The Stupid Devil’s Slave’s Travelogue

Chapter 4. Metamorphosis 3

I had helped my mother remove fat from leather before.

But this was the first time I had skinned rawhide with my own hands.

Fortunately, I didn’t tear any holes in the leather, but in my impatience, I ended up stretching it as I tried to push it off with force.

Even though I messed it up, my father didn’t say a word.

“I’m sorry. I ruined it.”

“It’s fine. Nobody gets it right the first time.”

I somehow managed to peel off most of the hide from the body.

But the legs were another story; I struggled a lot with them.

In the end, my father just cut the legs off.

At first, I thought it was because I had cut the leather wrong.

Turns out, the legs of a female rabbit sell well as amulets.

‘Is this the famous rabbit’s foot?’

Somehow, I found comfort in that.

Night in the mountains comes suddenly and is deeply dark.

I thought I had plenty of time, but by the time we returned home, the sky was already a shade of purple.

“Dad’s home?!”

“Welcome back~!”

“No! I have to go back down to get your mom!”

My father had stopped by the house briefly, only to head back down to the village without even catching his breath to meet my mother.

‘That’s some insane stamina.’

It made sense that there would be a difference, but there had to be a limit.

If my father entered an ironman competition, wouldn’t he easily take first place?

He carried all my things, taking over for my exhausted self.

And still, he wasn’t tired.

‘It’s gotten pretty dark.’

Usually, my parents would have returned by now.

In fact, they were later than usual.

Maybe because of the rain, the evening felt slightly chilly, but right now, it was unbearably hot.

“How was it?”

“Dad’s unbelievable. No matter how hard we try, we can’t keep up with him.”

The greasy smell of rabbit blood was still stuck to my hands, and the fishy odor lingered.

I scrubbed my hands with soap until all the grease was gone and then washed up.

Damien shyly approached me.

“Is there anything I can help with?”

“Yeah. We need to prepare the leather for smoking.”

“I’ll help.”

Stella waddled over cutely, but Damien clearly wasn’t thrilled about her presence.

“Go do something else.”

“Nooo~!”

“She wants to help too, you know.”

“Yeahh~!”

…There’s blood on the towel. I’d better wash it before it sets.

After wiping myself down with the towel, I used a bit of soap to wash it along with my clothes and hung them on the clothesline.

It was time to start smoking the leather as my father had asked.

Damien expertly pulled out some tinder and a flint, starting a fire with ease.

Stella, however, threw dirt and twigs on it, putting the fire out.

“Hehe!”

“Hey! It’s already hard enough to start a fire when everything’s damp!”

“Oh, really? If it’s hard, should I do it?”

“No thanks! I’ll do it myself!”

Smoking the leather leaves it covered in soot, which doesn’t look great, but it helps get rid of hard-to-remove mites and prevents future infestations.

I kept the fire low and added lots of fresh kindling that produced thick smoke, letting the leather absorb it evenly.

By the time I finished washing up and lighting the fire, the sky had grown quite dark, and stars were visible.

It felt like just breathing in this air was making me healthier.

‘I want to go home.’

Nature’s beauty wears off after a day or two, and I find myself missing home.

“Damn it…”

“What’s that word ‘damn it’ mean?”

Avoiding Damien’s curious gaze, I desperately rolled my eyes.

“…It just means taking a deep breath.”

“You’ve been saying weird things lately, big bro…”

As they said this, Stella and Damien lay down next to me and looked up at the sky.

I held their hands.

I couldn’t answer their questions.

─This feels like a simple happiness.

So, I’m not sure if staying in this house is the right thing to do.

I wonder if I’ve just grown lazy.

The more I see my parents’ smiling faces, the less I find myself able to say anything.

What I really want is to chat casually with them, eat together, laugh, and fall asleep in peace.

It’s been nearly 14 years now.

My parents on Earth would be in their seventies, preparing for their grand birthday celebration.

How nice it would be if they could just visit here for a few days like tourists.

Did Mom recover well from her cancer?

If so, she’d be hiking mountains again, just like before.

I want to see them once more—

Creak…

The sound of a hinge.

“──────?!!!”

My hair stood on end.

A chill ran down my entire body.

‘The door… the door just opened!’

I instantly covered Stella’s and Damien’s mouths.

I shot them a warning look.

Something had opened the door.

What do I do? If I turn around recklessly, it might notice and run away, or worse, attack us! Is it a thief? From the mountain? At this hour? Why does the first stranger I see have to be a thief?! Should I fight back? Should I pretend I don’t know? Should I run?

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First, I calmed my mind.

‘It’s small, but there’s a fire going. There’s no way it didn’t see me.’

If it were a bear, it wouldn’t need to muffle its footsteps.

If it were a tiger, it might not make any sound at all.

But tigers don’t leave their territory.

Father once said:

An alchemist’s potion that repels carnivores was sprinkled around the house.

‘He said it would be effective for another five years.’

I had definitely shut the door and locked the latch to keep the cold wind from blowing in.

The hinge sound came after someone unlatched the door and entered.

An animal couldn’t have done that.

The mountains are a place ordinary people fear.

It couldn’t have been a villager either.

Which leaves only one possibility—an Beastfolk.

The good news was that it kept to its “line.”

Otherwise, it would have attacked and killed us from the start.

‘We can’t confront it head-on.’

We also needed to keep our line.

That didn’t mean we could just sit still.

In a place like this, with scarce infrastructure, there are no banks.

Because of that, the money my parents had saved over a lifetime was kept in the house.

Beastfolk live alongside humans.

They use money too.

If I ran away now, I might not be able to pay taxes.

And that would mean no essential supplies like salt.

The thief might leave the house while we waited for my parents.

I had to do what I could, assuming safety.

‘Once it comes out of the house, just confirm its appearance.’

That was the most rational approach.

I moved away from the fire quietly, then got into a low crawl, covering my eyes like using a telescope to adjust to the dark.

To prepare in case it was a Kobold, I exhaled very slowly.

They can sense even the smell and sound of your breath.

Luckily, I had just washed up, so I shouldn’t smell like sweat.

Would the soap scent be too strong? I rubbed my body with the dirt just in case.

The wet earth clung to my skin from the rain.

Swish—swish—

Damien began to imitate me.

‘Don’t. Go protect Stella.’

I dissuaded Damien and lowered myself to the ground, taking slow breaths.

It was suffocating, but not unbearable.

The small firewood had already burned down and gone out.

The sound of insects and owls made it difficult to hear anything inside the house.

I kept watching the door, but no matter how long I waited, the thief did not come out.

It felt like more than ten minutes had passed.

Since time moves slowly in such moments, it was probably about five minutes.

It would still be another ten minutes or so before my father returned.

I wondered if I was overthinking things, but my instincts screamed that we couldn’t just wait like this.

I stood on tiptoe, using my palms to crawl like an animal.

Once I reached the house, I moved forward carefully, placing my hands on the ground, then leaned against the wall and slowly raised my body.

This was to avoid being detected by peripheral vision.

Unfortunately, there were no glass windows around the house; instead, the windows were wooden planks, making it hard to peek inside.

Perhaps my father had made a mistake in his architectural planning; the windows weren’t sliding but were casement windows, the kind you’d find in a city, allowing all sorts of bugs inside.

But this was fortunate at the moment.

Casement windows don’t make much noise when opened.

I opened the window just a crack to peer inside.

The house was dark since the fire wasn’t lit.

Where’s the thief?

The thief—there!

It has fur!

Its body is similar in size to mine, maybe a bit smaller.

It looked like a young Kobold or a Lamrat.

Crunch! Crack—

It was devouring all the food we were supposed to eat.

The honey, the most expensive item, seemed untouched, perhaps because it was sealed and hadn’t given off any scent.

I quietly shut the window and blocked the door with my body to prevent it from escaping.

‘Why are you squatting in someone else’s house, eating like that?’

This is the Mountain Lord’s territory!

Just then, I saw my father returning.

When he saw me, he gestured to my mother, then silently approached my side like a cat.

He mouthed his words silently.

‘What’s going on?’

‘There’s a thief inside.’

My father nodded slightly.

At the same time, a well-sharpened dagger slipped silently from his belt.

‘But I think it’s a Lamrat or a young Kobold.’

My father’s expression darkened.

He took out another dagger from his belt and handed it to me.

It was a blade I had never seen before.

Was it newly bought?

For my father, it was a dagger, but for me, it was quite a long knife.

‘Protect your mother and siblings.’

…There was nothing I could do.

I gripped the knife tightly and quietly crawled toward my mother.

Watching from afar, she seemed to sense something was wrong and was looking at me anxiously.

When I approached her, my mother, who had been staring uneasily at my father, came over to me.

“…What’s going on?”

Her voice trembled with anxiety.

“There’s something in the house. It’s not human.”

My mother’s face turned pale.

My father, who had been waiting for me to reach her, glanced at me once before slipping into the house like a ghost.

It was agility unbefitting his size.

A screeching howl tore through the air—

“──────?!”

The sound was like the cry of a tiger, sending shivers through my body.

Was that shriek from the tiny creature I saw?!

‘I must have been mistaken!’

My father must have told me to stay by my mother’s side for our safety, but I couldn’t just sit still.

Whatever was inside was a beast!

‘I’ve only ever taken from my parents! I have to do something!’

I charged into the house.

My father—he was just standing there, staring blankly at the thief.

…What on earth is it?

I stood beside him and scanned the house.

What was there was neither a Kobold’s young nor a Lamrat.

“Grrrr…”

It wasn’t a Kobold, a wolf, or a Lamrat.

It resembled a human but was not human.

A thick tail protruded, marked with distinct patterns and piercing eyes. Instead of the strong and thick teeth of a wolf, it had the sharp, elongated fangs and ears typical of the feline family.

‘A beastman?’

I recognized it immediately.

This must be the Mountain Lord’s child.

“Father, didn’t you say that Beastfolks have strong maternal instincts and would go berserk if their young were touched?”

My father remained silent, staring at the scattered food on the floor.

‘Root vegetables? Do Terups eat vegetables?’

“Honey, what’s going on?”

My mother’s voice was still filled with anxiety as she approached.

As more people gathered, the young Terup seemed frightened.

It retreated backward but ironically charged toward the most dangerous person, my father—specifically toward the door behind him.

Thud—

“Kyahhhh—?!”

My father kicked the Terup, sending the young creature flying.

Crash!

The Terup, knocked down by the kick, frantically searched for an escape route, turning the whole house upside down.

It was enough to make me irritable.

Each time it tried to run past my father, it let out a scream as his kicks sent it flying back into the house.

“Stop it, honey!”

Mother intervened, unable to watch any longer.

In the end, the Terup hid inside the stove vent, growling.

It was clear it was simply hungry.

“…Shouldn’t we have just let it leave?”

“Yeah… that’s what it was…”

Father wasn’t even listening to me. His eyes were unfocused.

“Honey, talk to me. Isn’t that the child of the Mountain Lord you’ve been offering tributes to regularly?”

Father searched around the table for something, then looked at me.

“Oh, I used the flint.”

Damien handed over the flint and tinder.

Father picked up a fallen candle, lit it with the flint, and then clenched the burning tinder in his hand to extinguish it.

“First, light up the house.”

Father locked all the doors and windows, and I went around lighting the lamps inside. Mother still looked anxious but soon began to help tidy the house.

Except for the stove area.

“The Mountain Lord is dead.”

“And why is that a problem?”

“This is a very big problem.”

It was the first time I’d seen Father so tense.

“The mountains… especially the southern mountains, are home to all kinds of Beastfolk and beasts.”

“The Mountain Lord is sensitive to its territory, so it drives out any dangerous animals or Beastfolks in the mountain, no matter what.”

“Especially if it has children.”

“That’s why it’s been safe for us to live here.”

Mother sat on the edge of my bed, far from the stove, and looked up at Father.

I, too, looked up at him from my chair, my legs aching after the long walk today.

“So, the Mountain Lord’s death means we’re in danger?”

“The Mountain Lord is an Beastfolk known for its fierce protection of its young.”

I glanced at the stove.

The Terup, its eyes reflecting a bright light, was glaring at Father.

Usually, eyes reflect green or red, but this one was blue.

“The Mountain Lord was killed by something. A pack of wolves, a Draconia, or an Ogre… one of these, probably.”

It was a frightening story.

Yet, Father’s voice was so calm that it felt unreal.

And the words that came out of his mouth were equally surreal.

Ogres are massive monsters with skin as thick as ancient armored fish and the strength to smash a house with a single punch.

Just yesterday, I heard that a hundred vigilantes who went into the forest to hunt an Ogre had all gone missing.

Draconias, though capable of communication, are cold-hearted creatures said to have dragon blood flowing through them, allowing them to use magic.

They’re known as the “Blue-Blooded Sorcerers.”

Wolves are like crazed butchers.

Draconias can be avoided if you don’t provoke them, but wolves come in packs and kill everyone.

No matter who showed up, it would be the worst.

While Father’s words might be somewhat exaggerated, the situation was certainly dire.

“You’ve got it rough.”

Stella, resting her chin on her hand, mumbled to the Terup with a faint smile.

The Terup glanced at Stella, then resumed glaring at Father.

Its neck must have hurt since it was no longer growling.

“Why did you kick it, though?”

The Mountain Lord is an Beastfolk, and according to Mother, it’s one that “coexists.”

In other words, it’s not an enemy.

Father let out a deep sigh.

“I’m human too. The suddenness of it all made it hard to assess the situation. The Mountain Lord never leaves any animal that poses a threat to its young. Better to kill and discard them.”

“You can’t say such things in front of a child!”

Mother scolded him.

It was a brutal but understandable statement.

But continuing this conversation might lead Father to actually kill the Terup, so I needed to change the subject.

“So, how do you know the Mountain Lord is dead?”

“Yesterday, someone ate only the meat from the food I’d left in the bowl.”

It was ironic.

Wasn’t it put out there to be eaten?

“I’ve been offering food since I was young, but yesterday was the first time it happened. At first, I thought you might have eaten it. But then I realized you wouldn’t be that hungry.”

When Father looked at me, something boiled up inside.

Sure, I ate a lot, but in a world without many diversions, what else is there besides food?

“Why would I—ugh…”

Father and Mother’s expressions relaxed slightly.

“If the Mountain Lord’s child is resorting to eating human food, it’s possible the Mountain Lord has been dead for some time.”

Damien pointed at the Terup.

“So, what do you plan to do about it?”

“A carnivorous animal that doesn’t know how to hunt will never end well. We should put it down peacefully.”

“You’re going to kill it? But it’s an Beastfolk.”

Damien looked up at Father, disturbed.

The Terup’s appearance was too similar to a human.

It went beyond the point of feeling unsettling.

On the surface, it looked like it was Stella’s age.

It was hard even to call it a beastman.

Animal ears and a tail.

Sharp claws and feet that seemed to stand on tiptoes.

Long arms as lengthy as its legs.

Except for its animal-like extremities and fangs, it was basically human.

It could speak, and it even used the same currency.

‘It’s just a kid.’

If they had decided to kill it, I would have stepped in to object.

The Terup was still terrified.

No one should end someone else’s life by their own standards like this.

We don’t have the right.

Nor could we demand compensation, as our family had already benefited from the Mountain Lord’s favor.

Whether the Terup starved or was eaten after being released was up to what it did once outside.

The Terup certainly wouldn’t want that, and we had no right to decide that for it.

“It doesn’t even know how to speak or hunt, and the Mountain Lord wasn’t exactly friendly with humans.”

“Can’t it talk?”

“That’s precisely why.”

‘Why exactly because of that?’

I couldn’t understand.

The well-sharpened dagger looked especially chilling.

Father clearly intended to kill it.

“…Mother once said the Mountain Lord gave us gifts.”

Father’s expression grew puzzled as he looked at Mother.

It seemed that might have been a lie.

But it worked out for the better.

“And you said the food you offered was never touched.”

“Lian. What I meant was…”

“We should repay what we received.”

I’m sorry for my early rebellious phase.

You’ll forgive me even for spouting nonsense because it’s just a teenage phase, right?

Father seemed ready to say something but stopped when he met my gaze.

“Fine. So, what do you want to do?”

I had to strike a compromise that Father could accept.

“Let’s just feed it and let it go. It’ll figure things out on its own.”

“Phew…”

Father let out a long sigh and sheathed his dagger.

“Honey, do we have any leftover meat from today?”

Mother shook her head.

She glanced at the growling Terup with a mix of caution and pity.

“We only have the three rabbits we were going to eat tonight.”

Father glanced at the Terup before slumping down on the bed.

“Alright, Lian, we’ll do as you say. Now, why don’t you go get that thing out of the stove?”