The aftermath was light in destruction. Plenty of houses and property were left intact and there were only a few gaping holes on the surrounding wall. But, the town was littered with corpses, leaving a grosteque scene and noxious air. Leaving these bodies would draw in wild beasts and high likelihood of spreading diseases.

Kei had his horde to do the cleanup and dumped the bodies and other remains in a big hole in the forest. The rain can wash away most of blood.

The survivors consists of the ones hiding in locations that the SGs told to avoid and the slum. This town will be under new management and on lockdown until the sitaution changes. Cal reluctanly accepted the postition of town mayor. Demons from the slums were pressured to move into vacant homes. Kei entrusted the town's survival and rebirth on Cal. If Cal can't handle the responsibility, Kei can find a more suitable person or until the town self-destruct.

The group was currently camping outside by the road at night. They were on their way towards the capital of Chesire Kingdom up north. It was more than a week's worth of travel on foot.

Elen was starting to lose focus between Kei and her goals. she needed to get it straight with him.

"Hey master, we're done with Asul. Can you tell me what's your goal? What are you planning?"

"Ai ai ai. Someone is being impatient."

"It's killing my insides seriously. As future Queen of Eluvia, I..."

"Can't let such sociopathic demon walking on this world right? Since you're part of the Alliance?"

Elen groaned in displeasure and uneased settled under her skin.

"I will keep my promise for your revenge but do you think you'll be queen with a slave collar on your neck? Traveling around and possibly being 'tainted' by me?"

"I...I'm offering a poposal to keep my chastity, release from my slave collar, and assistance!"

Kei picked his ear and drank warm water from a metal cup. It's well in the night where Polin and Bridget was already sleeping. Kei was keeping watch for the night.

"Hey. If you're worrying about your viginity. Just don't. I'm don't plan on forcing you or anything. I just need a few people who knows a lot about this world."

"You really don't know do you? Where you are, magic, or anything? Have you been living under a rock?"

"Yes and no. Let's keep it that way." Kei wanted to avoid the topic of his origins and moved to Elen's personal wants. "I only help as long you have the collar. That's what you agree on. If you want me to take it off, then you are on your own. Think carefully."

"I want it to be amended." Elen spoke in a polite tone.

"I'm a reasonable man. Now, please tell me this grand proposal you're thinking."

Elen was trying to think every possible options available.

If I allied with him, I will be the enemy in the eyes of the Alliance. Kei can't summon an endless army forever to fight the Alliance, right? How about the freedom of his people and dismemberment of the slave system in my country? Would anyone bat an eye? No. The council members would be upset and the mining mostly done by slaves. Hand in marriage? Hell no. Send elf maidens to please him? No, I'm not that kind of person to give my own people as pawns. I'll never be like that. As long the agreement is behind close doors, nobody will know right?

"I propose a secret pact. You and I."

"Uh-huhh." Kei was enjoying looking at her in turmoil, rattling her head.

"Eluvia has gold and mana stones mines; we're considered a wealthy country. Name your price."

"That's it? Money is all you offer? Money you don't have but an I.O.U. You think I'm an idiot?"

Elen sucked in her lips, Kei didn't say he declined - yet.

Kei really didn't care about her problems or her country. The money he gained from the town was a small fortune, maybe not the kingdom treasury size but it will hold him over for a while. She told him everything about her country with demon slaves, since she didn't want to hide anything from Kei. He still needed to keep his deal with Deco to save the Demon Race but Elen was scared to upset other powers and authoritative figues in her country.

As a ruler, can you do what the hell she wants? I guess you can't do everything you want without it smacking back at you face. Slaves - wealth - secret pact...

"Okay then, how about a counter offer. Use that money of yours to buy as many demon slaves as you can and food in tons. Then we meet at a secure location, you hand them over and we will never discuss it again."

Elen closed her eyes and thought: Can that actually work? I can just have my most trusted aides undercover to buy them then shipped them. People won't think it's abnormal for transporting slaves. Yeah, just as long we have tight lips and no info leaks, nobody will know.

Elen nodded her head.

"Okay then lets shake on it."

Both Elen and Kei shook hand.

"We can talk details later," Kei asked and yawned a bit.

"Thank you. You won't regret this."

"Yeah-yeah."

Kei then pulled Elen's slave contract from his dimensional ring and toss it into the camp fire. Then Elen's slave collar snapped open and fell to the ground.

"I'm free..."

Elen rubbed her neck to make sure, even though her life as a slave was quite short, it was still a disgrace for any amount of time.

"Okay, now that's done. Let's get some sleep."

"Wait, I want to ask you something."

"What?" Kei said in an irritated tone.

"Were you really not planning to defile me?"

"Huh? Did you think I'm some sort of sex maniac or desperate? If I was, I'll will be putting my dick in every hole by now. I'm not the kind of person you think I am."

"And that's it?"

"I just not one to force myself on someone, but slaves is a mix matter. Maybe I give the same offer to other slaves like to you or not. Maybe a slave have something in exchange for freedom, I don't mind that at all. There are plenty of women in the world. There got to be a brothel somewhere, right? I have all the time in the world."

Slaves was not a strange concept for Kei. He been living a life keeping to himself but he heard rumors and stories around the neighborhood. When he did help someone out, the victim was usually in a position of being a tool or being took advantages of. In the modern world there were still slavery and in different forms. Human trafficking was still a thing and modern slavery like debt bondage, forced labor, and questionable contracts and work conditions.

"Is that it?" Kei asked in tiredness.

"Yes, thank you."

Kei slumped his back on his sleeping bag and closed his eyes.

Elen went inside her sleeping bag and relaxed.

The next morning.

"You decided to follow us to the capital?" Kei had thought after the released of Elen's collar, she would be on her way.

"Yes, I wanted to see how you take down a castle - for reference," Elen replied.

Eluvia was next door to Chesire Kingdom. She didn't want to lead an army while in someone else's territory. The capital was closer to the border and once there... She just had to wait after Kei to start destroying.

"Big sister Elen, where is your golden ring?" Polin asked.

"Little wifey, we had divorced."

"Why? Darling is a good husband."

Elen gave a haughty laugh.

"Leave her be little wifey, this is her choice."

Polin pitied her like she is missing the greatest opportunity of her life, but really. Elen was happy to high heaven to not be a slave right now.

So, the group continued traveling on the road to the capital. They had plenty of food stolen from the town. The dimensional ring was a place when time stops, food will not be spoiled inside. Elen found a good stave and a short sword in town to hold her over to defend herself.

While they were traveling, the army of undead and beasts was preparing weapons for besieging. But the fortress they were attacking was preparing as well. Smoke coming from a town can't be missed by patrol.

The fortress held 2,000 veteran knights and 500 civilian militia. They were evacuating the civilians and had send word to the captial to send reinforcement. The fortress had asked the Runis State for assistant.