At Reuben’s words, I looked around at the monsters. It was true—the bloodlust that had filled the cavern had significantly dissipated.

This was the result of gaining affection from all the monsters here.

The once-fierce glint in their eyes now wavered softly, and their bared, razor-sharp teeth were almost entirely hidden.

The monsters had become as gentle as puppies!

Reuben was genuinely amazed.

“It seems, Crescent, that you possess a unique ability to pacify and connect with animals.”

“D-do you really think so?”

“Yes. You have a natural talent for communicating with creatures. There are rare individuals who possess extraordinary abilities beyond divine power. But to handle beasts of the Demon Realm so easily… this is remarkable.”

Reuben’s gaze was anything but ordinary. His eyes were filled with wonder, as if he were looking at something truly extraordinary.

I hadn’t expected him to be this impressed, and I felt a little embarrassed.

“Well, I’ve always liked animals ever since I was little. I felt like we understood each other! It’s great that this worked out. I think we can feed them much better together now!”

“What do you mean…?”

One of the knights asked in confusion.

I turned back toward the monsters and spoke brightly.

“Alright, everyone. Let’s get along from now on. I think we can give you more food, and faster too. But you’ll have to help me out!”

“Kraaang!”

“Kyahhh!”

‘Just say the word! Anything for more meat!’
‘Hurry! We’ll do whatever you ask!’

The monsters’ enthusiastic reactions made me feel proud, so I continued.

“Haha, it’s nothing too hard. You see, these amazing knights here love you all very much too!”

The knights’ eyes widened in shock, clearly wondering when they had ever expressed love for the monsters.

But they quickly caught on, putting on determined expressions as they nodded toward the creatures.

Of course, yes, they loved the monsters dearly.

“If you listen carefully to these knights, you’ll get more food. But don’t threaten them by snapping your jaws, and don’t rush to eat out of order. If they get hurt, who will feed you? As you can see, I’m just a child, and it’s hard for me to handle this alone!”

“Kyaaa!”

“Kueeek!”

‘No! The master must not struggle!’
‘We’ll behave! We’ll take the food calmly!’

“Great! Then let’s all line up in a single file. No sudden movements to scare the knights, okay? Got it?”

“Kraaang!”

“Kuung!”

The monsters let out a series of cries and began to move. Their massive, lumbering bodies shifted aside as they carefully avoided bumping into each other, forming a neat line in no time.

Reuben couldn’t hold back his astonishment.

“Incredible! This is truly incredible!”

“My word… the monsters are actually listening to a child…”

“Shall we try feeding them again?”

At my suggestion, the knights set aside their initial shock and got to work, brimming with newfound determination.

“Understood. This seems much more manageable now.”

Reuben and the knights rolled up their sleeves, taking their skewers—no, swords—once more. In the dim cavern, the monsters’ glowing yellow and red eyes sparkled with anticipation.

With the bloodlust gone, the knights appeared far more at ease as they handed out the food.

Would the monsters really eat in order and calmly this time?

The holy knights held their breaths as one monster stepped forward and gently took the meat skewered on the sword.

The creature chewed the food with gusto, then quietly moved to the back of the line.

They were actually taking turns!

“Wow.”

“I can’t believe this… Monsters, following rules like that?”

The knights couldn’t stop marveling, their faces breaking into smiles.

Reuben, in particular, looked incredibly proud.

“Crescent, at this rate, that demon, Count Ismir, will surely reappear soon. He’ll be utterly shocked to see how well the monsters are obeying humans.”

“Yes. But to face Count Ismir, I think we need to bond even more with these little ones. I’ll keep working hard!”

“Good idea.”

I busied myself feeding the monsters and building our bond. How much time had passed, I wasn’t sure, but in the meantime, I named each one individually and even listened to their recent woes.

“Kueeeng. Kuek.”
‘Living in a cage is so boring. I used to be able to fly, but my wings were torn apart.’

“Huh? How did your wings get torn?”

“Kyaaak! Kueeek!”
‘At first, I thought it was some other demon attacking me! But then Ismir found me and saved me. He nursed me back to health… only for me to discover he was the one who tore my wings in the first place! That traitor!’

“Oh, no. Talk about sly. What a horrible guy. Want me to get revenge for you?”

“Kyaaaang!”
‘Do it! Tear every last hair off his head!’

“Poor thing. Don’t worry, Lorelline. Forget his hair—we’ll take his whole head instead.”

I comforted the monster I had just named Lorelline. She visibly relaxed, and my level increased again.

Meanwhile, Reuben and the knights continued to diligently feed the monsters, which further sped up the rate at which affection points rose.

Just as I was starting to think we might fully win over all the monsters here, a high-pitched voice rang out suddenly.

“What… what… what is this?!”

“!”

Turning around, I spotted Count Ismir. I’d expected him to show up eventually, but he had arrived much sooner than anticipated.

His pink eyes were brimming with excitement and curiosity.

As though he had stumbled upon something truly marvelous, Ismir approached us with a grin so wide it practically split his face.

“Incredible! Such competent slaves have appeared!”

Reuben’s gaze toward Ismir turned sharp. He drew his massive silver sword with a hiss.

“So, you’ve returned. This time, I’ll finish you off. No cowardly escapes!”

“Whoa, calm down. I’m not here to fight—I’m here to compliment you. What did you do to my precious children? How did you turn them into obedient little angels the moment you became my slaves?”

Reuben smirked derisively at Ismir’s words.

“Didn’t I tell you? You couldn’t have chosen worse humans to deal with. We are far from ordinary.”

“Hoho, it seems my luck knows no bounds. To think I’ve acquired the best slaves! Say, why don’t you all just stay here in the Demon Realm? I’ll ensure you live in luxury. Mansions, jewels—whatever you want. Let’s live together for a long, long time.”

Ismir clasped his hands together, his breathing quickening with excitement. His pink eyes burned so intensely they almost seemed red.

It was exactly as the Demon Realm Encyclopedia had described—Ismir coveted anyone who could care for his monsters better than he could. If we refused, he would likely force us to stay.

But that would never happen.

“Keep dreaming, demon. This time, I’ll feed you to your own monsters.”

“Hmph, as if my children would ever betray me.”

Before Ismir could finish, Reuben launched himself forward. His sword clashed with Ismir’s whip, sparking another fierce battle.

At the same time, the knights unsheathed their swords and charged to exploit any openings.

Clang! Clang! Thwack!

The sword and whip clashed with equal speed and precision.

Ismir wielded his two whips as if they were extensions of his body, while Reuben moved his sword as though he were holding two at once, defending against both whips with incredible swiftness.

Their movements were almost too fast to see.

Reuben seemed to be fighting as though this were his final chance.

And then it happened.

Clang! Thud.

One of Ismir’s whips was sliced clean in two.

Ismir’s eyes widened in shock, as though he hadn’t expected this at all.

“Magnificent! Truly magnificent!”

“Next, I’ll cut off your limbs!”

With a roar, Reuben leapt into the air again.

At that moment, the severed whip coiled and sprang to life, wrapping itself tightly around the body of a nearby knight.