Chapter 68
It seemed that the Knights Templar were taking out the prisoners one after the other with the guards watching, probably wearing some really strange expressions. They had no way to prevent this from happening faced with the clear justification the Knights Templar held.
There should have been someone in command of these people at the scene but it seemed like he wouldn’t be able to say anything. It would be pointless to say anything against the blasphemy charges or that there weren’t any demon prisoners here when they were able to lead them out like a row of bound corvina.
The Empire would wash their hands of this because they didn’t want this case to get any more complicated than it already was.
Even if they weren’t able to catch the Empire, the Knights Templar were able to capture the greatest weaknesses of those involved in this case. It wasn’t known if this case would pose a real problem for them or if they’d be able to escape using secret deals.
The most important thing, however, was that the day where the Knights Templar got to use the prisoners as evidence would never come.
‘Looks like they found everyone.’
Loyar said so and glanced at Sarkegaar.
‘Okay Sarkegaar. Start to take over the Warp Gate as planned.’
‘Yes, Your Highness.’-Slide!
Sarkegaar slowly slid down from the rooftop and suddenly turned into a black bird taking to the skys.
What’s this?
A bird?
He could do something like that as well?
‘What? Didn’t you know he could do something like that?’
Seeing my stupefied expression, Eleris smiled a little.
‘He can’t only transform into humanoid forms.’
‘…Then could I do something like that as well?’
I had this ring that enabled me to make use of his clan’s powers, so I should be able to do that as well, right?
‘I don’t recommend it. It would probably be very uncomfortable and awkward. You also wouldn’t be able to move as you want as well.’
It might be hard for me to adapt to a completely new body structure, is what Eleris meant. Dreadfiends most likely had to undergo a lot of training to be proficient in using any type of transformation. I wouldn’t be able to move properly, but just knowing that the possibility was there was enough for me. I didn’t know when I might have to make use of that.
‘About 100 people in total. Looks like they’ll be leaving now.’
‘Great. Let’s move as well.’
Their destination was the Knights Templar’s headquarters. I was sure of that. I wasn’t able to use Revise after all, so this was something that would definitely happen.
That was the Revise function’s loophole. Revise wouldn’t be able to be used unless it was something that wouldn’t 100% happen. Using that information, I could check future developments without having to spend any achievement points.
Of course, that system bastard didn’t like me exploiting loopholes, so if I try to use this too often, they might take some action again.
Anyway, we didn’t have to follow the Knights Templar.
Before we left, Loyar suddenly stopped trying to get up.
‘What’s the matter?’
Loyar didn’t respond to me and stayed focused as if she was still trying hard to listen to something.
After being quiet for a while, she wrinkled her brows.
“The Knights Templar seem to be a slightly different group than we thought.”
After saying that, Loyar stood up and jumped from roof to roof.
* * *
Eleris took me with her using her magic and Loyar moved as if sweeping through the darkness, quickly heading towards the Templar’s headquarters. They passed the Warp Gate.
Sarkegaar should be disguised as one of the soldiers guarding the Warp Gate. I didn’t know with whom he swapped, but he did say he wouldn’t kill that guy, so he must have done something else, like stunning or hypnotizing him.
“Your Highness, now you have to hide by yourself.”
After arriving at the location they would launch their attack at, Eleris spoke to me, looking at me as if I shouldn’t be here anymore.
“I know. But what did you mean earlier?”
I looked towards Loyar. Her expression crumpled up as if she heard something very disgusting.
“As they started to escort the prisoners, they started to laugh to themselves after they left the Merchant Guild.”
What did that mean?
“They laughed?”
“They have a lot to share, they said….”
It wasn’t that I couldn’t figure out what that meant. Sharing?
“‘We just got even more’…. It seems like they had some to begin with, right?”
“That seems to be the case….”
It wasn’t just the black market that took some of the prisoners.
Even the Knights Templar took some of the humanoid demons like succubi in.
“The guy that seemed to be the leader of that group responded to his subordinate’s question, if this was going to be a problem…. That they could just say it’s in the name of research, that’s what the other members of the Empire’s Allied Forces used as an excuse as well…. But selling them like this is a problem… is what they said….”
Loyar seemed to feel aversion towards the Knights Templar.
It wasn’t just the Imperial Family, or the Merchant Guild.
Even the Knights Templar kept demon prisoners. Judging by what they said, it was clear that all of the Allied Forces took away demon prisoners. If they were discovered, they’d just say they would keep them for research purposes.
However, the auction had no such excuse, because it was clear that they wanted to sell them. That gave the Knights Templar the right to take the prisoners away.
That was the moment where I understood why the Knights Templar came out at night.
If this information became known to the public, not only would it tarnish the prestige of the Empire, but also showcase that every faction of the Allied Forces kept demon prisoners for themselves. And among them, the Knights Templar were a group that no one expected to do something like that.
Of course, if this were revealed, they would make it seem like they took them to do research on them, but everyone would know that that wasn’t the actual reason. It’s not like people wouldn’t find out about this, just because they had some excuses prepared.
Therefore, the Knights Templar were dispatched in the middle of the night to take the prisoners with them. That way only a few people would witness this.
In the end, it turned out exactly like I predicted it would. They weren’t going to execute the prisoners, they were going to take them to their headquarters.
Seeing what they were doing, all other excuses were useless.
Now that they had some form of justification, they were trying to take away the slaves from the black market on blasphemy charges. They had some as well, but still took the black market’s prisoners with the excuse that their purpose was impure.
“The result is the same…. Their intentions are dirty though.”
In conculsion.
I overestimated their piety.
* * *
Even if we were to save them, it would only be a drop of water on a hot stone. There were so many demons taken prisoner. Each camp of the Allied forces, including the Knights Templar’s headquarters held demon prisoners of war.
The number of prisoners we’d be able to save from the black market was incredibly small. It was impossible to save them all. I mean, we had to plan out this whole operation just to save 100 of them.
After splitting up from everyone, I went up a hill far away from the site. It was pretty far away, but it was still at a distance where I could see any big commotion happening.
That was when I finally was able to use the Revise function.
[You have used the ‘Revise’ function.]
Today, all demon prisoners, Sarkegaar, Eleris and Loyar will safely escape through the Warp Gate.
[To trigger this event 2000 achievement points are required.]
There was a high probability that a significant number of them would be able to escape safely, but it was less likely that all of them would.
Although it required a huge amount, I used the function without hesitation. There was no reason for me not to use it.
[You have spent 2000 achievement points.]
With that I felt at ease.
I didn’t know what would happen exactly, but I knew that tonight’s operation would definitely be successful.
-Bang!
Then I saw it.
Huge flames erupted from the square located before the Knights Templar’s headquarters.
Now I knew what Eleris could do with the Flame of Tuesday.
Fierce flames began to whirl towards the sky.
A magnificent Firestorm ran havoc.
-Ruuuuuumble!
Bright light accompanied the storm raging through the air.
“N, no….”
This was supposed to be a spell to just distract them, wasn’t it?
Huh? Wasn’t the strategy to minimize our damages and create chaos so that they could escape using that gap?
You weren’t trying to blow away both the Knights Templar and the prisoners of war, were you?
“Thi, this is kind of crossing the line, isn’t it…?”
Were you trying to kill everyone because how the Knights Templar were acting?
That was when I firmly vowed that I would never try to get on Eleris’ bad side.
* * *
Hell was let loose.
-Roooaaar!
Only after a gigantic firestorm erupted did the Knights Templar realize that they were caught up in a strange situation.
“We’re under attack!”
“A wizard!”
“Defend!”
“Cra…zy! How could they… Magic of such scale…”
About 200 members of the Knights Templar as well as 100 prisoners of war seemed to have been left unscathed by this huge firestorm.
At the center of these raging flames was a single woman.
Wearing a robe that covered everything, they witnessed this unidentified wizard controlling these huge flames while holding a type of pendant in one hand. Her whole body seemed to have been covered in a magic veil.
A wizard who could perform magic of this scale without chanting, most Paladins wanted to deny the reality that played before their eyes.
-Kuoooooooooah!
“It’s not just one!”
“It’s a demon!”
“It’s a Werewolf!”
Then, a silver furred monster appeared from behind that storm and roared loud enough to even absorb the flame storm’s sound.
This demonic beast’s roar made every person who heard it stiffen up.
It was a skill called ‘Roar’.
“Calm down! There are at least two enemies!”
The Lycanthrope moved like lightning and rushed into the Paladins. Then a Warp Gate activated in the middle of that gigantic fire storm.
The wizard pointed to the Gate while looking at the frightened prisoners. She didn’t give them a detailed explanation nor did she call out to them desperately.
Run away.
This simple gesture made these prisoners immediately understand. They were puzzled by the appearance of that wizard, but seeing the Lycanthrope made it clear to them.
They knew that they wanted to save them.
-Bang! Bobooom! Bang!
They were veteran Paladin. The Lycanthrope used its strong and agile body to fight off the Paladin who were escorting the prisoners, but some of them quickly strengthened their bodies using divine power to counterattack.
All of them held the awe-inspiring titles of Survivors of the Demon World War.
-Boom! Boom!
However, the fire storm that surrounded them struck those that blocked the Lycanthrope’s onslaught as if it were alive. The Paladin that got swallowed by the fire wouldn’t die as they had protection spells cast on them, but they wouldn’t be able to get out of there without help.
There was a Lycanthrope strong enough to be able to destroy everything in its path with just a single charge and a highly skilled magician.
But they were 200 veteran Paladin part of the Knights Templar.
“Let Als’ protection descent on our swords and bodies!”
-Flash!
The Paladin, their swords and bodies wrapped in divine power giving of a tremendous amount of light, began to charge towards the wizard.
There were only two of them.
Even though they might have been somewhat surprised before, now they were enveloped in enormous protection magic. There was no way they would be defeated by only these two enemies.
However.
-Ruumble, rumble. Ruuuuumble!Suddenly something seemed to be growing larger and larger near the activated Gate. It grew bigger and bigger, slowly changing its form.
-Rumble! Rumble!
Something bizarrely inflated like a bubble about to burst, then it began to take the shape of a lizard with black scales.
There was slight disbelief in the eyes of all Paladin who were rushing into battle.
In the midst of this humongous Fire Storm, a winged lizard that was only supposed to exist in legends appeared.
“D, D…. Dragon?”
-Rooooooaaaaaaaaar!
The Lycanthrope’s roar just now was nothing against this.
A Dragon Roar, loud enough to blow one’s ears away, paralyzed the Paladin.
