‘Oh? We’re already here? But a pass… what’s that?’
‘Unfortunately, I’ve never heard of such a thing.’
“Hey, stop… I said stop, didn’t I?”
‘…………’
Finally, as if understanding the guard’s warning, Leya halted on the road, less than thirty meters from the prison.
Oh, and by the way, this alley was truly desolate. It seemed every household had willingly moved away, unwilling to reside in such a wretched place.
Consequently, along this single, winding road, stretching for dozens of meters, only the Underground s*ave Prison stood, operating as usual.
Occasionally, if one listened closely, the peculiar chirps of small animals could be heard emanating from the surrounding vacant houses.
“Tell me, do you… know who I am?”
“Huh?” The two guards at the entrance exclaimed in surprise. “How can we see clearly from such a distance? But from your voice, we know you’re not one of the Guild of Roseland’s important council members. My brother and I have been guarding this damned place for ages, and it’s the first time we’ve seen a young girl come here, hehe.”
“Oh… is that so? Then that’s perfect…”
“Uh… wha-what are you saying? Little girl, but it’s so late. For a girl to dare come here alone, heh heh heh… you’re not lost, are you?” the guards remarked, a hint of teasing in their voices.
Because of the considerable distance, coupled with the inherently gloomy road, the two magic lamps at the prison entrance cast no light on Leya’s position.
Only after confirming all this did she act.
“System, transform. Jeanne…”
Firstly, according to her plan, Leya had intended to avoid revealing her true form if possible. She hadn’t anticipated that their conversation would lead her so close to the prison.
But it didn’t matter now; they hadn’t seemed to notice anything anyway.
“Wha… what is this light, what’s happening with this light!”
Judging by the magic fluctuations, these two guards appeared to possess Level 2 strength. This was a stark contrast to the two different Level 1 guards she’d encountered during her initial reconnaissance.
“Damn, damn it! You scoundrel! It moved… it seems to have moved!”
‘Still… they were merely individuals of such limited power.’
“Tsk, calm down! It’s just a ball of light, isn’t it? Haven’t you ever seen magic before? It must be that girl from earlier.”
“But… but… it looks like it’s heading towards us now!”
‘Walk? Heh heh…’
“Hmph, it’s just a girl, isn’t it? From her voice, she sounded barely a teenager. Look how terrified you are…”
“But… but!—”
Suddenly, a golden radiance in their eyes accelerated, moving with the swiftness of a golden bolt of lightning.
‘Such talkative fellows…’
Bang!
Bang! Instinctively, her hand moved, and the sword fell. Yet, it was the Jade Saintess Sword, still sheathed, that struck heavily against the back of their heads.
‘Hmph—’
She let out a deep breath.
‘She had expected an interesting battle, but it was over in less than two seconds. These guys really… were they even fighting seriously?’
‘So… what’s next?’
****
“Roar!—” A Minotaur, covered in blood, its horns broken, still strained against the iron bars of its cell.
“Scum, scum, scum!—” A Goblin, with wide, tiny, ink-black eyes, stared at Leya in terror yet brimming with hatred.
The Underground s*ave Prison… the storage facility for all the Guild of Roseland’s s*ave-owning “goods.”
As far as the eye could see, there were only so-called “slaves” everywhere, bruised and battered, shackled in iron cages.
As for their species, there was a vast array: Orcs, Half-Orcs…
Even humans themselves were not lacking, heh heh.
‘Thankfully, most of these creatures still possessed their fighting spirit. She had worried they might have been broken into docile sheep.’
Leya gazed at the scene with immense satisfaction, almost unable to contain her cheers for the upcoming spectacle!—
‘Tsk tsk, there should really be a salute, too. Yes, how could such a thrilling moment lack the adornment of fireworks?’
“Awoo!!!—”
‘Hmm? She hadn’t expected to find Netherworld Wolves here too? Tsk tsk, perfect. Come, let me see, let me see.’
‘?!’
“Awooooooo!!!—”
Its entire body radiated an eerie black aura, the very cursed power known as the Wind of Death. Its fur was pure white, adorned with several black stripes coiling around it. This, this, this…
This was none other than a replica of the Netherworld Wolf King she had defeated earlier… No, not a replica. It was practically another Netherworld Wolf King entirely!
If she had to specify, this particular Wolf King appeared significantly older than the previous one, and its aura seemed considerably weaker.
‘My… my heavens, my dear humans… you truly are… defying the natural order!’
Heaven knew how those humans had captured it. To ensure its containment, they had shorn its claws and fangs, then bound its entire body tightly with iron chains as thick as a human thigh.
The Wolf King couldn’t even move, let alone escape!
Truly, it was… utterly astonishing.
However, if Leya remembered correctly, she had heard adventurers claim there was only one Netherworld Wolf King. Moreover, that sole one had been painstakingly hunted down by adventurers years ago.
So, this was very strange. Why were Netherworld Wolf Kings, creatures that should have long been extinct, now as common as cabbages, seemingly appearing everywhere?
“Awoo!—”
‘Even in this state, you still maintain such a proud demeanor? Heh heh, what an interesting creature.’
‘Yet, this interesting creature of yours doesn’t seem to be very obedient…’
‘Tell me, why? You possess the Wind of Death, which grants self-healing, doesn’t it? So why… why can’t you escape?’
‘Yes, precisely. Why… can’t you escape?’
‘She couldn’t comprehend it, truly couldn’t. A being willing to sacrifice its very life to take her down… yet it was bound by mere iron chains? What kind of joke was this?’
‘Shouldn’t it have severed its own limbs, regrown its claws and fangs, and sought revenge on humanity?’
‘Ah… never mind. What am I even saying to a wolf? How foolish of me. It’s as if I expect it to understand my words…’
“Awoo!—Hu… human…”
‘?!’
‘This…’
‘This, this, this…’
“Please, please help, help me… me…”
‘How is this possible!?’