About the Truth. (6)
The noble's neck, which had been squealing like a pig, was separated from his body in an instant.
Shaking off the Holy Sword, which didn't even have a speck of blood on it, the Hero gazed blankly at the moon rising in the sky.
There wasn't much information gained.
But even fragmented information was better than having no next destination.
Rather than a situation where everything was dark before her eyes and she didn't know where to step next, this was much better.
"There were this many traitors."
Looking at the red dots marked on the map, she murmured softly.
Even though she only opened the mouth of someone who seemed to be a low-ranking official, quite a large number of names popped out.
Those suspected. Those confirmed. And those who knew more.
She marked them one by one in order, then drew the optimal route in her mind.
'...I'm getting closer to the Royal Capital.'
Was that really a coincidence?
The locations of the traitors he told her about were increasingly heading towards the Royal Capital. Was it just a terrible coincidence?
She couldn't know.
But even among the things she didn't know, there was something she knew for sure.
That they had to die.
"Fire! There's a fire! The Baron's mansion is on fire!!"
The mansion's basement was literally a horrific place.
Blood and corpses.
Pig heads and chicken wings.
And even Demon's Horns.
That the lump of flesh next to the horn was a demon was easy enough to notice.
She couldn't stand the disgust.
"...Just how many more do I have to kill for this to end?"
After all this, to think the day would come when she'd end up killing fellow humans.
A hollow laugh escaped her.
***
Every day, the same routine continued.
Elli nursed Hallibel, and Rin looked after the children.
Miko lent a hand, but it was more like being swayed by them than looking after them.
"Mama~"
"Mamaa~"
If there were children, she could forget as much as possible.
Could she?
Clinging to her slightly larger body, she continued to cling to her lingering attachments.
'Will these children also regain their memories someday?'
Rin's case came to mind.
Perhaps Rin was special, which is why she regained her memories.
But what if regaining memories was normal?
And what if these children were to regain their memories someday?
That one fact alone was so terrifying.
Creak.
"...Aga."
And the child I feared to my core.
The human child born before the twins she held in her arms sometimes stared intently at her.
With eyes whose thoughts she couldn't discern, he would gaze at her face for a long time before leaving the room.
Perhaps he had just come to see her face.
But there was no way she couldn't notice.
"...Ah—"
With a dry, unfeeling sound, the door closed.
Those eyes.
Those two eyes filled with murderous intent.
Perhaps he was waiting for the right moment.
The moment when no one was by her side.
In that moment when they were alone, he would clearly come for her life.
Was it truly an obsession brought on by her delusion, or was it real?
"...Hero."
Now, she didn't know.
She recalled the face of the person who had left her.
In the end, even with the word 'love,' she couldn't hold onto him.
It was the most she could give up, but even that couldn't stop the Hero's revenge.
Where could he be, and what was he doing?
Was he eating well?
Was he sleeping well?
"If you come back even now, I won't resent you..."
Faint sobs filled the room.
You know better than anyone that what I need isn't revenge.
Why did you use me as an excuse and leave to get your revenge?
In the end, that was the extent of it.
Both you and I.
'No, I shouldn't think about it.'
The more she thought about it, the more depressed she became.
So—
"Ariel-ssi! Hallibel-ssi!!!"
—She tried not to think about it.
***
Although it was customary to kill all demons, there were some cases where they didn't.
Whether one should call it humanity's ugly nature, those were the reasons.
For example, humans liked to enslave stronger beings than themselves, things like that.
"Alright, alright, here's a demon slave! She's a bitch who's killed many people, so you can play with her without guilt!"
In the underground slave trade, there were especially many demons.
Those who captured demons defeated in battle saw the maximum profit they could gain.
That was to sell the captured demons to slave traders.
And the demons obtained that way, the slave traders processed and sold to other humans.
It was just that kind of story.
"Hmph, just kill me! You damn humans—"
The moment she opened her mouth, a beating followed.
The demon, struck in the abdomen, gasped roughly and tumbled to the floor.
They hit, trampled, and spat.
It was a different situation than when selling other slaves.
It seemed they prioritized how much enjoyment they could get rather than presenting the slave in the best possible condition.
"Look, even if you hit her like this, she's fine!"
The demon, glaring at the slave trader with venomous eyes, was seen picking up a stone that had fallen nearby.
The slave trader didn't seem to notice, but he looked as if he didn't care what the demon slave did.
"Ugh, ack?! Grrrrk?!?!!?!"
A terrible stench arose.
The dog collar around her neck did not tolerate any actions by the slave to harm her master.
The demon, whose body convulsed repeatedly, dribbled bright yellow urine and foamed at the mouth.
As if even that sight was entertaining, those watching screamed.
"10 gold!"
"12 gold!"
"15 gold!"
Their eyes were drenched in madness.
There were some who looked like nobles, but the majority were dressed in ordinary clothes.
In those eyes, which surpassed the level of madness, a deep obsession formed a black shape and dripped down.
"That's mine! A bastard who looked like that one killed my wife!"
"They ate the children, ate them alive! I'm going to eat that bitch alive too!"
"I'll kill her."
"I'll make her suffer for the rest of her life!"
Those who lost precious things to demons went mad because of demons.
But ordinary people couldn't harm demons in any way, which is why they made such choices.
The demon, facing the madness of such humans, curled her body into a ball.
On her emaciated body, so thin that her ribs showed, intense murderous intent poured down like a waterfall.
"S-save me... I-I was wrong... H-hoo..."
Suddenly, silence fell.
The slave trader didn't stop smiling, as if even this was a familiar occurrence.
No, rather, he just stroked the money pouch at his waist, saying things like, 'What a windfall.'
"100 gold!"
"Well, if you're going to go that high, there's nothing I can do. 100 gold has been bid! Is there anyone else who wants to bid?"
Silence fell.
No one raised their hand.
But the madness glinting in their eyes was not something that could be easily hidden.
Nevertheless, they endured.
If it was 100 gold, it was enough money to buy five demons.
Killing five demons was better than killing just one.
"Alright, then, it's sold for 100 gold!"
The man who bought the demon was a middle-aged man with a gentle impression.
Although he wasn't wearing expensive clothes, his neat attire was impressive.
The man, who received the leash of the dog collar around the demon's neck, let out a hearty laugh.
All he needed now was an empty space and a single tool.
"Come here, now."
The man holding a hacksaw approached the demon.
The demon, who had been looking up at him with fear-filled eyes, trembled at the long object being placed against her horn.
Saw.
Saw, saw, saw, saw.
"Ah, kya, ah, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!"
With a creaking sound, the piece of horn from the very top broke off.
The demon, convulsing all over and screaming, collapsed to the floor, foaming at the mouth.
But she did not lose consciousness.
"P-please, p-please stop... H-if you're going to k-kill me, just k-kill me..."
She was in so much pain that her pronunciation was completely garbled.
The man, seeing the demon bleeding profusely from her nose, clicked his tongue in disapproval.
"Why did you kill people then?"
If you kill, you are killed.
It was a natural principle.
Who would have thought that a demon would be treated so miserably by humans?
Unfortunately, the man didn't seem to have any intention of killing the demon.
Perhaps his goal was to make her suffer for the rest of her life.
Cutting off the tip must have been to find out the limits of a demon's endurance.
"Alright, then, I will present the next slave!"
Passing by the screams coming from the alley, the Hero turned her head.
The path she had to choose was already set.
Investigate how demons came to be here, and follow their tracks.
"S-save, s-save me.. s-save..."
"..."
But the moment she tried to move, their eyes met.
The moment she looked into those eyes, mixed with pain, the Hero's breath also stopped.
Ariel.
She tried to erase the name that came to mind, but it wasn't easy.
"Hey."
The Hero stepped into the alley.
She knew herself that this was a terrible curse.
A demon who had killed people should surely die, but she couldn't just stand by and watch.
'Will I regret this choice?'
Even with two pairs of eyes staring at her, the Hero's steps did not falter.