Respuesta :
Answer:
C
Explanation:
Even if we don't know the meaning of the word mercenaries, we have a context clue in the form of a synonym/restatement, which is "hired professional soldiers," i.e., the very definition of what a mercenary is. The fact that the noun phrase "hired professional soldiers" follows "mercenaries" after a comma and is in plural form too helps find this context clue.