Chapter 23: Returning to Base

"Our village was destroyed by bandits, and all of us were sold to an organization called the Vile Society. It's a heinous organization that experiments on and sacrifices people in the name of an evil god. Due to the combined effort of our villagers, we somehow managed to escape. But we were immediately caught. We ran as fast as we could and ended up here," the girl explained.

"Th-Thank you for saving us," she bowed.

Growl~

The sound of her stomach growling was incredibly loud.

"So, it's the Vile Society," Lan Sol muttered. He had just learned of their existence the other day. Was it a coincidence that he had another encounter with them?

"Sit," Lan Sol ordered.

The two of them sat timidly.

"Do you have any place to go?" he asked.

"N-No," the girl shook her head.

"Then what's your plan?"

"We... we thought of going to a nearby city and reporting the incident to the soldiers."

"Forget that," Lan Sol said.

"Huh?" The girl was confused by his sudden words.

"You two will be joining my territory."

"Wa-Wait," the girl panicked. "What are you saying?"

"Hmm? I don't think going to a city would solve anything. Don't you think there could be spies from the Society in the city? You'd be putting your life at risk."

"B-But... our... whole village is there... We... we need to save them!"

"I am here," Lan Sol said with a confident smile. "I'll rescue your village."

"But they... are very strong."

"We are strong too."

The girl looked at the ground. "Why?" she asked. "Why would you help us?"

"Hmm, it's simple," Lan Sol gently patted Ellie's head. "I need more people to work for me. My territory is lacking in population. The more people, the better."

"I-Is that all?" The girl was suspicious.

"Well, it's your choice to believe me or not. I won't force you."

"No, no. It's just... it's rare to find someone as... kind as you."

"Kind? Me?"

"Y-Yes..."

"Hahaha, that's a nice joke," Lan Sol chuckled. "I'm more selfish than you think."

As they conversed, Snaya and the two goblins carried all the bodies and threw them near him.

"Here, boss, our job's done."

"Let's go play!"

Gol and Gam began playing football with the hayball again.

Snaya bowed slightly and continued her job of observing the villagers to keep them safe. Since her vision was the best among them, she was responsible for spotting wild animals or monsters.

Elyris, cheerier than ever, went with the women to cook. The meal was almost ready and would take about ten more minutes.

"Decompose." Lan Sol decomposed the bodies.

The bodies turned into light. While there was no meat, some useful loot dropped.

[Adin's Rare Soul *1] 

[Adin's Rare Heart *1] 

[Vile Society's Special Card *1] 

[Mysterious Ring *1] 

…

[Name]: Vile Society Special Card 

[Type]: Miscellaneous 

[Quality]: Ordinary 

[Requirement]: None 

[Effect]: Used to identify one's rank in the Society, pinpoint the Society's base, and can be used to enter and exit the base freely. 

[Note]: A special card given to skilled individuals in the base. Each card is linked to a specific base and can't be used on other bases.

[Name]: Mysterious Ring 

[Type]: Accessory 

[Quality]: ??? 

[Requirement]: ??? 

[Effect]: ??? 

[Note]: A ring of unknown origin. Once worn, it never comes off. Beware of equipping it. 

_____

"Waaaa!" The children's faces bloomed with smiles as their plates were filled with meat.

The vegetables and meat were nearly cooked. The meat was so tender, juicy, and full of flavor that nobody could stop eating.

Since more than ten wolves' worth of meat had been cooked, there was plenty for everyone.

"Hwaaaawaa!" Ellie's mouth was wide open as she smelled the meat. "C-Can I really eat this?" she asked, her eyes gleaming.

Her heart would probably break, and she might enter her villain arc if Lan Sol were to refuse.

"Go ahead. Or do I have to feed you again?"

"Will you?!" Her eyes twinkled at the suggestion.

"Nope."

"Oh." Ellie was disappointed but as she ate, her face bloomed with a smile.

She stuffed piece after piece of meat into her tiny mouth.

"Slow down. You'll choke," Lan Sol warned.

"Mmm." She nodded but didn't slow down.

Since the villagers were moving, they had taken all their luggage, which Lan Sol had stored in his inventory. Inside, there were utensils that were now being used.

The bowl, overflowing with meat and vegetables, was empty in mere minutes.

Lan Sol hadn't even eaten more than five bites, and Ellie had already finished.

"Can I get seconds?!" she asked.

"Go and ask the ladies."

"Kay!" Ellie became a ball of cheer.

The transformation was just too fast. She'd opened up and become spoiled in just a few hours.

"That's a child for you," Lan Sol said, happy with her progress.

"Umm…" On the other hand, Ria and Rel were eating slowly. They liked the food so much that they savored each bite.

"C-Can we really eat meat?" Ria asked between bites.

Rel nodded beside her. They both felt bad for bringing trouble to the group and still getting to eat the meat.

"It's fine. You two are members of my territory. I don't treat my subjects badly. So eat without worry."

"Thanks." The two of them bowed again.

They were too polite.

"Eat up, eat up."

Lan Sol looked around and found Elyris.

She was with the women's group, chatting with them. The women hadn't had their share yet, as they were busy serving.

The children were eating happily.

Snaya, sitting in the corner and leaning against a tree, was eating her meal slowly. Even she, a cold beauty, was eating with a pleased expression. She was enjoying the food.

Gol and Gam were eating with their hands. Like Ellie, they were stuffing too much meat into their mouths.

And despite there being meat in their own bowls, they were busy stealing from each other.

"Let's deal with them later." Lan Sol walked toward Snaya and sat beside her.

"???" Snaya looked at him, tilting her head.

"Here," Lan Sol handed her a soul.

"This will increase your strength."

"Thank you," she accepted it.

[Due to your gift, Snaya's loyalty toward you has increased! Loyalty increased by 10!]

Her loyalty increased.

"Mm…" Soft as it was, Lan Sol clearly heard her moan. She was delighted, not from the soul, but from the food.

She took each bite with such caution, as if worrying it would be finished soon.

"There's more. Don't worry, we have a hoard of food. So eat as much as you like."

"Ssss!" Lan Sol's words startled Snaya. She hissed, sticking out her tongue.

Then her face turned red, and she lowered her head, stuffing the meat in faster.

She was embarrassed.

'How cute.'

_________

After the meal, the group, now with two additional members, continued their journey.

After a while, they reached their destination.

On the way, they didn't encounter any trouble, but Lan Sol had gone around and slaughtered about 100 monsters. Since he had used a lot of meat, he needed to replenish the stock for the territory.

As they reached the territory, all the villagers were stunned.

The territory was warm—warmer than their village.

The snow had been cleared, and the ground was visible again.

While there were only a few structures, the warmth alone made the villagers feel they had made the right decision.

They were also stunned to see the numbers of burly men working hard.

There were already tons of men, and they were all hard workers.

"Wow…"

"Is this… a paradise?"

"So warm."

As they observed, all the villagers' loyalty soared.

Some even reached 90, but most were above 70.

"Big… Big brother, I can live in this warm place... This isn't a dream, right?"

"Of course. You'll live in this warm place and eat warm meals every day."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Big brother!!!!" Crying and shedding tears, Ellie hugged Lan Sol tightly.

Her face bloomed with a smile.

[Due to your care, Ellie's loyalty toward you has increased! Loyalty increased by 90!]

[Max loyalty reached! Earned title, 'Eternal Slave'!]