They wore traveling robes, with their hoods sat low on their heads, concealing their faces. Halsem shook his head upon seeing the two travelers.
Apparently one of them was a woman, and the other one was a man. There was a good chance they were a married couple in the middle of traveling.
Since they got caught by bandits…
'They're really unlucky. How did they go on a trip and get caught by bandits…? Ah! By, by any chance are they adventurers or mercenaries?'
Halsem was somewhat hopeful.
'What if the travelers are mercenaries or adventurers with excellent skills…? They might overpower the bandits!' Bu, but there are dozens of those bandits. No matter how skillful they are, they wouldn't be able to overpower them…'
It was then Halsem's anxiety vanished. Was it because she had felt his gaze? The woman turned her head. Halsem stiffened after seeing the face beneath that hood.
The woman's hair and eyes fit the word 'jet-black'. Her skin was pale white, her gaze sharp. Halsem's jaw dropped. He pointed towards her with his trembling finger.
"Aa, Aa...…Aaaaa?"
The woman scratched her head as if she was embarrassed and smiled awkwardly.
The man beside her, witnessing the exchange, looked toward his partner quizzically.
He had golden blond hair with clear amber eyes. There was a scar on his right eye
"Euaaaaak-?!"
Surprise took Halsem a second time, leaving his mouth opened wide. He broke out in a cold sweat and recoiled with horror, as if seeing a ghost. The bandits' leader didn't know why Halsem recoiled and thought he was trying to run away. He grabbed Halsem and knocked him down again.
"This bastard! Where are you trying to run!"
"Let go of me! We're going to die…! If we're with those bastards, we'll be slaughtered-! We'll die and be turned into Undead!"
Hearing Halsem's shouts, the bandits turned back to the two travelers, Tom and Ellin, with anxious looks in their eyes.
***
A few days earlier, Ellin walked around the Demon Lord's Castle gleefully. There was only one reason for her excitement: she had a successor! There were ranks for Apostles in the Demon Kingdom, but they had been revised due to Bludifer's revolt, and the rankings disappeared. All of the apostles were now equal and had gone from 12 to 8 in total. Nevertheless, Ellin's mood was untempered, because her 'successor' was here; the Demon Lord said so herself.
As a doppelganger that had nothing but the ability to change her own appearance, getting an interspecies underling was a good thing.
Wolf was in uniform, following Ellin from behind. She turned to him and said,
"Wolf!"
"Yes, Miss Ellin."
Ellin strained her neck as she heard the silver-furred werewolf call her 'Miss'.
Aa, such beautiful resonance~! I'm naturally straining my neck! I'm also a respectable Apostle!
Ellin was happy, but on the other hand, there was something she was unsatisfied with. The Apostle who got appointed after Wolf, 'Tom'. He, who formerly was the Devil of Lania, didn't treat her as a senior. Ellin understood that Tom was the Hero who saved the Demon Kingdom, and the savior of the Demon Lord herself! But… where was he now?
Ellin was really unsatisfied with that fact.
'It's okay if he doesn't treat me like a senior, but let's at least have a conversation! Would it kill him to have casual conversation?! Before that guy showed up, what in the world was he doing?! Why can't I find him anywhere I go!'
"Wolf! Do you know where Tom is? You should be able to track his scent…"
"… Are you looking for me?"
Ellin jumped and looked behind her. Tom was already approaching her. Ellin got flustered and avoided his gaze.
"Hm? No, I wasn't looking for you!"
"Didn't you ask where I was?"
"… Just wondering what you're doing."
"It seems like you have nothing to do."
Ellin frowned hearing what Tom said.
"I'm also busy! I may not look like I am but I'm also an Apostle! Doing this, and that…"
"What is this and that?"
Ellin pinched her forehead with her fingers and spoke again after a bit of thought.
"Uhm… telling the doppelgangers to collect information on humans… Educating them so they can safely sneak in…"
Tom looked surprised.
"… Unexpectedly you do have things you can do."
"What? You sound as if you actually think me incompetent…! I, I can't help it. We doppelgangers are also rare… Most of them are cowards so they hate sneaking into the world where humans live… Even so, there are many kind and courageous ones who are volunteering for the Demon Kingdom!"
Tom stroked his chin, looking at Ellin. Come to think of it, Ellin's information was unexpectedly excellent.
The information on Kelvin Karakul had given him was also, in fact, information Ellin got. Additionally, it was Ellin who found out about the war between Aylans Kingdom and the Holy Kingdom 3 months ago.
In doppelgangers' case, they could change their appearance as they wanted and they were convincing for those who were not really skilled priests. They outskilled humans at infiltration.
"They might happen to be useful …"
"Not just 'happen to be,' l, we, are useful! Don't underestimate doppelgangers!"
Tom nodded through Ellin's rebuke.
"…Hmm? What?" She asked.
He smiled,
"I mean in the Aylans Kingdom. I'm thinking of buying a dwarf slave there."
***
Ellin stood firm, holding her hood down. The bandits drew near her with an excited look on their faces.
'What do we do? We can't cause a fuss when hiring a dwarf… no, buying a dwarf…! On top of that, that guy! Isn't he the gambler I saw in the Golden Fief? Oh my goodness! If he's that guy he would know I'm a demon…!'
Ellin lowered her head hurriedly as her eyes met Halsem's. Tom was also in a difficult position. He pressed his forehead and sighed.
'I can't believe there's this kind of obstacle right at the start of our mission! On top of that, bandits? I had heard it was dangerous because of the war, but I never imagined bandits would openly come out so close to the border. I figured we could easily enter the Aylans Kingdom if we dressed up like refugees and snuck in, but now look at us. More than anything… I didn't expect Halsem to be here!'
By the look of it, it seemed like he had taken on a new profession. He wasn't living as a gambler anymore, but a merchant. Tom was thankful that Halsem put his advice into practice, but fate was full of irony.
'What do I do? Do I kill?'
Tom looked to his side.
In the forest, there were creatures hiding in between the trees. Werewolves, including the werewolf with silver fur, Wolf, were hiding. They had followed at a distance under the pretext of escorting Ellin and Tom in the Aylans Kingdom.
Even if Tom and Ellin went riding on a horse carriage, they would've been able to follow them from afar.
— Ω —