After having lunch, I and Celica resumed gathering intelligence in the royal capital.
Next we went to the slums near the capital's outer wall.
It seems this is the first time Celica has come to this dirty place, she's cuddling on me with her arm linked to mine. She looks a bit sweaty.
On the contrary, I step lightly.
Because I know that I don't need to hold back now that there's no god.
It's like a thorn in your side been picked off.
It feels very refreshing.
I arrived in front of a stone house inside the slums.
It's a two-storied building that looks like a solid prison.
I knock at the door made of thick wood.
Then, a small window on the door opened, and a man peeked out. Sharp eyes, he's not an ordinary man.
"....Member card?"
"Don't have one."
"Then scram."
"Still not good with this?"
I took out a big medal-like 【Emblem of Hero】 from my Wafuku's breast pocket.
The man on the other side of the door held his breath.
"U... Hero..."
"Don't worry. I'm a guest."
"Aa..."
With a click the door opened.
--Well, I could've smashed it if I wanted since I have the Emblem of Hero.
I did not do it cause I'm thinking of establishing a connection and prevent animosity in the future.
There's a skinhead man with a wound on his cheek standing beside the opened door.
"....Go ahead."
"Excuse me."
I went into the building with Celica.
A dim room. The wide is average, there's only one counter. There's a door in the back.
Sour smell drifted in. The smell of people who haven't bathed.
"Looks like your business's thriving."
The skinhead man look troubled.
"I don't know how to respond that."
"Guess you're right. Are the slaves inside?"
"Yes.... Over here."
The man--the slave trader guides us inside.
The sour smell became even stronger when we entered the door.
A windowless secret room. It's as wide as a classroom.
There's barely any light, the man goes to light a lamp when he enters.
Figures of men, women and children appeared along the wall.
All of them are chained, wearing dirty clothes.
There's more than 10 people.
I turn back and say.
"Celica, if you're not feeling well--"
"...I'm fine. I'll stay with Keika-sama."
Her looks pale face, she's biting her lips. However, her fingers are gripping my Wafuku's sleeve. Looks like she's afraid to be left alone.
"Don't worry."
Then the slave trader speaks.
"These are slaves that you can buy right now."
"Hmm...."
I look at every one of them with <<Truth Sight>>.
Magic to see through abilities and skills.
However, there's no slave I wanted. Slaves with 【Light】 element.
I found a being that's out-of-place here.
A good-looking boy with long limbs is actually a monster.
The monster is called 【Poison Shape】, it gets close to people by imitating their looks and then it would eat them when they let their guard down.
What to do. This looks usable.
Celica suddenly gasps.
"Ah."
She strengthened the grip on my Wafuku.
"What's wrong?"
"No.... It's nothing."
Celica shakes her head with a stiff expression. Her blond hair glimmered faintly in the dim light.
I chase after Celica's glances.
There's a kind-looking auntie there. She's hugging a slave girl who seems to be attached to her.
--------------------
【Status】
Name: Clarissa
Gender: Female
Age: 41
Race: Human
Job: Slave (Royal Court Chef)
Class: Cook Lv 49
Element: 【Earth】
--------------------
....Royal court. I see.
Celica's acquaintance huh.
While I was lost in thought, the slave trader showed off a man.
"If you're looking for someone who can fight, how about this man?"
The skinhead brings the lamp on the wall near the man. Lighting a bearded man with muddy eyes.
"He looks weak."
"This man was a former gladiator. He has an excellent handling of weapons."
I stare at the man. His abilities are high but he's fallen to 【Alcohol Addiction】.
"He's no good. He has a symptom of alcoho--drinking addiction. I don't think he can work properly."
"....As expected of Hero-sama. You certainly have good eyes."
"Don't you have any Sinner?"
"There's a lot of demands for sinners, so they're immediately shipped every time we get one. They're very popular for ceremonies, sacrifices and such."
"I see... The man that fought in the final--that Leo guy, what happened to him?"
"They're still discussing to judge whether that man is a Sinner or not. It looks like they can't come to a conclusion."
"Is that so.... Then can you tell me about the other Sinners? From hereafter."
I spoke while glancing at the Emblem of Hero.
The skinhead slave trader speaks while patting his head.
"I'm doing a business here...."
"A business to support the demon king?"
"Don't be absurd. It's an honest clean business."
"I'm not obstructing your business. You can tell the information after you've sold the sinners. There should be no loss for you."
"I'll lose trust, I can't do this."
I ask while putting my hand on my Tachi.
"Then, do you want to die."
"What? What are you saying Hero-sama."
"I want information about Sinners. I'll cut you down if you're not going to share them."
"If you kill me...."
"Your replacements are everywhere. Right? Then I can just keep cutting down slave traders until I found one who would tell me where the Sinners were taken to."
The slave trader looks at me with cold eyes.
"....Hero-sama, are you sane? Even if you're a hero, you can't just kill someone innocent without repercussion you know?"
"Even if it's an underling of demon king who brought a monster into the capital?"
"Eh....?"
"That good-looking boy over there. He looks like a human, but he's a vampire right? Look."
I approached the boy and sprinkled him with water from the gourd on my waist.
"GYAAA!"
The boy seemed in pain and then his eyes turned red and his canine teeth grew.
The slaves were thrown into panic.
"Hii", "Help!", "I don't wanna die!"
The slave trader is panicking.
"N-no way! I-I'm--"
"You're selling a vampire as a slave to kill people who buy him right? As a hero who has the right to decide anything related to demon king, I will judge you. It's death penalty."
I quickly draw my sword and thrust it before the slave trader's neck.
"Ha....! It's a mistake! I don't know anything!"
"You can't talk your way out this, not with the evidence and all."
"No way! --a."
The boy who grew fangs tore the chain and came attacking.
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