Chapter 88

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This is the second time, and even Naigas can only be speechless.

Moreover, it's an emergency—no, perhaps because it's an emergency.

Even as a suspicious group of six, cloaked and hooded, walk by, no one stops to ask questions, as if they're all too busy.

“The security in the capital is still as lax as ever…”

“There’s no enemy country, and no one expects demons to come in. Plus, there are more people dressed like us than you’d think.”

There are also many people who have lost their homes and now live on the streets.

Among them are those who, like Naigas and the others, wear robes.

“But shouldn’t the news of the hostages escaping have spread? If so, I would think they’d tighten security.”

“If they tighten it, they might suspect something’s up.”

“Still… no, in the end, it’s because Flamm and the others haven’t escaped from the castle, so they’re just securing the area around it, right?”

Her guess was correct.

In fact, the number of Chimera guarding the castle has been increasing day by day.

Under normal circumstances, the sight of so many such monsters lined up would make the remaining residents of the capital tremble with fear—but—

“…It’s quite a sight.”

Milkit muttered softly.

“When Chimeras blend in this much, it’s a bit unsettling, isn’t it?”

“It seems the townspeople have accepted them.”

When Keraina said this, Harom, who was being carried, leaned anxiously into his mother’s chest.

Thanks to the Chimeras’ efforts in clearing debris and rescuing people trapped under rubble, the capital is in a much better state than it was immediately after the incident.

Countless lives have been saved, and while their appearance is indeed terrifying, their contributions have earned the trust of the residents.

“As long as they’re not misused, they are quite convenient… but you never know when they might go berserk.”

“They are creatures created using Cores, after all. You can’t predict when they might lose control.”

However, the general public is unaware of the dangers of Cores, or even of their existence.

Or, if they do know, they might think it’s a useful power and try to use it.

That’s human nature.

That’s why the former hero entrusted the management of the Origin to the demons.

“Hey, this is…”

Milkit bent down and picked up a piece of paper that had fallen on the ground.

“Is it a newspaper?”

“It seems so. It looks like an article about how dangerous the Chimeras are… and it mentions Cores too.”

The general public, of course, is unaware of the existence of Origin Cores.

Those who know about them are limited to people associated with the church or those who oppose them.

Moreover, if it’s someone who makes newspapers, it’s not hard to identify them.

“Maybe it was written by Welcy?”

“Welcy, you say?”

Sera tilted her head in confusion.

“Sera, you know about Leach, right?”

“Of course, I got a ring from her for the Kiara’s request.”

Sera showed Milkit the ring on her right index finger.

However, upon hearing the words “got a ring,” Naigas couldn’t help but react.

“W-What do you mean, ‘got a ring,’ Sera! I’m right here! And giving a ring to an eleven-year-old girl… what kind of pedophile is that!”

“You’re the last person who should say that.”

“Ugh…”

Naigas staggered, clutching her chest.

In front of Sera, she was utterly powerless.

“Anyway, do you have time to joke around? We’ve pushed ourselves to the limit and are exhausted.”

“Actually, if I don’t distract myself by talking to Sera, I might collapse any moment.”

Naigas’s magic power was significantly drained from flying everyone continuously.

Before starting to gather information, they needed to find a place to stay and wait for her to recover—so they were heading towards the eastern district to look for a hideout.

“Well, if talking helps, that’s fine. Ah, sorry, I got off topic.”

“It’s okay, Sera really gets along well with Naigas, doesn’t she?”

“Saying that just makes her get carried away, so it’s better to avoid it.”

Indeed, Naigas was grinning foolishly, saying “Hehehe…”

Sera sighed at the sight.

To Milkit, it seemed Sera wasn’t entirely displeased either.

“So, who’s Welcy?”

“She’s Leach’s younger sister and a newspaper journalist.”

“Because she knew about Cores, Milkit thought she might have written this newspaper.”

Ink’s words made Milkit nod.

“Welcy might be involved in anti-government activities, rebelling against her brother who sided with Satouki.”

“So, she might be on our side.”

They were allies, but from the fact that the newspaper was discarded, it was clear that Welcy’s newspaper wasn’t taken seriously by the residents of the capital.

Humans are less likely to accept information that is unfavorable to them.

The Chimeras are useful.

Satouki is putting all his efforts into reconstruction, and his intentions to improve the lives of the people through measures like the legalization of herbs and tax reductions are evident.

Moreover, he has openly declared his intention to destroy the demons, the enemies of humanity, and to minimize the burden on the country by using the Chimeras—what he calls “the next-generation war.”

Currently, there’s no reason not to support such a Satouki.

It’s obvious to everyone that Slough is a puppet, and while there are certainly people who resent him, the supporters are overwhelmingly in the majority.

“More manpower is always better. As a journalist, she’s probably good at gathering information, so it would be great if we could join forces.”

“But with articles like these, she’s probably already on the military’s radar and is hiding.”

“That means we’re in the same position, so we might be able to meet her easily.”

“That would be great.”

Walking down the wide street, they inevitably attract attention.

Once they entered a dim alley, Naigas and Sera took the lead.

There were few people around, but here and there, people were sitting on the ground, hugging their knees with dark expressions.

They were probably people who had lost their homes.

Among them were children around Sera’s age—she almost reached out to help, but Naigas stopped her.

They were being pursued and needed to avoid drawing attention. Helping one person would likely draw a crowd of others asking for help.

Sera squinted and muttered, “It’s frustrating.”

The Naigas walking beside her gently patted her head.

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A dark room, devoid of light, was illuminated in a crimson hue by a small flame on a piece of paper.

The fire was too weak to burn the paper, but its purpose was to draw words on the surface.

It was a magic called Burn Projection—copying what she saw, which Welcy was skilled at.

In her field of vision was a single piece of paper.

A handwritten newspaper.

Replicating it and spreading the truth to as many people as possible was the driving force behind Welcy’s current mission.

“Phew…”

She had limits in both physical strength and magic power.

Being neither particularly strong nor powerful, she could only manage to replicate about thirty sheets a day.

Such a small number wouldn’t change anything.

Sometimes she felt discouraged.

Leach was probably worried about her.

She had handed over Milkit and the others because her sister-in-law had been taken hostage.

If she were in the same position, she would have done the same.

It was a necessary action, and there was no need to resent it.

“But I can’t… forgive it.”

Was it a sense of justice or stubbornness?

Regardless, even though she knew it was unreasonable, Welcy’s emotions wouldn’t allow it.

Even if it was meaningless, she would continue to resist.

She didn’t want to become a person who bowed to authority and abandoned her dignity.

That’s why she had no intention of stopping.

Even if her words didn’t reach Satouki, even if only one person listened to her truth, she would keep writing articles, hoping for that.

Welcy reached for the next piece of paper.

It was often scrap paper or crudely glued together, but gathering it was a challenge in itself.

Each sheet was a precious resource.

She carefully placed it in her palm and activated her magic.

However, a creaking sound interrupted her concentration.

The soldiers might have found her location.

To them, Welcy was not a threat but a nuisance.

Spreading lies and insulting the king and the pope through her newspaper was enough reason to be detained.

She had found an abandoned house, but now she would have to find another place.

Welcy headed for the back door, planning to escape before she was discovered.

“Oh, this place isn’t so bad, is it?”

“Looking for a place to live like this is a bit much, don’t you think?”

“I know it’s wrong, but it’s an emergency… I’ll use it carefully, so it should be fine.”

“Mom… I’m scared…”

“It’s just dark. I’m here with you, so don’t worry.”

She heard six voices.

Among them was one she recognized.

“Could it be… why are you here?”

She stopped her escape and hid, observing the situation.

However, hiding from Naigas was impossible.

“There’s someone else here.”

Naigas stared at the wall where Welcy was hiding, and her heart raced, sweat pouring from her body.

“W-What… is this…”

Welcy, feeling an unknown sensation, instinctively clutched her chest.

Could humans feel this much discomfort just from being glared at?

With no intention of being hostile, she raised her hands and stepped out in front of Naigas and the others.

“Welcy!?”

Milkit was the first to call out.

“Oh, it’s you? I’m sorry for the intimidation.”

Naigas lightly clasped her hands in apology.

Welcy, seeing the color of Naigas’s skin, was shocked and widened her eyes.

“A-A demon!?”

“It’s Naigas. She helped us when we were captured.”

“I’m not a bad demon.”

Welcy was taken aback.

Of course, Naigas’s joke was ignored.

However, if a demon was on their side, it made sense why Milkit and the others were in the capital.

Satouki probably never imagined that demons would intervene to free the hostages.

“An enemy of my enemy is a friend?”

“More like, we were allies from the start.”

Welcy was still skeptical but convinced herself that they were more trustworthy than strangers.

“…If Milkit and Ink are safe, I can trust you, right?”

“Yes, that’s the best proof. By the way, are you alone, Welcy?”

“Yes, I ran away from home. No matter how much my sister-in-law was used as a shield, I couldn’t forgive my brother for betraying his friends.”

“I see, so that’s the situation.”

She had suspected as much, but hearing it directly from Welcy was reassuring.

For Milkit, who didn’t want to think of him as a bad person, this was a relief.

The betrayal was still a fact, but if there were reasons, they could return to their previous relationship.

“Since you’ve come all the way to the capital after being freed, you must be here to save Flamm and the others, right?”

“Do you know where Flamm is?”

“I don’t know where Flamm is.”

Milkit’s expression darkened.

But she said it first to avoid giving her false hope.

“But I know where the others are, so let’s sit down and talk. Unfortunately, I can’t offer you tea.”

There were no chairs in this dilapidated house, but Welcy led everyone to the room where she usually worked, and they each found a place to sit.

The exhausted Naigas let out a sigh as soon as she sat down.

“So, where are they? It seems they’re in the eastern wing of the castle.”

The barracks are on the west side of the castle, so Flamm’s location is completely opposite.

“Are they in the prison cells?”

“It’s not that strict. It’s more like house arrest… they’re in guest rooms and are allowed to walk around the castle to some extent. I’ve seen them walking by the windows.”

“It’s surprisingly lenient.”

“There’s no need to restrict them as long as they have hostages.”

“So, if we escape, Gadio and the others might try to escape too?”

Keraina’s words made Welcy put her hand to her chin in thought.

“Actually, the ones who are under house arrest are only Rynas, Gadio, and Eterna. They often appear at the king’s speeches and other events.”

“Slough really became the king, didn’t he…”

She had heard the story, but it was hard to believe.

Would Slough, an ordinary man, really be able to give speeches?

“Kilir sometimes appears in public, but she always looks unhappy and is always alone. As for Flamm, she hasn’t appeared once.”

“Satouki captured heroes and heroes to use them politically—maybe there’s a different reason for her.”

“Maybe they’re keeping her isolated because they’re afraid she’ll be destroyed by the reversal power of the Chimeras, which use Cores?”

“When we went to a different research facility, Master caused a reaction in people who used Cores just by being near them. Maybe they’re trying to avoid that.”

“Or maybe Flamm is a double hostage, insurance in case we escape?”

The possibilities were endless.

Each one seemed plausible, but there was no concrete evidence.

“Hmm… regardless of the reason, it seems Flamm is isolated. That’s why I don’t know where she is.”

“We should start by contacting the three who are under house arrest.”

“It’s not that simple. The castle is heavily guarded by Chimeras, making it difficult to get close.”

Of course, they didn’t plan to meet them face to face.

If they knew the room’s location, Naigas had a way to communicate.

“There’s a magic for situations like this. Right, Naigas?”

Sera’s gaze turned to Naigas, and her eyes showed a clear trust.

“I’m being relied on by Sera…!”

Naigas was unusually enthusiastic.

But it was just a matter of sending a note, so there was no need for so much energy.

Taking the paper and pen from Welcy, she began to write the message.

“First, we should tell them we’ve escaped, right?”

“Yes, but don’t write it directly. If other soldiers see it, they might realize we’re hiding in the capital.”

“I see… the first note I saw was also written in a way that others wouldn’t understand.”

“You’re surprisingly smart for someone who’s usually so scatterbrained.”

“Good behavior is important, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but if the content were a bit more serious, it would be better.”

Sera’s handling of Naigas had become increasingly rough, probably because she had seen her act lewdly.

“I’ve worked hard to save everyone…”

“You’re always happy when I insult you.”

“Not from anyone else, though!”

Naigas declared loudly.

The others were used to it, but Welcy, meeting her for the first time, was visibly taken aback.

“…That’s Naigas for you.”

“I don’t care, as long as Sera doesn’t hate me!”

She was already giving up.

Milkit, with a warm smile under her bandages, said,

“Ahaha… you two really get along well, don’t you?”

“I don’t like being thought of that way.”

Despite the trivial banter, Naigas completed the note.

The heavy atmosphere in the room had lifted.

Regardless of the content of the conversation, the mood had brightened thanks to her.

Naigas then went outside and used wind magic to send the note toward the castle.

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While waiting for a response, Milkit and the others lay down to rest from their journey.

The escape through the unfamiliar sky had left them more exhausted than the time it took.

Harom fell asleep in his mother’s arms as soon as he closed his eyes, and Keraina soon followed, leaning against the wall.

Milkit and Ink lay side by side on the floor, snoring softly.

Welcy, who had probably been lonely, watched them with a soft expression for a while before closing her eyes, seemingly influenced by them.

“Phew…”

On the other hand, Sera went outside and looked up at the sky.

This area in the eastern district had suffered less damage, and the scenery and air were not much different from when she left the capital.

She inhaled the familiar, slightly stagnant air deeply, thinking of someone important she hadn’t seen in a long time.

What had happened to the church in the central district?

Was Tina doing well?

Ed and Johnny—had been transformed into monsters.

It would be difficult to save them from that state.

She hoped someone close to them had at least made a grave for them.

She wanted to visit their graves when she had the time, as she hadn’t yet said goodbye to her brothers who