Swift Bee Rider Reporting for Duty!

Yano sat in the excessively clean Oak camp, looking up at the bright sunlight and the mist pervading the surroundings, his eyes unfocused.

If he had not personally walked here step by step, he would have thought this was not the depths of a swamp, but a tree garden meticulously tended by some forest witch.

This sight was even more utterly different from the dark nest he had imagined, with lava flowing everywhere and the pungent stench of sulfur filling the air.

This was where a demon lived?

And the demon was a Slime?

Two Stinger Bees fluttered down from the oak with a buzz, carrying cups woven from leaves and filled with clear dew. They came before him, interrupting his thoughts.

Yano instinctively accepted the leaf cup and said thank you.

Was this an illusion, or was he dreaming...

Even the terrifying Stinger Bees had become as obedient as little fairies from a fairy tale, knowing how to welcome guests.

Everything in Oak Territory was challenging the understanding of the world he had built up over decades... It was simply too absurd.

Yet the rough feel of the leaf in his palm, the uneven stone seat beneath him, and the fresh scent of the swamp... all reminded him, every moment, that this was real.

Fine. If a Slime could become a demon, what else was there that he could not accept?

On a crude table built from stone, several Stinger Bees carried a Moss Monster and set it atop the broad, thick leaves spread across the table.

This worm seemed to be the lunch the demon had prepared for him.

But this little thing that looked like moss, rather than lunch, was more like a test from the demon—or some ritual meant to extract the power of fear.

Or perhaps it was simply to satisfy some twisted sense of amusement?

His gaze fell on the distance, where the demon was inspecting the "sacrifice" he had brought. Then its gel swayed as though nodding in satisfaction, and it was about to bounce back over.

If he wanted to leave here safely, he had to perform in a way that satisfied the demon.

Yano comforted himself inwardly. It was only swallowing a worm alive. Back when he had undergone knight training deep in the mountains, he had even eaten rat meat when hunger drove him to it.

As though making up his mind, he shut his eyes and stuffed the Moss Worm into his mouth.

First came a strange, coarse texture from every corner of his mouth. Then the Moss Monster burst apart, its abundant juices flowing out to stimulate his taste buds and bring with them the scent of the swamp.

Honestly, this thing was not hard to eat. If it were roasted, it could probably serve as emergency food in the wilderness.

But the little thing looked far too bizarre, making it difficult to accept on a psychological level.

Yano had to half-gag, half-swallow before he could barely force a Moss Monster down into his stomach.

Just as Chen Yu returned, he saw Yano fiercely swallow a Moss Monster whole.

He was instantly surprised.

The humans of this world were even fiercer than he had imagined. He swallowed a Moss Monster raw without even blinking.

After all, when Chen Yu had first started out, he had hesitated for quite a while. Only when he could no longer endure the hunger had he tried swallowing a Moss Monster, thus developing a recipe for Slimes.

Adventurers here dealt with Demonic Beasts every day. Maybe every single one of them was a survival expert.

Eating a Moss Monster—crunchy, nutritious—was simply part of everyday adventuring.

He felt that his understanding of this world's adventurers had deepened by a few more degrees.

"How does it taste?"

Chen Yu approached, his curious voice echoing in Yano's mind.

Faced with the sudden voice, Yano barely forced out a smile.

"G-Good... delicious."

"If it's good, then eat more."

"..."

Honestly, Yano's palm inexplicably itched with the urge to slap himself.

But with the Slime staring at him, he could only force a smile, endure the nausea, and stuff another Moss Monster into his mouth before swallowing it down.

Only when he saw the round Slime before him reveal a satisfied expression did he slowly let out a breath inwardly.

"M-Master... I..."

Master?

He had not expected people from another world to like such strange forms of address too.

Was it some kind of special fetish?

"Just call me Boss."

"From now on, you're the rider of this Swift Bee Forest Path. Got it?"

"Yes, Boss!"

Even if he did not understand, he had to understand.

"Rider" sounded like "knight," and he guessed it was something like the titles bestowed upon the followers of certain gods.

Compared with such cringe-worthy names as Touch of Shadows or Holy Son of Light... Yano actually preferred the title "rider." It reminded him of those harsh yet fulfilling days when he had served as a Knight Squire on the frontier.

It was also then that his body began showing symptoms of petrification. Even though he later achieved outstanding results in knight training, he was still urged by his instructor to withdraw and return to the countryside.

Fortunately, he had received a fairly decent pension, enough to keep him alive.

But after the precious grain and salt on the beast-drawn cart fell into the hands of those Gray-scaled monsters, not a single coin of that money remained.

Yano subconsciously looked at the base of the fingers on his right hand. The petrified spots seemed to have become clearer again, and worry welled up inside him.

"Are you worried about your illness?"

"Boss... can't even my soul be exchanged for a healthy body?"

"It's not impossible. It'll just take more than a dozen courses of treatment."

"Courses of treatment?"

"Take off your clothes and lie down."

"Ah... take... off my clothes?"

Starting with something this stimulating?

Could it be some kind of evil ritual?

Yano hardened his heart and gritted his teeth as he did as told, stripping off his upper clothes and lying on the ground as though resigned to his fate.

"Come on, Boss."

For Laura, for the child, he could endure even the most evil and painful ritual.

He did not even care about dying. His life had been worthless to begin with; as long as he could gather enough money for Laura and the child to live on before he died, that was enough.

He had long since been prepared to make a deal with a demon.

Chen Yu gurgled, bubbles rising around him. He had the feeling this human had misunderstood something.

"Prepare yourself mentally. This process might hurt a little."

To keep Yano from moving around, Chen Yu slowly released Hallucinogenic Factor, sending him into a dazed state.

Only then did he guide a stinger into Yano's back.

As expected, the first injection went crooked again. Fortunately, the anesthetic effect of the Hallucinogenic Factor was damn effective, and Yano did not feel a thing.

Still, he could tell that a needle had pierced his back, and he finally understood why his back had burned with pain when he woke up last time.

So it had all been from getting stabbed by needles.

Without changing expression, Chen Yu pulled out the crooked stinger and drove another one in.

Fortunately, this one did not go crooked.

As this strange ritual continued, Yano's consciousness gradually grew hazy. Several little people appeared before his eyes, dancing—each one was himself, and none of them wore clothes.

In his muddled state, he could hear the demon asking him questions about his name, his origins... Yet he could not summon even the slightest desire to resist, answering every question one by one.

Until his consciousness sank completely into sleep.

Who knew how long passed before Yano suddenly opened his eyes and sat up from the ground.

Feeling the pain gradually returning to his back and his body becoming increasingly lighter, he realized that what he had just experienced had not been a dream.

"You're awake?"

"While it's still light out, you should head back—unless you want to spend the night here."

Spend the night?

Spend the night in this dangerous swamp, with a demon right beside him?

Yano shuddered, and his muddled mind instantly cleared.

"N-No, Boss, I won't trouble you with that."

Just as he was hurriedly packing up his things, two Stinger Bees descended before him, carrying leaf-wrapped items with a sweetly fishy smell.

"Stinger Bee Pâté?!"

"For me, Boss?"

"Mm. Your delivery fee. I'm not going to withhold an employee's wages."

"Remember to accept your courier task before heading back."

"Courier task?"