Being a small town that only housed around 75 people before the incident, even if one took into account the possibility of traveling merchants, mercenaries, and other groups that may stop in the town, there was no way Porta could withstand the capacity of an entire legion of 10,000 men.

This led to a situation where the higher ups within the military were the ones who imposed on the homes. Most homes were empty either way, and many had been destroyed and broken into already.

Food was collected from the empty homes to feed the army, however the soldiers often found to their own displeasure that some of the homes had already been partially or fully looted by the people who remained in the town.

The vast majority of foot soldiers set up a camp ranging from the streets of the town to the outskirts beyond the actual commercial and residential areas.

Even so, the lack of abundant supplies were not an issue. Even if the town was small, there was at least enough within the storehouses to feed most people at least a small meal, and many of the soldiers had their own rations to keep themselves staved off for the time being.

Calerius did not set any orders against using the food in the storehouses for the sake of feeding the army, and so they helped themselves. After all, if true order was to be established, one must bow before a hierarchy. If the citizens of the Empire were not willing and able to feed their armies which protected them from monsters, then how could this be called orderly?

The fact of the matter was that even though the legion had been too late to take care of the monster that had attacked the village, the military still existed solely for the purpose of serving the Emperor, and protecting the citizens of the Empire. Even now, these men were on their way to the wall to defend these people from even more possible monster attacks, so there was nothing wrong with using the supplies for themselves.

After all, this could just be considered a tax which the citizens were paying for their own protection and safety.

Colonel Seras made his way to a building which looked like a bar with a number of men who served underneath him.

"Remember men, we are not to create a fuss. We will have a drink or two and be done. Following this, we rest and head out tomorrow morning."

"Yes Sir!"

The men marched into the bar, opening the cracked door and entering.

"Is anyone here?", Seras asked diligently, looking around the bar.

His eye landed on two people- an adult male and an adult female who were sitting on the couches in the bar with glasses of wine in their hand and laughing together.

"And then this guy started yelling at me!! He said 'If you're only going to deliver bills to me then I don't want to receive the mail anymore!!'"

"Haha! So what did you do then?"

"Well isn't it obvious? I continued delivering the mail to his doorstep, but I always made sure he wasn't there when I came so I didn't have to see him."

"What an asshole. Blaming the mail carrier for his own bills!"

"I know, right?"

The two were engulfed in their conversation, however they soon looked over to see the armored men standing at the front of the bar.

"Ah? Who might you all be?", Niri asked leaning forward as her blonde hair drooped in front of her.

"I am Colonel Seras of the 5th legion. Mercenary, I see that you are of Lieutenant ranking. Please fix some drinks for me and my men, who are all of Captain ranking or higher."

The man walked up, taking a seat at another couch. A few of his men sat next to him, however Niri did not budge.

"Why should I get up?", she asked, glaring.

The Colonel looked over to her with an odd expression, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

Patrick was looking back and forth between the two, concerned with the tense atmosphere.

"Ah.... I'm sorry about her.... I will get you your drinks immediately."

Patrick placed down his own wine glass and got up to fix the drinks, however Niri and the Colonel were still having a staring contest.

"What do you mean by that, mercenary?"

"I meant exactly what I said. I was asking a legitimate question here. Why should I get up?"

Niri grabbed the shoulder of Patrick, who had walked around the couch and was heading over to the bar.

"And why should he get up?"

Patrick, caught in the middle of the two, looked back and forth frantically while smiling lightly.

"U-um.... Niri, I don't think we should anger-"

"You have no sense of discipline."

The Colonel was staring now with disgust.

"Do you not understand? Your badge clearly shows that you are of Lieutenant ranking. Furthermore, you are not a member of the actual military, but a mere mercenary. Are you telling me that you have the right to question an order given to you by one higher than yourself?"

"And I asked you a question, yet you refused to answer. Why. Should. I. Get. Up? I don't see any reason to. Can you not fix your own drink? Perhaps you don't know how to, and you need someone to do it for you? But if that were the case, then shouldn't you be asking me nicely? 'Oh please, dear mercenary, would you assist me in pouring my drink, for I am incapable of such a basic task due to my own pompous lifestyle?' The last time I checked, your way of asking someone for assistance is quite rude."

"How dare you, you lowly mercenary!! I will have-"

"Colonel, forgive me for speaking out of line, but would the Legion Commander not be disappointed if you caused a fuss here?", one of the Captains stated.

The Colonel's face twisted with irritation, however he soon quit his yelling.

"You are right, soldier."

The Colonel then stood up loudly like a child having a tantrum, stomping his way to the bar and loudly clanking the glasses as he poured his own drink to show his clear irritation with the entire situation.

'That Legion Commander..... Calerius.... he always claims that he is a supporter of order and obedience, however he is too soft.... he is harsh on his own men and lenient on those around him.... if I were to start a conflict here it would not be that lowly mercenary who is punished, but rather myself!! Outrageous.... he doesn't understand the true meaning behind the hierarchy and true order.... if only I could surpass him and become the commander of this legion....'

Clank. Clink. Clank.

Seras purposely spilled some of the beer onto the floor to annoy the residents of the bar, and quickly took his own seat.

"Even if you are not willing to serve us, you should still get up from your seat. After all, there is not enough room for myself and my men on this single couch."

"Ah, we are fine, Colonel.", one of the men who was standing stated. "There is no ne-"

"No, I will not have for someone of lower rank sitting down while men of higher ranking stand. That is the very object of disorder and chaos. We cannot allow those of lower ranking to trample upon the system, lest we allow this to become commonplace, and society itself crumbles. Now get up, woman. Allow my men to sit."

Niri seemed annoyed, but looked over to the other men, seeing that they were clearly in an awkward position, and didn't really want to intrude.

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"I'll allow them to sit because they are acting like gentlemen, unlike you.", she remarked as she stood up, and the men reluctantly took seats at the couch.

Niri went over to the bar, sitting on a stool while continuing to sip on her wine. Patrick wondered if they should just leave the bar, but Niri seemed to have no intention to.

'I should stay by her side... who knows what she will do if I leave...', Patrick thought. 'I wonder if she's acting like this because those monsters are backing us? Normally it would be unthinkable to go against someone of higher ranking to yourself- and a member of the military at that. It's somewhat surprising that this man hasn't already tried to have her executed...'

Patrick found himself laughing at his own thoughts.

'I suppose that's right.... we're no longer a part of this hierarchy in the Empire. We now live under a new hierarchy- one that far surpasses the current one. Still, we shouldn't be causing trouble.... according to what Coran said we are to simply bear with things so long as we are not attacked, and so long as we don't creates any suspicions. However, if Niri is acting like this, we are going to create a whole lot of hatred. Even if that isn't necessarily suspicion... it will certainly draw unwanted attention.'

The Colonel stood up after finishing his drink, walking over to the bar to refill his mug.

There was a barrel of beer with a tap and a cork on one of the top shelves.

The Colonel seemed to snicker as he walked over, collecting the glances of many. He placed his mug underneath the tap and reached up to turn the handle, however instead of turning the handle he pulled out the cork.

The beer began to spray out of the barrel, hitting the back of Niri and drenching her as she sat in a stool at the bar.

"Oh no! My hand must have slipped and the cork was removed from the barrel!! What a mess..... it would be disturbing if the Legion Commander were to find out about this. Ah, but wait! I see... there's a solution right in front of my eyes! After all, women are meant to do the cleaning, right? That's how things should be in an orderly household, right?"

The men who were of Captain rank watched with discomfort as their Colonel pulled a childish stunt.

They understood that they would be punished by the Colonel if this were to be reported to the Legion Commander, however none of them wanted to see their leader acting in such a manner.

Niri merely turned around, grabbing her hair and wringing it out like a towel.

"I'm not cleaning anything but myself. If you don't want to leave this mess, clean it up yourself."

And with that, Niri walked off, into the back room.

Patrick merely watched, unsure what to do or say, but ended up grabbing a wet towel and begun cleaning the soaked counter and floor.

"Ah, what a shame. All that beer has gone to waste. I suppose I should head over to the storage room to collect some more. You two. Come with me.", the Colonel stated while beckoning his men.

A lightning bolt struck in the mind of Patrick as he heard this, and he quickly stood up.

"Ah!! T-there is no reason for you men to go there and get it yourself. I will go!!"

"Be quiet and keep cleaning, dog.", the Colonel stated coldly.

"No no!! I insist!!! Please allow me-"

The fist of the Colonel smashed into the face of Patrick.

"I said to be quiet. A dog should only bark if there is danger for his master. Get back to cleaning."

'This man.... he doesn't understand.... there is danger where he's going....'

"I absolutely insist!!!! Please allow me to get it for you!!!!!", Patrick shouted.

The Colonel, who was walking away at this point, looked back with confusion.

"Why are you so persistent? Could it be....."

The Colonel's face writhed with disgust.

"Could it be that you're hiding something that you don't want us to see?"

Patrick let out an audible gulp before responding from the floor.

"N-nothing like that!! It is merely that I would not dare to bother you gentlemen with such a petty matter!!! I beg you!!! Let me get your drinks!!!"

"Why do you refuse to listen to my orders to shut the fuck up and keep cleaning!? Men, come with me. We're performing an inspection. The sudden disobedience and strange words of this man are too suspicious to ignore."

'Shit!! He's caught on!!!', Patrick thought. 'Is there nothing else I can do!?'

Patrick searched his mind, however remembering back to the image of Niri being drenched with alcohol, his mind went blank.

He ceased thinking about a way to convince these men to stop.

'You know what? Do what you want. Don't come crying to me when you find the skeletons in our closet.'

----

Inside a dark storage closet, three beings sat in a circle, facing one another.

Two of them were humanoid spiders- a brother and a sister. The third was a humanoid wasp queen.

These beings were Coran, Berith, and Alicia.

"So uh... why are we hiding in this closet, Coran?", Alicia asked, clearly confused.

"Yes brother. Why are we hiding in this closet?", Berith added.

"Well, if we were not to hide ourselves then it's obvious that the men who are in the town would attack us. If that were to happen, we would have one of two choices- and both would only put more attention on ourselves. Either we would flee the scene, and it would become known that a group of monsters are at large within the Empire, or we would have to fight and kill the entire Legion of 10,000 men to silence them, thus garnering unwanted attention in that manner."

"So why are we in this closet? Couldn't we have just gone back to the Dictatorship for a while?", Berith asked.

"Absolutely not!!", Alicia responded. "If we just left then the children would be left alone in a town filled with soldiers! What would we do if they were attacked or injured!?!"

"Exactly right.", Coran added. "We can't leave this place because we have to be able to respond to any sudden developments. You know this yourself, as their excellencies sent you here for the very purpose of assisting me."

"Ah, I guess you're right.", Berith stated. "I forgot that the snacks are actually now worth something."

"D-don't call them snacks!!", Alicia exclaimed. "They're our children!!!"

"Oh?? So I guess this is what her eminence was referring to as 'motherly love'. I wouldn't know about it."

"Enough, sister. Right now, our job is to monitor the situation from this closet. If something happens, we will act. If not, we stay quiet and say nothing."

"Alright alright. I'm just getting really hungry, so it's kinda hard, you know? There are all those snacks waiting outside and I can't eat them yet. Heck, I might not ever be able to eat them. I kinda hope they cause a ruckus so I'll have a reason to eat them."

Coran chuckled.

"We must put the plans of their excellencies first. Even if it means to starve, I would have no complaints."

"And I would not question their orders either. If I were told to starve, then I would do it without a second thought. But you already understand the kindness of their excellencies. They value not only our lives, but our happiness above anything else."

Berith grinned and thinned her eyes.

"Perhaps it was for that reason that they sent me here in the first place...."

"Berith, you're kinda scaring me...", Alicia stated, scooting back.

"Please stop scaring my wife, sister."

"Just what could I be doing to scare you, dear sister in law?"

"Er...."

Berith crawled over to the corner that Alicia had bundled up to, looking up and down her expression.

"What's wrong, sister in law? Don't worry. Brother considers you to be a precious piece of property, so I won't consume you myself. Perhaps he is saving you for his own consumption? Hehe...."

Berith put one of her insectoid hands to the chin of Alicia, who gulped.

"Sister, that's enough. I have no such intentions.", Coran stated while putting his hand to the shoulder of his sister.

She glared back with a disturbing smile, and backed off.

"I see.... so your intentions are elsewhere? I continue to wonder what value you find in this girl, Coran... but I will not question."

Alicia, who had a face of fear, was glancing back and forth between the two.

"Worry not, slave. My sister will do no harm to you. She is merely messing with you.... she has a very questionable sense of humor."

"I.... see...."

With that, the three relaxed once more, and Berith began twirling the bandages she wore in her finger.

"Looks like those soldiers are getting pretty cocky out there. They're taking all the food and drink from the town."

Coran seemed to frown as he used his high end heat perception to watch as the soldiers flooded into the town.

They didn't seem to be attacking anyone, but they were certainly not just passing through.

"What do you think brother? Is this an offense worthy of slaughtering them all?"

"No, sister. It is not worth exposing our existence. We will allow our people to endure at least this much for now. If things become worse we will take action."

Time passed and Coran and Berith both continued to use their perceptive skills to witness the events from their corner in the closet.

"Grr.... those humans.... they think they can just come in here and do whatever they want....", Coran said while grinding his teeth.

"Why don't we jump out and slaughter them?", Berith asked calmly.

"No.... we will let our people endure this much.... it hasn't become violent yet....."

"Al-right..... but Coran, is that what our masters would do?"

This question hit deeply within the heart of Coran.

What would his masters do?

Would they stick to the plan and ensure that no slip-ups happened?

Or would they jump out, risking failure in order to assist their own slaves?

The answer was obvious in Coran's mind.

Of course, they would have the power to find a way around both.

They would effortlessly find a new solution which prevented any possible slip of information while simultaneously punishing all who offended anyone underneath them.

'But I have no such powers.... I am merely a strong fighter. I am not a mastermind like his excellency, nor a charismatic leader like her eminence... I am just a monster with a bit of fighting prowess... that is all....'

However, it was then that Coran witnessed Niri being drenched in the alcohol.

'That asshole.....'

"What now, brother?"

Coran bit his lip, and watched as Niri merely walked away from the fight.

"I cannot allow her mature response to go to waste.... however....."

Coran glanced towards the door.

"That man has just entered my list of people to slaughter. Whether it be here and now, or at some point in the future."

"I see.... then, we will continue waiting."

And so, the three remained silent, waiting patiently to see what would happen.

However, at this moment, the Colonel along with his 10 Captains approached the door to the closet which the three were hiding in.

Coran watched the door, knowing that they were about to enter.

As he did so, a smile came upon his face.

"It looks like we have no choice, sister. After all, they've found us."

"You're absolutely correct, brother. They've cornered us."

"Without a doubt, they will find us here, my dear sister."

"If we allow them to leave this town after they discover us, then it would mean all sorts of trouble, dear brother."

"Indeed. However, would the disappearance of a single group of 11 men not be noticed by the rest of the legion?"

"That's right."

The two grinned from ear to ear, and Alicia merely watched as the two spiderlings in front of her were filled with a bloodlust beyond imagination.

The door burst open, and in front of the two stood the Colonel, at the head of 10 Captains.

"Looks like we've been caught."