I Become a Secret Police Officer of The Imperial Academy

Chapter 11

There’s a large livestock pen in the basement of the mansion.

Although the creatures inside resemble humans to some extent, it’s still a livestock pen.

To be honest, it’s a bit of a stretch to call it the basement of the mansion, considering how far it is from the main building.

But since it only takes about ten minutes to walk there, calling it the mansion’s basement shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

After all, it’d be unpleasant to think of them as living under the same roof as us.

To calm my nerves after the unpleasant encounter with that half-wit earlier, I began heading toward the basement.

The mage who had accompanied me to the sorghum farm last time was there, busy engraving spells onto the livestock.

— “You lunatics!! Let us go!!”

— “Mom, how much longer do we have to stay here? I’m hungry.”

— “Please return my son! We were inside our house that night, I swear!”

— “Filthy human scum, as soon as I get out of here, I’ll lead my comrades and—”

“Drag out the one who just called us filthy humans.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

One of my subordinates, wielding a menacing iron club, yanked out the impudent demon who had been running his mouth.

Several of his kin—maybe family or friends—tried to shield him, but they were struck down by the club and crumpled to the ground.

If they had been human, their skulls would have burst open without a doubt. That’s how strong the blows were. These monsters really are something else.

My subordinate dragged the demon over and forced him to kneel before me.

He looked like he had just barely become an adult.

He was probably feeling confident in his own strength, which likely made his sense of self stubborn as well.

“What were you trying to say? Finish it.”

Instead of answering, he sneered at me mockingly.

“Looks like this mansion is so short on workers that they’re even dragging in little kids to do the job.”

There’s no way he mistook me for a subordinate.

“I’m not being used. I’m the one doing the using.

Of course, I wouldn’t expect someone as stupid as you to understand that concept.”

Ptuh.

It wasn’t me who spat.

Instead, I got hit.

I wiped my face with the damp, white towel handed to me by one of my subordinates. The stain was so red it was hard to tell if it was really spit or blood.

We’re supposed to treat the captives as gently as possible.

Judging by this one’s nasty temper, that’s going to be a tough order to follow.

Still, for now, I took the iron club from my subordinate and brought it down on the demon’s left knee.

The club was so heavy that, even without much force, his knee was completely pulverized.

“Ugh… You accursed wretches.

That night, urgh… It wasn’t just our people. The human vagrants were burning down buildings all over the place. Yet there wasn’t a single human in sight here!”

What a stubborn one.

“Livestock go in pens. People go in prisons.”

“You sure talk like a real piece of trash.”

With a mouth like that, he must have committed some kind of crime.

There’s no way he didn’t.

If they’re not being supervised by a master, demons live by stealing, robbing, and killing.

If someone asked me what’s dirty, vile, repulsive, and evil, I’d say demons without hesitation.

It’s no wonder our ancestors called them “the kin of demons.”

They wouldn’t have come up with that name just because they have horns and tails.

Ignoring the demon’s retort, I turned to my subordinate instead.

“Didn’t I say to execute all the ones who were active that night?”

“…He was in prison, so I think they just watched him from behind the bars.”

The prison was half-burned down, yet he’s still alive.

This guy’s pretty lucky.

“Ah, is that so? Why was he locked up in the first place?”

“The prison records were all burned, and he’s refusing to talk.”

“Then just dispose of him.”

“Marco said to leave the decision to you, my lady…”

“Well, if that’s the case… How should I handle it?”

The demon, apparently annoyed that we were discussing his fate without him, opened his mouth without any sense of discretion.

“One day, we’ll reclaim our freedom.

If you nobles keep oppressing us like this, there’s no guarantee something like that night won’t happen again.”

So, he’s at least a little educated, huh?

“Ah, is that so.”

I suddenly felt a shift in the air.

Countless demons were staring at me.

It seemed this one was some sort of leader among them.

Maybe he’d been a well-known bandit before all the chaos broke loose.

I don’t get it, but demons are technically allowed to attend the Academy, so it’s possible he graduated from there.

Not that it matters. No matter how much they study, the males end up as bandits, murderers, and marauders, while the females become thieves or prostitutes.

Why do we even bother to educate them?

“How long do you think you’ll be able to treat us like livestock?

You nobles once looked at farmers like livestock too, but now you call them commoners and treat them like people.

Someday… someday, we’ll be free too.”

“Did you graduate from the Academy?”

“Yeah.”

“Then tell me what you want. I’ll grant it.”

“…If you think I’d believe you just because you say that, you’re dead wrong.”

“When someone offers you a chance, you’re supposed to be grateful and ask for what you need.”

If there’s a leader in a group, it becomes much easier to control them.

These idiots are so dependent on their leader that if he ordered them to jump off a cliff, they’d probably do it without question.

If the strange beast kneeling in front of me were to suddenly tell them to riot, they’d most likely follow along, even if it seemed hopeless.

That would be a real hassle.

It’s more expensive to kill them than to keep them alive.

If they’re alive, I can make them walk on their own two feet to some mine or farm and lock them up there. But if they’re dead, I have to clean up, burn the corpses, transport them, and bury them…

“…At the very least, we need a space where everyone can lie down, enough food, a place to wash, and a change of clothes.”

“You sure want a lot. I’ll give you food and clothes.”

Of course, the food will be rotting scraps, and the clothes will be nothing more than filthy rags.

Still, it’s better than nothing. They’re probably on the verge of starving to death right now.

I deliberately gave the order to distribute the food that way.

It’s something that should have been done anyway, but if it looks like I’m the one improving their conditions, they’ll be more obedient.

If not, well, I’ll just have to dispose of them.

“But there’s a condition.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Do you think you have the right to refuse? Just shut up and listen.”

“…You really have a foul way of talking.”

“You seem like the type to run away…”

I raised the iron club in my hand and struck his remaining good knee.

His body was so sturdy that, rather than his knee breaking, the club bounced back.

The shock made my wrist tingle.

“Is it alright if I tenderize your legs a bit?

If I do that, at least the demons here will get food and clean clothes.”

“…If it’s just my legs, then do what you want.”

As I continued striking his legs with the club, the demons behind the iron bars began to make a commotion.

Some spat at me, while others hurled curses.

Then I heard someone start cursing my family.

As if the situation wasn’t exhausting enough, hearing that kind of insult made me feel even more drained.

I tossed the club aside and leaned back in a chair behind me to catch my breath.

“Bring me some water.”

One of my subordinates asked the mage for a cool glass of water and brought it to me.

After quenching my thirst, I gave my next order.

“Separate the ones who just caused a ruckus and throw them in the incinerator.”

“Should we kill them first? Or toss them in alive?”

“Why are you asking the obvious? If you kill them here, we’ll just have more mess to clean up.”

As I continued smashing the man’s mangled legs, he let out only shallow, ragged breaths. He didn’t scream.

In contrast, distant screams echoed from the incinerator.

The voices were loud—loud enough for me to hear them begging for mercy and promising never to do it again.

That’s the fate that suits those kinds of creatures.

They have the nerve to bare their fangs at humans.

“…Do you really see us as livestock or beasts?”

The man’s voice trembled as he spoke.

“Or should I call you something grander, like a demon?”

“Answer the question. Do you truly see me as livestock or a beast?

Look at me. I wore a school uniform just like you. I lived like a proper person. Do I really look like an animal to you?”

“Of course you do!”

“…I can’t understand how you can be so sure.”

“Does a cat stop being a cat just because it can talk?

If a dog can understand human speech and even learn to write, does that make it any less of a dog?

It’s just an unusual cat. Or a dog that’s so smart, it’s unsettling. That’s all.”

Up until now, the man had kept a blank face, never screaming, not even when his legs were being crushed.

But now, his face had gone pale.

Was it fear?

I wasn’t sure.

If a demon feared me, though, that was more than enough.

At least it meant they wouldn’t try to devour me or burn me alive.

“By the way, can’t you at least scream or groan a little while you’re in pain?”

“…You really are a demon.”

“No, the demon here is you.”

The man, looking at me without backing down, closed his eyes for a long moment. When he opened them again, there was a faint flicker of anger in his gaze.

“You’ll keep your promise, right?”

“Of course! Unlike you lot, I don’t tell lies.”

If I leave him like this without treatment for two days, his legs will never recover.

If the infection spreads and kills him, that’s none of my business.

I made sure to order that he not be kept with the other demons.

You never know if there’s one among them who can use healing magic.

Following my order, my subordinate locked the man in a cell on the opposite side of the pen where the demons were kept.

It put me in a surprisingly good mood.

With this, there shouldn’t be any more disturbances in the basement.

With manpower already in short supply, it would be a major problem if many of them started rioting at once.

If that happened, they might end up devouring all the humans working here—including me—and the demons would be set free.

If that happened, it would be like that horrible night all over again.

I’d better finish up this job as quickly as possible.

Or maybe I should just burn them all.

…But why is there mud on the stairs leading up?

There isn’t a single dirt-covered spot around the house.

It’s not like someone stepped in from the top of a flower pot.

“Come out. Unless you want your whole family to be captured and killed.”

I didn’t hear any shaky breathing or other signs of movement.

Was it just my imagination?

I’d like to strengthen security, but we’re short on manpower.

I headed back to the house, carrying an uneasy feeling with me.