『Fate, get a hold on yourself!』
Greed’s voice woke me up from my reverie just in time for me to hear footsteps. I immediately turned tail and hide. The men who brought the metal box earlier returned.
Apparently, I was dumbstruck longer than I thought I would. The content of the box still burnt in eyes, making me feel sick. How dare them to do such a terrible thing.
The men carried the box that contained such a thing mechanically. What in the world…..was actually happening here!
『Calm down, your heartbeat is irregular. That’s why I told you not to look!』[Sorry. But I’m not regretting the fact that I saw it. Now I know for sure that something is really happening.
『I don’t think you’ll have the appetite to eat your favorite meat dish for a while now.』
[…Shut up]
『That’s the spirit. Now let’s continue』
I collected my breathing, then checked where the box was. Apparently those men had carried it away. Now then, should I follow them, or try for another route?
『If you notice, it’s packed in a box probably in preparation to discard it. If you follow those guys, you’ll only end up seeing something more terrible』
[Even more terrible!?]『Oi, stop! Fate!』
I ran toward the direction where those men had gone to. When I arrived they were opening the box, and poured the content downward. Then a strange voice could be heard from the bottom of the pit. That couldn’t possibly be a sound coming from human……but here on the kingdom?
While I was observing in fear, the men looked down,
[There, eat a lot]
[Whoa, it’s still feel terrible no matter how many times I’ve seen it.]
[You guys, don’t look down there too much! You’ll be eaten like food too if you fall]
[I know that already, but really, using those unblessed people for something like this, it’s still terrible.]
[The salary was okay, you’ll be fine once you get used to it. I’d rather not be those powerless people who were blinded by gold, and ended up becoming food for those things.]
Their conversation was too much for me. I got out of my hiding place, and dashed at one of the men with a great momentum.
[Then let’s see you fall down there]
[What, Uaaaaaaaaaa]
Although the four remaining people was surprised by the sudden attack, they immediately took out the baton that was strapped on each of their waist.
[Who are you!? You, do you know what kind of research facility this is?!]
However, I didn’t let them do any counterattack. I dropped them down to the pit without letting anyone off.
[I do know what kind of place this is]
Whilst grasping the neck of the one remaining person, I looked at the four who were already down there.
Although it’s quite a deep pit, they were still alive. Trembling in fear. The reason being the monsters around them. Although they’ve eaten bloody meats just now, those four will still be eaten by them regardless.
The four will just be the next course on the menu. That’s why, they desperately asked me for help.
[We’ve done bad things! Please push the emergency button!]
[Please! We’ll be eaten at this rate!]
There was a red button on the wall where they pointed at. It seemed to be used quite often, seeing how the red paint is worn out, and the silver colored metal is slightly sticking out. If it’s really for emergency, why did they use it this often?
Could it be, that this people fell down there on daily basis? Impossible….
Greed then spoke to me via《Mind Reading》.
『That button is probably linked to the device that look like collar attached on the monsters below. If you push that, the device will activate, and send electric current to help pacify the monsters.』
[Then, the reason why it’s been used that often…]
『Nearly everyday, they deliberately torture the monsters, to have some fun or something.』
[Everything about this place are truly terrible]
I decided to watch without pressing the button. The monsters were approaching the four men with their tongue hung out, as if they’re seeing those guys as main dish.
[Please! Press it immediately!]
[Can’t handle this anymore…….uaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, stop! Don’t get any closer!]
[Don’t, please don’t!]
The monsters didn’t kill the men at once, letting them struggle as their bones got crushed bit by bit. As if to reproduce the torture that those men had inflicted upon the monsters.
These monsters were smarter than they looked.
While the sound of screaming filled the room, I started questioning the remaining one that I haven’t thrown down.
[What is this place trying to do? Answer me!]
[……I can’t say……I can’t possibly tell you…..if I do, I…..]
I already knew without him telling. The Burixes won’t allow him to live if their secret is exposed.
Even so, I’ll make him talk. I can’t just let go such a precious source of information, can I?
The Burix family had been keeping monsters inside the kingdom. Even use human to feed it.
For what? Also, what kind of monsters are they, since I can’t see it from here?
I let the man hang just above the pit. So if I let him loose, he’ll only end up falling into the pit, joining his friends who had ended up becoming food.
[……..alright. I’ll tell you, so please don’t drop me down.]
[Then firstly, who ordered such atrocity to be done?]
[It’s Rafal Burix-sama. Please, I don’t know anything beyond that. My job is only to feed the monsters with the carcasses inside the boxes.]
[Then what kind of monsters lurking down there?]
[I don’t really know the detail. But, they are……just goblins at the beginning. However, when they ate human flesh, their appearance changed…. About what caused that……. I really really have no idea]
I loosened my grip around his neck, which caused him to hurryingly talk some more.
[There is more. Please listen to me! Mimir-sama is one in charge of this place. If you questioned Mimir-sama, you’ll surely obtain more information.]
[Ha!? Why is it Mimir?]
Mimir is Rafal’s sister. However, why would he assign her here, to such a creepy facility of all places?
Of course, the man did not know the detail. However, he heard about it before from one of the women who work on this facility.
[That’s hard to believe. Are you trying to fool me! Then where is this Mimir-sama at?]
[North from here. There is a room called accomodation room. I’ve never been to that room before, so don’t know the detail. Please, believe me!]
[…Alright]
I let go of my grip as I say so. The man’s face turned pale, he fell down to the pit where the mysterious monsters that were originally goblins awaited him.
[Why! I’ve told you everything I know! But…..why!]
[I’ll go to check what you’ve said just now. If it turns out to be true, then I’ll return here to help you out]
[That’s impossible…….there is no time]
[That’ll be up to you. I’ve been wondering…..if you are really stronger than those people you claimed to be ‘powerless’]
I didn’t bother to see the man anymore. I quickly headed out this accommodation room he talked about. The only sound I hear from behind me, was the scream of a man and roars of monsters.
What happened here can be said to be a grave violation to human ethics. I knew that Rafal is a horrible person, but to think a human would actually do something like this.
Moreover, he actually confined his sister Mimir here. Rafal that I knew of would at least acted gentle to Mimir.
While I was thinking about what went wrong, Greed spoke through《Mind Reading》.
『Fate, have you noticed? Despite us being noisy like that, nobody actually came』
[Yeah, of course I have. When I was interrogating that guy, I’ve kept myself alert to the surroundings. There is too little people here. If it’s true that Mimir is just up ahead, then we may learn the truth behind all this.]
『……this feeling reminds me of my old days. Be careful』
Greed advised me with a rare heavy tone in his voice. I guess I really should hear him out this time.
It’s too cold here. I didn’t feel any warmth nor any sign of life. All I can hear, was the barks of the monsters who still hadn’t felt satisfied with their meal.