"Please forgive me for the trouble," Selen said.
"It's alright," Jhed said with a smile.
"I need to go stop those people from getting in. I'll head off now." Selen said, and with that he hurried away, running back toward the gate, where people were still pushing hard to get inside. The guards stationed there were holding them back.
"Don't let anyone else in for today. The city's had enough people for one day — tell them to come back tomorrow." Selen gave the order.
"Yes, sir..."
"Come on, everyone, move along — it's time to close the gate." a guard said.
"Please... let us meet them. Our people are dying, day after day." the elf said. He was clearly distressed — he had fled here just to save his own life.
But the order had already been given. The guard felt genuine pity for them, but there was nothing he could do. They ushered all the people back outside and shut the gate. The moment the gate closed, the city's lights switched on, illuminating the streets with a warm glow.
The group continued walking on.
"Shine, are all these people really this desperate because of the Demon King?" Jhed's mind was still stuck on what had happened earlier, when the crowd had surrounded him, begging for help.
Silia listened in as well. The sun had set, the moon now hung above them, and a cool breeze had begun to blow. The sound of night insects filled the air. Fewer people were out now, and in the darkness their faces weren't clearly visible, so no one really noticed them passing by.
"You're right... the Demon King has seized control of every city, and he's placed adventurers loyal to him in charge to rule over them. People are suffering greatly — the cruelty inflicted on them is immense. Some, like these people, manage to flee and save their own lives," Shine said.
He looked genuinely angry as he explained this.
"I've heard that in the southern cities, the demons who rule there are especially dangerous. They devour humans outright. That blood demon came from the south too," Daichi said.
What can I even do... I'm no hero, I can't help them. All of this happened by accident. I could never defeat Miruth on my own. Even if I wanted to help them, I simply can't. So there's no point feeling bad about it, Jhed thought to himself. Still, he felt a deep unease. The despair on those people's faces wouldn't leave his mind. His thoughts kept drifting back to them.
I'm a demon — I can't possibly understand anyone's suffering. There's no need for me to dwell on this, Silia thought to herself, walking along behind them.
People passed by here and there, but the darkness kept them from being noticed.
Still, Mariana had its own particular charm. The restaurants here were packed with people, all eating and drinking cheerfully together. Shine and Jhed had played a large part in bringing those smiles back to people's faces. They could see it clearly now, passing through on their way.
"Well, at least these people have smiles on their faces," Shine said with a smile of his own.
"You're right. We can't save everyone — but the ones we do save, they'll always have that joy on their faces," Jhed said.
They continued onward, making their way toward Ro-Ro's house.
They needed to meet Ro-Ro and then head back to the town. As for whether Jhed would end up meeting Linea again — that all depended on what came next.