Chapter 6

As the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

---

Shiir, the Evolved Slime, disappeared into the forest with her younger sister Kitsune.

It seems that this year's harvest was poor, and the villagers have taken all the food they could. But Shiir should be able to find various things.

That girl's knowledge is top-notch, even in Avalon.

After all, she keeps accumulating the knowledge and experiences of those she absorbs.

"Those two girls going into the forest alone is dangerous. I'll go with them."

"No, it's fine. She may look it, but Shiir is strong."

"Is that so? She looks so cute."

"She can change her form, and her true nature is a powerful monster. She could easily defeat even three heroes who slay dragons."

Even without her trump card, the [Perfect Mimicry], Shiir can do that much.

After all, she is a high-level S-rank.

"That's surprising."

"That's why you can rest assured. Shiir will protect your sister. She's very caring and kind. Otherwise, she wouldn't teach her how to find food."

Shiir is one of the most human-friendly monsters in Avalon.

Our monsters can be divided into three types.

Human-friendly monsters like Shiir and the [Oath-bound Monsters] trio.

Monsters that don't lump humans together, treating allies as allies and enemies as enemies. Duke, the strategist, is the leader of this group.

And there are monsters that are indifferent to humans, seeing them as mere insects. ...Incidentally, the representative of this group is Avalon's biggest troublemaker, who is therefore not released from [Storage].

He is reliable in battle, but his behavior is too bad.

Surprisingly, there are almost no monsters who dislike humans.

They are either friendly, neutral, or uninterested.

"So, I can rest easy. I need to prepare this barley so we can eat it. I'm looking forward to what they bring back."

This girl is really kind-hearted.

While Shiir's strength brings reassurance, on the other hand, if she were to anger Shiir, she would be afraid of being killed.

◇

With nothing to do, I help with the housework at Kitsune's house.

This is something the monsters never let me do, so it feels fresh.

I'm peeling the barley to make it edible, and it's quite fun.

The white kernels shine through the brown husks.

"By the way, let me introduce myself. I am Procell, the Demon King of [Creation]. I built and managed the city of Avalon."

"Thank you for your introduction. I'm Kumin. I'm a villager of Ryuzetsu."

"Kumin, that's a good name. It's easy to call."

I like three-letter names, and I always name the monsters that way.

Quina, Rorono, Aura, Duke, Rui, etc.

Of course, there are exceptions.

"By the way, my sister is Arhi."

"Arhi, that sounds like a free-spirited name."

"Yes, I think so too. But, I feel ashamed for worrying her about household matters."

Life in this village is not going well.

In a closed environment, if you are ostracized, there's nothing you can do.

"If life here is hard, why not leave the village? There's a town where the villagers sell their crops. You could live there. Then you wouldn't be harassed."

"That's difficult. We can't reach there on our own, and even if we did, we don't have the money to live."

I see.

...Then, you have no choice but to try harder here.

"Kumin, if there was a city where you could immigrate immediately and live a much better life, what would you do?"

"Well, if there was such a city, I would want to go there with Arhi. Life here is exhausting."

I see, that's good to know.

Perhaps such a future is possible.

◇

When the barley preparation was finished, Shiir and her sister Arhi (Kitsune) returned.

The basket on their backs was overflowing.

"Wow, that's a lot. Can you really eat all of it!?"

"Of course. This Shiir chose them."

Shiir, with her blue hair swaying, had a proud look on her face.

"Sis, cook it! We worked really hard to gather all this."

"Okay, okay, let me prepare dinner... Wait, there are poisonous mushrooms in there! And they're all poisonous!"

"That's right. They're poisonous mushrooms."

"Why would you bring such things?"

"Because humans are stupid. They stop thinking when they see poison. If there's poison, you just need to neutralize it and eat it. Watch. First, wash these red mushrooms, then chop them and pile them up."

Shiir took a pot from [Storage], washed and chopped the red mushrooms, and put them in. They looked very poisonous.

"That's a Hibukuretake. Eating it will make your throat and face swell up, and it's a big problem."

"Sure, that's what happens. Next, do the same with these blue mushrooms."

"That's a Mikkakudashitake. If you eat even a little, you'll get diarrhea and won't be able to leave the toilet for three days."

"You know a lot. Then, add water and boil it. There's something like miso, so I'll borrow it. Boil it until it boils, tear some dried meat and add it, and wait a few more minutes. The mushroom soup is ready. Demon King, please taste it."

The mushroom soup, filled with two types of poisonous mushrooms.

If Kumin is right, eating this will make your throat and face swell up, and you'll have diarrhea for three days and three nights.

...But as a Demon King, most poisons don't affect me. Moreover, if I eat it, I can tell that it's poisonous even if it doesn't affect me, so I'm the best one to taste it.

I sip the soup.

It's very flavorful. Despite only using mushrooms, dried meat, and miso, it has a complex and strong taste.

The red mushrooms are similar to shiitake, and the blue ones are like button mushrooms.

They have a good texture and are quite addictive.

This is good.

"It's delicious. And it doesn't seem to have any poison."

"How can that be? There are two types of poisonous mushrooms in it."

"Hehehe, it's called neutralization. Poisons of this type cancel each other out. Humans don't use their heads, so they don't notice things like this. But, be careful when cooking. Usually, the poisons cancel out if the amounts are about the same, but if the amounts differ too much, the poison won't be neutralized."

While saying this, Shiir filled a bowl with the mushroom soup and gave it to the sisters.

The older sister still looks uneasy, but the younger sister, Arhi, sips the soup without hesitation.

"Ah, Arhi! Wait, it's dangerous if I don't try it first."

"Mmm... Phew, it's delicious! Sis, try it too!"

Arhi, with her fox tail swaying, happily sips the hot mushroom soup.

Despite being a fox, her mouth is puffed up like a squirrel, which is a bit funny.

"Is Arhi okay?"

"I'm fine, I feel more energetic."

"Of course. These mushrooms are rich in energy-boosting components. They provide various nutrients that you two lack."

While saying this, Shiir added more miso to make the soup richer, then added the barley to make a porridge.

She served it to Arhi, whose bowl was now empty.

"I'll eat this too."

"The barley version is much better. Second helping!"

"Third helping is not allowed."

"Mmm, I can still eat more."

"While it's good for digestion, eating too much will strain your weak organs. The rest is for tomorrow."

"...I understand. It's a shame. But, I'm happy to have eaten so much. Thank you, Shiir."

"For Shiir, this is a piece of cake."

Shiir looks happy.

And Arhi seems to be grateful to me as well, which feels good.

In a sense, this is the real meal.

Kumin also tentatively takes a sip.

"It's true. It's really delicious. ...It's been a long time since I had a good meal."

Unlike her sister, she has good manners. But her tail is wagging, and her emotions are not hidden, which is cute.

...It reminds me of Quina.

That girl also wagged her tail when she ate something delicious.

"Thank you. These mushrooms are not taken by anyone, so you can eat as much as you want. It's a big help."

"There are other things too. Some are dangerous to eat raw, so don't eat them until Shiir tells you."

"I understand."

The blessings left in the forest, where all the edible things have been taken.

This will support the sisters even after we leave.

Well, my stomach is full.

Then, it's time to learn about the Demon King.

"Kumin, you flinched when you heard 'Demon King' earlier. Is there a Demon King around here?"

"Yes, there is. About half a day's walk from this village."

"Hmm, what kind of Demon King is it? You flinched, so it must be a bad one."

"...In this area, he's a symbol of fear. Every year, he demands sacrifices, and if refused, monsters attack and destroy the village."

A demand for sacrifices.

Is this Demon King feeding on emotions in this way?

Most of the Demon Kings I know build dungeons, using treasures and the experience points of monsters as bait to lure humans, feeding on their desires and extracting fear and despair through monsters and traps.

However, sacrifices might not be a bad idea.

They provide a stable supply and strong despair.

But there are some questions.

"Does the country not act on this?"

"They have tried a few times, but were defeated. Now, they leave it alone, thinking that if the village can sacrifice a few people each year, it's acceptable."

A smart Demon King.

If he keeps increasing the number of sacrifices, the country will take serious action.

He is adjusting it to a level where the country doesn't think it's worth it.

And he has the strength to repel the country if they do take serious action. He is undoubtedly a powerful Demon King.

But this story raises another question.

"Why haven't Kumin and Arhi been chosen as sacrifices?"

Without parents and ostracized by the village, they are beautiful sisters, which the Demon King would like. There is no one easier for the village to discard.

"...Well, I was proposed to by the mayor's son last year, so I think I was spared."

"So, you were ostracized because you refused. Why did you refuse? If you married the mayor, you could have lived a comfortable life."

Kumin looked down and squeezed out her voice.

"Because I wouldn't be able to stay with Arhi. If I married, I would live in the mayor's house, and Arhi would be placed with another villager. ...At the time, Arhi and I talked and decided to live together, even if it meant being poor."

"I prefer being with my sister to having lots of food."

I thought it would be something like not liking the mayor's son, but it's not that.

It's a touching story. I don't mind such stories.

"I see, I understand a lot. It's no wonder the Demon King isn't liked here."

"Sir Demon King, what will you do? Will you attack? If possible, I'd like to wait for Shiir to recover. It seems to be a dangerous Demon King, so Shiir's power will be needed if something happens."

"You're right. [Storage] has him, but... I'm not sure if he's enough."

I want to rely on Shiir's adaptability.

Besides, it's so close. I can go anytime.

I'll pay a visit as soon as Shiir recovers.

And I'll gather information about this world.

◇

I was thinking about this, but a situation arose that prevented me from doing so.

The next morning, visitors came to the sisters' house and knocked on the door roughly.

When Kumin opened the door, a chubby middle-aged man and a lanky young man were there. Both looked like they had never done any labor.

From the way they looked at the sisters, I thought everyone in the village had fox ears, but it seems not. These two looked like ordinary humans... no, they had a somewhat ape-like appearance.

"Rejoice, Kumin, Arhi, you can be of use to this village. This year's sacrifices are you two."

The middle-aged man announced this, and Kumin turned pale.

What timing.

It's as if they were waiting for me to learn about the Demon King.

Thinking back, the sisters' encounter with me was too convenient.

It feels like they are being manipulated by some invisible thread.

...If that's the case, it's fine.

Even if this flow is set up by someone, it won't go as they planned. I'll rewrite it to my desired ending.

"Shiir, I'm sorry. I might not be able to wait for you to recover."

"I thought you would say that, Sir Demon King. ...That's what makes you Procell, the Demon King of [Creation]."

The plan has changed. I'll meet the Demon King of this world a bit earlier.

Not out of a sense of justice.

...These sisters are mine. I don't like the idea of them being taken away. That's all.

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