The Crow's Nest
Before I started gathering the goods, I dug graves for the humans. While I felt a modicum of pity or mercy toward them, I didn't necessarily have to go as far as building graves. However, it wasn't for the humans' sake—it was for the monsters in our dungeon. It was for the ghouls' leveling and their meals.
Unlike the slimes, who gathered magic stones through dungeon construction, the ghouls didn't have many places to acquire experience points. Therefore, if there were humans who needed to be killed, or humans who were already dead, I fed them directly to the slimes and ghouls. But yesterday, there were no ghouls. There weren't even any slimes—just Eila and the stud hunters. They didn't have any particular feelings about the deaths of other monsters, but they felt significant sympathy for the deaths of their own kind.
Fratricide. It was the very condition for Ryun, a High Elf, to fall into darkness as a Dark Elf, and it felt like a taboo I should never violate. It was strange that the slime became a Big Slime through cannibalism, but slimes weren't sentient beings.
"If they had any sense, how could they think of killing and eating their own kind?"
In other words, killing one's own kind was an unwritten rule that applied equally to all races in this world. Killing or devouring one's own kind was something only mindless monsters did. Therefore, one must not kill their own kind. At the very least, forcing them to kill their own kind directly caused many problems.
"Then, wouldn't it be fine if their own kind didn't do the killing?"
It was a truly genius idea. So, today, I organized the expedition party with only ghouls, excluding Ryun. And the first place we visited was the ruins where we had taken the goods. The graveyard.
Kkeureureuk.
The ghouls were already salivating. I gauged the number of ghouls and pointed to the graves. Fortunately, the graves remained exactly as I had leveled the ground yesterday, and my mark, drawn in blood, was still visible on the people's faces. It was a sign that I would return to collect them. The ghouls were clattering their teeth and shaking their heads as if trying to clear them, and I gave them the order.
"You won't get an opportunity like this often."
I stomped on the ground once and stepped away from the hole. "Dig them up and eat."
Kieeeek!!
The ghouls began to dig the ground diligently. The humans were lying at an angle, exactly as I had placed them neatly yesterday. I offered a prayer for their souls once more.
"If you are reborn, make sure to be born as a good being in a good place."
"Hmm... I think they call that crocodile tears!"
"You're quite sharp, aren't you?"
I was struck right in the heart and couldn't find a reply, while Ryun just giggled and scratched her cheek. "I don't really care. If there are humans who invade the forest, the elves kill them and throw them out as food for the wild beasts."
"That's a more radical disposal method than I thought."
"It's the fastest and simplest principle of returning them to nature. A wolf might come and eat them, a crow might come and peck at them, or a monster might wander by and drag the corpse away."
That was true enough. As far as the elves were concerned, they had no obligation to hold funerals for human intruders. However, I pointed out a part of what Ryun said that bothered me.
"Monsters appear in the Elf Forest?"
"Nearby. When we throw the corpses of intruders outside the forest, the first ones to find them are the monsters. Like gnoll-type wolves. Goblins, too."
"Then, if I want to catch them, do I have to go all the way over there?"
"Hmm... it's on the complete opposite side from here, so it would be difficult, wouldn't it? And it's dangerous if you enter the forest."
"Seems like there's no detour, either. Tsk. Elves are a scary race."
They weren't forest fairies; they were forest geezers. That explained why they raised a child for 160 years and kept her so sexually innocent. 160 years old. She was a being who had lived five times longer than me. In terms of this world's lifespan, easily 50 times.
"Ryun."
"Yes?"
"How long do elves usually live?"
"Hmm... 1,000 years? That's only for the Great Elders who live extremely long lives; usually, they end their lives around 600 or 700 years. Then they return to the forest."
Since humans live in the era of the 100-year lifespan, I figured I could just multiply their age by 10. If that were the case, Ryun would be 16, and Luna would be 47—
'No. The calculation method must be different.'
If she were 47, then elves were definitely overpowered characters.
The ghouls still had a long way to go before they finished their meal, so I checked inside the grave. The ghouls were diligently tearing at the flesh.
"Ryun."
"Yes?"
"Are you capable of combat right now?"
"Of course."
"Good..."
I pointed to the ghouls behind me. Ghoul or High Ghoul, they were all focused on their meal.
"Then, shall we leave them be and go somewhere cozy, just the two of us?"
"Where?"
"The dungeon."
"......?"
I pointed to the long trail of footprints leading away from Andras's corpse. Ryun was startled when she saw the tracks. "There are footprints?"
"Yes. The tracks left behind by the ones who were captured as prisoners in our dungeon."
Because the muddy road had become damp from a rain shower, the footprints of the Andras were clearly left in the dirt.
"Harsus."
Kkeureureuk.
Harsus lifted his head, which had been buried in the ground. I covered my eyes with my hand and gave Harsus an order. "When you're all finished eating, clean up this mess and stand by."
Kkeureureuk.
Harsus stood up, even dusting off his hands. He was expressing his dissatisfaction with a gesture that clearly said, 'Are you planning to leave us behind?'
"He says they can't keep their Master busy when they're eating something this delicious."
"That was real? My god."
Harsus must have truly been a loyal knight in his past life. I felt a lump in my throat and my nose stung, but Harsus's mission was to eat diligently.
"Just eat. And if you have time, eat this too."
I pointed to the Andras who had died with their bird heads buried in the dirt. On their stomachs was the warning message I had written in blood yesterday. "Is it a bit much to eat this?"
Kkeureureuk.
Harsus looked at the Andras for a long time and then shook his head. "He says he really doesn't think he can eat this."
"They're the same corpses, but he's being picky about it."
Kkeureureuk.
"He says they can't eat anything other than humans."
"Even though they look exactly like humans?"
Kkeureureuk.
"He asks if they aren't fundamentally different beings from humans, even if they look the same. He hasn't tried eating one himself, but he doesn't really want to."
"Hmm..."
I didn't know what the difference was, but I had no intention of arguing. Orcs have an orc's appetite, and ghouls have a ghoul's appetite. I had to respect that.
"Then finish eating, and if you happen to want a bite, you can eat it."
Kkeureureuk.
Harsus nodded vigorously and buried his head back in the ground. Leaving the group of ghouls and the Andras behind, I hoisted Ryun onto my shoulder and followed the footprints.
"Ryun, do you feel anything?"
"Hmm... I think we need to go a little further. There's nothing here right now."
Ryun and I kept walking along the footprints. The footprints continued, but they were just that—a trail—and no particular enemies appeared.
"Master, here."
"Right. The place we discovered yesterday."
The spot where we first found the Andras. The hill where we had hidden our bodies was right above us. That was proof that we had found the path correctly.
"Let's keep going like this."
"Master. But..."
Ryun hesitated, holding her bow. I had instructed her to shoot whenever she discovered an enemy, but Ryun was quite scared.
"What if the enemy is strong?"
"I'll tell you the criteria for an enemy."
As it happened, there was one criterion that was perfect for Ryun to understand.
"If the enemy is stronger than Luna, we run. If the enemy is as strong as Luna, I'll somehow manage to fight them myself. If the enemy is weaker than Luna, we kill them all."
"Ah... that's clear!"
Ryun smiled brightly and raised her bow toward the other side of the road. "Master?"
"Yes."
Opposite the downhill path we were descending. Beyond the three-way intersection that turned right from the straight path, new Andras we hadn't encountered before were taking humans as prisoners and dragging them somewhere. Fortunately, they hadn't noticed our presence yet.
"Uh... but is it okay to just shoot?"
"Why."
"Because I might hit a human."
"Ryun. Do you have no confidence in yourself?"
At my provocation, Ryun shook her head. I cheered Ryun on, and Ryun took a deep breath and pulled the bowstring.
Swish—!
The wind arrow cut through the air and flew toward the group of Andras—
Thwack.
It stuck into the stomach of a human hostage. Ryun trembled on top of me.
"......."
"Ryun."
"Yes."
"It's fine since we got the experience points."
"Hing...."
Ryun jumped down with a tearful face, and I crossed my fingers, awakening the vitality throughout my body. What I needed to use was [Berserk].
"E-enemy attack, Las!"
"Be careful, Las!"
The Andras didn't even know where the arrow had flown from yet. I pointed to the right for Ryun and ran to the left.
"I trust you."
"Yes...!"
Surely, she wouldn't shoot to the left when I told her to shoot to the right. I ran along the left path, and Ryun leaped onto a tree branch and pulled her bowstring.
"Enemy attack, Las!"
Three Andras rushed at me, baring their claws. All three were exposing the dangling things between their legs, and I momentarily strengthened my muscular power and grabbed the beak of the first Andras.
Crunch!
The Andras's beak was shattered. The Andras was so weak that its beak could be crushed by hand strength alone, and I kicked the Andras in the stomach, folding it like a folder.
'It's a 1-star.'
There were no wings on the Andras's back. I immediately picked up the piece of the shattered beak and kicked the Andras.
"I cannot forgive you, Las!"
"You talk too much!"
I threw the beak fragment forward, passing it over my shoulder. The Andras rushing toward me was startled and dodged to the right.
Thwack, thwack.
A wind arrow cut through the air and struck the Andras. One of the two arrows pierced the Andras's heart, and the other pierced the Andras's... sensitive area.
"Dah-heuk."
The Andras let out a strange scream and knelt on the floor. After kicking the Andras away, I sprang up toward the last remaining Andras.
"Kieeeek!!"
The one with the sturdiest lower half had the highest-pitched scream. I landed on the ground as if stepping on the Andras's back and slammed the Andras's beak into the dirt.
"Now, let's eat. Coo-coo-coo-coo."
I stepped on and off the Andras's back several times, pressing it down. The Andras moved its body left and right to resist, but it wasn't very effective. I stepped on the Andras's back and pulled the beak that was stuck in the ground out.
"I'll spare your life if you answer the questions I ask from now on."
".......Speak, Las!"
"Is your boss pretty?"
"......She is the most beautiful person in the world, Las!"
The Andras shouted with a face that asked why I was asking such an obvious question, and I grabbed the back of the Andras's head and lifted it up.
"Then introduce me so I can see that face. Come on, let's go forward."
"W-wait a moment, Las! Don't tell me?!"
"Yes. You need to be my guide. You said she was pretty? Can't I even go see her? Is she perhaps incredibly ugly?"
"T-that's impossible, Las!"
The Andras fiercely praised the Andras's beauty. The more it did, the more dissatisfied I became.
'It must be a damn pretty bird.'
Her beak must be very beautiful. I gently stroked the Andras's neck and pointed to the path ahead.
"Now, lead the way."
"The Master won't just stand by, Las...."
"That's why I'm saying let's make a bet. When I take you into the dungeon, we'll see if your master saves you or not."
The Andras's eyes were wavering. But its footsteps looked like they were going to walk forward.
"...The Master will definitely save me, Las. I am a monster that the Master gave birth to herself, Las."
"Whoa."
Andras. I definitely have to catch her. I swallowed the saliva that had flowed into my mouth and pushed the Andras forward.
"Yes. Let's check it out. But did you know?"
I cast a magic spell into the Andras's ear.
"You can just lay more eggs, Las."
The Andras's eyes were wavering wildly. I wondered what kind of reaction the Andras mother would have. With a pounding heart, I headed toward the dungeon, using the Andras as a hostage. It was time for plunder.
* * *
"Ugh, hng, haa...!"
The woman in the black feathered dress gasped, letting out groans. A black egg slipped out from between her legs, which were spread wide apart.
"Haa, haa...."
The woman rolled up her sleeves and lifted the egg she had laid herself. At its luster, deeper than ever before, the woman squeezed her eyes shut.
"......3-star!"
The woman was certain. It was an egg she had never been able to lay before, and now all she had to do was hatch it after recovering her strength.
"Haa, haa. How does Lord Solomon lay so many.... Haa."
The woman couldn't help but admire Solomon. And she cradled the egg in her arms and laid her body on the bed.
"As expected, it's best when a human sows the seed.... Huh?"
Solomon's system sounded a warning. The woman's heart sank as the mist flowing from the magic circle drew the text.
[Intruder detected.]
"...Hmph, humans again? Ha, how annoying...."
[The opponent has declared a 'Contest for Possession'!]
"Uh...?"
The woman's expression turned pale.
"There's no demon who would pick a fight with me...?"
The woman hugged the black-lustered egg and her lips trembled.
"E-everyone gather! Gather, Las... gather, Las!"
The woman—the Andras—was trembling in fear, so much so that her old habits were coming out in her panic.
"Block them with your lives!!"
All the Andras in the dungeon rushed out.