"You see, there's a rather special dungeon nearby this village. It often has monsters that are delicious ingredients that are packed with nutrients for both humans and tamed monsters."
The sound of upbeat music and the villagers' cheerful conversation echoed throughout the room.
In a banquet hall with lots of delicious looking food laid out, a smiling rat-beast girl named Patch explained to us about the strange customs of this village.
"Thanks to that special dungeon, this village with poor transportation has thrived to a certain extent, but there is still a limit to how much the villagers can harvest with just the villagers. In a normal village, adventurers would come to work here and we would get to keep the handouts, but... the nearby dungeon city is more convenient in many ways, so almost no one stops by this village. That's why we welcome the adventurers who come by every once in a while! The people who make the effort to pass through this mountainous area are often strong people on training, and they increase the overall harvest! We treat them like gods of fertility! There are many similar villages and dungeons around here, and the same custom is rooted in all of them!"
"Oh, I see."
After hearing Patch's story, it all makes sense to me.
There are many villages whose income comes from small-scale dungeons, and it's common to hear on the battlefield that if there's an exceptionally strong person, the results of battles by those around them also improve.
"This is a village that exists through dungeon exploration. So that means, I guess that's it."
After hearing Patch's explanation, I mentioned something that had been bothering me since I came to the village.
"It's already night, but there are few men in the village. Is it because they're still in the dungeon?"
"... Yeah, that's right!"
Patch nodded enthusiastically.
"Especially around this time of year, when the dungeon becomes more active, everyone gets really enthusiastic! So I hope you guys eat a lot and help us explore the dungeon tomorrow! This feast of wine and women is a bribe to get all the adventurers doing their best!"
"I see."
I couldn't help but smile as Patch cutely repeated "Wiro wairo."
I can't really make any detours, but it's a sight that makes me want to help out a little.
Even so... I was a bit prepared for a feast of wine and women, but I was expecting it to be just a normal, healthy feast with lots of delicious food.
"Huh? You look relieved somehow, big brother. Did you have something else in mind when you heard about the feast?"
"picture!?"
"The phrase 'winery, meat and wine' just means lots of meat and alcohol, but for some reason men seem to react as if it has some other meaning. I wonder why. Hey, big brother, were you also misunderstanding something strange?"
"That's not true!"
The truth is, I had completely misunderstood, but...there's no way I could tell that to such a little girl.
While mocking myself for feeling like I've been poisoned a bit by the succubus lately, I reach for the food that's laid out for me as if to disguise myself.
...That was when it happened.
"...Elio, wait a second..."
"...There's something that's bothering me..."
"picture?"
Alicia and Sophia whisper softly in my ears from either side of me.
My eyes widened a little at what the two of them continued to say, but――
"Wow! I just happened to come across a village and was able to find such a delicious meal. I'm truly a lucky half-elf!"
With that said, Carrie was , and we continued enjoying the banquet as if nothing had happened.imitationThen
*
"Ugh... my mouth and my bottom are both full..."
When the banquet begins.
Carrie Penipeni thoroughly enjoyed the alcohol and meat that was served to her, and was completely drunk. Her consciousness was somehow hazy, and she was talking nonsense like she was in her sleep.
"Phew, we ate too much. Now we'll rest at the inn that was prepared for us."
With that, Elio and the others lend Carrie their shoulders, but their legs are a little unsteady as they all stumble back to the inn.
And so, unusually, everyone went to bed without any friendly interaction.
Carrie soon felt sleepy as well -- and it was a little while later.
With a thud, it seemed as if someone was about to break in.
"picture"
Carrie was startled and tried to stand up.
(My body is full of strength...!?)
Furthermore, the mouth is unclear, making it difficult to cast magic.
What on earth is this...?! Carrie is confused, and the intruder whispers beside her.
"What we're doing is an irregular forced slave contract, so we have to beat them up a bit before putting the collar on them so they can't resist with magical powers."
"The medicine is working so well you can't even fight properly, you know? I've deployed troops around you just in case, but you're doing fine. Same as always."
Saying this, the invaders brandished their weapons, carrying heavy-duty slave contract collars in their hands――
(You mean, someone put drugs in my food...?! Erio-san――!)
Carrie screamed inwardly as she saw the murderous blade being swung down on her friend.
*
"Haaa, hey hey ❤"
A little girl's voice echoes through the moonlit village.
Looking down from a distance at the inn surrounded by multiple figures, and sneering, was Patch, the rat beast girl who had been cheerfully welcoming Elio and his friends.
Patch continued laughing loudly as he sat on top of the village man, who was on all fours.
"If I just show off my cute face and welcome them, adventurers will let their guard down and I'll be right there with you. That party had incredible mobility for their age, so I was wary of them, thinking they were powerful, but they're just kids after all! But of course they didn't notice the undetectable, tasteless, odorless, slow-acting illegal intoxicant! They even blushed when I joked about them having a drunken orgy... ha, that's funny! You weak, weak, weak adventurers~❤ Just like the previous adventurers and village men who came to this village without knowing anything, you're going to be made into slaves of the and worked to death! Kyahahahaha!
The expression on the woman's face as she said this and laughed was that of a dangerous criminal who had shed the mask of the cute girl known as "Patch."
The rat beastman revealed his true nature as the "King of Deceit," Mesga Kira (actual age 27), a high-ranking executive who controls a division of the terrorist organization, the "Strong King Faction," and was intoxicated by his own performance, laughing loudly in contrast to his young appearance.
But immediately afterwards -- BOOM!
"...teeth?"
Before Mesga Keira's eyes, an inn was blown away with a loud noise.