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THE DEMON KING IS A MERCHANT
CHAPTER 13: "THE MEMORIES OF A GOOD SOLDIER.

CHAPTER 13: "THE MEMORIES OF A GOOD SOLDIER.

The story continued in the kingdom of the dragons, in front of the castle in the capital. Divitry returned from his journey while accompanied by his right hand, Fern. The people bowed to their king, and many of them noticed the sadness on their king's faces.

Divitry shouted, "My people, please bring me Alfondo the tailor and tell him it's urgent."

Some people started running, while the rest waited. After half an hour, the tailor arrived with his wife. The king approached them and said, "My dear knight, my brave warrior, I have found your long-lost son."

The tailor cried, tears falling from both his face and his wife's. Fern struggled to hold back his tears, but King Divitry’s sorrow overcame him, and he wept openly. Divitry held the crystal and said, "I am very sorry, Alfondo, my dear friend; we couldn't bring him back alive."

Alfondo’s tears flowed freely as he clutched the crystal containing his son’s essence, rendered speechless by grief. Through her tears, his wife nodded to the king and said, "Thank you, my lord, for bringing him back. At least now we know what happened and no longer have to wait, that had tormented us for so many years. Thank you, my lord."

At that moment, the crowd gasped in disbelief as their king bowed deeply to the tailor and his wife. Divitry was crying and said, "I hope that I will be a worthy king for you all. I will do anything to keep my kingdom safe. I wish you all happiness."

Alfondo got up, nodded to Divitry, and left with his wife, while the people bowed to Divitry and wished him a great reign.

The next morning in the Renolva kingdom, precisely in Undvik city, an adventurer visited the reception office to accept the quest to kill a wild dragon in the Tryx mountain. He was an elf who said to the lady at the reception office, "Hi, pretty girl, confirm the quest so no one else will take it."

The lady at the reception office smiled and replied, "Sorry, Hov, the dragon has already been killed by other adventurers."

The elf was confused and said, "Already been killed? Wow, these adventurers are competitive, right?"

The lady laughed, "Hov, remember that everyone wants the prizes and rewards. It's not just you who has debts to pay."

Hov chuckled and said, "As usual, you're right. I guess I’ll have to find another quest. See you around." Hov waved to the lady and went on his adventures.

Back in Cerulea City, at the adventurers' guild, Mil sat with Gily and Tvar, sipping on mountain tea. Gily said with a sad expression on her face, "Please don't do this again; you could have died."

Mil responded, "I am the leader of this group, so it's my duty to get you back to your families. I didn't want to die, and yes, I was scared, but I preferred to die there rather than live a long life with the guilt of letting you die tormenting me every day until my demise. So please understand my situation."

Tvar said while drinking his tea, "You're right, but please remember that if something goes wrong and I meet my end, remember that I forgive you and want you to live your life happily."

Gily nodded, and Mil said with some relief on her face, "Thank you, guys, but I hope we reach the end of this journey together."

Every one of those three had a similar necklace. They held it tightly and said in unison, "WE ARE THE ADVENTURERS OF CERULEA CITY, AND WE ARE THE BEST TO EVER DO IT!"

On the same morning in Marys village, Joe was in Yory's cart while Yory searched for anything missing. After that, Joe said, "They already killed a wild dragon that fast? Those adventurers are good."

Yory got off the cart and signalled to Boris to start moving. Then he said, "If they cleared the way for us, that's good for me, lad because I don't need a dragon to destroy my little cart. I've gotten used to it."

Joe smiled. "Of course, this cart will be your trusty companion for life—or at least until it’s destroyed or stolen by bandits or even royal guards."

Yory said, "I didn't know that a merchant's life is in danger nearly every day."

Joe explained, "Between thieves, backstabbing killers, bandits, greedy royal guards, and even monsters in unprotected areas like those roads between cities, it’s a tough life for a merchant who can’t defend himself."

Yory said, "So Joe, how did you become a merchant? A love for this business or just fate?"

Joe’s expression darkened as he stared at the road. "Foolishness brought me to this life," he murmured.

Yory noticed Joe’s expression and asked, "Bad memories?"

Joe said, "No, just stupid choices led me to this life, but I don't regret it. It is what it is."

Yory smiled and said, "Well, thanks to your decisions, we ended up together. I’ve learned a lot from your experience as an older merchant."

Joe chuckled, "Come on, lad, I’m only in my thirties! Don’t make it sound like I’m some old hag just scraping by."

Yory started laughing and teased Joe, "You're in your thirties? I thought you were in your forties or even older than that. I think time hasn't been very merciful to you, lad."

Joe exclaimed, "You thought I was in my forties? Hand me a mirror, now!"

Both Yory and Joe laughed and continued their journey to Cerulea City.

The next morning in the demon kingdom, within the southern castle, a man with black hair and a scarred face stood in one of the rooms. His left arm bore several scars, and his tall, strong frame was complemented by piercing black eyes. He got up from his bed, started wearing his armour, and went outside to see many soldiers standing in respectful manners. They shouted, "COMMANDER OF THE SECOND MILITARY REGION, OLWYN SHIKTA!"

The commander, whose name is Olwyn, nodded to his soldiers and shouted, "START MOVING, SOLDIERS! OUR KINGDOM NEEDS YOU AT ANY MOMENT TO PROTECT IT FROM ANYTHING! FROM DEVILS, HUMANS, EVEN FROM HER DEMONS!"

The soldiers began training, and the leaders bowed to Olwyn, who walked to his office and began his work. After hours, there was a knock on the door, and Olwyn said, "Come in."

The one who entered was a female soldier with the same uniform as him. She was a good-looking woman with long pink hair and blue eyes, a beautiful face without any scars. She was carrying a small dagger and a large shield on her back. She smiled at Commander Olwyn and said, "Olwyn, it's been a long time since I saw your face, brother."

Olwyn smiled and replied, "Me too, Kiya, but I've had a lot of work and couldn't reach you."

Kiya offered, "So what are you doing? Maybe I can help you out?"

Olwyn said, "If you help me out, I can finish work and have a drink with you and the rest of our family." Kiya nodded, and both of them began working.

In the same castle, Jane was listening to one of the twins, Jasmine, reading the report with the laziest voice she'd ever heard. "And then after helping the new... company in starting her bus... business last three years, the company started transporting goods and... and made a lot of profits... So as a kingdom, we took a small part as taxes and some bonus for... helping the company in the first place."

Jane sighed and said, "Jasmine, thank you for your hard work. Go to sleep now."

Jasmine nodded and slumped to the ground in front of Jane. Kunvy began dragging Jasmine to her room.

Jane commented, "I would have fallen asleep if Jasmine kept talking like that."

Monroe smiled, "Our brothers and sisters are not perfect, and neither are we."

Jane smiled and said, "Of course. Now I have a question I remembered when you mentioned family. Where is Mahin?"

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Monroe responded, "I don't know, sister. Maybe he's drunk in some tavern in the city."

Jane said, "That idiot! GUARDS!!! Bring me Olwyn now."

After a minute, Olwyn entered the throne chamber and bowed to Jane, saying, "My Queen Jane Gray, what can I help you with?"

Jane declared, "I want you to bring me Mahin, and I know that he can be a troublemaker, so use force if necessary. I give you permission to restrain him if needed."

Olwyn bowed and said, "Yes, my queen." With that, Olwyn swiftly left the throne chamber.

After meeting with Kiya and the rest of his brothers and sisters, they went to the tavern named the GOLDEN GOBLET. It was a large and famous place for travelling traders and prominent merchants alike. Olwyn entered with Kiya, while the rest waited outside. The owner looked troubled but felt relief when he saw Olwyn.

The owner said, "Greetings Commander Olwyn and Commander Kiya. I am sorry to inform you of some bad news, but I have a problem with Lord Mahin. He's causing trouble for me and my business."

Kiya assured, "We will take care of him, noble Kuntehly."

The owner pointed with his finger, saying, "The lord is over there."

In front of the bar, Mahin was drinking with the face of a man who had lost everything or experienced something terribly unfortunate. There were many empty goblets beside him. He raised his goblet as a sign for the butler to bring him more. The waiter, looking scared, brought Mahin two more large goblets and set them in front of him. When Mahin reached for one, Olwyn quickly snatched it away from him.

Without turning around, Mahin said, "That’s mine. Put it back, or I’ll break your nose."

Olwyn calmly stated, "My lord, the queen is requesting your presence in the throne chamber. Please, let's go together."

Mahin retorted, "I don't want to go. I want to drink, so that's what I will do. Go away and never return." Mahin grabbed the second goblet and continued drinking.

In a calm tone, Kiya suggested, "My lord, you’re causing trouble for the tavern and its patrons. Perhaps it would be better if we set up a private tavern for you within the castle, my lord."

Mahin suddenly unleashed a powerful and intimidating aura, striking fear into Kuntehly and the waiter. But Kiya stayed calm, as did Olwyn, who firmly gripped Mahin’s right shoulder and said, "Lord Mahin, it’s time to go, please."

After a few moments outside the tavern, people heard a commotion from within. Moments later, they were astounded to see Olwyn crashing out of the window, shards of glass scattering everywhere. Mahin followed, and Kiya surprised him from behind, attempting to subdue him.

In a fit of rage, Mahin began to scream and took a step back, inadvertently crashing into the wooden walls of the tavern, which resulted in Kiya being crushed against them. Due to the impact, Kiya released her hold on Mahin. He then advanced toward Olwyn, a dark aura emanating from his hand. Olwyn swiftly stood up and shouted, "NOW!!"

Mahin was taken aback as six commanders surrounded him. Two held his left shoulder, one held his right, two pointed swords at his chest, and one choked him from behind. Mahin couldn't move, and Olwyn, panting, commended, "Without even landing a single blow on him. Nice work, brothers and sisters."

They then escorted him to the castle and into the throne chamber, where Olwyn bowed to the queen and reported, "My queen, we've fulfilled your request."

Jane said while looking at Olwyn and Kiya's faces, which were full of bruises, "Nice work, Commander Olwyn and Commander Kiya. You can have next week off for your hard work."

All the commanders bowed and left the throne chamber. Mahin appeared indifferent, focused only on his drink. He said, "Jane, can I leave now?"

Jane scolded, "You worthless punk! Are you disrespecting the Gyovani family, your own family!?"

Mahin sighed and replied, "I don't care, sister. Can I go now?"

Jane snapped, "To your chamber, Mahin! If I see you anywhere outside the castle, I will BREAK YOU!"

Mahin stormed into his chamber and barked at a maid, "Bring me drinks and food—NOW!"

The maid, frightened, rushed to fulfil his order.

Jane mused, "I can't fathom this fool, Monroe. Tell me, what did we do to deserve someone like this punk?"

Monroe said, "I don't know, sister. He seems like someone who has lost his purpose or something dear to him. He looks empty."

Jane pondered, "Yory loved Mahin so much, so perhaps I'll try to convince Yory to return and deal with this idiot."

Meanwhile, in a small tavern called the BLACK KOGFAD, Olwyn was laughing with Kiya and his other brothers and sisters. Olwyn remarked, "It's been a long time since we had this much fun."

One of the brothers, named Alstin, said while wiping his mouth, "We had duties to do, brother. We can't disappoint the new queen."

Kiya chimed in, "I'm glad we learned healing magic. My face was covered in bruises after a fight with Lord Mahin."

Olwyn responded, "Doesn't matter. We won." Everyone started laughing.

Aurola, wearing a beautiful smile, added, "When I see all of you happy, I just... I don't know, I suddenly remember how we were when we were kids."

Olwyn nodded appreciatively, "Of course you do. You were our big sister who kept us safe, even when you didn't have to. We're not even blood-related, but you protected us. So thank you, Aurola, because we're lucky to have you with us."

The whole family raised their drinks and cheered for Aurola, who felt a bit embarrassed by these kind words. Then Kiya asked, "Do you remember that day, Olwyn?"

Olwyn nodded and said, looking at his drink, "Like it was yesterday."

Before 280 years in the demon kingdom, in the northern city, there was a small kid with long black hair, running while clutching some bread and eggs. He arrived at a dirty alley and after a few more seconds of running, he stopped in front of an old, worn-out tent. A girl came out and smiled at Olwyn, saying, "Olwyn, catch your breath, my brother, and relax."

Gasping for breath, Olwyn stammered, "I... I’m sorry, Aurola... I brought food for everyone."

Aurola's face lit up with joy upon hearing this good news. She hurried inside to gather some tools for cooking. Olwyn entered the tent and saw Kiya rubbing her eyes, just waking up. She looked a bit groggy as she asked, "It's still morning... why all this commotion?"

Olwyn explained, "Because today, I managed to get some bread and eggs. We're going to eat something delicious." Kina and the other kids cheered and laughed happily at this announcement.

After the meal, the kids went out to play while Olwyn roamed the streets, searching the alleys near the restaurants to find something that Aurola could cook. It was then that a poor kid whistled to get Olwyn's attention. He turned to see who it was.

The poor kid said, "Olwyn, I finally found you."

Olwyn asked, "What's wrong, Ula?"

Ula said, "The army is distributing food to the poor, and there are going to be some changes happening."

Olwyn's eyes lit up, "That's good for us. Let's go and get some food for my family."

Ula's face brightened, "Yes, Aurola will be so happy."

Olwyn insisted, "And you too, Ula. You'll eat with us too."

Ula felt a surge of happiness, and both of them made their way to the city centre. Upon arriving, they were surprised to see many people like them waiting. Ula remarked, "It's not just us who are in dire straits."

Olwyn acknowledged, "I know that our king will help us. I saw him once, walking with his guards, and I saw greatness in him."

Ula said in awe, "Wow, you saw the king? That's marvellous. You're lucky."

Meanwhile, the crowd noticed that there was a table with two guards, and the one sitting was Lord Monroe. When people spotted him, they all bowed, including Olwyn and Ula.

Monroe, with a big smile and his striking face, addressed them, "My brothers and sisters, please write your names here, and we'll provide you with money and food. We'll call on you in the coming days for work because our kingdom has just emerged from a great war. We need people to help rebuild it. King Yoranios Gyovani has declared that his people will no longer suffer!"

The people were stunned by this news. Some couldn't believe it, while others began to cry tears of pure joy. Among them was Olwyn, who said with tears streaming down his little cheeks, "So, Aurola and the others will never feel hungry again."

Ula embraced Olwyn, also shedding tears. He assured him, "Yes, Olwyn. We will never have to endure poverty again."

After writing down their names and the names of the other kids, Olwyn started running and called out to Ula, "See you later, my friend! I have to share this good news with my family!"

After half an hour of running, Olwyn arrived at the alley. As he walked, his eyes widened in surprise. Before him, he saw Kiya enjoying a large piece of bread filled with cooked meat, seated beside a tall man. She looked content and expressed her gratitude, saying to the man, "Thank you, sir."

Tears fell from Olwyn's eyes as he realized that the man beside Kiya was Yoranios Gyovani, the king.

Kiya hurried over, clutching her food with the intent of feeding Olwyn. However, when she tried to touch her morsel to his mouth, he didn't open it. Instead, Olwyn's tears continued to flow down his face as he bowed and said, "Thank you, my king, for saving my family."

Aurola and the other kids were taken aback by Yory's identity and bowed as well, except for Kiya who continued eating. Yoranios said with a smile, "Raise your heads, kids. It's the duty of the king to help his people. There's no need to thank me. However, I do have an offer for you."

Aurola and Olwyn said in unison, "Yes, my king."

Yoranios continued, "You can stay and receive food, money, and work, but as a king, I need to build a safe kingdom. I need strong people by my side to achieve that. And who better than young kids like you, who know every nook and cranny of this region? What do you say?"

Olwyn attempted to respond, but Yoranios interrupted gently, "The training won't be easy. For ordinary people, it will be incredibly challenging. Take your time to think about it."

After deliberating with the children while Yoranios patiently waited, Aurola approached him and said, "Yes, my king. We accept your offer."

Yoranios nodded approvingly, "That's good. Come with me, kids."

Suddenly, Olwyn spoke up, "My king, may I ask you a favour?"

Back in the present time at the Black Kogfad inn, Olwyn mused, looking into his goblet, "Where is he now?"

After a moment, a burly man with a bushy beard, dressed in military uniform, entered the tavern. When he spotted Olwyn and the others, he waved his hand.

Olwyn rushed over to him, embracing him tightly. He said, "Ula, I've missed you."

Ula returned the embrace with a smile, "Yes, me too, Olwyn."

Olwyn asked eagerly, "Did you bring it?"

Ula nodded, then went to join Aurola and the rest of the family, who greeted him with joyful expressions. Olwyn gestured to a female violinist who began a new melody.

Ula faced Kiya, who smiled brightly at him. Holding out a large, beautiful diamond ring, Ula asked, "Kiya, will you make me the happiest demon in the world?"

The inn fell into a hushed silence, and Kiya, her face turning red, stammered out, "Yes."

The people cheered and began to drink, while Ula hugged Kiya tightly. Then, Aurola embraced Kiya, tears of happiness streaming down her face.

On that day, everyone felt a profound sense of joy. After enduring a difficult childhood and facing adversity, they were now together, content, and happy. Olwyn realized that his life was indeed a good one.