[Salvos] 687. Emancipation (Patreon)

687. Emancipation

***

Taburas stared at her leader from the distance. It had been a while since she thought of him that way. Ever since they had met Salvos, the [Succubus]’s opinion of the former Heir of the Netherworld had continuously deteriorated. 

“Salvos has been gone a while…”

Haec whispered, looking up towards the crimson sky of the Netherworld. Hearing that, Taburas immediately felt annoyed. But it was not like she was even standing by Haec’s side at the moment. So she didn’t know why she felt this way.

Or rather, she did know. Even if it was fully irrational, she felt like Salvos had taken the Haec she knew away from her. That was why Taburas got upset at even the offhand mention of Salvos’s name.

A figure approached Haec from the side. One of the leaders of the Third Legion. It was Tor— a [Knight Eligos] who had stood up against Hartia during the battle just earlier.

“Heir Haec—”

Tor started, but Haec spoke over him.

“I am no longer the Heir of the Netherworld. You can just call me Haec.”

Pausing, the [Knight Eligos] lowered his head. Taburas noticed how Tor was reaction, and she spoke up.

“I do not believe that would be appropriate.”

For the first time in a while, she spoke in a normal tone of voice around Haec. Taburas stepped forward as both Tor and Haec faced her. She held both of their gazes.

“You are the leader of this rebellion against the Demon King, Haec. You deserve an appropriate title. Otherwise, these people will not trust in your leadership.”

“That’s…”

Haec opened his mouth, but Tor nodded in agreement.

“That is true. As our leader, we will not refer to you by your name. However, neither shall we call you our king.”

Taburas gave the [Knight Eligos] an approving look. He understood the same thing she did. Many Demons did. That even if they were their own independent and thinking creatures unlike wild Demons, they also often needed some sort of hierarchical structure.

They needed a leader they respected.

Perhaps that was why Taburas was so annoyed by Salvos even though Salvos had only saved and helped Taburas so far. Because Haec was far too subservient to Salvos.

Shaking her head, Taburas dismissed that train of thought and focused on the moment right now. Haec lowered his head, considering what Taburas and Tor had to say.

“I see…”

Haec tapped a finger on his chin, before he looked up. His gaze faced the crimson sky draped by the black curtains of their dead kin.

“Then you may call me your… hero.”

“Our hero?”

Tor asked, eyeing Haec curiously. Nodding, the former Heir of the Netherworld brought a hand up and looked down at it.

“That is right. I learned about this under the tutelage of Oracli— that there is a term Humans used to refer to those who save them. Heroes. That is what they are called.”

Taburas blinked when she heard that. She wasn’t that important of a member of the Demon King’s forces, so she never learned anything like this. However, when she considered the word with her [Universal Language Comprehension], she felt like it was right.

Tor seemed to agree because he raised his head.

“Very well, Hero Haec. If that is what you wish to be called, then I shall call you that.”

Haec nodded, before he raised a brow.

“Now what do you need from me, Tor?”

Looking down at himself, Tor placed one of his blade-like hands on the collar on his neck.

“Some of the others are worried about our collars. With their Tracking Tablets, the Demon King would know we are about to strike, and he will be able to intercept us and quell our rebellion before we can gain any traction, can he not?”

The [Knight Eligos] spoke in a tinny voice. And Taburas agreed with his apprehension. It was actually a question she was wondering herself.

But Haec spoke reassuringly.

“As I said, the Demon King is busy with the ritual to cross into the Mortal Realm. He will pay no attention to us.”

“Even if he does not, the other legions would notice something amiss. They have their Tablet of Tracking, do they not? They would be prepared for us. Maybe not the first, but the second or third will. They will retaliate against us.”

Tor spoke grimly, and Haec paused when he heard that. Taburas saw the moment of hesitation in his face. As he considered what could be done.

And he sighed.

“Unfortunately, we can only travel as quickly as possible: we can only strike them before they realize what is going on. After all, there is nothing we can do about these collars—”

But right as the words left his mouth, there was a flash of light coming from the sky above. The rift that had been hovering up there in space was reopened as a group of figures emerged from it. 

Haec’s gaze snapped up as he narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t the only one. Taburas herself found herself staring at the emerging figures with suspicion. Not because it was just Salvos returning— in fact, it was specifically because it wasn’t just Salvos returning.

Everyone from the Third Legion looked up as Salvos emerged from the rift with the two Deathsquad Hunters, Aliq and Ultis. But there was another figure in tow after them.

Bertrugil gaped, his eyes growing wide. Even Aemula couldn’t help but stare in shock.

“Is that… Hartia?”

Taburas whispered in disbelief. Haec frowned as he took a step forward.

“Yes, that’s Hartia. The Ruler of the Border. And it looks like he’s chained in up in her corruption. But still, what is Salvos doing?”

Haec asked the question as Salvos descended from the sky. She landed right next to him with a smile.

“Hey, Haec! I’m back!”

“What are you doing, Salvos?”

Haec asked, eyeing Salvos, before looking at Aliq and Ultis.

“What is she doing?”

The two Deathsquad Hunters shrugged in response.

“We are as clueless as you.”

Ultis said as Taburas pursed her lips. The [Succubus] didn’t know what Salvos was planning, but she knew it wasn’t anything good.

“Salvos…”

Haec turned to Salvos. She just beamed as she gestured at Hartia.

“Hartia has agreed to help us fight against the Demon King by removing the collars! In exchange, I’ll spare his life!”

That made everyone gathered here pause. Haec, Taburas, Tor, Bertrugil, Aemula, Ultis, Aliq, and anyone within hearing distance of her words stared at her in sheer shock. Some of them even looked outraged.

A susurration began to spread throughout the Third Legion as Taburas opened her mouth. But Haec raised a hand and everyone quitened. He held Salvos’s gaze.

“Salvos, you can’t be serious, right? You do realize that if he is lying, we will all die.”

In response, Salvos tapped a finger on her chin.

“Well, not all of us. Since, you know, both of us don’t have a collar.”

Bertrugil rolled his eyes when he heard that. Taburas clicked her tongue in annoyance. Aemula raised her hand from the side.

“I would prefer not to die, Salvos.”

“I also prefer if you don’t die, Aemula.”

Salvos nodded back eagerly, before facing Haec.

“Also, I know Hartia’s telling the truth. I have a Skill.”

“A Skill?”

Haec blinked. Taburas stared at the former Heir of the Netherworld as she saw him consider this. For a moment, she felt a sense of annoyance bubbling from within her, expecting him to immediately agree with Salvos.

Then he shook his head, taking Taburas by surprise.

“But we don’t have this Skill of yours. And what if Hartia has a way to bypass your Skill?”

Taburas took a step back, shocked that Haec was actually arguing against Salvos. She didn’t expect that at all. 

Salvos, however, didn’t seem offended by it. She nodded as she placed a hand on her chin.

“That is true… well, how about this—”

She snapped her fingers and faced everyone gathered there.

“What about if we have him remove the collars ten at a time?”

“Ten at a time? How would that make a difference?”

Haec asked, still eyeing Salvos dubiously. She waved a hand dismissively as she turned to Hartia.

“That way, he can’t just kill everyone in the Third Legion if he wanted to— because we’ll do it in my pocket space!”

“That’s…”

Haec opened his mouth, then he looked towards everyone else that was gathered there. He waited to hear if there was any opposition to this suggestion. But even Taburas had to admit… that wasn’t the worst plan ever.

Even if it was risky for those ten who went in at a time.

“So?”

Salvos asked expectantly.

“What do you guys think?”

Author's Notes:

What thonk?