The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
"Are you the newcomers who arrived in town today?"
The man spoke in a cheerful tone.
However, despite his tone, he was radiating an intense fighting spirit.
If we made any strange moves, he was ready to react immediately.
This guy is strong.
We haven't fought, but the aura coming off him is enough to tell me his combat ability is high.
If possible, I don't want to fight him...
But can we manage to bluff our way through?
I figured lying would be pointless, so I nodded.
"Yeah, that's right..."
"Ah, thought so. I didn’t recognize your faces, so I guessed as much. Ha, good to know my instincts aren’t failing me yet."
"Uh...?"
I didn’t sense any hostility.
That only made it more confusing.
Who is this guy...?
"Hey, no need to be so on guard. I’m not your enemy. I don’t discriminate against lower demons, and I won’t beat you up for no reason either."
"..."
"Still cautious, huh? Is it my face? This scary-looking face of mine? Damn it, there’s nothing I can do about that, is there? Damn."
I still don’t really get it, and I know I can’t let my guard down yet...
But somehow, I felt like this guy was someone we could actually talk to.
Unlike the demons and Weiss we ran into in Horizon, he seems capable of normal communication... maybe.
"It’s true we just arrived in this town today, but... who are you?"
"Huh? Seriously? You don’t know my face?"
"Uh... sorry."
"For real...? I thought I was making a name for myself as Lord Zillor’s right-hand man, but wow... that stings."
Did he just say Zillor?
That’s the same name I heard earlier... but who exactly is that?
"I’m Cassion. One of the personal guards of the Four Heavenly King, Lord Zillor."
Zillor... so that’s another one of the Four Heavenly Kings, different from Altera.
I don’t know much about demon hierarchy...
But if he’s in the personal guard, he must hold a position right below the Four Heavenly Kings themselves.
And we just happened to run into someone like that...
No.
This might actually be lucky.
Talking to ordinary demons would just waste time.
If we can deal with someone with real authority, this could work in our favor.
Of course, it’s also much more dangerous...
But for the kidnapped people, we’ll have to take that risk.
"My apologies. My name is... Ray."
I almost said my real name...
But managed to give a fake name just in time.
Mona knows who I am...
If my real name has spread, using an alias is the safest option.
"I’m Yuu."
"I’m Sora."
"I’m Luna, nanoda!"
Everyone else introduced themselves with fake names too.
Still...
Aren’t these names a little too simple?
Not that I’m in a position to criticize.
"Hmm. Ray, Yuu. And Sora, Luna... You guys escaped from the castle, right? That’s what the gate guards said."
"Uh... yes, that’s right."
The word “escaped” sounds bad, but the guards already believed that story.
Changing it now would only look suspicious, so I nodded.
Will he condemn us for running away?
I braced myself...
"I see... You’re all still young, huh? Must’ve been rough. That must’ve been hard on you."
For some reason, Cassion looked like he was about to cry.
What was that about?
"The hardliners... lately they’ve been doing whatever the hell they want. It’s bad enough for people like me, but now they’re trying to drag kids and women into the fighting. Damn bastards."
Hardliners?
Another unfamiliar term.
I always thought demons were the natural enemy of all living things...
But maybe it’s not that simple.
Maybe there’s something hidden beneath the surface—some complicated circumstances I know nothing about.
That thought suddenly crossed my mind.
"You’ve had a rough time, huh... But don’t worry. You’re safe now that you’re in this city. The hardliners won’t lay a hand on you here. This place was built by Lord Zillor to protect people like you."
"...I see."
"That said, there’s always the chance you’re spies for the hardliners. So, I need to ask you a few things. Would you mind coming with me?"
Cassion jerked his thumb toward a large building further inside.
Probably something like an adventurers’ guild or a knights’ headquarters.
"...Is this an interrogation?"
"Nothing that formal. It’ll take a bit of time, but I just want to ask you some questions. Like I said, there have been cases where hardliner spies slip in."
"Spies... huh."
"Yeah, but don’t sweat it. I’m not saying you are one. It’s something we do with everyone. So... you’ll cooperate, right?"
For an instant, Cassion shot us a sharp look.
Like he said, this is just a precaution. Something they do to everyone.
But if we refuse, that’ll definitely make him suspicious.
That would be bad...
But agreeing means walking straight into enemy territory.
Is it really okay to do that without any preparation?
"..."
I glanced at everyone else. They nodded, silently telling me to decide.
If possible, I want to avoid unnecessary danger...
But refusing would mean I don’t trust them. And if anything happens, I’ll protect them with everything I’ve got.
"...Understood. You just want to talk, right?"
I made my decision. We’d walk into their den.
Cassion grinned broadly, his expression bright and friendly.
"Thanks. Sometimes people complain, saying they hate being treated like suspects. In those cases, we don’t force them to talk... but we do keep them under surveillance. As long as you answer our questions, you’ve got nothing to worry about."
"Alright."
"Good. Follow me. This way."
And with that, we stepped into one of the demons’ strongholds.
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