<h4>Vol. 1 - Chapter 2，Part 1: The Suffering Of The ves (1)</h4>


    After being rescued from the torture chamber by Nephira, Takashi was ced in a ve cell. The ve camp was a shabby wooden shack located a short distance from the Syness Castle, and he was put in one of the ten or so cells lined up in a row. Inside was a straw mat and several vats of water.


    The smell of beasts pierced Takashi''s nose. He spected that this was where the castle raised livestock before the demons conquered them.


    (Somehow, I was spared from torture thanks to Uhouguru''s change of heart...)


    The ve cell he was assigned contained men and women dressed in filthy, prison-like clothing. Including Takashi, there were five men and three women. Eight in total.


    He thought back to what happened earlier.


    "To ensure fairness, ves are auctioned to determine which demon they will serve. Stay here for a while until the selection day," Nephira had told Takashi as she walked out of the torture chamber. Incidentally, Nephira then blushed a little, and offered, "You can stay in my room until the day of selection, if you like."


    Takashi immediately refused, thinking that entering the room of the Thunder-Lance Charge''s captain would be like sticking his neck into a hanging noose. However...


    (When I refused... that demon, she looked a little sad, didn''t she?)


    Sitting on the straw mat, Takashi thought about such things. The stuff received while in the previous prison wasid out in front of him. There were things like a water bottle, a portable toilet, a creepy doll, and strange pieces of meat. Aside from the water bottle and the portable toilet, he didn''t know what the other items were for.


    A few moments after Nephira left, arge, muscr man walked toward Takashi.


    "You, look at you douche."


    Standing about 190 cm tall, he looked at Takashi and wrinkled his brow. Soon, the man with the fox''s eyes, sitting near the water bottle, approached Takashi as well.


    "This guy has dark eyes. By any chance, were you the one summoned as a hero?"


    "...Yes, that''s right," Takashi affirmed, and at that moment, he felt a shock and pain in his abdomen as he was blown away to a nearby pile of logs. The muscr man had struck Takashi.


    "Guh. Wha-What the hell did you do that for...?!"


    "Shut up, you piece of trash! If only you were stronger, we wouldn''t be in this position!"


    "Tha-that''s right! It''s all this guy''s fault!!"


    The man with the fox''s eyes was also furious and lunged at Takashi. After being kicked repeatedly, Takashi was forced to grovel on the ground helplessly.


    "Stop!"


    An imposing voice echoed through the shack, and the two violent men stopped in their tracks. Somehow, Takashi managed to look up at the source of the voice. A beautiful girl with chestnut-colored hair braided in the back stood tall. She wore the same prisoner''s outfit as Takashi and the others, but she possessed a sharply defined expression in her emerald green eyes. Her eyes were full of strong will, and her entire body exuded a noble aura.


    The fox-eyed man was puzzled by the regal girl, but the muscr manughed through his nose and snorted, "Don''t act so conceited! You''re not a princess or anything anymore. The castle has fallen, you know?"


    Then an old man with a white beard next to the girl stood up and with a hoarse voice, shouted, "Logue! Know your ce!! How dare you, a mere knight, address so rudely the Third Princess of the Kingdom of Leirune, Lady Exce!"


    "You mean, the former third princess of the Kingdom of Leirune. Besides, I''m not a knight anymore," replied therge man named Logue as he approached the old man with a white beard. And without hesitation, he punched the old man in the face.


    "Uh..."


    "Orneo!" the girl shouted and ran to the fallen old man. The girl red at Logue while showing concern for the old man. "What cruelty...!"


    "YOU better know your ce. Now that the demon race has conquered Leirune, you royalty are the biggest criminals of all. My position and yours have been reversed!" Logue spat at the copsed old man.


    Takashi could not remain silent at the repeated rampage. He stood up, holding his stomach. He called out, "Stop it!! We are all humans, you know!"


    "Can it!! Like I said, this is all your damn fault!!!"


    Takashi received a hard kick to the abdomen, and his body bent into a boomerang shape. He rolled onto the straw, vomiting up his stomach contents. With a snort, Logue approached Exce.


    "You are also a cocky witch. Let''s see our princess."


    He reached out with his fat hand to her chest and ripped her clothes off in one swift motion.


    "Noo!"


    Exce''s once regal face contorted into shame.


    Seeing this, Logue smiled wickedly, "We have no future anyway. So let''s have some fun, shall we?"


    "That''s good! Please give me a turn, too!"


    The man with the fox eyes approached Exce with Logue. The other men and women around them acted unconcerned---as if they didn''t want to get involved.


    "S--Stop...!"


    Takashi tried to stand up again, but the kick was too hard that he could not muster his strength. The old man, Orneo, seemed to be in the same condition as him. He cursed at himself. He couldn''t do anything but watch as the girl was about to get vited!!


    "Hey, Suzuki! And also, the rest of you livestock! It''s time to eat!"


    Suddenly, a voice full of excitement filled the ve cells. The red-haired, twin-tailed Kiru and the blue-haired, pony-tailed Meru entered the ve cell with innocent smiles on their faces, almost un-demon-like. Logue clicked his tongue and stepped away from Exce, who he was mounting like a horse.


    In the tense atmosphere, Kiru entered the cell and, without paying attention to the other ves, ran totteringly to the portable toilet she had given to Takashi. After peeking into it, her attitude changed.


    "H--Hey, Suzuki! You, haven''t pooped today, have you? Are you okay?"


    "I''m FINE!!" Takashi screamed, embarrassed.


    (Would you stop it?! Why are you talking about me pooping in such a heavy atmosphere!?)


    In the first ce, why would she be concerned if he hadn''t defecated for just one day? As if having no clue how Takashi felt, his sister Meru tapped arge iron pot with adle.


    "Here you go---- It is porridge!---- You better be grateful!----"


    After tossing a few dirty bowls on the straw, Meru mmed her hand on the straw mat.


    "Then, next---- Bring me some food for Suzuki----"


    Two skeleton soldiers appeared, carrying several tes. ced around Takashi were giant whole fish and bread of all sizes. They also served him hot soup and a drink that smelled of fruit.


    Logue shouted in rage, "He''s treated like a king?! Why is he the only one?!"


    Takashi felt the murderous gaze of Logue. C--Could this be the demons'' way of harassment!?


    (Are they trying to iste me from everyone else? If that''s the case, it''s too insidious!)


    On the contrary, the thin man, who had been cowering in the corner, muttered to himself as he held a bowl of porridge.


    "W--What''s the point of eating! W--We''re all going to be killed anyway..."


    In an uninterested tone, Kiru replied, "You are not food, but ves. Suzuki, in particr, will never be killed so you can rest assured."


    She patted Takashi''s shoulder in a friendly manner while saying so.


    "I am sure that Suzuki will be Nephira-sama''s ve. He''ll have a nice life at the castle."


    "Yeah. Until then, he''ll have to be patient here in the stable for a while----"


    "See you, Suzuki! You should take a poop properly!"