NOVPUBThe monster claimed to be human and called us monsters. It was a ridiculous situation.
"Interesting."
"Interesting? What did it say?"
"It claims to be human and calls us monsters."
"Oh... what a stupid monster."
Unlike Ainar, who laughed it off, the other teammates had mixed reactions.
Some found it amusing, like me. Some were curious. Others were slightly annoyed.
Surprisingly, Bersil, the mage, didn't show much of a reaction.
Maybe it was because she was a player. If Raven had been here, she would have been ecstatic, demanding to know more.
[What are they saying?]
The little monster asked me.
It seemed to be picking up on our reactions.
[They're discussing your claim to be human.]
[...Is there anything to discuss?]
[Of course there is.]
[Who are you?]
It asked a fundamental question, and I thought for a moment before answering. There was a word that encompassed humans, barbarians, fairies, beastmen, and all other races.
[We're explorers.]
[Explorers...?]
[Have you never heard of it?]
The little monster raised its right index finger and pointed downwards. It seemed to be the equivalent of nodding in their culture.
[Explorers... what are explorers?]
[People who wander through the labyrinth, searching for new things and slaying monsters.]
[...So you're from beyond the island.] 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝖔𝔪
[That's right.]
I pointed my index finger downwards, and the little monster tapped its finger twice.
This was strangely entertaining.
"It seems like this conversation will take a while. Everyone, stay alert."
"Understood."
We switched to a defensive formation and began building rapport with the little monster.
[Want some of this?]
[What is it?]
[Jerky. Dried meat.]
[That's not what I asked.]
[Huh?]
I tilted my head, and the little monster asked, as if genuinely confused,
[What does 'eat' mean?]
I was momentarily speechless, but it didn't seem to be joking.
So I explained.
[It means chewing food with your teeth and swallowing it.]
Like this.
I chewed a piece of jerky and swallowed it, and the little monster looked disgusted.
[...Ugh. That's strange. Teeth are for killing enemies...]
[Then you don't eat anything?]
[Of course not! How can you put something like that... inside your body?!]
It looked strange, saying that with its tiny body and sharp fangs...
[S-Sometimes we accidentally swallow things while fighting... but usually, we don't!]
This was interesting.
It was similar to how monsters behaved.
[So you can survive without eating anything?]
[Of course. As long as we drink enough life water, we humans can live forever.]
[Life water...?]
I asked, and the little monster took out a small ceramic bottle from its bag.
It drank from the bottle.
[This is life water.]
[Can I have some?]
[…………Sure.]
It seemed reluctant, but it handed me the bottle.
Okay, I had secured a sample.
"Bersil, do you recognize this?"
"Just a moment... It has a high mana density..."
I hadn't expected her to know, but Bersil immediately identified the liquid.
"This... it's ground-up magic stones dissolved in water."
"...Magic stones?"
"Yes. It's the same as the mana water used in the city. They're made the same way."
Mana water was an essential ingredient for creating magic tools.
But they drank this?
[Hey, is this 'life water' made from magic stones... or rather, stones you get from killing monsters?]
[Yes... why? And I'm not 'hey', I'm Marupichi!]
[Alright, Marupichi. I'm Bjorn, son of Yandel.]
[...Strange name.]
Marupichi... or Maru for short, said that and then shyly(?) extended its index finger. I also extended my finger and touched it.
"What are they doing?"
"I don't know. Looks like a handshake."
"What information have you gathered? Did you find out the location of the village?"
Ah, right...
I should have asked that sooner. I had been distracted by the conversation.
"I'm working on it."
"I see... It's probably not that easy. Even a child wouldn't reveal such important information to the enemy. Let me know if you need my help."
"...Understood."
I suppressed my curiosity and focused on the important questions.
[Marupichi, where's the entrance to your village?]
Unlike Amelia's concerns, Maru, the kind-hearted child who had freed the explorers, didn't hesitate to answer.
It wasn't the answer I had hoped for, though.
[There isn't one. Not right now...]
[Huh?]
[The adults closed it. No one can enter the village until they open it again... not even me...]
Ah, so that's why it was hiding in the bushes.
[Do they usually close the entrance?]
[No... Not unless it's the rainy season.]
Rainy season? Does it even rain here?
It made sense. If it was an underground village, there would be problems during heavy rain.
[Then why is it closed now?]
[It's probably because of me.]
[Because of you?]
[Yes. The adults think the captured monsters escaped...]
I thought they would send out a search party, but then I realized they probably thought the explorers were still hiding inside the village.
They would have sealed the entrance and started searching.
'It's been about four hours since they escaped... They'll probably figure it out soon and come looking for us...'
I shared the information with my teammates.
And then we voted.
"The question is, 'How should we treat these monsters who claim to be human?' There are two options."
"Two?"
Amelia asked, and I nodded.
"We can befriend them."
Or...
"We can kill them all."
Either way, it would be an explorer-like choice.
_________________________
"Befriend them...? Monsters?"
Some were incredulous.
Others questioned the feasibility of such a plan.
"Why would we even want to befriend them?"
"They're the natives. They'll know a lot about this place."
"Can't we just ask this one?"
Well, how much could a child know?
To get high-quality information, we needed to talk to the adults.
Amelia was still skeptical.
"If that's the reason, we can just capture an adult and interrogate them."
"That might be difficult. This one was easy because it's a child. The adults might be more resistant."
"Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I do. But we don't have to resort to violence yet. We don't even know how strong they are. And besides, you said we shouldn't kill anyone unless necessary, didn't you?"
"That was when we were dealing with humans."
"Ah."
"...So, if we can't befriend them, what's the next step?"
Amelia cut to the chase, and I answered without hesitation.
There were only two options, after all.
"We kill them all."
"I see. Then I vote for befriending them."
"Really?"
"I'm also curious about them."
We started voting, Amelia first.
And...
"Three votes for befriending them, and three votes for killing them."
It seemed like my vote would decide the outcome again.
I turned to Marupichi.
And just as I was about to make my decision...
Whiiiish!
A warrior's instincts detected a threat.
Someone, somewhere, was attacking.
Before I could even process the information, my body reacted.
Thud!
An arrow struck my shield.
I was surprised.
'...It actually pierced the shield.'
It hadn't gone all the way through, but the arrowhead was stuck in the plywood.
It seemed to be a pure physical attack.
"Battle stations!"
I shouted and turned towards the direction the arrow had come from.
Monsters emerged from the bushes, armed with various weapons.
'They're here to rescue the child.'
The arrow must have been a distraction.
As soon as I realized their intentions, I dropped my shield. And then I grabbed Marupichi.
[Eek!]
It was my new shield.
[Let go! Let go of me!]
It struggled and shrieked, but it was a perfect shield.
I charged forward, holding Marupichi.
The monsters hesitated.
[...Coward...]
[...Using a child as a hostage...]
They couldn't attack me without risking the child's life.
[...M-Maura! Uncle Maura!]
[Don't worry! We'll save you!]
It seemed like they all knew the child.
'Why are they using honorifics? Is it a high-ranking member?'
If that was the case, it would be even better.
I raised Marupichi and shouted,
[Drop your weapons! Or the child dies!]
Amelia muttered,
"Unexpected. I thought you would try to befriend them."
"Huh? I am trying to befriend them."
I replied, and Amelia asked,
"...This is how?"
"This is how we bond. We fight, and then we become friends."
We had done the same thing, hadn't we?
_________________________
Silence.
[He spoke our language.]
[How can a monster speak our language?]
[Could it be... what the Elder said... ?]
The monsters stared at me, hesitant to attack.
And after about a minute...
Thump, thump.
A large monster emerged from the bushes. It was at least 3.5 meters tall.
It was carrying a large bow.
So this was the archer.
[Are you the leader?]
I asked, and the monster replied,
[How can you speak our language? You're a monster.]
[Drop your weapons. Then I'll tell you.]
My shield answered.
[...F-Father! Don't! I'm okay...!]
Wait... father?
"Haha! Look at Bjorn's evil grin! Those monsters are as good as dead!"
...Did I grin?
I didn't remember, but I focused on the conversation.
[Don't interfere. Chichi.]
[But...]
[I said be quiet!]
[…….]
The shield shut up after being scolded by its father.
Right, children shouldn't interrupt adult conversations.
[Last chance. If you want your son to live, drop your weapons—]
[Monster, I invite you to our village.]
[………What?]
I thought I had misheard, but he repeated himself.
[I invite you to our village. Do you not understand? It's not a difficult word.]
Well... it wasn't about the word itself.
[Do you really think I'll accept your invitation in this situation?]
This monster seemed intelligent. I couldn't underestimate them.
We were outnumbered, and if they ambushed us, we would be in trouble.
I couldn't trust them yet.
[You refuse my invitation...? How barbaric.]
[Hanging corpses from trees is civilized?]
[...Your companions are safe. We won't harm them. Lower your weapons.]
How could I trust them?
[If you wish, you can keep my son—]
[No.]
I refused, and he didn't press the issue.
He just made a strange request.
[Then can you wait? Just for a moment.]
Was he calling for reinforcements?
I was a little uneasy, but I agreed.
I couldn't sense any hostility from him.
'...He seems less hostile now that I can speak their language.'
After about ten minutes...
[It's the Elder...]
[Make way.]
The monsters parted, and an old monster with a white beard approached us.
[Greetings. What is your name?]
His voice was gentle.
[Bjorn, son of Yandel.]
[A good name. Nui! Take the warriors and step back! I need to speak with them.]
I didn't know their culture, but the monsters obeyed the Elder's orders without question.
[Forgive me. This is a private matter.]
[Private... ?]
The word sounded strange, but the Elder just smiled.
[I haven't introduced myself. I am Brugrid, the Elder of this village.]
[Brugrid?]
I had heard that name before.
"Emily, do you know anyone named Brugrid?"
"One of the Last Sage's companions had that name."
Ah, that's why it sounded familiar.
I turned back to the Elder.
He extended his hand.
"Don't be alarmed. It's just a handshake."
"Ah..."
I shook his hand.
And then I realized.
"You said your name was Bjorn, son of Yandel?"
The Elder was speaking.
Not in ancient language, but in Lafdonian.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. You must be an explorer from Lafdonia."
What?
"Yes. How long has it been? Since you arrived here?"
Who was this guy?
