Returning to the cottage in the village where they were staying, Padde reported to the others that he had accepted the chief's request. As expected, not a single person objected. In fact—
"Sounds fine by me. It's not like we're good for much else anyway," Bill murmured idly, leaning back in his chair.
"An atavism to the kijin, huh... So that's why Sanya-chan always wore that hat..."
"Not that it's anything to be bothered by. If anything, it's pretty charming. Wouldn't you say, Padde?"
The elf boy, Pal, leaned in with a smug smirk to peer into Padde's face. The rest of the guys were grinning as they watched him, too.
"I guess."
"Oho! Not even denying it! Guess you've grown up a bit, haven't you, Padde?"
Well, yeah, considering I'm an old man on the inside. You'd expect at least a little maturity.
"Yeah, yeah, honesty's the best policy!"
The companion beside him gave him a few hearty slaps on the back.
These bastards... are definitely getting a kick out of this. Sure, before all that hellish training started, Padde would have blushed red and denied it, but he was no longer young enough to be flustered by something like that. After all, so many years had passed that it felt ridiculous to even keep count.
"I haven't heard many good rumors about the Central Church lately. Be ready for the worst, got it?"
He surveyed his companions with a serious expression, urging caution.
"Right... Just to be clear, though—are you really sure you want to help them?"
Bill pressed him on the matter. Unlike Bill and the others who hailed from baron households, Padde's family, the Viscount House of Maos, had established a prominent standing among the nobility of the Holy Amelia Kingdom, backed by enormous wealth ever since the previous head discovered a rich mine. On top of that, they had forged deep ties with the Central Church through substantial donations. If Padde clashed with the Central Church, his family's position would undoubtedly take a hit. That was what Bill was really asking about.
"Don't ask the obvious. I've got no intention of going back to being livestock."
In the past, Padde had abandoned independent thought and blindly swallowed whatever his parents told him without question. He had left even the core identity of who he was in the hands of others. That was no different from livestock raised in the pasture known as high society.
"Livestock, huh... Aptly put."
Bill chuckled dryly.
"Well, I'm not looking to pick a fight if I don't have to," Padde added.
Indeed. This was merely confirming their resolve just in case the worst came to pass.
Where they were headed was not a settlement of the demon race or monsters, but a town ruled by humans. Since the Central Church styled itself as the guardian of humanity, it was practically unthinkable that they would commit atrocities against fellow humans.
—Padde and his companions were undeniably optimistic at that moment.
The Central Church was an organization that preached the salvation of mankind. Even if there was ideological friction, it was strictly directed toward the demon race and monsters. There was no reason for them to commit atrocities against fellow humans. Thus, not one among Padde's group had the faintest inkling of the tragedy that was about to unfold.
However, considering humanity's long, blood-soaked history, they should never have made an assumption so naively sweet.
Padde and his companions would soon come to learn the deep-seated karma of the creature known as human—shaken to the very core of their souls.