I Am Not a Robot. Beep-bop

Chapter 74: Baroness Sabrina 1

Of course, my role was to carry out the original purpose of the Saya Guild.

To ensure that the northern front wouldn’t fall into anyone’s hands and to create endless chaos.

With Dawn ousted by Earnest Rail, it meant focusing solely on the man maintaining the northern front on his own.

In other words, all I had to do was aid the Demons and their territory, the rightful owners of the northern region.

Whether Baroness Sabrina truly betrayed the Demons and defected to Mega Corp or if her secretary and steward, Hamar, sold her out, wasn’t my concern.

‘Frankly, judging from the circumstances, the likelihood that Sabrina betrayed the Demons seems higher.’

Demonic nobility generally possessed greater power than other Demons and had various privileges to manage their territories efficiently.

Even if Sabrina remained in the Demon Territory, facing a prolonged conflict with Mega Corp would eventually spell defeat for the Demons.

If Sabrina foresaw that, she might have concluded there was no chance of victory against Mega Corp and decided to defect.

‘Hamar, on the other hand, has nothing to gain from betraying Sabrina. Conversely, Sabrina could secure her safety and a significant position within Mega Corp simply by handing over the Demon Territory. If she were lucky, Sabrina might even take control of the northern front’s autonomy, currently under Earnest Rail.’

Compared to that, Hamar had stayed behind with the other Demons, defending the land and resisting the invaders.

The supposedly “missing” Sabrina was being held in a Mega Corp detention center.

The term “detention center” was dubious since Mega Corp had no real use for prisoners, making its existence suspicious.

Sabrina, safely kept in the detention center, versus Hamar, who shared hardships with the other Demons.

The weight of betrayal inevitably leaned toward the former.

‘If Sabrina knew that leaving her territory would weaken the Demon Territory… the odds of her defecting to Mega Corp are significantly higher.’

Of course, it wasn’t easy to dismiss suspicions about Hamar completely.

The sequence of events lined up almost too perfectly.

A baroness who had long safeguarded the Demon Territory suddenly betrayed her people—conveniently right after I arrived in the Demon Territory.

‘Seriously, how does a secretary so easily betray their master?’

【Indeed. As the chief secretary and steward, Hamar must have spent considerable time with the baroness. That alone makes the notion of betrayal suspicious.】

Even Theresa seemed skeptical about Hamar’s supposed betrayal.

From the evidence, it appeared that Sabrina was the one who first betrayed the Demons.

After all, Sabrina had much to gain from treachery. According to Hamar, she had expressed skepticism about the need to defend this land long before now. If I were in Sabrina’s shoes, the temptation to betray might have been overwhelming.

However, there were simply too few clues.

I had only been in the Demon Territory for four days and had no knowledge of what had transpired here.

It was impossible for me to grasp the personalities and character of Sabrina or Hamar in such a short time.

The days when I ruled as Demon King were long past, and I couldn’t even recall memories from that era, so reaching any conclusion was difficult.

And so, the day of the operation arrived.

In the ruined manor of the baroness’s estate, Hamar and several Demons gathered to plan either Sabrina’s rescue or her assassination.

The Demons, assembled in the crumbling building, bore solemn expressions.

Whether they anticipated a final battle or aimed to punish the betrayer, Sabrina, was uncertain.

“The humans’ supply base is located about 24 kilometers from the Demon Territory, positioned on elevated ground.”

Back in the day, high ground was a strategic vantage point for monitoring and understanding the enemy’s movements, but in the current era, it was more of a liability, easily isolating those stationed there. There was no strategic reason to place a supply base there.

Moreover, Earnest Rail’s northern front received supplies directly through underground roads.

While we’d occasionally moved the supplies and food slightly to disrupt them, there was never any real need to construct a supply base.

“That supply base is likely a safe haven Sabrina built in collusion with Earnest Rail.”

“Couldn’t the Demons attack that location?”

“The distance is too far. Once we’re too far from the Demon Territory, our power weakens. However, Sabrina is different. As a noble, she can draw strength even from the supply base.”

Indeed, a Demon noble of her caliber could easily slaughter a horde of ordinary Demons.

This was even truer beyond the boundaries of the Demon Territory.

“While we’re being pushed into a corner by those human bastards, that woman must be enjoying a comfortable life, profiting off the betrayal of her people.”

Hamar clenched his fists, his lips trembling with frustration.

Whether Sabrina had truly betrayed the Demons or not, if she had calculated this far ahead, she was an exceptionally cunning woman.

After all, once she betrayed her people and left the Demon Territory, her kin couldn’t even pursue vengeance against her.

Even if the Demons managed to penetrate Earnest Rail’s frontlines and reach the supply base where Sabrina was located, a baroness who could wield magic freely outside the Demon Territory would effortlessly annihilate them.

“Wicked woman…”

“Traitor…”

Hamar wasn’t the only one.

The other Demons seemed to harbor significant feelings of betrayal toward Sabrina.

‘But something about this feels suspicious.’

【Human, what seems suspicious?】

From the circumstances, it was clear that Sabrina had cunningly sold out her land and kin, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that she might not have truly betrayed her people.

‘Theresa, what do you think?’

【I have no particular opinion.】

Theresa’s tone carried a hint of mockery.

【They may be crueler than humans, but the acts of betrayal and deceit are taboo for Demons. Their current decline stems from betraying you and achieving nothing in return.】

‘Huh? Wait, I was betrayed?’

【Ah, my mistake.】

Theresa spoke with an ambiguous tone, leaving it unclear whether it was intentional or a genuine slip.

【Regardless of who betrayed whom, it isn’t something for you to worry about. The moment of decision will come either way.】

‘That’s true.’

Indeed, as Theresa said, what I had to do remained unchanged.

Whether Hamar was the traitor.

Or whether Sabrina had defected.

Either way, I still needed to attack Earnest Rail’s supply base.

“The plan is simple. My comrades and I will simultaneously release parts of the Demon Territory’s barrier to draw Earnest Rail’s attention and intercept him as much as possible. Meanwhile, Alice, you need to rescue Sabrina, who was supposedly kidnapped by Earnest Rail. But… I think killing her would be cleaner.”

“You’re not even sure if she’s a traitor.”

“Not yet, but all evidence and the current crisis in the Demon Territory point to Sabrina’s betrayal.”

Hamar spoke with conviction.

“The baroness isn’t weak. No matter how many or how strong the humans of Mega Corp are, their forces alone wouldn’t be enough to completely subdue and imprison her. While Sabrina might not be capable of toppling Mega Corp on her own, it’s equally difficult for Mega Corp to fully capture and confine her.”

Indeed, Demonic nobles were like that.

Their individual power was undeniable, and capturing a noble alive was no easy feat for even Mega Corp’s forces.

Yet Sabrina was still alive, which in the weakened state of the Demon Territory, served as further evidence for Hamar and the other Demons to believe in her betrayal.

“Hey, stop questioning things, you damn golem!”

“Exactly. It’s clear the baroness betrayed us. The fact that she’s still alive, sucking the lifeblood of the Demons, proves it!”

“After all, Baroness Sabrina left the Demon Territory, claiming she was going to negotiate with Earnest Rail, and never returned. If this isn’t betrayal or defection, then what is it?”

“Enough. Alice might be a golem, but she’s a valuable ally who came to help us. Watch your words.”

As the other Demons shouted angrily, Hamar intervened to calm them down.

‘Wow, these lowly Demons dare to… Oh, right, I’m not the Demon King anymore. Let’s let it slide today.’

Though we were the Demons’ saviors, I had introduced myself as something akin to a golem.

For the Demons, golems were considered tools or beings meant for arduous labor rather than reasoning entities.

I could understand why they spoke carelessly.

All the evidence pointed to Baroness Sabrina betraying them, and until the traitor was dealt with, the Demon Territory couldn’t regain its strength.

For them, it made sense to blame their dire situation on Sabrina.

The doll standing next to me gave the agitated Demons a cold stare, as if silently asking, “Should I kill them, Master?”

But ordering the doll to act would result in more than a simple reprimand; it would likely tear them limb from limb. I decided to hold back.

It would be too much to shred them to pieces just because they made a few mistakes in their excitement.

‘And honestly, it’s kind of pitiful. These Demons are a generation that never experienced even a tenth of the power and glory of their predecessors.’

Perhaps their anger and frustration stemmed from knowing what had been lost.

It’s like a once-wealthy CEO, now impoverished, trembling over the cost of a single meal—everything becomes sensitive and irritating.

‘Still, I’ll remember their faces. I’ll repay them later.’

Rather than waste time arguing with these pitiful creatures, it seemed more productive to focus on meeting Sabrina.

“When will the operation commence?”

“It will begin as soon as you’re ready. We’ll partially disable the thorn barrier to expose the Demon Territory to the humans. Then, we’ll ambush and retreat to draw their attention.”

“So, I’m supposed to deal with Sabrina, whether that means killing her or resolving things otherwise?”

“Exactly.”

“Alright, then… let’s do it now.”

“Striking while the iron is hot, are we? Fine.”

Earnest Rail was at his weakest now, with me having already taken supplies and a doll from him.

If we delayed, additional forces might arrive from headquarters, or the supply situation could stabilize during our brief stay in the Demon Territory.

Now was the optimal time to attack the rear supply base.

“Let’s go!”

“Yay!”

“Kyahaha!”

“Is the operation time over, teacher!?”

“Are we going on an outing?”

“I’m wearing my glow-in-the-dark shoes!”

The Undead Girls, who had been waiting for me outside the door, suddenly popped out.

They had been pressed against the door and wall, looking as if they were eagerly anticipating something exciting.

“Kids, this time it’s a real hunting game.”

Hunting game.

Though I felt uneasy about the children killing someone, this time we truly had to be prepared for life-and-death battles.

“Wow!”

“A game!”

“This will be fun!”

“Kyahaha!”

Contrary to my concerns, the children cheered excitedly, lifting their weapons made of their own bones and flesh.

Ah, right.

Even before meeting me, they’d probably already committed murder more than once.

Still, watching these children kill someone in front of me was something I found unsettling.

It was merely a personal feeling, but in hindsight, I was probably the one being overly sensitive.

Preparation was swift.

Leaving the dolls here wasn’t an option since, if Earnest Rail’s commander turned the dolls’ guns on the Demons, it could become a problem, so I decided to bring them all along.

Now that I looked at it, our forces were far from weak.

Twenty Undead Girls, myself, and fifty dolls—Mega Corp’s masterpieces.

Perhaps, this task might turn out to be easier than I expected.

[The barrier will be disabled. It’s the route closest to the humans’ supply base.]

“Understood.”

Hamar communicated with me using magic.

From the moment the barrier concealing the Demon Territory disappeared, everyone we encountered would have to be killed.

This was to ensure that neither the Undead Girls nor the dolls would be discovered.

【Combat Synapse Activated】

【Internal Weapon Systems Ready】

【Witcher Crabs ON】

【Main System Activated】

【Combat Mode ON】

Theresa, too, activated her sensory systems and armaments, fully prepared to attack anyone at any moment.

As soon as the barrier was lifted, Earnest Rail’s employees or patrols could appear before us.

[Disabling now.]

-Zzt!

Sparks flew as the barrier was lifted.

Instead of the dark, mana-filled Demon Territory, the outside world came into view.

“What is this?”

No.

It wasn’t the lush, green forest I had expected.

“What’s going on? What is this?”

“Teacher! This doesn’t look like the forest we entered!”

“Huh? Where did the trees go?”

The forest.

The forest was rotting.

Right before entering the Demon Territory, this area had been an expansive land filled with dense forests, vegetation, and mountains.

Now, it looked like a land that had suffered ten years of drought.

Or as if something had sucked the life out of it—withered, decaying vegetation greeted us.

“What is this?”

Something about this felt deeply ominous.