After Igor set Libertas and Mallory free, Mallory grumbled, "What should we do now? Shall we ambush them?"

Immediately Igor rejected the idea, "No, it is too dangerous! Your Highness, I can smell blood in the air, we don't know what is inside. We should safely escape from here!"

Libertas stood there, thinking. His first thought was to flee from here, it was too dangerous. He didn't want to become a slave. Then, he thought that they surely had kidnapped others to enslave them too. Should he have taken the risk to save others?

Inside the cave were at least three men and a possible unknown danger. The unknown had maybe already left, yet he could have remained inside. What motive would he have to wipe the men's hideaway out?

Possibility one, he or she was someone mad and was going around killing everyone he can see. If it was someone like this, then he should be gone by now if he didn't rest in the cave. But even if he was resting, they should be able to safely leave.

Possibility two, he or she was a man of justice, and after seeing the cruel acts of the men, he killed them. There was no danger if the unknown danger was such a man.

Possibility three, he or she had someone important to them kidnapped by the men, and after finding them now, he killed them. Similar, no danger. He or she should be caring about that person important to him.

Possibility four, a territorial battle. Wasn't it always told that after a battle they would be dead drunk? No danger… I hope…

In two of the cases, the kidnapped remained alive, in one dead. Of the two, one will surely set all kidnapped free, in the other one there is a high chance. The last possibility had too much possible fluctuation. The most likely possibility was, one, the kidnapped were killed, two, they were transported away, three, they were let in the cave for the moment.

The reasoning stood, it was unlikely the kidnapped remained there. Even then Libertas wish to see it with his own eyes, and not to let the fate decide. There was enough suffering in the world, at least he can relieve a bit.

Libertas sighed, fully knowing how foolish the ensuing act will be, "I have decided, we will sneak in!"

Mallory grinned, his nose high, "A wise choice, Your Highness! We shall pay them back for all what they have done to us!"

Igor frowned, "Your Highness, why?"

"Igor, I am fully aware of the danger, but I know too there may be others inside who need our help. And I…"

Libertas took a deep breath, "… don't want to abandon them!"

As he spoke that out, his voice shivered lightly, but it carried an unshakeable resolution. Others abandoned him, others had hurt him, others had killed him, in more than one way. Then why, how, did he live until now?

The fear of death and pain played an important role, it was correct, but something else was essential. Without it, his suicidal attempts may have already succeeded. It was a wish. It may be feeble, but it was enough to keep him fighting. It may have lost his past brilliance, but a bit remained. The wish to be 'different'.

Libertas didn't know, in what exactly he wanted to be 'different'. He only knew that he had often sworn in his life to himself, he will be 'different' from someone else. He wanted to be 'different' from his parents, his bully, his teacher, and the list goes on and on.

There was a lot he doesn't wish to become, but in the end, he didn't even know what he wished to become. At most was there a vague idea, it was the Hero of a fantasy novel. But what defined a Hero of a fantasy novel? He didn't know. Maybe it was righteous, beaming, hope, ambition, or determination?

For now, Libertas didn't need to know, what a Hero of fantasy novel defined. All he now needed to know was that he can be 'different' from all he wished to be. He was sure they wouldn't rush in to save the innocent lives!

Igor gazed deep into Libertas' eyes, after a while, he sighed, "I understand. Your Highness, I will follow you, but I must take the front, do you understand?"

After Igor saw Libertas nod, he turned to Mallory, "You will take the rear."

Mallory's eyes squinted, "Who are you to command me?"

"Your Highness, if you please?"

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"Mallory, take the rear."

Mallory's mouth twitched, muttering, "They are bullying me" before he weakly replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

Standing in front of the entrance, Igor spoke to Libertas, "Your Highness, please be ready. You will likely see something you shouldn't have seen. If you need to puke, then puke. If you need to cry, then cry. I am here for you. There is no need for holding back. There won't be a reason to worry. I will always protect you!"

After he said that, he slipped in, his sword ready to fight. Libertas was stunned, he instinctively followed Igor. Instantly, an open wooden door could be seen at the end of the cave. Scattered around were heaps of branches, leaves and boulders. They were likely used to cover the wooden door.

Going through the door, there was one long and multiple small stone tables. Empty bottles were all around the room, most were broken into pieces. Some of the stone tables had a crack, or, and a dent, it was unknown if the cause was a fight, or not. There were three further wooden doors.

Suddenly was there a loud yell from the door left to them. With no hesitation, Igor kicked the door open and prepared for any possible coming attack. Inside the room, were a dozen cages, capturing them while placing several in one. Bleeding corpses covered the whole room. Their hearts were pierced through by their own trusted comrades, and their victorious smirks were stiff on their dead body.

Among the captured were women and men, young and old. Everyone was the same, wearing dirty clothes, despairing eyes, and scarred skin. In the air was an indescribable stench, there was the smell of blood, rotting flesh, faeces, and something else he didn't know.

At first, Libertas could suppress the urge to vomit, still, when he saw a child gnawing at a festering corpse with bloodshot eyes, he puked. He kneeled to puke, even when his stomach had thrown everything out, it continued to spasm, but nothing except acid came out.

Amid all the cages was the leader, the one who had just yelled. He swung his sword against the air, as another man lazily stabbed him before he yawned

That man was middle-aged with freckles on his face. A cowboy hat was on his curly orange hair in which occasional a red strain peeked out. His brown cape covered his light leather armour.

Mallory's eyes widened, and he shouted baffled, "Petro!? What are you doing here?"

Similarly, Petro's eyes widened, he glanced at his sword, "Isn't this obvious?" Then he stabbed the leader once again.

Igor's eyes squinted, "No. Why are you here? Didn't you escape?"

Petro laughed awkwardly, "Ah, you know, this and that has happened. During my escape, I saw this hideout, and just wiped it out."

Suddenly a young boy peeked out behind Petro. He had lustrous black hair falling to his shoulders, pointy ears like the typical elf in a fantasy story. Strangely he was finely clothed compared to the others, a plain black shirt, white gloves, black pants, and leather shoes. A wagging tail poked out of the pants, the end of the tail was heart-shaped.

The boy was a Demon, an Incubus. Unlike the Incubus in the fairytale told in villages, there were no horns on his head. Most demons in this world don't have horns on their head, or anywhere else.

The boy grinned mischievously, "If you could wipe this entire group out, couldn't you help them too before you escape?"

„Your-"

The boy glared at Petro, swiftly he changed his word choice, "Please don't joke around. Didn't I save them by wiping this here out?"

Libertas coughed, and stood up from the floor. He breathed hard, out of rhythm, and could barely stand. In his eyes were a mix of fear, despair, helplessness. Within a glance, he could see himself in one. In his old world was he caged in one, it was called 'Home', but even then, there it was a lot better than here.

Libertas clapped in his hands, distracting himself from his thought, "I believe we should first set them free."

The incubus boy clapped back, "A genius idea! Do you know where the keys are?"

"No, but we can search after them now."

"What is that on your mouth?"

Libertas turned his head away before he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, "It doesn't matter to you!"

The boy shrugged, while he asked Petro, "Who cares? Petro, is anyone alive?"

"No-"

The boy sighed, "Why didn't you leave anyone alive? Such a mess!"

"Ahahaha"

While Petro laughed awkwardly he started searching for the key. After an hour of arduous search, Igor finally found the keys hanging from the waist of a dead body. In the meantime, the other rooms were rummaged through.

The left room kept the captives. The room to the right was filled with hay, loosely placed together. They somehow reminded one, of primitive beds. The room in front of the entrance was full of provisions and gold. Furthermore, a shelf of books and a more or less proper bed was placed in near the entry.

Libertas gazed at the darkening sky outside, sighed and shouted inside, "Igor, prepare a big fire. Mallory, no, I mean Petro, tell the captives, they can soon eat and drink to their fullest!"

Just as Mallory grumbled, but prepared to his task, he froze. Stiffly he walked to His Highness, "Your Highness, what can I do to help?"

After thinking a bit, Libertas replied, "You can prepare a pot and several buckets filled with water."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Seeing that everything outside will be prepared, Libertas walked to the captives. They may be freed, but they still remain terrified in the room while not knowing what they should do now. It was night, they can't travel home. Even if it wasn't night, some won't be able to travel back, as amongst the captured were Beast-folks, Elf, and Demons.

Though, the Humans placed them all under one banner, the Demi-Humans. In this Kingdom were they discriminated, they didn't have any rights. Could you kill them? Did you want to enslave them? Then all one that was required to do was to do it, no one would judge you!

Even human slaves had more rights than the demi-humans. As long as you were a human, you stood above any demi-humans. As such the demi-humans were even more helpless than the humans.

As Libertas walked in was the room eerily silent. Only Petro's voice and the sleeping incubus boy's snoring resounded inside. Libertas closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and hoped that at least he wouldn't stutter in this speech. He thought back to his talk with the incubus boy, the reason why he was now making a speech.