The Lord Demon King is Unfathomable!

Outside the camp of Beifeng City, in the snow-covered forest, more than thirty wagons formed a circle, with the guards and employees of the Socduo Merchant Guild camping in the center.

An entire day had passed since their boss headed into the camp beneath Beifeng Mountain.

During this time, everyone's hearts were filled with anxiety and unease.

By a firepit in one corner of the camp, a group of guards sat together, whispering in hushed tones.

"...I didn't dare say it yesterday, but guess what I saw? A demon! The kind with horns on its head and wings on its back!"

The people around gasped sharply, exchanging bewildered and terrified glances.

"A demon?!"

"Isn't the rumor... that guy's supposed to be an Undead Mage?! How would demons be involved?"

"Actually, it's not that surprising; after all, the mine under Beifeng Mountain is one of the entrances to the Maze... though it's a lesser-known one."

"You mean to say..."

"Exactly, that guy's identity might very well be..."

The Demon King!

The mere mention of the legendary title shook everyone present to their core.

They were so frightened by that infamous name that they didn't even dare to say it outright.

After all, they were under the Demon King's very nose.

Looking north from here, above the layers of pine treetops, one could even vaguely make out the cave on Beifeng Mountain!

They feared that even speaking too loudly would draw the attention of that unnameable being.

The seeds of panic spread silently among them, while the increasingly outrageous rumors became fertile ground for Chaos's corruption.

Sadly, no Divine Chosen of the Deceitful Fog was there; otherwise, they might've conjured an entire army of Madmen on the spot.

Of course, that was merely a joke.

Winning Novel's favor wasn't as simple as spreading a few rumors; at minimum, it required unsettling an entire city to the point of sheer dread.

Listening to the murmurs rolling through the camp, the head of the caravan guards could no longer bear it and shouted.

"Shut your mouths already! Can't you hope for something good? If that guy dies, are you paying me my wages?"

Upon hearing that, the whispering group immediately fell silent, closing their mouths and saying no more.

It was true.

If Socduo were to die, the entire Merchant Guild would essentially dissolve on the spot. At best, they could divvy up the goods from the wagons, but with their limited trade experience and negotiating skills, how much of the cost they could recover was highly debatable.

Merchant organizations in the Ryan Kingdom were almost always haphazard in their operations, though in money matters, they were anything but casual.

As early as two hundred years ago, banks within the Ryan Kingdom had already enabled cross-regional withdrawals throughout the region. Since then, trade caravans conducting domestic transactions rarely carried much cash.

On the one hand, this prevented thieves during their journeys from targeting them, and on the other, it deterred inside jobs.

If the caravan guards couldn't safely escort their target to the next town, then nobody would get paid, and the past few months of work would've been for nothing.

For that reason, he had opposed Socduo's risky decision to engage with that settlement at the foot of the mountain from the start. But now, it seemed too late to talk about it; all he could do was pray that the boss returned safely.

Just then, two figures appeared in the distance, approaching through the snowy wilderness on horseback.

The gunner stationed atop a wagon for lookout duty spotted the pair in the distance, a look of delight spreading across his face as he yelled toward the camp behind him.

"It's the boss!!"

The Guard Leader, Stan, froze briefly before heading toward the direction of the shout and climbing up the ladder to the top of the wagon.

Sure enough!

One of them was indeed their boss!

When Stan saw Socduo, the latter happened to see him as well, standing atop the wagon.

After exchanging a few polite words with the man next to him, Socduo dismounted and handed the reins over.

The man on horseback didn't utter a single unnecessary word, pressing his foot into the stirrups and heading back the way he came, leading the other horse with him.

Socduo walked toward the camp, waving and shouting with a laugh as he approached.

"It's me! Stan! Haha, the rumors were true after all—it's a damn fine place! We've struck gold!"

The excitement on his face was as if he'd discovered a New Continent.

Seeing the boss return unharmed, Stan, standing atop the wagon, finally breathed a sigh of relief and shouted to the guards standing on high alert behind him.

"Move the wagons!"

A few guards worked together and pushed the wagons, which had been arranged like walls, creating a gap.

Watching the boss step through the opening, the Guard Leader named Stan immediately asked.

"What's really going on back there?"

He wasn't the only one concerned about this question.

The surrounding guards were equally curious, all staring intently at their leader.

Socduo grinned but didn't satisfy their curiosity, simply waving his hand dismissively as he replied.

"I can't explain it all at once. You'll know once you come with me later."

He believed the shock of experiencing something firsthand far outweighed the impact of mere words.

Rather than describing everything himself, it was better to let these guys see it for themselves.

After all, they would see it soon enough.

However, after hearing the boss's words, Stan and the other guards froze for a moment.

"Go... together?"

"That's right. I've secured the trading rights to do business there!"

With a look of smug satisfaction, Socduo continued as he faced his subordinates.