Torture the hero, why has the Demon King's castle collapsed again?

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"Good my foot! What a load of rubbish!!!"

"What the hell is wrong with your ears?!" the obese middle-aged man roared furiously.

"She said she's a demon!! She's practically smeared the demon race all over your face!!!"

"Does a demon not have any evil intentions?! She's definitely a dangerous element!"

The obese middle-aged man's chest heaved violently as he struggled to breathe. He looked around in fear at the city gate guards and passersby who seemed utterly ordinary, and a sense of self-doubt arose within him that he had never felt before.

Could it be that the fault lies not with the world, but with... himself?

At this moment, Fim turned around and glanced at the obese middle-aged man.

After thinking for a moment, she told Swell what he had told her before she left: as long as she spoke, she would never be questioned.

“Fim, is, cos, play.”

The petite maid carrying the greatsword spoke calmly, her expression natural.

At the city gate, a guard with eyes as sharp as a hawk glanced at Fim's impeccable maid outfit and nodded approvingly.

The solemn gatekeeper solemnly announced, with a double meaning:

"You, pass!"

……

"What did you say? The Wolf Mercenary Group got away again?!"

The Royal Knights.

With a bang, Grand Master Erwin slammed his hand on the table and stood up angrily: "Our forces this time are at least twice as many as theirs!"

Before him, his subordinate knight said with a helpless expression:

"Commander, those wolves are far too vigilant. They can't miss the slightest movement... The vast, complex forests outside the capital are like home to them. They can easily shake off our pursuit and even use traps to inflict heavy damage on us!"

"Unless we get them out of those hidden, damp hideouts, it will be difficult for us to find an opportunity to wipe them all out..."

Erwin gradually calmed down, realizing the difficulty involved, and slumped down: "Those cunning wolves aren't mad dogs that bite at the sight of bait. Unless there's a temptation they absolutely can't resist, even if it's that easy..."

The outskirts of the capital are too vast, and even the Knights cannot effectively organize their operations. On the other hand, the wolves that have been active in the outskirts for many years can only be somewhat deterred by the numerous sentries scattered around.

"Commander, shouldn't we send in some reinforcements...?"

Carefully observing Erwin's expression, the subordinate knight suggested, "I heard that the Wolf Mercenary Group recently received another big order; they're likely planning a major operation soon!!!"

"No, that won't do." Erwin rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache.

“In fact, we must recall these sentries tonight… The situation in the capital is far more troublesome than that of the Wolf Mercenary Group.”

"We will be on full alert first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Full alert?!" The subordinate knight was shocked. He hadn't expected that this order, which was supposed to be activated only in the face of a national crisis, would be launched so suddenly.

Thinking of the rumors that the Frost Dragon King had descended upon the capital a few days ago, his heart tightened immediately. He immediately forgot about the actions of the Wolf Mercenaries. No matter how destructive those mercenaries were, how could they compare to the dragon's claws and fury?

Erwin sat back wearily in his chair. Only he could sense that the undercurrents in the capital had been stirring these past few days, as if more than one dark force was plotting something with different intentions. The feeling that a storm was brewing was putting him under considerable pressure.

After thinking for a moment, he raised his head and gave another instruction to the departing knight:

"Also, recall the Royal Guard Knights who are in charge of searching for Hero Shana."

"The Royal Guard Knights?" The subordinate knight hesitated slightly. "According to the Royal Guard Knights' investigation, when the dragon descended that day, she secretly ran out of the palace without anyone noticing."

"But Lady Shana seems to be very skilled at hiding in the darkness. So many days have passed, and you knights still haven't been able to find any trace of Hero Shana..."

"Let her be... There's no time to waste elite forces on this now." Erwin shook his head, somewhat dejected, and said:

"Anyway, she ran away on her own, so her personal safety in the capital can be guaranteed. Let her move around freely... she won't cause any major trouble."

"I understand."

With a worried expression, the subordinate knight bowed and left, closing the door heavily behind him.

By the window, Erwin watched the capital city gradually shrouded in darkness, and finally sighed.

"Where...did they run off to? The account ban was already a headache enough, and now Shana the Hero has pulled this stunt—"

"Please, please don't let us run into any dangerous people."

Now, all Erwin could do was pray silently.

……

The road from the east gate to the west gate of the capital city is basically a wide avenue.

The journey was smooth and unimpeded. Fim soon arrived at the western side of the capital, where a large area of ​​commoners' quarters and residential inns were located. The city gate in the distance was lit up, welcoming the arrival of night.

At this time, anyone wandering around the outskirts of the capital or in secluded alleys would be arrested on the spot as a suspicious person.

According to Svir and Apophis's plan, Phim only needed to find an inn to stay in and wait for dawn. As the caravans set out from the city gates, he could easily reach the Dragon Mountain Range on the western outskirts of the capital.

However, both Svir, who drafted the plan, and Apophis, who gave instructions before falling asleep, overlooked one thing:

Fim, who had never stepped out of the Demon King's castle, had no idea what an "inn" was.

Even in the Demon King's castle, she slept in a soft yet sturdy coffin.

So, when he reached the city gate, remembering Apophis's instruction to wait until dawn before going out, Phim turned his head and looked towards the city wall... homeless people and beggars, dressed in rags and sleeping in garbage cans and piles of weeds.

After thinking for a moment, Fim followed suit and walked towards an open space by the city wall.

"Please have mercy... kind adventurer..."

"I haven't eaten rye bread for three days and three nights..."

"Oh... Goddess above... Thank you, Holy Priest... May the White Hair bless you..."

“Oh! Your Excellency, you eat at places like this... I understand... Thank you for your generosity... I won't tell anyone..."

The beggar Aug had a dirty face, and the tattered little bowl in his mouth kept shaking at the passersby.

This is the main road leading from a small commercial street in the working-class area to the Royal Avenue and the Holy Church. It has a large flow of people and can be considered the best location.

Aug squatted by the overgrown city wall, intently watching every figure emerging from restaurants, inns, and even alleyways, easily identifying the big fish he was willing to give away!

Young couples traveling together are the easiest to approach; they can't resist the opportunity to show their kindness in front of their female companions.

Secondly, there were those impoverished nobles and small merchants who cared about their image. In order to silence the gossip of their servants, they would rather live a simple life than lose their dignity.

Then came a group of adventurers, their faces glowing with excitement. Having made some gains after a day of adventures, they didn't mind giving some more money to the poor and weak.

Of course, there are also some rather stingy characters... some noble servants who drown their sorrows in alcohol, frequent patrons of brothels who are always on the go, and hardened fanatics who wear sepia-tongued clothes.

The most dangerous person to watch out for is the infamous Duke of Meuse. You have to be careful when begging from him! Even the dogs on the street get kicked when they see him!

As he watched the bowl gradually fill with copper coins and even some silver coins, Aug's expression grew increasingly smug.

His income in just one day was higher than that of many well-dressed public officials or even trainee knights!

No homeless person or beggar in this area can compare to me. The most important thing in this line of work is to be greedy! Greedy as much as you can!

How can one be considered a qualified beggar without conducting a locational analysis of "population density and population quality in the capital"; without carrying out a questionnaire survey on "the appearance of beggars that most easily evoke pity"; and without carefully studying the works of the great scholar Astrid on "professional models of population psychological analysis and profiling" in the Kingdom Library?

He then secretly put the large handful of coins from the bowl into his pocket, leaving only a few scattered copper coins at the rim of the bowl.

After resting for a while, the beggar Aug was about to search for the next great philanthropist.

Unlike the soft footsteps of drunkards and homeless people, the sound of footsteps coming from beside me—

Chapter 110 The King of Beggars and the Whistleblower, The Devil Maid and the Trash Can

The beggar Aug turned his head to look.

A maid dressed in a classic maid outfit stood not far away.

Her fluffy long dress was tied with a huge bow at the back, swaying as she observed her surroundings. What was most striking was the greatsword she carried on her back, making her entrance extremely impactful.

After rubbing his eyes vigorously to make sure it wasn't a hallucination caused by his intense begging these past few days, Aug opened his mouth wide.

Noticing her gaze, the lovely maid turned her head slightly, nodded politely, straightened her skirt, hugged her knees, and sat down quietly next to a clean trash can by the city wall.

By sheer coincidence, there was a broken bowl left behind in front of me, the one I had taken with me these past few days... a companion's broken bowl.

Holy crap!

A storm raged within Aug.

Has this industry become this cutthroat?!

Even such a cute maid is begging for food!!!

Aug was about to reprimand her and send her away, but the words caught in his throat as he thought of something… The other person's demeanor and bearing were more than qualified to apply for a maid position in an upper-class noble household—

But despite having hands and feet, she insisted on begging for food on the outskirts of the city in the working class!

What a spirited maid she is!

In an instant, tears welled up in Aug's eyes, followed by a surge of fighting spirit!

Since that's the case, let's have a competition. In this dog-eat-dog world, you can't survive without sufficient professional skills—bearing the title of King of Beggars, he can't lose!!!

Aug's gaze fell into the crowd, and soon his sharp eyes fixed on a leisurely wealthy businessman who was strolling out of the restaurant after a hearty meal, his bulging wallet making a soft rustling sound as he walked.

This is a big fish!!!

Overjoyed, he shook the broken bowl in his hand, making a sound, and successfully attracted the attention of the wealthy merchant who was in a good mood.

“This accomplished gentleman, you must be a wealthy merchant from a western city. I can smell the scent of herbs and perfume on you…” Aug said with a smile.

This successfully made the wealthy businessman stop in his tracks, and he showed a slight interest: "Oh? You also know about herbs and perfumes?"

"I know a little bit." Knowing the other party had taken the bait, Aug confidently pulled out his accumulated professional knowledge, quickly earning the wealthy businessman's praise:

"You have a very discerning eye; there aren't many beggars as talented as you these days."

The wealthy merchant generously took out three silver coins from his wallet and dropped them into the bowl.

"Thank you for your generosity. The goddess will surely protect kind-hearted merchants like you." Aug happily made the sign of the cross. From the replica of the Ice Heart necklace the other party was wearing, he could tell that the other party was still a devout believer of the goddess.

The wealthy businessman gave a soft "hmm" and continued walking forward.

Aug left the three silver coins in the bowl with a smug look, glanced at the maid who was huddled dumbfounded in the corner, and thought he had taught this "junior" a lesson.

See that? This is textbook-perfect begging!