The Beastkin's Bitter Betrayal
Torare was panicking too.
The porter Torare had leveraged his innate stamina and his exceptional talent for sweet-talking people into doing whatever he wanted. He had successfully pushed aside the hero who possessed absolute power and claimed every last woman in the hero party for himself. He had been utterly convinced that he would soon seize the hero's achievement of defeating the Demon King, along with the Demon King's treasures, and live out the rest of his days in wealth and glory.
But at this very moment, an event he had never anticipated left him gripped by deep bewilderment.
“Ah… no… The hero… That hero really lost?”
“Yes… It has come to that…”
“The Demon King’s power was too overwhelming. It was on a level we couldn’t even begin to compare to…”
“That hero was defeated in an instant without even being able to use his strength. As you know, the hero’s power was equal to all of us combined. Once a hero like that fell, there was nothing left for us to do.”
“Defeating the Demon King… It’s impossible.”
Aileen spoke in a voice heavy with despair. The other women followed her lead, their tones equally gloomy as they continued the report. Everything they had plotted until now had ended in complete and utter failure.
Just minutes earlier, Torare had been swelling with anticipation, convinced he was about to obtain everything he had ever desired. Now he spiraled into chaos.
“How… How the hell did things turn out like this? You all boasted with such confidence! You said the hero’s power would definitely defeat the Demon King! That all we had to do was stab him in the back afterward!”
“W-we’re sorry, Master.”
“We miscalculated. We overestimated the hero’s strength!”
“I’m truly sorry. Please, forgive us.”
“Sorry… Master.”
The former warriors of the hero party bowed their heads in frantic apology at Torare’s outburst of rage. Yet while he outwardly played the part of the furious master, the emotions surging inside Torare’s heart were not anger but a far more powerful mix of anxiety and desperation.
This is bad… I never imagined the situation would collapse like this. If it’s come to this, the one in the most danger here is ultimately me.
Torare the porter had used his eloquence and sexual prowess to draw the women to his side and bend them to his will. Even as he did so, however, he had always been keenly aware of the limits of his own abilities. The hero possessed overwhelming strength, and the warriors of the hero party, though weaker than him, still wielded formidable power. In a world consumed by war, their value had been an enormous asset. Thanks to that strength and the noble cause of defeating the Demon King, Torare had been able to borrow vast sums of money.
With the “profits” gained through debt, he had satisfied the desires of these vain and foolish women without restraint. That indulgence, combined with the shackles of lust already fastened around their hearts, had become the critical factor that kept them hopelessly addicted to Torare—a man who, in truth, possessed no real ability of his own.
Unlike the hero, who had always preached frugality and enduring the present for the sake of the future, Torare had intoxicated them with what they called “pleasure right now.” That had been the decisive element allowing him to push aside the powerful hero and seize control.
Thus, through his natural talent for vigor and the money earned by riding the hero’s coattails, Torare had succeeded in capturing their hearts. The process had piled up a mountain of debt, but he had believed it would be easy to repay once the Demon King was slain. In fact, success would bring him far greater wealth than he could ever spend. As long as the plan worked, the debt had seemed like no problem at all.
Yet in this moment, Torare’s grand “plan” had been smashed to pieces by the cold reality that the Demon King was simply too strong. The crisis now facing him was far worse than the hero discovering everything and turning a blade on their throats.
No matter how stupid they are, they won’t keep following me with nothing but lust to motivate them… With the debt piling up and even that rigid, stubborn hero gone, there’s no telling how long these women’s affection will last…
It was obvious. If these women, with their powerful strength, ever decided to turn on him, they could bury the frail porter Torare in an instant. Moreover, when one considered that their enormous debt had essentially been incurred at Torare’s secret urging, any accusation along those lines would leave him with no escape.
Though he currently stood over them, scolding the four women, the power he held was as fragile as a tightrope walk. For now they bowed their heads to him, but as living conditions grew harsher and debt collectors began to swarm, these women would inevitably turn their backs.
Before that happens, I must find some kind of breakthrough.
With that thought, Torare began desperately searching for a way to overcome the crisis bearing down on him. The conclusion he reached was simple.
If the original plan had succeeded, we could have lived happily ever after together… But since it’s come to this, there’s no other choice…
Terra, a member of the hero party and a female warrior of the beastkin race, had been the last of the four party members to fall into Torare’s hands. Nevertheless, she prided herself on possessing affection for him that rivaled anyone else’s.
By nature, beastkin like her always appeared blunt and cold to outsiders, and Terra was even less talkative than most. Yet despite those racial differences, Torare had always treated her with kindness. He had not approached her as a beastkin warrior fundamentally different from humans, but as a woman. That fact had finally caused Terra to lower the wariness she harbored toward humans and open her heart to him.
After spending more time building that connection than the others, she had eventually given her body to the man. Because of it, Terra believed she shared a special bond with Torare that the other three comrades could not match. Their relationship was not that of a mere slave caught in pleasure, but a master and servant built on genuine shared feelings and mutual love.
With that background, Terra had resolved to protect her man no matter what hardships lay ahead.
The failure of the Demon King subjugation and the crushing debt now weighing on their backs created an enormous crisis. Even if the other three abandoned Torare, Terra was determined that she would never forsake the man she loved. As a beastkin warrior, she was prepared to throw away even her life for the man to whom she had given her heart.
With that resolve burning inside her, Terra lay on the bed in the inn room they had taken for rest and steeled herself once more.
I will protect Master. Absolutely…
Even after so long without the comfort of a proper bed, Terra thought only of her master until the very end. Although it was not her turn to have him beside her tonight, she told herself that surely, at this very moment, her master was also trusting in her.
“…..Wh-what… what are you saying?”
Bound and helpless, Terra stared at the group of people before her. Seeing them dressed in black uniforms, she spoke in a trembling voice that was utterly unlike her. In return, the men in black uniforms answered in the stiff, official tone typical of those carrying out public duty.
“It seems you didn’t understand, so I’ll explain once more.”
“The hero party sold you. In exchange for paying half of the twenty million gold they owed.”
“Unlike the others, you’re a beastkin warrior. Your value as a slave is more than sufficient. They appear to have made a rather wise decision.”
“Th-that… That’s… a lie!!”
The words were so impossible to accept that Terra tried to refute them with her characteristically limited speech. But the men in black uniforms paid her no mind. They tightened the shackles around her wrists and continued coldly.
“Behave yourself. Any further resistance will be met with legal use of force.”
“Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is that your comrades signed this document. As a result, we are now legally permitted to take you away.”
In consideration of ten million gold applied toward the twenty million gold debt incurred by the Hero Party, full ownership of the beastkin warrior known as Terra is hereby transferred to the authorized collectors.
The seller guarantees that the subject is in good condition and holds sufficient combat value as a slave.
Signatures below constitute binding legal consent with no right of reclamation.
“Ah…”
Together with those words, the man held the document before her. It bore the signatures of her former comrades from the hero party… and Torare’s as well. The moment she saw that undeniable proof, an overwhelming wave of despair and betrayal surged across Terra’s face.
“…Wh-what is this… How… How could you… T-Torare… You… You did this to me…”
She had vaguely realized the truth from the moment she woke up bound. Her mind had begun to accept it, yet her heart had refused to acknowledge the cruel reality. Now that truth crashed over her like a tidal wave, and a deep, hollow emptiness filled Terra’s eyes.
Watching her lose all will to resist and slump limply, the uniformed men spoke in cold voices.
“Take her.”
“She is a valuable commodity. Transport her swiftly but with care. She must not sustain any damage before delivery to the demonkind.”