Chapter 55: To the Battlefield With the Demons

(TN: Cow demon has been changed to Ox demon)

The day after Orvo had made his decision about his future synthetic beast making policy, the prison descended into a bit more chaos as Orvo, accompanied by Mika and a dozen Imperial soldiers, arrived. Their mission was to use their spiritual arts to pacify all the frenzied demons, except for me and the two animals, and then secure them in cages similar to the one I was in.

Watching all this unfold, I couldn’t help but worry about the fate of my fellow demons. Despite their frenzied state, I was still concerned for their well-being, and so I followed their movements as closely as possible. To my surprise, it appeared that they were being kept somewhere close by. However, my concern lingered as I wondered if they would be used as disposable weapons.

There was a large room near the prison where they were being gathered. I had no idea why they were being kept underground, but I knew for sure that it couldn’t be for anything good.

“Moo-moo~!”

“Neigh-neigh~!”

As usual, the carefree ox and horse transformed into their demon forms, happily munching on hay while making sounds. Their noises had a certain rhythm to them. Were they trying to sing a song, perhaps?

The Imperial soldiers who were tasked with moving the cages soxled at the noise while working, but Orvo found it amusing and let the ox and horse sing. Though their singing was off-key and loud, it did lift my spirits. I was grateful that Orvo did not forbid the two from singing, as I didn’t mind their singing.

The work of moving the cages was completed in a day, and for the next few days, nothing significant happened. I passed the time by eating the hay that the ox and horse offered me and by training my control over my fighting spirit and spiritual power while listening to the distant cries of the other demons.

But finally, the time for change arrived. Powerful spiritual power was used repeatedly from above the basement. I quickly sharpened my senses and searched for the source, and it seemed that Orvo was utilizing some sort of spiritual art. For Orvo to use such potent spiritual arts indoors meant that new demons were being created.

The spiritual art was performed forty-five times, and it was probable that forty-five new demons were created. They were to be my new juniors, but I didn’t feel happy about it at all.

After about half a day had passed since the completion of the spiritual synthesis process, a group descended from the surface in droves. Judging from their auras, one of them was undoubtedly Orvo. Another was an imperial soldier who had been involved in the process of putting the new demons into their cages, but the rest were unknown. However, judging from their fighting spirit and spiritual power, most of them should be quite skilled in combat….and all together there were forty-five of them.

In particular, I detected two powerful auras that, although unable to defeat Alexander, could give Remus a tough time. The other auras were of a similar strength to Alexander’s subordinates, so as a group, they were a formidable force.

Yet my apprehension grew as I pondered the presence of a few small auras amongst the group that did not exude the energy of warriors. What were they? Along with my doubts came a nagging sense of unease.

As soon as the group entered the room where the frenzied demons were being held, a fierce battle erupted. The demons’ roars and screams could be heard even from here. The stark contrast between the rampaging demons and the group of warriors, who could rival even the formidable “Dragon Blood Knights,” was very clear, leaving little doubt as to which side would emerge victorious.

Soon after the battle began, the sounds of combat subsided, and the overwhelming presence of the hundred or so demons vanished without a trace.

Although it was sad that they had died, my shock at their deaths was much smaller compared to when that slave died. While I certainly considered the demons to be my brethren, I wasn’t so kind as to get angry on behalf of someone with whom I hadn’t even had the chance to interact. I simply felt pity and sorrow for those unfortunate creatures.

After the battle had ended, the group approached us. At their head was a group of humanoid beings wearing shabby clothing and crude collars around their necks. Seeing their appearance, there was only one thing that came to mind. They, too, were slaves.

“Allow me to introduce them! They are your senior demons! Especially the one sleeping on the chair who is the first demon…the strongest demon as of now.” Orvo said as he presented us to them.

As expected, they were created using the souls of humans. Unlike me, however, they all appeared to be fully human in shape. Perhaps the details of their synthesis were adjusted based on my synthesis process. I had no idea what kind of creatures these demons were synthesized with.

As I looked around, I noticed that among the group were some young demons, the very same small auras that I had sensed earlier. Orvo, without any regard for their age, had mercilessly turned them into demons. It was evident that he was interested in obtaining data on the synthesis of young individuals. He would try anything for the sake of research. I really hated that about him.

The new demons stared at us intently. Meanwhile, the uncaring ox and horse continued to nap after their meal, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings. In a way, I was envious of their carefree attitude….but at the same time, I couldn’t let my guard down, knowing that any lapse in vigilance could lead to my demise.

“We’re done with the introductions, right? We’ll depart for the front lines in two days. After all, we’ll have to participate in the counterattack plan!”

I didn’t miss the new demons’ faces tense up at the mention of the counterattack plan. I didn’t know what kind of operation it was, but it seemed that the battle ahead would be severe enough to frighten them. I don’t want to die.

Just as Orvo had stated, two days later, my cage, along with the ox and horse, was taken out of the basement and brought to the surface. I assumed that I would be loaded onto the usual cargo bed….but instead, I was placed on the back of a large carriage, ridden by the same other demons.

As they inspected my cage, the new demons seemed somewhat apprehensive. It was understandable, given that they were about to head into battle with an unknown entity in such close proximity. There was nothing I could do except bear with it and endure.

“Moo” 

“Neigh” 

Once I was loaded onto the carriage, I could hear the cries of the ox and horse coming from the outside. The horse’s voice was faint, but the ox’s was quite close, indicating that it was likely pulling our carriage. Strangely, their cries sounded almost resentful.

Were even the ox and horse headed to the battlefield? If they were just pulling the carriage, their chances of dying were likely lower. I felt a little relieved but decided to continue pretending to be asleep so as not to cause any trouble for the surrounding demons.

For a while after the carriage began to move, there was no conversation among the demons in the carriage’s back. Despite my efforts to be considerate of them, it was impossible for them to behave as if I wasn’t there. The atmosphere in the carriage was heavy and oppressive.

“Hey, mister. Why have you been sleeping this whole time?”

The one who broke the silence was a young male. He was a member of the Furu race with silky golden hair and bright blue, clever looking eyes. However, he was also a demon, just like me. He seemed even younger than that female slave, let alone that young master…Orvo was truly cruel.

Another golden-haired Furu man who sat next to the young male struck him on the head. Although they had almost identical facial features, he was likely the father. However, he had these bad-looking eyes, so the two did not look like a father and son at first glance.

“Ouch～! That hurts, dad!”

“You idiot! Don’t talk carelessly to strangers!”

It was clear that they were still wary of me. It’s unknown how or why they were enslaved, but for slaves like them, they couldn’t have led a normal life. Given their circumstances, it was only natural for them to approach strangers with caution.

“But, you know! He might be a good guy…”

“What are you going to do if he’s not? He might be a lackey of that crazy spiritualist.”

“Uuu…I’m sorry.”

The young male rubbed his head, which had just been struck, and tearfully apologized to his father. The father, however, snorted and averted his gaze from the young male, seemingly feeling remorse for his actions. It appeared that his strictness was entirely born out of concern for his son.

The female, who bore a striking resemblance to the young male and was likely his mother, gently stroked the spot where he had been hit. Despite his embarrassment, the young male seemed to find solace in the warmth of her hand.

They were his parents. As someone who had been raised as an egg in Georg’s care, I had never seen my own parents. While I could understand the concept of familial love on a theoretical level, I was unsure of how it actually felt. Still, I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of envy. I was surprised by this discovery.

For a month and a half, we continued to travel in the large carriage……or should I call it an ox-drawn wagon because it was now pulled by an oxen?  Anyway, the oppressive heat of late summer would have been unbearable for humans, but the demons did not seem to be affected by it. Perhaps, like me, they were resistant to both heat and cold.

On the first day, they were heavily guarded and watched me with suspicion. But after a few days had passed, the demons had gotten used to their surroundings and began to speak in a hushed tone. Also, since I could hear the conversations of the Imperial soldiers who surrounded the large carriage, I started to understand a little bit about the situation of the nearby people who were turned into demons.

It turned out that the people here were all descendants of rebels who previously opposed the Empire. The rebels’ families were currently paying for their ancestors’ crimes by serving as the Empire’s vanguard until they were completely wiped out. Those who were turned into demons had no choice but to fight. Having no other choice but to fight…they were just like me.

They were wary of me, and I still couldn’t speak clearly enough to hold a conversation. But I wondered if we could come to an understanding if we had the chance to speak candidly. A glimmer of hope had sprouted within me.

“Ahh, this is such a pain. Why are we escorting some worthless scum without any rank,” one of the imperial soldiers complained.

“Did you see her? The woman in the Lugall squad! She has huge breasts! The other women are also quite something, aren’t they? It’s cruel to leave a beauty like that all alone… should we sneak away and have our way with her?” another one suggested.

“Stop it. Didn’t I tell you earlier? It’s strictly forbidden for Imperial blood to mix with tonement soldiers   If you’re caught, the captain will cut off your you-know-what. I don’t want to be caught up in this,” t

“Come on, they’re not only scum anymore, haven’t they been turned into some kind of monsters by some crazy foreign spiritualist? Just thinking about it makes any kind woman become unappealing,” 

“A monster disguised as a beautiful woman… wouldn’t that excite you instead?” 

“You’re a pervert! Gahaha!” 

As I held onto a sliver of hope, I heard the conversation of the Imperial soldiers, who seemed to be newcomers from outside the large carriage. Although their conversation was crude, it contained some valuable information: some sort of hierarchy and system rank, their preferences for humans, part of the Empire’s laws, and how Orvo was perceived by the Imperial soldiers… This was a treasure trove of information for me.

The conversation was informative for me, but the atmosphere among the demons had grown extremely tense. The bed of the wagon was sturdy, perhaps designed to prevent escape, and the outside noise was muffled. However, it seemed that all of the demons, now with heightened five senses, could clearly hear the outside noise.

The males furrowed their brows in disgust, and the females twisted their faces in shame. If they were free, they would likely all leap out and attack immediately. They valued their family because they had no one else to rely on. That was how they had survived until now.

While the conversation was certainly useful for gathering information, it was not pleasant to listen to. More than that, what bothered me was the poor quality of the Imperial soldiers who were escorting us. I was uncomfortable with the fact that those who were strong from the start had become even stronger by becoming demons, and yet they were being monitored by people who were not only weak in the head but also in combat ability.

If the reason for that was simply because they could subdue the demons by relying on the performance of the “Binding Collars,” that would be one thing. But if it was because there were no better Imperial soldiers available for surveillance… the situation on the battlefield might be worse than I had imagined. Going to such a battlefield was akin to going to one’s death. I fervently hoped that my expectations would be proven wrong.

***********

TN: Sorry guys, I think I made a mistake in translating the ox demon; since it’s described as male in one of the chapters, then the correct translation is Ox or oxen. This is translated from the word Ushi that means both cow and Ox. If you didn’t find this mistake it means I already corrected it before you started reading.