Misako used her magic to bind the obese man tightly. Since his hands, jaw, and vocal cords had been severed, she applied a low-tier healing spell—just enough to keep him alive.

  Meanwhile, Aris focused on tending to the injured creatures and races fined in iron cages.

  “Rrraargh... Mmm...”

  Some of the less intelligent monsters, weary and wounded, bared their teeth and made threateniures as Aris approached.

  However, in terms of power, Aris was far beyond them, leagues ahead. Even if the monsters wao resist, they could be subdued with ease. Additionally, thanks to her i skill Sn of All, which she acquired in the Abyss, she had gained a vast amount of knowledge—unication abilities included—from various monsters. A simple versation was all it took to calm them.

  Though these monsters were perplexed by a human speaking their nguage, they mistakenly assumed Aris was one of their kind, albeit in human form.

  As for the se races, such as elves, demons, amen, they either rexed after witnessing Aris and her panions subdue the obese man or were too overwhelmed by the intes to react. Thus, the treatment proceeded without issue.

  “Sister, we’ve caught all of them!” Veridith excimed, proudly tugging on a rope. She dragged a bundle of tied soldiers and servants, including the man who had served as their guide.

  This task was something Veridith had volunteered to do, sensing little else to occupy her time. Given that there was no real danger, Misako and the others had agreed without protest.

  “…You’ve done well.” Aris, having just fireating all the injured creatures aient races, turo give her sister a warm smile.

  However, Veridith’s expressiorayed a hint of disappoi.

  “Ah, you thick-headed oaf. This is exactly what you should be doing at this moment.”

  Misako appeared suddenly, seizing Aris’s hand and pg it on Veridith’s head.

  Veridith’s previously fluffy green hair, soft and poofy, fttened slightly under Aris’s touch. Yet, Veridith seemed pletely indifferent to her disheveled hair, nuzzling her cheek against Aris’s hand with a soft purr.

  “?”

  Aris was thhly fused.

  “…Your future looks uain…”

  Seeing Aris’s stoic expression, Misako sighed deeply, casting a long, sorrowful gaze to the heavens.

  ...

  Ign the matter of the "golden oaf," Misako made sure to notify the Adventurers' Guild and the local lord of the town.

  “Though we expected this, I hought this baron would go so far!”

  The middle-aged lord, sp a short beard, smmed his fist oable, shouting in fury.

  “Thank you for all your hard work—both in taking dowpost in the mountains and exposing this wretched baron.”

  The adventurers had already reached the destroyed outpost, and the guild branch chief, feeling his presence was no longer necessary, had returned just in time.

  “We had gathered some information, but without proof, we couldn’t duct a proper search. You’ve been a tremendous help.”

  “No need for thanks. Speaking of the victims…” Misako began.

  “We’ll try our best to send them home, but...” The guild branch chief’s expressioroubled.

  “Ah… Many of them were abandoned, or they simply don’t know their ins, correct?”

  “Exactly.”

  This was, unfortunately, a on occurrence. Despite the empire’s advanced civilization, many families, driven by greed or the desire to lighten their burdens, abandoned members they deemed weak. Even if these individuals could return, they were uo be weled with open arms.

  “I use the lord’s authority to take in some of them, but it won’t be enough to help all the victims. And…”

  The lord’s gaze drifted to the bound man, his face torted in pain.

  “Though he’s a baron, he’s entangled in far more thaicipated. I’ll o iigate thhly to prevent something like this from happening again.”

  “Well, that’s quite hopeless, then,” Misako muttered, deep in thought.

  As a member of the Demon race, she had experienced something simir. Although she was fortuo have been rescued when abducted, many of her kin were not so lucky. She felt pelled to act—for the Demon race, for her kin, and for others who had suffered simir fates.

  Just as she pted aiding the victims herself, the guild branch chief suddenly spoke.

  “Oh! I just remembered something!” He pulled out a letter and ha to Misako.

  “This is a letter from the Imperial Capital. The tents indicate we should keep it aheir help in situations like this.”

  Misako g the envelope. The six words written on it were clear: The Alliance of All Living Things.

  “…This is…”

  “This anization was founded about ten years ago, with the goal of f peaceful coexistence among all races. It quickly attracted many members, and now, it’s grown siderably. Some nobles, even from other races, are involved. They also provide aid to rescued sves and other simir efforts.”

  “…Including monsters?” Misako asked.

  “Yes. Even those monsters with whom unication is difficult—they do their best to help them coexist without harming others indiscriminately.”

  “…How truly kind…”

  For most monsters, unication was nearly impossible, and they were often regarded as threats, hunted, or devoured by others. That this Alliance of All Living Things treated monsters equally was astonishing.

  ‘If su anization had existed back then, perhaps the Demon race wouldn’t have… No, history ot be ged. It’s poio dwell on such thoughts.’

  Rather thaing the past, Misako focused on improving the present.

  “…Are their headquarters in the Imperial Capital?” she asked.

  “Yes. This town is oskirts of the tus Empire, but we have a teleportation circle, so it won’t take long.”

  Years of development in magical engineering had established teleportation circles for veravel across the empire.

  “…If this is feasible, the’s proceed.”

  After weighing her options, this appeared to be the best course of a. Still, Misako wished to verify the legitimacy of this anization herself. Ideologies like theirs were rare, and even those who trained monsters were often marginalized and deemed taboo.

  “Well then, you hold onto this envelope. The location of their headquarters is written ihe guild branch chief said, as if sensing Misako’s thoughts.

  ShoujoDirector