'But you aren't an ordinary 3rd Generation Knight Apprentice!' The Merchant thought in exasperation. 'An ordinary 3rd Generation Knight Apprentice wouldn't be capable of killing 4th Grade Immortal Kings with a single sword stroke! Hell, even an actual Omega Knight would find themselves hard-pressed to replicate what you had done!!'
The Merchant felt like he was losing more and more of his mind with every fake word spewed out of the crimson devil's mouth.
He just wanted to go home to his wife and retire...
However, with his new temporary job as a 'guide,' his wish was highly unlikely to be fulfilled anytime soon...
His son, Aflon, suddenly took him out of his thoughts as he leaned up off his side of the carriage. "What about your destination, good sir? Why were you heading to the Azureflask Empire?" He asked out of the blue.
Azmodeus looked away from the Merchant and saw the giddish look on the face of his son. "I've been hired for something," he said evenly.
Aflon's eyes shone. "Related to the Omega Dome?" He asked.
Azmodeus nodded his head in confirmation.
"That is so awesome, good sir!" Aflon exclaimed. "I've always wanted to become an Omega Knight Apprentice myself, but my father thinks the dangers are too high," he said dejectedly.
The Merchant's tophat practically flew off his head. "You stupid boy!" He shouted. "The Omega Knight Apprentice Trials are dangerous! I've already told you that the success rate for those who become Knight Apprentices' is less than 1%!"
"Do you have any idea just what a number that low represents!?"
The Merchant was on the verge of erupting in fury.
Aflon lowered his head and looked away from his father. "I know, but I still want to at least try," he murmured under his breath. "You were too much of a coward to even try all those years ago, but I am different."
"What was that, you unfilial boy!? Speak up!"
"Nothing, father!"
From the sidelines, Azmodeus watched the comedic back and forth between father and son. It was almost as if they had practiced their lines for this very moment.
"Galdor, the owner of the Jade Dragon Store Association, has just returned to the Empire," one of the shadows reported to a floating blue talisman.
"Very well," responded a cold voice from the other end. "Go through with the next part of the plans. And make sure nobody is around when you do it. We don't want to draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves."
"Understood," the first cloaked shadow said as he cut off the connection and honed his piercing glare on the unknown crimson-haired man leading their targets through the streets.
"Kill that man first," he commanded.
"Affirmative," the other shadowy men responded like robots before all of them vanished from their spots.
Azmodeus briefly shot his icy gaze to where the shadow men just were. 'It seems like a few rabbits believe themselves to be wolves,' he thought in amusement. 'And they're even 2nd Grade and 3rd Grade Immortal Kings, which makes their prey definitely someone worthy of notice.'
His predatory eyes fell upon the slightly corpulent Merchant as he speculated the trouble that he got himself into.
After a few minutes of traveling by foot, Azmodeus played with the storage ring containing all the dead bodies, and as he twisted it around his finger one last time, they had arrived.
The Merchant walked in front of him and stood before the giant silver sign above him.
"This here is my baby!" He said with pride. "The Jade Dragon Store Association!"
"Wow," Azmodeus lightly clapped his hands. "It must've taken you quite a while to amass enough wealth to be able to afford such a place of utmost opulence," he said with a small grin.
It was a grin that the Merchant didn't like a single bit...
"What say we go in and process all these goods? I am sure you will give me the fairest of prices," Azmodeus said in a spine-chilling tone. "Isn't that right, Mr. Big Dog?"
The Merchant's proud expression dropped to the floor as the sunset glow fully put his despair on display.
"...Y-Yes, of course," he mumbled.
....