Chapter 60

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 60

Chapter Title: Monster Gallery (1)

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There are no villains without a backstory.

That said, we have no reason to show mercy to villains.

It was a fair point.

No matter how tragic a villain's past might be—no matter if their parents abandoned them as a child...

...or if they were ostracized as an orphan, never knowing love from anyone...

...a villain who carries out evil is still a villain... What? Pretty? A villain? Hmm...

'Actually, that last one matters most.'

I might've spared the Japan Gallery moderator if she'd been pretty too.

Ahem... Anyway.

I glanced at the Wife Monster cleaning up the overturned table I'd wrecked.

'...Is this really okay?'

No matter how starved for love a woman might be, showering her with affection...

...if I crossed the line while bossing around a monster like this and slipped up, she might snap in rage.

Even a monster showing me kindness could turn furious in an instant.

"Wha...t are you... doi...ng? I'll... cry..."

"We should clean it up together. I made the mess."

"Wife... obeys... hus...band."

"Thanks for saying that. Still, we should do it together."

I helped the Wife Monster clear the spilled table from the floor.

Working together, we finished quickly.

"Yaaawn..."

"Tired...?"

"Yeah, a bit. Think I'll head to bed."

With all the food scraps cleared, fatigue was setting in.

"Sle...ep well... dear."

"You too."

"Okay..."

Recalling the past, I headed to the room I'd first entered when I arrived here and lay on the bed.

"?"

Like some couple sleeping separately, the Wife Monster had gone to another room.

"Hoo..."

I took a deep breath.

"Hurry up and come here!!!!!!"

I bellowed.

"Y-Yes...! Did you... call me... dear?"

Startled by my shout, the Wife Monster entered my room.

Thump! Thump!

I patted the spot beside me on the bed a couple times.

"...Huh?"

"Come lie down."

"...For... real..?"

"Who else is here besides you?"

"Me... really...? For... real? Honest...ly?"

"...?"

When I told her to lie beside me...

The Wife Monster, who always used formal speech with her "husband," panicked, broke character, and started talking casually to me...

"Uh... Yeah."

I responded in kind—not to a "wife," but to a monster—with a tone of respect.

For the first time, I could have a genuine conversation with the monster.

"...Me... really... next to... you?"

"Uh... If you don't want to, you don't have to."

"You... not... scared... of me?"

"Well... Saying I'm not would be a lie."

"Then... why... be nice...? Why... love me...?"

A conversation with a non-human intelligent being.

A talk with something that looked human but wasn't.

Chatting with a being of overwhelming power far beyond humans was plenty to terrify me.

"You cared for me first."

"...Huh?"

If she'd saved me first, respecting her in return was basic courtesy.

"You fed me that universal cure before I died, didn't you?"

"Right..."

"We weren't really a married couple, and to you, I was just another insignificant life form—one bite away from death."

"...That's true... too."

"Yet you saved me anyway. So let me ask you back: Why did you save someone worthless like me? Why give trash like me a second chance?"

"...Because... you tried... to protect me..."

"?"

But...

'...I tried to protect her? When?'

No matter how I racked my brain, I couldn't recall ever trying to protect the Wife Monster.

'Is that it? When I climbed on that left-arm monster's back—did she overinterpret that as me protecting her—'

The one action that came to mind—she'd blown it out of proportion—

"Dear... run... quick..."

"What... are you... saying?"

"Can't... let it... catch you... Please... run... please..."

"Go... please... run... please..."

The sudden memory of our final exchange—me dying, her pleading—hit me.

'I seduced her first, huh?'

Unintentionally... I'd charmed the Wife Monster first.

No...

Anyone would've fallen for it.

Dying, yet climbing an overwhelmingly powerful foe to save just one person—me.

Even as the attack failed and death loomed, begging her to run...

'Damn... I was the alpha male all along?'

I was impressed by my own unsuspected womanizing skills.

Of course,

The outcome was nothing like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠what I'd intended...

But as long as I never revealed that harsh truth, to the Wife Monster, my actions were pure love.

That's why.

"Why... did you... do that... for me...? Why...?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why... be so... nice to... me...?"

"Hmm..."

"I... dragged you... here... by force... hurt you... scared you... so why... do this... for me...?"

I grabbed the confused Wife Monster's arm.

'Can't really explain, huh.'

No good excuse came to mind, so I gently pulled her onto the bed.

And then...

"Ah... aaah..."

She came without resistance. I hugged her body tight.

"Ah..."

Her face buried in my chest, the Wife Monster fell silent.

'I planned to head back to the safe zone ASAP... but my instincts are taking over. Sigh... Can't think straight.'

...

"...Mm?"

A pleasant, tickling scent woke me.

'Ah... I fell asleep.'

Realizing I'd dozed off last night, I checked my status window.

I should've regained Sanity from sleep, but it'd dropped a whopping 150.

Even with 840 max Sanity, 2-3 days was my limit here...

In other words,

'Gotta head back today.'

Before it dropped further, I had to return to the safe zone no matter what.

That's when I resolved to go.

"You're... up...?"

"Woke up to a great smell."

"Break...fast... is ready..."

"Thanks. Shall we eat?"

The Wife Monster said breakfast was ready.

The moment I stepped out to join her...

I saw it.

"Whoa..."

"You... have to... eat it... all."

"Whoaaa..."

"Must... eat... every... bite."

"Whoooaaa..."

Abalone.

Stir-fried chives.

Steamed cabbage.

Grilled blue-backed fish.

Eel tail—literally just the tails on a plate.

Dogberry juice...

Red ginseng extract...

...I'm getting eaten today.

In some sense, definitely devoured.

How does a monster know all these stamina-boosting foods for human men...?

Curious in this absurd situation, I asked where she'd learned it.

"...Stuff good... for men's... stamina... all here...?"

"Yes... worked... hard... on it."

"...Where'd you get this info?"

"Used the... Gal...lery."

"...Gallery?"

I heard the Wife Monster had used the Gallery.

"...Honey."

"Yes."

"...Is there a separate Gallery... for beings like you?"

"There... is."

"...There is, huh."

Monsters had their own Gallery for sharing info, just like humans.

"...Thanks for telling me."

"No... prob... lem. Glad... to help."

Stomach growling, I picked up my chopsticks and ate.

After, as the Wife Monster reached to wash the dishes, I grabbed her hand and led her to the sofa.

Then...

"Gonna be honest."

"...?"

"I have to go back today."

"..."

"Checked this morning... At most... tomorrow. After that, I'll be totally done for here. Did you know?"

"...Knew..."

"Right. I need to survive and return so I can come back next time—to see you."

"...You'll... come... back...?"

"Of course. How could a husband abandon the wife who saved his life?"

"...Thank... you... so... thankful..."

Watching her reactions closely.

'Gotta make her fully on my side for sure.'

Like the Bellierd Library monsters...

Time to lay the groundwork to win over this roleplay ghost story's Wife Monster too.

"...This?"

"Ah, is it... uncomfortable?"

"No... not."

"Phew... Good."

I pulled out two Monster corpses and one human corpse from my inventory and set them in the living room.

Along with them...

"Wait a sec?"

"Yeah... I'll... wait."

'First time dissecting Monsters... Sigh... Let's do it.'

Using a scalpel from inventory, I diligently sliced into the Monster corpses.

...

Slice the Monster corpse into flower shapes.

Slice the Monster corpse into star shapes.

Slice the Monster corpse into ribbon shapes.

Slice the Monster corpse into butterfly shapes.

Slice the Monster corpse into circles, then drill small holes in the centers.

Slice the Monster corpse into circles, then drill huge holes in the centers.

Slice the Monster corpse sharp at the tip but bulbous at the base.

'...Cutting a human body... gives me pause.'

I worked hard on the two Monster corpses.

But for the remaining human one... my courage failed me.

"This should do."

"What... is it?"

"A gift."

"...Gift?"

"Yes."

I crafted the neatly sliced Monster parts into items without hesitation.

And...

'Nice.'

Flower-shaped badge.

Star-shaped badge.

Ribbon-shaped badge.

Butterfly-shaped badge.

Ring.

Necklace.

Hairpin.

'Exactly as planned.'

Seven items, perfect for my intent.

"...This?"

I approached the Wife Monster blankly staring at the gifts...

"Gifts for you."

One by one, I adorned her body with them.

"..."

"Not as pretty as I'd hoped. Sorry."

"No... pretty. Love... it. So... happy."

"Really?"

"Yes... love... it. Hap...py."

"Glad you like these humble gifts."

Badges of various designs pinned to her clothes.

A plain ring slipped onto her ring finger.

A simple necklace draped around her neck—no fancy gems.

A sharp hairpin that could pierce anything prettily secured her hair.

Finally...

'Wonder what a human corpse makes.'

I'd saved the human body. Pressed craft for the eighth time.

'...Massager? What does it look li— ...Huh?'

A familiar wireless massager appeared.

"..."

"Wha...t is... this?"

"Uh... It's a massager. Wanna... try it?"

"Wanna... try."

"Press this button here—see, the round part vibrates. Put it on your shoulder or wherever."

"Thank... you. Hap...py."

"Glad you like it."

Whatever—if the recipient loved it, it was good.

Now then...

"Guess I overstayed."

"No... Just... watching... made me... happy."

Time to go.

I hugged the beautifully adorned Wife Monster once.

"Husband, off to work."

"Okay... Come... back... safe."

"I will. Wait here. Got it?"

"I'll... wait."

"If you get too lonely, cheat if you want."

"Won't... do that... Wait... forever... for you... only."

Before leaving...

This could work...?

"Oh, honey."

"Yes?"

"Could you... tell me that Gallery code for beings like you?"

"Too... danger...ous. You're... too... weak."

"Yeah?"

"Yes... can't... tell—"

"Wanted to message you there and chat."

"GY-000."

"Thanks. You're the best."

Whoa... It actually worked.

"...Be... care...ful. Still... danger...ous... things... there."

"Stronger than you?"

"No... not."

"Gotta impress my wife then."

"Heh... heh..."

I'd repaid the monster who saved me and got what I wanted.

Once Return Uses built up, I'd return to this roleplay ghost story someday.

"Heading out. Work might take a while."

"Take... your... time. Always... waiting... for you."

Repaid her, got mine—time to head home, looking forward to meeting again.

As I finished up and hit Return...

Poke...

"?"

The Wife Monster's final hug...

"Can't stay longer..."

"Go... to... work."

"Eh, whatever. One more hour."

"...Really...?"

"Yeah."

Exactly one more hour.

I'd spend it with the Wife Monster.

Back in the safe zone after seeing the Wife Monster.

I knew people were pissed from no survival pings all half-day...

But they were extra furious.

Cleanly apologized.

"Good."

"Hyah!..."

"What's up?"

"N-Noth...ing..!"

"Hm?"

Forgiven by all, I relaxed again.

Entered the Monster-exclusive Gallery code from the Wife Monster.

Now...

'Sigh... Time to show 'em tactical nukes.'

Time to teach monsters the cruelty of human malice firsthand.