## Chapter 525 – A Useful Fellow

The warehouse district, located in a remote area, was dark but still felt inhabited. Men were lighting fires here and there, and groups of people were wandering around, smoking.

ㅡIt’s quite large.

We followed Hildegard deeper inside. The further we went, the fewer people we saw, but there were still a few. Could they be attendees of the gathering?

“It seems like they’re gathering attendees. It looks like they’re holding the gathering in a deeper location today.”
“I guess so.”

Perhaps because of the darkness, the warehouse district felt almost like a maze. Anyone who didn’t work here would get lost.

As we went further inside, we noticed people gathering ahead.

“Is it there?”

Claudia asked.

“Yes. I think it’s that way… I can feel demonic energy nearby. Mr. Katt, are you going to kill them as soon as we get there?”
“No. I’ll investigate first.”

If I kill them right away, I won’t be able to catch their tails.

Of course, it would be easy to hunt down all the demons with Hildegard’s abilities, but if their colleagues were suddenly being killed off one after another like sausages, they would notice.

In the worst case, they might shut down the business and run away.

I need to take down as many of these demonic bastards as possible, so that would be a problem.

“Everything I said was true…”

Hildegard said, sounding dejected, and lowered her head.

“It’s not that, I need to find out what kind of guys they are before I kill them.”
“Ah! So you believe me now!”
“I believed you, so be quiet.”
“Hehe.”

When I said I believed her because the gathering place was a fact, Hildegard, who had regained her spirits, giggled.

“You’re being so obvious. Stop it. It’s not a good look.”

Winia said to Hildegard, who was excited.

“Yes. I’ll be quiet.”
“Ugh…”

He answered politely with a smiling face.

Anyway, the people loitering nearby were entering the building ahead one by one. Should we go in too? I saw a man standing at the entrance like a guard. Judging by his silhouette, he was huge.

“Hey, Hildegard.”
“Yes, yes!”
“Are there any qualifications to get in there?”
“It seems to be limited to human workers. But it’s not a problem since I’m here. Those humans can’t withstand my hypnosis magic.”

This damned demon.

“Let’s go.”

I immediately put Hildegard in front and approached the building. After watching a few people enter, we stood in front of the door.

“…Three women?”

The guard, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looked at us and said.

“Where are you from? Are you waitresses from the tea house?”
“Shut up.”
“What?!”

Hildegard naturally made a hand sign, and the guard lowered his head. ㅡDrip. Saliva dripped from his mouth. He muttered like someone on drugs, spitting out words convulsively.

“Ugh, ugh… Aaa… Puhit. Drakchaat! Meat!!!”

What did you do to make him like this?

“What did you do?”
“It’s nothing. It’s the hypnosis magic you saw last time. He’ll come to his senses soon, so let’s go in.”

This bastard is versatile.

We entered the building with a free pass.

Inside, a set of underground stairs greeted us, and we could hear people’s voices along with an orange glow from inside. After all, if you’re going to hold a gathering, you have to light a fire in a place like this underground.

We went straight down.

“…There are more than I thought?”

Winia said, looking around. The underground was larger than expected. It was probably a building used as a warehouse. They must have stored logistics even underground. Now it was empty, so it seemed to have been chosen as a gathering place.

“You can say that again.”

And as wide as it was, it was quite crowded with people. The attendees’ appearances were visible thanks to the sparsely lit lamps and torches, and they looked like they were having a hard time.

Their clothes were old, and they all looked tired.

This reminds me of when Elysee and Youngsaeng went to the gathering place. Of course, the workers here are so much more diligent than the poor people back then that they can’t even be compared. Unlike those guys who had no hope or will, these guys at least have the will to work.

But what is Elysee doing these days?
It’s frustrating because I don’t have a way to contact her.

Probably, since the neighborhood is buzzing with demons, she and her paladin friends are working hard. In other words, it’s demon peak time, so it’s the busiest time.

ㅡBuzzing.

Anyway, the gathering place was noisy.

Since there are so many kids, the noise is also loud. I grabbed Claudia and Winia’s hands and dug into the corner. I went to the corner and covered them with my body.

I thought they would stand out because there weren’t many women.

“Oh my, Katt. Are you trying to protect Mama now?”
“Of course.”

In the first place, Claudia and Winia stand out too much.

Pink hair can be seen occasionally, regardless of gender, but I’ve never seen purple. Both are beauties I’ve never seen before, and Winia’s chest is so big that she attracts aggro wherever she goes. Even if she’s wearing a hood, she can’t hide her beauty.

“I want to be protected by Mr. Katt too. Can I go behind you?”

Hildegard said as I put Claudia and Winia behind me.

Protection, my ass. The fact that I’m not hitting you right now is protection.

“You stay next to me and tell me if any kids crawl out.”
“Yes!”

As I looked around while waiting, someone appeared on the platform.

ㅡSilence.

As if on cue, the buzzing noise subsided in an instant.

“…”

Even if you gather soldiers and give them mental education, they can’t shut their mouths, so it’s quite amazing that they can maintain this level of silence.

That means the attendees value this gathering that much. If this is the power of the devil, it’s quite dangerous. No matter how many superhumans there are in the world, if this many people gather, it becomes difficult.

“Welcome, heroes of the city.”

The man who went up on the platform looked around at the audience while spouting such pie-in-the-sky nonsense.

“Oh, oh!”
“Long live the workers!”
“Long live!”

Then cheers erupted from here and there. Are they shills? As the cheers erupted, they became contagious, and the basement was filled with shouts in an instant.

“Oh, shit, it’s so loud.”
“Mr. Katt. That human is borrowing the power of the devil.”

Hildegard whispered softly in my ear.

“He’s borrowing the power of the devil?”
“Yes. You may not know it well, but he’s captivating people’s hearts with just a few words, right? He probably received that power. He originally had such thoughts, but the devil approached him.”
“Is that so?”
“There’s probably a magic circle drawn somewhere in this basement that amplifies the power. With this atmosphere and a little bit of faith, and eloquence, it’s easy to control lowly humans. The power of the devil is also involved.”

He’s almost an expert.

Hildegard seems to have collected more quality information than I thought.

“Do you know anything about that guy?”
“I’ve looked into him because he keeps giving speeches. He seems to be aiming for the mayor’s seat in this city. He’s completely hopeless to borrow the power of the devil and only want such a position.”

This was Hildegard’s evaluation of the speaker.

I can trust him to some extent because he’s quite scathing.

Well, the only thing the devil can give is power or authority. He must have tempted him with that as bait. The man on the platform silenced the people and started talking about today’s words and education.

“Today too! Today, the heroes of Audville have contributed to revitalizing the city’s economy by sacrificing themselves from morning to night! Even if their bones are cold! Even if their muscles are in pain! And even if they are tired! The heroes have overcome everything and come to this place! Only for the peace of the city!”

He spoke quite plausibly, so the reaction was quite enthusiastic.

“Oh, that’s right!”
“That’s right!”
“Long live Audville!”

But I think they worked just to make a living, not specifically for the peace of the city.

He’s just trying to promote a sense of community or something like that.

The impact of the speech seemed to be enormous because of the atmosphere of the place. People are originally weak to being praised.

“Woo-oh-oh-oh!”

Perhaps the large number of workers who attended the gathering believed that they were sincerely sacrificing themselves for the city.

That’s why guys who are good at talking are scary.

The guy who only floats on the water when you drown him is the most dangerous in the world.

“But! All the heroes got today was a measly daily wage! They sacrifice their lives by giving up their bodies and time like this! The city is not only oblivious, but it is only exploiting the heroes! If they give us a little more concession, we can eat a fuller meal!”

You son of a bitch!

That’s right!

Adventurer’s Guild, you bastards! Give us more money!

“That’s right!”
“That’s right!”
“You dog-like bastards!”

The workers shouted curses as they became enthusiastic.

“You motherfucking sons of bitches! You fucking cunts!”

I also shouted with them, criticizing the absurd society. The Adventurer’s Guild, give us more money! As I was shouting, Winia poked my waist.

“Darkie…? What are you doing?”
“Disguise. You’ll stand out if you stay still.”
“Ah, I see. I thought the stupid Darkie had completely fallen for it.”
“Hehehe, there’s no way.”

I was just kidding.

“This is all because the city’s mayor is incompetent and corrupt! We must resist! For our original rights! For the world of workers! Everyone! Please lend me your strength!”
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

The gathering ended in such a frenzied atmosphere.

How is the mayor of this city elected? Could it be a vote? But there’s no way that poor workers who attend gatherings have the right to vote.

Well, if he has the fanatical support of many people, there may be meaningful results… I need to investigate a little more.

“Katt, let’s go.”
“Okay.”

Quite a bit of time has passed. We mixed in with the workers and quietly left the basement. The workers paired up and shared their views on their dissatisfaction and headed to the bar.

“Hmm.”

Seeing it with my own eyes, it seems like a serious matter.

The other world I live in now may seem like an inhuman hell where blood and flesh are rampant, but it’s peaceful in its own way.

But the last Demon Gate incident caused a large number of hell’s commies. No, operatives have infiltrated.

They are united in the idea of using this opportunity to turn the human world upside down and take care of their own interests. This is not the only case here… There are paladins, but there are not enough troops.

Could something big happen soon?

If they manipulate people in this way to create something similar to a religious group, it will become quite dangerous. Whatever it is, a group with a suspicious person in the president’s seat is a bomb. Demons can swallow such a group at a crucial moment.

As soon as the power of the devil was involved, something similar to a pseudo-religion was created in an instant. This needs to be suppressed early.

This is a story that must be included in the report to Saintess Kadia.

When writing the report, it is necessary to exaggerate this incident as much as possible and make it a big deal.

“What do you think, Mr. Katt? Seeing it in person, it seems like a big deal, right? If you solve this big problem, you will definitely receive a big reward.”

That’s obvious.

“Hehehe, if you get such a reward, please think of me even for a moment.”
“I’m grateful even now.”
“Aww… I’m even more grateful that you said that. Anyway, what are you going to do from now on?”

First, when the basement is completely empty, I have to go down again and secure evidence. I have to record what I saw and heard today. And the person who borrowed the power of the devil is not the only one.

“I need more investigation.”
“Then should I come back at the same time tomorrow?”
“Do that. There’s nothing more useful than your help right now.”
“Woohoo! Thank you, Mr. Katt! Then I’ll see you tomorrow!”
“Ah, wait. I’m going to go down to that basement again later to check it out.”
“Yes, yes. You’re going to find evidence, right? Just trust me.”

This bastard is helpful.

I stood behind the building and soon the people completely disappeared.
Let’s go down now.