When King Carl was thinking about Leo, the latter was heading to the checkpoint between the County of Stahlern and the neighboring territory. The reason for this was to serve as one of the escorts for the carriage coming from the neighboring territory to the royal capital.
“Well then, we’ll take it from here.”
“Yes. Thank you very much.”
It was Zald who was interacting with the captain of the neighboring territory’s escort team. Zald, this handsome man who rivaled even King Carl in looks, had a refreshing demeanor that made a good impression on both men and women alike. He was the perfect choice for such situations.
Leo and Sophie were standing on either side of him. Leo’s activities within the Stahlern territory were well-known in the surrounding areas, and no one asked about the presence of the young boy at this scene.
“Shall we go then, Leo?”
“What is it, Mr. Zald?”
“Get inside. It seems there are some who are scared this time as well.”
“Alright~.”
Leo nodded his head at Zald’s request, readily agreeing before climbing into the carriage’s cargo bed. The passengers inside visibly tensed and backed away in clear apprehension.
Their behavior could have easily been seen as rude, but Leo merely gave a wry smile. This was his third mission of this kind, and he had encountered the same reaction every time.
“You don’t need to be wary. I’m one of you.”
After saying this, Leo began to transform into his demon form. As his head morphed into that of a majestic lion, the occupants’ wary gazes shifted to confusion.
All of the passengers in the carriage were demons. They had been gathered from various countries by King Carl’s subordinates. The Republic army had already been driven out, so the demons were unnecessary. The countries that had a strong dislike for and fear of these beings had decided to dispose of the surviving demons.
However, even if they were no longer needed, the demons still had the will to live. As long as they were alive, they did not want to die. Many tried to escape at any given opportunity, and their physical abilities often allowed them to succeed.
And King Carl selected those who were not criminals among them. He arranged for their covert transport and ensured they reached this place without attracting attention.
Incidentally, the kingdom of Harlasia was not the only one to collect demons. There were other rulers who rejected the negative views of gods hostile to demons, and who, emotional arguments aside, recognized the value of demons.
However, because Harlasia selected based on character, the number of demons they scouted was small. Other countries, which prioritized combat ability, actively recruited even those demons who had turned to banditry.
“Are you…. a demon too?”
“Yeah. I became a demon before any of you did. After all, we were turned into demons right after big brother…. the first demon.”
“But just now…”
“Demons like us, the earliest ones, are different. Apparently, the method used on us was a bit different. Do you know about the Empire’s special operations unit?”
At the mention of the special operations unit, the demons’ expressions changed again, this time to fear. Having survived the war against the Republic which was also known as the Demon War, they were familiar with the special operations unit. This unit that was surrounded by many rumors and legends.
It was said to be the world’s first demon unit. It was said to be the strongest unit led by the strongest demon. It was said to be a unit that always achieved results. It was said to be a gathering of failures. It was said to be more ferocious and ruthless than any other demon. It was said that they survived by hiding in enemy territory and feeding on the flesh and blood of enemy soldiers. Only rumors, mixing truth and lies, had spread.
Therefore, they had no choice but to respect Leo just because he was from the special operations Unit. Even if the stories were exaggerated, the strength of the Special Ops Unit was far greater than theirs, and if the tales of their brutality were true, they didn’t want to risk angering them and getting hurt by them.
In reality, the special operations unit led by Antares was far more powerful than the demons in the carriage imagined, and there was none of the rumored brutality. Knowing these rumors circulated among the demons, Leo couldn’t help but smile wryly to himself.
“More importantly, you should sit down. It’s going to get bumpy once we start moving.”
Leo asked them to sit down with a smile on his face. The demons exchanged glances and decided to sit down for the time being. Once everyone was seated, Leo lightly tapped the bottom of the carriage and the carriage slowly began to move.
An awkward silence prevailed inside the carriage. There were two reasons for this. One was that the demons here had fled from various countries and were not acquaintances from before. They were strangers who had only been together since entering the kingdom, and they had not yet formed any bonds.
But the second reason held more weight. They still could not trust the Kingdom of Harlasia, or rather, any country or ruler.
The demons in the carriage had been treated as tools of war. Though they managed to escape, they needed food to survive. With no choice but to resort to stealing from farms and villages, it was the kingdom’s intelligence agents who extended a helping hand.
These agents provided them with food and helped them escape, even though they were fugitives. But the demons who were forced into a life of hardship couldn’t shake off the suspicion that they would ultimately be deceived and exploited.
Even though Leo was a demon and a young one at that, it was hard for them to trust anyone on the side of the kingdom. Leo understood that from experience, so he didn’t mind. However, he was there to try to ease their hearts at least a little and to do that, he had to start a conversation.
“Huh? Miss, your belly…?”
“Y-Yes. I’m pregnant.”
While observing the demons, Leo tried to find a way to start a conversation. He noticed one woman’s slightly swollen belly. He was curious so he asked, and sure enough, she seemed to be pregnant.
“Coming this far while pregnant must have been tough. I remember my mom having a hard time when she was carrying my sister.”
“Your sister?”
“Yeah. She’s far away now, and I can’t see her.”
Leo found himself glancing south, even though all he could see was the carriage’s cover. His thoughts drifted to his distant sister, parents, and friends.
For a moment, Leo’s face showed a hint of sadness, but he quickly smiled again. He then decided to share some advice on raising a demon baby.
“The baby will probably be a demon. Whether it’s a boy or a girl, a demon is a demon. You should remember that their strength will be very different from that of an ordinary baby.”
“Wait, hold on! The baby will be a demon too?”
“Yes, that’s right. Apparently, the guy who figured out how to create demons wanted to create a new race.”
Leo shared some advice about the baby, but it was the man next to the pregnant woman who reacted. Even though he had been turned into a demon himself, he hadn’t expected it to affect his child.
The reactions of those who heard that their children would also become demons were varied. Some were stunned, others were in despair, and still others shook their heads in disbelief. No one reacted positively, but Leo accepted these reactions as natural.
“There’s no need to be so pessimistic. His Majesty has declared that demons will be accepted as citizens. He’s shown us and the children a way other than being soldiers. In fact, one of my friends is an apprentice accountant for a noblewoman.”
Bolts, the only one from the former special operations unit not present, was now working on the finances of a count’s household; he was using the knowledge he had gained as the son of a merchant. Although he was still a minor and not entrusted with important documents, it was true that he was working as a civil servant doing desk work. This was also due to Zald’s advice not to trust him with important documents yet.
Even though they didn’t have any special skills, there were plenty of jobs for those with no special skills or those unfit for combat. Most of them were jobs that took advantage of the demon’s strong body, such as land cultivation and manual labor in urban areas.
This acceptance was not solely due to the policy proposed by King Carl, who enjoyed immense popularity among the people. It was also because Leo, Zald, and Sophie were gaining fame through their vigorous efforts in defeating bandits.
“It’s not just my sister. The children of my friends are also cute, like fluffy little kittens. But they’re squishy like babies.”
“Hehe, is that so?”
The pregnant woman, perhaps unconsciously, smiled and gently rubbed her belly. Although she felt anxious upon hearing that her child would also be a demon, her instincts as a mother and her love for her child remained strong.
“Hey, are there any other things we should be aware of?”
“Uh, who are you?”
“I’m the father of this child. The baby in her belly is ours.”
The man beside the woman asked seriously about raising the child. He too seemed determined to raise their child as a father. Leo was impressed by his spirit and provided as much advice as he could.
Then the other demons began asking about the details of the jobs they could be introduced to and the conditions they would face if they became soldiers. Leo answered all their questions openly and shared all the information he knew.
“Hey, you mentioned the special operations unit earlier, right? Is there really the strongest demon like the rumors say?”
“You mean big brother, right? Yeah, he exists. And those rumors don’t do him justice; he’s incredibly strong. If he got serious, not even the entire special operations unit together could beat him. Well, he’s probably on the south side of the Shumie Mountain range by now. I wonder if everyone is doing well.”
Leo stared south again. The other demons were dumbfounded by the idea of someone crossing the Shumie Mountain range, which was beyond common sense for them. They were also dumbfounded by Leo’s complete confidence that they had succeeded.
Leave a Reply