The Empire's Ugliness

The security in the imperial capital was extremely tight. Anyone wanting to enter the city had to undergo a thorough body search. Imperial soldiers were stationed on the city walls, closely monitoring for any suspicious individuals.

Even within the city, patrols of at least three soldiers moved around constantly, checking not only the main streets but also carefully inspecting hidden alleyways.

Using their abilities to obscure the perceptions of the guards and the people waiting to enter the city, Eriri and her group of four boldly passed through the city gate and entered the capital.

The three beautiful women and one adorable little girl made for a striking group, attracting attention wherever they went. The moment they appeared in the capital, countless eyes were fixed on them.

On the streets of the capital, nearly every passerby was holding an iron chain attached to a beastman slave. These slaves were generally dressed in ragged clothing and appeared despondent, indicating that the people of the capital didn't view beastmen as living beings, but rather as tradable goods and tools.

Shops specializing in selling beastman slaves lined both sides of the streets, making the capture and sale of beastmen a major industry in the capital.

Shea stared intently at the beastman slaves around her, especially the miserable rabbitfolk. Her fists clenched tightly as she struggled to maintain her earlier calm in the face of this horrifying scene.

Noticing Shea's growing anger, Eriri decided to use this opportunity to teach her a lesson in thinking. The overly passive attitude of the Haulia Tribe was unacceptable, but she also didn't want Shea to become overly dark and twisted.

Eriri stepped forward and gently grasped Shea's clenched fist, speaking softly beside her, "Now you understand, right? Blindly pursuing peace achieves nothing. If someone wrongs you or your loved ones, no matter who they are, you must retaliate fiercely. Otherwise, you could end up like these beastmen on the streets."

Eriri paused for a moment before continuing, "Of course, I'm not saying to act recklessly. If it's your own people who are at fault, then you have no right to take revenge on others. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Shea slowly released her clenched fist and took hold of Eriri's small hand, even placing her other hand on top.

"Good, I'm glad you understand." Eriri nodded in satisfaction, though she gave Shea a curious look as she felt Shea gently stroking her hand.

Ignoring Shea's small gestures, Eriri led the group further down the street. Meanwhile, the chat group was filled with resentment toward the empire.

[Chika Fujiwara: These people in the empire are disgusting! There isn't a single decent person among them.]

[Flower Hashira: Don't they feel any guilt?]

[Arche Eeb Rile Furt: It's no use. In my world, there are people even worse than this. They don't feel guilt at all.]

[Iron-Blooded Hot-Blooded Cold-Blooded Vampire: Hmph, a country like this doesn't deserve to exist.]

[Ashen Witch: There are also countries in my world that have slavery...]

[Flower Hashira: Are the slaves in your world this miserable?]

[Ashen Witch: I don't know. I haven't seen it with my own eyes...]

[Asuna: Ahh, this is infuriating! Beastmen are people too! How can they treat them like mere goods? I'm so angry I don't even want to attend class.]

[Archangel Gabriel: Aren't you already slacking off by watching the livestream in class? Now you're seeing the joy of slacking off in class, aren't you?]

[Asuna: Uh... I was just curious because of how intense it sounded, so I took a quick look...]

[Archangel Gabriel: Don't worry, where there's a first time, there'll be a second.]

[Asuna: …]

[Chika Fujiwara: This empire is just a massive human trafficking ring!]

[Flower Hashira: I wish I could go there and teach these imperial scum a lesson, but I don't have enough points.]

[Flower Hashira: Wait, can't we send live things through the red envelope feature? Could I send myself to Eriri?]

[Archangel Gabriel: …I've already tried that. Unfortunately, it doesn't work. I asked the chat group, and it seems it can only send low-intelligence creatures.]

[Flower Hashira: …]

[Kashiwagi Eri: As expected of you.]

For the next while, Eriri and her group ignored the imperial citizens who attempted to hit on her and Aletheia. Those who were rude were severely punished by Eriri, with some being gravely injured and others barely escaping death.

Since the empire glorified martial prowess and was accustomed to violence, Eriri's actions only managed to scare off some people. Many others, confident in their strength, continued their advances.

When those attempts failed, some individuals turned their attention to Shea and Reina, trying to buy their ownership from Eriri. For these people, Eriri didn't hesitate to reduce them to ashes. This finally instilled fear even in the violence-hardened citizens, who fled in panic, leaving their beastman slaves behind.

The commotion also caught the attention of the imperial soldiers patrolling the city. Several squads converged on Eriri's group, surrounding them. Seeing the mangled bodies of their fellow citizens, the soldiers immediately pointed their weapons at Eriri and her companions. Though they didn't know how strong Eriri's group was, they felt confident in their ability to handle the situation, given that they were in the heart of the empire.

The sight of Eriri and Aletheia's beauty only fueled the soldiers' desires, sparking uncontrollable greed.

"You've violated the empire's laws. I hereby place you under arrest. If you don't want to suffer, I suggest you surrender peacefully," the squad leader arrogantly declared, pointing at Shea and the little Reina in Eriri's arms. "As for these two beastman slaves, they will be confiscated."

Eriri couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of these soldiers. "What a bunch of idiots."

She then casually waved her hand, sending a wave of white energy over the soldiers, instantly reducing them to blood mist.

The nearby onlookers, who had been watching the spectacle, fell into stunned silence at the sight of the soldiers' sudden and horrific deaths. A moment later, panic set in, and they scrambled away, abandoning their beastman slaves in their rush to flee from Eriri's group.

They muttered words like "devil" and "demon" under their breath as they ran.