87 – Demon Sanctuary
The interior of the Demon Sanctuary was incredibly vast.
It was the size of a small village where people could live together.
“We broke through the walls of the underground waterway and dug up the empty land to create this. It was a massive construction project. Algot provided the funding.”
Mirabel said as she guided me through the interior of the Demon Sanctuary.
The appearance of the Demon Sanctuary was definitely different from what I had imagined.
I had expected a structure like an orphanage or a prisoner camp, but to have such a spacious area underground, like a village.
“There are currently nine demons under protection here. They are all adapting well.”
“They’ve increased again?”
“Yes. Since we’ve built this facility, our goal is to rescue as many demons as possible.”
As I listened to Mirabel’s story, I became curious.
Why did Algot create such a facility, including the people who help him operate the Demon Sanctuary?
It wasn’t easy to think of helping demons if one were to be born and live as a human in the kingdom.
Because the social atmosphere influences one’s values.
Even young children naturally learn that demons are the embodiment of absolute evil led by the Demon King, the seeds of disaster that will destroy the world, as they play with toy swords pretending to be heroes and villains.
The perspective of an ordinary adventurer towards demons is like that of an intelligent and dangerous monster that can speak.
It was fascinating to think that in such an environment, Algot had come up with the idea of “rescuing people who have become demons.”
Investing a huge amount of money, gathering trustworthy people, and shouldering all kinds of risks.
“Here, this is the end of the management zone. From here on, it’s the living zone where real demons live.”
Mirabel stood in front of a small fence and spoke.
Judging by the height of the fence, it didn’t seem like a mere means of dividing the area, but rather, it didn’t give the feeling of preventing escape or confinement.
Just by not making the living zone closed off, you could feel the attitude towards the demons.
As we entered the living zone, we finally began to see the demons being protected here.
There were scattered small houses, and a lizardman sitting on a rock, looking this way.
Lizardmen were a species that looked like lizards, and I had seen them several times in the Guild of Kubel.
They looked like monsters, but surprisingly, they were treated as a different species.
However, the lizardman sitting on the rock and looking at me had a red energy swirling in his eyes, unlike an ordinary lizardman.
“All the demons here were living in the kingdom normally, but for some reason, they became demons. When they become demons, their body’s mana changes to that of a demon, and a red energy can be seen in their eyes. It’s not actually a change in eye color, but the distorted mana energy can be seen through the eyes.”
Mirabel said, looking at the lizardman who had become a demon.
Indeed, when I recalled, it seemed like Aruru’s eyes also had a faint red energy.
Concentrating my mind, I examined the color of the mana embedded in the lizardman’s body, and I could clearly feel the presence of red mana.
It was similar to the mana I saw in Ainblad, but it was a slightly lighter shade of red.
Does the power of mana become stronger as the red color of the demon’s mana becomes stronger?
I had never seen mana redder than the red mana I saw in Rudmila’s Mana Prison.
“Then, is this lizardman stronger than an ordinary lizardman?”
“When you become a demon, your basic physical functions are greatly enhanced. The mana embedded in your body is replaced with that of a demon, and that’s what happens. However, if a person who was good at manipulating mana before becoming a demon becomes a demon, their ability to control mana greatly diminishes. It’s like a one step forward, two steps back.”
As you gain demon mana, it becomes difficult to control mana…
Somehow, it didn’t feel unfamiliar….
Looking around the living area with Mirabel, I observed several different races of demons.
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Although I didn’t speak to them directly, they were all doing what they wanted.
There were demons watering plants stacked high in pots, and there were demons reading books.
Everyone glanced at Mirabel and me at least once, but I couldn’t detect any hostility or hatred in their gaze.
“The demons here are people who have had their ordinary lives taken away. We try to support them so they can spend their time doing everyday things. If they need anything from the outside, we get it for them.”
Once you become a demon, it’s impossible to live an ordinary life in the kingdom.
That’s why it seems like they spare no effort in supporting those who have become demons to regain their ordinary lives here.
If I were in the same situation as the demons here, I would never want to leave the demon shelter.
“Oh, there’s Aruru over there.”
At that moment, Mirabel pointed in one direction and said to me.
When I looked in the direction she was pointing, I saw a really familiar face.
A vulpine woman with fox-like ears and a lush tail.
Unlike Meruru, Aruru had fierce eyes and a wild beauty.
Aruru was sitting in front of a bonfire, turning a large piece of meat skewered on an iron rod and grilling it.
Her gaze was completely focused on the meat, so it seemed like she didn’t notice us coming.
I bet that meat was also provided by the demon shelter.
For some reason, looking at the welfare here, I felt like I wanted to live here too, except for the fact that sunlight doesn’t enter.
“Aruru, there’s a guest.”
Mirabel approached Aruru and spoke in a cheerful voice.
Aru-ru, who was diligently turning the skewers, looked in this direction.
And a moment later.
“Hee… heeik!”
Aru-ru’s tail fur puffed up and swelled, and she jumped up like a spring when she spotted me, glaring at me with eyes full of caution while covering her belly with both hands.
What’s wrong? Weren’t you supposed to get used to me?
“Aru-ru had been getting along well with other demons at the demon shelter.
Now that there was no need to worry about being subdued or forcibly adapting to the unfamiliar demon realm, her mind was equally calm.
However, despite that, the memory of being punched in the stomach by Yunoa with a fist was vividly etched in her mind.”
“Ah…”
“Yunoa, did you do something to Aru-ru before?”
Mirabel looked at me with a suspicious gaze.
Was it because of when I had to apprehend her and ended up punching her in the stomach?
I had a feeling that I had hit her too hard because I had miscalculated my strength…
The sensation of my fist sinking deeply into Aru-ru’s stomach was still vividly remembered.
But if I hadn’t hit her that hard, I wouldn’t have been able to incapacitate her properly.
Did it hurt her so much that it became traumatic?
“Well… at that time…”
“Krrr…”
As I tried to apologize briefly for what happened back then, Aru-ru retreated as I approached, making animal-like noises.
I felt like I was approaching an untamed, fierce wild dog.
“Um, Mirabel. Can Aruru not speak?”
“No, she can. Just until this morning, she was speaking well and living a normal life.”
I wonder just how much she hates me.
“I think there’s a misunderstanding… At that time, I had no choice…”
Crunch, crunch–
Even as I tried to explain, Aruru took a step back to distance herself from me.
No, it’s a bit unfair. If you think about it, you were trying to kill me.
It was self-defense, and besides, if I hadn’t hit you like that, you wouldn’t have even come to this demon protection shelter.
If you look closely, I’m Aruru’s benefactor.
Trying to forcibly have a conversation with Aruru in this situation doesn’t seem right, so I reluctantly backed off.
It would be better to come back with Meruru when she wakes up.
“Well then, shall we go back for now?”
I decided to leave Aruru with Mirabel and return to the duty room.
* * *
It took about three hours for Meruru to wake up after that.
As soon as she got out of bed, she stretched and made a puzzled expression, saying she didn’t understand.
“Huh?! Yunoa! Where is this place?”
I let out a small sigh and explained the situation to Meruru.
“…Anyway, that’s how it ended up. Don’t just blindly eat something given to you by a stranger. It was a sleeping effect at best, but if it was something poisonous, you wouldn’t have been able to see your sister and would have gone to heaven.”
“Ugh… I’ve made a mistake…”
“It seems like your sister is doing well. I came to check on the situation earlier.”
“I want to go see her quickly!”
Meruru came running towards me, wagging her tail.
“Meruru, um… I have a favor to ask. When you meet your sister, could you please speak well of me? She really hates me.”
“Don’t worry! When can I meet her?”
“Right now.”
I had already informed Mirabel, the supervisor of the shelter.
Once Meruru woke up, I would take her to meet Aruru.
As long as we didn’t go outside, the demons here were not restricted in their freedom, so we could go see them anytime.
With Meruru excitedly following me, we headed straight for the living area of the shelter.
Aruru was sitting face-to-face with another demon, next to a campfire, engaged in conversation.
The demon sitting across from Aruru… was a young man who looked human.
But with a red aura in his eyes, I could tell that he was a demon.
“She really is my sister…”
Meruru stopped in her tracks and muttered to herself upon seeing Aruru.
I expected her to rush towards her immediately, but she surprisingly reacted calmly.
“As Meruru laid eyes on her sister, whom she had longed to meet, memories of when she first found her came flooding back.
The image of her sister, with a pained expression, coldly rejecting her, made Meruru hesitate.”
Back then, the situation was like that for Aruru, so there was no choice.
Now, being in the demon shelter, there was no reason for her to reject her own sister.
I lightly stroked Meruru’s head and said,
“Don’t worry. It’ll be different this time. Go on.”
Gaining courage from my words, Meruru slowly started walking towards where Aruru was.
Aruru also sensed her presence, turned her head, and widened her eyes when she saw Meruru.
And finally, the sisters faced each other.
Their fox-like ears and thick, fluffy tails resembled each other.
Even though one had become a demon and the atmosphere was different, there was no doubt that they were sisters.
“Meruru…?”
“…Do you still not want to see me, sister?”
Meruru asked, observing Aruru’s reaction.
It was an extension of their last conversation in the Halle Berry Forest.
After a moment, Aruru took a step closer to Meruru.
And without saying a word, she tightly embraced her.
“…There’s no way that’s true.”
Aruru said, holding Meruru tightly.
The sisters’ tails swayed gently.
“Ugh… Huhuh… Sisssssteerrr! Huuuh!”
Meruru burst into loud sobs, holding onto her sister like a little child.
I was silently watching that figure from a distance.
* * *