The Village of Fugitives

“Good deeds done by you?”

The words came out skeptical. What kind of good deeds could someone do after summoning a demon? Was there even such a thing as summoning a demon with good intentions? If one truly wanted to do a good deed, wouldn’t it be better to summon an angel instead?

“Unlike my usual self, I’ve recently taken on the role of protecting a village. You could say I’ve been hired as a security guard.”

He spoke and gave me a playful wink with one eye. Ignoring the gesture, I turned around and addressed the group.

“What do you think? Shall we go see?”

“Is there no risk of it being a trap?”

“The only one we trust is Master Andrealphus, our Commander’s friend. To follow someone of unknown identity, especially a demon…….”

As the knights began to voice their concerns, Azrael remained silent, his lips pressed tightly together. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to avoid expressing an opinion prematurely or if he was staying quiet because they were technically supposed to be enemies.

To be honest, the current situation was quite troublesome. I didn’t have the heart to rain magic down on an enemy who looked as clearly human as Saleos did. Moreover, he was an NPC I was quite friendly with. We had built some rapport, and unless he was actively committing evil acts, I saw no reason to fight him. If he was truly doing good deeds, then even more so.

However, this world was clearly a place where demons were killed on sight. The only reason a battle hadn’t started yet was likely because I seemed close to him.

This is tricky. I let my eyes dart around for a moment before deciding to speak up before Azrael, the decision-maker, could say anything.

“Why don’t we go check out this ‘good deed’ he’s talking about before we decide whether to fight? Besides, we need to get compensated for the dinner his goose gobbled up.”

“……Hmm.”

“Mmm…….”

“Hrmm…….”

Various sounds of reluctant agreement escaped them. I decided to add one more point.

“Wouldn’t it be better to see what he’s guarding? Maybe we can find a clue about the Demon King.”

At those words, Azrael replied heavily.

“If that is your opinion, let us do so. But, Andrealphus.”

“Yes.”

“If we follow him, we will be walking straight into his den. If a battle breaks out, do you have the confidence to stand by our side?”

I answered that question with difficulty.

“I will never let you guys die.”

Azrael gave a bitter smile at my response. But this was the best answer I could give. Just because I liked Azrael didn’t mean I was the type to do anything for him regardless of the circumstances. This was a separate issue from my feelings for him.

“I see. That is how it is, then. What say you?”

He asked his knights for their opinions in a slightly hushed voice. For some reason, I felt a sudden pang of fear. I felt as though Azrael was disappointed in me. I had a feeling that if he were in a life-or-death situation, he might not reach out his hand to me anymore.

“Subjugating demons is the continent’s duty. It is not a matter we can ignore just because of a friendship with Andrealphus.”

“Later, if this situation becomes known, we could be accused of colluding with demons.”

The knights’ reactions were quite skeptical. Thanks to the bond we had built, they didn’t treat me as an enemy, but it didn’t seem like things would go smoothly. I bit my lip in anxiety. It was then.

“I believe we should follow him and verify his words. If he hasn’t committed any evil, it’s a matter we can reconsider after the Demon King’s subjugation.”

It was Simon. He spoke as if he were making a cold, practical calculation, but bringing up such a point in this situation was effectively taking my side.

“If Andrealphus does not help us, fighting him now or fighting in his den makes no difference anyway. We cannot face the Demon King after suffering heavy losses here.”

Everyone implicitly realized the truth in that. Since Simon’s words weren’t logically flawed, everyone fell back into silence.

“I really don’t understand. The people here are so unconditionally hostile toward demons. Life must be harsh for you all.”

“And yet you seem to be living quite well?”

“Of course, things are fine now. But my darling wouldn’t know how much I’ve suffered here.”

Saleos whispered in my ear. I don’t know if I should call it whispering or just speaking softly, but that’s what happened. By the way, is he living among people? I arched an eyebrow. The place he’s taking us isn’t that place from a few days ago, right?

“Do no demons live here?”

“All the demons here are summoned ones. Led here by some purpose and summoned.”

“Demons mostly throw the world into chaos,” John said sharply.

“Most demons who are summoned and act conspicuously end up that way. But if one summons a demon and lives peacefully, there’s no reason to reveal they’ve summoned one, right? It would turn the entire continent into an enemy.”

Saleos replied smoothly to John, who had interjected. It was a natural response, as if he had had this conversation many times before.

“Even if you put it that way, it is an undeniable fact that demons disturb the world just by existing. That is the reason we must subjugate the Demon King.”

“Well, that is true, but…….”

“How can it not be dangerous when your very existence drains the world’s light and turns surrounding monsters into demonic beasts?”

At the blatant hostility, Saleos let out a sigh. He looked tired, which was unlike him. Since he was a character who usually experienced favor, it made sense if he had been enduring blind hostility all this time.

“Only a Demon King can influence the world to that extent. Especially for a small fry like me. Unless I personally go around destroying forests, the world won’t get worse because of me.”

“…….”

“……Then for now, let us verify it for ourselves.”

Azrael spoke with a face full of exhaustion. This time, I felt truly sorry, feeling as though I had become a burden. If I hadn’t cooked, we wouldn’t have met the goose or Saleos. Saleos wouldn’t have had to encounter a Demon King subjugation team and could have lived his usual life.

“Yes, once you see it for yourselves, you’ll know what I mean.”

Saleos gave a satisfied smile at Azrael’s answer.

The place Saleos led us to was a certain village. My eyes widened. Unlike the village from a few days ago, this place was full of efforts to remain hidden from human sight. The low roofs were covered with grass and moss, and the streets were hidden under the shade of trees that were about the same height as the roofs. The entire village was situated in a lower depression than its surroundings. Furthermore, stealth and protection magic covered the entire village like a barrier. If it hadn’t been for Saleos, I felt like I would have passed right by without ever noticing it.

“What is this place?”

I looked at Saleos with wide eyes. Saleos bowed elegantly.

“Allow me to introduce you. This is the Village of Fugitives, protected by me, Saleos.”

“Village of Fugitives……?”

“Mostly people who left their homes to escape the war.”

Saleos spoke and gave a wink.

“Even if you end up fighting me, you’ll pretend you didn’t see the people of this village, right?”

I frowned in disbelief. Saleos looked at the expressions of our party and gave a hollow laugh.

“What were you going to do if we didn’t pretend not to see them?”

“I figured it would work out somehow.”

“You said you’re protecting the villagers? And yet you bring a knight order here?”

When I pinched his side, Saleos made a huge fuss. But frustrated by this Catch-22 situation, I pinched his side even harder.

“Surrender, surrender! That really hurts!”

“Explain yourself properly. I’m about to start doubting you myself. Protect? Protect what? Did you bring the knights here to start a fight with the villagers or something?”

At my cold words, Saleos raised both hands in surrender. Despite his mountain-like stature, he was still as prone to exaggeration as ever. This guy gets quiet in truly serious situations but talks non-stop nonsense when there’s even a bit of leeway.

“No, no. It’s not like that. I want you to subjugate the Demon King, and I have the information you need for that. But as you can see, I’m a demon, right? It was obvious your companions wouldn’t believe me, so I just brought you here to show you something that would earn your trust.”

“You have information?”

“Of course. Information about the Demon King’s summoner, about the Demon King himself, why he was summoned, why an incomplete village was made……. I know it all.”

Saleos said that and grinned. When his fangs showed, he looked quite demonic.

“……It is hard to believe.”

“The probability of it being a trap is high, isn’t it?”

The knights reacted skeptically. A surge of annoyance that they couldn’t just trust someone I knew briefly flared up in a corner of my mind before subsiding. It would be ridiculous for NPCs going to subjugate a Demon King to take a demon’s word at face value. However, finding it all too bothersome, I decided to leave them be instead of stepping in to persuade them.