A Highly Questionable Trade Item

The moment the Allied front lines began collapsing simultaneously across multiple sectors, the regional commanders were frantic, scraping together every scrap of military force they could find. Whether it was rear-guard supply units or the private soldiers of neighboring lords, they dragged in everyone they could to throw into the meat grinder and halt the Demon King's offensive.

But...

"R-Report! The Western Detachment Commander..."

"Hey."

"...Yes?"

"This is His Excellency, Count Felid. A First Merit of the Empire."

This was a simple fact. In the current legal codex of the Ared Empire, the very first line under the section for 'First Merits of the Empire' clearly inscribed the noble bloodline of the House of Felid.

The head of that very house, Count Felid, crossed his arms and glared arrogantly at the messenger.

"State who the Western Detachment Commander is first."

"I-It is Count Gerald, Your Excellency."

Thud!

The adjutant kicked the messenger square in the solar plexus.

Thanks to the soldiers standing around holding torches, the messenger and his shadow rolled dynamically across the dirt.

Count Felid finally nodded, looking satisfied.

"Strip that bastard of his clothes. Put him in standard gear and send him to the front."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

"W-What are you doing?!"

"Shut up!!"

Thud!

The messenger collapsed, coughing up blood.

"No messenger ever reached the Western Detachment."

By erasing the very existence of the request for reinforcements, Count Felid was free to carry out his true objective.

"Kyaaaah!"

"P-Please, spare us!"

"We gave you every single sack of grain we had!"

"As if. There's no way you peasants handed over everything. Search every nook and cranny!"

"A-Aigoo, milord! Not that! Please!"

"Out of the way!"

He had led his remaining troops to the rear to secure 'local supplies.'

In less refined terms, it was outright pillaging. But he didn't care in the slightest.

The local lord, Baron Geben, had holed himself up in his castle, not even daring to save his own subjects.

There was only one way for the Baron to resolve this situation: bow his head to Count Felid and offer up his own wealth in exchange for his peasants' lives.

"Or he can just sit there and watch."

Of course, the Baron could submit a petition to the Imperial Court.

But a petition? Even if he wrote one, the messenger would be assassinated long before reaching the capital. And even if it did arrive, the Imperial Court was far too busy to listen to the desperate pleas of a minor border baron.

"With the front lines collapsing across the entire continent, who's going to care about a little deviation?"

Count Felid had already let go of his grand ambitions. His path to promotion was gone, and though he had amassed a massive fortune to make a comeback, his plans to seize control of the western Demon Realm had long since evaporated due to the interference of that damn Head Mod.

"So, shouldn't I at least recoup my principal before heading back? Kranet!"

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

"Sweep through all the neighboring villages. If necessary, prepare to plunder Baron Geben himself."

"Understood."

The mysterious mage disrupting their rear had already cost them hundreds of supply wagons. To make up for that loss, they would have to thoroughly bleed this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠territory dry, and probably the neighboring one as well.

Just as a village was on the verge of being completely devastated...

"Why don't you wrap it up there—?"

"Who's there?!"

A booming voice echoed from directly overhead.

Sir Kranet, locking eyes with the Count, immediately roared to the soldiers.

"It's a mage! Activate the artifacts!"

The staff-type artifacts, the Anti-Magic Staffs.

When multiple staffs were activated simultaneously, their magic-nullifying effects multiplied, making them an indispensable tool in battles against mages.

Count Felid smirked.

"A mage who pillages Imperial supply wagons as a side gig. You've got some nerve."

"..."

"No response? Don't tell me you didn't account for the artifacts?"

Mages were formidable, yes.

But their opponent was merely a petty thief who targeted supply convoys. Count Felid figured they were a low-to-mid tier mage at best.

Unless they're a Supreme Archmage, we can easily suppress them.

But at that exact moment...

Crackle!

"Ugh!"

"Argh!"

Small sparks of electricity erupted from the soldiers' fingertips.

Torches slipped from their hands, rolling onto the ground.

Simultaneously...

Whoosh!

A violent gust of wind swept beneath their feet, instantly snuffs out every single light source.

"What trickery is this?!"

The only remaining light came from the faint glow of the Anti-Magic Staffs.

Snap!

"W-What?!"

But even those were snapped in half as easily as dry twigs.

"T-This is impossible!"

"What you're doing is far more impossible. A self-proclaimed 'First Merit of the Empire' stabbing his own citizens in the back."

Snap!

With the snap of a finger, a sphere of blindingly intense light materialized in the sky.

As everyone winced and shielded their eyes, a woman stepped out of the forest.

She had crimson hair, wore a pointed witch's hat, and a deep purple robe fluttered around her.

"Y-You... Are you from the Lubette Duchy...?"

"To think someone still remembers that name. Would you mind forgetting it?"

Count Felid's jaw remained slack.

Their opponent was a Supreme Archmage. His only chance of survival was to buy time and look for an opening. He deliberately provoked her.

"...Selina Louvet, the traitor of humanity."

"My, how rude. Weren't you the ones who betrayed us first?"

When rumors spread that the Lubette Duchy, which bordered the Demon Realm, had colluded with the demons, the current Emperor (then the Crown Prince) and Count Felid had personally led an army to annihilate the duchy.

She was the sole survivor of that fallen nation.

And Count Felid was her mortal enemy.

"The incident in Aredria must have been your doing as well. You were quiet for so long, so what brought this on? Are you finally here to exact your long-delayed revenge?"

"No~ not really. I didn't have much of a choice. I had to do it to protect my family."

"Family? Ha! To think you'd call those hideous monsters family. The noble lady has truly fallen."

"Still not as low as the Imperial Family, who coddles the filthy truths of this world~"

Snap!

With a snap of her fingers, pitch-black hands erupted from the shadows, binding Count Felid and every single soldier.

Sir Kranet, who had tried to sneak up behind Selina with his sword raised while Felid bought time, was caught in the exact same manner.

"You're as cowardly as ever, Solio Felid."

"W-Wait! Lady Lubette! I was wrong!"

Losing his final trump card, the Count instantly turned groveling and pathetic.

Selina scoffed.

"I stopped caring about revenge a long time ago. I've let a lot of things go."

"T-Then..."

"I told you. You guys messed with my son."

"We... messed with your son?"

When Felid showed a completely clueless expression, Selina chuckled.

"I figured as much. Well, you've heard too much anyway."

Snap!

The sphere of light floating in the sky grew larger and brighter.

"Forget everything that happened today. Be grateful I'm letting you live. Ah, but I suppose you'll forget that too, won't you?"

She pulled down the brim of her hat with her left thumb and index finger, vanishing into the dark forest.

Selina's shadow hands covered the eyes of the villagers.

Conversely, they pried open the eyelids of Count Felid and his soldiers.

"N-No..."

Five seconds later, a massive explosion of light engulfed the territory.

The next day.

When Baron Geben personally rode out after receiving a report from his search party...

"W-What in the world..."

The villagers of Roderi had tied up the pillagers and piled them together.

"A kind mage saved us, milord."

Baron Geben was utterly bewildered.

"Should we not report this to the Imperial Court?"

"Of course we should. However..."

The Baron gulped as he stared at the countless wagons of loot the pillagers had brought.

Seeing this, his quick-witted knight chimed in.

"Your Excellency."

"Y-Yes?"

"It appears the detachment turned pillagers wiped themselves out in a violent internal dispute, and Count Felid drowned in the southern swamp."

"Hmm?"

It took Baron Geben about two minutes to grasp the implication, after which he nodded vigorously.

"Return the villagers' personal belongings. The rest of the wagons will be sorted at the castle."

"Your benevolence knows no bounds, milord."

After returning the villagers' basic possessions, the remaining wagons were escorted into Baron Geben's castle.

And the prisoners, afflicted with the curse of Loss which reset their memories every ten seconds...

Splash.

"Mmph! Mmph!"

"Alright, let's make this easy for everyone. Up we go!"

"Mmph! Gurgle!"

Bound and weighted down with sandbags, they all vanished into the cold depths of the swamp.

"Your Highness!"

"The public sentiment in Aredria is in turmoil due to the consecutive defeats!"

"Please, lend your strength to the state affairs as you did before!"

"I cannot. You may leave."

Even as the Crown Prince spoke those words to the ministers and generals, his quill pen was moving furiously.

Scribble, scribble.

Even in the Crown Prince's private chambers, the Imperial Intelligence Bureau could eavesdrop if the Emperor willed it.

Thus, their primary conversation was conducted entirely through written notes.

The moment both parties confirmed the contents, they set the paper on fire and tossed it into a bowl placed in the center of the table.

The written exchange went as follows:

The Crown Prince nodded with a satisfied expression.

He watched the paper burn, thinking to himself.

The Head Mod... Just how far do the limits of that clever demon girl go?

Not only had she completely overturned a war that was nearly won, but she was now shaking the Ared Empire to its core from both inside and out.

But I have no intention of going down easily.

Confident that he was different from the Emperor, whose condition was constantly deteriorating, the Crown Prince scribbled one last line.

"You may leave now. If you keep badgering me like this every day, I won't be able to obey the Emperor's decree to rest in peace."

"Please forgive our disloyalty, Your Highness."

"If you know it's disloyalty, then get out."

Just then...

Knock, knock, knock.

"Your Highness, a Cardinal from the Church of the Goddess has arrived."

"!"

The moment the paper burned completely to ash, the Crown Prince spoke.

"Let them in."

Hoot, a new recruit of the Demon King's Army's 3rd Supply Transport Unit, had survived the grueling life of a prisoner of war.

Only one thing had kept him from giving up.

Jeyuk Bokkeum!

The sheer rage of having his Jeyuk Bokkeum Lunchbox snatched away the moment he received it, and his burning desire to return alive and eat a lunchbox bought from the gallery shop, kept him clinging to life.

And finally, the opportunity arrived.

"E-Enemy attack!!!"

"Calm down and fight back! The enemy is few in number!"

"Wyvern riders in the sky! Archers, fire!"

The Demon King's army had pushed all the way down to the Allied Central Command, a place they had assumed was safe.

That morning, the execution of Count Edmund, the commander, had taken place.

With defeated soldiers retreating from the front lines, the morale of the headquarters was already in the gutter.

Hoot decided to seize this chance to escape.

He could have just waited to be rescued, but...

This is the Allied Headquarters. They might actually hold out.

With that thought, Hoot decided to take matters into his own hands.

He had been planning his escape in secret for a long time. He and his comrades had taken turns keeping watch while digging a hole under the fence.

It was a doghole hidden in a corner where the bushes overlapped with the fence, completely missed by the enemy sentries.

If they slipped through under the cover of night, they could escape.

I should probably dig a little more, right?

Just then...

Tap, tap.

"W-Who's there?!"

"@$%!@!%!@#"

"A human woman?"

She was a black-haired woman in shabby clothes, with a heavy iron collar locked around her neck.

Hoot quickly checked his surroundings, put his index finger to his lips, and hissed, "Shh!"

Did she not know the continental common tongue? Although they couldn't communicate verbally, fortunately, universal body language worked.

The human woman nodded vigorously.

Hoot sent his comrades through the doghole first, then squeezed through himself.

He thanked the human woman, who was just tilting her head and staring blankly at him, and prepared to run.

But...

Grab!

"Oof!"

She yanked on the seat of his pants, causing him to trip and fall.

"W-What?"

The woman pointed at Hoot once, then pointed at herself three times.

"You want me to take you with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me?"

Nod, nod.

A human?

He was naturally reluctant, but looking at her filthy, slave-like appearance, he couldn't help but feel pity.

What would the Head Mod do?

He probably would have helped.

Hoot recalled his past self, who admired the unconditional kindness the Head Mod showed in the gallery. The Head Mod who saved the refugees of Archeinia, the oppressed Eastern Legion, and the Harpies of the West.

Thinking of that, he quickly came to a decision.

"Fine. Follow me."

With that, Hoot grabbed the human woman's hand and dashed into the forest.

As a demon, his night vision was excellent.

Even though he was a low-ranking demon, he could perceive flow of mana, allowing him to evade the humans, elves, and dwarves patrolling the area.

Hoot and the nameless human woman successfully slipped away from the Allied Headquarters during the night.

"The enemy is retreating!"

"W-We won!!!"

As the Demon King's army's initial assault failed, Hoot's decision to flee proved to be the right one.

The next morning.

"Wait a minute."

"What is it?"

Clatter!

A wooden food bowl rolled across the floor.

"...She's gone."

"What?"

"She's gone! The Hero is missing!"

Normally, due to her importance, the Hero was kept confined in the commander's tent.

Her custody was entrusted to a select few trusted knights, and anyone else was strictly forbidden from even meeting her.

But Count Edmund had been executed the day before, and with the front lines in chaos and the headquarters under attack, there was no one left to properly supervise her.

"O-Oh no..."

"We're screwed..."

The two knights stared at each other in blank horror before screaming.

"This is a disaster!"

"Deploy the search parties immediately!!!"

The headquarters, which had just repelled the enemy ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and finally let its guard down, was denied any chance of rest.

"Is the Exchange running smoothly?"

After the chaotic, mind-boggling uproar caused by RD1234's 'I will destroy the Demon Realm' stunt, I had calmed the gallery's mood by adding popcorn and cola to the shop.

Only then did I finally activate the 'Gallery Exchange'.

Of course, before opening it, I made sure everyone understood the rules, posting a stickied notice with a rather harsh penalty of a 14-day ban for any violations.

"Though most of them probably won't even read the notice."

It didn't matter. A gallery notice wasn't meant to be a polite 'please don't do this~' request anyway. It was a legal code to serve as the basis for 'this is why you got banned.'

"Head Mod."

"Yeah?"

"I think you need to take a look at this."

I was eating cup ramen when Reina called me over.

And then...

"A trade request? For me?"

"Yes, but the item offered for trade is..."

I ended ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up dropping my wooden chopsticks in sheer shock.

"What the hell??? Who is the crazy bastard that posted this???"