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The Demon's Compass
Butcher Demon Chapter 301 A Bouquet for the Beast
I carried each of the girls out of the cave one by one. Additionally, I helped them wash their bodies under the waterfall, and thus, successfully rescued everyone from the cave.
On behalf of me who couldn't speak, Haruka explained the situation to them.
Even after being informed that they were safe, the victims remained petrified for a while. But as I served them warm dishes cooked with wild animals, a sense of reality finally set in that they were saved, bringing smiles and a few tears to their faces.
The time was night. While waiting for morning and preparing for sudden rain and wind, I decided to build a simple shelter.
I cut down the surrounding trees and arranged the logs into a makeshift structure. Placing a spine across them, I covered the top with a tarp, and just like that, the simple hut was complete. What's more, it had a raised floor made of logs. It should be able to withstand minor rain and wind. This was my first time making something like this, but surprisingly, things were going quite well.
The girls huddled together in the shelter, spending the night there. Meanwhile, I took advantage of that time to gather clothing for everyone from inside the cave. I took only what I could strip off the male bodies, It's from a corpse but it's certainly better than being naked. I had them wear those clothes, and the next morning, we set out.
We had reversed the way we had come, so there was little trouble on the way back, and we were able to get everyone back to the cabin safely. The weather was good, which was a blessing.
My concern that the route to the cabin had gone crazy and got all jumbled again ―― was fortunately unfounded. It seems there are consistently places where the terrain has become strange and places where it hasn't, and once we had paved a route, that path would remain safe and function reliably from then on.
The heartwarming reunion occurred in front of the mountain cabin. It was a scene straight out of a movie. The inarticulate butcher took ten steps back and watched the situation from a distance.
We spent another night in the mountain cabin and then, after making preparations, we all descended the mountain together.
According to their conversation, this place is in the vicinity of Melbourne, a slightly inland city from the southeastern coast of Australia. Our destination is a base town that Haruka and the others use for their fieldwork. Among them, a man named Ed seems to be particularly knowledgeable about the city. He was the man covered in blood in the basement.
Several of the girls who had been violated in the cave had been brought from that city. As expected, the base town had also been attacked by those goblins.
I think we could have easily defended against those puny goblins if it were a Fort or a Colony at the front lines. However, this area was trusted to be safe, so when they suddenly attacked, some level of damage was inevitable. In the end, the police managed to drive them away somehow, but during that time, a considerable number of residents were abducted.
Among the girls brought from the base town to the goblin nest, there was a tough girl who remembered the route they were taken through. She was the scary-eyed exorcist girl. When she came out into the sunlight, I was surprised by her firm way of speaking. Despite having said she would die from being fucked in the ass by a huge cock.
With her guidance, we made one final push. On the way down the mountain, I took on the role of the cook, bridging the gap with the survivors by serving them rich wild meat dishes seasoned with generous amounts of spices and fighting off the beasts that were coming at us. Even though we did not exchange words, my sincerity was conveyed. The journey continued for about two days. We arrived at Haruka's base town more easily than expected.
――And then, well... It's no surprise.
A giant man wearing a paper bag over his head and only an apron, carrying a 20mm machine gun suddenly appeared—— a triple check with the highest possible score. The town's alert level was at its maximum.
We were currently being greeted with quite a commotion. From the town's perspective, Haruka and the others must have looked like hostages. Of course, I was pegged as the villain. Police officers holding shotguns and handguns were hiding behind police cars, aiming at me.
"Gevaudan, please wait here. We will go and talk first."
It's not looking good... I thought with some resignation, all the while keeping Yakumo hidden behind my back, watching Haruka's explanation of the situation.
It had been about 30 minutes since she began trying to persuade them.
Thanks to Haruka, Ed, and the girls who had been abducted from this city, we miraculously avoided further trouble. While the police officers didn't let their suspicious expressions waver, they finally lowered their guns aimed at me.
In the end —I don't know how—, Yakumo and I were invited into the city.
It's a bit hard to believe.
Letting the butcher into the city.
Perhaps because they are so far from the front lines and thus lack a real sense of danger, or maybe because the central government, UCEG, is restricting information about the alien war, the dangers of aliens might not be accurately conveyed to those who live inland. Such ignorance happened to work in our favor this time. Whether that's good or bad, who knows.
Finally, I managed to borrow a police officer's mobile battery here, and I can speak now. Hello! Everyone stared at me with wide eyes as I greeted them energetically. That's a relief. Not being able to talk is really stressful. Looking back, I can't believe I endured being like that for over a year in Feymbaum's underground prison. Great job, me.
I was surrounded by a large group of police officers and moved through the town, then taken to a big hotel that seemed to be the best in town. They covered me with a blue sheet to hide my appearance as a butcher during the transport. It's probably to avoid alarming the residents, I can't help but chuckle at being treated like some notorious criminal. Yeah, that's right. I'm a notorious criminal.
This place seems like a suburb, with wide dusty roads. Still, I felt that it had a decent size and could provide the essential supplies. It feels like it was worth stopping here just for this.
After a while, people were gathered in the hotel lobby, and Haruka stood before me, explaining a made-up rescue story.
——The story was that of a former human soldier who was once caught by enemies and almost died, but refused to give up and returned to help.
Hearing this, the girls began expressing their thanks one after another as if a dam had burst. Thank you for coming back despite the danger. Thank you for not abandoning us. Thank you for killing them.
Some of their parents knelt and bowed, and from the back, town officials appeared, taking my hand and bowing with tears in their eyes.
"Thank you, truly thank you for saving these children."
"Don't mention it."
"Ho no, don't be so modest. You are.....without a doubt a hero of this city!"
The hotel lobby erupted in cheers.
——But that's not really true...
It's too late to say it now. That I've cum inside all of them. It feels like my chest is being crushed by guilt.
In the end, the hotel staff handed me a bouquet of flowers.
"Oh, flower..."
"Please, take it!"
Am I blushing?
No, no. I'm struggling with my conscience. The remnants of my humanity from my time as a butcher won't let me accept the bouquet straightforwardly. Amidst the champagne shower and applause, the butcher feels embarrassed. Ain't no thank you ever been so gratuitous. Karma's a bitch. Seriously.
Unable to do anything else, I handed the bouquet to Yakumo to alleviate my guilt. And he's now.....*Shhh* *Nodding*... *Shhh* *Nodding*...
I asked Haruka to take care of him and let him sleep. You did well. I praised Yakumo's efforts and patted his head. Also, his third eye is hidden under a Major League cap. It'll cause trouble if it's exposed. Let's keep all the shady stuff silent. Silence is golden, eloquence is silver.
During that time, I immersed myself in the internet.
According to the hotel staff, the satellite doesn't work, but the cable still connects, albeit at a significantly restricted speed. Still, it allows access to information from around the world.
――Something seems off about Australia's geography, that much is certain.
Furthermore, it extends to the entire world.
Everywhere on Earth seems to be like this.
Localized warfare with Mifosis is happening everywhere around the world, and it appears the number of gates has dramatically increased. The news, message boards, and social media are all in an uproar.
If large gates were to open behind Fort, the backbone of humanity's strategies would be overturned. Earth might be destroyed. Even with all this happening, it's not certain what's going to happen next.
Apparently, not a single person in the world knows what happened or what is going on. This chaos is likely to persist for quite a while.
――Doesn't it feel like the world is falling apart?
I don't want to think about it, but I have a suspicion about the trigger.
That fluffy spaceship Titania was controlling――if I recall, she called it Tarannis or something like that. That moth got pierced through and its entire body crashed, that thunderclap.
Was heard all around the world.
I had feared this, but now it's confirmed. We are the cause of this mess.
――Can we just leave this be...?
It has nothing to do with my mission to 『Retrieve Oberon's soul』, but it does have some minor impact. I don't know where to go from here!
As I stand in front of the display, lost in thought, a voice comes from behind me.
"Hey, sorry for interrupting. I just didn't get a chance to say thank you earlier."
It's Ed. Despite leaning on a cane and having half his face covered in bandages, his mind was clear.
"By the way, you were muttering someone's name when you were unconscious?"
"Ah... that was probably Beth... she didn't make it."
Beth was the girl who fell victim to that black magic in the forest.
Come to think of it, that black magic thing is a mystery too. I never saw anything like that during Fox, nor have I heard any reports about it. Besides just being extremely poor taste, it also has a bad aftertaste in that it actually worked.
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"She was a kind girl. To think that she..."
After Ed says this, he clenches his lips tightly.
"I understand your feelings. But I'm not going to tell you to ease up. Only time can heal you."
"You..."
The kindest and most responsible people die first. The battlefield is a rotten place like that.
We talk a little more after that.
Ed is Haruka's senior, and he seems to be leading the seminar camp this time around.
"What are you planning to do from here, Gevaudan?"
"Well, I'm not sure. Even if I decide to go somewhere, I have no idea how to actually get there."
"Pretty much everyone's asking you to stay. I think I like it that way too."
My strength was vouched for by Haruka. Essentially, they're talking about maybe hiring me as a bodyguard and taking care of my food, clothing, and shelter in return. It doesn't sound all that strange to me.
But still...
"Hmm..."
"Oh, right. Take this."
Ed hands me a smartphone. The city's cellular network is still operational, so with this, I can access the internet from anywhere. Apparently, I'm allowed to use it.
"If there's anything else you need, just let Haruka know. She'll be your point of contact for the time being."
"That's helpful."
"I want to help more, but I'm still going to be in and out of the hospital for a while. My mobility is way too limited."
Haruka is supposed to be assisting me, but right now, she's at the hospital checking on her friend. The girls who were attacked by goblins are supposed to be gathered there for examinations.
――Oh, right. There's one more thing, I almost forgot.
"Ed, if you're going to the hospital now, could you take me along?"
"Perfect timing. I'm heading there now too. I've called a taxi outside the hotel."
With Ed as a guide, I headed towards the curb where I was greeted by many gazes.
Since I can't get into the taxi, I sit on the trunk.
Even if they say thank you, I can still keenly feel the mixture of wariness and fear in those uncomfortable gazes. It might be best not to stay here for long.
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Tags:
Butcher Demon