"Heave ho, heave ho." On the busy streets, two workers in brown linen clothes were working with great enthusiasm.
And with their movements, round, colorful objects of various hues were poured into Hebans's sewers.
These were monsters called Slimes; individual ones were very fragile, and an adult could easily deal with a dozen Slimes, so they were not considered targets for subjugation.
Although these round creatures had almost no offensive power, they had a very practical value: their round bodies could effectively digest various types of garbage, making them perfect decomposers.
They could survive just by being thrown into the city's sewers, requiring no sunlight or rest, never getting sick, and living solely on the garbage in the sewers. Moreover, they not only eliminated waste but also purified water quality.
"I don't know why, but it feels like the consumption of Slimes has been quite high recently," one worker remarked.
"Yes, it's said that the recent discharge of wastewater has significantly lowered the surrounding water quality. The Merfolk even submitted a document to the Holy Queen to inquire about what's happening."
"Is that so?" The worker silently lit a cigarette, exhaling a smoke ring as he asked.
"After all, ensuring clean water quality is one of the conditions of our two races' alliance. How could you forget even that?"
The Holy Kingdom was surrounded by the sea on three sides, with abundant annual rainfall. Coupled with the fact that residents primarily lived in a few large cities, the city's sewer system was already well-developed. Especially after Calko ascended, she further optimized the urban environment, not only greatly improving the city's appearance but also significantly enhancing the drainage and sewage systems.
Furthermore, as allies of the Holy Kingdom, the Merfolk themselves had requirements for water quality, so the Slimes in the Holy Kingdom's sewers were the most abundant among neighboring countries. They even developed specialized Slime farms for this purpose.
The smoking worker casually tossed the remaining cigarette butt into the sewer, knowing that the Slimes would clean up their trash.
"Let's go, we still have work to do this afternoon." The worker called out to his companion, and the two walked away side by side.
Meanwhile, in the sewer where a pile of Slimes had just been dumped, a rare argument was taking place.
"Captain, I really can't stand this life anymore."
A voice full of anger echoed through the empty sewer, accompanied by a series of reverberations.
The speaker was a lizard-like demi-human. Their skin, which should have been a vibrant green like fresh leaves, now appeared dark green due to years of malnutrition and lack of sunlight. Even the dense small bumps on their skin looked shriveled.
"It's been three years, three whole years! Do you think I want to live like a crippled dog, barely surviving in this sunless sewer?"
Responding to him was a figure noticeably taller than his other kin. As the captain of this small team, if it weren't for his Gain intelligence every time you take risks, this team would have long since died under the Holy Knights' blades.
"Damn it, I really can't tolerate this kind of life. When I'm hungry, I can only eat those nutrient-poor Slimes, and when I'm thirsty, I can only lick the sewage in the sewers. This is not the life a Slass should live."
Looking at the young Slass, whose face was filled with anger, the tall Slass could only sigh helplessly.
Back then, their race easily climbed that impenetrable city wall with the suction cups on their hands. Their poisonous tongues, once piercing a human's body, allowed them to witness their struggling expressions—what a delightful sight for a Slass.
Unfortunately, they were quickly defeated by the human armies. However, the higher-ups of their race could change their skin color to match their environment, which was why he was able to lead his team all the way to this sewer.
"Calm down. We have lost our weapons and armor. At this time, we should lie low and wait for an opportunity to make a comeback."
As the strongest member of this team and the only higher-ranking one, his words still carried a lot of weight.
"Captain, I think you've been scared silly by those humans. You've lost your former dignity as a Slass. You are no longer fit to be our leader. I really, really want to eat human flesh."
The young Slass's red eyes gleamed with a dazzling crimson light. They hadn't eaten meat in too long and had long forgotten how delicious human flesh was.
"Human flesh." The tall Slass curled his long tongue, smacking his lips a few times, as if savoring a taste he had long forgotten.
"Captain, you can stay here as long as you want, but I really can't take it anymore. Even if I die, I want to die like a warrior. Only human blood and screams can wash away my shame as a warrior."
"Damn you, scoundrel! Do you think I don't want to? Do you think I like staying in this stinking sewer, enduring those humans walking above my head? Every time I look up at these weak humans, I wish I could kill them all."
The tall Slass roared, venting his dissatisfaction.
As the team captain, he had an obligation to be responsible for everyone's lives. If one Slass left, another would soon follow, and then this team, with only seven Slass remaining, would quickly fall apart.
It seemed they had never imagined that their usually gentle captain would one day erupt. The Slass were momentarily frightened and dared not look directly into the captain's eyes.
The Slass who had initially clamored for slaughter was now trembling, not daring to continue confronting his captain.
"Fine, if you want to leave, then leave. If anyone is willing to go with you, take them with you."
After his outburst of anger, the tall Slass felt a sense of powerlessness, and his once imposing figure now appeared much more hunched.
The trembling Slass seemed to have heard something unbelievable and looked at his captain in surprise.
The captain seemed to have aged a lot; his once muscular arms had become thin and gaunt from years of running, and his skin had started to become dry and dull, without any sheen.
"The captain is old; he can't control us anymore."
This thought grew wildly in the Slass's mind: a captain who only knew how to hide had long had his fighting spirit erased by time. Only young, spirited Slass like him could lead everyone to live with dignity.
This Slass left, and he took two other Slass with him.
"Alas, those who want to leave cannot be kept, and those who want to stay cannot be driven away."
The Slass captain sighed. There was something he had never told the other Slass: they were all going to die eventually, either in the sunless sewer or on the path of pursuing hope.