第５掘：世の中どこまでも人はこんなもん (Part2)
"Then, Mauve's daughter would be good," he replied, so I completely lost it and shouted, "Beat me first!" causing trouble at the tavern. ...It was fun.
One day, there was a report that Roschur's army had marched on the village where Raiya's lover lived. Since it was said the Saintess was leading them, I thought it would be a rescue. Even though they were an enemy nation, I had heard of the Saintess's devotion. However, Raiya was so restless that I had Curse issue a quest for him.
Go to the village and investigate Roschur's movements.
And then it started to break. The village was nothing but burnt ruins... only corpses remained.
I had no words for Raiya as he carried her body.
"I'm fine, Mauve, Curse."
Even if he said it while crying, it wasn't convincing...
I conveyed this report to the lord, but he couldn't give a favorable response.
The rumor of the Saintess had spread even to enemy nations as a paragon of sincere devotion. So, if we were to say that the Saintess, carrying her banner, annihilated a village without concrete evidence, it would turn everyone around us into enemies.
In the end, one month later, Roschur's army, using the village as a relay point, began an attack on this town. Our response was slow because we couldn't fully anticipate the enemy's actions. The town was annihilated, leaving only a few survivors. It was only then that our higher-ups finally acknowledged that the Saintess was being used as a banner? A shield? It didn't matter to me. They admitted the attack and began to actively invade Roschur.
But it was too late for me. Raiya's and Curse's eyes were clouded.
There was no turning back, and my treasures wouldn't return.
So, there was no morality or ethics left; we were no different from mere bandits. No, bandits who leave useful things behind are still better. We had disposed of everything.
"Ah, where is the Saintess...?"
As I looked up at the sky, a carriage bearing a familiar flag passed by.
side: Elju Lau Roschur
After that village was annihilated, the conflict worsened. We captured another of their towns, but then they launched a fierce counterattack. Both sides burned several villages and towns.
Washing blood with blood... In the end, there's no doubt that I was the trigger.
Oriel tells me it's not true, but the sight of that village won't leave my eyes.
"...Smoke."
This should be within our own territory, but that flag... Have the enemy forces reached our side as well?
"Driver, I apologize, but this place seems dangerous. Please hurry through..."
Before Oriel could finish her sentence, the carriage suddenly overturned.
"Ugh..."
My whole body aches... When I looked up, Oriel, her face contorted in pain, was holding me protectively.
"Elju-sama... You don't seem... alright. I apologize."
Oriel's leg was twisted in an unnatural direction.
"Oriel! We need to treat you immediately..."
However, before I could treat her, I found myself rolling on the ground.
"Eh... Gobb..."
A sound that I couldn't believe came from my own throat escaped me.
"Elju-sama...!!"
"Hey, hey, 'Elju-sama'..."
"Ah."
"So this is the Saintess."
And so I was enslaved... No, it was a natural outcome, I suppose.
side: Oriel
I couldn't protect Elju-sama...
Currently, we are enslaved by three individuals who appear to be mercenaries, enduring daily assaults...
"It hurts!!"
Elju-sama's voice echoes. I should be protecting her with my life, but...
"Stop it..."
I crawl along the ground towards Elju-sama. When I was captured, one of my legs was broken, and these mercenaries broke my other leg and one of my arms...
"Igh...!!"
Elju-sama's voice echoes. If only I could reach her somehow.
"Huh? Hey, Raiya."
"Ah."
The man called Raiya casually grabbed my broken leg and dragged me away...
"Agh...!!"
My vision blurs from the intense pain.
As I tried to endure the pain, the man called Raiya seemed to sense something.
"This feeling... a dungeon, huh? I've got a good idea, attendant."
He turned his vacant eyes towards me and stated dispassionately.
"Hey, Mauve, there's a dungeon nearby."
"So, what are you going to do? Hey, you've got blood on you, Saintess, you're filthy."
He casually swung his fist and struck Elju-sama's cheek.
"......"
Elju-sama seemed unable to utter a sound anymore.
Raiya continued dispassionately, even seeing her condition.
"If you become a goblin's wife, you'll understand the joy of being a woman, right?"
"Aaaaaah!!"
My vision turned crimson. To treat Elju-sama so terribly and then try to strip her of even her basic human dignity, this fiend...!!
"You caterpillar, you're noisy."
The moment I heard that voice, I felt an impact on my head and fell into a dark abyss.
side: Kazuya, the protagonist, you know?
Hm?
Watching the monitor, I was puzzled by their strange actions.
Instead of using the slave as a shield, they threw her directly at G-Squadron 1st Platoon, who were acting as decoys.
"Hey, she's a female, hurry up and violate her."
That voice reached me from the monitor.
Ah, so that's it. If I think about it carefully, it makes sense. Slaves are forced to show their status to their master. In other words, these three adventurers know that this slave is a princess.
Yet, they're not handing her over to an enemy nation, nor are they returning her to Roschur. That means they have a personal grudge...
Hmm, what a drama, a bloody one.
But I'm sorry, I have no intention of going along with a dramatic ending or a tragic conclusion.
Even if there's some movie-like story, I have my own purpose for living.
"Notification: Continue the operation as is. Do it."
And so I gave the order.
In the end, no matter how far you go, it's always "people are like this everywhere," isn't it?