Kieeeek!!
Unfortunately, Yane’s desperate struggle for freedom came to an end in less than five seconds.
Perhaps it was because she was tightly connected to Shia as the first subordinate, but Shia quickly caught on to Yane’s intention to escape and blocked her escape route, cleverly using her tentacles to grab Yane’s ankle from a position hidden from Yoonjeong and Yeonhwa.
Woodduk…!
Moreover, the force felt from her ankle was anything but normal.
“…Kki, Kki…?”
“Oh dear, if you come along obediently, there’ll be no pain.”
“…..”
Pain isn’t the problem, you master!!!
Upon hearing the term [Bladed Centipede Fry], Yane’s mind immediately conjured up a horrific future that awaited her.
Now that she looked closely, the menu was boldly displaying [Bladed Centipede Fry] and [Bladed Centipede Soup], and if that was true, Yane was doomed to have her tail forcibly torn off every time those two dishes were ordered.
If she allowed it even once, that would be the end.
While the tail itself had no feeling, the sensation of having her flesh torn away would never be anything pleasant.
“Y-Yoonjeong m…m-m-m-mass…..!!! Ugh, mmm!?”
“Shh.”
However, Shia, casually putting an arm around Yane’s shoulder, shoved her finger into Yane’s mouth, holding her tongue and sealing her speech.
“Huh? Yane says let’s go?”
“Nothing, Mom. I just thought I could use a little help with cooking.”
“Is that so?”
“Sister Shia, if you’re busy, I can help too!”
“It’s okay. Just wait a moment, I’ll be right back.”
“…Mmm, mmm…!”
In the end, Yane was dragged into the kitchen by Shia, just like a terrified kid being pulled along by a scary neighborhood bully.
“Kki, kki…?”
Could it be that excessive fear returns heightened intelligence to its original state?
Yane could only scratch her neck and shudder.
No, precisely, it was more about being close to outright refusing to think due to overwhelming fear.
“Want to stay here for a moment? Just don’t try to run away.”
“Kki, hick…!”
Yane, who had never really thought about defying her master, had to truly believe that there would be no more escape routes once they reached the kitchen.
Tak tak… Chicken brine… tak tak… It’s done.
“Yes, thank you! I’ll fry it right away.”
“Hi, hick…!?”
W-What are you frying!? Me!?
Sitting in the kitchen courtesy of Shia, Yane could see that the Grasshopper Chef was also caught by Shia and forced into terrifying manual labor (?), and on the other side of the wall, a giant chicken creature was flopping around weakly.
Though it hadn’t been shackled at hands and feet, Shia must have used her divine power to inscribe a sealing miracle, as the chicken creature’s attempts to escape had all ended in failure.
Chicken and chicken parts being brined or being fried crisply…and that giant chicken creature…
Having speculated the connection between chicken and chicken creature, Yane instinctively felt that a similar fate awaited her.
Kyyaaaak!! Hell, it’s hell!! This is hell!!
The saintess, they said!
My master is supposed to be a saintess!!
What kind of saintess is this??
Ah, it must be because she’s not a saintess of monsters, but a saintess of humans? Right!?
Oh no, I’m dying.
I thought I’d finally live a bit cheerfully, but instead I’m becoming a saintess’ meal…
Thud!
“Hick!?”
While Yane was silently screaming in despair, Shia began to drop a breaded chicken into the oil and approached Yane.
In one hand, the kitchen knife gleamed ominously.
Ah, it’s the end…!
The words of Elder Mandragora echoing daily in Yane’s mind replayed as she trembled in fear.
“Here.”
Kki..ek?
“Take it.”
Yane was stunned, unable to comprehend her master’s behavior of not cutting off her own tail with the knife.
“What’s wrong? Why do you look so scared?”
Noticing Yane’s puzzled expression as she surveyed the surroundings without accepting the knife, Shia soon seemed to pick up on Yane’s state and smirked.
Ah-hah.
…Kki, this…?
“Did you really think that just because I took a order for a Bladed Centipede Fry, I would actually cook your tail?”
“……”
Yane found herself at a loss for words, having been too correct in her assumption, and she finally accepted the knife Shia was offering.
“Pfft, Yane. No matter what, I’m your master. I may play excessive pranks now and then, but that doesn’t mean I don’t cherish you.”
“…….Kki..i….!?”
R-Really!?
“Still, no matter how you slice it, you’re my first subordinate, the very first to receive my baptism.”
To dispel Yane’s doubts, Shia began to gently pet her head.
“Of course, for the sake of flavor, a fresh Bladed Centipede tail would be preferred…”
“Kyaak!?”
“Half of that was a joke.”
“Kyaak! So half is serious!? It’s serious, right!?”
“You’ve suddenly become quite articulate. You seem to have been attending the Korean Language Academy well, huh?”
“……”
“Anyway, don’t worry. No master would eat their subordinate.”
With that, Shia retrieved something kept in a vacuum pack by a transport drone.
All of it was Bladed Centipede.
Having cooked Bladed Centipede fry and soup in the Rotten Mountain dungeon before, Shia had kept those remainings in a vacuum pack for later consumption.
However, as Shia preferred diverse cuisine, the dishes made from Bladed Centipede had been forgotten for a while, and now that she was running a restaurant, the forgotten ingredients were finding new life.
Though whether one could call that a normal ingredient was a different question entirely.
Huff…
Looking at the segments of her kind preserved in vacuum packs, Yane finally let out a sigh of relief.
Actually, stating they were of her kind felt odd now, but still.
“See? Before you saw this vacuum pack, you seriously thought I was going to eat you?”
“Kki…ek…”
Seeing Yane hang her head at Shia’s seemingly hurt remark made her feel guilty.
Certainly, Yane thought she had been too harsh on her master, who had changed her gecko life.
“Well, to be honest, I did kind of act misleadingly on purpose to frighten you.”
Hick..!
That’s a cancellation of what I just said.
It’s true that masters don’t really change…!
“Kkii…i…”
“Okay then, let’s cut this quickly. The customers must be waiting.”
By now, Yane was shivering, doing it almost out of habit, and began cutting the segments of Bladed Centipede Shia had handed her from the vacuum pack.
Kkiee… by the way, who would even order such a dish…?
In the eyes of Hunters, Shia’s restaurant was rumored to be a top chicken spot.
The freshly brined meat of the performing chicken creatures, which was carefully prepared and fried in real-time, was praised even by the picky Hunters from all around the world who came to try it.
News of Shia making actual normal food had led Yoonjeong to invite Yane and Yeonhwa to join him in Green City.
Although Shia made more than just chicken, the chicken from the performing chicken creature was probably considered one of the more normal dishes by human standards.
Ah, who would even order Bladed Centipede fry?
Seemingly reading the question on Yane’s face, Shia pointed to one side of the kitchen where the dining hall was visible.
Yoonjeong and Yeonhwa were seated, and directly opposite them sat something slightly smaller—no, upon closer inspection, they weren’t even humans.
They resembled rats, with twitchy heads and tails, nervously quaking.
Scavengers.
Click, click, click
Chiiik, I’m hungry, hungry..!
Wait. If you don’t wait, you’ll be attacked.
Right, right!
…Kki? Rat bastards…?
“Yep, rats. Sewage Scavengers.”
The very scavenger race that had attacked Shia’s restaurant not too long ago was now quietly seated at a table, waiting for food, making Yane tilt her head in confusion.
“Why are you letting them in…? Kkiak?”
The Yakuza centaur and scavengers had attacked Shia’s restaurant, all while the Hunters and Yane were resting on the train.
Naturally, without Shia needing to do anything, those who had been eating there swiftly hunted down the attacking centaurs and scavengers, and those currently waiting at the table were the resurrected scavengers, reborn with the dawn in Green City.
Having experienced defeat once, they knew the disparity of power, and even though Shia’s restaurant was located in the dominion of the centaurs and scavengers, the two factions likely decided to refrain from causing any further trouble since Shia had not invaded their domain.
Of course, anyone who knew that those little monsters had previously bombed Shia’s restaurant wouldn’t think kindly of scavengers.
No matter how small, they were beings and monsters who casually kill, and they had even attacked Shia’s eatery.
The restaurant now saw fewer hunter guests since it was past dinnertime, but the few patrons remaining at tables were casting unfavorable glances at the scavengers.
“Why are you letting them in?”
Kkiie…ek…?
“Since my restaurant is established in Green City, I thought about welcoming residents of Green City from the start.”
Letting in monsters and entities as customers…?
Yane stared at Shia with suspicion, while Shia flicked Yane’s antennae with her finger in response.
Of course, Green City operated quite oddly with its self-sufficient food supply structure.
Using the gimmick of resurrection, even monsters can devour each other or weaker kinds or even capture and eat other races.
Other butchers, stores, and restaurants run by residents of Green City were more like affiliates of a mafia or monster clan operating under the guise of shops.
Naturally, few actual restaurants operated with true business, much like Shia or the Grasshopper Chef.
That’s why most hunters chose to spend time on the train instead of heading out to Green City.
“You used to be a monster too, you know.”
Kkii…
“In 2088, it’s common sense that monsters should be killed by humans. But I believe that if a monster acts like a human, then at least they should be treated like one.”
“…But.”
“I know. If those hearing my words have experienced a Great Rift or lost something to a monster, it might sound like utter nonsense. No, even Yoonjeong or Teresa would surely curse me out if they heard it, right? Oh, except for Yeonhwa, she probably wouldn’t curse me…”
I can’t deny that it’s a naïve thought.
“Of course, those fellows all deserve to die as monsters. I have no intention of arguing that fact. Their deeds are just as wicked and cruel as monsters should be. According to the Grasshopper Chef, those scavengers were originally exploiting weaker creatures here in these streets, but what if I asked you if all scavengers are like that?”
Kkiie!? My head… it hurts…
“Yesterday, a kobold family that was battling for food came by wanting to fry chicken. The day before that, some scouts from the Grakshar orc clan who had made some agreement with the Hunter Train came to eat the chicken I made. And today, a scavenger who attacked the Grasshopper’s restaurant showed up begging for food because they were so hungry. I wouldn’t be surprised if the centaurs or succubi running business in the alleys came along anytime soon. Just like humans.”
“…Kii…”
“Do you think it’s right to drive them all away? Or do you think we should smash those evil monsters that attacked my restaurant? Menelapie and Teresa will do as I say. Of course, if I ask them, they’ll offer advice or counsel, but at least that indicates that so far, I haven’t crossed any lines. So, what’s your thought, Yane?”
“……….”
“Right, complex, huh? I feel the same way. It’s easier to think that just because they’re monsters, they should all be killed. In fact, most hunters are like that. Oh, I’m not saying that’s wrong. Earth has undergone a Great Rift after all. A moment’s mistake or some unnecessary mercy could result in letting a goblin slip through, and before you know it, an entire village could be obliterated or innocent lives could be lost. But on the flip side, there’s a slim chance that that goblin might repay the hunter who spared them out of gratitude.”
While there aren’t many goblins that would understand such concepts of gratitude and grudges… With that, Shia began applying batter to the Bladed Centipede.
The batter was easy as it was the leftover from frying the performing chicken.
However, Yane still looked confused after hearing Shia’s words.
“So I decided for now not to think too deeply about it. When it comes to potential, intelligent beings have many doors opened for them. For now, I’ll just feed those who crawl in looking for food. If they show any intent to harm others or act up in front of me…”
Shia then used a purification miracle on the Bladed Centipede segment Yane had cut and continued.
“Then it’s fine for me to squash them myself. I was an executioner, after all. If they eat the food I give them but still commit crimes, then I will definitely make them face their punishment, so you don’t have to worry.”
Yet at this moment, their customers were still guests.
At least, for the time being.
But where could the Mint Queen have gone?
Off to play somewhere?
○○○○
The sky of Green City darkened again.
The time of revival and resurrection had come to an end, replaced instead by the time of slaughter.
But neither monster would cease.
For each having their own purpose.
Some for survival.
Some for food.
Some to protect family.
Others for their gangs.
For family.
For their group.
For vengeance.
As darkness fell, the resurrected monsters flailed their limbs like humans, melting into the shadows of Green City.
Simultaneously, the green mist that had cloaked the sky during the day began to descend to shroud the city by night.
When the mist completely settled, the city would be enveloped in an even deeper darkness.
The mysterious green sun that resurrected the monsters in the city was an enigmatic entity, but that unidentifiable green mist felt utterly unpleasant.
The alleyways coated in concrete were marred with holes leading who knows where. From those holes, a vile red humidity occasionally oozed out.
And meanwhile, a woman with her hair tied up in two braids strode boldly into the alley cloaked in thick green mist.
Clack clack clack
At a glance, she appeared to be merely a human clad in a hunter suit, but from her hair tips dripped a viscous, fluid-like substance.
Since you guessed it from her hair leaking this fluid, she was none other than the Slime Empress, now forced to be a part of Shia’s entourage, living the life of an A-grade hunter—Kim Hana.
While Hana was inadvertently lured to Shia’s restaurant, her initial purpose for stepping into Green City was to track the mysterious voice echoing in her head.
“Not here either…”
With a hint of disappointment, Hana lowered her head as the fluid oozing from her hair swirled around, floating in the air, emitting a metaphysical hue.
The slime’s once nearly colorless liquid body had stained red from blood.
Though to well-prepared foes, a lone human would appear as a well-set piece of prey, Hana had faced hundreds of monsters along her way here, so it was inevitable.
“Should I just head back?”
Despite running faster than an average human, if another hunter reliant on their senses had wandered into this green mist, they would have been ensnared in the maze-like alleys of Green City.
Compared to the average inhabitants of this city, Hana is significantly more powerful, but Green City is a dungeon where monsters and beings can be resurrected upon death.
With the realization that the monsters here unfazed through death make ceaseless attempts to attack, self-restraint is the correct choice for Hana.
[Awa…]
“!?”
And just as she turned to head back to the train, the familiar presence she sensed in her brain caught her once more.
It was very near.
Kim Hana immediately bolted toward the source of the brainwave.
As the air shifted around her, she quickly felt the familiar dampness and pungent blood odor of a vast sewer.
And then…
“M-Mother…?”
[……Ah…]
In one corner of the sewer, a wolf-human sprawled out.
Yet parts of the wolf-human’s body and its head were infested with a blood-colored slime, writhing like a parasite, spreading as if to infect the walls of the sewer nearby.
That’s right.
It was her mother.
The mother of Blood Swamp and the progenitor to numerous mutated slimes.
As soon as Hana saw the red liquid devouring her wolf-human form, she instantly recognized it was her mother.
[…My child.]
“M-Mother!!!!”
Her mother was indeed a reality!
The mother who was rumored to have been turned into cold noodles and eaten by the fearsome Mangja Seongnyeo!
Amidst streaming down blood-like tears, Hana embraced her mother.
That her mother, who had perished in the Blood Swamp, found herself in the sewers of Green City didn’t matter at all.
The mere fact that Hana was meeting her mother was infinitely more important.
[It’s… you, my child.]
“Y-Yes! Mother! Mother… Mother… Ugh… It’s your child! Sniff…!”
The Slime Empress, having taken on human traits and experiences after becoming Kim Hana, felt the joy and sorrow of reunion.
Had she still existed as a Blood Slime, she wouldn’t have possessed the capacity to feel such profound emotions.
“Sniff…”
Is reunion really like this?
Is sorrow allowed to co-exist with joy?
Hana wept bitterly while feeling the contact of her mother engulfed by the wolf-human body.
Crackle, crackle!
“M-Mother…?”
As she felt her mother squeezing her neck tightly, Hana stopped crying and lifted her gaze.
Having mourned for so long, she hadn’t paid much attention to her mother’s condition at all.
[Strange…]
“What? What’s wrong? Ah, you see, I became this way because you took a human form after… the Blood Swamp…”
[I cannot consume you. What did you do?]
“……What?”
At her mother’s words, Hana’s face stiffened as she embraced her.
She, her child, could not be consumed?
What did that even mean, Mother?
[It is strange. Consuming my children is straightforward. Yet, you strangely can’t become Hana anymore.]
Ahaha, what on earth is this… Was Mother incredibly hungry?
“H-Haha… Mother, what do you mean by that? Ah! Could it be you’re really starving? If so, I can quickly provide something for you to…”
[My child.]
“Y-Yes, yes!”
[Quickly, offer your body.]
“What?”
[Didn’t I communicate my intention clearly? Offer me your body.]
“…….”
The intention was readily apparent.
Originally, a slime is a fluid entity.
And the method the [Mother] slime uses for growth is to devour her offspring and kin, utilizing the mass to maintain her colossal core.
Through that process, the numerous slime fragments, and remains serve as her new forms and weaponry.
When the [Mother] gives birth to offspring, those children are also her segments, spare bodies, and food.
[You are my child. I birthed you. I made you.]
“Y-Yes… yes… that’s… right…”
That was an undeniable fact.
Before becoming Kim Hana, the human and Slime Empress, she was created by her mother slime to survive and inhabit human bodies.
To execute every order from her mother and to act as her faithful child, that was the initial purpose of existence as a Blood Slime.
Yet now, Kim Hana had changed significantly.
[So, yield. Your body.]
“……..Mother.”
[I am starving. This body has many flaws. I cannot use it. Thus, relinquish your body to me. Hurry. Quickly.]
At that statement, Hana relived the moment she had received the baptism from the saintess and had become a being of the Slime Empress.
Because she had ascended to exist beyond her mother, if Hana did not give permission, her mother couldn’t simply consume her.
[What is this supposed to mean? Why are you refusing to offer yourself? Have you malfunctioned?]
Had it been during her time as a Blood Slime, she would’ve immediately complied with her mother’s command without hesitation.
However, at this moment, Hana was acutely aware.
‘…If I yield my body, what… what happens to me?’
If she yields her body, she would die… no, the very existence of Kim Hana would completely vanish.
