episode_0120

It was truly fortunate that Algot and Mirabel, the current head of the kingdom’s royal guard, were close friends.

If Algot had no connection to the guard, he would never have been able to uncover the kingdom’s insane plan this time.

Furthermore, Mirabel had to play a crucial role in the plan to escape the demons from the underground waterway and bring them to Kubel.

“Are you really okay? I can’t help but worry….”

Ever since Algot learned about the kingdom’s plan, he had been visibly anxious.

Uncharacteristically, he kept biting his lips and nails, and his gaze became restless with unease.

I barely managed to dissuade him from coming along to the demon sanctuary to close it down and bring the demons back with me.

“Algot, please stay with Kubel and prepare to welcome the demons with Mariel. It won’t be safe even when we arrive here.”

Algot was not only Kubel’s guild master but also had many tasks to handle here.

Moreover, cooperation from Kubel’s side was necessary to safely escort the demons to Mariel’s mansion near the forest.

As a precaution, I asked Algot to use the guild master’s authority to control access to Mariel’s mansion.

Leaving Kubel’s affairs to Algot, I arrived at Pifnel soon after.

Time was running out.

Entering the underground waterway through the slums, I easily reached the demon sanctuary.

Inside, Mirabel, the supervisor of the sanctuary and the one who informed us of the kingdom’s plan, was waiting for us.

“We only have one day left for the operation.”

“Judging by the atmosphere around us, I can’t imagine such a thing happening tomorrow.”

I honestly expressed my thoughts as I arrived here.

The underground waterway was still filled with all sorts of illegal merchants and their customers.

The slave market was probably still operating as usual.

“Of course, it’s being conducted in utmost secrecy.”

“Are you really planning to kill everyone here without any hesitation?”

“Most likely.”

Mirabel replied with a bitter expression.

“The kingdom’s goal is to eradicate the existence of the slums, including the poor, criminals, and the underworld, as if they never existed.”

“As Mirabel said, the kingdom’s goal was to make it seem as if the poor, criminals, and the underworld never existed in the first place,” the narration added.

Could such a thing be possible?

The reason the slums existed in the first place was because there were many poor people in the capital.

The deepening wealth gap was mostly due to the kingdom’s policies.

It was absurd that the kingdom thought destroying the slums and killing everyone there would solve the problem just because the slums were growing and there were more criminals.

They seemed like the kind of people who, instead of treating a wound, would just cut off the affected part to solve the problem.

The world that the goddess Stellania had ruined was a problem, but the kingdom had its own serious issues.

Even if we were to solve the demon and hero problem in this kingdom, could a peaceful world between demons and humans truly be achieved?

No, now is not the time to think about such grandiose matters.

Thinking about complicated things is not my forte.

Right now, let’s focus on rescuing all the demons in the demon sanctuary.

“Have the number of demons we’re protecting increased?”

“There are currently ten.”

“Ten….”

“If they cover their faces so their eyes aren’t visible, it might not be immediately obvious that they’re demons, but anyone who can sense magic will know right away. We need to move through as secluded paths as possible.”

Ten…. It might not seem like a large number just for moving, but thinking about moving without being noticed by people was subtly burdensome.

“When the operation day approaches, more detailed information comes out.”

Mirabel, the vice captain of the Boogie Knights, explained the kingdom’s plan to me as she knew it.

On the morning of the operation day, the kingdom’s forces and knights gathered in the capital city to block all exits of the slums.

The content of the plan was that the troops entering the slums and underground waterways would destroy all facilities and immediately judge anyone in sight.

The plan also included destroying hidden facilities in the underground waterways.

In fact, even the demon sanctuary was not safe.

“I think I’ll be in charge of this side’s exit of the underground waterway and the slums on the operation day.”

“Is Mirabel participating in the operation as well?”

“Of course. I’m the vice captain of the Boogie Knights. If I don’t participate at least on the surface, it will cause bigger problems.”

Mirabel answered with a face that showed she was not comfortable with being involved in such a cruel plan.

But her direct participation in the operation could also mean that we have an internal collaborator of the kingdom.

“I wish we could escape with the demons before the operation starts…”

“It’s already too late. I said we should prepare as quickly as possible, but moving the demons is not an easy task. There are many people here who can sense magic… So, it’s better to take advantage of the chaos when the kingdom army attacks the underground waterways.”

“So, when escaping through the underground waterway, we have no choice but to use the exit in the area Mirabel is in charge of?”

“That seems to be the best option… But…”

Mirabel said with a bitter expression.

“As you know, openly opening the way or anything like that is impossible. If the entire unit I lead is on the same side, it might work, but if I give such an order alone, I will immediately be seen as betraying the kingdom.”

“Um…”

“But by deliberately making the unit formation sloppy, we might be able to weaken security at specific exits. The fact that we have to break through the kingdom army and knights won’t change, though.”

“I will take care of those people. Yunoa, please take the demons and escape from here.”

Listening, I realized how difficult Mirabel’s position was.

As the vice captain of the kingdom’s Boogie Knights, she also plays the role of supervisor of the demon sanctuary.

It seems inevitable to avoid suspicion.

Having taken care of the demons in the demon sanctuaries for a long time, she must be feeling a mix of emotions about participating in this operation, which I couldn’t even imagine.

Well, I didn’t think it would be an easy task anyway.

I have to find a way to open the path somehow.

* * *

“He… Heheek!”

I entered the inner residential area of the demon sanctuary to check on the condition of the demons about to be moved.

When Aruru spotted me, she was surprised and instinctively covered her lower abdomen as if protecting it.

It seems that the trauma of the fist engraved on her lower abdomen will stay with her for a lifetime…

“Is everyone okay health-wise?”

I gathered the ten demons being protected here and asked.

Gathering them like this made me feel that they had nowhere to go.

None of them became demons by choice.

For some unknown reason, they received the blood of a demon and became beings who belonged to neither side.

In order for them to live a normal life in the world, the situation of the kingdom would have to change drastically…

At first, I thought that by eliminating the structure of the demon king and hero created by the goddess Stellania and seeking peace with the demons, they would be able to find a free life. But now, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Even though we are all human beings, in a kingdom that is willing to carry out a massacre without any hesitation just because they are in the slums and underground waterways, can they really have a future where they can live a normal life?

“Since it’s dangerous for everyone to stay here, we will move to a safer place, avoiding people’s eyes as much as possible.”

“Is there really a safer place for us?”

Aruru asked.

I couldn’t give a definite answer to that question.

“If we stay here, we’ll just be caught by the kingdom’s army and knights. We have to stay alive to see the future, right?”

“That’s true, but…”

Aruru nodded at my words and bit her lip.

The atmosphere among the demons became uneasy.

The kingdom’s operation was now imminent.

I repeatedly reminded the demons here, including Aruru, of the planned escape route agreed upon with Mirabel.

Fortunately, the point of consolation in misfortune is that those who have become demons by drinking demon blood generally have much better stamina than ordinary humans.

At least one or two of them won’t fall behind due to stamina issues and get caught, so as long as we can escape as planned, it should be fine.

There was less than a day left until the scheduled date.

I, along with all the demons here, were praying for the successful completion of the grand escape operation from the slums, through the underground waterways, out of the slums, and towards Kubel.

* * *

I couldn’t sleep a wink until dawn.

The demons here were the same.

Ten demons with their faces covered were by my side right now, ready to leave at any moment.

Mirabel, the supervisor of the demon shelter, was currently on the side of the knights to carry out the kingdom’s operation.

Mirabel had instructed other people helping at the demon shelter to report on the outside situation in real-time.

If there had been enough time, we could have somehow taken the demons and escaped before the kingdom’s operation began.

Due to the urgent time, Mirabel had said it would be better to take advantage of the chaos caused by the kingdom’s attack on the underground waterways.

“It seems to have started. Let’s get ready.”

A man who had rushed in from outside reported to me shortly after.

He was from our side, helping Mirabel and the demon shelter.

“Let’s go.”

I started moving the ten demons with their faces covered out of the demon shelter.

What would the situation be like outside now?

We have no choice but to trust Mirabel’s plan and go.

If she, as the vice commander of the knights, didn’t tell us an impossible plan, then there shouldn’t be any problem with the breakthrough.

As I stepped outside, everything felt peaceful as if nothing had happened in the underground waterways.

But soon, this place would turn into hell.

The operation had already begun, and we needed to escape.

And so, I hurriedly walked with the ten demons to escape through the underground waterways.