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689. Mercy Or Freedom
I didn’t know why nobody trusted me. Not even Haec or Aemula. Like sure, I understood if Bertrugil or Taburas were apprehensive. And understandably, the Third Legion and the former Deathsquad Hunters would have a reason to be skeptical. However, I thought that at the very least Aemula would have been excited at the prospect of being freed.
But she wasn’t. Not until Hartia released her from the collar. That was when she finally believed me.
“It works.”
Aemula whispered as she stood before Haec, Bertrugil, Taburas, and the rest of the Third Legion. Everyone could not believe their eyes. They just stared at her in shock.
Next to her, Aliq and Ultis were looking around, rubbing at their necks in a daze. Almost like they couldn’t believe what just happened too. And while fewer Demons were looking their way, some were still eyeing the former Deathsquad Hunters in surprise too.
“They really didn’t ever think they’d be freed, huh?”
I muttered under my breath as I hovered in the air, looking down at the susurration of both confusion and excitement sweep across the Third Legion. They began conversing with Aemula as if asking her what exactly happened.
And someone spoke up from my side— speaking in a garbled voice.
“That is what happens when you’ve lived most of your lives in chains. Freedom feels surreal. Almost unbelievable. A small part of you wants to return to it, even when you know things are better now.”
I looked towards the [Prison Of Isolation] that I was carrying next to me. It was not a full manifestation of the Skill— just a partial one so that the person inside couldn’t break free and kill everyone around him.
Hartia closed his eyes, and I could see his visage shift through the distortion.
“I understand that sensation myself…”
And I scratched the back of my head.
“...weren’t you the one who was partly responsible for that for them?”
I gestured at Demons below. Haec turned to the [Knight Eligos] standing next to him and nodded. They began gathering up a handful of folks— volunteers for what came next.
Then I stared at the [Unseelie Lord]. He stared back at me.
“Yes. And?”
Hartia replied as he tilted his head at me. I blinked, then sighed.
“Nevermind.”
I descended down to Haec as he looked up at me. He took a step back, and a [Knight Eligos], a [Djinn], and two [Fiends] stepped forward. They were high-leveled. Greater Demons and Archdemons.
“Salvos, Tor and these three Demons have volunteered themselves to be the next ones to be freed from their collars. They still think it is a risk, but after hearing what Aemula had to say…”
Haec glanced back towards Aemula, who was being crowded around by members of the Third Legion asking her what happened. And she described the process very simply. After all, it was a very simple process.
“We believe in this chance to be free. We could die, but we have seen the possibility that awaits us. So we shall take this risk.”
Tor, the [Knight Eligos], said as he stepped forward. And in his [Prison Of Isolation], Hartia rolled his eyes.
I wanted to glare at the Fairy. But I stopped myself and looked around.
“What about anybody else? Four is good, but at this rate, we’re going to take forever to get through the entirety of the Third Legion.”
I waited expectantly for anyone else to speak up. But I didn’t think anybody else would. Until—
“Well, I’ll take my chances, I guess.”
Bertrugil shrugged and stepped forward. Taburas blinked, staring at him in shock.
“Are you serious, Bertrugil?”
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“No, I volunteered as a joke. Of course I am serious.”
He rolled his eyes as he came to a halt before me. Taburas just gaped, and Bertrugil faced me.
“Look, I am sure that if anything goes wrong, Salvos will save me, right?”
He asked as he raised a brow at me. I gave him a thumbs-up.
“I will try my best!”
“...that’s not very reassuring. But fuck it, let’s do this.”
Bertrugil steeled himself, and I smiled.
“Yep, let’s do this.”
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Haec watched as Salvos, Bertrugil, Tor, and the other Demons vanished up into the rift. Only five Demons were going to have their collars removed right now, when in total, there were nearly a hundred thousand Demons under the command of the Third Legion.
That was why he commanded them to get moving. So that they could continuously remove the collars from the Third Legion while heading to their destination to usurp the rest of the Legions of the Expanse.
So they moved as Salvos emerged from the rift, bringing back with her Bertrugil, Tor, and the other Demons. Their collars were already removed, and she descended to gather even more volunteers to be freed.
As she did, Taburas approached Haec from behind. He glanced back at her, wondering what she had to say. After all, as of late, the relationship between the two had been rather strained. Because of Salvos.
So Haec was expecting some sort of repudiation to Salvos’s character to be said from this interaction. And he was right.
“Haec, are you really fine with this?”
Taburas asked as she eyed Salvos in the distance, disappearing back into the rift with half a dozen Demons in tow. Haec shook his head.
“Fine with Salvos’s plan? It is working, is it not?”
“That’s not what I meant…”
Taburas pursed her lips. That made Haec pause. He blinked at Taburas as she sighed.
“I am not talking about Salvos. I am talking about keeping Hartia alive.”
“I… what do you mean?”
Haec frowned as he spun around, turning away from the mass of moving Demons. He faced Taburas curiously.
She sighed as she gestured at the Third Legion.
“Look at what Hartia has done to them. Not just them— but to us too. Do you not remember what life was like when we were mere Lesser Demons who were sent here for the first time to serve under the Third Legion?”
Taburas gritted her teeth. Haec closed his eyes.
He didn’t forget. He called all the senseless bloodshed he had seen. He remembered just what Hartia did, sending members of the Third Legion out to face wild Demons they couldn’t possibly hope to overcome.
Massacre after massacre. It was almost like Hartia took pleasure in seeing them suffer. And when Haec heard about the gladiator games that were held during Salvation, he knew for sure that Hartia despised those in the Third Legion.
That there was nothing but callousness there.
Opening his eyes, Haec looked towards the Third Legion. There was a large number of Demons that were gathered here. All of them were battle-hardened. Tens of thousands of them. But…
There should have been more. Unfortunately, too many casualties were lost during the attack of that [Cerberus of Hell] not too long ago. Not only that, but there was then those games which Hartia liked to play— where he pitted the strongest Demons in the Third Legion who had not yet proven themselves loyal to the Demon King against each other. To see the strongest come out on top.
And that was not to mention all the lives that were lost prior to Revelation.
Haec hated Hartia. And Haec wished that the [Unseelie Lord] was not spared. After everything Hartia had done, he didn’t deserve to just walk free. However—
Glancing to the side, Haec saw a pair of Demons who were responsible just as much as Hartia had been for the suffering of so many Demons under the Demon King.
Haec knew he should have shared that exact same disdain for Ultis and Aliq as he did for Hartia. But as he looked towards the former Deathsquad Hunters, he felt none of the same hatred.
Why?
Was it because Haec personally experienced what it was like to suffer under Hartia? Because he had seen the pain and suffering that Hartia had dealt out? If that was the case, then that made Haec’s feelings unreasonable.
And Haec knew he had to remain objective as a leader now. As a hero.
So that he could lead the Third Legion to victory. No— not just them. But all of the Demons who suffered under Regnorex.
“Taburas.”
Haec finally spoke as he looked back towards her.
“You are right. I do wish Hartia pays for what he has done.”
He met her gaze, not wavering for a moment as she blinked.
“Because of everything he has put me through. And everything he has done to the others under the rule of the Demon King.”
Haec took a deep breath, then looked back up at the rift. Salvos was returning with even more freed Demons now.
“But despite all that… Hartia is on our side now. And he is more valuable as an asset than he is dead. So we have no choice but to accept this situation.”
Taburas lowered her head as she nodded.
“I see…”
She looked down at herself as Haec remained silent for a moment longer. He closed his eyes, knowing what he had to ask next. A topic that he had avoided broaching for a while. But now was the right time.
No— not the right time. It was necessary to be asked right now.
“What about you?”
Haec asked as he glanced back at Taburas. She frowned at him.
“Me?”
“Yes—”
Haec took in a deep breath, holding her gaze.
“What do you think of Salvos?”
And Taburas’s eyes grew wide.