100
Chapter 100
Inside the Prison.
The Humans, who had been sitting helplessly, raised their heads at the sound of Ailee's voice.
Upon seeing Ailee, one of the Humans shouted urgently.
I couldn't understand what they were shouting.
However, Ailee seemed to understand the Human's words and replied instinctively.
"Ah, no. I am not a Human. Not anymore."
Judging by her answer, they must have asked Ailee if she was a Human.
After finishing her answer, Ailee glanced at me.
"Bear Baby, could you not understand what that person said?"
"Gom-gom."
Ailee asked in a low voice.
I gave a small nod.
"I thought so... Whether it's because I used to be a Human, or if it's just a special case, I seem to be able to communicate with Humans."
"Gom-gom-gom-gom, gom-gom-gom-gom?"
It certainly looks that way.
But do you recognize any faces among them?
When I asked that, Ailee shook her head.
"No. I don't see any familiar faces. They're all strangers."
"Gom."
Ailee looked at the Humans again.
"A Red Badge... They're Orichalcum Slayers. Judging by their clothes, they seem to be from a continent far away from where I used to live."
Soon, her gaze turned elsewhere.
It was the spot where the Soul Weapons were piled up.
"You confiscated their Soul Weapons."
After muttering to herself, Ailee looked back at the Humans and raised her voice, speaking in a friendly tone.
"Everyone, you don't have to be so scared. I'm not a Human right now, but I was once a Human just like you."
With the iron bars between them.
Ailee started trying to converse again.
Perhaps it was because they could communicate with her.
The fear casting shadows on the Humans' faces seemed to have subsided quite a bit.
***
After finishing her conversation with the Humans.
Ailee told me the circumstances of how the Humans had invaded this Dungeon.
"Bear Baby, they said they stumbled upon this place by chance while wandering and entered by mistake. They swear they didn't invade with malicious intent. Though I don't know if that's a lie or not."
"Gom-gom."
"So, what will you do now?"
Ailee asked calmly.
It seemed she was asking how I wanted to dispose of the Humans.
"I will follow your decision, Bear Baby."
"Gom-gom?"
"Yeah, whatever you decide."
To follow whatever decision I make....
That means she wouldn't care even if I killed them mercilessly.
Is it because she doesn't consider herself a Human anymore?
Even though she was born a Human and lived as one for most of her life, it seemed she had made up her mind not to treat Humans as her own kind now that she had become a monster.
She sure is quick at cutting ties.
If she were the type to have lingering attachments or a weak heart, she would still consider Humans as her own kind.
Well, or maybe it's simply because they aren't acquaintances.
Anyway.
I still hadn't decided how to dispose of them.
Man, I'm really troubled over how to handle this.
First off, I have no intention of using them for food.
Jjokkomi and the Little Yellow Dragon also said they wouldn't eat them.
Also, I have no intention of letting them leave alive.
Because I can't trust those Humans.
I didn't want to let them go for no reason only to have the location of our Dungeon exposed to the whole world.
I scanned the Humans once again.
The three Humans captured alive by the Werewolf Fake Doll.
Looking at their expressions, it wasn't as if they had no hostility at all.
Even though they were scared, the hostility toward us still faintly showed on their faces.
Of course, they weren't openly showing their hostility.
It was only natural for them to harbor hostility toward us.
Since we killed their comrades, there's no way they'd be friendly.
It's not like they're psychopaths.
Therefore, I didn't plan to just execute them unconditionally just because they currently harbored hostility toward us.
Because they had already lost their will to fight.
Yeah, I didn't plan to.......
But I can't think of any other proper way to dispose of them.
Should I just kill them cleanly instead of agonizing over it?
Just as such an impulsive thought was swirling in my head.
"...■□■□■ □■□■?"
"□■■■ □■□ □■□...."
The Humans were conversing among themselves in low voices.
While stealing glances at the Old Man Fake Doll standing with his hands behind his back.
They've been secretly staring at him for a while now.
Do they know the Old Man from when he was alive?
...Hmm. I suppose they might know him.
Since the Old Man, who was an Astral Slayer, would have been world-famous.
"Huh? You think he looks like the Mercenary King who went missing on this continent?"
Ailee asked the Humans.
It seemed she had overheard the Humans whispering.
Before they could answer, Ailee added to her words to clear up the Humans' doubts.
"This Doll is indeed the Mercenary King you know. He was originally the Mercenary King, but he was killed by Bear Baby next to me, and now he has been reborn as a Doll like this by Bear Baby."
With that statement.
Ailee took out a Purple Badge from her coat and showed it to the Humans.
The Purple Badge was the proof of an Astral Slayer.
I wondered where that went, but Ailee had it.
Seeing her pull it out so readily, it seemed she always carried it with her.
The faces of the Humans who witnessed the Badge were dyed in shock.
They really must not have known that the Old Man Fake Doll was the Mercenary King.
They probably only thought he looked similar.
Just like Ailee, they weren't acquaintances of the Mercenary King, had never seen him in person, and seemingly only knew his face from pictures.
The faces of the Humans looking at me turned even paler.
Ahem, are you scared now that you know I'm the Teddy Bear who beat the Mercenary King?
"■□■ □■□■......?"
"Are you going to become Dolls like this too? I don't know about that. It's up to our Bear Baby to decide."
I have no intention of turning them into Fake Dolls.
The five Humans killed by the Werewolf Fake Doll are more than enough for the new Human Fake Dolls I'll summon.
I plan to give the corpses to the frog, but it's fine even if I don't have the bodies.
That's because those guys are already registered in the Doll Encyclopedia.
Anyway.
I'll think about it a little more, and if I can't come up with any way to dispose of them, I'll just execute them or gift them to the frog.
Because I don't want to spend too much time agonizing over this.
***
After a brief moment of thought.
I made a decision on how to handle the Humans.
I came up with a total of three methods.
Kill them, become friends with them, or make them Slaves.
Among these, I chose the third method like a gentleman.
Killing them seems too extreme since I'm not even going to eat them, and it's already too late to become friends.
The frog should be able to feast enough with just five corpses.
"Gom-gom, gom-gom-gom-gom. Gom-gom-gom-gom-gom-gom, gom-gom."
"Yeah, got it."
I asked Ailee for Interpretation.
You prisoners are our Slaves from today onward.
I told her to deliver that message.
When Ailee finished her Interpretation.
I pointed at them with my Cane, one by one from the left.
"Gom-gom, gom-gom-gom-gom."
Listen carefully.
From now on, I will grant you your names as Slaves.
"Gom, gom-gom."
A large and fat male Human.
You are Chunsik.
"Gom, gom-gom."
A small and skinny male Human.
You are Chunsam.
"Gom, gom-gom."
A female Human with large hips.
You are Chunja.
Ailee immediately provided Interpretation for what I said.
At that, the Humans looked as if they were about to cry.
Hey, aren't you going to rejoice?
What ungrateful brats.
After I went through the trouble of letting them live and giving them names.
***
I expanded the space on the 1st floor further.
I created a fairly spacious Labor Camp behind the Prison.
From now on, the Slaves will work here, and the job I'll assign them is dismantling the monster corpses we hunted.
There was no problem entrusting them with dismantling monsters.
Humans can't grow by consuming monster corpses or Mana Stones anyway.
Because they are a species that only grows through killing.
Besides this task, if I can think of more things for them to do later, I'll assign them then.
For reference.
I didn't make the Labor Camp look dull just because it's a place for labor.
I built it with colorful bricks so they wouldn't go insane.
This way, they can have fun while working.
The reason I made the Labor Camp so large was to prepare for the possibility of getting more Slaves later.
Next to the Labor Camp, I also provided a living space for the Slaves.
One room per person.
In other words, a personal resting area.
I should provide at least this much welfare.
Because I am a gentleman.
Unfortunately, there is no privacy.
Because I didn't put doors on the rooms.
How dare Slaves try to have privacy.
The Jailers will be keeping a close watch on both the Labor Camp and the living spaces 24 hours a day.
The Princess Doll newly summoned the Jailers who would be in charge of them.
As Toy Soldiers, of course.
Thus, the Slaves were moved to the Labor Camp.
I looked at them with satisfaction and said.
"Gom-gom-gom, gom-gom-gom-gom, gom-gom-gom. Gom-gom-gom-gom."
You Chun Slave trio.
Don't worry, I'll make sure you get your meals regularly.
If I see you working hard, I'll generously provide you with welfare too.
Ailee tactfully provided Interpretation for what I just said.
Having an automatic translator is awesome.
Now then.
Now we just need the Chief Jailer to arrive and we'll be done.
"Woong, woong!"
"Gom-jjang! We brought Chicken-jjang!"
Just in time, Tosuni and the Fox brought the Chief Jailer.
The Chickenhead Human Fake Doll.
He was the one taking on the role of Transport Captain.
And starting today, he was both the Transport Captain and the Chief Jailer.
"■□?!"
"■■■□!!?"
"■, ■■□!"
At the appearance of the Chief Jailer, the Slaves fell on their butts in shock.
Their faces were once again dyed with terror.
What's wrong with them now?
Objectively speaking, our Chickenhead Human Fake Doll doesn't look that scary....
They really are guys who get scared on a daily basis.
I thought the Slaves were simply terrified by the Chief Jailer's appearance.
However, upon hearing Ailee's following words, I realized there was another reason why the Humans were scared.
"Bear Baby, those people... no, the Slaves are looking at the Transport Captain and calling him the Demon King?"
The Demon King?