When I regained consciousness, I found myself lying on a bed.

... Wait a minute. A bed? I don't even own one - I usually laid out a mat and slept on the floor.

I quickly opened my eyes and sat up.

"I see you've woken up."

Sitting right next to my bed was the cheerful girl from the cat-people race named Amber. She gave me a familiar warm smile as she gazed at me with her amber colored eyes.

"Where am I? What did you do to me?"

"You're currently in another town. I used a hypnosis spell to put you to sleep for the past eight hours, since I didn't want you to know how we got here."

I suppose I did give the impression that I didn't mind starting my business again in another place. Why didn't she want me to know where I was going, though?

"It would have been nice if you gave me some time to prepare myself. I probably would have voluntarily gone with you, too. Kidnapping me and bringing me to an unknown town is just… wrong."

"I apologize for that. I did get a horse-drawn carriage to bring over most of your wares and belongings, though, so you don't need to worry about losing anything important."

I know I should at least feel some anger towards this girl, but why is it that I can't seem to?

"Anyways, would you please come with me to the dining room? You must be hungry after that much time. There's also someone I'd like you to meet there too."

"...Alright."

I got out of bed and followed the girl through this unfamiliar house. It seemed to be a moderately sized wooden home with about four rooms on each floor. Apart from one small potted cactus by the stairwell, the hallway was undecorated. She led me downstairs to where the dining room was. Judging by all the dust gathered on the stairs' rails and the creaking sounds that were made as we walked, it didn't seem like the house was in use that often.

"This isn't an abandoned house, is it?"

"Oh, no, it's not abandoned. The owner lives on and only uses the ground floor, while the upper two floors are guest rooms. There usually aren't any guests staying here because of the ongoing war, so the upper floors are a little poorly maintained… Well, here's the dining room."

To my surprise, I saw a much grander sight than what was upstairs as Amber opened the door.

The dining room was brightly lit, giving the gold plated long table and chairs inside a spectacular gleam. Its walls were decorated with fancy murals and paintings in art styles I had never seen before, along with cream colored silk curtains lined with gold and silver laces.

At the very center of the dining room was a large hanging candelabra full of dangling crystals. As the crystals glistened under the candlelight, the dining room appeared to be much brighter than it actually was.

As though she was able to read my mind, Amber smiled at me and explained,

"This is more like a banquet hall than a dining room. It's mainly used to reward those that had a great contribution to the war efforts."

That certainly would increase the morale of troops. Although if this room really was used for that purpose, then this town was certainly relatively close to the battlefield.

Now I'm a bit concerned about my safety here…

"Please come inside. The owner is waiting for you."

The owner of the house was sitting at the end of the long table.

He looked like a middle-aged man and had several scars on his face. He had short violet hair and a pair of long black horns, and his wings, though folded, seemed to be slightly tattered. He wore a lustrous embroidered suit of black armor, suggesting that he was most likely a war veteran that held some prestigious position.

Having seen that, I got a sudden revelation of where I was and why Amber didn't want me to know how we got here. One of the reasons was that the road one would need to take could cause travelers to get killed or imprisoned on sight if they get discovered. Any knowledge of a secret road was of great strategic importance, thus leaking it out would certainly lead to getting silenced. As for the other reason, well... I'll get to that later.

I took a seat to the man's left.

"Welcome. My name is Mavuto, one of the commanders of the army. I sincerely apologize for approving your kidnapping, but there's a great deal of secrecy that must be kept. I hope you understand that."

"That's… fine. I figured as much after coming down here."

"You're surprisingly calm. Most people would either lose their temper over getting kidnapped or after seeing me."

"I used to be an adventurer, so I've met all kinds of people and been through far worse situations. I'm a merchant now, so I can't lose myself when I'm in front of anyone who looks like a potential customer."

Especially when this person has a dining hall that looks as if it belonged inside a royal palace. I couldn't care less if the world would end up hating me for doing business with him. He could probably pay me so much that I'd have enough money to live the rest of my life leisurely after a few months of work.

"That's certainly good to hear. Now, I'd like to cut straight to the matter."

He had a sincere smile that seemed unfitting of his character.

"You had some very interesting supplies in your shop. A lot of the potions and scrolls you sell may be undesirable for human consumption, but since the troops I command do not consist of any humans, they would benefit a great deal from those items. Will you be willing to relocate your shop to this town? I will purchase a large amount of supplies daily and personally guarantee your safety here."

"I don't have a choice here, do I?"

"It's a slight inconvenience for us, but if you refuse, we will return you to where you were in the same state as when you left. We're not as cruel as you might think. You have my word on that."

He does give off the vibe that he actually means what he says. I guess I'll consider hearing him out.

"What items do you need from me, anyways?"

Commander Mavuto took out a sheet of paper and gave that to Amber, who then handed it to me.

It was a list of items that boosted one's performance in battle, most of which had a side effect of causing intense fatigue and exhaustion if one were to fight for too long. For humans, the limit was about five minutes. If my guess is correct about the races of Mavuto's troops, then they should be able to withstand the muscle strain for about an hour.

Except for a couple scrolls that would end up inflicting a heavy blow onto both sides of battle, these items wouldn't turn the tides of battle unless one could finish a skirmish within an hour. Considering how the war has been going on for generations, I doubt any such short skirmishes would ever occur. I guess I won't feel guilty about selling these items, then.

"All of these items are of intermediate level at most. How come you need someone like me to craft and sell them?"

"It's quite unfortunate to say this, but almost all residents here can't comprehend the basics of alchemy. That is why we have been looking for someone like you. We will even pay higher than the standard market prices, too."

"I think I'll take up your offer on relocating my shop."

Screw ethics. I've been poor for so long. Who cares if I indirectly kill soldiers with alchemy products, anyways? Besides, daily casualty numbers that get reported are usually so low that I doubt any indirect killings would have been my fault anyways.

"Are you sure you don't need time to think this through?"

"I don't have any friends anyways, so I won't be missed. Besides, most people in that town probably still hate me for accidentally burning down their scenic parks, so I think it's great that I can secretly get away from there. I certainly wouldn't want anyone tracking me down to demand compensation."

"... Are you sure you won't regret that decision?"

The commander seemed uneasy about my willingness to work for him. I think it's a splendid thing if I can finally escape poverty. Plus, I can brag later in life about making a devil feel uncomfortable.

That's right, commander Mavuto was a devil. He undoubtedly was working under the Demon King.

To those thinking I deserve to be condemned: I never considered myself a good person. I grew up being told that the war had been going for generations, but nobody seems to know why the war started in the first place, so I don't even know which side to consider the good side. Maybe working for the Demon King's army might shed some insight on the justification that each side used.

Besides, I never even got called to battle because of my bad reputation as an adventurer, so it's not like I ever made enemies with anyone on the Demon King's side to begin with. If anything, I had significantly more human enemies because of the countless things I'd accidentally burned before.

That was why I had no qualms about switching to the other faction.

I have no regrets.