The First Offering
"Been waiting long? Couldn't find anything decent to cover this mug, so forgive the cheap mask."
A golden butterfly mask. The one that lich bastard always wore around the auction house—now it was on my face as I appeared before the kids. It looked insanely expensive, but still way better than flashing them my face made of black smoke, right? No way was I traumatizing them with that horror movie reject.
...
"Don't wanna answer? Fine. We survived. Doesn't matter how. Now let's talk business."
"Business?"
"The future. Our future."
???
"Check out this place. Loaded with crazy expensive shit everywhere, yeah? That means if we sell it all, we'll make a fortune. No more living like beggars!"
!!!
"But we've got a problem. Me... and the kids turning into monsters like this. Fixing that's top priority."
"Can we... go back to normal?"
"I don't like it... I hate being this monster..."
"Sniff!Waaah..."
"Quiet, everyone! Crying won't change a damn thing. What's done is done. To fix it, we gotta put our heads together."
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"Before that~ let's eat first!"
"““Huh?”””
"Food! Food! Food! We've starved for three days! Gotta fill our guts before we can think straight!"
Grrrrooowl~
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Fill the empty bellies first! My stomach's clock was ringing anyway! They say there's nothing rice can't solve! Gotta stuff ourselves before we kick the bucket for that healthy glow, right?!
...
Long story short, there was jack squat to eat here. More like nothing human could stomach. Monster feed for experiments? Some scraps of potatoes and carrots left over, probably for the lab beasts.
"We're beggars anyway, so maybe shove some of that mystery monster meat down?"
...
"Nah, that's too risky. Could be poisoned."
Potatoes and carrots it was—boil 'em up in a pot and chow down. But for seven people? Pathetic amount. Even if we were light eaters before, after three days of nothing during growth spurts, thin potato slop wouldn't cut it.
The owner was an undead lich anyway. Skeleton mage wasn't chowing down like a human.
End of the line: had to go outside and buy food.
But we couldn't just stroll out like this. Barely any of us looked human anymore. Kids turned into who-knows-what monsters, and me, the demon contractor turned minion. No way to wander around masked up.
"Fucking lich. If it wasn't for that prick... Anything else edible?"
Grrrrooowl—
"Hungry..."
"No more food?"
...
No choice. Drape myself in that fancy black robe of his, slap on the mask, and hit the city to shop. Money? Lich had pouches stuffed with gold coins.
Told 'em: if I don't come back, grab the gold and bail far away. My look screamed "demon"—suspicious as hell.
**
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"Guards let me through easy... Worried for nothing?"
The lich's pad was out in the boonies, but not too far. Dense forest, sure, but the city walls loomed close—thirty-minute hike. Lucky.
Lich frequented the port city, so guards saw the robe and mask, no extra hassle.
How'd I match his height? Had the massively buffed-out muscle monster girl—Rina—act as my mount, robe draped to hide it. Crude, but better than kid-sized beggar strolling through.
Beggars get strip-searched at gates; one peek at my face and it'd be "monster!" pitchforks.
Passing guard check on this rickety pony ride... Guards must half-ass it. Thank god!
Never dreamed an elementary school trick would work. Or maybe guards hated the hassle? Was ready to bribe, but saved coin.
"Either way, made it to the territory safe."
"Uh... what now?"
"Market, duh. Load up on fresh-baked bread."
"Bread... for real?"
"Yeah. Eat whatever you want today—tons of it."
"Yay!~♪"
"Shh! They'll hear!"
"Mmph!"
She'd bulked up huge for her age, all muscle, but still a kid at heart. Humming under the robe at "tasty bread"...
Crash! Thud! Smack! Whack!
"Gahk!"
"You little shit! Can't control your brats?!"
"S-sorry! I'll discipline 'em proper!"
"Filthy beggar scum. Let you take the district and this is how you repay? Yo, Libert. Your punks are getting cocky—organization's pissed. Got it?!"
Those guys are Dekilaz... and Libert?!
Entering the market, spotted a big lug getting pounded, stompers grinding him underfoot.
The victim? That familiar face—the bastard who sold us at the slave market. Beggar king ruling the temple district: Libert.
His attackers? Skull-tattooed booze bottle thugs—Dekilaz, port city's underworld bosses.
From their cursing boots, sounded like Libert's crew fucked up, so Dekilaz came collecting.
"Y-yes! So sorry. I'll whip 'em into shape."
"All talk?"
"Th-then double this month's tribute..."
"Shut it! Beggar dog! How much you even make? Just off one as an example. Yeah... clean neck chop, bring the head to HQ!"
"B-but..."
Whistle! Thud!—
"Gack! Cough! Hack!"
"Think trash like you has a say? Dare piss off Dekilaz in this city?"
"N-no! Cough! I'll... get Hans's head right away."
Tch! Big bad beggar king grovels before Dekilaz goons in this port.
"What're you staring at?! Scram!"
Stampede—
Pedestrians gawking at Libert's beatdown scattered when a low-rank Dekilaz thug snarled murderously.
We tried slipping by, but they blocked the shortest path to the bakery.
"You! Move it!"
This fucking asshole! You're blocking the way!
"Oh? Ignoring us? You..."
Smack!
"Ow! Bro, why hit me?!"
"Idiot! See the robe emblem? Pissing off a mage? Wanna die?!"
"Gasp!"
Eh? This emblem's not just fancy trim—marks a mage's robe?
"Dumb fuck! Wanna burn for messing with a mage?! City regular! We'll talk later. Got it?"
"Eek! S-sorry! Didn't recognize the mage—truly sorry!"
"Aigoo—sorry, mage sir. No intent to offend. This blind idiot here. Haha— we'll be off then."
Whoosh!—
...
Before I uttered a word, Dekilaz goons bolted.
Rumor had it they ran the slave market too... "Regular customer" meant the lich shopped there often, had connections.
Or grunts never saw real mage power—scared of legends?
"Ugh..."
Libert groaned on the ground, too beat to rise.
Had beef with him—perfect spot to finish him... Ah!
Use Dekilaz to wipe Libert's gang! Ties into Dantalian contract too. Buy 'em alive as slaves, drag to forest... Perfect!
"Uh... what do we do?"
"Quiet. Before bread run, detour to where Dekilaz fled."
"Eh? D-dangerous, right?"
"Got a plan. C'mon. It'll be quick."
???
Revenge begins now!
**
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"Ah—yes! Mage sir. You want those guys?"
"Correct. From earlier, they seem like pests to you too, no?"
"Well... yes, but..."
Followed their escape route out of market to a massive tavern—Dekilaz's HQ.
One year begging in slums: Dekilaz handled "cleanup" jobs here, requests via bartender.
Also bootleg booze joint.
This fat bartender? Not low-rank request guy—higher up.
Worried mimicking lich voice... but mask warped it to gravelly old man tone. Or demon face theft? Anyway, stern mage act worked—no suspicion.
"No need for details. Need disposable manpower."
"Understood. Price...?"
Don't cheap out or they'll doubt. We cost 60 gold—insane back then. Pretend buying all Libert's crew... go big, 80 gold!
...
"Mage sir?"
"40 gold upfront. Deliver bound to my spot, another 40. Satisfied?"
"Ooo~ Big spender! Haha—tomorrow it is! No warp scroll this time?"
"Must I explain?"
"Aigoo—no! Sorry for rudeness to a customer!"
"Western forest clearing, territory center. Tomorrow evening."
"Got it!"
Clink—
"Good. 40 gold advance."
Slide—
"Aigoo!~ Starting now. Patronize us more! Tomorrow night, trussed up for your lich highness!"
Handed pouch—he bowed 90 degrees, grinning greedy.
Dekilaz on it: tomorrow, Libert's gang in forest.
There... rip off their faces. First offerings to Dantalian!