After being reborn, I was turned into a slave girl by a princess.

"what……?"

"But I've been a full-fledged sword and shield guard since I was 11. So I'm considered a veteran now, aren't I?"

"Wow, that's amazing..."

Actually, Elusia is very powerful, and Lonnie can still accept it... After all, that black-haired loli is over a hundred years old, isn't she? Her knowledge and magnanimity are beyond the reach of ordinary people.

But Naronat is really only 14 years old, an age when she should be living in a greenhouse and being cared for by her parents.

So, Lonnie asked worriedly:

"Has the war in the Kingdom of Mingjin become so dire? Even Naronate has been forced to enlist?"

"Haha, I wasn't forced into the army. It's just that no one else besides me has the ability to protect Princess Cecilu."

"what?"

“My family is one of the guardians of the Kingdom of Corlotia for generations. Since my father’s death, I have had to serve as the princess’s bodyguard.”

"But...but even so, it's too..."

……

While it's not too late for Naronat to enlist at 14, this little girl was already a Sword and Shield Guard three years ago!

To become a Sword and Shield Guard, one must undergo a trial, a battle no less intense than that of an underground commercial arena.

“Miss Fox, you don’t need to worry about me. In my opinion, there are many things in this world that are more important than life.”

"what?"

"You've seen the underground shopping district and the arena, haven't you? Many of the undocumented people there live far more miserable lives than I do... And outside the Kingdom of Mingjin, in that unknown dark depths, who knows how many people are struggling to survive."

"..."

Princess Cecilu once wanted to abolish the underground shopping street.

"Princess Cecilu, how could she do such a thing...?"

"Yes, but while this idea sounds wonderful, it's simply impossible to implement... In fact, the underground shopping district, gambling industry, sports industry, and R18 industry are all indispensable pillars of the Mingjin Kingdom. Once they disappear, not only will those people lose their jobs, but we will also lose the resources to fight against the demons."

"!"

"So, we have to resort to this seemingly unjust and dishonest method to maintain that crumbling ray of light?"

Naronate looked up and spoke to Lonnies very seriously.

Chapter 56 The White Mist Forest Conference

After listening to Naronat's story, Lonnies felt a mix of emotions and didn't know what to say.

In fact, it's just like that old man I met on my adventure who wanted to die. Sometimes, in this world, there is no such thing as a right choice.

Just like justice.

As a hero, one must uphold justice... but what is justice?

Does conforming to the interests of the majority constitute justice?

How should we measure the lives of those who were sacrificed...? Naronat was only 11 years old at the time, yet she was forced to accept responsibilities that were not commensurate with her age.

Elusia was the same; she was undoubtedly pursuing justice, but she was attacked by the rebels, and no one could understand her pain.

Therefore, justice in this world is inherently limited, limited by identity, nation, and faction.

Most people are just using the banner of justice to make their lives a little more secure.

but……

Hope, however, objectively exists.

Although hope is such an elusive thing compared to justice, it is an objective reality.

Why did Lorne want to save the world in the first place?

It wasn't because of justice; it all started because of her. He just wanted to seduce that beautiful silver-haired girl and marry her.

The reason Elusia became his partner was simply to ensure that the souls of the dead could find peace.

Cecilu hopes the country will improve, Luo Zhisheng hopes to live up to Yue Linyi's expectations, and Nalonnate hopes to protect the people she cares about.

We all came here because of hope.

and so……

Looking at the distant starry sky, something seemed to be revealed in Lonnie's eyes.

……

--------------

That night, Lonnies secretly found Elusia.

……

"Hmph, Lonnie, are you crazy? How could you make such a request?"

"Um...no, is that not okay?"

"Hmph, it's not that it's impossible, is it? I just didn't expect you to make such a bold choice."

"After all, I am a hero too..."

"Okay, but you're oversimplifying things... I already had a plan, just follow my instructions."

……

-------------

……

After a three-day trek, the group arrived at the location agreed upon in the letter: the White Mist Forest.

This is a forest on the border of the Mingjin Kingdom. It is shrouded in thick fog all year round, with visibility less than 100 meters. Moreover, the terrain is rugged and uneven, making it ideal for hiding and ambushing troops.

Therefore, from an outsider's perspective, this is a very dangerous place, and the demons' choice to come here must be a trap.

but……

The truth is quite the opposite.

Because you suspect the other side has an ambush, the other side will also suspect you have set up an ambush in this area.

No one will act rashly when they don't know their opponent's hand... and that's why the White Mist Forest has become the safest place.

"Princess Cecilu, please be careful."

"Ah."

Once inside the forest, vehicles are no longer usable. Therefore, even the esteemed Princess Elusia must walk.

Naronat and the other sword and shield guards cleared the way for the princess, sweeping away the dead branches and leaves in their path. After walking for about three hours, they arrived at a circular plaza.

This place may have once been a teleportation array, but it has been abandoned for a long time... The stone slabs are covered with traces of time, and fallen leaves are piled up, making a rustling sound when you step on them.

A thick fog obscured the view, but the Sword and Shield Guards still spotted a group of people standing on the opposite side of the plaza.

The group of people were dressed in black straw hats and could not be clearly seen in the thick fog. Only the little girl at the head of the group stood there confidently.

She has fiery red hair and a petite figure that is less than 1.45 meters tall.

A jet-black trench coat covered her snow-white skin. Although her chest was flat, she wore long leather boots, and her crimson eyes were arrogant, as if she didn't care about anything.

Although she did not introduce herself, every sword and shield guard knew that she was the vampire queen, the leader of the demon race, Candel.

……

"Are you the Demon Lord Candel?"

Naronat stepped forward and questioned her.

"Hmph, they made me wait this long... But, compared to my anxiety, I think they're probably even more anxious, aren't they?"

"what?"

"Poor slaves, you are freed."

With a wave of her hand, all the black-clad men's hats were suddenly ripped off.

But the sight that came into view stunned Naronate.

All of these people were dressed in the same clothes as Evan... black slave belts tightly locked around their necks.

Their waists, legs, and chests were bound by strange leather garments, causing them to suffer a constant torment of humiliation.

However, this is not the worst part.

The most outrageous thing is that these people were all subjected to "modification surgery," with the men being transformed into petite girls and the women into boys.

They were originally soldiers of the Mingjin Kingdom, but at this moment, they didn't even have the ability to control their own bodies... The moment the black hats were lifted, almost everyone let out a wail.

"Ah, ahh! I can't take it anymore, I can't hold on any longer."

"It's coming out, my drool is coming out!!!!"

……

The sudden burst of wails would have made even seasoned, fallen women blush and look away, much like young girls.

"you……"

Upon witnessing this scene, Naronat and her accompanying sword and shield guards were naturally furious beyond measure.

After all, those people were his comrades-in-arms. It was too much to let his comrades-in-arms undergo such terrible reformation.

But what about Elusia?

But he seemed unfazed, simply offering a faint smile:

"Ha, is that all? That's so boring."

"what?"

"You've placed a mark on them, haven't you? This mark restricts a person's expression, but the moment their clothes are undressed, the pain accumulated over the past few days is instantly released... Hmph, although the punishment is decent, such a sight is simply too indecent! Is this the only low-level thing you vampires can do?"