Chapter 53

The Commercial Union refers to the various cities located in the southern part of this continent.

In the south of this continent, there are no large countries; each city has its own autonomy and governs itself independently.

"Does that mean there are no kings?"

On the way to Zenobia, Sati asks.

"That's right. Another name for the Commercial Union is the country of merchants."

"A country without a king, huh. Does that mean there are no nobles either?"

Sati seems shocked.

She had been a slave to the nobles for many years in the city of Arsenam.

She probably can't even imagine a country without a king or nobles.

"The Commercial Union is not a country but a federation of cities. As the name suggests, it thrives on commerce. Most of the unique crops and spices from the south are managed by the Commercial Union."

"So, pepper and cinnamon also come from the Commercial Union?"

"That's right."

"I see, it suddenly feels closer."

It seems she finally understood when the topic turned to her specialty, cooking.

"The Commercial Union takes advantage of its warm climate to produce crops that cannot be grown in the north. In return, the people of the north sell them crafts and resources. That's how they make a profit through trade."

Of course, they don't sell directly to the Demon King's army.

The Commercial Union is not part of the Alliance of Kings, but they are not so foolish as to sell directly to the Demon King's army.

They probably think that if the Demon King's army continues to conquer the world, their position will become precarious.

The Commercial Union is a country of merchants; they can make such calculations.

Even a cunning country of merchants has its limits.

Now, I have to go to the most cunning of these cunning merchants and ask them to:

"Trade directly with the Demon King's army."

"Can that be done?"

I mutter to myself.

If I think about it calmly, it's impossible.

The Commercial Union did not participate in the current Alliance of Kings.

The reason is that they did not have an ancient pact and had a poor relationship with Rozaria, one of the participating countries of the Alliance of Kings. Also, the Commercial Union is not a country but a federation of cities, so they have no obligation to participate.

However, that doesn't mean they are abandoning the Alliance of Kings, which is in a difficult situation.

It seems they are providing aid behind the scenes.

They provide crops either for free or at a low cost, supporting the logistics of the Alliance of Kings.

The rulers of the Commercial Union are human, after all. The fear of the Demon King's army is probably still strong.

How can I persuade such people?

I feel discouraged, but the maid beside me doesn't seem worried.

"Don't worry. Nothing is impossible for you, Master!"

She says this with confidence and encourages me.

"Once the great merchants of Zenobia experience your kindness, they will surely understand that the people of the Demon King's army are not bad. Then, they will certainly make a treaty."

She says this with full confidence.

"Ah, well" I think to myself, but I don't say it out loud.

I agree with her.

If I go into negotiations with such a mindset, I won't succeed.

"The future of the Demon King's army rests on my shoulders. I can't afford to be discouraged here."

With this resolve, I decided to think of the best strategy.

"To succeed in negotiations, I need to gather information first."

I need to investigate who the leader of Zenobia is and what kind of person they are.

It would be foolish to enter a battle without any information.

I will head to the city of Zenobia to gather information.

With this in mind, I quicken the pace of my horse.

I wanted to accomplish this as soon as possible once I made the decision.

"Sati, let's speed up the horse."

I told Sati in advance so she wouldn't be surprised, but unexpectedly, she didn't say "Yes."

"Master, what is that?"

Sati points modestly to the east.

In that direction, there is a stopped carriage.

I see a group of people with swords drawn.

Of course, they are not targeting us.

It seems that bandits are attacking the carriage.

This is a common occurrence in this world.

Starving farmers become bandits and attack merchant caravans.

It's a familiar sight.

There are about 20 bandits, and 5 merchants. The merchants seem to be better armed, but the bandits, being more numerous, have the advantage.

(If this continues, the merchants will lose.)

I thought this, but I ignored it and continued toward Zenobia.

"Master, aren't you going to help them?"

"I won't."

I say this in one word.

"But, they might be killed if we don't help them."

"We are already in Zenobia's territory. If we cause a commotion, my true identity might be revealed."

Incidentally, I currently look like a human.

I am not wearing the Undead Robe or the Mask of Transformation.

Even without the Undead Robe, I don't intend to lose to a bunch of bandits, but as I said, I don't want to cause unnecessary trouble here.

If it's discovered that I belong to the Demon King's army, I won't be able to gather information, and worst-case scenario, I might lose the opportunity to meet the leader of Zenobia.

I need to be ruthless and ignore them.

That is my duty as the leader of the Demon King's army.

No, it is my obligation.

"..."

Sati grabs the sleeve of my clothes silently.

She is modest and loyal.

If I say I won't help, she won't blame or criticize me.

But the warmth from her hand reminds me that I am human.

After some thought, I ordered Sati to dismount the horse.

When she heard this, her face lit up.

"Master, you are going to save them?"

"Leaving them to their fate is too cruel. Besides—"

I might be able to get some information from those merchants.

It would be wise to have such an opportunity.

What I am about to do is clearly an unreasonable action as the leader of the Demon King's army.

(Really, these memories from my past life aren't always useful.)

If I could completely discard them, I might have lived more easily.

While thinking this, I looked down at Sati from the horse.

"I'll finish it in 5 minutes. Hide there and stay low."

Sati obediently follows my command.

After confirming this, I spurred my horse forward.