583: Liar, Liar

583: Liar, Liar

However, even during what little praise Beatrice received, ill whispers already spread among people.

“Isn’t this the second demon attack in a few days?”

“Weren’t we supposed to be safe here?”

“At least last time it was in the underground mines.”

“Didn’t that captain girl say that the demons were killed in those mines? Did she lie? Or is it a different demon?”

And as these talks spread, they quickly killed off what little celebration was to be had. Though Beatrice was still so pumped with adrenaline that she barely heard what they said. Her stamina spent, fatigue finally caught up with Beatrice and she needed a moment to calm down.

“How many more are there!?”

“Will they just keep coming!?”

“Also, didn’t that good-looking woman just say that she plans to ‘rip apart the Queen’?”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“… She did, didn’t she?”

“Is she one of the demons herself!? Look at those claws!”

“And those wings!”

“And those tits!”

“Ah, she hid the claws! The beast knows we’re on to her!”

“At least she didn’t hide those milkers.”

“But she killed the demons!”

“Who knows how her kind thinks!?”

“Are you stupid? You want her to attack us next?”

“SILENCE!!” Flavna demanded from up above. She, Gamesh, and Ember descended inside a golden, translucent sphere and landed between the crowd and Beatrice. The moment the sphere dissolved, Flavna shouted, “Soldiers, line up!”

Some thirty Purple Capes rushed out of the crowd and formed a single line.

“Pathetic!” Flavna shouted. “You stood around, picking your noses while some random stranger did your job for you!?”

“Is that the same Lesser Abomination that you claimed was slain by the new champion?” a woman in the crowd asked with a raised hand.

“The underground is a maze with deep chasms,” Flavna responded without hesitation. “We’re still conducting searches to confirm whether there are more demons lurking there and how they appeared.”

“And what about the rumors that a Sovereign has entered the city?” the same woman asked.

Flavna grimaced and said, “Neri, come here.”

The twintail magician walked out of the crowd, with Dhisana and Zaki close behind, his hands never leaving the pockets of his shorts.

“So, did you lie about the Sovereign or about this pile of shit?” Zaki asked, gesturing with his head toward the mauled tentacle monster’s body.

“Neither.” Flavna stated firmly.

“You’d be-hic-dead,” Dhisana said, threw away her the empty pouch and reached for a full one.

“We have discovered an important clue to the possible means by which these few insignificant pests might be getting into the city,” Flavna said. “More importantly, a Sovereign was here. A part of his spirit possessed a girl. She’s now dead.”

“But if that were true, the Sovereign would have to be close by,” Neri said. “Are you saying that one of the demon leaders is right outside our walls, plotting an assault?”

“Plotting, yes,” Beatrice spoke up and walked over to the conversing group. “But not outside the walls. He’s in the palace, conspiring with the Queen. They already let demons possess at least two of their princesses.”

The people in the crowd gasped and broke into worried gossip that bordered on panic.

“Huh?” Zaki looked at Flavna. In a moment of shock his left hand almost made it half-way out of his pocket.

Dhisana’s hand shook in the middle of her gulping session, spilling the alcohol over chin and breasts. For a split second, her eyes went wide in sheer terror.

“Did I hear that right!?”

“N-No way!”

“The King has… Seen better days.”

“He’s a raving lunatic!”

“Wait, I fucked Julia. Does that mean I fucked a demon!?”

“Hey! Which princesses!?”

“The Queen has been increasingly reclusive…”

“Are you insane! What are you listening to this big-titted bimbo for!?”

“It’s a demon ploy to have us fight each other inside the city!”

“Yes! No demon ever got inside, and now we’re supposed to believe that they’re living inside the palace!?”

“LIAR!”

“DEMON!”

“Captain, arrest that lying demon so we can get this over with and go back to drinking and fucking!”

“Yeah, I still haven’t had my morning deepthroat yet because of this mess!”

“What the hell are the Purple Capes doing lately!?”

“Oi, oi, are you high? Watch what you’re saying if you don’t want to disappear one night.”

Beatrice sunk her nails into her skin inside her shaking fists, trying to recount who inside this miserable city was still worth saving.