Arc 2: Chimera

Chapter 19: Consequences of Mania

 

Haruki felt like a convicted prisoner on death row.

Three days had passed, and the entire time was spent with a lingering sense of trepidation and anxiety. Ever since Linus uttered the words "sex slave", Haruki was out of sorts, mechanically doing the duties that were assigned to him. The jobs were mundane things such as helping out in the kitchen, polishing weapons in the armory and counting stock of provisions. Life in the Chimera nest had been eerily peaceful and if not for the knowledge that his body will soon be offered to someone, Haruki would have felt a little bit content.

But even if he was in the dark, Haruki would have easily ascertained the Chimeras' objectives sooner rather than later.

Haruki and the other Human slaves lived in a group dwelling, a large cavern with a bed and desk provided for each person. As a Demon who rarely needed rest, he spent nights pretending to be asleep and watched as people were ferried out around midnight. These Humans usually came back around dawn in an exhausted state and there were no doubts as to what they were doing all night.

The creepiest thing of all was the Humans didn't seem to be aware of their "bedside" duties. Haruki spoke with the chubby woman Abby and some others, but all they could talk about was how good life was with the Chimeras, what was on the next meal and mundane details and complaints about their daily jobs. They appeared to have forgotten anything about the world outside of the nest, not a single thing was mentioned about their family or background.

A combination of Mind Wipe and Hypnosis, thought Haruki as he filled a jug with water from the bucket he fetched from the well. Fleming definitely did a good job, but to the Demon King who was an expert in mind manipulation, he could find some lapses. The Humans' behavior was shoddily constructed like a one-track-minded NPC and there were occasions where they just stood around, staring blankly. A true master of Psychic Magic knew to blend hidden hints and messages on the victim's brain, making them act as usual, with only certain specific triggers stimulating their words and actions into the predetermined path.

Haruki grinned inwardly; his knowledge of the game's characters were still useful here. Fleming might now be a practitioner of Psychic Magic, but he couldn't hide the fact that he was only a beginner at it. He was willing to bet the Human Hero was having a hard time consistently managing the slaves under him, having to masquerade recasting Spells on them as "health consultations". He also exuded a perpetually exhausted mood, having to run around in the nest almost the entire time.

Yet, Haruki could not do any actions for now. There were no visible traces, but he could tell the presence of at least one of Fleming's Eyes around him. Since he was the only Human who was able to resist the Scholar's Psychic Spells, it was definitely prudent to keep him under constant surveillance. As such, Haruki could only pretend to be a weak and introverted scaredy-cat.

If only he could take off this shitty Seal Spell Enchanted bracelets!

Haruki sighed heavily; he needed to be patient. He had already contacted Asmo and Monad through telepathic connections and the two were quick to come up with counterplans. More like Monad wasted no time going back to Harlux to find a way to break the Enchantment, distraught at the fact that his Sovereign might have to sacrifice his sacred body to a no-name Chimera from the boonies. In fact, the Hero would have gladly rescued Haruki out of the nest, but only backed down when the risks were laid out in the open.

The Chimeras were too powerful and even if there were only a handful of them, they could easily clean up the entire Lust Demon faction in one fell swoop. Plus, the Chimera Hero was still in the picture - a Combat Hero so game-breaking he was banned in some of Verethragna Gloria's official competitions.

This specific Chimera Hero was weirdly absent from the nest, however.

As a new Human who could thankfully hold a good conversation for more than a few minutes, Haruki was bizarrely popular amongst the Chimera populace. Linus, with his extremely sociable nature, talked with him at least once a day, even bringing some weird fruits and nuts for the young man to taste. He was usually accompanied by a gentle-looking Chimera woman with hawk wings for arms, snake scales all over her body and golden reptilian eyes, who Haruki later knew as Althea. She doted on Haruki due to his youth, adopting a motherly persona, though less cuddly and mushy compared to Avon. Althea was a nurse who once helped in the Chimera experiments, who fell in love with a Chimera soldier and chose to become one to accompany him.

"It was terrible not being able to help him go through his mania," said Althea one time when their conversation wandered into the topic of the Infirmary where she mainly worked. It was an open secret that Haruki knew about the illness due to Linus' blabbermouth. "The Captain had no choice but to end his suffering, but I sometimes wonder what would happen if he was still alive now. You see, he promised to only love me, so he'd probably call this 'mate' thing complete nonsense…"

"Mate" was the term the Chimera used for their partner that can alleviate the symptoms of their mania. Linus' impulsive utterance of the words "sex slave" were strictly prohibited in the nest and he had to spend a day in harsh training as punishment, with Fleming and a few other Chimeras laughing loudly in the wayside. A lot of people apologized to Haruki on behalf of the "immature brat of a vice-captain", but the cynical Demon Lord inwardly brushed them off as just a way of sugarcoating things. Yeah, being called a "mate" might seem special at first glance, but it was indisputable that the Chimeras were taking advantage of the Humans for their own self-interest.

Even Althea's subtle hints as she spoke about her history with her dead lover was nothing but an attempt at gaslighting. Whether she had pure intentions or not was of no consequence to Haruki.

Mania was terrible and the Chimeras were victims in the experiments, but like any other faction in this world, they did things based on their goals and morals. There was no need to justify or vilify their actions, if rape was the only line between death and survival, then the Chimeras did as they should have. Haruki's negative opinion of the situation was insignificant compared to the continued existence of an entire species.

Haruki had always valued freedom even in his previous world, and his multiple attempts to put on a mask at school and at work were defense mechanisms so he can live comfortably without being constrained by social circles. Whether you like it or not, conformance was basically a requirement in modern society and Haruki learned to live with it. Of course, he admired those who could be true to themselves, but he wasn't hypocritical enough to say it was the best way to live. Still, even though he was a gay man exposed to all sorts of literature, nonconsensual sex was definitely a big no for him.

It was one of the reasons he could get along well with Monad. The Demon Hero cared for his choices and while he could be a little pushy, if Haruki said no then that would be it. He had no issues with Monad's storied sex life spanning decades, even if he spent a night with another with or without Haruki's knowledge, as long as there was consent in both parties. Knowing the Incubus' attempt to curb even the most persistent of pursuers with the Labyrinth of Vorre, Haruki was certain he would never force anyone to sleep with him.

That was why, aside from the panic after first learning the Chimeras' secret, Haruki felt nothing but discomfort in the company of these friendly half-monster people. If the Chimeras were to join his side, he would have to get rid of this sex slave system, possibly even find another way to minimize the effects of mania.

And of course, he needed to protect the sanctity of his body at all costs! There was no way Haruki was willing to be sexually abused! If worse comes to worst, he could still use Disguise and Seduction to escape or even let Monad put everyone in the maze using his Hero Ability, giving him just enough time to flee.

With his exit plans reasonably up in the air, Haruki was able to carefully integrate himself into the nest, all for the sake of acquiring as much information as possible. He spent a lot of time with Althea, trying to learn more about mania from the perspective of someone who was suffering from it. Fleming would have been a good source too, but the Human Hero was too unpredictable that even talking to him was a big risk. Haruki was still doubtful of his true allegiance and whether or not he was connected to the same force that had been backing up the Shifting Sand.

All was well and dandy so far, but there was just no sign of either the Chimera Hero or the Chimera King. This confused Haruki a lot, making him unable to proceed to the next steps of his plan.

It was reasonable to think that the Captain should be the Chimera Hero, but he had neither seen hair nor hide of the man, even though people say he was currently in the nest. Especially since according to Linus, he was chosen to be the Captain's mate. This would definitely make things easier, and Haruki was all but ready to strike a deal with him, but no chance of that when he couldn't even glimpse his shadow.

To be honest, it was almost as if the Chimera Hero was avoiding him…

"Hey Addie! On water duty today?" A Human man of around late twenties of age approached Haruki, looking bizarrely friendly like the rest. Haruki knew him as Kashvi, easily recognizable because he was the only blonde among the Humans here, aside from Fleming and the disguised Haruki. He was also one of the few who could somehow remember where he came from - Kashvi hailed from the Varuna Theocracy to the north.

"Y-yes," replied Haruki in a distant and shy manner. With the Eyes around him, it was a challenge not to break character. "What are you doing over here, Kashvi?"

The Chimera's only well was quite the distance from the major plaza-like area with the open-air structures, necessitating a few people to carry jugs of water back and forth to keep everyone hydrated. Kashvi didn't seem to bring any with him, and this struck as odd to Haruki.

Kashvi still had a weird smile plastered on his face. "Ah, I was asked to deliver something to the Captain."

This piqued Haruki's interest. "The Captain?"

"That's right," replied Kashvi in an affable manner. "I asked Fleming and he said he was near here. I just saw him on the way here and finished what I had to do, but I was kinda thirsty, so I figured I'd drop by here to take a sip."

"Ah, okay, feel free, I'm already done here." Haruki politely moved out of the way, allowing the other man access to the well. While he looked calm and serene, inwardly he was finding a way to dupe Kashvi into leaving him alone quickly so he could catch the missing Captain. It was not a certainty he would find him, but this was the closest he had ever gotten to finally catching a glimpse and affirming his suspicions.

"Do you want me to carry the jugs for you?" Kashvi suddenly asked.

Haruki thought he must have misheard. "What?"

"This looked too heavy for someone as thin and young as you," stated Kashvi, looking up and down at the younger man's figure. "I don't have anything to do until nighttime, so I can do this for you."

The mention of the "nighttime" duty almost made Haruki cringe. "I-is that alright? Aren't I making things hard for you?"

"Not really. At least, if you share some of your meat with me tonight." Kashvi's smirk almost made him look normal, catching the Demon by surprise.

"Ah…" Haruki pretended to think about it, but in fact he had already made up his mind. Food was now simply a good pastime for him and some meat in exchange for free labor and an opportunity seemed rather fair. "S-sure, if that's what you want."

"Great!" Kashvi looked pleased, making him a little handsome compared to first impressions. If not for his dirt-stained clothes, he would have looked a bit like a noble. "I'll see you at dinner tonight. You can go ahead and return to the camp, no need to wait for me."

Haruki didn't need to be told twice and quickly left the well area with a hesitant nod. He did his best not to look like he was hurrying and only trotted in full speed when he was out of sight. He had completely forgotten he was under surveillance, paused for a bit then continued jogging, acting as if the heat was getting to him and he wanted nothing more but to reach the nest as fast as he could.

Knowing he couldn't wander off without a good explanation, Haruki tried to stick to the road, watching the surroundings carefully. At first glance, there was no sign of any person, Human or Chimera and Haruki thought he missed the Captain entirely.

Haruki was about to trash this experience as a complete failure when he heard grunts from a cave near him. It was one of the tunnels used for the mines in the past, though now it was left to rot, some even caving in with rubble piled up. Haruki was sure this was one of those caverns leading to nothing but a dead end, so the noise was quite obviously unnatural.

Still, it was best to be careful as Haruki approached the entrance. "Hello? Is anybody here?"

The Demon King waited for a full minute but there was no response. He was about to enter when he heard a low growl and a warning.

"Stay away!" It was a man's voice, rough and harsh, sounding as if he was in pain.

"A-are you alright?" To cement his position with the Chimeras, Haruki had no choice but to play the good Samaritan. "Do you want me to call help from the Chimeras?"

"No!" The voice bellowed out, commanding and unquestionable.

Haruki froze. He was just trying to help, there was no need to be so violent!

As if hearing his thoughts, the voice took on a gentler yet still firm tone. "Sorry for that, but I can't risk anyone seeing me right now…"

The gears in Haruki's mind quickly came up with a theory. "Are you in m-mania?"

Silence lasted for some time, causing Haruki to think that the other person went unconscious or something. Just when he was about to give up and call for assistance, the voice spoke once more.

"Something close to that, but I can still think things through. No need to trouble yourself for my sake."

"I see…" Something close to mania? Is this person playing tough or were there some details about mania that Haruki still didn't know. Well, he could now at least investigate. "Can you tell me what you're feeling? I know Althea from the Infirmary, she told me a lot about mania, even some tips on how to overcome it. Maybe I can help…"

Aside from sex, of course, but Haruki didn't add that.

As previously, it took some time for the other party to respond. But when he did, it completely stunned Haruki silly.

"No, I, ah, you can just keep talking, I guess? Your voice sounds so good, it could ease the pain somewhat…"

Ease the pain? His voice sounds good? Haruki felt the inclination to flee, as if meeting a pervert in a darkened street.

The other person seemed to have sensed his apprehension, shouting in a panicked tone. "I-I'm not going to do anything bad to you, don't worry! You just have a calming presence, that's it…"

Haruki was not appeased in the slightest, but at least the other person could still hold a proper conversation. Anyway, he could still feel the Eye hanging around him, so it wouldn't be long before Fleming and the others got hold of the situation. Time was ticking, so it was imperative for him to investigate further.

"My name's Addie," declared Haruki, taking the guise of a sweet and innocent boy. "How about you?"

There were a couple of grunts and gasps, but an audible reply soon echoed from beneath the cave. "You can call me Raze. Nice to meet you, 'Addie'."

Addie grinned pleasantly. He finally found him.

Raze, the Scarlet Sting. A Chimera Hero with a scorpion's tail that can pierce through the hardest steel, a gigantic bear's claw on his left arm used to crush boulders into smithereens and reptilian eyes that could see through stealth and illusions. And that included Disguises.

So, there was a reason behind his disappearance. Raze knew he wasn't Human, maybe even questioning his infiltration of the nest. As for why the Chimera didn't reveal his true race, Haruki was willing to guess there was a larger force at play in the nest.

"I'm here to 'help'," said Haruki, trying to hint to the Hero that he was here for a more benevolent purpose.

"You can help by staying there."

Raze's response was not what Haruki expected, but the other man probably didn't want their conversation to be overheard by the Eye, so Haruki played along. "Okay, I'll stay."

"Thank you…" The Chimera's words were almost a groan. He was probably feeling some intense pain now, thought Haruki.

Still, getting a "thank you" off the bat was a good thing for him. Haruki grinned; he had a premonition that things would be going his way soon.

Or so he thought, at least.