Yoranios was in high spirits after making his surprising announcement. His sister was shocked and spoke with confusion, her words stumbling over each other as she tried to process it, "What? Stop being the king? You want to be a merchant? Is this what you want? You never talked about it. I'm sorry, it just never happened before!"
Yoranios stood, gazing at the throne with a faint smile. "I think I’ve had my fill of it. It’s time to have some fun. But one of you will need to take my place. Jane, inform our brothers and sisters. We have to choose someone from the family as the new king—anyone except YOU."
He pointed his finger at his father, speaking with harsh but honest words that clarified the reality of demons' royal law. "You will not regain your throne. A KING WITHOUT POWER IS A DEAD KING WHO FOOLED DEATH AND SLOWS HIS KINGDOM."
Taffer nodded in acceptance of the reality controlling this situation. Then Yoranios ordered the butlers, "Get me a cart, a normal size like the ones merchants use. Put some demon fruits and vegetables inside, and I need some commoners' clothes so I won't attract unwanted attention. Finally, I will start my glorious journey!"
After three days, Yoranios finished his work for the last time and confirmed the details with his sister Jane. A king leaving his position would create a void, and preparations were made to ensure the kingdom's economy and commerce would continue to grow with the next king.
On the fourth day, in the garden of the castle, Yoranios hugged his sister Jane and said, "My dear sister, I will miss you. Take care of yourself."
Then Monroe hugged him too. "Yoranios, I will miss you. If you need anything, use the crystal," Yoranios nodded in approval. The twins and the rest of his family (except his father and red-haired brother Mahin) looked at him with warmth and love.
One of the twins said, "Yoranios, this is your home, remember that. We will always be by your side. I love you, and I hope the best for you. We all do, dear brother."
After hearing those kind words, Yoranios said with a big smile, "Thank you, all of you make me happy. Please just keep an eye out for Mahin. He is sloppy and an idiot, but he is your brother. Protect him."
Yoranios's family nodded in approval. He got into his carriage, waved his hand, and the cart started moving. Yoranios dismounted the horse and climbed into the carriage, making his way to the back so he could see his family as it began to move. He called out, "I’ll miss you all! Don’t forget, my new name is Yory. It’s my human name. Nice, right?"
His family laughed at his bad but fitting name for the situation and waved their hands, saying their goodbyes to one of their family members.
Fifteen minutes later, Yory reached the northern castle's gates and spotted his father, Taffer, playing with his grandchildren—one boy and three girls. Kunty, one of the girls, beamed with delight at the sight of Yory.
Kunty started running with open arms toward Yory, who lifted her in the air along with the other children using air magic.
The children were overjoyed. Afterwards, Yory created some distance from the kids and faced his father, then said, "If I find them in some dirty hole, I WILL BURN YOU ALIVE. UNDERSTOOD?"
Taffer nodded to his son, "Of course not. Monroe has forgiven me and allows me to play with my grandsons with your mother. But Yoranios, I have to ask you something."
Yory turned to him and asked, "Yes?"
Taffer gazed at him with a blend of emotion and regret before speaking in a weary tone, "Do you hate me for what I’ve done?"
Yory glared at him with cold eyes for a moment, then said as he turned around to his carriage, "I don't hold a grudge against you. What you did, as horrible as it was, seemed necessary at the time. It was necessary to create strong monsters for your army, and who better than the children of the demon king himself."
Yory boarded his carriage, then turned his face to his father and stated, "See you later. Don't die soon and watch over them - every child in this kingdom. Treat them far better than you treated us."
Taffer bowed to him in silence, understanding that there were no words that could adequately fit in this intense conversation.
After a long trip, probably a day in the carriage, Yory reached the border of Renolva kingdom. Along the way, people couldn't help but be surprised upon seeing their king riding in a carriage. Even though he was the former king, and the news had spread days ago. But who could blame them? He was Yoranios Gyovani, their king who had helped elevate their kingdom's status and economy. They bowed to him with the utmost respect.
Yory waved his hand with a smile. It wasn't very good-looking, but it was enough to make people feel happy that their king loved and respected them.
The next morning, as Yory crossed the border, he encountered many guards who noticed him and bowed as a sign of respect. Yory responded with a respectful nod, which pleased the guards. He said, "Keep up the good work, my friends. Keep the PEOPLE SAFE!"
Every guard stood with military precision and shouted, "YES, MY LORD!"
After another long day on Renolva's lands, Yory remarked, "This is a nice place for tonight's rest. Now, I have to use transformation magic and take on a new look for my human cover, not too ugly and not too handsome."
After some time, Yory finished changing his appearance. He now appeared as an average tall person, around 1.74 meters. His black hair remained as usual, with normal dark eyes, but his face looked pale and skinny, as if he had been sick or inactive for a while. His body was very slim, not ideal for a fighter or a warrior by conventional standards.
Yory gazed at a small mirror and said with a happy and proud expression, "This is perfect." [YOUR TASTE SUCKS!]
Two days later, in a small and pleasant human village, Yory found himself in an Adventurers' guild. It was the best place for gathering information about commerce in other regions, as adventurers came from various places and were good at sharing stories.
Inside the guild, there was a lively tavern where humans engaged in animated conversations. A dwarf warrior spoke to a young-looking and seemingly inexperienced human, saying, "Kid, we killed a savage dragon two days ago. It was dangerous, and any of us could have died. You, on the other hand, just killed a poor tiger with magic and you're still shaking! You can't join us."
The kid's face turned red with a mix of anger and embarrassment. He boldly retorted, "Don't forget, old men, we humans defeated demons three hundred years ago. Someday I will surpass your powers and..."
A demon interjected, laughing, then mockingly added, "We have a funny jester here, don't we? You mean after our great demon king wiped the battlefield with your hero's face HAHAHAHAHA!"
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Yoranios listened and then smiled. He appreciated the humour.
The dwarf chimed in, "Demon, don't start! Anyway, the important thing, kid, is that you want to surpass my powers. Be my guest. At least that way, you'll be powerful and can help people more. Good for you, my little friend."
The young adventurer smiled upon hearing these kind words from the dwarf. Then, they proceeded to share tales and have a good time. Eventually, the dwarf approached Yory and, while pointing his goblet, said, "You there! I've never seen you before." He was pointing at Yory, whom the demons and elves observed with astonished expressions. They nodded in respect without anyone noticing, and only those as skilled as Grey could recognize him, as his magic didn't work on high-level sorcerers and witches. The demons couldn't discern his aura.
Yory looked at the dwarf and replied, "I'm a new merchant. Nice to meet you."
The dwarf inquired, "What's a demon doing here, listening to our stories?"
Yory replied, "It’s not often you meet a dwarf with such a keen sense for magic. Now I’m certain your stories are true."
The dwarf laughed heartily, pounding the table: "HAHAHAHAHA! I love this guy already. Yes, I can sense others' power and possess other skills crucial for adventurers. Can you tell me something? Did you witness the great war between humans and demons? If so, what's your story?"
One of the demons chimed in, "If you want stories, we can tell you all about it because we were there."
The dwarf turned to the demons with a mocking expression, "You? Don't make me laugh! You always embellish your stories! And why are you laughing, elves? You're the same as demons, always recounting tales of slaying great warriors with an old rusty sword and other stories of single strikes felling hundreds of fighters without armour, like some kind of fairy tale. Stop the jokes already!"
Despite the commotion, the dwarf ignored them and directed his attention to Yory, who responded, "I was in the war. It was a painful and unpleasant sight. Friends died, taking others' lives, villages and cities were destroyed, all for nothing. You gain nothing from this torture called war. I'm sorry if my story isn't interesting."
The bar fell into a hushed silence until the dwarf sat on the table facing Yory. He grasped Yory's hand and shook it, all while looking at his friends and fellow adventurers, "Finally, someone understands what war is! Not glory and legend, but a place where you regret every decision leading to this chaos!"
Each adventurer raised their wooden goblet in the air and declared, "LONG LIVE THE PEACE!"
The adventurers began singing and celebrating, while Yory enjoyed the lively atmosphere. He used the opportunity to gather information about the cities and villages he would visit as a merchant.
The next morning, Yory boarded his carriage, and the horse set off. Yory declared, "Next stop, Landow Village. They're famous for their diverse selection of foods, so they logically need spices and vegetables. I have some very unique ones for sale at a reasonable price. Let's go, Boris!"
The horse looked at him disinterestedly, prompting Yory to continue without acknowledging the horse's lack of enthusiasm, "From what I've learned at the guild:
10 COPPER COINS---------> 1 SILVER COIN
10 SILVER COINS----------> 1 GOLD COIN
10 GOLD COINS------------> 1 BIG GOLDEN COIN"
After a day of travel, Yory arrived at Landow village and paid the three copper coins as the guard fee for entering the village. It was quite affordable, which was a positive. He then made his way to the market, which though small, was bustling with merchants calling out prices and showcasing their various wares while professionally greeting the patrons.
Yory positioned his cart near one of the merchants and remarked, "So every merchant has their place designated with a small wooden fence to separate the carriages. Mmm, that's smart! I never noticed such ordinary details when I was a king. Interesting."
Afterwards, Yory untied the ropes of the carriage, removed the cover, revealing his products, and proclaimed, "VEGETABLES FROM DEMON LAND! FRUITS AND SPICES FOR YOUR DARING CHEFS!"
After a few minutes, some women approached Yory and inquired, "Hello young man, are these from the demon kingdom?"
Yory smiled and tried to speak as professionally as possible, "My beautiful lady, it took four months to harvest these fine-looking black fruits. They thrive with as much water and sunlight as the gardener could provide. As for these red, black, and yellow vegetables, they're easy to harvest after six months with minimal care, and both of them can withstand a long journey without wilting."
The woman grinned, "I know a lot about demon gardening and you are impressive. Give me three weights of everything you have."
Yory was excited and hung the weightlifting scale over his cart, then began to measure out the weights.
After receiving her order, she paid him and went on her way. What seemed like an ordinary day for this woman felt like the world to Yory, who earned money as a merchant for the first time in his life. After that, more people started coming to him for his unique but renowned demon products.
After a busy day at the market, Yory and the other merchants covered their carts and headed to the inn for a well-deserved rest.
Yory was very happy as he got into bed and covered himself, "This was a good day. I'm excited about tomorrow. I talked to some merchants who were interested in my products. They told me about three types of traders. The first kind stays in one place and rarely travels beyond their province or region, which is good for building friendships and reputations with local people. The second kind are merchants who travel lightly on foot or in transport carriages. They are usually well-trained in combat and self-defence. They sometimes trade in gold and magical items. It's a path to potentially high profits but it's also risky. The last kind are traders who journey long distances, building their reputation with various people. It's risky venturing into the unknown. There are many paths trading can take you, but isn't this an adventure?"
Yory fell asleep quickly, worn out from a long day of work. But as they say, a peaceful sleep can cure anything, right?
In the morning, Yory left the inn and remarked, "The owner mentioned the next village is called Northon, and it gets very cold in winter."
With that in mind, Yory decided to purchase some leather and fur to sell in Northton village for a profit. He entered the leather and fur store, which was the only one in the village considering the population and limited space. Yory greeted the owner, "Good morning, sir. I'll need some fur for the trip. Give me two dozen of leather and three dozen of medium-quality fur. Also, one dozen of high-quality fur and one dozen of high-quality leather for the trip."
The merchant began calculating the price, but before he could announce it, Yory interjected, "Seventy-six silver coins."
The merchant corrected him, saying, "Sorry sir, but it's Eighty-six. That's why it's important to work smart, not fast."
Yory smiled and proposed, "I understand, but can you give me a discount? That carriage outside is mine. I'm sure you noticed the design and scripts on its sides. It's from the demon kingdom, where I conduct business. And of course, I have friends who will buy from the stores I recommend. What do you say?"
The merchant responded with a grin, "How do you know? Maybe I don't have an interest in good friends?"
Yory laughed, his confidence shining through. He realized this trader was of the first type, valuing reputation over profit in certain situations. Since he own a store and didn't plan on travelling, he needed to establish a name for himself in his region.
Interrupting his thoughts, the trader said, "You can take your order, sir, for forty silver coins, my dear friend, and remember to mention my name to your friends and customers."
Yory was delighted with his successful negotiation and thanked the owner. After purchasing some food for the journey, Yory got back into his cart and continued on his way.
A day later, while en route to Northon village, Yory attempted to read a book despite the jostling of the carriage. It was challenging and somewhat frustrating, but Yory was in good spirits after the success of the previous day.
Meanwhile, on the road, a mysterious man approached the merchants, asking to travel with them. The merchants declined, which was understandable given the potential risks of allowing a stranger to join them.
After being turned down, the mysterious man nodded understandingly, saying, "No problem. Thank you. Have a good day."
Yory ordered the horse to stop, bringing the carriage to a halt beside the mysterious man. The man immediately expressed his gratitude, "Thank you for stopping, sir. Could you help me reach ROXANA CITY? I'll make it worth your time."
Yory pondered the offer for a moment and then inquired, "What's your destination as a merchant?"
The mysterious man responded with an innocent grin, "The capital of this kingdom, where trading is at its peak. If that's your destination, I'll pay you one gold coin for the first half of the trip and another one upon reaching the capital. What do you say?"
After some consideration, Yory decided, "The weather is looking iffy, but two golden coins sound like a fair deal. Come on, let's get you to your capital. By the way, my name is Yory, just a simple merchant."
The mysterious man revealed his face, presenting a tall, handsome figure with brown hair and a robust physique—a good fit for a knight or warrior. He was dressed in a large black coat, along with pants containing numerous pockets—typical attire for an adventurer or someone capable of combat.
The mysterious man introduced himself, "Where are my manners? My name is JOE GOSTAVE, a travelling merchant."