Chapter 59
I didn’t want to keep watching Ethel in pain.
Her family was alive, her home was intact—there was no reason for me to personally embed awful memories into her mind.
I only messed with her a little because her lie was annoying.
But lying? I did that too.
Ah, but my belief that liars deserve to die hadn’t changed.
That much wasn’t a lie.
If someone asked whether a person like me, who would stab friends and torment ordinary people when necessary, had any right to live, I’d have to say no.
Anyway, I sent my subordinates to check out the places Ethel mentioned.
There were plenty of men itching to get out and stretch their legs rather than rot in the conversation room reeking of blood, so finding volunteers wasn’t difficult.
According to the reports, there was no one hiding in the cathedral or the hidden space within the mansion.
Which meant, fortunately for Ethel, the demons were most likely in the underground cave beneath Sorghum Farm.
They didn’t go in, worried they’d be detected, but they confirmed that several living beings were moving around inside.
Julius Rosenberg had also been captured, but he wasn’t much use anymore.
…Maybe I’d just feed him a nice meal and let him go.
No need to see him in person.
I had already gotten all the information I needed.
He hadn’t done anything wrong, after all.
There was no reason for him to be treated this way.
He just needed to hand over those filthy demons and go back to his normal life.
As for farmhands… well, they’d figure something out.
"Uweeegh."
I hadn’t eaten or even been lying down, yet it felt like I had developed acid reflux.
Even the slightest stress sent stomach acid surging up my throat.
If I could spew acid strong enough to melt concrete, it would have been useful—but all it did was burn my insides.
It was useless and painful.
In any case, whatever happened to the Rosenbergs from now on wasn’t my concern.
I had no reason to feel guilty.
I spared them—that was enough. I didn’t need to concern myself further.
Hiding demons was already a crime beyond forgiveness.
With that thought, I headed to the room where Marco was working.
I knocked on the door, and as it opened, I was greeted by the same old familiar sound.
—"Kaaaaah! Just kill me already!!"
"Hearing that over and over doesn’t get a bit tiring?"
"Well, I won’t say it doesn’t."
Marco then repeatedly slammed a hammer into the tied-up bastard’s shoulder, and the moment he screamed, Marco socked him right in the jaw.
"Sir, I suggest you keep it down a little."
He mimicked the exaggerated speech and gestures of high-ranking nobles, his voice laced with mockery.
But why the hell was he posing like that while hammering someone?
It was clearly meant to be funny, but sometimes, I truly didn’t understand Marco’s sense of humor.
Did working in this field for so long twist everyone like this by the time they started growing gray hairs?
If even the butler, Noe, only looked normal on the surface, then maybe my guess was right.
"…That was weird and cringy."
"If I dress up nicely, style my hair, and use this accent at a tavern, not a single lady would be able to resist, my lady."
"I didn’t need to know that."
That was just because he was built well and decently handsome.
Plus, he had money—so of course, they’d go along with him.
And when they ended up pregnant, they’d whine and cry… Ah. Right. That one had died.
Good thing I didn’t bring it up.
Just as I was being considerate of Marco, he was also being careful never to mention Alicia.
If I was receiving consideration, it was only natural to return the favor.
"Anyway, gather some men to check out that underground cave beneath the farm."
"You could gather them yourself, my lady."
"I need to wash up and change.
You stole my cigarette last time—let’s call it even."
"…Fine."
Biting one’s tongue wouldn’t kill them, but on rare occasions, a severed tongue could block the airway and cause suffocation.
To prevent such accidents, Marco gagged the long-lived demon, bound its limbs tightly, and left the room.
"So, didn’t have any fun this time?"
"What if she ended up pregnant?
I may not look it, but I have a soft heart—I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to harm my own child."
"…Anyone would feel that way."
"I suppose so."
I stepped into the shower, washed up, and changed into a loose dress suitable as sleepwear.
The roomy fit made it easy to hide things underneath.
I wouldn’t bother concealing my face.
I had already shown it to Ethel, so what was the point?
Two pistols, three daggers.
A decent supply of bullets.
I smiled at my reflection in the mirror before stepping lightly into the hallway.
"Wow, you already gathered them all?"
"They just wanted an excuse to leave the stinking conversation room and get some fresh air."
"Hmm, makes sense. Let’s go."
Walking alongside a group of rugged men, who only ever did rugged things, made the atmosphere feel a bit dull.
And with me, the only pretty girl in the middle, the contrast was striking.
"Maybe I should’ve worn a mask."
"Hmm, you are drawing a lot of attention."
"Honestly, it’s probably more because of the giant gun you’re carrying."
If someone casually strolled through town in plain clothes while lugging around a huge firearm, of course, they’d attract stares.
There wasn’t a single normal person left in the mansion—only oddballs.
After a long walk, we climbed into the large carriage we had prepared earlier.
For some reason, it felt like I was a soldier crammed into a military truck.
Not exactly a pleasant sensation.
The carriage rattled for a long time before we finally arrived at the Rosenberg Family’s Sorghum Farm.
Had they been in the middle of harvesting sorghum?
The fields had already been set ablaze, leaving nothing but charred husks—no crops to be gathered.
"Where was it again?"
"The wizard who came here with us last time mentioned a hidden space beneath the villa."
"How big is it?"
"Well, we won’t know until we go in."
"What, you think you’re gonna die?"
"Even if demons come charging at us, we’ll shield you with our bodies, my lady, so there’s no need to worry too much."
"That just means fewer workers for me.
Don’t go thinking death will be an escape—live and suffer through your work instead."
I deliberately spoke like one of those over-the-top, villainous landlords from a stage play.
I even stuck my belly out for effect, but since I didn’t have any belly fat, I couldn’t quite pull off that signature pompous stance.
"As if you don’t always talk like that."
"There’s no way out, right?"
"Yes, there are air vents, but this is the only entrance big enough for a person."
We stepped into the villa in the middle of the farm.
The scent of rotting wood filled the air, and every step I took was met with a loud creak from the floorboards.
I started stomping around to find the entrance to the underground, and soon enough, a hollow sound echoed beneath one spot.
I pointed at it with my finger, and my subordinate nodded before kicking it with all his strength.
The wooden planks cracked open, revealing a tunnel leading downward.
A torch had been lit just moments ago.
Someone had put it out in a hurry, but the lingering smell of oil and burnt wood was impossible to erase.
And I could sense movement.
Some of them were so scared they were already panting.
"We know you’re in there, so come out quietly."
Silence.
So I fired a shot inside.
"If you don’t come out right now, I’ll pour oil down there and set it on fire."
That finally got them moving.
A handful of emaciated demons, Count Rosenberg, and his wife slowly emerged.
"Y-You’re the one Ethel brought…!"
"Shh. I’m here to rescue you from these demons."
Where did those filthy creatures get the nerve to climb out ahead of humans—of nobles, no less—while glaring so defiantly?
Annoyed, I kicked one of them in the gut, sending it rolling backward, then pulled the count and his wife up first.
"Is there even a need to bring them back?"
"His Excellency plans to keep a few docile ones alive to use as labor…
But if you wish, my lady, you’re free to dispose of them all."
My subordinate seemed to be hoping for that outcome.
His wife had been killed, after all.
She had been a maid, one who did laundry remarkably well.
What a shame.
We smashed up the wooden furniture in the villa and tossed the pieces down into the underground tunnel.
Once I doused it in oil and lit it up, they’d all burn to death on their own.
"W-Wait! The children—at least spare the children!"
"Escort the elders back to the mansion."
What children?
I didn’t see a single human child in there.
Even as dust and smoke billowed out from below, I locked eyes with something unsettling—those eerie, animal-like eyes, glowing in the dark like a cat’s or a dog’s.
That alone was proof enough they weren’t human.
"Freshly grown apples, huh…"
"…Pardon?"
"Nothing. Did you bring the oil?"
"Yes, it should be loaded onto the carriage."
"What were you doing while we were stacking firewood? Hurry up and get it."
Grumbling under his breath, my subordinate hummed a little tune as he walked briskly to the carriage.
A few demons tried to crawl out in the meantime, but they were quickly shot down.
One bullet wouldn’t be enough to kill them outright, but they were too slow to get away.
Once the oil was poured down, I struck a match and tossed it inside.
The air filled with the acrid stench of burning flesh, mixed with the scent of singed hair.
Some of them tried to claw their way out, screaming, but I kicked them back down and fired until they stopped moving.
An hour later, when the work was done, I turned around to see an old man sobbing.
The sight was… well.
Pathetic.