Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Living as a Hero's Brother**

**Chapter 16: Monster Hunting (2)**

“Dilaila.”

“...What, you masked man.”

At Shane's call, Dilaila responded.

Shane inwardly chuckled at the sight of Dilaila, who was trying to glare at him with all her might, her eyes wide with determination.

In his past life, Shane had seen a more intense gaze from Dilaila, so this one was merely laughable.

On the other hand, he could understand her.

Finding herself locked up in such a place, it was only natural for her to try to intimidate her captor with whatever courage she could muster.

“You don’t need to look at me like that. I didn’t come here to harm you.”

“What? You’re saying that after locking someone up in a place like this? Are you kidding me?”

“It seems you’re misunderstanding...”

Dilaila growled like a cat with its fur standing on end, but Shane was unfazed.

“I didn’t lock you up. It was those guys upstairs.”

“Upstairs... You mean Count Salieri?”

When the topic of the culprit came up, Dilaila asked in a quiet voice.

Count Salieri was the owner of this villa and had welcomed Dilaila with a smile until today.

“Yes. That monster is the one who locked you up here.”

“...”

Dilaila’s eyes changed slightly as she heard this.

Monster.

The being in front of her was calling the count, who had locked her up, a monster.

Perhaps there was a glimmer of hope that he hadn’t come to harm her.

“Then, why did he lock me up here?”

“It’s simple. Your body has immense value in the underground city of the Allied Nations.”

“Underground city...”

Dilaila had heard of it before.

Somewhere in the Allied Nations, there exists a massive underground city, known for its black market where anything can be found.

Naturally, a place that creates what doesn’t exist is rumored to be extremely sinister.

It was said to be a primary trading ground for black mages, who were once leaders in biological experiments.

Additionally, it was known for operating gambling rings and other unsavory activities.

“Salieri is a significant figure in that underworld, responsible for training and selling non-human slaves to collectors who have specific tastes.”

“...”

“Sometimes, he brings in non-humans that suit his own tastes and personally whips them, trying to make them into the perfect playthings for his son.”

“...Stop.”

“Perhaps the fate of those who are trained and taken away is better. They can survive as long as they meet the collectors' tastes, but what happens when they are exposed to the pure evil of a child...”

“Stop-!”

Dilaila’s scream, mixed with despair, filled the basement.

Her eyes were filled with despair, anger, and a fear greater than the sum of the two.

“Why are you telling me this?!”

Indeed, Dilaila could vividly feel the emotions of the victims in this basement.

The count’s son, who had been her student until today, had whipped a non-human girl of a similar age for fun, causing her to scream.

Another had had their eyes gouged out for not stopping their crying, simply because it was a guest’s preference.

An elf who had cursed like Dilail had their tongue cut out, as a guest required a mute slave.

The torture methods were varied, but the emotions left behind by the victims were uniform.

Pain and despair.

The walls and floor, soaked with their blood, tears, and sweat, whispered their emotions to Dilaila.

As if pleading, "Please, understand our memories."

The stronger Dilaila’s despair, the stronger their emotions became.

“Nothing can be solved by turning a blind eye or running away.”

“...What?”

“If you want to survive in this world, if you want to be treated more humanely, you can’t ignore the reality you’re living in.”

“...”

“Remember the emotions you’re feeling now. Only then can you protect yourself.”

“Why... Why are humans so cruel?!”

Dilaila could no longer glare at Shane with her wide eyes.

Instead, she looked at Shane with a tear-streaked face.

Shane’s next words were unexpected.

“Because they are afraid.”

“...What?”

“Non-humans are a symbol of fear for humans. The instinct of being prey is ingrained in every cell.”

In ancient times, before the Great Seal of the ancient god Akasha, humans were at the bottom of the food chain.

At that time, humans couldn’t use magic, control forests like elves, or craft superior weapons like dwarves.

Moreover, they were physically inferior to merfolk and had no outstanding abilities compared to other races.

Thus, they were always prey, and even after the Great Seal, humans carried a deep-seated fear of predators.

“So, they can’t escape the pleasure they feel when seeing those they fear suffer.”

Not all humans are like this, but the basic prejudice against non-humans is an unavoidable reality.

How much effort would it take to change this ingrained perception?

Or is it even possible?

Changing the instincts of an entire race is no easy task.

Shane continued.

“The emperor knew about the fear and prejudice humans have towards non-humans. As the pinnacle of humanity, he couldn’t admit that he himself feared non-humans, so he abolished the enslavement of non-humans. The oppression of non-humans was rooted in their own fear.”

“...”

“But the empire still turns a blind eye to the underground city of the Allied Nations. The tangled web of interests there is too complex to unravel.”

“Then, what about the count? Count Salieri!”

Dilaila, who had listened to Shane’s story, raised her head, still tear-streaked.

Her eyes, now filled with a fierce hatred, showed her resentment towards Salieri, who had locked her up and tortured her, but more so, the memories of the land were fueling her hatred.

“Thinking logically, I can deal him some damage, but it won’t be significant.”

“So, you’re saying... there’s no hope for me...”

Dilaila lowered her head in despair.

Even if she escaped, Count Salieri wouldn’t let her, a living witness, live.

Relying on the academy for protection might have some effect, but the count’s power and the high-ranking officials connected to him wouldn’t let that happen.

In the end, there is no hope.

“Indeed. The basic odds are close to zero. The person the monster is meeting is far beyond what you can imagine.”

“What?”

“That’s why I’m here. A tangled web that can’t be unraveled is useless.”

“What do you mean...”

“Just burn it all.”

Before Dilaila could fully understand Shane’s words, the basement door slid open.

“A rat has sneaked in.”

The person who entered was Count Salieri’s loyal knight, Wernard.

* * *

“I... I have no words to say.”

Count Salieri, who seemed calm on the surface, was burning with anxiety inside.

Just a moment ago, his trusted knight, Wernard, had come and gone.

Wernard, who rarely visited during important meetings, had to come this time due to the seriousness of the situation.

The appearance of an intruder.

Despite Salieri’s long-standing control over the underworld, the activities he engaged in were highly secretive and could not be openly known.

Despite always being careful not to leave evidence, it was the first time in years that an intruder had appeared at this villa.

And it was someone skilled enough to bypass the villa’s strict surveillance.

“Ha ha. No, it’s fortunate that it has been quiet until now.”

On the other side of the table, a middle-aged man sat, smiling as if to reassure Salieri.

He was one of the guests Salieri had been eagerly awaiting today.

“The knight who just left is an Expert of the 4th rank, and he’s almost at the Master level, isn’t he? He’s skilled and experienced, so it will be resolved quickly.”

“I appreciate your understanding...”

Fortunately, the man seemed unconcerned, but the more he acted this way, the more Salieri felt his insides burning.

‘How could such a person make such a mistake!’

The man, who wore a friendly smile, was not someone to be taken lightly.

In terms of cruelty, he was a figure even Salieri couldn’t compare to.

In fact, the reason Salieri had entered the underworld and grown to this level was all thanks to this middle-aged man.

This moment was more tense for Salieri than the war against the black mages decades ago.

Of course, he was terrifying, but more importantly, even this man had a powerful backer.

This was evident from his identity.

He was Arman J. Daire, a member of the ‘Judgment’ knight order, the mane of the prestigious White Lion.

* * *

Wernard’s gaze on the intruder, Shane, was far from friendly.

It was a natural reaction to an intruder, but given the timing, Wernard’s anxiety was as black as his lord Salieri’s.

‘Of all days, why today...’

The person currently meeting with his lord upstairs was none other than a member of the prestigious Judgment knight order.

The sharpest sword of the royal family, the annihilators who cut off human emotions for the empire’s peace.

This meant that the current activities of Count Salieri were closely linked to the high royal family.

If something went wrong here...

The emotionless sword could strike anywhere.

Thus, he had to resolve the situation as quickly as possible and dismiss it as a minor incident.

“I’ll make you beg to tell me who’s behind you.”

No room for negotiation.

The aura emanating from Wernard, an Expert of the 4th rank, was formidable.

His mana, sharp enough to pierce Shane’s skin, was a clear indication of his strength.

‘Stronger than the Twin-Headed Ogre I faced before.’

The Twin-Headed Ogre he had encountered in a small town after returning from the academy’s break.

Although it was a corpse animated by a decayed tree spirit, Wernard was superior to it by a slight margin.

Back then, the family’s knights had bought him time to prepare his magic, but now, nothing could protect him.

Moreover, in such a confined basement, a knight had a clear advantage over a mage.

“So far, everything has gone as expected.”

Of course, Shane was not unprepared.

He had deliberately left traces and pretended to be inexperienced to lure Wernard here.

While Wernard narrowed his eyes at Shane’s unexpectedly calm response, Shane spoke in a flat tone.

“Show me your usefulness.”

These words were not directed at Wernard or Dilaila, but at a certain entity that had been consuming the pain and despair in the basement.

“Now, let’s see what you can do.”