The phrase, "You don’t deserve 'Hero,' and you don’t deserve 'sama,'" echoed in Dus’s mind, loud and cutting.

Not worthy of "Hero"—he had misused the courage granted to him.

Not worthy of "Sama"—he hadn't earned the respect that came with it.

In the end, he was nothing more than the "Rod." The title of "Rod Hero sama" now felt like a mockery with only the "Rod" remaining, stripped of any honor.

Dus stood motionless, his rod lowered, as Anyi calmly sheathed his slime sword. The air around them grew still, heavy with the weight of Anyi’s cold words.

"Go back," Anyi commanded, his tone sharp and final. "Tomorrow, we will hold a monster subjugation conference. If you have the courage, you’ll attend. If not, then it’s over. One less person saves us the trouble. You know where to find us."

With that, he turned his attention to the bystanders. "Everyone, go home. It’s our fault this happened. Any injuries or losses you’ve suffered will be handled by the Aldrich/s believers. We’ll take care of the tavern’s repairs. Once the renovations are complete, you’re welcome to return."

For a moment, the crowd stood in stunned silence. But slowly, the tension broke.

"Yes, the true Heroes have shown us what a Hero should be!" someone called out.

"That Dus, he’s no Hero! He’s a disgrace to the title!" shouted another.

"You two are the real Heroes!" a patron cried, raising their voice in praise of Anyi and Layton.

It seemed no one wanted to miss the opportunity to scorn Dus now that he was defenseless. His once-proud posture had crumbled, and though the insults flew at him, Dus didn’t react. His weapon withdrawn, he stared silently at the ground, the fire in his eyes gone. Eventually, he slipped away, blending into the departing crowd.

Anyi let out a breath and turned to Layton. "Help the people upstairs leave," he said quietly. "Make sure they know it’s dangerous to stay here any longer."

Layton nodded, moving to evacuate the upper floors while Anyi remained below. A group of waitresses, now busy cleaning up the tavern, caught Anyi’s attention. He approached them.

"Who owns this establishment?" he asked, his voice neutral but firm.

A well-dressed woman stepped forward, her movements graceful, yet there was an air of maturity about her that suggested she was used to managing such affairs. "Hero Sama, I am the owner, Rose Kurali," she said, bowing her head respectfully.

Anyi gave a short nod. "As I mentioned, we’ll handle the repairs. But before we start, I need to ask a few things."

"Of course, Hero-sama. Ask anything you like," Rose replied, her demeanor calm but curious.

Anyi’s eyes narrowed slightly. "First, where do your employees live? Do they stay at the tavern, or do they have places outside? It’s important. If they live here, we’ll need to arrange temporary accommodations during the repair."

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Rose seemed taken aback for a moment but quickly responded. "Most of the girls live here, Hero-sama. We close the tavern from dawn to daylight for them to rest."

At this, some of the waitresses exchanged glances, clearly touched by Anyi’s concern. 'A Hero who even cares about where we’ll stay?' Their hearts warmed at the thought.

But in Anyi’s mind, different thoughts swirled. 'So they stay here, rarely interacting with the outside world. If they were to disappear, few would notice. Perhaps only the patrons might wonder where they went, but they’d likely assume the girls simply moved on.'

"The second thing I need to know," Anyi continued, "is whether your employees often go out. Do they have regular places they visit? Maybe for meals or shopping? I’d like to find a temporary residence that’s convenient for them."

Rose hesitated before shaking her head. "They don’t go out much. Most of their time is spent here at the tavern. If they do have recreation, it’s usually just visiting the big beach."

At the mention of the beach, the waitresses’ faces lit up, nodding enthusiastically. They clearly enjoyed their rare trips there.

'The beach,' Anyi thought, quickly analyzing. 'So, they interact with men there. It’s probably the only time they get to socialize outside of the tavern. But still, they have no real connections in the city. Even if they vanished, it wouldn’t raise much alarm.'

There was one last important question. "You said they work from dawn until dusk every day," Anyi asked, his tone sharpening. "Is that correct?"

Rose’s expression shifted, a flicker of tension crossing her face. She had spoken too freely, and now she realized it. Such work hours weren’t normal for humans. Even more, the only entertainment these women had was the beach—a detail that didn’t align with the lives of ordinary people.

Rose hands clenched at her sides, but she kept her tone steady. "Yes, Hero-sama, as I said, the girls have no homes to return to. They live here... it’s all they know. Without the tavern, they have nowhere."

Her words dripped with feigned sympathy, but Anyi wasn’t fooled. He listened, letting her spin her tale, but his sharp eyes missed nothing.

"Good," Anyi replied, nodding. 'No connections, no family, no friends. Perfect.'

Inside his mind, a plan was already set into motion. This wasn't just about a tavern anymore.

He cast a quick glance to Layton and said out loud, "Mr. Layton, go gather all the Aldrich's believers. Tonight, we begin the repairs."

[Mr. Layton, don’t leave for real. Just pretend. Stay nearby, ready for action.]

With a nod that could be mistaken as casual, Layton slipped out of the tavern, leaving Anyi to face Rose once more.

"Now," Anyi said, his gaze sharpening as he turned back to Rose, "gather your employees. All of them. Follow me."

Rose hesitated for just a fraction of a second before nodding. "Of course, Hero-sama." She waved her hand toward the waitresses, signaling them to follow.

The women, unaware of the impending danger, followed Anyi upstairs without a second thought. Once they reached a room, Anyi casually pushed open the door.

"Please wait in here," he said, his voice even and reassuring. "We need to check for damages in the other rooms."

The girls entered without question, settling into the room as instructed. Their suspicion remained dormant, placated by Anyi's calm demeanor. After a few moments, Anyi closed the door behind them and stepped out.

A short while later, Anyi returned. But this time, he wasn’t alone. Behind him were four figures, each of them succubi, their once-alluring forms now bound tightly in the cold embrace of black slime.

The succubi chuckled awkwardly, their confidence faltering in the face of their imminent exposure. "Ah… it seems we’ve been caught," one of them said, her voice laced with nervous laughter. "Hero-sama knows who we truly are."

Suddenly, black slime erupted from Anyi’s feet, spreading rapidly like a dark tide. In mere seconds, the once-bright room was plunged into pitch blackness, suffocating and absolute.

"What?!" Rose’s voice quivered, her once calm demeanor shattered by terror as the darkness enveloped her and the others.