“Why are you all so stiff? Relax, relax. Ah, are you worried about my sword? It looked like it got nicked, so I was just checking. Don’t worry. If you haven’t done anything wrong, there’s nothing to be concerned about.”

The merchants silently bowed their heads, understanding the warning in his words, ‘If something was wrong, who knows what could happen.’

The sultan of the Grand Bazaar had divided the market area among the big planners, giving them a share in exchange for receiving trading commissions and rents instead of gifts. It meant they could make a living.

Especially the shares of the largest markets, the spice and livestock markets, in the Grand Bazaar, all belonged to the Caleb family. So when there was no war, Hades occasionally visited the market to manage and supervise people.

“General, you’ve brought the protection of the desert guardian deity, so now our market will be revitalized.”

Hades finally sheathed his sword at the people’s courteous attitude. He stroked the head of a dromedary camel peeking out from a nearby stable and asked,

“Is business going well these days?”

“You’ve won the battle, General. Because of the banquets held all over the Grand Bazaar, we are enjoying unprecedented prosperity.”

Hades slightly scowled at those words.

“I perform the feats in the war, and they get all the glory! Isn’t this unfair? I’m not pleased.”

At that, the manager quickly asked Hades,

“What can we do to cheer you up, General?”

“For the livestock supplied for banquets, add a special tax of 10%.”

The manager was shocked by this and protested,

“What? If you impose the tax like that now, people will resent it…”
Hades’s left eyebrow twitched at the question, a sign of displeasure.

“Increase it by 15% then.”

“…….”

At the shocking number, the manager stumbled over his words, unable to respond. Hades cut him off sharply again.

“20%.”

“Ah, understood. I’ll do as you say!”

The manager could no longer argue with the everincreasing number and agreed.

“If they wanted to taste delicious meat dishes at the victory feast, they should have gone to war and fought with swords like me. What have they done that they should sit around, snapping their fingers and filling their bellies?”

“You are right.”

Despite the exaggerated statement, people nodded in agreement with Hades’s words. There was no need for logic when a madman spoke.

“Now. Are there any troublesome livestock? Any livestock is fine.”

Suddenly, at the blunt question, the managers and merchants looked at each other.

“There must be some difficult livestock to handle in such a large market, or some creatures that are sick for no reason. I’m not trying to kill them, so don’t worry and tell me. They are also my property. If I kill them all, what will I eat?”

It was a statement that no one could tell if it was a joke or serious. As everyone remained silent, one merchant hesitantly approached him.

“We have an Appaloosa horse that came to our stable a few days ago. It acts violently for no reason and doesn’t eat….”

“Bring it to me. Anything. Bring all the strange creatures to Caleb’s pasture.”

Hades walked down the broad avenue of the livestock market, his crimson robe fluttering, and the merchants began to follow him without a word.

“I can’t eat anymore.”

Latifa made a sad face, speaking to Yanan who kept laying out trays of food in front of her.

“You must eat more.”

“Can’t I eat more fruit?”

Latifa pointed to the empty fruit peels, making the most pitiful face she could.

Even though the desert’s fruit was delicious, the food filled with spices was still too much for her.

She had become somewhat accustomed to the spices and no longer vomited, but she couldn’t help the smell that her body rejected.

“The general has ordered you to gain weight.”

Yanan filled a silver dish with lamb stew and pushed it towards her, a sympathetic look on her face.

“My body is already better now, so I don’t have to eat this much, do I?”

Then Yanan reached out and lightly pinched Latifa’s cheek.

Squeezing, her finger went deep, pulling Latifa’s cheek until her lips pouted.

“Why are you doing this?”

Latifa couldn’t even close her mouth and asked with a foolish sound.

It wasn’t a painful pinch like what Brenda used to do, but a gentle touch, so Latifa didn’t bother to avoid her finger.

“When General Hades pinched your cheek, he said to make it like pinching the fat belly of a piglet.”

“A piglet?!”

Turning people into pigs?

There was no way to follow General Hades’ way of thinking from a normal person’s perspective.

“So you have to eat well, miss. If you don’t like lamb stew, try the smoked pork hind leg here with bread.”

“The taste of the food is not the problem…….”

As Latifa’s face turned sad again, Yanan removed her hand from her cheek and spoke firmly.
“If the young lady doesn’t get plump like the belly of a piglet, we’ll be in trouble with General Hades. We always want to do our best to prevent General Hades’ madness from being unleashed. If his madness is unleashed, we can’t guarantee our lives either. It’s different with the young lady.”

Failure to execute what General Hades had commanded could mean their necks. But it didn’t seem like Latifa was in a different situation either.

“I’m in the same situation. If I make a mistake, my neck could be on the line too.”

Latifa said in a joking manner as she picked up the flat bread from the tray.

Then Yanan gently shook her head.

“No, you’re different, young lady. There has been no mistress in Caleb’s territory for a long time. But the General brought you here, didn’t he?”

“It’s because I made a promise with him….”

“Young lady. I have been working in Caleb’s territory for a long time, and I know. You’re different. Just like him. He was also frail like you….”

Yanan trailed off at the end of her sentence.

Him?

“Him?”