Vol 2: Chapter 1: Darkness of the Capital

AN: A new main character will be joining!

The Saint and Hero of Salvation

Darkness of the Capital

This is the royal capital, the heart of the kingdom... but then there is a slum area that is said to be the dark side of it. It is no exaggeration to say that the people who live there fight every day.

Not only do they suffer from hunger and poverty, but they must also learn how to avoid being attacked by thugs and jobless wannabe knights; it's a lawless area. A paradise for inhuman people.

"...Ha...ha...!"

There was a girl running at full speed through such a dangerous city. She was already out of breath, her legs were wobbly, and she felt like she was about to fall at any moment, but she couldn't stop. If she stopped, hell would be waiting for her.

A young girl named Reno was being chased by several dangerous people. Her parents, who were struggling financially, sold her to them for a pittance, but Reno realized this and ran away from home before the deal could be completed.

It would have been nice if she could have gotten away, but of course the goods were being monitored, so she ended up being chased like this.

The girl, who was weaker in physical strength, tried to escape into the complicated back streets of the slums. However, the group knew the slums well, so this gave her no advantage and she was unable to shake off their pursuit. To put it mildly, this was the worst situation.

Reno skillfully navigates the winding back streets, but in her haste, she accidentally turns down a dead-end road. Right in front of her is a huge wall blocking her hope...

"Cough... gasp... gasp...!"

The moment she stopped, all the fatigue she had been holding back hit her in an instant. She started coughing and fell to her knees in pain.

Reno tries to catch her breath and calm down, but the 'beasts' approaching from behind won't wait.

"Rino-chan? Is the game of tag over? Hehe, you're all sweaty and sexy. Why don't you sweat some more?"

"You damn brat has caused me so much trouble. I was told she was to-be a toy for some nobleman's young master, so I was going to train you gently, but I've changed my mind. I'll destroy you so that young master can't play with you as best I can."

"You guys. How many products have you ruined by going too far like that? No harm done. Drug them so they can't resist. What's more, you're feeling happy just from the pleasure, so it's not so bad."

The three who appeared from behind were standing there without any sign of being out of breath. Reno had been played with from the start.

The three beasts approached Reno, casually uttering the most horrifying things in the world. Reno was frightened. Fear corroded her body and hindered her movement. And even so, there was a huge dead-end wall behind her. Her fate was pretty much sealed.

Here, she will be taken back as a slave, subjected to horrific training, and then destined to be used as a toy by some nobleman until she breaks.

She is not the only one who is particularly unfortunate. There are many girls who have been in the same situation or who have been treated even worse. The possibility of becoming a member of a family suffering from poverty is not low.

Officially, buying and selling humans is illegal in the kingdom, but among the money-poor generation it is commonplace.

And it is an unspoken understanding among the poor, who know that the nobility are especially keen on young girls and boys.

"--... No... Don't come, so... stop..."

"Oh, are you scared? How cute! When you make a face like that, it makes me want to destroy you, so stop it, Reno-chan."

Pleading only serves to ignite the other person's desire. Sincere wishes are easily crushed by lust, that's the kind of world it is. In this world, where this is common sense, no one would want to do anything with a troublesome girl like Reno who was sold into slavery.

"...Hiiig...someone...help...me."

Under normal circumstances, her help cry would have been drowned out by the greed of those scum, and would have led to a shameful and deserved end. 

Yes, normally that should end with it.

"What are you guys doing?"

But this time it was not normal. The three beasts turned around in a panic upon hearing a voice from behind them..

There should have been no sign of anything. The three of them were thinking the same thing. These guys were no mere thugs, but former members of the Assassin unit in the kingdom's army.

Their ability to track down their targets and sense someone hiding is incomparable to that of an ordinary human. And of course, their fighting ability, too.

While they possess skills that are perfect for this kind of business, their personalities are ugly and dirtier than sludge. But that personality could also be said to be perfect for this kind of business. The only emotion they have towards their targets is lust.

None of the three noticed. A beautiful, clear voice like a bell came from behind them, and when they turned around, a girl was standing there.

Her outfit was pure white, like a nun's robe, and it seemed to embody innocence. Her flowing, golden hair reached down to her waist, and her skin, visible through the gaps, was as white and beautiful as porcelain. A beautiful girl with blue eyes was standing there.

"This girl... is a real gem. Kihihihihi! Aren't we just lucky today? I'm sure a lot of people would buy her even at an exorbitant price."

"Yes, but let's taste it first. You can't really tell how good it is until you've had a good taste."

The awkward feeling from earlier had already disappeared, and the two idiots, their lower bodies throbbing with desire, now saw the girl in front of them as nothing more than a tool for their business, or an object to satisfy their sexual desires.

However, the other man who seemed to be the leader was different.

"Don't let your guard down, you guys. She may look like an ordinary girl, but this girl... she approached us from behind without any of us noticing. If you do it the same way as usual, it might not turn out well."

The man spoke with a wary expression, but his two companions were already thinking with their lower bodies rather than their brains, so his advice went unheeded.

"You're being too cautious! Those skinny arms wouldn't even be able to do anything to us."

"White... thin arms... hehe, I better get a taste now."

The man's head hurt at the two idiots who wouldn't listen to him, and he held his head with his right hand as he considered what to do next.

"I'll ask again. What are you guys doing to that girl?"

The girl in pure white repeatedly asked the same question as if she hadn't heard the conversation between the three. The two men spoke honestly, ignoring the leader who was trying to observe the situation.

"That girl was sold to us by her parents in exchange for money! This is a business, you understand? If you don't get it, you're stupid! In other words, this is no place for an outsider to get involved."

"We bought her with our money, so we're her rightful owners. Oops! 'Sorry' just won't work now. Hehehe, you'll have to pay with your body for interfering with our business, okay?"

'These idiots,' the leader thought that it was too late now. Even if it was a tacit agreement, it was foolish to brag about doing something illegal. If they wanted to justify it, they needed to think it through before they spoke, or they would get into big trouble.

"I see. So you were trying to commit an illegal act and violate that child's dignity?"

The pure white girl turned her determined blue eyes towards the three villains. Her eyes were clearly mixed with strong anger. She then approached the fallen Reno. She didn't even look at the three men.

"Hey, hey! That's not okay, you're not allowed to touch the products... are you even listening to me, you idiot!"

Perhaps not liking being ignored, the frivolous man attacked her from behind with a short sword. He had intended to acquire the pure white girl as a commodity, but he was determined to stab her with the blade, thinking that even if she died, it would still be fine.

However, the dagger was deflected by something like an invisible wall, chipping off the tip of the blade, and the man was sent flying by the force of his own attack. The pure white girl had already deployed a magical wall, a defensive magical protection.

"Magic?! And to be able to use it without chanting...what on earth is this girl...?"

The leader turned away with a look of shock on his face, looking at the girl walking towards Reno. This must have been a big problem. He felt he had gotten himself involved with a very bad person. He didn't think it would be wise to get any more involved.

And Reno is a poor man's product, bought for next to nothing, so losing it is no pain.

The leader was already thinking about cutting his losses, but at the same time, his intuition told him that he could still turn back and run.

The pure white girl was right in front of Reno. All Reno could do was stare at the girl with her eyes wide open. Neither her body nor her brain could keep up with the sudden turn of events.

"To be in such a terrible state...it must have been scary, and painful..."

Saying this, the pure white girl embraced Reno. Reno was slowly enveloped in a gentle, loving warmth. Despite the situation, a sense of security welled up inside Rino as she was embraced.

Perhaps she had relaxed, because the tears that she had been trying to keep hidden no longer flowed uncontrollably, and not wanting the girl to see her face, she buried her face in the girl's chest and cried silently.

"It's okay now. We will protect you."

Reno felt relieved by the girl's words as she stroked her head, and she passed out. The tension she had been feeling was released, and the fear and despair she had been exposed to had worn her down, and she reached her limit.

"Defensive magic protection is certainly troublesome, but in the end, you're only on the defensive! We have more people than you, do you think you can just get away like this, ahhh!?"

"I was surprised the blade chipped, but as you can see, it's still in great condition. Don't underestimate the big brothers just because you're cute - I'll kill you, you fool."

Leaving the two of them in a rage, the leader calmly considered what the girl had said earlier... The girl had been muttering something ominous...

Not 'I', but .... 'We.'

As his two thoughtless companions were yelling at the girl, he heard the sound of someone walking towards the entrance.

The sound of footsteps echoed loudly, clanging, and for some reason, his instinct told him that he had to run away immediately.

(Something dangerous is coming. Something extremely dangerous. My body is shaking uncontrollably. I need to get away... I need to get out of here quickly.) 

The leader was beginning to panic. His cool head was figuring out the best way forward and whispering to him to start preparing for retreat as a top priority. He had to run away, he had to run away, that was all the man could think about.

The source of the footsteps appeared at the entrance to the dead-end passage. His true identity was a beautiful young man wearing silver armor, a handsome man who would have any woman fixated on him at first sight. His features were handsome and he also looked like a kind person.

However, the leader felt nothing but fear towards the new young man. Having survived many battles in the world of darkness, he knew the young man's true nature at a glance.

He's hopelessly broken.

AN: The thugs leader was the new main character...?