episode_0195

000

The night of the day Kleon and his party left for the Beryl Valley.

Five figures dash through the dark back alley lit by the dim moonlight between the clouds.

Each wielding their specialized weapon, they run like the wind, targeting shadow after shadow.

Accompanying them is a silence that doesn’t even make a breath and a sharply honed killing intent.

If those who do not know their identity were to see them, they would think they are a group of assassins hired by some noble.

However, what they are wearing, without particularly covering their faces, are specially made apron dresses with strong defensive performance, and black uniforms.

Judging by their appearance alone, they were excellent female attendants – that is, `maids`.

“Target. Within sight.”

The black-haired maid at the vanguard, with her hand on the hilt of a beautiful magic sword, confirms the small shop that is today’s target.

On the surface, it is a small entertainment bar overflowing in the back alley.

However, after learning from the information extracted from Kamala that this place is also a shop run by the detestable succubi who have nested in the royal capital.

“Tiffany. Magic power detection.”

When Lavita, the leader of the maids, a young girl with white hair and red eyes, says so, a woman with glasses, holding a broom-like staff behind her, nods.

When the small jewel at the end of the staff faces the store, it flashes two or three times, conveying the number of demons there to its owner, Tiffany.

“The number is… three. Judging from the fact that the magic power reaction is not very strong, they seem to be low-level succubi.”

When Tiffany finds out the inside of the store, Lavita sighs. As if relieved.

“I guess I can rest.”

“Lavita…”

When Rubella calls out her name softly, reproaching Lavita, who utters dispiriting words, Lavita shrugs her shoulders.

“Ahaha… I guess not…?”

“Yes. I’m going to tell Madam.”

When a giant girl, holding a magic spear and sticking right behind Rubella, says so, Lavita can only let out a `Ugh…` sound.

“Well, isn’t it okay? Everyone. The captain is always working hard. For me, it’s easier to work when the captain is here.”

A blonde twin-tailed girl with a large crossbow-like thing on her back said from the very back of the group.

“As expected, Fate is the only one who thinks of me…!”

When Lavita turns around to the girl as if moved, the girl called Fate answers, bending her eyes into crescent shapes.

“My cartridge ballista says it wants to test a new magazine. Can I blow up the entire store?”

“Okay. Shall we prepare to storm in.”

Turning her gaze away from Fate, who delivers a joke that would make even Lavita’s spine chill, Lavita pulls out her weapon with an unusually serious tone-

`Holy Sword – Amour`.

Amour, a short sword in the form of a silver cross, was a weapon that seemed very thin on the surface, with a small blade width, making one wonder if it could cut down a single person.

“We hide in the shadows of the path that justice takes. The righteous guardians who jump into the shadows where demons hide.”

Quietly, after reciting the prayer that could be called their motto. Lavita points the tip of the sword at the store.

“Tear apart the demons that block our path without leaving a single piece of flesh. Grind the conspicuous evils into powder without leaving a single soul. This is, `The Great Cleaning`.”

And, with a whoosh. Along with the sound of the swinging blade cutting through the air.

A command that could be said to be a death sentence for demons is issued.

“Subjugation. Execution.”

001

“You, you guys. How did you get here….”

As expected, the dirty interior. Do demons not have the habit of maintaining cleanliness?

…No, demons who don’t get diseases that humans get even if they don’t do such things probably don’t find such concepts meaningful.

The guests who come to such places are probably just losers who have fallen as far as they can and cannot escape the pleasure given by demons.

Rubella frowned involuntarily at the disgusting smell mixed with the acrid smell of blood and the vulgar desire of men.

Thinking so, Rubella sticks a barisada into the neck of the demon who is asking them questions. She then uses her strength to break it, cutting off the demon’s neck.

When she does that, the succubus, whose body has a large hole pierced by a magic spear and wings pierced by thick arrows the size of Rubella’s arm, is decomposed into magic power and reverse summoned.

This is the last one. Lavita greeted one of the other two by cutting it down. The other one-

“Uryaaat!”

Crackle!

It could be seen that the demon’s waist, which had been grabbed, was breaking due to the monstrous strength exerted by the giant girl, whose mass itself could be said to be violence.

She threw the magic spear aside, so why did she go into hand-to-hand combat?

Rubella couldn’t figure it out because she hadn’t seen the whole process from beginning to end, but she saw Tiffany clapping next to her.

The demon foamed at the mouth, its neck flipped over, and like the demon she had finished off, it scattered and disappeared into black magic power.

How did you come back to hell?

After being caught by a human woman in a bear hug…

Thinking that they might be having the same conversation, she felt a little sorry for them.

But don’t worry, she is not an ordinary human, but a mixed-race of lizardman and human, so strictly speaking, she is not an ordinary human.

May they be summoned to a cathedral in their next life and be reverse summoned while suffering.

Thinking the same thing, Rubella returned the barisada to its scabbard, heard a groan like `Ugh…`, and turned her head again.

On the mat laid on the floor, which was doubtful if it functioned as a mat, a girl with lifeless eyes was lying wearing clothes that looked like rags.

Judging from the wounds all over her body and the severe stench, she was not simply a victim who had been drained of her life force.

As is the case with most of the women found on the verge of death in such shops, her features were very well-defined, and her light pink hair color was like cherry blossoms, giving her a pure charm.

“Tiffany.”

When Rubella calls Tiffany, she scurries over and examines the woman’s condition.

Then, after pausing for a moment, saying `Excuse me`, she lifts her top slightly-

She shines the light of her staff on the faint purple pattern engraved on her abdomen.

“Tattoo…. The same pattern as the victims I saw at Camilla’s shop.”

When Rubella says that, Tiffany also nods.

“Why? What’s wrong? Is it a corpse?”

When Fate approaches the two people who are gathered and pokes her head out from behind, Rubella sighs, pushing her head away as if to get rid of her.

“She’s alive…. For now.”

“She looks like she’s almost dead….”

Rubella, glaring at Fate, who utters unhealthy words, turns her body.

“Tiffany. Please heal her. We need to prepare to move her to the monastery.”

“Is it okay? There are already a lot of people there….”

Tiffany says as if worried.

Certainly, the monastery was gradually increasing in number with the victims of gender reassignment magic that continued to be discovered since then.

No matter how much the Trommeier family provides full financial support, it could not be denied that the limit was gradually being reached in terms of accommodating people without being noticed by others.

Even so, Rubella turned her gaze back to the fallen woman.

A weak breath that seemed to be on the verge of breaking. And hands and feet that were clearly being exploited while being emaciated.

…Certainly, there may be some self-inflicted aspects to her coming here and ending up like this.

No matter what kind of person she was originally, if she was a person with normal sentiments, she would not have set foot in the back alley.

That’s why-

“She is someone who has nowhere else to go.”

After saying that, Rubella approached Lavita.

Lavita, who was stroking Nora as a reward for properly dealing with the demons, looked up at Rubella who approached her.

“Are you okay? You look a little tired.”

“…Yes, I’m fine. Rather, I feel more comfortable than when I’m working with the Princess.”

Lavita smiles at Rubella’s words.

“Well. It’s probably more efficient with five people than with two people. Originally, moving with a large number of people could expose the Princess’s identity, so we move with two people….”

Rubella also nodded as if she understood.

Before Rubella came, if there were times when she had to act with Amelia, it was common for one of the maids to accompany her.

If all the maids took turns acting with her, they could immediately see how much Amelia was sacrificing for the people without taking care of her own body.

After Rubella came, Rubella was fixed as Amelia’s attendant.

That was a kind of contract that Rubella had made with Aurelia.

“…This wasn’t it either, Rubella.”

Looking at Rubella, who looked tired, Nora reached out and grabbed her hand.

As tall as she is, Nora, whose hands are also giant, wraps Rubella’s hands tightly with hands that are bigger than Kleon’s hands, even though she is younger than Rubella.

However, thanks to being a mixed-race with a lizardman, the temperature of her hands is not very high.

Rather, they are colder than Rubella’s hands.

Even so, Rubella smiled, feeling a little warmth.

Rubella and Lavita could both understand what Nora was talking about.

One of the reasons why Rubella frequents the back alleys no matter what.

That was because her clan, the `Black Magic Clan`, would be hidden in Astaroth’s hideout.

The Black Magic Clan are attractive beings to demons.

First of all, they have a high affinity for black magic power, so if they make a contract with them, the demons can more easily supply the black magic power needed in the present world.

In addition, due to the characteristic that they start to run wild when they become emotionally unstable, they were a perfect prey for demons who gain magic power from the unstable emotions of humans.

When I think about it, Astaroth’s rapid expansion of power was also after she got her hands on the Black Magic Clan.

In other words – after Hughes Woodknocker, Eustace’s father, died, the brothel that was patronized by them and used the Black Magic Clan as prostitutes was taken over by Astaroth.

Perhaps, in the name of revenge, she has pushed her clan – the royal capital into crisis.

As days of failed searches continued, such guilt and depression welled up in Rubella’s mind.

While thinking that it might be a fragment of the negative thinking unique to the Black Magic Clan, criticism of herself stemming from clear facts swirled in her head.

What can erase it is her magic sword, which is also a part of her, the nonchalant barisada.

And colleagues like Nora and Lavita, who have one or two screws loose in their heads.

And-

Rubella shakes her head, refusing to continue thinking about who the other one is in her head.

“Fate made quite a noise when we were fighting. Let’s go back before people gather.”

“That’s right. Did you hear that, Fate? You’ll have to write a report when we get back. You also broke three pillars of the building.”

At the shocking news, Fate hurriedly turned her head and raised her voice.

“What?! The Captain broke one too!”

“The number of accountable items differs by two between one and three~!”

“I think the difference in responsibility between the captain and subordinate is greater than that~!”

Rubella sighed, looking at the two people raising their voices like children, Nora giggled, and Tiffany smiled wryly.

“Ugh…uh…”

In the meantime, the voice of the woman who was groaning and slowly trying to come to her senses rang out.

002

The warm light emitted by the sun rising beyond the cleanly wiped glass window pours down onto the bed.

The woman with light pink hair, feeling the bright light tickling her eyes, slowly opened her eyes and confirmed that her body was resting on something soft.

White blankets, white mattress. It couldn’t be said to be a very high-class item, but it was comfortable enough for one person to lie down and wash away the fatigue of the day.

The woman, who opened her eyes in a place that was vastly different from the smelly and filthy animal skin that was almost no different from the floor, gently looked around.

Then, she noticed the figure of a young nun sitting in a chair next to her bed, asleep on the desk.

What stood out was the blonde hair visible through the veil.

First, the woman checked her physical condition.

There was almost no pain, and her body, which had been dirty in various places, was clean.

“Ugh…”

However, a slight sense of discomfort felt in the lower part of her abdomen.

If she slightly lifts the comfortable textured cloth that seems to have been changed into here, she can see a light purple pattern engraved there.

“Hmm…nya…”

At the woman’s voice, the nun who had been lying down slowly lifted her head. Having been half-asleep with drool on her mouth, she straightened her back and looked around, then made eye contact with the woman.

“…Hello…”

“Ah, hello…”

The two people exchange greetings in a daze without even introducing themselves.

“Um, well… first of all, why don’t you go wash your face?”

When the woman sitting on the bed says that, the nun gets up from the chair with a clattering sound.

Then, after nodding, she staggers and walks out of the room.

What was that just now… that nun.

The woman thought so and quietly waited for her to return while sitting on the bed.

After a while – with the sound of pattering footsteps, the door opened-

“Ah, hello! You’re awake!”

The nun from before, with water on her face, returned.

“Yes, yes… um, you are-”

When the woman asks the girl that, the girl straightens her clothes, politely puts her hands together, and smiles.

“My name is Liza. I’m a nun at this monastery. Do you remember being rescued from the succubi’s shop last night and being brought here?”

When Liza says that, the woman showed a look of hesitation for a moment and then nodded.

“First, I’ll let you know that there’s no way to go back to normal with your body in the current situation…. I’m sorry.”

Liza said so and bowed her head, then raised her head again and continued talking with an apologetic expression.

“Your condition is currently a secret in the royal capital…. You’ll have to stay at this monastery until your body recovers. Please, I hope you’ll accept it.”

When Liza finishes speaking, the woman closes her mouth for a moment and looks down at her hands and feet.

Then, she raises her head, makes eye contact with Liza, and slowly opens her mouth.

“…Um-”

“…What is my body like?”

“…Pardon?”

… …

What Liza learned while talking to her for a while, finding it strange, was as follows.

She was definitely working at a succubus’s shop, but she had no memory of anything before that.

Therefore, she doesn’t know whether her current physical condition is strange or normal.

However, the tattoo engraved on her abdomen was the same pattern as other victims.

In other words, she was originally a `male`, she just doesn’t remember it.

“Me, I. Am I a man… How many male guests have I entertained so far?”

She rubbed her head and abdomen as if she couldn’t believe it.

…It wasn’t a very pleasant experience, but the feeling seemed to remain vivid even now.

“…You seem confused. So, you don’t remember anything about yourself before you were in that shop?”

“…Yes. Not my name. Not my age. Not anything about my family. When I came to my senses, I was in that shop, and all I was told was that I would die if I didn’t receive guests….”

Liza pauses for a moment, lost in thought at the woman’s expression, which seemed unable to shake off the confusion.

The human mind is weak, and it is possible to erase memories in order to protect the mind from strong shocks.

`…If not, physical shock. Or maybe her memories were erased through magic…. Whichever it is. She is also a victim of this incident.`

“…Sister. How can I…”

When she asks Liza as if seeking an answer, Liza smiles kindly and answers.

“Don’t worry. Maybe your memories will gradually come back after you take some mental stability. Besides, there’s also a way to get your body back to normal…. Either way, you won’t have a place to stay even if you leave here now. Think of it as your own home and feel safe.”

At Liza’s words, the woman carefully nodded.

As she said, her name, face, and everything about her past have all disappeared.

“Ah… but, if you’re going to stay here, you’ll need a name. It’ll be easier to talk to everyone that way, right?”

“Th, that’s right. But… a name…”

Liza pauses for a moment, looking at the woman who is troubled by her words, then suddenly her eyes catch the rosary hanging on her wrist.

“…It might be a bit of an easy name…. How about `Rosaria`?”

“Rosaria, you say? I think it’s fine….”

The woman slowly nodded, as if liking the name.

Liza also let out a sigh of relief, as if relieved by the woman’s reaction, and gets up from her seat.

“I’ll go prepare breakfast. Please wait here.”

“Th, thank you…. Sister.”

With a slight sense of relief that she was able to help another lamb today, Liza left her room.

Rosaria’s room was enveloped in a quiet silence, and only time slowly passed.

003

On the way down the hallway to the kitchen, humming a song.

Liza, who noticed a person who seemed to be peeking into the monastery from the outside, suddenly stopped walking and walked towards that place.

Removing the iron plate hanging on the small window in the door and sticking out only her eyes to examine the person.

It was a girl with noticeable dark skin standing there.

What she was wearing was plain clothes that could be seen anywhere. However, half of the back of her long hair seemed to have been cut off by something.

A girl whose characteristic was asymmetrical hair on the left and right.

“…Um?”

The girl immediately turned her gaze away at Liza’s gaze that was scanning her like that.

“Ah… ahem. What’s the matter? Our monastery can only be entered by people who have prepared an appointment in advance.”

“Ah-…. I see. I’m sorry. Actually, I came through an acquaintance’s introduction. I heard that you might need some help….”

The girl said so and handed over a letter.

Liza, who suddenly received the letter held out in front of her, was a little surprised and almost took a step back.

First, while accepting the letter, she asks the girl.

“Who introduced you?”

“I was introduced by Kleon. I heard that Eustace is also inside.”

“Kl- … Ahem. Kleon… you say…”

Liza was a little surprised to hear the names of Kleon and Eustace coming out of her mouth, but calmly asked her again.

“Excuse me, what is your name and affiliation?”

“I don’t have anything that could be called an affiliation. I’m an `apprentice doctor` who runs a clinic in a small adventurer city called Elresia.”

She said so and slightly opened the bag containing medical tools.

“My name is… `Ferdia`.”