Published at 31st of December 2020 04:07:56 PM

252 The Cave of Sacrifices

My partner looks around the cave. The girls who are being sacrificed are split into two groups: those who are staring at her with looks of incomprehension, and those who are sitting in languid uninterest It doesnt look like theyre happy to see us. Far from it, in fact.

Keho keho

While Im wondering what to do, the girl in front starts coughing. Based on how she was speaking with my partner earlier, she seems fairly mature. The girls around her look at her in concern, but none of them call out. They might not have the energy to.

It seems theres at least some food for them in the cave. Dried meats and shrivelled vegetables wrapped in dirty cloth are piled in the back, flies gathering around them.

There are five barrels of water lined up, but no cups in sight. They must all be scooping the water out with their hands. Their hygiene condition isnt good at all.

To wash their bodies, all they can do is scoop the water over themselves. Theres no way thats something they can do readily. Plus, theyre all living together in such a cramped space. It wouldnt be strange if some disease were to spread.

Is there nothing we can do,? Theyre a small tribe after all, so it would have to be like this. Rather, it seems like this would be strengthening their disease resistance. I just wish I could summon the ball rabbit and have it use [Clean] until it would run out of MP.

Its unfortunate, but I dont have the time to be worrying about their living conditions. I need to be thinking about how to get away.

If we undo the humanisation here, the guard outside would hear the panic for sure. If we want to make sure we arent seen when we undo it, we need to leave soon while we still have MP.

Ill go tonight. My body wont last much longer.

A voice interrupts my thinking, and my partner looks towards the speaker. Its the girl who was coughing earlier. Shes speaking soothingly to the girls around her, a bitter smile on her face.

From what she said, it seems that at night, a single person is taken to the manticore Night, huh. I havent got nearly enough MP.

Should we fall back for now, then try and locate the manticore before humanising to get it to lower its guard?

However, Im worried about our lack of information. We wont be able to pretend to be a sacrifice again, and if we try to drive it into a corner, itll just get away again. Im still not very familiar with the area, so Id probably fall behind it in a chase, and theres still too much that I dont know about this village. However, I should be able to get the manticore to pull away from this village for now.

Hey partner, Id like for us to do some light information gathering before leaving and searching for the manticore. Is that okay?

What should I ask?

Whats most important isthe manticores whereabouts, as well as the relation between this village and the other. If we can learn that, we should be able to limit the damage.

There are other things Im curious about, but theres no need to ask about them now. I can always ask the dragon-gods miko, Hibi, later.

Got it~, leave it to me

Seeing how nervous you were talking to Yarg earlier, thats reassuring to hear. If you start struggling, then just the manticores approximate location is fine, okay?

I-I was just a little bit off-beat, thats all.

I-I see. Thats fine then.

Still tied up, she skilfully rises to her feet and approaches the children.

She looks at each of the children in turn, then fixes her gaze on the girl in front who was talking earlier. Certainly, this girl looks like the best to hear from. She seems sensible, and she seems like the eldest here.

Hey, I heard earlier, but what is this place? Are you humans locked in here as food for a monster?

My partner speaks surprisingly smoothly. You can talk easily with children then

The girl raises her head.

Th, this, this is Keho keho!

Ah? This is?

Keho keho! I-it hurts W-waterwaterlet me drink

Holding her throat, she reaches for a barrel. Another girl staggers to her feet and scoops water between her hands, bringing it the first girl.

Cheh, how annoying. [High Rest].

My partner chants, and the girl is enveloped in light.

Keho Hmm? I-it doesnt hurt as much?

The underlying illness might not have been cured, but the return of her strength will have alleviated her symptoms.

Confused, the other children surround her, touching her body in amazement. She blinks, then fixes her gaze at my partner.

With this, she should be able to talk easier.

My partner proudly transmits her thoughts Our MP situation has become a little dire. No, compared to Humanisation Technique, High Rests cost should be tiny. One shot should be fine Though our dwindling MP has been reduced even more

amazing

Onee-san, are you a white mage?

Th-this girls eyelid swelling, can you also cure it!?

The children shuffle over towards us.

This really isnt a nice environment. Its hard for them to see their feet, and there are pointy rocks all over the place. Germs will get in since its unclean, and theres no chance for them to dress the wounds.

Thats why, theres no way we have enough MP spare to heal them all. Were already running low from humanising as it is.

I feel bad for them, but here we should

Th-theres no helping it then. You lot, line up for me.

My partner says that, and one of the girls takes the hand of another, pulling her forwards. That girls eyes are shut closed, her gait unsteady. She must be the girl with swollen eyelids that was mentioned earlier.

P-partner-san, did you hear what I said just now!? Youre just enjoying being fawned over by the kids, oi! Time is running out!

If we undo the humanisation this close to the village, theres no telling what would happen. If were unlucky, the relationship between the villages could get even worse

[High Rest].

She chants, and the swelling in the girls eyelid dies down. Various other swellings and scratches on her heal too.

Visit readel.me for extra chapters.

The surrounding children cry out in joy. The girl feels at her eyelids with her hand, then opens her eyes.

amazing My eye I can see. And I was really cold before, but now Im warm

Thats great and all, but partner-san?

Hey, hurry up, next in line. Its only until I change my mind, okay?

The children descend on her. She treats each of them in turn.

Th-thank you very much, onee-san!

This much is no biggie.

Umm, umm, what might your name be!?

I have no name worth giving.

Within a few minutes, shes assembled a harem. The dark atmosphere inside the cave is dispelled, becoming lively.

Thats fine, but Im not happy about this! Time! Were out of time! What are you doing, acting all cool for?! Youve got a massive smile on your face! I can tell, you know!

As long as we leave soon, itll be fine, right? Even if we listen to what they have to say now, we should have plenty of time left over.

I want to get away from this village so they cant see, though.

Well be fine. I just need to jump out, knock down the guard, and run away, right? Weve got plenty of time.

Th-this dragon-brain Theres no guarantee they wont come chasing after us; we have no idea what the common sense of this area is. If you drain our MP without thinking like that, then if something unexpected comes up, we wont

If I quickly get the questioning over with and quickly run away, you wont have any complaints, right? Ive gotten their trust.

I-I have to wonder if giving up on the questioning and running away would be better now.

Ill get it over with quickly, so dont worry.

W-well, its true that with this, the questioning should go smoothly.

Umm, the rope, Ill untie it!

One of the girls moves around to behind us and touches the rope. Following her, some of the other kids also circle behind.

S-stiff.

This ropes for tying down big monsters

H-horrible! This is horrible!

I can take it off myself, so theres no need. Grrrraah!!

Twisting her body, she bites at the rope with sharp teeth. Straining with all her might, she then weakens the rope to the point that she can shave at it with a nail. Once enough has been shaved away, she stretches her arms out mightily. The rope tears apart and falls to the ground.

Yeah, with this body, I cant put that much power into it.

Stepping on the remains of the rope, she cracks her neck.

amazing.

That rope can even hold down a grafant, onee-san, who exactly

The girls chatter happily.

It seems like things go better for you. Whenever Ive interacted with people, theres always been some sort of complication. No, I suppose it went well with those Lithovars earlier, too.

Th-thats nothing worth clamouring over, you know. So noisy.

Oi, youre panting a bit.