“Here you go, the requested mana essence. I’ve added a little extra as a loyal customer bonus, so go ahead and check it out.”
“Wow! Thank you, sir. I’m always grateful.”
After carefully following the route I had planned in my head and buying everything I needed, the last place I visited was a general store that handled various items.
You might wonder why I stopped by such a place when I came out to buy food supplies, but there was a good reason.
This store sold an essential item for Mark and me—mana essence.
The automaton, a masterpiece of magical engineering, was a crucial part of our lives.
Depending on the type, their appearances varied, but all automatons had a power device called an Ironheart, which was akin to the heart of a living creature.
The essential fuel to keep this mechanism running was mana essence—a mysterious substance refined from mana stones into a liquid form.
Without regular intake of mana essence, their bodies would stop functioning, and in severe cases, they could lose consciousness.
For every automaton, replenishing mana essence on schedule was a matter of life or death.
The mere thought of leaving my beloved Yuria unattended and never waking up again was horrifying.
As I tucked the box of mana essence deep into my basket like a treasure and sorted the other groceries I had bought, the shopkeeper—a kindly lycanthrope with striking brown fur—watched with a warm expression and suddenly spoke.
“By the way, I always find it fascinating. A cute maid automaton like you shopping and wandering around alone… I know from last time that there’s a reason, but I can’t help worrying about you. There have been a lot of unsavory groups hanging around the commercial district lately.”
“…Huh? Has something happened recently?”
“Well, not long ago, some of my mana essence stock was stolen. I reported it to the guards, but it feels like they don’t listen to us beastfolk merchants. Honestly, I can’t stand the arrogance of some of the demons, but they’re still better than those cursed humans who don’t even see us as equals.”
With a heavy sigh, he vented his frustrations.
Feeling slightly awkward, I nodded along politely while subtly averting my gaze.
This was my way of concealing my discomfort.
I felt guilty toward the kind shopkeeper and the other regular store owners because I was hiding a significant truth from them.
As he mentioned, it was indeed unusual for an automaton to roam around a marketplace alone, buying goods.
Automatons in the Demon Kingdom were considered personal property.
They were more akin to briefcases carried by professionals.
When shopping, owners would typically visit the stores themselves, with their automatons accompanying them to carry the items.
It was rare for automatons to frequent the commercial district unless large quantities of goods were being purchased.
In such a setting, a small, cute maid automaton regularly visiting stores alone to buy items was bound to raise eyebrows among storekeepers, even if passersby didn’t pay much attention.
Revealing that I was a maid in service to the imperial palace and explaining my circumstances wasn’t an option.
So, I had no choice but to fabricate a plausible story.
Thus, the narrative of “the sole maid automaton caring for a war veteran master” was born.
The story described a master injured in the war for the demons and left unable to move freely.
As a result, his maid automaton had to go out alone to shop for essentials.
This touching and believable tale worked wonders, garnering sympathy and understanding.
…Of course, the idea itself was Mark’s, but implementing it successfully with my adorable appearance was my achievement.
Even though it meant portraying the perfect and beautiful Yuria as someone with limited mobility, I had to prioritize the palace’s safety and well-being.
***
Having completed all my errands, I hummed a tune, thinking about what to prepare for dinner as I retraced my steps.
Suddenly, I noticed something unusual.
A crowd had gathered in an area, far more than usual.
My eyes widened at the sight.
Unlike the usual straight lines of people forming orderly queues in this area, this was an entirely different scene—a thick, stretched-out cluster of people, almost like watching a parade.
‘Could there be a new festival I’m unaware of? Or perhaps a distinguished guest from another region or a foreign delegation has arrived in Trasion?’
Even though the sun was setting, casting the sky in a crimson hue, curiosity got the better of me.
I decided to sneak a quick look, slipping through the gaps in the crowd with my small frame.
Clutching the basket tightly in both hands, worried about the slim chance of losing my groceries, I carefully made my way forward, politely asking others for passage.
After some effort, I finally broke through the thick crowd and was able to see what lay beyond.
But what awaited me on the other side was far from the cheerful parade or the grand procession of dignitaries I had imagined.
Rumble, rumble.
“…This is…”
A long procession of specially crafted wooden transport vehicles.
On top of them, openly displayed for all to see, were crosses, each bearing something slumped over, its head hanging low.
As if on cue, a pungent metallic scent stung my nose, leaving no room for doubt about the nature of this grim procession.
Even though the body was drenched in blood, making it hard to look at, the faintly visible skin tone beneath the crimson stains was unmistakably not blue.
No horns, no wings—its body structure was unlike any other.
Its skin color was the same as Yuria’s and mine, the same as an automaton.
A lifeform belonging to the race of heroes—humans.
Once a dominant force on the continent, rivaling Trasion itself, their long-standing feud with the demons was legendary.
Now, they were a fallen race.
As history dictated, humans were treated as livestock within the Demon Kingdom’s territories, including the capital city of Trasion.
Unlike other non-demonic races, who were at least regarded as intelligent beings, humans were considered no better than pets or mere tools for entertainment.
Life for humans in the kingdom was nothing short of a living hell.
On top of that, the dense demonic miasma that engulfed the land was a lethal toxin to humans.
Automatons like myself, who were designed with natural resistance to the miasma, or other races that could adapt over time, faced no such issues.
But humans had no such capability.
The weak perished quickly, while even the strong-willed, who managed to build some resistance, rarely lived beyond half a normal lifespan.
Of course, some humans sought to escape to the northern regions, where the influence of the Demon Lord could not reach.
However, that wasn’t a viable option either.
The northern lands, barren and frozen, were so harsh that even the physically resilient demons avoided them.
Although there were rumors of humans venturing to the north in desperation, no one ever heard from them again.
In other words, the remaining humans had no real choice but to eke out a miserable existence, surviving day by day in the filthy, damp underground of demon cities.
This was common knowledge.
***
After recovering from my initial shock at the cruel sight, a pure sense of confusion filled my mind.
To the demons, humans were nothing more than sewer rats.
‘So why would they parade the capture of such rats throughout Trasion so ostentatiously?’ Something didn’t add up.
Such displays were usually reserved for major criminals.
‘Could there have been a recent significant incident?’
As I pondered this, the answer came to me sooner than expected.
“…What’s going on here? Why would they suddenly display such a disgusting human corpse like this? It’s sickening.”
“You haven’t heard? Apparently, those filthy pests secretly held a memorial for the ‘Kaiser,’ the worst monster in history.”
“What!? Is that true? That cursed Kaiser…”
“Shh! Quiet! Calm down, will you? If you carelessly utter that cursed name and get caught by undercover enforcers nearby, it’ll just cause unnecessary trouble.”
I overheard some onlookers discussing the scene.
A male demon’s face twisted with anger upon learning the truth, while those around him hurriedly tried to calm him down to avoid drawing attention.
Thanks to this overheard conversation, I accidentally discovered the secret behind this cruel procession.
However, by then, my mind was already far from the grim scene before me.
There was only one reason.
The worst monster, Kaiser.
It had been so long since I last heard that name.
Yet, for some reason, it echoed in my mind, reverberating endlessly.