45. The Wrong Encounter
What are the minimum conditions for a person to live?
Rice that satisfies the minimum amount of nutrients and soothes hunger, a house that provides a warm and safe home, and clothing that maintains body temperature and sometimes protects the body from external attacks.
Then, what are the minimum conditions for a demon to live?
Rice that satisfies hunger while satisfying the minimum amount of nutrients, a house that provides a warm and safe home, clothing that maintains body temperature and sometimes protects the body from external attacks—and magic.
It is known that even without two of these, the chances of humans and demons surviving are significantly reduced.
And here, the demons in a pitiful situation, failing to meet three of the minimum conditions for a demon to live, are walking staggeringly.
“I’m hungry… I’m hungry…”
My gray hair, disguised with minimal magical power and wax, had long since become crumbly, and I don’t even remember when I had a meal.
Argyle simply walked and walked westward, based on the rising and setting of the sun.
It was good until I got away from the hero, but after that it was a problem.
Where am I now? Somewhere else here I walked west for a long time, but why couldn’t I get out of the forest?
At first, Argyle moved his feet with hope, but the forced march, drinking only dew and not eating a proper meal, was enough for Argyle to step into the threshold of death.
“Hey… I’m hungry… I’m the commander of the Demon King’s Corps… Ugh…”
With no strength in her legs anymore, Argyle leaned against a tree and sat down.
On the 4th day of distress, Argyle reached its limit.
“Why is it still in the forest… Ugh…! Why do I have to suffer like this… hehehehe!…”
Argyle, who had always held on to his high-handed attitude, had long since collapsed due to hunger. Argyle just squeezed his sleeves in his hand and wiped away the tears that were welling up.
After a few days of starvation, nothing like a miracle in which her mana quickly filled up after showing her bottom did not happen.
Even the slowly recharging mana keeps draining out so that it doesn’t collapse due to starvation, so it’s practically the same as having no recharged mana.
There was also an option to charge his magic on the spot and send a rescue request to his brother, but Argyle’s pride did not allow him to bend the attitude he usually showed towards his brother.
What is that pride? I’d rather just send a rescue request.
Why do I always regret it after committing it?
Am I dying here like this?
I haven’t even said sorry to his brother yet.
She closed her eyes.
As Argyle kept her mouth shut, the forest, which had been tumultuous for a moment, returned to silence again.
Birds, insects chirping, and…
“…Smells delicious…”
Yes, it smells delicious.
The greasy smell of grilling meat is more fragrant than ever…
Argyle spurred on and got up, and she ran desperately toward the delicious smell.
“hehehe…! hehehe…!”
Through the grass, what is revealed is a forest that has finally come to an end, a vast field that stretches endlessly, a wagon that has stopped on the side of a well-polished dirt road, and a group of humans fighting a bout a short distance away.
“Ba… Bab…!”
And, it was the meat dripping with gravy over the bonfire next to the wagon.
Argyle let go of reason and sprinted out in front of the campfire.
* * *
“Kaak— Tweak! Damn bastards.”
Somehow, I thought the journey was too smooth.
I felt good even when I left the village, but after driving the wagon for half a day, a group of bandits came out of the forest.
There was no great damage, but just yesterday I had suffered a catastrophic wreck of a wagon by the roadside, so I was worried that the wagon’s wheels might be harpooned again.
I splattered the blood from my shortsword onto the floor and saw several thugs tied up in front of my eyes.
These bob buggers do such things because their life in the world is bleak, and they don’t even think about the victim’s point of view.
I grabbed the head of the most vicious guy in this raid.
“This chewy. Say it again.”
“Muh… What… Ghast…!”
“Tell me again. What? Aim for the wagon wheel?”
“Sorry… Sorry!”
“I’m sorry this is the end of it!!! Uh!!!!!!”
“Kyaaa!!!”
Duduk.
It was made into a body optimized for grabbing the neck and scratching the back.
As soon as the body with the back of the head and face reversed was thrown into the corner, the leader of the thieves, who had an impressive shiny bald head, started screaming with blood in his neck.
“My… My brother…! aaa!!! I will kill you!!!”
“Ah… Was that your brother?”
I didn’t know that.
“Release this!!! Let’s fight fair and square one-on-one!!!”
“Hey. I was showing mercy to your little brother. Still don’t know?”
“What mercy is this! You cruel bastard!!!”
“My ears hurt, so let’s talk quietly. Before you pull out your tongue.”
I put my palm on the boss’s bald head, Chap—! A cracking sound was heard.
I continued my conversation while rubbing his smooth bald head.
“If you look at your hair, that younger brother must be bald as well… Wouldn’t it be better to be merciful to let him go if he wants to live such a painful life?”
“Lee Iik…! Are you making fun of me for being bald!!! I will kill you!!! You must take my hand…!”
“Now, quiet. I was preparing dinner, but what is this because of you? The atmosphere of a friendly dinner has gone crazy. How will you take responsibility?”
“This madman…!”
I teased him about his bald head for a while, and I was amazed at how he climbed endlessly.
To think such a strong-willed guy would steal…
“The last days, the last days. If you were an adventurer, you probably would have made a name for yourself.”
The crimes of these guys are too bad to kill just one guy as an example.
I immediately grabbed the guy who made the second vicious remark by the collar.
I grabbed the boy with a bizarre fashion sense, wrapped in bandages in rainbow colors all over his face, by the end of his hair, and thrust a knife into his neck.
“Hey. What did you say?”
“That… that…”
“I remember everything you said. Say what you said without making a mistake.”
“Yeah… Kill the woman, rape the man…”
“…Again? Didn’t you say something while pointing at me?”
“…I wanted that smooth-looking guy over there, so don’t touch him…”
I can’t…! The words he uttered were nothing but cruel words that pierced my heart!
I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I grabbed him by the collar and screamed.
“Are you stealing and then abandoning the heavenly principles? Uh!!!!!!”
“Hey…! Sorry!!!”
“Sorry or die!!! It is good for the world that you die!!!”
“Ughhhhh…!”
Chack—!
Its filthy blood splattered across the grass.
My sinful life, I hope to be born as an earthworm in the afterlife…
Suddenly worried about the meat that was being grilled at the back of the wagon, I shook my butt off and stood up.
“Ooh… What about us!”
Have you been resisting by pretending to be strong until just now?
I still hold on to my defiant attitude, but I didn’t miss the sight of his eyes shaking like an earthquake.
The number of bandits remaining is four, including the boss.
As he said, how should I deal with the rest of the bandits?
As for how to deal with it, we can leave it to Royman, our almighty solver.
I approached Royman, who was gathering the corpses of the thieves far away.
“Hey, Royman. I interrogated that bastard, and I found out something shocking. I think you should know.”
“Brother? What is that…”
“Those bastards… Heresy! It’s heresy to believe in the devil! I’ve asked you all! Are you sure!”
“Here… Heresy!”
Listening to my words, Royman let go of the dragging corpse’s ankles and rushed toward the surviving thieves.
“THIS…THES THE HOLY GUYS!!! How dare you believe in a false existence!!!!!!”
“What…! aaah!!!!!”
“He wants your wrong beliefs set right!!!”
I heard a series of dull sounds crushing flesh and bones, but I decided not to look back.
“Princess Alexis. Sorry for the ugly sight.”
“No…They attacked us first.”
Princess Alexis was also a bit surprised by the bandits’ attack, which she had never seen before.
I took Princess Alexis and gestured toward Robin and Luna, who were burning her corpse in the far corner of her.
“Hey! Let’s eat!”
Hearing the sound of eating, Robin ran excitedly, and Luna came too, wiping the blood off her window with a cloth.
The meat on the fire must have been cooked just right by now.
“hehehe… After all, you should eat meat~”
“Sir! Did you sprinkle salt? Senior, you always forget about it…”
“Hey. Don’t worry, I’ve definitely sprayed it this time.”
“I was hungry, but it turned out well. It should be ripe by now…”
Luna’s words didn’t follow through.
“Omnyomnyomnyom… Mum-mum-mum…”
“…?”
We froze on the spot when we saw white hair swaying in front of the campfire.
“…Who is that again?”
In front of the girl who was biting into the meat with a happy expression, her perfectly fleshed bones were piled up.
They say they don’t even touch dogs when they’re eating, but that’s only true when they’re eating.
“Stop moving!!!!!!”
It’s a different story if you steal my rice bowl and eat it.
I guessed early that Argyale what’re her name is would end up somehow finding Austin…