In the morning, we returned to the hideout.
I imagined the inn district and residential areas would be in an uproar, like a hornet’s nest stirred.
I chugged down a drink after work.
“Another one~! Yaa~! Boss~~!”
Our celebratory toasts couldn’t be heard outside.
A soundproofing barrier was erected throughout the entire building.
Unless they broke through the windows or entrance, no commotion could be heard from inside.
“Boss~~///”
“For the reward~~///”
The families of those we killed, the final moments of their roommates.
That incident at the shop was quite the misfortune, chuckled ironically.
While we were talking, the prepared food and alcohol filled our stomachs.
And then, this was the reward for the work these guys, Hounds, were involved in.
“A few gold coins should be fine, right?”
Their lives are too cheap.
Hounds agreed to the reward amount.
I went outside.
Rustle rustle rustle rustle
Talk about the incident we caused was spreading.
Soldiers were frequently coming and going.
“The culprit is plural…”
“It’s terrifying…”
“We will definitely solve the incident.”
“Please refrain from such talk.”
Rustle rustle rustle rustle
Residents and soldiers were arguing.
I casually walked past, thinking, “Not my problem.” and headed towards the Royal Capital’s sewage treatment facility.
This facility was built with permission from King Engai, who complained about the Great Street being smelly from waste and looking bad.
Eras are cyclical.
Prophets say that no matter how much life prospers and develops, eventually, the developed civilization will perish, whether it’s between people, people and monsters, people and nature, or people and self-proclaimed individuals. And then, over several hundred years, civilization will slowly rebuild to a similar level of development.
My first kingdom perished.
My current kingdom is steadily approaching that point.
Truly, the era is looping.
“They were saying that the other day…”
Was there a woman tailing me?
McGillis is a handsome King, a true charismatic figure.
Compared to McGillis, I, in my current form as Heiggel, am quite inferior.
For her to be tailing me, was my face just that much to her liking? That’s impossible. My face is famous in the underworld.
Did she come to assassinate me? Or did she want to find my hideout?
I left the inn like smoke.
I’ll leave the woman to the Hounds.
The sewage treatment facility.
The first floor is a living space for the employees.
Officially, it’s designated as a reception room for guests and bedrooms.
“The employees’ facilities are a complete lie~”
The waste from their lives.
Man-made monsters exploit the employees.
The employees are a feast for the monsters.
“Well then, I wonder how many are still alive~?”
Residual mana remains even in the waste.
A feast and bait.
“Nngh!?”
The feasts in the first-floor facility are looking at me with hateful eyes, seeking help.
“You look lively~”
“Ngu~~!!”
Even if I’m gagged and the small monsters crawl all over their bodies, it doesn’t scare me.
“I’m not scared at all~?”
I don’t need reinforcements yet.
I’ll check the situation from underground with my Astral Body.
The cesspool hasn’t reached its maximum capacity yet.
Once it does, I’ll compress it using Space Magic.
I’ll turn it into small chunks and sell them to the merchant Wire.
Even if the mana is gone, even if it’s just waste, the compressed substance is an excellent nutrient source for crops.
“Monsters also eat it,” is their slogan.
“Well then, if you’re alive next time, shall we go for a walk outside?”
I ignored their choked screams and closed the door.
Two soldiers eyed me suspiciously as I left the premises.
“Excuse me for a momen- Gyaah!”
“Y-, You—AAARGH!”
“A hand chop to the throat and a knee strike to the stomach should do it, right? Well, goodbye.”
” “S-stop—!!” ”
I drew my weapon and slashed them.
The residents rarely come near this area due to the foul odor and filth.
So, I understood why the soldiers saw me and tried to question me.
“But dying like that just makes you an idiot~”
I spoke to my sword while absorbing the corpses.
I surveyed the surroundings, inside buildings and behind shadows, with my Astral Body to see if there were any witnesses.
…None.
I’ll return to the hideout and sleep.
◇◇◇◇◇
The mastermind who captured us and turned us into live bait for small monster larvae has appeared today.
“Nguu! Ngu’u!”
We screamed at the man to release us.
Even with the gag and the larvae crawling over our bodies, we continued to appeal to the man.
Even though it was probably futile, we wanted to forget this hell, even for a moment. This was hell. Our body fluids, and likely our Possessed Magic Power, were continuously drained, and we were forced to eat the drool of the fully grown monsters. It was truly hell.
The man’s name is Heiggel.
When the subordinates brought us in, they called the lower-ranking man that.
Ignoring our voices, he stood there for a few minutes, and when he was done, he left outside.
Damn it! I hate this hell!
The person next to me thrashed around, screaming to be killed quickly, causing the monsters to fly towards me.
Shit. Don’t throw monsters at me!
*Thump. Buzz.*
I violently shook my body sideways, trying to throw off the monsters swarming me.
“Ngannnn!? Nnnbuuunnn!!”
“Nnnn’! Ndaaan!!”
Probably thinking: What the hell are you doing, you brat!? You’re making the monsters fly!
To which I retorted: You started it! Don’t mess with me!
The man and I, exhausted from the pointless monster-throwing, were sweating profusely.
Unable to shake off the monsters crawling on our faces, our vision was a hazy yellow from their slimy bodies. It wasn’t a pleasant sight, but closing my eyes sharpened my other senses. Both were hell. I wished I could just pass out. However, the monsters’ body fluid seemed to have a stimulating effect, so no matter how much we raved or became exhausted, we couldn’t lose consciousness. The only way to lose consciousness was through death.
Swarms swarms
