At the crack of dawn, Orchestra, Poda-Bruss and Dune made their way in the city, crossing roads, bridges and even through buildings following the red line. It made convoluted paths and its destination could never be guessed.

"Where are we going?" asked Orchestra

"We don't know. The red line just shows me the optimal path, but not what it is"

"But how does that even work? Can the string see the future or something?"

"To be honest, I have no idea. Sometimes, it doesn't help me end up in a place I want, but a place I need to be. For example, I never wanted to be the demon lord, but following fate has led me here"

"Really? Then how did you even become a demon lord?"

"God chose me as his herald, and there's no way to refuse that. I was born with this talent; ⌈Manifest Destiny⌋, which led me to God. Maybe God controls this string, who knows"

"Wait, if this is a talent you were born with, what did God give you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, from what I know the Goddess always grants something, a talent, power or equipment to her heroes. I assumed that the demon God did the same"

"...I'm not sure if God gave me anything, but I'm sure he has his plans"

Orchestra looked at Dune. This small girl was forced upon this great task and had no assistance. It was admirable how she made her way through the times, but it was also pitiable. Though if put into perspective, heroes were like that too. Sacrifice is one of the core aspects of a hero. The sacrifice of their friends, connections or powers. She did not believe that there was a single hero that did not suffer. Orchestra wondered if the pain could be avoided, perhaps she could've avoided making a deal with Grimm if she was stronger, more prepared. However, this was fate. This was how things were supposed to be in the Goddess's grand narrative. To doubt was to betray.

All around her, she saw the city slowly rise up from its slumber, the 'closed' signs turning 'open' as the people slowly seeped into the streets. Of course, there were those who were up all night, serving their duty and protecting the city. The guards switched shifts and sluggishly made their way back. The cleaners who swept the filth and collected the garbage chased away the stray cats and soon, the area was bustling with lively residents.

Finally, the heroes and Dune arrived at their destination at the end of the red line, a large empty warehouse around the outskirts of the city. The large entrance was ajar as the group entered, but all they saw were wooden crates of various sizes and vehicles used for transportation.

"Wait, we're not there yet" assured Dune

And so the group resumed their walk. Orchestra wondered what this warehouse was for as it was unclear exactly what kind of things they stored here. She could not think of any businesses that would need this many different sizes of boxes. The red line finally fizzled out in the middle of the warehouse, an open area surrounded by wood.

"Where to now?" asked Poda-Bruss

"Sometimes the red line disappears, which could mean a lot of things, but for now, I think we should split up and search for clues"

Poda-Bruss was still a bit skeptical of Dune and the red line and it was strange to him how everyone was so easily accepting of the demon lord. Of course, it is natural to let your guard down against such a weak opponent, but heroes and demon lords were natural enemies. The only ones who showed true hatred for Dune were Solas and Reginn, though it seemed that the only one truly on the non-extreme end of opinion was him alone. Kallen and Kaizer didn't seem to care for Dune in the slightest while Siege and Orchestra doted on her as if she was a child. Then again, she was indeed still a child and perhaps it is too soon to make any rash judgement.

Orchestra looked around the crates for any traces of concentrated mana or imprints. However, upon passing a particularly large box, she heard a faint heartbeat radiating from within. This was a first for her, but she assumed that this was a part of her new body as the body-sharing with Grimm seemed to have a permanent effect on her body, making her even more demonic in nature. Although in a different light, Orchestra was glad that at least her personality didn't change. She continued listening to the heartbeat, which was picking up pace as she heard a clenching of a fist, holding tightly onto something. Now she could truly confirm that someone was within these crates and in a swift motion, sliced open the large box. Within this revealed an elf, dressed all in black and armed to the teeth, pointing a strange object at Orchestra. Upon hearing a sudden loud noise, she instinctively put up her forearms over her face and felt a small object tear through her armour, but when she let down her guard, it was revealed that her arms transformed just in time to block the bullet.

Upon hearing the scuffle, Poda-Bruss tore through a wall of crates, appearing directly beside the elf, taking her by surprise. He then proceeded to tackle the elf and brought her down to the coarse floor. Poda-Bruss cast a spell to create a cuff that restrained her before imprisoning her within a small rectangular box made of mana.

"Are you alright?" asked Poda-Bruss

"Y-yeah..." replied Orchestra

While it did not hurt much, Orchestra was still recovering from the shock. She thought that there might've been a hostage or a worker within the crate but never expected to be shot in the face by strange weaponry. Orchestra picked up the metal pistol from the ground and examined it. It was a confusing weapon indeed with many moving parts. She decided to confiscate it for now and hand it to Siege for later examination as he should be the one most caught up with current technology. Dune quickly followed to witness the elf but was also confused about why the elf was there, although she believed that the red string must've led them there.

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"Alright, who are you?" asked Poda-Bruss

"..."

"I think she might be a spy, seeing her weaponry and method of concealment, from Championnat maybe?" guessed Dune

"Look, we're heroes, well except Dune, but if you need any help, we're always on the good side"

"...Are you truly heroes? You look more like a demon to me" asked the elf

"Oh yeah about that... It's a long story," said Orchestra as she touched her horns "but believe us, we really are heroes"

The elf sighed in defeat as she began to explain the situation.

"Fine... I suppose if you really are heroes, then there's no harm in telling you my mission. You can call me... Ace"

According to Ace, she was a special agent from Championnat here to rescue some missing elves. She had been on this case for many years and all the efforts had led up to this location and she planned to hideout here until the perpetrators arrived.

"Ah, the red line is here again," said Dune, peering around the corner of the destroyed box

"Well, we will gladly assist in your mission, though we may depart midway. Maybe the ⌈Manifest Destiny⌋ will lead us where you need to be" said Orchestra

"...Alright. My plan to stakeout here is ruined anyways"

With another member added to the party, the group continued their pursuit of the red line. The red line was not completely straight and perfect but rather was wavy and of varying thickness along its length. However, since only Dune could see the line, there was the possibility that she was leading them astray, but Orchestra decided to put her trust in the demon lord. She seemed different from all the other demon lords she met before. Perhaps compassionate was not the right word but... she was a good person, she could tell.

After a few minutes of chasing, the red line dived beneath the floor. Dune stopped in her tracks and the others followed suit.

"Now what?" asked Ace

Poda-Bruss put his finger under his chin in deep thought. There was something far more sinister at play and at this point, this couldn't have been caused by a demon lord since Ace said that the elves had gone missing for a few years now. He walked up to the area and slammed a mana shield at the floor, revealing a bunker entrance.

"What is this...?" asked Orchestra

"It seems that the warehouse is just a cover for a larger operation. Quick, let us make haste" replied Poda-Bruss as he lifted the heavy metal trapdoor.

"Wait," interrupted Ace "If we jump blindly into danger like that, we might get lost down there forever"

"We don't have to worry about that," said Orchestra "I'll explain later"

The entrance groaned as it revealed a ladder leading far deep into the ground. The walls were crude concrete but were relatively clean, meaning that this area had been accessed not long ago. Orchestra thought it was impossible that a criminal organization existed within the capital and its high levels of security, but then again, the kingdom had changed a great deal since her time.

Poda-Bruss was the first to reach the lower floor beneath and was met with a scenery resembling the insides of a dungeon.

"I see... I believe that this area was used as a dungeon for criminals in the olden days, but it looks like it had been given a new purpose"

"So, is this like a black market or something?" asked Orchestra

"Yes... But more specifically, it seems to be an area to hold slaves and perhaps auction them"

"Huh? How do you know that?"

"Historically, many elves had been sold as slaves due to their longevity and eternal beauty. Though it's still surprising that there are still traffickings in modern times after it was outlawed... Especially in the capital" replied Ace

"...Alright, I guess we should move carefully from now on"

The party moved cautiously along the brick walls, lit dimly by the torches. The area was vacant and silent, but it would be wise to keep alert at all times. They were on enemy territory after all. This caution paid off when they heard the sound of wooden wheels crawling along the hall. Poda-Bruss signalled to the others to hide behind the wall and prayed that they would just pass by in order to stay unseen, but when they turned around the corner, he had no choice but to slam them across the hall.

The rest joined the fray and attacked the criminals while Orchestra checked the crate and to her horror, found unconscious bodies of elves, humans and even demons within. She carried the bodies out and gave them what little water she brought, helping them regain their consciousness. At first, the kidnapped were frightened and afraid of Orchestra, but she was soon able to calm them down and explain who she was as well as her fellow heroes. The battle was short-lived with the heroes emerging victorious. It seemed that these were just lowly guards without much experience as signalled by their cheap, unused blades. This was a much greater operation than expected if they were able to hire this many guards to protect just one cargo.

Now they had to figure out what to do with the estranged individuals. It would be far too dangerous to let them escape on their own as they seemed anorexic and frail and would need someone to protect and guide them. Poda-Bruss was first to volunteer for the position. While he felt uneasy leaving her majesty behind, he would be the best in escorting the young elves, demons and humans.

After Poda-Bruss waved farewell, the group continued onward through the dark corridors of the dungeon. It was like a maze, sprawling through the underground like the inner architecture of anthills. Sometimes the path would lead upwards while sometimes they walked downhill. After a long adventure of path finding, the group found an odd room filled with documents.

"Hmm... These might be incriminating documents. Better confiscate them" said Ace

"Eh... Are you sure you should be taking that back to the elven kingdom"

"Hm? Is there a problem?"

"Well, at least let's search through them before taking them in bulk"

The party of Orchestra, Ace and Dune searched the archives for anything of importance. While the others found names of victims, as well as records of illegal transactions, Orchestra accidentally bumped into a stack of boxes, making them tumble atop the stone floor. She quickly made sure that the noise didn't alert any ears nearby and began gathering the pages when she saw a single name she recognized.

"Reason..."

"Hmm?" sounded Dune

"That's the head of the royal guards"

Orchestra recalled meeting the man while she was at castle Order-Citadelis during the beginning days of her second journey. A serious older gentleman, he brandished a dark brown beard as well as a monocle. He did not seem to be an experienced fighter though he definitely had many connections throughout the nation. She quickly pocketed the document, as well as many others she thought looked important. While it was suspicious, it was too early to make any rash assumptions.

"Are we done here? We have to hurry" said Ace

The group continued onwards through the labyrinth, not truly understanding the scale of the evil that lay awake under the kingdom.