden floor; An old-looking, long-haired man with a smoking pipe and a mercenary who looked like Garvin, the one barking orders earlier during the assault at the southern gates.

“This was the kid asking me questions earlier!”

“You know him Garza?” the old man said after blowing smoke.

“No, Master I thought he wanted to join the guild. What are you doing here?”

Tanna came from behind Magnum and walked beside Garza, “I was just doing my normal patrols and saw this suspicious-looking man! So I spied on him and then I saw him trespassing today.”

“I saw your experiments! And I won’t let you destroy this town!” Magnum tried to work his hands tied behind his back but the rope and tie were too strong.

Garza and his Master looked at each other with confusion.

“Destroy the town? Did the Vicar sent you?” Garza said.

“Why would I work for the Vicar? I hate them! But more than that, I hate stupid mercs who prey on the weak. I encountered people like you before! You lure demons into town to scatter the plague! And worse, you also ask money to kill the demons you created yourself!”

“Hey hey hey kid! Slow down!” Garza said.

Magnum then spat on the old man’s face but the old man caught it using Garza’s hand. Garza was shocked. Everyone around them was shocked. No one moved or even spoke.

“Master! Let me handle this,” Garza walked to Magnum but the master beat Garza in front of him.

“Yes, Uncle! Let me handle…” Tanna tried to go between them but she wasn’t able to finish her sentence.

The master slapped Magnum’s face using Garza’s hand, effectively putting the spit back to Magnum. The slap was so hard Magnum felt dizzy.

“Untie him,” the master said.

A strong aura radiated from the master. An aura that pressured everyone there but Magnum already felt an aura like this before. It was almost the same as he felt from Garvin and Matrina but this time it's not being imposed specifically on him but just around the old man.

“Untie him!” the old man said again and this time several mercs jumped to Magnum and freed him from the knots.

“I'll let you put out some steam, son. Looks like you need it. I also need to teach you some manners,” The old man said. Garza looked worried.

Magnum slowly stood observing his own body. He felt good. The few days of not doing anything help him. He smiled, “Wrong move old man!” he said then took two quick steps forward to punch the Guild Master.

The old man dodged his initial punch. He dodged all of his attacks and then Magnum jumped back.

“This old man’s good!”

Magnum was about to attack again but got hit instead by a stinging punch. He recovered and tried to go again. He punched and got countered again, the Master was doing it every time he punched.

“You’re fighting a man now. Not mindless animals.”

“He’s right!”

Magnum stopped and took a few deep breaths. He had been fighting weak demons for months which doesn’t require much thinking at all. For this fight, he needed a strategy.

The old man’s expression hadn’t changed since they started fighting but this time it looked like he would be taking the offensive. He jumped at Magnum with a punch that pushed him back to the fence around the house even though he blocked it with his arms.

“How? So strong!”

The Master attacked again. Magnum got hit on his stomach. He got hit again on his face. The old man then punched Magnum’s right arm and broke it. Magnum’s knees fell.

“Why are you here?” the master said.

Everyone was quiet, all were waiting for Magnum to answer. The Guild Master was always calm and collected but they all knew he liked discipline and order. They also knew that he would not hesitate to do nasty things just enforce it. He was the main reason why everything and everyone merc in the town followed orders.

Magnum looked up to the face of the old man. He coughed blood several times and swiped his mouth, “I’m here to kill that Grand Demon unlike you cowards! I'll also to kill evil mercs like you!”

Everyone was dumbfounded when they heard of Magnum’s grand quest of killing the grand demon.

“The grand demon?” The old man looked closely at Magnum’s face, then he smoked his pipe again. His eyes started to show some red lines, his face turned darker and his facial expression turned demon-like. He punched Magnum’s right shoulder, breaking more bones.

“If you want to kill the Grand Demon, you have to be ready to lose everything!” the old man said.

“I… I don’t care! Whatever I lose. As long as I kill the grand demon!"

"But I'm weak! I can't even beat this old man!”

The Grand Master’s facial expression changed. The demon-like face was gone and the face of a normal-looking grandfather came back.

Magnum bit his lips to numb himself to the pain. He doesn't want to sound weak, even though he is already having a hard time breathing. Any noise coming out of his breath would humiliate him. The broken bones in his shoulder made breathing painful as every slight movement felt like something was being pierced inside his chest. As his lips started to bleed, tears started forming in his eyes, this one he wouldn’t be able to stop.

“You’re wrong about us kid,” Garza said.

No. I know what you do! You lure these demons into towns to scatter the plague!” he said.

Garza and the old man looked at each other again.

“No. We don’t do that here,” Garza said. “In fact, we teach all the people that pass here how to avoid the plague. You didn’t see the accessories the people and animals have on their bodies?”

“Yes, the earring on that buffalo…”

“The demon you saw. We were studying it. You have to know your enemy in order to defeat it. You should know that. You use the dust too.” Garza said.

Magnum was now sure that he was on the wrong side of the situation. Plus, he’s no match for these people.

The Master then walked up to Magnum who was still kneeling on the ground. He slapped Magnum again which almost made Magnum faint, this time using his own hand.

“Don’t ever spit on my face again and never hurt my niece,” the Master said and then he went inside the house.

“But I never hurt her…”

As the situation looked to be solved, all the pain started catching up to Magnum. He started to lose consciousness.

“Heal him!” Garza said and a man immediately responded and went close to Magnum.

“Hold him!” he said and the other mercs came to help.

“I can’t heal him enough. He’s heavily injured! Take him to the Don!” the healer said.

Although Magnum felt less pain it was still not enough to keep him conscious. As his body fell to the mercs, the man who healed him also fainted. They were both taken to the mansion in the middle where Don Cid stood and was watching the whole time.