As Takashi and his colleagues were talking enthusiastically, Allen unexpectedly approached the table.

"Uh, Uhm..."

"Hmm?"

"I was listening to the conversation on the side... and, in other words... Are you people trying to save the world...?"

"Yeah. Well..."

Takashi scratched his cheek with a troubled expression.

"If I were strong, I could help you right away, but... I\'m, weak. But I intend to make this place a better place to live. So, I\'ll be looking at the long term and... huh, WHAA!?"

Suddenly, Allen held Takashi\'s hands with tears streaming down his face. He cried while his voice trembled.

"When Leirune was conquered, we thought the world was over and resigned ourselves! But the heavens have not abandoned us!"

His wife, Kate, also shed tears as she kneeled before Takashi.

"Ah! Lord Hero, thank you so very much!"

"No, don\'t be so dramatic!!"

Kate then looked down at the little Clarice.

"It doesn\'t matter how many years it takes. If one day, there is a world where this child can live happily, then..."

Takashi felt his heart tighten at the thought of Kate\'s love for her child. Takashi stared at Clarice\'s innocent sleeping face and swore in his heart.

(Someday, for sure, I\'ll make the world a place where people can live happily ever after.)

◇         ◇         ◇         ◇         ◇

The open market downtown from the Syness Castle. While Excella was amongst the demons shopping for ingredients for supper, an orc barged into the line.

"Get out of the way, woman. I\'ll go first."

"U--Uhm..."

Behind the bewildered Excella\'s back, a golem lets out a thick, muffled sound.

"Stop it. This lad is Suzuki\'s slave."

"Eh. Is that so? About this, my bad."

The orc quietly got in line behind Excella.

...Returning from the market. With a shopping bag in hand, Excella was convinced.

(Thanks to Lord Hero, this town is changing more and more for the better! If things continue as they are, there will be peace in the world!)

One week had passed since Excella and the rest had started living in Suzuki\'s mansion.

Suzuki brought them all the money they needed for their daily life. Thanks to Suzuki\'s generosity, the Excella and the rest were able to live a life without any inconvenience. Both Allen and Kate must have started getting used to living there. They showed more smiles on their faces.

After preparing dinner, Kate said while soothing Clarice.

"Lady Excella. Is it all right that, we alone, are allowed this happiness?"

"Lord Hero is planning to free all the people of the town from slavery. More and more people will be happy from now on!"

Kate smiled gently.------it was then, that a sound like something breaking could be heard from the garden.

"Allen dear. I wonder if he knocked over a flowerpot or something."

Kate ran to the front door, looking worried. Excella followed her.

The moment she stepped out the front door, she tensed. A snake-headed fiend was standing in front of Allen.

"When I told him that Master Suzuki wasn\'t here, this man took a flowerpot from the garden and..." 

Allen spoke with a tense look on his face. The snake-headed fiend had an aura of evil different from the demons and fiends that Excella encountered in the town. The snake-headed fiend looked over at Excella and the others as if scrutinizing them.

"On-- Tw-- Thre... The old geezer\'s here, too. Damn. How many ssslaves are in here! For an Iron-rank soldier, how dare he!"

Excella tried to keep her voice as cheerful as possible while trying to encourage herself.

"Master Suzuki is currently, away visiting Syness Castle. What can we do for you?"

"I\'m-- ssstarving."

"Is that so? If you would like, please join us for dinner---"

"Ah, no. Doing that would be bad. That\'s why, Give me that!"

The fiend\'s vertical pupils were focused on Clarice, who was sleeping in Kate\'s arms.

"That little baby. Feed it to me."

"No... you must be jest---"

"I did not sssaid it as a joke!"

The snake-headed fiend tried to walk up to Kate. Allen stood in his way.

"W--We are Master Suzuki\'s slaves!"

"Ssso what of it!? I\'m Gharaga, a Thunder-Lance Charge Silver-Rank Soldier. I outrank that chum."

Gharaga tried to extend his sharp-clawed hands toward Clarice in Kate\'s arms. Allen grabbed his arm. 

"Don\'t touch my child!"

"Human. You ssscum are the one who ssshouldn\'t be touching me with your filthy hands!"

Gharaga swung his other arm, the one that Allen hadn\'t grabbed.

"Die, Out of my way. You ssshit."

In the next instant, Allen\'s head separated from his torso, splattering great amounts of fresh blood.

...

Thud.

The sound of Allen\'s head hitting the ground awakened Excella from her dream-like thoughts.

And she remembered.

She was living in a savage world ruled by demons without mercy or compassion.