It's a slaughter.

I remain detached throughout the entire process.

My cold expression and my composed movements offer the greatest efficiency, allowing me to mow down adversaries—participants and staff alike—with little to no difficulty.

Some of the staff, like that seductive host, tried to escape using the backstage exit, but I secured that place by throwing a Grade 2 Explosion Potion that created a chaotic fire in that location.

If anyone tries to use it to escape, they'll be consumed by the unquenchable flames, unable to put it out without the aid of a corresponding Grade 1 or Grade 2 Potion. As such, the only real way out these people have is through me.

Some stubbornly try to go through the flames, but after roasting and screaming to death, most have been discouraged from taking that path.

Regardless, only death awaits them.

I slice their bodies with ease, creating sparks of light and thunderous roars with every slash.

This disorients them, allowing me greater ease in dealing with all of them.

Most of these people are civilians, so despite being in the hundreds, killing them is a relatively simple task for me. In fact, while I slaughter them, my mind remains on other matters, and I refuse to give them my full attention.

Some fools even try to use the slaves as meat shields, so I make sure to deal even greater pain to those scum before sending them off to the afterlife.

No one will be escaping my blade tonight—no one!

Once I'm done here, I'll be heading to Lord's manor to have a word with him. Unlike with these commoners, I can't easily lay my hands on the Lord. However, I will still be reporting him for his corruption after I storm his residence and procure sufficient evidence.

I know this won't change a lot.

Most of those in the high points of authority know of these acts and are even indulging in the very same pleasures.

It's just that they are smart about it, keeping their participation a secret.

The Lord of this region… I can't kill him.

Not for this offense.

As frustrating as it is, I swallow the bile in my throat and accept that fact, eliminating the last of the people within the hall. Once I'm done, I speak to the Fae'lkyns, announcing their freedom, before leaving the hall.

I proceed to the rest of the Theater's establishment, ransacking the place and plundering it of all its valuables. Most of the workers were in the hall with us, but for those who weren't, I made sure to hunt them down and kill them.

All of them!

I even find the secret room where the boss of the Theater is and kill him as well.

He didn't even know of the commotion going on in his place of business since he had already soundproofed his walls and was busy counting his money.

I plunder all of these resources and take them with me, alongside the Fae'lkyns who now trail behind me like I'm their champion or something. Some of them already died tonight, but the number of survivors is still over a hundred.

I give them their fair share of luggage to carry, and we proceed out of the town this way.

I'm certain everyone in the town was curious about us, since I was drenched in blood, and all the Fae'lkyn were walking behind me, carrying all kinds of treasures.

But no one dared say anything or approach me.

—Not with my C Grade Armament.

We leave the town that night, and I'm thankfully able to carry as many as I can on Grey, though not all of them can fit into his shell. Some sit on his head, while others stay atop his shell. I ensure that the sick and injured have priority and enter the shell, where I treat them and reassure them of their concerns.

After properly conversing with them, I learned that they initially thought I was their new slave owner who killed their previous owners.

I can't say I blame them.

They must have been quite stunned by the slaughter, to the point where they forgot my earlier announcement. Also, they don't understand the Nowe'arn tongue, which is what I used to communicate back then.

In fact, the only reason I'm able to communicate with them is due to my time in the Royal Academy, which has given me extensive knowledge of all major languages in the Northwest region of the Continent.

That includes the local Fae'lkyn dialect of this Kingdom.

Once we are a distance from the town and arrive at the nearest stream, I gather all of them around and explain the whole situation to them using their language.

At first, they don't believe me.

I understand.

However, after letting them wash up and rest near the stream, giving them proper meals, and also offering them the choice to leave if they prefer, or continue the ride with me while I return them to their residence, they finally trust me a little.

After a few days, we arrive at our destination, and I drop them off with their people.

Some of them are from other mountain caves, but this will have to be their new home. With the resources I plundered from the Theater, they should be able to flourish and get by on their own.

To ensure they are stable to an extent, I give them some recipes for Potions and also educate them on basic survival mechanisms.

For one, they ought to have at least a few Armaments at their disposal.

Even if they can't buy it from a normal vendor, since they would need proper identification and a license for the most part, they can visit Black Markets and get the deals they require. It'll be a more expensive way to obtain what they want, but they have no choice right now.

Plus, Black Markets thrive on anonymity, so as long as they hide their features, no one will know or care to see if they are Fae'lkyns.

After explaining the importance of these things to them, and properly proportioning their funds so they can afford to purchase Armaments and Special Resources which they can use to brew potions, I give them a few more tips regarding weaponry, defense structures, and societal organization—just so their community can thrive.

If they apply all of these tactics, local marauders and traders won't be able to defeat them.

Large-scale operations will naturally overwhelm them, but those usually have their specific trade routes and human resource points, so they won't pay attention to this small civilization in their little mountain cave.

In essence… they will be safe.

I know this is barely a trickle and hardly makes a dent in the grand scheme of things.

But… it is something.

There are tens of thousands of caves like this one in the Randalorion Kingdom alone.

I only managed to save one.

But—

"This is the most that I can do… for now."

By the time I'm done with them, half a month has passed. In the end, I still have to leave them to fend for themselves, but with all the things I have shown them… I certainly hope they will survive and even thrive.

As I walk towards my Gray Turtleback Camel, all of the Fae'lkyn come out of their caves to see me off. They are nearly a thousand in number, and the smile on their youthful faces, so bright and full of hope, warms even my heart.

One of the children leaves the crowd and runs towards me, hugging my leg before anyone is able to stop her.

"Uwahh! Don't go! I'll miss you so much!"

Her tears sparkle as they fall down her face, and I feel a slight sting in my heart.

This kid; she has no parents, no siblings, no family at all. She is one of the people I rescued from the Slave-Pit, and in one of the events, she was actually forced to… no, I shouldn't say.

I smile and pat her bald head, a gentle smile on my face.

"Don't cry…" With a calm, knowing gaze, I nod and laugh. "… I'm sure we'll meet again someday."

"R-really?!"

"Yes. So why don't you tell me your name? I'll make sure to remember it for when we next meet."

"I don't have one. What's your name, Mister?"

To think she got so attached to me throughout the past two weeks, and she didn't even know my name. What a strange little girl…

"It's Javier."

"My name is Javier!" She suddenly yells out, both hands raised high. "Call me Javier too!"

So she took my name in the end.

I smile wryly, realizing how impossible it would be to forget her name now.

"Okay, Junior… your name is Javier…" I place both hands on her shoulder, squatting so my face is on the same level as hers.

"Let's meet again, Javier Junior. I promise… I won't forget you for as long as I live."

I then cast my gaze on the whole crowd, smiling at all of them.

"I won't forget any of you."

They give me their constant thanks, watching as I return to my steed and embark on my journey.

Silence echoes in my heart.

Those two weeks I spent with the Fae'lkyn taught me a lot about them, and about myself. Most especially, it taught me about the world and its cruel nature.

Why?

Why do people suffer so much?

Why are the Fae'lkyn subjected to so much inhumane treatment, treated as though they are nothing more than cattle? The Slave-Pits… everything that goes on there… it's not what humans should have to experience.

Yet… every single day, thousands upon thousands of them experience that reality.

It's… not fair.

Not right.

And yet, this is what the world truly is.

I started this journey because I wanted to see the wonders of the world and appreciate its beauty.

To be honest, I have accomplished that to an extent.

But, I have seen much more.

My eyes have now been opened to the wickedness, chaos, and cruelty of this world.

It sickens me.

Why would the Gods allow something like this to persist? Why would they not give me the power to change it?

Perhaps… if I were to become one—a Leviathan…

… Maybe things could change?

Or maybe not.

Either way, life moves on.

Thus, I, as well, need to learn to do the same. And so, as I sit in the comfort of my mobile room… watching the scenery pass me by in silence, I feel the tears descend my cheeks and stain my entire face.

Before realizing it, I find myself crying profusely.

***********

Just as planned, I stormed the Lord's manor, gathered all the evidence, and reported his corruption to the appropriate authorities.

He was arrested, his title was revoked, and all his properties were seized by the appropriate authorities—in essence, his overseeing Baron.

I ensured there would be no such thing as a Slave Pit in that town ever again.

I saved lives.

Even though I started all of these things out of my sense of morality, and also to ease my conscience, my actions quickly spread, and I somewhat became popular among fellow mercenaries and even surrounding Nobles.

Before long, they even gave me a title—the Wandering Knight of Justice.

This resulted in only positive results on the surface, as it has now allowed me to collaborate with fellow mercenaries and request higher wages for my work.

But… there will be underlying consequences of my actions that remain unseen.

…. For now.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.