“Demons, then.”
Elena and Ron gasped at the testimony from the last man remaining. The demon army was invading—that was why the dark elves had disappeared from town and why these Krus men, members of the Reezan mafia, had made a move.
“H-Hey, I told you what you wanted to know,” the man pleaded. He was still sitting on the ground after having been struck in the back of his head. “I can go now, right? Yeah?”
“Not yet,” I snapped, keeping the tip of the spear steady at his throat with just my left arm. “What do the Reezan want? Why are you in cahoots with dark elves? Why are the demons invading?”
The middle-aged man’s fake smile faltered for a moment. His expression turned calculating, as though he was considering what he could say.
“H-Hey, chill, all right? We were supposed to attack the other groups when the demons invaded. I don’t know the details, just that the higher-ups made a deal with the demon army. We’re supposed to manage the town after the demons take over. See? I told you everything!”
“So why are the demons invading?” I pressed him.
Men like this were like con artists. They said only what benefited them and spoke in half-truths.
“W-Well...” he stammered, hesitating.
Demons hated humans. For them to have mobilized an army, this couldn’t be just about territorial expansion. So maybe...
“Do they want to turn this town into a military base for an invasion of Kal’Faan?” Ron asked suddenly.
The man, startled and wide-eyed, whipped around to face Ron.
So...yes, then. Dark elves had vanished from Cutlass, except for those born there. The missing elves were probably acting under orders from their homeland, the demonic nation.
Still, they’d lived in Cutlass a long time and were bound to have made friends there. They wouldn’t just forsake those friends, unless the demons had major reasons to mobilize. This couldn’t be just about putting the Reezan in power. Perhaps those who opposed the plan would be massacred? That would explain this man’s hesitation.
“I’ll take your silence as a yes,” Ron said, drawing his sword with an anger I’d never seen from him before.
“W-Wait—”
The man turned to flee, but Ron’s sword pierced through his heart before he could get away.
“Ron,” Elena murmured, her expression pained.
“Sorry, I...”
They both fell silent.
I figured Ron had acted on impulse. I wasn’t sure whether his anger had been born of simple patriotism, but perhaps Elena could relate. Without praising or chastising him, she touched his sword-wielding hand and gently lowered the bloodied weapon.
“U-Um... What should we do...?”
The Krus people nearby were frightened. Did they live here? I sensed no hostility from them, and when I looked questioningly at Elena, she gave me a small nod before turning toward them.
“We can’t help you. There’s nothing we can do against an army. You should be safe from further danger if you stay here,” she said.
“Y-You say that, but if they attack the town...” the man mumbled.
Elena’s eyes turned somewhat cold. These people were foisting the responsibility for their well-being onto others, voicing hopes that someone would do something rather than taking any action themselves.
“I’m sure you can manage to at least survive,” Elena said. “Live as you please. This is your hometown, after all.”
The desert was harsh, but survival should still be manageable. Adults, unlike orphans, had power. They could kill monsters and live anywhere that edible succulents grew. Unlike us, they had no objectives and were free to do as they pleased.
“I...” The man’s expression turned anguished for a moment, then he lifted his head as though he’d made a decision. “Right. This is our home. It’s a shithole, but I have people I care about. I can’t fight, but I can tell them to run...”
“Is that so? Well, I won’t stop you, then. Just take care of yourself,” Elena said.
“Y-Yeah!”
The man ran off somewhere. For a moment, the others dawdled in confusion, but then they convinced themselves in their own ways and followed suit.
“Lena, Alia,” Ron said, sheathing his sword without relinquishing his hold on the sleeping boy. “Can I entrust Naru to you?”
“Of course, but...what are you planning?” Elena asked.
“I’m...going to search for Camille.” His expression was serious. “Have you seen him? He should’ve made it back to the watchtower.”
“He wasn’t there,” I said, somewhat pointedly.
Ron shook his head and frowned. “Trust me, Camille may not be from this town, but he’s not with the demon army. If anything...”
Was Ron aware of Camille’s background? He couldn’t seem to find the words to continue.
Elena shook her head. “We don’t think Camille is in league with the demons just because he’s a dark elf, Ron. Do you know where he went?”
“Ah, yes, sorry. I asked him to procure fire-elemental aethercrystals. I figure he may have gone to a certain trustworthy merchant he’s become acquainted with in town.”
Though I trusted Camille as a person, there were some shady aspects to his background. I didn’t think that necessarily meant he was in cahoots with the demon army, but I couldn’t completely discount the possibility either.
If Camille really had gone to town, as a dark elf, he could’ve been attacked by residents mistaking him for a demon. Assuming Ron knew Camille’s true identity, he probably was worried that his friend had high chances of getting caught up in this incident.
“Ron, are we still short on fire aethercrystals?” I asked.
“No, we have just enough to reach Kal’Faan’s border.”
“Then you should focus on getting the balloon ready. If the demons find it, they’ll definitely take it.”
“I get that, but... I just...”
He probably wanted to search for his friend. I understood how he felt, but considering our objective, the optimal course of action was clear.
“I’ll go into town,” I said. “You and Lena prioritize getting ready to escape.”
“Alia...”
Even if Ron did go into town, I wasn’t sure he was skilled enough to make it back. It was still dangerous for me, but I was used to being surrounded by potential enemies. I wasn’t sure whether saving Camille was the best idea, but I trusted him enough to think that he—who had worked so hard to protect the children—deserved to be saved.
Ron was speechless that I’d matter-of-factly declared my intent to run into danger alone. Elena’s eyes grew slightly bright, and she pressed her forehead against my shoulder, just barely.
“Again, you’re...doing things all on your own...”
“You and I are the same,” I said. “If we can protect something, we should. I’ll come back, I swear it. Do you trust me?”
She lifted her face from my shoulder but remained close as she looked up at me.
“More than anyone in this world,” she said softly, pulling away with a complicated, worried smile.
“Yeah,” I replied simply.
Ron looked at us, his gaze determined.
“Sorry I can’t tell you everything. But I’ll take care of everyone, I promise. To you, who have placed your trust in Camille and me, I swear here and now, on my name and title as Imperial Prince Lawrence Kal’Faan, third son of the emperor, that no harm shall come upon them,” he said, resolute. “Alia...please save Camille.”