Free Web NovelChapter 168: Chapter 166: A Promise To Eliminate Everyone... Believe...
(A/N):
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Just as the tribe finally reached a decision and several warriors stepped forward to carry Sage Veenadhara toward what was undoubtedly the worst destination of his life, a sudden sound echoed through the settlement.
-Clap. -Clap.
-Clap.
The sound was calm.
Unhurried.
Yet it instantly drew everyone’s attention.
"...."
"...."
"...."
The entire settlement fell silent.
The warriors stopped moving.
The elders turned their heads.
Even the children instinctively stepped behind their parents.
Every gaze shifted toward the edge of the clearing.
A moment later, two figures emerged from the forest.
The first walked with an easy smile upon his face.
The second followed behind him while looking considerably less relaxed.
Devara and Shakuni.
The moment they stepped into the open, dozens of weapons immediately turned toward them.
Spears lowered.
Bows were raised.
Hands moved toward knives.
Several hunters instantly placed themselves between the newcomers and the tribe leader.
The atmosphere became tense. freewebnøvel.coɱ
Very tense.
Only one person looked genuinely relieved.
Sage Veenadhara.
The moment he recognized Devara’s face beneath the merchant disguise, his eyes nearly filled with tears.
Never in his life had he been so happy to see another human being.
Not even after defeating great scholars.
Not even after winning difficult challenges.
Nothing compared to this.
Because from his perspective, Devara wasn’t merely a merchant anymore.
He was a miracle. A walking miracle.
The sage immediately began shouting.
"Merchant!"
"Merchant!"
"I have never been happier to see you!"
The warriors carrying him immediately covered his mouth.
The sage continued screaming through the gag anyway.
Meanwhile, Devara calmly continued walking forward.
Not too close.
Just enough to show he wasn’t afraid.
Which immediately made several hunters more suspicious.
Most people became nervous when twenty armed warriors pointed weapons at them.
This merchant looked as though he had wandered into a flower festival.
His smile remained unchanged.
His posture remained relaxed.
Even his eyes carried no fear.
The tribe leader narrowed his gaze.
Experienced men noticed such things.
The old leader had spent decades judging character.
And the man standing before him felt strange.
Not dangerous. Not threatening.
Yet strangely composed.
The kind of composure usually found in people who possessed absolute confidence in themselves.
Or complete madness.
The tribe leader hadn’t decided which one yet.
Devara stopped a respectful distance away.
Then folded his hands politely.
"Greetings."
No one returned the greeting.
Several spears remained pointed directly at his chest.
The smile on Devara’s face never changed.
It was almost impressive.
The tribe leader finally spoke.
"Who are you?"
"A merchant."
The answer came immediately.
The tribe leader’s expression remained flat.
He clearly didn’t believe it.
Not even slightly.
The old man gestured toward the settlement.
"Merchants usually avoid hidden tribal settlements."
Devara nodded.
"A wise habit."
The tribe leader waited.
Devara continued.
"Unfortunately, I was looking for someone."
The old man raised an eyebrow.
"Who?"
Devara pointed toward the tied-up sage.
Several warriors immediately tightened their grips on their weapons.
The tribe leader looked surprised.
"You know him?"
Shakuni nearly snorted.
Know him?
The man had practically spent days tormenting them with challenges.
Devara chuckled softly.
"Unfortunately."
The tribe leader stared.
The sage looked deeply offended.
Even while tied to a pole.
The tribe leader’s gaze sharpened.
"Then why are you here?"
This time Devara’s smile faded slightly.
Not completely.
Just enough to show seriousness.
"I heard this tribe has problems with a certain group."
The atmosphere immediately changed.
The hunters exchanged glances.
The elders straightened.
Even the tribe leader’s eyes narrowed.
Devara continued calmly.
"The people who worship Pushpasura."
Silence.
The name alone changed everything.
Several warriors visibly tensed.
One elder spat onto the ground.
Another made a protective gesture.
The hatred Devara had observed earlier immediately resurfaced.
The tribe leader studied him carefully.
"Why are you asking about them?"
The king folded his arms.
"Because I’m here to deal with them."
Silence.
Then complete silence.
The statement hung over the settlement like a stone.
Several warriors blinked.
One hunter actually looked around to see whether someone else had spoken.
The tribe leader stared.
Long and hard.
Then slowly asked,
"You?"
The single word carried enough skepticism to fill an entire river.
Devara nodded.
"Yes."
The old man looked at Shakuni.
Then back at Devara.
Then at Shakuni again.
Finally he looked toward the merchant’s cart horse tied nearby.
As though checking whether this was some elaborate joke.
The tribe leader leaned back.
"You expect us to believe that?"
The surrounding tribesmen clearly shared his opinion.
The merchant standing before them didn’t look like a legendary warrior.
He didn’t look like a tribal hunter.
He didn’t even look particularly dangerous.
He looked like a man who sold pottery and negotiated prices in village markets.
One younger hunter laughed.
"You?"
Another shook his head.
"There are hundreds of them."
A third folded his arms.
"And what exactly will you do?"
The warrior pointed toward the forest.
"Talk them to death?"
Several tribesmen laughed.
Even some elders smiled.
Meanwhile Devara remained completely unbothered.
As though being mocked was perfectly normal.
Perhaps it was.
The tribe leader watched him closely.
Most men would become offended.
Others would become angry.
This merchant did neither.
Instead, Devara simply smiled again.
A gentle smile.
The kind someone might wear while being welcomed by old friends.
Or receiving flower garlands during a celebration.
Not while surrounded by armed warriors.
And somehow...
That unnerved the tribe leader far more than anger would have.
Because the old man had seen fear.
He had seen courage.
He had seen arrogance.
But this strange calmness?
That was something different.
Very different.
Finally Devara spoke again.
His voice remained relaxed.
"I understand your skepticism."
The tribe leader nodded.
"Good."
Devara chuckled.
"But fortunately, I didn’t come here asking for belief."
Several warriors frowned hearing how the man dismissed them.
The king’s green eyes gleamed slightly.
"I came asking for information."
The settlement became quiet once more.
And for the first time since Devara had stepped into the clearing, the tribe leader felt the strange sensation that perhaps this smiling merchant was far more dangerous than he appeared.
Devara ignored the dozens of weapons still pointed in his direction and continued speaking as though he were discussing the weather with old friends.
The tribe leader remained seated, his sharp eyes studying every movement of the strange merchant before him.
There was something unusual about this man.
Most people became nervous when surrounded by armed warriors.
Others became arrogant in an attempt to hide their fear.
This merchant did neither.
He simply stood there calmly, his hands resting behind his back, his gaze moving between the tribe leader and the gathered warriors.
For a brief moment, the entire settlement became quiet.
Even Sage Veenadhara stopped struggling against the ropes.
Everyone wanted to hear what this merchant would say next.
Devara’s eyes moved toward the tribe leader.
Unlike before, the smile on his face gradually disappeared.
The relaxed merchant vanished.
In his place appeared someone much more serious.
The change was subtle.
Yet every experienced warrior present noticed it immediately.
His voice remained calm.
But there was now a weight behind it.
"You hate the followers of Pushpasura."
It wasn’t a question.
The tribe leader nodded.
"We do."
The old man’s answer came without hesitation.
Devara continued.
"And from what I’ve heard, that hatred didn’t appear without reason."
A murmur spread among the elders.
Several warriors tightened their grip around their weapons.
Old wounds were being touched.
Painful ones.
The tribe leader remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.
"They poisoned our lands."
His voice carried years of bitterness.
"They released pests into our crops."
"They burned villages."
"They manipulated desperate people."
Another elder stood up.
"My brother died because of them."
A hunter nearby clenched his jaw.
"My father as well."
A woman carrying a child lowered her gaze.
"They took everything from many families."
The atmosphere inside the settlement became heavy.
The hatred Devara had sensed earlier surfaced once again.
Not the hatred of people seeking revenge.
The hatred of people who had suffered.
Who had buried their loved ones.
Who had watched their homes disappear.
Devara listened quietly.
Not interrupting.
Not questioning.
Allowing them to speak.
Eventually the voices faded.
The settlement became silent once more.
Then Devara nodded.
A simple nod.
One that seemed to acknowledge their suffering.
"I understand."
The tribe leader studied him carefully.
Most outsiders dismissed their stories.
Others called them exaggerations.
Yet this merchant didn’t.
He simply accepted their words.
Then Devara looked directly at the old man.
"I need information."
The tribe leader frowned.
"Information?"
"Every lead."
The king’s voice remained firm. freewebnøvel.coɱ
"Their locations."
"Their routes."
"Their symbols."
"Their leaders."
"Anything."
Several warriors exchanged glances.
One finally asked.
"And why should we tell you?"
The question hung in the air.
A fair question.
The entire settlement waited for his answer.
Devara’s gaze slowly swept across the gathered tribe.
Then he looked toward the distant forest.
Toward the flower fields beyond.
Toward the hidden followers of Pushpasura.
When he spoke again, there was no smile.
No humor.
Only certainty.
"Because I’m going to stop them."
The warriors frowned.
Several clearly didn’t believe him.
The tribe leader remained expressionless.
Devara continued.
"They’ve already released insects across the flower fields."
That statement immediately shocked several elders.
The tribe leader’s eyes widened slightly.
The warriors began murmuring among themselves.
Devara didn’t stop.
"They intended to destroy the flowers."
"They intended to weaken the lands around Mallikavana."
"They intended to wake something that should remain asleep."
The tribe leader slowly stood.
The settlement became quiet again.
"How do you know this?"
Devara simply answered.
"I’ve already confirmed it."
The old man stared at him.
Trying to determine whether he was lying.
Yet something about the merchant’s eyes made that difficult.
There was no hesitation.
No uncertainty.
Only confidence.
Then Devara added something that stunned the tribe.
"The insects won’t remain a problem much longer."
Several warriors looked confused.
The tribe leader narrowed his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
A faint smile returned to Devara’s face.
This time it carried amusement.
"Let’s just say the skies have declared war."
The tribe stared.
Shakuni immediately looked away.
Because he knew exactly what Devara was referring to.
The army of birds.
The eagle.
The countless hunters currently sweeping through the flower fields.
The tribe leader looked completely lost.
"The skies?"
Devara coughed lightly.
"Birds."
Understanding slowly dawned.
Then confusion followed immediately afterward.
One hunter blinked.
"The birds?"
Devara nodded.
"The insects are currently discovering they are much lower on the food chain than they imagined."
Several warriors exchanged puzzled looks.
The tribe leader simply decided not to ask.
He had a feeling the answer would only create more questions.
Then Devara’s expression became serious once more.
He took a step forward.
The movement immediately caused several spears to lower toward him.
Yet he ignored them.
His eyes remained fixed on the tribe leader.
"I give you my word."
The settlement fell silent.
Even the wind seemed to quiet.
"If these people are truly responsible..."
His voice carried absolute certainty.
"If they intend to awaken Pushpasura..."
The warriors unconsciously straightened.
Something about the merchant’s words demanded attention.
Devara’s eyes hardened.
"I will hunt down every single one of them."
The confidence in his voice was unsettling.
Not arrogance.
Not boasting.
The confidence of someone stating a fact.
The tribe leader felt a chill run through him.
For the first time since this merchant appeared...
He found himself wondering whether the man before him was exactly what he claimed to be.
Because merchants didn’t speak like this.
Hunters didn’t speak like this.
Even warriors rarely spoke with such certainty.
Yet this stranger did.
And for some reason...
The tribe leader found himself believing him.
At least a little.
Enough to listen.
Enough to share information.
Enough to wonder what kind of man had just walked into his settlement.
Meanwhile, tied to the wooden pole nearby, Sage Veenadhara had completely forgotten about being buried alive.
He was staring at Devara with wide eyes.
Because for the first time since meeting the merchant...
The sage realized something.
This man was definitely not a merchant.
And whatever his true identity was...
It was becoming more interesting than any riddle Veenadhara had ever encountered.
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(Author note:)
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