The Village of Hidden Fangs
The words that came out of the village chief’s mouth were enough to bring my brain to a screeching halt. I looked around the village again, dazed. Most of them had long hair, but those who looked like men had their hair cropped short like soldiers, and their jawlines were thicker than the other women’s, giving them a slightly androgynous look—but I had assumed they were men. And the way they walked around with their arms linked? There was no way to see that as anything other than a couple. To think that they were actually women in disguise...
"Are there really no men in this village at all?"
"...That is correct."
"It’s not that they just left for a while?"
"Unless you are in a large city, other places will be much the same. The number of men is scarce, and even if a child is born, it is difficult to bear a boy."
The chief’s voice was calm, but the content was devastating. Men were already scarce, and now even giving birth to them was difficult? It seemed the scars of the disaster had lingered much longer than I’d thought. And how precious must men be if women were resorting to hiding their own gender and playing the 'role of a man' just to keep their community afloat? No, perhaps it wasn't a choice, but a desperate, clawing struggle for survival.
I glanced at Eve. She was staring at the village with an expressionless face, as if she had known all along.
"...Eve, did you know?"
"Observation results indicated that their skeletal structures and musculature were female. However, as a significant amount of time has passed, I judged it to be a custom of the current world and did not see the need to report it."
Eve had known, and I hadn't even suspected a thing. As I walked around the village with the old woman, listening to her explanations, a few villagers approached me.
It was a freckled girl with her hair braided into two pigtails, neatly arranged over her shoulders. She held a steaming potato in both hands, carefully extending it toward me.
"Um... if it’s alright with you, please try this."
The girl blushed as she held out the piping-hot potato. In contrast to her rough, dirt-stained hands, the potato she offered had been peeled with the utmost care. As I stared blankly at the potato, the girl seemed burdened by my gaze, bowing her head low and fidgeting with her toes.
"Is this... for me?"
"Yes! It’s the fluffiest, best-cooked one in the village. I really wanted to give it to someone as precious as you..."
As I carefully took the potato, the girl shouted, "Ah, thank you!" with a look of pure ecstasy, then turned and ran away as if fleeing.
But that girl was only the beginning.
As if they had been watching from somewhere, the villagers began to emerge from their homes, one by one, carrying things. As if by some unspoken agreement, the women gathered around me, each holding what they considered the most precious items in the village.
"This is a tree fruit I picked this morning! Please, just take one bite!"
"The water in this leather pouch is clear spring water from deep in the forest. It will help quench your thirst!"
"This feather ornament is said to bring good luck. Please, accept it!"
In an instant, my surroundings became as bustling as a marketplace. No, it was closer to a fan meeting. As they handed me their items, they were careful not to let their fingertips touch me, and every time I accepted one of their offerings, low gasps of awe and applause erupted from the crowd.
One woman even brought her hands to her mouth and shed tears of emotion, as if witnessing a historical moment, the second I took a bite of the potato.
'Wow... I really feel like a celebrity.'
It was a scene I couldn't have imagined back when I lived as a shut-in loser. Had I ever received such fervent attention from anyone? Their gazes were a mix of reverence, curiosity, and, above all, intense 'admiration.' They looked at my unblemished skin as if I were some rare creature, and every time I gave a light nod, the women around me would grab each other's shoulders, unable to hide their fluttering hearts.
I glanced to the side to see Eve gripping her Nail Gun, keeping watch over my perimeter. Her cold gaze made the burning intensity of the village women's stares feel even more pronounced. Eve stood with dignity half a step behind me, as if guarding me, and even that seemed to be interpreted by the villagers as a sign that I was a 'noble.'
"Eve, look at this. Everyone is being so nice to me."
"It is inevitable that their interest would be drawn to you, Master Jaero, given your exceptional beauty, but please remain cautious. Sometimes, excessive goodwill can lead to accidents."
Eve whispered with a tone that sounded slightly jealous, but I was already too dazed by the outpouring of hospitality to care. My hands were already full of potatoes, fruits, and leather trinkets. The village chief watched this scene with a satisfied smile and signaled for the people to back away.
"Now, everyone, calm down! You’re making our precious guest uncomfortable. Make way, we must escort him to his room!"
At the chief's shout, the people reluctantly cleared a path, but at every turn, the women bowed their heads or shyly waved at me.
Had I ever received this kind of attention in my life? This thrilling experience wouldn't be forgotten easily.
By the time the sun began to set, the chief guided us to a guest bedroom in her own home. Eve and I tried to leave, but the chief insisted so persistently that we stay the night that we decided to sleep there for just one night.
We were shown to a small room in the chief's house. Even though it was for a VIP, it was a crude room with straw spread over a dirt floor, covered by a few layers of rough cloth and leather. The chief kept bowing her head, constantly checking my reaction.
"I am deeply sorry that the sleeping quarters are so humble for someone as precious as you. It cannot compare to the luxurious bedrooms of the city, but I have selected only the cleanest leathers in our village to lay out for you. I hope you have a comfortable night."
"No, this is plenty. Thank you for your consideration."
The chief smiled kindly at my response, but she still looked uneasy. Once the chief left the room and the wooden door closed, I sat on the leather with Eve. The room was filled with the mixed scent of damp mold and the musky smell of beasts.
"Eve, what do you think of this village?"
"I try not to make hasty generalizations, but it was more shocking than I expected. If the situation is not much different elsewhere, the world must be a harrowing landscape."
I nodded at Eve's words. Even though humanity hadn't been wiped out by the disaster, had it been too difficult to rebuild civilization? Even though traces of civilization were visible here and there, it felt like they had regressed significantly.
"Still, I thought there might be no people at all, so seeing them living like this is nice. And looking at how they welcomed me earlier, they don't seem like bad people."
"...I suppose so."
Eve wore an uncomfortable expression. Finding it cute, I gave her a light peck on the lips.
Chu.
"What, are you jealous?"
"...N-no, that’s not it. I am just worried about you, Master Jaero..."
Seeing her blush, I pulled Eve into a tight hug.
"Don't worry too much. If anything happens, we can just run away. If I have to, I can use the Nail Gun from my inventory."
"...Understood. Whatever happens, I will protect you, Master Jaero."
It was a bit much, but I could feel the warmth of her concern. If Eve hadn't been here in this strange world, I might not have even gone out to explore and would have just stayed alone building factories.
"Eve, I'm going to go take care of some business, so if you're sleepy, go ahead and sleep first."
"The paths here are dark, so I will accompany you."
"No, it's fine. My night vision is good. And, well, I'm a little embarrassed."
"...Yes, I understand. If anything happens, please shout loudly. I will come running immediately."
I had to finish my business quickly before Eve couldn't stand it and came running. I left the room to find the chief in another room. I had intended to ask where the restroom or a place to relieve myself was, but there was no one to be seen inside the house.
"Huh? Where did everyone go? I don't know where the restroom is... Can't be helped, I guess? I'll just have to find a suitable spot."
I had no choice but to go to a secluded area to relieve myself. Stepping outside the house, I saw a pitch-black landscape without a single streetlamp.
The only saving grace was that after being reincarnated into this body, I could see well at night. There were many differences from my previous body, but the improvement in my vision was the most noticeable.
"Hmm... I'll just finish up quickly over there."
I headed toward a corner of the village, far from the buildings. Just as I was about to unzip my pants, I heard the sound of people talking nearby.
"Were there people here?"
I held my breath and listened. It didn't sound like two or three people; it sounded like a group of them were having a serious discussion. From just beyond the wall, the voices of the chief and several women could be heard, lowered to a whisper.
"...That man... he really is... breathtakingly handsome..."
"...Right... I've never seen a man like that in my entire life..."
"...Absolutely... we cannot just let him go... we must not lose him, no matter what..."
My heart skipped a beat. I hadn't heard everything because they were far away, but... don't lose me? What was this? Were they just complimenting me? That didn't seem right; the atmosphere felt off. Even as I thought this, the conversation wasn't over.
"...If we have to... we should hold him by force..."
"...Catch him... and lock him up."
"...There isn't much time left... now is our chance..."
Hold me by force? My mind went blank. Did I hear that right? Did they just say they were going to lock me up? I secretly peeked over the wall to observe them.
The chief and four young women were facing each other, talking intently. One thing stood out.
'A knife?'
I saw a kitchen knife with blood dripping from it. Had they just cut some meat? A trail of blood led from the dripping knife toward the adjacent warehouse.
'What could be in that warehouse?'
A chill ran down my spine as I tried to grasp the situation. This insane world said men were scarce. But it didn't end with them being scarce—were they now kidnapping and imprisoning outsiders? What did "not much time left" mean? Did they notice I was looking for a chance to escape? Or was my patience running out? Anxiety piled up, and my mind began to paint the worst-case scenario.
"...Shouldn't we... catch... and eat him?"
"...True... we should use him when we have the chance..."
Eat me?
The moment I heard that word, my thoughts stopped. Cannibalism. A common trope in apocalypse stories. Was the VIP treatment during the day just a way to keep me around because they had nothing to eat? Or were they planning to keep the man, force him to breed, and then use him as food once he was no longer useful?
All the cruel apocalypse content I had watched from my room flashed through my mind. A remote village in the wilderness, an overly kind old woman, and the bloody slaughterhouse hidden behind it. I had become the protagonist of exactly that kind of story.
"...So he can't... escape... near the door..."
"...Right... bring the tools... the sharp ones..."
"...Are you... ready?"
At that last word, I jumped up. If I stayed here any longer, I was truly finished. The chief's kindness, the gifts of food and lucky charms—it was all a performance to put me at ease and catch me off guard. I was certain of it.
I returned to the room quietly and quickly. When I entered with a shocked expression, Eve jumped up.
"Master Jaero! What happened?"
"Eve, we have to leave right now. I don't know the reason, but it seems they're planning to do something to us!"
I whispered in a trembling voice. Eve pulled out her Nail Gun in the darkness and approached me. Her expression was frozen, colder and sharper than usual.
"Master Jaero, we will make escape our top priority. If anyone gets in our way, I will take care of them."
I could feel the cold murderous intent in Eve's eyes. I swallowed hard and nodded. We had to get out before those terrifying women caught us. If we were late and got caught, I might end up trapped in a dark room forever, becoming a stud or ending up as food.
We held our breath and carefully opened the small back door on the rear wall of the room. Every time the old wood creaked like a scream, I felt like my heart was stopping. Outside, pitch-black darkness had already settled, and a few women were standing guard at the village entrance with torches. Their shadows stretched long, looking like the hands of monsters trying to grab me.
"Master Jaero, keep your footsteps silent. We will move quietly to the entrance, quickly neutralize anyone on guard, and escape at full speed."
Following Eve's lead, we threw ourselves into the darkness. We crawled toward the outskirts of the village, hugging the shadows of the buildings. My heart was pounding as if it would burst, and my mouth was parched and burning. It was hard to believe that the gentle, friendly faces and laughter of the people I had seen during the day were all a facade.
We reached the wooden fence on the outskirts of the village. The fence surrounding the village was higher than I thought, not high enough to jump or climb over.
"Why on earth did they build such a high fence here?"
"It seems difficult to escape this way for now. As I said, we will go to the entrance and quickly neutralize them."
As we moved carefully, sticking to the fence, I felt something unpleasant under my feet. It was a string cleverly hidden under the fallen leaves.
Clang, clang! Clatter! Clatter!
A sharp noise tore through the silent night air. It was a crude but effective alarm system. The sound of cans and wooden sticks colliding echoed through the quiet village.
"Who's there!"
"Something came in over here!"
"Everyone, come out quickly!"
In an instant, the entire village was turned upside down. Lights leaked from the sleeping houses, and dozens of torches spread like a wildfire, beginning to swarm toward where we were.
"Damn it, I thought it was a misunderstanding, but they really were planning to lock us up! What do we do, Eve!"
"Master Jaero, run this way!"
Eve grabbed my hand and ran with all her might. Before we could even reach the entrance while holding hands, we were surrounded by the villagers. The sight of dozens of people holding torches in the middle of the night, staring at me, was a chilling scene I had never felt before.
I raised my Nail Gun with a feeling of despair. My finger on the trigger trembled violently. The burly women among the crowd began to step forward one by one, wearing menacing expressions. In their hands, they truly held sickles, knives, and ropes.
"Eve, what do we do?"
"Do not worry, Master Jaero. Even if it costs me my life, I will get you out of here. I will not forgive anyone who blocks our path."
Eve blocked my front and aimed her Nail Gun. The group of torches tightened around us like a semi-circle, and in the distance, I could see the old chief running toward us, torch in hand.
My brain screamed that I had to fire the Nail Gun, but I couldn't bring myself to shoot at a person. My finger felt frozen on the trigger, unable to move.
The chief, who had run up holding a torch, grinned at us. It was a smile that felt more chilling than ever.