Chapter 34
At Ruben’s words, I looked around at the monsters. Surely, the murderous aura that had filled the cave had significantly dissipated.
It was the result of having earned the affection of all the monsters here.
Their once fierce eyes now shimmered gently, and the sharp teeth they had bared were mostly hidden.
The monsters had become as tame as puppies!
Ruben was genuinely impressed.
“Crescent, it seems you have a special ability to influence animals.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes. You have a natural talent for communicating with animals. Some people possess extraordinary abilities beyond even divine power. But to handle the beasts of the demon realm this effortlessly…”
Ruben’s gaze was far from ordinary. His eyes were filled with awe, as if he were staring at someone truly exceptional.
I felt a little embarrassed, not expecting him to be this amazed.
“Maybe it’s because I’ve liked animals ever since I was little. I always felt like I could communicate with them! And it’s perfect timing—now we can all feed them more efficiently!”
“What do you mean…?”
A certain paladin asked, curious.
I turned to face the monsters and spoke brightly.
“Everyone. From now on, let’s get along really well. I think we can give you more food faster now, but you’ll need to help me!”
“Kraaang!”
“Kyaaak!”
‘Just say the word! For the sake of meat!’
‘Hurry up! I’ll do anything you say!’
The monsters reacted enthusiastically. Feeling proud, I continued speaking.
“Haha. It’s nothing. The noble knights here love you all very much, too.”
At that, the knights widened their eyes. They seemed to be thinking, Since when have we loved monsters?
But they soon put on resolute expressions and nodded toward the monsters.
Yes. Indeed, they do love them.
“If you listen well to these knights, you’ll get more food. You mustn’t threaten them by trying to bite, nor rush ahead chaotically to eat first! Who will feed you if they get hurt? As you can see, I’m just a child—I can’t manage this alone.”
“Kyaaak!”
“Kweeeek!”
‘No! We can’t let our master struggle!’
‘I’ll listen! I’ll just eat the food quietly!’
“Good. Then let’s line up in a row. If you rush suddenly, the knights will be surprised, so stay calm! Understood?”
“Kraaang!”
“Kreng!”
The monsters let out cries and began moving. Their massive bodies shuffled carefully to avoid bumping into each other and soon formed a neat line.
Seeing this, Ruben exclaimed.
“Amazing! Truly amazing!”
“My goodness… the monsters are listening to a human—a child!”
“Shall we try feeding them again?”
At my question, the knights quickly wiped the shock from their eyes and ignited a renewed determination.
“Understood. This looks far more feasible now.”
The knights and Ruben rolled up their sleeves and picked up their skewers—no, swords. In the dark cave, the monsters’ bright yellow and red eyes gleamed.
With the murderous aura gone, the knights fed them with much more ease.
Would the monsters actually eat quietly in order?
The paladins swallowed hard. One of the monsters approached, devouring the meat on a sword skewer in one gulp.
Chewing the food happily, it moved to the end of the line.
They were really taking turns!
“Wow.”
“This is incredible… even monsters can follow order.”
The paladins kept marveling, smiles blooming across their faces.
Ruben looked particularly proud.
“Crescent, if this continues, I think that Count Izmir, that demon bastard, might show up at any moment. Monsters following human commands so well—even a demon would be shocked.”
“Yes. But to face Count Izmir, I think I need to get closer to these kids. I’ll keep working hard!”
“Understood.”
I busied myself feeding the monsters, building trust with them. How long did we do this?
During this time, I gave each of them a name and began listening to their recent worries.
“Kweeng. Kueck.”
‘Being trapped here is no fun. I used to be able to fly, but my wings were torn.’
“Huh? How did your wings get torn?”
“Kyaaaak! Kweeeek!”
‘At first, I thought some demon attacked me! Luckily, Izmir found me and saved me. He treated me carefully, but turns out he was the one who tore my wings! Traitor!’
“My goodness. No wonder demons are cunning… truly wicked. Should I avenge you?”
“Kyaaang!”
‘Avenge me! Tear all his hair out!’
“Oh dear, calm down. Lorellaine. Not just the hair—let’s aim for his head.”
I comforted the monster I named Lorellaine. She calmed down, raising my level in return.
Meanwhile, Ruben and the paladins steadily continued feeding the monsters. As a result, the affection grew faster than before.
I thought we were almost ready to fully win over these monsters.
Then suddenly—
“What… what… what is this?”
“!”
A high-pitched, melodic voice rang out.
Turning, I saw Count Izmir. I had expected him soon, but he had appeared far earlier than anticipated.
His pink eyes sparkled with curiosity and excitement.
As if discovering something truly marvelous and thrilling, Izmir approached us, his smile stretching from ear to ear.
“Good heavens! Slaves working this well!”
Ruben’s gaze toward Izmir hardened. He drew his massive silver sword.
“You’ve returned. Now is the time I’ll take you down. Don’t cowardly run away.”
“Whoa. Calm down. I didn’t come to fight—I came to compliment. What have you done to my cute little ones? Why are they hiding their teeth and claws as soon as they became my slaves?”
Ruben sneered at Izmir’s words.
“Didn’t I tell you? You picked the wrong human. We’re not ordinary humans.”
“Oh? I must be lucky indeed. Bringing in the finest slaves. Hey, slaves. Want to transfer to the demon realm? I’ll let you live lavishly here forever. You’ll get a huge mansion and tons of jewels. Stay here with me forever.”
Izmir clasped his hands tightly. His breathing quickened as he spoke, his pink eyes burning so intensely they seemed red.
As expected from a major demon of the realm.
He coveted us for taking such good care of the monsters. If we refused, he would force us to stay here.
But that would never happen.
“Wake up from your dream, demon. This time, I’ll throw you to these kids as food.”
“Hmph, my little ones are such dutiful children.”
Before Izmir could finish, Ruben stomped the ground. His sword clashed against Izmir’s whip once again.
At the same time, the paladins drew their swords and rushed forward, seeking openings.
Clang, clang, thwack!
Sword and whip moved at equal speed, neither gaining advantage.
Izmir wielded two whips as if they were part of his body, and Ruben defended them as if he had two swords.
It was hard to even see their hands.
As if this were his last chance, Ruben fought with more determination than ever.
Then—
Clang! Thud.
In the blink of an eye, one whip was severed.
Izmir’s eyes widened in shock, clearly not expecting this.
“Good heavens. Brilliant. Truly brilliant!”
“Next, I’ll cut off your limbs!”
Ruben roared and leapt into the air again.
At that moment, the severed whip wriggled and surged upward, straightening out and wrapping around a nearby paladin.
