The Punishment of A Demon General

I look over the fragile lineup of about a dozen slaves of various races before me, my heart pounding in a strange anxiousness. What should I do now? It might be difficult for me to transport them all the way back to my home.

I mean, judging by how battered and fragile they look, I'm not even sure they'll survive even if I do with that whole miasma thing...

"Do you have any carts for transporting the slaves?" I say, crossing my arms, I can see a few of the people tense, some of the ones that haven't spaced out in some sort of traumatized delirium.

"Yeth, yeth, of courth, anything for my mithtreth!" I shrug and nod.

"Get it out, get it ready, I'll meet with you shortly." I gesture it along, dragging my gaze over the dirty things before me.

"All of you, you'll need to keep your heads down as we move through the city, no wailing, no crying. That will just make you targets." I don't know how to really comfort people, honestly. I can't treat them either because I don't have medicine on me.

"Follow behind me, those that are stronger support the weaker." I toss out a light charm with this order, not wanting them all to scramble over themselves, I would rather they take care of each other as we go there instead.

Following out the door where the thing went, I see a fairly small and cramped looking cart, similar to a rickshaw but with 4 wheels.. No points for being smart, I guess... They probably don't transport their entire stock, usually.

I grab some boards and nails they have lying around for repair, repurposing some of the parts for a larger load, obviously less secure than a proper one would be, but I can just keep them charmed. As long as it can last long enough to get there.

I lay boards one by one over the handle normally meant to be used to pull the cart, nailing them in, splitting the wood below slightly.

I gesture for everyone to get on once I'm done, my strength making short work of handling the boards, the tripled space probably isn't enough, nor is it safe, but they'll just have to work together to stay on.

"Support each other and get on, hold on and make sure nobody falls off." I say to the group that had flowed into the room behind me, watching as they climb on awkwardly, bringing over a stool to help them get on.

The wheels creak with the weight as I push open the loading door where the cart enters and exits, heading to the back of it once everyone is finally loaded on.

"You, lead me to the gates of the upper districts." I say to the thing, hitting it with the full might of my charm before he salutes and leads the way.

I strain my entire body to begin pushing the cart, the wheels above and beyond over-taxed for this kind of thing, having to hope against all hopes they won't just collapse on the way, especially with the bumpy roads.

Besides that, the trip home is relatively uneventful, I have to charm quite a few demons to dissuade them from targeting my load considering it's all out in plain sight, but nothing I can't easily do while I focus, forcing the goblin to take lesser used backroads. A prime spot for ambushing, but crowds are a far greater issue to deal with here.

The darkened insides of buildings we pass provide eerie discomfort, wondering if someone is likely to jump out of them at any moment, constantly on guard for the entire trip.

Finally, after what feels like an hour of pushing this thing around, worried about the wheels breaking any moment, we make our way back out onto the primary causeway, I forcefully charm the crowds out of my way to clear it out on the last leg to the gate.

I charm the guard before they can even bother calling over to me for some sort of inspection, giving the thing that had lead me this whole way a kick in the side, forcing it out of the caravan I have made.

"Leave, your usefulness has run its course." I say to it, glancing to the guard of the gate afterward. "Abandon your post, find me a guide who knows where the home of the Demon General Lust is." I have to lean against the cart to ensure it doesn't go rolling back and careening down the sloped road, feeling completely exhausted by the time someone gets practically dragged over by the guard.

... Huh, a brave little servant to be out and about. It's not one of mine, but I'm concerned for the fact she's wandering out so late, also she just so happen to know where I live? I shake my head.

"Lead me there." I say to the servant, a firmness in my tone begetting no running from this request, the dumb guard still holding onto her even as she struggles to follow me.

"Let her go, dumb ass, return to your post before I end you." That seems to get him into gear, he practically runs away, leaving the poor little slave girl behind.

"Lead me." I say, her head nodding obediently, the cart feeling like it's approaching its limits as I'm guided through the roads. It's nice not having to worry about the Heroine though, I can charm people as much as I like, use them to my hearts content without her being bothered by it.

Thankfully the guards are usually more of a token effort of mental stability, if a normal succubus could charm them, they would likely get eaten up by the strangely brutal world up here in a heartbeat.

My muscles ache, a few pushes having torn something from the sheer force needed to put in it, but I don't mind pushing through the pain, a familiar gate arriving in my vision, leaving me breathe a sigh of relief.

"M-may I leave now, Mistress?" The guiding servant says, wringing her hands out in deep stress, her head hanging low, hoping I'll have mercy on her.

"No, you aren't allowed to leave. You're mine now." I say nonchalantly, any owner who forces their slaves to run around at night like this isn't the most sane or rational of them.

"Open the gate." I put a bit of charm into this one, I not only don't want her to try and run away, but I am also seriously tired of pushing this damn thing already, it also looks like some of them are approaching their limits of holding each other up, making sure nobody falls off.

The wheels crack and splinter as I push the cart through the cobbled areas around the fountain, the rocking and bumpy ride becoming even more so, coming to a stop several dozen feet away from the door, the wheels finally snapping under the pressure, forcing me to catch someone who got flung off.

The two that had let go look mortified, wondering what punishment I might have for them for failing in their duties. A quick glance at their arms, though, shows they can barely even lift them anymore, the constant exhaustion having caught up with their bodies.

Frankly, I'm surprised it didn't happen faster, but it appears fortune favors me today. I set the slave I caught down, not onto her feet since it seems like she can barely stand, doing the same treatment to all the other ones on the cart, carrying them off one by one, nearly all of them, man or woman, feeling like they might break if I carried them wrong.

"All of you sit here until my servants come to pick you up." I say, charming the group, a couple of them already fainting when given leave to remain here, their limits being reached from the hour and a half of traveling evident.

Judging by their complete silence thus far, I can only guess they're used to the 'do not speak unless spoken to' rule, which saves me some effort at least.

I jog over to the front door, pushing into the hall, glancing around for a servant. Nobody, though! Why do you people always disappear when I need you?!

I pause briefly, wondering if... I mean, the Heroine has that emergency whistle thing that they do when they're in need of assistance, I wonder if she'd appear if I did it.

I put my fingers up to my lips, taking a few moments before chirping out several whistles as loud as I can, matching what they had done.

It only takes a quarter of a minute before a disheveled looking Heroine appears, having apparently leapt out of bed and ran all the way here, her exhaustion evident on her face.

Shortly after, Killa and an out of breath Fluffy and Julia arrive, glancing between each other wondering who exactly did it.

"Killa, Fluffy, get some of the more medically proficient and maids good at cooking. Heroine, Julia, get some medicine and bring it down here." They all look at me in confusion, before realization dawns on their face.

"Why the hell did you-" Killa starts to say before having her mouth covered by the Heroine.

"What's up, Ilvia? Where's the enemy?" The Heroine asks, prompting a shrug from me.

"I needed you four, and I figured that was the best way to do it." I can see her furrowing a brow a bit in frustration before nodding.

"Follow what she asked, I'm sure we'll find out later." Killa looks annoyed, Fluffy seems concerned, Julia seems confused, and the Heroine seems exhausted. What a party of emotions they are.

Quickly, the front hall begins getting filled with staff, Julia and the Heroine returning with medicine not shortly after the first ones begin arriving.

"So, what happened?" The Heroine asks, crossing her arms, clutching a bag of what I can only assume are medical supplies in one hand.

"I just did a thing, don't bother thanking me all at once." I say, my cheeks starting to burn, realizing just how exactly not-demonic what I'd just done is. I mean, I just saved a bunch of slaves for no reason other than 'I felt unpleasant looking at them.' My pride screams at me in frustration before Llorithen comes in as exhausted looking as ever.

"Madam, what would you have us do?" He asks, not minding interrupting the conversation between the Heroine and I.

"Go treat the ones outside to the best of your ability... Make them comfortable too, and feed them and such." A confused look appears on everyone's face, including Llorithen, leaving me to clarify.

"Just go outside and you'll see." I wave my hand and begin walking away, not wanting to be here during the whole mess for many a reasons. They probably would have a tough time calming them down with a demon around anyway.

"That means don't follow me, Heroine." I stop her before she can even get a second step in, ignoring her whines as I head up the stairs. I wasn't actually expecting her to let me go, but she did.

I open a random unused room, not wanting to ask one of the many people who did that to me last night for a guide. The room is dark and definitely in a state of disuse, disposable fabrics draped over all the furniture, some sort of secondary study room perhaps, or a guest study. I'm unsure. I open the window and just have a seat in it, letting out a sigh of relief as my muscles finally get a break.

From the window I get a full view of the new slaves getting supported, held up or in some cases even given some triage-like treatment, Julia having taken the lead to bark out orders.

At least the sour feeling in the pit of my stomach feels better now.

+Ilviaaaaa, you're so cute and so amazing!+

(Shush.)

+What a wonderfully good cookie you are! Saving people just cus you feel bad about their situation?! You're on your way to being a proper person!+

(I've been a proper person for a while now! Shut!)

+You still get embarrassed about it, though. Cute.+

Author's Note:

And I'm sick again, why must my immune system bully me so much. :(

Not bedridden though, so I'll keep up my writing. :)

Also, technically chapter 100 :D soon actual chapter 100 will be here too!