The slaves exchanged glances with each other for a moment without speaking.

‘A monster…….’

They knew in their head that it was nonsense if they thought about it rationally. But they saw the same person being eaten by a monster right before their eyes.

They were also locked in an enclosed space. The people were someone’s family, lover, and colleague.

Hearing Aria’s song gave them hope and courage, but anxiety and fear were still lurking in their hearts.

‘Good. It’s shaking.’

Seeing that they were agitated, Vibrio smiled satisfiedly. Now, with a little stimulation, he seemed to succeed in instigating them.

“So, it’s better to turn the ship and go back as soon as possible…”

“Absolutely not!”

Then all of a sudden, Ted jumped up and screamed. It was such a loud voice that the eyes of the crowd gathered in an instant.

“If she’s a monster in the legend, why does she encourage us and not make us want to die?”

“Maybe they’re planning to do something once they’ve taken us!”

Vibrio stared at Ted, who sprinkled ashes on the cooked rice.

“Are you stupid?”

“What?”

“That ship is just a passenger ship with no artillery on its hull. The ship we’re on is so much bigger and stronger that it’s incomparable.”

“That, that.”

“If we knew what was going on, and were determined to attack them, they would have no choice but to sink.”

Of course, it would be easier to run away.

Instead of revealing Aria’s identity, Ted tried to reassure people with more persuasive words. Then Vibrio, who was rolling his eyes to and fro with a troubled face, stuttered.

“It’s, it’s already too late after the monster reveal their true nature! The only chance to escape is now!”

He spit out his own words like a quick-fire before Ted could refute it.

“And what? Fight it? Are you confident that you can fight that monstrous young man and win?”

“It’s not a monster!”

Then Leo screamed.

Even at a young age, the child had guts that closely resembled his father. The same stubbornness and the loud voice.

“Mom said that an ungrateful bastard who doesn’t know grace can go out and die!”

…… Did she teach him to say that?

Ted was speechless for a moment and turned to his wife. His wife Lisa said after stroking Leo’s hair as if it was a good thing.

“Suspiciousness is a disease too.”

“Wh, what?”

“Anyway, isn’t it true that we got help? I don’t know why you are instigating benefactors as enemies.”

“I’m not instigating, I’m just suggesting a possibility. What if we’re chasing a monster worse than the slave trader?”

Vibrio threatened whether they could even take responsibility for that.

“Yes, I will take responsibility.”

Lisa said sternly.

“So, like before, stay calm in the corner. Don’t disturb the atmosphere.”

Vibrio was amazed and his lips were shut. And he looked around.

Some had anxious eyes, but that was all. The slaves who had been silent for a while, far from agreeing with Vibrio, had very suspicious faces.

A slave looked at him with squinted eyes and asked.

“Who are you more than that? I think it’s the first time I see you. You keep saying nonsense…”

“…Do whatever you want! Don’t regret it later”

Vibrio realized that the operation had failed and took a step back.

He went back to the corner and squatted down. And he struggled to hide his disappointment, looking for the next opportunity with hyena-like eyes.

The opportunity came unexpectedly quickly.

It was because their behavior was very suspicious after they got off the port.

They entered a mysterious building, climbed on a suspicious camp, and moved to a suspicious place with a suspicious technique.

“The answer is here. If they have a decent status, would we move in this way in a complicated and secret way?”

Vibrio spit out one word at a time, heightening the slaves’ anxiety.

He urged them to run away. He would keep doing that until the slaves were persuaded.

By the way…….

‘Damn, why…… !’

He was busy whispering like a snake, but this time he couldn’t help but be terrified.

It was because the place they had moved to through Carlin’s magic was none other than the Valentine’s estate.

‘Why is it supposed to be Valentine that targeted our slave trader!’

Vibrio was confident that he could get out of any power, any family, with the help of the slaves.

But he wasn’t sure about Valentine.

No one would be sure.

Especially when he thought of the Ingo Mountains, which were full of huge monsters, he was distraught.

‘Should I run on my own right now?’

He felt a very strong impulse.

However, all the test subjects were dead. Maxim couldn’t leave him alone if he couldn’t take even the surviving slaves.

There was also a way to simply not return to the Underhill slave traders in their home country.

But then…….

‘I will be killed, sure.’

Vibrio knew his boss’s personality very well. He was merciless to traitors.

If Vibrio had abandoned everything and ran away, Maxim would have even tried to kill him by commissioning an assassin.

‘Why am I in this situation….?’

Vibrio lamented inside.

Because of Maxim’s bad mood, he was defending the ship by himself, and he was enchanted by an unknown song.

Vibrio wasn’t the only one with a complicated mind right now.

“Valentine…”

“Isn’t that the devil’s castle?”

Watched by the knights, some of the slaves who entered the castle muttered in fear.

Valentine, the devil.

No one in the Empire, no, no one in the world would not have not heard of Valentine. Even those who did not have the ‘ear’ for the nobles had heard of the Valentine family at least once.

“Keep quiet of everything you saw and heard on the ship. You’d better not play around with your mouth. Unless you want your new life back in the mud.”

And when Lloyd came and threatened them with a subtle threat, their fear reached a climax. Especially when he told them to hide Aria’s powers, he seemed like a completely different person.

“Look at that! The hero is just b******t!”

Vibrio shouted because he thought this would work well.

“Where is a hero in that way of talking?”

“Besides, we were told to keep quiet about the song. Is it true that monsters have lured us?”

This time, there were slaves who were shaken by his words.

“What, what if it’s really like that?”

“Do you believe that?”

“But, Jose, who was captured with me, is dead.”

Right next to that slave too. He had no choice but to watch directly as his close friend was devoured and the monster took over his shell. He will never forget the shock of that time as well.

Even those who believed that Lloyd and Aria were their saviors and that they were innocent could not speak for that moment.

Because they understand his feelings.

“All grown-ups are idiots! Why can’t you believe what you see?”

Only Leo beat his chest as if frustrated, and made a fuss.

Lisa sighed and stroked Leo’s head.

“That’s right. They’re all just dumba****.”

“Honey, you promised me that you would only use kind words in front of the child…”

Ted said that too, but his frustration was on the verge of bursting too.

So the slaves had to tremble in fear for three days.

“What will happen to us?”

They arrived at the Grand Duke’s castle, but nothing happened.

They thought they were going to get something.

To get beaten. To get neglected.

Yet they even provided food in a room that was quite good for slaves to stay.

“It’s said that they usually provide the best food to death row inmates.”

In the meantime, Vibrio did not forget to keep stirring up the atmosphere.

“It’s good to use it if they feed it well. If everyone has a head, think about it. Let’s run away now… ack!”

And suddenly he felt a very intense pain in the back of his head and screamed. He grabbed his head and looked down at the floor. A rock rolled around.

As Vibrio raised his head, Leo stuck out his tongue and ran away.

“This damn little boy…”

Trembling in anger, he ran after Leo. He had once or twice let go of the damn little kid who interfered with everything he was doing.

“I need to break the leg of a damn little kid like you before you come to your senses!”

The anger that he had been holding back until now had reached the climax.

Vibrio had no choice but to grab the little boy and use his hand until the boy listened to him.

Ted and Lisa were startled and tried to stop him.

But at any cost, Vibrio ran at a speed that was hard to follow with the eyes and caught Leo.

“You need to be set straight.”

Hearing this, he raised his hand.

He was thinking of smashing Leo in the head.

“What are you doing?”

And it was then.

Aria appeared in the dormitory where the slaves were staying.

She pulled Leo, who stiffened in fear and met eyes directly with Vibrio.

“I asked what you were doing.”