I went around to every grocery store in the village, but it seemed they didn’t separate and sell flour by type.
The villagers here only kneaded the flour moderately and baked it over a hearth, so it was clear that I couldn’t find any cake flour.
“Haha! How was my performance? Wasn’t it perfect?”
“I wish you’d say something more helpful….”
Arsep was trying to fix the situation after realizing, belatedly, that she had just made a slip of the tongue.
But honestly, all she was doing was digging her own grave deeper.
It was to the point where even Flua next to her was looking at her with sympathetic eyes.
The best I could do was pretend I hadn’t heard anything and ignore it.
“So, you didn’t find the flour for making a cake?”
“It doesn’t seem like it. Even if I tried to make a cake with the flour sold here… Actually, wait, maybe this will work?”
“Well, I’ll go back and try it out. I’ve bought everything I need, so we can head back now.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I was even considering going to the city tomorrow if necessary.”
I had no way of knowing whether the flour sold here was strong, medium, or cake flour.
However, the flour usually sold in places like this tended to be medium flour, so unless it was strong flour, it should at least be edible as a cake.
Besides, even if I made a cake with strong flour… well, it might be hard to tell if it was bread or rice cake, but at least it would technically be a cake.
“So, what exactly brought all these adventurers here? I’ve never seen so many adventurers gather in the village before.”
“From what I overheard, it seems like it’s because of a monster. Could a dangerous monster have appeared nearby?”
The village was supposed to be protected from monsters or demonkind thanks to the Hero’s Monument.
Though Arsep had entered the village unharmed, she was in such a peculiar state that it felt unfair to even call her a demon, so I let it slide.
Seeing the adventurers mobilize despite the monument, it seemed like there must indeed be a dangerous monster.
Or maybe it was a demon.
“You know, I heard they found the young of a Goliath Okeater by the roadside.”
“A Goliath Okeater?”
“Yes, it’s a colony-type monster known to have its nest within a 10 km radius when its young are found.”
The fruit store lady waved her hand as she spoke.
When I asked the villagers what was going on, it turned out that the reason for the influx of adventurers was due to a monster called the Goliath Okeater.
I had no idea what a Goliath Okeater was, but judging by the name alone, it sounded like a big monster that ate orcs.
“Well, we’re safe in the village, but it’s not like we stay inside all the time. We still need to go to the coast to buy necessary supplies, so the village chief decided to hire adventurers for safety.”
“I see….”
In short, they hired adventurers to handle this Goliath Okeater monster.
But rather than hunting it, the adventurers seemed to be gathering information from the villagers. Did they perhaps not know where the monster was?
“Well, apparently, it’s already dead. The adventurers managed to find its nest, but all they found inside was the monster’s corpse.”
“Really? Then that’s a relief since no one got hurt and the monster has been dealt with.”
“Ah, it’s not that reassuring, though.”
“You’d think it would be a good thing for the monster to be dealt with without them lifting a finger, but the villagers didn’t seem convinced.”
“If it wasn’t the adventurers who killed it, then that means there’s something even more dangerous than the Goliath Okeater around here. If something comparable to a high-ranking demon managed to wipe it out like that, it could become a bigger problem.”
“Oh… now that you mention it, that does sound concerning.”
After hearing the story, I understood the situation.
The fact that a dangerous monster was found dead implied that an even more dangerous creature was responsible, making things worse.
***
“Anyhow, be careful on your way back. And make sure to keep your wife and daughter safe.”
“Oh, my wife….”
“Haha, don’t worry. I’ve hunted my fair share of monsters.”
“Even so, don’t be too overconfident. Here, I added a few extra apples, so make sure to come again next time.”
“Thank you very much. Goodbye.”
The fruit store lady even threw in some extra apples as a freebie, apples as red and ripe as Arsep’s face.
It made me think that coming here disguised as a family was a great idea.
Though separate from that, I couldn’t shake the worry about the unknown monster, supposedly far more dangerous than the Goliath Okeater, that warranted bringing adventurers to the village.
‘Should I take action if I sense a monster nearby?’
It would be better than risking Arsep or Flua getting attacked by a monster.
Even though I had no idea what that Goliath Okeater was supposed to be.
I figured that the monster probably subsisted primarily on orcs, but beyond that, I knew nothing about it just from its name.
Anyway, since the creature was already dead, there was no need to worry about it.
The important thing was the other monster that had killed it, supposedly even more dangerous.
***
“Goosebumps… leaving aside the fact that we had such a racist in our guild, to think they’d kill that creature by throwing a rock at it…”
“What’s even scarier is that they threw the rock without using any magic. They didn’t even find any footprints of a massive monster nearby.”
‘Could it be that a new type of flying monster has appeared? Or maybe it was the work of a dragon.’
I overheard other adventurers talking in the distance.
The conversation sounded oddly familiar…
A monster killed by a rock.
‘Could that Goliath Okeater monster be the massive spider monster I had taken down recently?’
Now that I thought about it, I remembered seeing those brainless orcs wandering near the fortress quite often lately…
‘Have I somehow become a monster without realizing it?’
***
Back at the fortress, I began sorting the things I’d bought in the village before preparing dinner.
That village was the only place in the demon realm where I could buy essentials like these, and since it was quite a long round trip on foot, it took a fair amount of time.
So I made sure to gather everything I needed in one go and stored perishables in an ice box to keep them from spoiling.
The ice that grew from the golem’s body was sturdy and didn’t melt easily, making it perfect as a makeshift refrigerator.
“Need any help?”
“If you want to help, could you put these eggs in the basket?”
“Sure.”
While I was organizing the items, Flua came into the kitchen.
Flua was only ten years old, but she was more perceptive and clever than she looked.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was actually a hundred years old.
Her quick judgment and impeccable acting skills, as seen in the village, were remarkable.
“By the way, is our self-proclaimed Dark Lord okay?”
“…She’s lying in the bathtub with just her horns sticking out, even her face submerged.”
“Is she breathing?”
“Yes.”
Ah, I could easily imagine what she must look like.
Arsep must have been quite shaken since coming back from the village; she was in such a state that she couldn’t even walk or talk properly and was soaking in the bath.
It was probably because a tiny spider had jumped onto her face while we were in the bushes on the way back.
I was carrying too much to catch it for her, so Flua had caught it herself and flung it far away.
Honestly, it was becoming hard to tell who the child was here.
“So, why do you live in this fortress?”
“Who, me?”
“Yes.”
Suddenly, Flua asked me that question.
‘You’re a human. A human with great strength.
You could live far more comfortably in the human realm.’
“That’s true. With my strength, I could work around the clock without getting tired. Even if it wasn’t labor, I could probably do any job.”
Not only labor, I could likely demolish buildings with my bare hands.
Even if it wasn’t physical work, my body was so enhanced that I could excel in just about anything, maybe even becoming a top athlete.
And given the advantages of my strength, life in the human realm would certainly be easier, just as Flua said.
Maybe I could even become an adventurer, like those people I saw in the village.
“But if I did that, I’d have to leave our Dark Lord alone, wouldn’t I? The Dark Lord is the one who saved my life. So I should stay by her side and repay her kindness, don’t you think?”
“Your life savior? How?”
Flua found it hard to believe that Arsep had saved my life.
She thought it made more sense to say that I had saved Arsep’s life multiple times.
“It’s a long story. Anyway, I enjoy living here. I’ve gotten used to the red sky, and this fortress is a big, impressive place to live.”
“…I see.”
“And remember, after handling the eggs, wash your hands thoroughly.”
“Okay.”
After putting all the eggs into the basket, Flua trotted off to wash her hands in the bathroom.
Watching her from behind, I found her quite adorable.
Moments like these assured me she was indeed a child, despite the events of today making me question if she was really only ten.
She was probably on her second life or had already been through countless experiences, maybe both.
Most likely, the latter.
Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Arsep lay submerged in the tub, raising her left hand above her head.