"I have no time to explain, miss, but you're free to go now," I said, stepping inside the cell, my face curling up in disgust as the strong smell of human waste and rotten food entered my nostrils.
I still closed in, getting just a few inches ahead of her.
"Free? Liar. Ren knows! This is just a lie! You work for them." She growled, closing in, her warm breath hitting my foot as she sniffed furiously.
I crouched down, grabbing the heavy collar, opening it in seconds as her eyes widened more and more.
"I would appreciate it if you could return the favour by releasing other slaves here, like I am releasing you. This is just a disguise I stole from the guards who attacked me." I said with a casual smile, straightening my back and locating the next slave.
"Wh–Why human so… nice to Ren?"
"Come on now, I am not that nice. Just remember what I want back, okay?" She nodded over and over again as I patted her messy, long hair. She reminded me too much of Alexandria, the female golden retriever I had for fifteen years growing up.
Her long tail wagged repeatedly, cracking the stone ground as it smashed against it.
Noticing she had calmed down, I began distancing.
"Wait!!" The tail went limp, her lips parting. In a loud howl, she said. "Ren will pay you back one day! Ren swears on the entirety of the Shepherity continent!" The loud howls were still audible even as I turned two turns.
My lips curled upwards in a smile. I feel like I am doing something really heroic. Did any other transmigrator freed slaves and all their first day transmigrated?! They had probably just buy one to get easy fuck!
…
I'd just met one of the most interesting people ever.
"I am sorry, but releasing slaves is not enough. They are vulnerable… They need care and leadership; otherwise, they will just get killed by much more systematic holy knights.
I can you have no time, and it's already generous enough for you to release them in the first place." Kael bowed.
"Can you guide them towards me? I can find and group up with them. I have leadership experience, and am very used to handling the vulnerable as a C class hero. It will be my pleasure."
My lips parted slightly, "Sure, sure. It makes the job easier for us. My partner is on the right side, and the slaves in the west are also released by my other partner; you will need to find them, too, then."
"Gladly!" The five foot two muscular man instantly rushed out to find Ren.
I didn't get a chance to have a long conversation with him, but I still learned a lot! Heroes exist! Not metaphorically, but actually as a job.
They aren't like the usual high fantasy heroes I thought I'd find; chosen by holy swords fighting demon lords with parties, but more like a title for a member of an organisation, let's say an organisation kind of like the police.
Hero's association was way bigger and powerful than the police, though. They had thousands and thousands of branches and private guilds all over the world, with heroes ranking from F class to SS class.
Kael was an Arcana user with a lot of fighting experience and martial arts skills, from what I observed. I could probably defeat him by catching him off guard through [Undo of shift] or just outlast him with my regeneration, but he was, all in all, an equal.
So… I am just a C class, huh? This sucked.
From the impression Kael gave me, he truly believed and took pride in those heroic ideals.
Dying for the sake of saving others, and living with the sole purpose of making everyone happy selflessly, didn't seem like all that to life to me. It was limiting and suffocating. I want luxuries, women, and power. But… I could still respect his mindset.
If it were the past life version of me here, he would be praying for guys like Kael to show up. That was something. Being the hope of others and all.
…
Fifteen minutes had passed since meeting Kael, and I was able to release more than twenty-five people.
Most were just some really miserable and sad folks…
Those poor women… That sight of them groaning in pain on the ground would forever remain etched in my memory. They were just war prisoners… Ladies who fought this Velmoria Empire.
But, all four women had been sex slaves for more than a decade. Switching brothels, or masters, pumped with weird drugs to the limit. The sorta drugs that unnaturally made them look younger and more curvy. Even with their beauty, I could sense their broken mental state with just one look in their hollow eyes.
I could understand what Kael meant by vulnerable much more clearly. They needed someone to just talk to and comfort them with hope.
The "criminals" Mari Swan had all seemed to be decent people.
Small-time crooks, politicians who chose the wrong side, or even more war prisoners.
All were around C–F class in strength, so at least the guards won't be much of a trouble when they group up, probably.
With a twitch in my dry eyes, I checked the position of the last cell in my area with the [Eye of Sanguine]. In the same second, I turned towards Alya's direction: She was already at the meeting spot, crossway-like place in the middle of narrow hallways, looking at me like I was at her.
We shared a nod of understanding.
From there, we will get to Vanitas's meeting spot. But there are only ten minutes left of Vanitas's buff, and… knights also noticed the weird movement here.
With a hastened breath, I noticed something else in my line of sight. That… looks like a brawl. More than fifty people fighting, or more like jumping twenty guards.
My lips twitched as five slaves grabbed a single guard, bashing his head with punches, then stomping him together, then punching again.
But that brawl wasn't an issue. The problem was that it was happening just a turn away from the hallway where Alya stood.