We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
The rebellious inferno.
“Ah, this is… what is happening!”
The dim veil of night was beginning to spread across the sky.
But on the ground, fires blazed a fiery red.
Houses were burning. Fields were burning. The debris scattered on the roads burned, engulfing everything on the ground in flames.
Gondo let out a scream. Then, standing up from the driver’s seat, he began to run, his gaze fixed on the burning city.
“Lord Gondo!”
Listea urgently tried to stop Gondo.
“No, it’s dangerous to go there now!”
In the city engulfed by flames, many people were fleeing in confusion.
Demons and slaves alike, everyone was running from the fire.
But we also clearly perceived a different shadow.
There were those attacking the people who were fleeing, searching for a place untouched by the flames.
Attackers from behind the people screaming and running, weapons in hand. Those who had taken up arms to resist were being attacked by groups. In the city engulfed in flames, a heat of madness seemed to dominate, more intense than the heat of the fire.
“But my sons are there…!”
The usually gentle Gondo was frantic, struggling to break free from Listea’s restraint.
Slaton joined in to help restrain Gondo.
“Please, calm down! If Lord Gondo goes there now, it will only increase the number of casualties.”
“That’s not just a fire. Someone clearly set fire to the city to cause a disturbance. Look, aren’t there people slaughtering the residents?”
Although Gondo lacked combat skills and appeared to be a stout, unathletic individual, he was still a demon. It looked like Listea and Slaton were barely able to hold him back.
Listea and Slaton desperately tried to persuade Gondo to stop his rampage. However, instead of calming down, Gondo became half-mad and thrashed within their arms.
“I understand your concern for your sons. But if Lord Gondo himself becomes a victim, it will be unbearable!”
“Calm down! If you keep thrashing around here, we’ll be found too. Let’s go with our respective strengths, shall we? Right?”
The country of the Mad Abyss Demon Lord, across which we had traveled so far, was mostly plains.
The place where we now stood was also on a low hill overlooking a vast plain, allowing visibility of the surroundings.
In other words, just as we could see the city engulfed in flames, it was possible that someone rampaging in the city could spot our presence!
“First of all, we retreat! Let’s turn back to the other side of the hill and hide!”
Following Listea’s orders, the slaves began to move in a hurry.
The driver took the reins, and everyone pushed the horses and carriages into the shade of the hill.
During this time, Listea and Slaton continued to desperately persuade the half-madly rampaging Gondo.
“We will go and survey the situation. So please remain here, Lord Gondo.”
“But my sons! Oh, my family!”
“It’s alright, rest assured! We’ll save them. Now, tell us. Where in the city do your sons live, and what do they look like?”
Even from a distance, the situation was clearly dire for the entire city.
Everywhere was burning, and people were fleeing in panic. And there were those who mercilessly attacked the fleeing people.
Was it an attack by bandits, a conflict between lords, or perhaps…?
But no matter what, Kando rushing into the city would not improve the situation.
Rather, it would be terrible if Gondo also became a victim.
But, Listea, Slaton, and I would be different!
It was not brute courage, nor arrogance.
But I believed we could surely achieve our goal amidst that chaos.
With Listea and Slaton’s desperate persuasion, Gondo regained a sliver of his sanity.
“My son… Goran has a similar build to me, his hair color is green, though he might be bald by now. But his appearance is very much like mine, his parent.”
“That makes it easier to search!”
“We will absolutely find and rescue them, so please wait here, Lord Gondo.”
“Goran… Ah, and my daughter-in-law and grandchildren too…!”
“You even have grandchildren?!”
“What a bother,” Slaton said, a confident, roguish smile on his face. Perhaps it struck the demon lord Gondo, as a glimmer of sanity returned to his eyes.
“Gordon and his family live near the Lord’s mansion. It’s a house with a blue roof. The Lord’s mansion is in the southern part of the city! Please, please save my sons!”
“Leave it to us.”
“If they live near the Lord’s mansion, they might have fled to the Lord’s mansion during this disturbance? The Lord and your family have known each other for a long time, right? Then they’ll surely be safe!”
We nodded reassuringly at Gondo.
If the entire city was engulfed in flames due to someone’s scheme, the Baron, the Lord, would surely be taking action. And since Gondo’s family and the Lord were acquaintances and neighbors, they must surely be protected.
“Well then, let’s go repay a favor received on our journey.”
There was no longer any need to physically restrain Gondo.
Slaton psyched himself up. Beside him, Listea also began preparations for their upcoming actions.I?
Of course, I was fully prepared!
Lady Mine and Lady Anna were also eager.
But I stopped Lady Mine and Lady Anna at that point.
“I’m sorry, but I need you two to stay here.”
But, they tilted their heads, the two from Shooting Star.
Lady Mine and Lady Anna, as clergy, wanted to help those in need.
They genuinely wanted to save Gondo’s family, and the people fleeing and injured in the city.
However, on this occasion, I could not send the two of them to the city.
Because if Lady Mine and Lady Anna left the caravan, we would have no one to guard us, right?
Lord Reed?
Unfortunately, Lord Reed was once again observing our situation from a distance.
He seemed to be paying attention to the burning city, but he did not actively move or offer opinions.
He seemed to be entrusting the initiative to us completely, observing everything from a protective stance.
“Lady Mine and Lady Anna, please remain here as Gondo’s guards. And if you two stay, Lord Reed will also guard us.”
Lord Reed did not actively interfere with our actions. However, he was guaranteeing the safety of the two from Shooting Star.
In other words, if Lady Mine and Lady Anna remained here, and if some ruffians came towards us, I believe Lord Reed would protect everyone under the pretense of “protecting the Shooting Stars.”
“My, my, my, you’ve thought this out?”
Lady Reed smiled, as if amused, having read my intentions.
“But in that case, I won’t be able to act with Eruru. Is that alright?”
“Lord Reed, it’s fine. I’ve been wanting to be of some use soon, so I’ll do my best without a guardian!”
In a situation like this, being unable to do anything would be meaningless after all the training I’ve undergone.
Training is merely preparation to be useful in actual combat, so I would not prioritize training in a situation that calls for real action!
At my enthusiasm, Lord Reed said, “In that case,” and summoned the Wind Spirit.
Even so, it was in a state where it was not manifested.
“If anything happens, please contact this child.”
A gentle breeze caressed my neck.
Listea and the others, unable to perceive the spirit’s form or presence, watched the exchange between me and Lord Reed with puzzled expressions.
“Hey, hurry up!”
Slaton urged us, so Listea and I performed a final check.
“Only the three of us will head to the city. Our target is the southern part of the city, the Lord’s mansion and Gondo’s family home. Don’t get involved with anything else, understand?”
“Yes, full speed ahead!”
The top priority is to secure Gondo’s family safely.
We can think about everything else after that!
Listea, Slaton, and I crossed the hill and ran towards the city at full speed.
As time passed, the sky grew darker.
However, on the ground, the eerie glow of the scarlet flames only intensified, showing no sign of subsiding.
“The fields, with only furrows before planting, are burning?!”
“Eluru, Slanel, be careful. This is no ordinary fire!”
“It’s magic fire! That means it’s the demons, right?”
The soil was burning. The roads were burning.
Things that shouldn’t burn were burning. That means it was not natural fire, but fire caused by someone’s actions.
“Then, the ones rampaging in the city…!?”
“I don’t know, it’s best not to have preconceived notions.”
“It doesn’t matter if they’re demons or anyone else. Orazzzz! Run with more spirit!”
We cut through the fields spreading out in the outskirts of the city and entered the burning city.
And there, we witnessed a scene far more gruesome than we had anticipated.
“Gyaaaahhh!”
“P-please help me!”
Men and women in plain clothes were being attacked by rampaging men with weapons. If it were only that, it might be a scene seen in the midst of chaos.
However, the chaos unfolding within the city was beyond anything our common sense could comprehend.
“You are traitors!”
“Even though we are all humans, why are only you happy!”
“Those of you who don’t join our rebellion are traitors to humanity!”
“Kill all the Demon Race people!!”
We were speechless.
Since we are of the Human Race, we cannot distinguish between races.
However, we could tell from their appearance.
People in worn-out clothing were attacking those in decent attire.
Both the attackers and the attacked were slaves, and they were humans!
“Hey, you guys!!”
Slaton shouted in anger.
But Listea immediately stopped him.
“Stop it, Slanel! No, we can’t stop it right now.”
Not only Listea, but also Slaton and I had realized it.
This was a slave rebellion!
The wave of slave rebellion that had erupted in the southern part of the Mad Abyss Demon Lord’s country had reached this city!
And the rebel army of slaves was attacking the demons and slaves living in the city.
But… how could this be…
The rebel army, which should have risen to escape demonic rule, was wielding swords against fellow humans.
The rebel army’s reasoning was absurd.
If they joined the rebellion with us, they were “companions,” but if not, they were “enemies” to be killed mercilessly?!
Such a preposterous theory could not possibly be accepted!
I could understand why Slaton was bursting with anger.
However.
However…
“Securing Lord Gondo’s family is the top priority! We entered this city for that purpose, don’t forget! Don’t look away, don’t hesitate, run!!”
At Listea’s reprimand, Slaton and I looked only forward and began to run.
“This can’t be… This is the reality of the slave rebellion…!”
We ran through the burning city, avoiding unnecessary sights and sounds.
Around us, many people were screaming for help.
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