-Interlude anywhere we go is hell!-

Inside the mines near the demon territory..

A bunch of people is working hard.

Among them,

inside the blacksmith section.

While hammering some countless metal.

*clang clang*

A sound of metal hammered is resounded.

Among them,

someone is start to cursing while working.

“SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT! WHY! WHY DID WE HAVE TO DO THIS AGAIN!?”

Tom cursed while working on some metal things.

“MOVE YOUR HAND INSTEAD OF YOUR MOUTH. YOU ALREADY AGREE FOR THIS AFTER ALL”

Said the metal doll oo-kun beside him.

Tsk

He start to regret his decision back then.

As for why he’s back here again

-Recap for last time-

“I understand the situation, i will return you guys. so brace yourself”

After the woman that bringing him (against his will) is knocked unconscious by the sword saint, he asked about various things. Including the plan that she was gonna do.

So, after releasing the kidnapped black cat girl and the fox boy, Tom started to explain their situation.

Then...

“W..wait, sword saint sama! Before that, can’t you send us somewhere else? I had enough with the job, actually! Er, anywhere is fine as long as it’s not the demon territory. As long as i can get away anywhere is fine!”

“Wait,Tom! Are you planning to let us suffer alone..!”

He got desperate and start to begging the sword saint.

But, he calmly replied.

“That, was something i cannot do”

“Eh?”

Tom is getting dumbfounded.

“You guys already made a contract right? Despite she was a bit forceful, and it’s just a verbal agreement you had already accepted it and i didnt think highly for someone that try to break their contract that easily”

Looking at them sharply, the sword saint is staring at them.

For someone at the level of Tom, his stare is similar to looking at him like a frog in the well. So he cannot deny him.

Then, he speaked.

“Besides, it's more fun for friends to be together while they can”

He make a forced smile.

Eh? Seems like he saw a hint of melancholy at the sword saint expression. Surely it was just his imagination right?

“Then, i will return you guys home. Brace yourself”

Huh? What are.. EYAAH!?

The ground below them is getting lifted.

Seeing the ground is not collapsed, the sword saint must be using some sort of technique to make it stable.

Realizing they almost fall, Tom and the others are gripping the gouged earth tightly.

“Just be careful back home. Adios!”

Flying away with a speed of sound, Tom start to make a crying face unbefitting for his thug like face.

-Back in mines-

When they returned, the man named Bernard had already come.

Most are surprised why did one of the Demon king general himself is here, but he explained that he was already quitted and getting hired by Miho instead.

At first, most people did not believe that he had a change of heart

But after hearing his sad song about his lost love, many woman are sympathetic with him and support him instead.

The men thinks he’s just a senile crazy guy, but they got hissed by the woman for not understanding love at all!

Seriously, females are scary once its a talk about love related.

Under his jurisdiction and Tuvalu, they start to work hard towards the goal.

Before anyone realize it,

a month had passed.

“It's already been a month, why didn’t Miho-sama not coming back yet?”

“It's gonna be the time to start the plan soon. Think something happened to her?”

“Tuvalu, did you heard anything about her at all?”

Some group already start to panicked and began to discuss among themself.

Before, Miho only said her business won't take long. But taking this much time is abnormal.

The beastman from the village that she recruited first is fine, but the one from the outside start to panicked.

“Miho-sama is definitely fine and will return in time. All we can do is to put our faith to her”

Tuvalu had a unwavering loyalty that Miho will coming back, so he answer without hesitation.

Unfortunately, the guys in front of him doesn’t have the same loyalty.

“H... hey, are you sure this will worked anyway? If she won't return, what should we do?”

Some people is starting to have some doubt.

“Ye..yeah, i mean, won't we become the enemy of the entire nation if we failed?”

“The surrounding countries of humans and demi human already did not have a good impression of us, beastman, since the start. Won’t we receive much harsher treatment once we fail?”

“Rather than harsh, they might gonna exterminate us once and for all!”

“I.. i rather life as a slave than end up get killed!. If we being patient, won't someone probably save us someday?”

“Y.. yeah, anywhere is fine rather than betting our lives on a plan than we won't be sure if it’s gonna be worked anyway...”

The atmosphere is getting worse...

Hearing them,

Tuvalu shouts.

“YOU FOOLS!”

And surprised them.

“HOW LONG AGO DID WE ALREADY LOST THE WAR AND BECOMING SLAVE OR KILLED BY THE DEMON? AND GETTING EXPLOITED BY THE HUMANS OR DEMI HUMANS? SINCE THEN, HAVE ANYBODY EVEN CARE OR PAID ATTENTION TO OUR FATE!?”

“THE ANSWER IS NONE! NOBODY OFFER US A HAND, NOBODY CARE ABOUT OUR FATE!”

“UNTIL WHEN WILL YOU WAIT FOR A HELP THAT WILL NOT COME? IF WE DIDN'T TRY TO LIBERATE OURSELF WHEN WILL WE BE FREE!?”

“HAVE YOU GUYS ALREADY FORGOTTEN WHAT HAPPENED TO US IN THIS 200 YEARS? THE TIME WHEN OUR FATHER, GRANDFATHER,MOTHER, SISTER, OR SIBLING HAVE DIED IN HUNGER? OR DIED FROM TORTURE? ARE YOU GOING TO JUST SILENTLY WATCH!?”

They silently reminds...

Their village that got burned by the Demon king army.

The sight of the humans and demi human exploiting them until death.

The irrational tax and unreasonable demand of their landlord.

The usual scene where it’s natural to reduce the number of children to reduce the mouth to feed.

The sight of their siblings getting hunted and their pelt had been weared by the hunters and they can only stare with a grudge and despair from afar while they are laughing.

“BUT”

“HERE, SOMEONE HAD OFFERED US A HAND. SOMEONE FINALLY GAVE US A PURPOSE!”

“LIVING AIMLESSLY AS A LOSER, FOR HOW LONG DID WE HAVE TO ENDURE!? UNTIL HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO LET OUR DESCENDANT SUFFERS!?”

“ARE YOU GUYS FINE WITH IT!? ARE YOU GUYS FINE WITH LETTING OUR ONLY CHANCE GO?”

“IF WE GIVE UP NOW, THEN WHEN DO YOU THINK WE WILL HAVE A CHANCE OF BEING LIBERATED!?

They start to silently hearing Tuvalu.

“SO FIGHT!”

“WE MUST REGAIN OUR PRIDE BACK BY OURSELF!”

“THINGS THAT WE HAD BEEN LOST, LET US RECLAIM IT OURSELF!”

“ALL WE NEED TO DO IS JUST BELIEVE WITH OUR MASTER, AND BRING HER A VICTORY!”

“IF ANYONE GOT ANY OBJECTION, THEN COME AT ME NOW!”

…

They got silent for awhile.

after pondering and discussing with each other, they seem to be able to accept it and making a determined face.

But,

Still doubtful, one of them start to speak.

“But”

“This Miho, the one called devil god, is one of the humans too right?”

“Think we can trust her? What guarantee that she will be coming in time and won't leave us alone and running away instead?”

Hearing that, everyone start to get panicked.

“Ye… yeah, to begin with, can we even trust one of the humans that is part of our discrimination to begin with?”

“Tha.. that’s right! We can’t trust humans that easily! Why should we follows her since the beginning anyway?”

“D..do you have some proof that she won't betray us and sold us to another nation?”

“S..she is probably already running away and reporting us to the neighbour nation!”

They begin to yell ‘Yeah, that’s right’. ‘You don’t have any proof!’ and the mood is returned sour.

Those idiots…!

Tuvalu almost snapped and punched those guys.

But,

a small silhouette from his back is coming to front of him instead.

“SHE WILL COME, NYA!”

…

Everyone start to pay attention to that small figure.

Looking at the figure in front of him,Tuvalu mutters.

“Sonya...”

The black cat girl is bravely standing in the front of the bloodthirsty crowd.

Then,

returning to speak, Sonya talked.

“SHE.. THA.. THAT PERVERT WILL COME! I KNOW THAT! I KNOW FOR SURE!”

“A.. ALTHOUGH SHE WAS INDEED A WEIRDO, A PERVERT AND DOING WHATEVER SHE WANTS.. A.. AND COMPLETELY A HOPELESS PERSON TO BEGIN WITH..”

“SHE.. SHE WON'T LEAVE US WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING!”

“SHE WILL COME! EVEN IF SHE IS GONNA GET KILLED! EVEN IF THE WHOLE WORLD IS BECOMING HER ENEMY! THAT'S THE SORT OF PERSON SHE WAS!”

Sonya speak with so much energy that the audience is baffled.

The muttered audience seems confused with this sudden appearance of her and didn't know what to do.

They start to whisper to each other again and debating “Which one is the truth? Who should we believe?”

Looking at this,

Tuvalu is awed.

(Sonya.. I never thought you're grown up so much. You, who never share a fish to another villagers and selfishly eats it in front of them thinks about someone else this highly...)

Looking closely, Sonya was trembling.

Even for she that is usually brave, speaking with this much adult is a first to her.

Doing that must take her a lot of courage.

…

…!

I see..!

Did Miho sama saw that much?

So she saw Sonya potential and letting her take the main role!

Indeed...

i didn't follow the wrong person after all!

Perhaps, we… no.

I will definitely make the plan as success!

“Sonya”

“UWEH! uuu… uncle?”

She looked at me surprised, perhaps she was indeed using all of her strength just to talk to them.

Really, you're amazing...

I grin while patting her head.

“It's fine, just leave the rest to me”

Sonya looks at me worried.

But she started to make a determined face.

That “courage”..

You might perhaps be the one that will give us a hope.

I confront them,

and they looked wary.

Then,

putting a sword in the floor to get some attention, i speak to them.

“I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF YOU STILL HAVE DOUBT!”

They start to mutter to each others.

“THEN, WITH MY AUTHORITIES AS THE CLAN CHIEF OF WOLF TRIBE, I WILL MADE A OATH!”

They start to question what oath,

i call one of my subordinate.

“BRING A CONTRACT SCROLL HERE”

With a nod, he was going to the backroom.

Once he returns and bring a scroll,

i start to make a oath.

“MY NAME IS TUVALU. I HAVE INHERITED THE NAME OF THE GREAT WARRIOR OF THE WOLFMAN TRIBE”

“I SWEAR IN THE NAME OF OUR GOD PHOENIX THAT OUR MASTER, MIHO-SAMA WILL RETURN TO LEAD US IN TIME FOR THE PLAN!”

“SHOULD THIS OATH IS BROKEN, MY SOUL WILL RETURN TO OUR GOD, AND MY BODY WILL RETURN INTO THE SOIL!”

Hearing that,

everyone surprised. Including my subordinate, villagers, Sonya, and other beastman.

“LEADER!”

One of my subordinate shouts.

i only replied calmly.

“Calm down. This is just my selfishness alone, you guys didn't have to take any responsibilities”

But..! Say my subordinate.

“Enough! Did you guys not believe with our master?”

I stare at them and not allowing any further objection.

“...I, understand”

He said that and then,

“THEN, I WILL MADE AN OATH TOO!”

What are you saying? Is what i want to say, but.

“M..ME TOO!”

Hearing that, i was surprised.

It was Reks.

“IF SO, THEN US TOO!”

“WE TOO! WE WILL BELIEVE IN MIHO-SAMA!”

“ME ME! I WOULD MAKE AN OATH TOO!”

“OUR CLAN LEADER HAS SPOKEN, WHAT WOULD BECOME TO OUR CLAN IF WE DIDN'T JOIN TOO?”

The beastman from the village is start to joining too, including mine.

“You guys..”

I think i heard “Dufufu.. if.. i didn't join, i wonder how she will punish me later... ahh, i can’t wait!” voice among them.

I think i know who she is, but i'll pretend i didn't hear anything and ignoring it…

While i’m still feeling troubled because of that, there’s still someone shouting.

“I.. I WILL JOIN TOO, NYA! IT’S NOT LIKE I.. BELIEVE WITH THAT PERVERT, BUT UNCLE IS BELIEVING HER! SO, I’LL JOIN”

Sonya...

You’re really not honest aren’t you?

I grinning a little.

After that,

some crowd of blacksmith lead by Gordes is coming here too.

“Seems like fun. Mind if this old man join?”

“Gordes!”

I was surprised.

He was just joined recently, so i was surprised he would even bet his life together.

“Are you.. sure?”

Hearing that, Gordes grinned.

“What? I told you i would only made a weapon and armor from her order right? Truthfully i was bored from doing a monotone work of hammering the same things over and over again in the home anyway. Besides, i had already received the payment”

The payment that he said is that Miho sama already gave him most of the unknown weapon and armor she had and the material she found.

When asked where did she find it, she was saying from the Goddess house with a joking tone and everyone thought it was just a joke.

Except me that knows how she actually is abnormal and Gordes which realize how abnormal those things are others probably not realized.

“I cannot accept that someone out there is doing a better job than me, so i’m gonna learn about all of those and made a better things than them!”

“Until then, i cannot back down from this job. Most of the others are thinking the same as me”

Saying that, the blacksmiths behind him laughs.

“HAHAHA! DOING THINGS IN PASSION IS OUR STYLE AFTER ALL, AND THE WAY SHE DOING THINGS IS THE HOTTEST OF US ALL”

“Hmph, not like i agree with this hot blooded idiot. But leaving in the middle of job is not elegant at all.. Besides It's not my style to leave a unfinished work”

“I still want to learn a lot from the unknown weapon and material, like i can back down now!”

“If we are going to die, i rather doing it while in the middle of creating the best work ever rather than above the bed!”

The blacksmiths is even joining our cause.

“...”

Some of the worker is looking at this side.

“Hey Tom.. Think we shouldn’t... Uh, i dunno, join them?”

“...”

“Hey Tom?”

Tom is only silent, then...

“Shit, this really isn't like my usual style at all. Hey metal junk, you sure you wont stop this at all?”

He speaked to the metal doll beside him.

“THIS IS NECESSARY FOR THEM, IF THEY WORKED HALF HEARTEDLY IT WON’T BE GOOD FOR MASTER PLAN”

Tsk, so even you can act more human like compared to us huh.

Thinking he cannot watch this anymore, he stopped his work and joined.

“OI, YOU DUMB FURBALL”

He approach one of them.

the one that question when Miho returns.

And then,

*SMACK*

He punch him.

“!?”

Everyone surprised and looked at him.

Then, Tom started to talk to him.

“GIMME A BREAK WOULD YOU?”

“EVEN A KID UNDERSTAND, WE ALL ALREADY GOING TO HELL SINCE THE START. WHAT? YER GUYS THINK WE’RE IN SOME MERRY TRIP WITH FRIENDS SINCE THE START?”

Ignoring his confused look, Tom continues.

“YOUR WORRIES IS UNNECESSARY! EVEN IF THE WORLD IS ENDING TOMORROW IT CANNOT KILL THAT WOMAN! IF SHE DIED THAT EASILY SOMEWHERE, I WON’T BE THIS TROUBLED! KNOWING HELL WILL COME, THERE’S NO WAY SHE WOULD JUST SILENTLY WATCH”

“IF YER WORRIED SOMEWHERE, THEN START TO WORK AND DISTRACT YOURSELF FROM WORRIES!”

The beastman that get hit is getting silent.

“HAHAHA! WELL SPOKEN COMRADES!”

Saying that,

the vampire Bernard is coming too.

Together with a group of woman behind him.

…

After talking to him, Bernard gave the woman each a advice for their love life.

Like a famous fortune teller, they gather to him like a bees.

Some even got interested to him and confess but unfortunately they all got rejected.

“HAHAHAHA! I’M SORRY LOVELY LADIES, BUT I HAVE ALREADY GIVE MY HEART TO SOMEONE ELSE. I’M SURE A LADY AS LOVELY AS YOU WILL HAVE A MAN MORE BETTER THAN ME! OH, ALSO, I SUGGEST YOU TO EAT MORE! IT’S NOT GOOD TO BE TOO THIN LIKE ME YOU KNOW? AHAHA”

Thinking he cares about their well being more rather than appearance, and how faithful he is. The girls is liking him more instead.

Of course, nobody knows that he actually have a fetish so he reject them all.

He even gave a consultation for their love related matters with patience for each of them.

Thanks to that, they had follow him with their own will.

Continuing his speak Bernard said.

“HAHAHA! IT’S EXACTLY AS HE SAID. WE ALL GOING FOR A TRIP INTO HELL, SO”

“LET US JUST MADE OUR JOURNEY BLOOM MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN HEAVEN ITSELF DESPITE THAT!”

The girl is cheering, though most of the others not even understand that and making a confused look.

They start to made a noise “My wife, wh… why are you on that side?” “D…daughter, you’re disagree? But papa is doing it all for you...” “Carla, even you...”

The girls only yell to them “Shut up, just be a man already! If you keep being indecisive i’ll divorce you!” “You’re being gross papa, can you stop treating me like a child?” “You useless premature ejaculator!”

Because of the harsh words of the girls, they received such a severe mental damage and gets depressed.

….

“You all..”

Tuvalu is surprised with this development.

Then,

realizing he cannot let this go, Tuvalu start to shouts.

“YOU ALL CAN SEE RIGHT? OUR RESOLVE, THE MIRACLE THAT OUR MASTER HAVE DONE!”

“DESPITE OUR DIFFERENCE, WE ALL GATHER UNDER THE SAME PLACE, SAME PERSON, SAME OBJECTIVE”

“IF WE DON’T ACT NOW, NO MIRACLES AT THIS SCALE WOULD EVER HAPPENED AGAIN!”

“SO SHARPENED YOUR FANGS, AND BELIEVE IN OUR MASTER!”

“IF ANYONE HAVE A OBJECTION, THEN THEY CAN JUST SWEAR THE SAME OATH!”

Hearing him,

nobody objects anymore.

Tuvalu makes a grin.

“THEN LET US RESUME OUR JOB! AND BELIEVE WITH OUR MASTER”

“LET US GO INTO HELL TOGETHER!”

All of them cheered.

At this point,

nobody have a reason to object anymore.

Except...

…..

“Seems like it failed...”

In the back,

some people lurking in the shadow mutters.

“W...what should we do? Is.. isn't it your fault since the beginning? You said that they would abandon the plan once that woman isn't here!”

Hearing that, the biggest of them start to grab him in the head.

“Eeek..! Sorry, forgive me!”

He was struggling.

But after some time, he was quietly released.

*pant pant.. haah ha*

Ignoring him, the big guy is watching them again.

“It's not over yet... just wait...”

Muttering that words, he disappear in the shadow together with a few beastman.

…..

After some more talk, they start to resume the work like usual.

“haah”

Tom is tired in various ways.

After working hard like a slave, he speak more than what he usually done too.

“GOOD JOB”

Hearing that,

he was surprised.

Oo-kun make a salute like a soldier.

“So even yer can act kind huh?”

“NO MATTER EVEN IF IT’S A FLEA OR ANTS, IF THEY DONE A GOOD THINGS IT WAS NATURAL TO PRAISE THEM”

Shit! I knew this junk is not gonna be so kind.

Though He didn't hate it for some reason, so he didn't make a objection.

But…

“THEN, CONSIDERING YOUR WORDS JUST NOW..”

?

Tom is confused.

“YOU'RE GONNA TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND WORK HARDER, RIGHT?”

“!!!”

Oo-kun start to change its arms into whip and harisen (paper fan)

“I BELIEVE YOU’RE GONNA TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND WORK HARD, TOM-SAN”

He was surprised it called him by his name for the first time, but more importantly...!

“SHHHHIIIIITTTTT…!!!!”

He start to regret his own words and began to cursing non stop.