Having defeated the Ancient Plant, we had dismantled its corpse and packed it into a magic bag.

''Mmmm, I wouldn't be surprised at how much is in that bag.

　''I'm not going to be able to do that,'' muttered Liliella, who had been watching me put in a branch of the Ancient Plant.

''The amount of magic bags that can be stored is determined by the accuracy of the first jutsu you planted, you know. This bag will hold at least a mountain's worth of stuff.''

The Mountain.

　Well, I couldn't get too much good material, so I could only make a bag with this much capacity.

''Oh, if you want one too, Liliera-san, I can make one.

I want it.

I understand. I'll make a little something for you next time.

I can do it in a minute, and then I'll be able to...

　Well, the structure itself isn't that difficult.

　◆.

That's about it.

　When I finally finished storing the Ancient Plant and, incidentally, the Elder Plant, I took a breath.
　I thought I could just take the Ancient Plant, but Liliella strongly suggested that I should take the Elder Plant back as well.
　I don't think we'll get much money out of it, though.

'What else do you want to do to clear the area and then leave?

'Well I can't wait to get home, I've been surprised enough for a lifetime today. ...although I feel like I've been surprised for a lifetime every day for the past few days.

　Haha, you're exaggerating.

But it's amazing to see a monster that big in the middle of this forest.

　Liliera-san was staring blankly at the hole that the Ancient Plant had been in just a moment ago.

　It's a hole created by the large roots of the Ancient Plant being pulled out when it stood up.
　Naturally, since it's such a hole, there's nothing to go into.
　On the contrary, there is a danger of it falling down if it is not done well.


"It's a shame, because if such a big man was sitting there, there can't be any treasures in the center of it.

　Ah, if you put it that way, I guess so.
　One of the reasons we originally came here was to look for the treasure in the center of the forest.
　But what was actually there was not a treasure, but a large tree monster, that's no wonder they were disappointed.

'Oh, come to think of it, we should prepare the ground for it.

　If we're going to make this the center of the street, we need to plug the big hole created by the Ancient Plant's rampage.

'Earthshaker!'

　I use my ground taming magic to level the ground around me.

Wow! Another earthquake!

''No, I'm just leveling the ground evenly with magic. The roots of the Ancient Plant seem to have grown deep into the ground, so the soil is pouring into the hole and it feels like an earthquake.

　I explain to an astonished Liliella about the shaping of the ground.

"Wow, okay, but if the ground shakes this much, isn't that the same as an earthquake already?

Haha, I guess that's what you're saying.

I don't think this is going to be a laughing matter...

　And then I found something strange on the ground as it was being leveled.

'Hmm?　What's that?

　Noticing this, I interrupt the magic and run over to it.

'What's going on?'

　Liliera asks me a question as she follows me.

'I saw some white blobs over there,'

'What?　Where?

It seems to be buried in the ground now.

　I come to the spot where I had seen the white lump earlier and find it half buried in the dirt.

'Here it is,'

　I brush away the dirt on the surface with my hand to reveal a white object.

'What is this?　Eggs?

I guess so.

　What we found was an egg about 30 cm long.

It's pretty big. Could it be a demon egg?

'Considering this is the Forest of Demonic Beasts, that's very likely.

　What should I do? If this is the demon's egg, maybe I should crack the egg while I'm at it.
　It was when I thought that, the egg suddenly shook wobbly.

''What!　What!?

　For a moment I thought the egg had lost its balance and collapsed, but apparently not.
　The egg continues to wobble and shake now.

'It looks like it's going to hatch.

Is it safe to be a hatchling?

You don't have to worry about it when it's new.

　I can understand Liliela's concern, but if it's newborn, it's not hard to defeat even dangerous demons.
　If it's a dragon egg or something like that, it can attack you for meat the moment it's born, but a dragon egg isn't this small.
　This would be another demon's egg.

　Even as we were talking like that, the egg started to crack and the next moment the shell popped off from the inside.

''This guy is surprisingly powerful.

　An egg is also the armor that protects the chick inside.
　That's why chicks usually take time to break the eggshell and come out, but this guy destroyed it in one blow.
　Considering that, I decide that this demon will become a powerful being when it grows up.

''Lilliera-san, stand back.

Yeah, yeah.

　As we were on alert, a demon child appeared from inside an eggshell.

''........Kyu.''

What?

　What came out of it was a small fuzzy furball.
　There was not an ounce of fear in its appearance, and at first glance it looked like a long-haired dog or cat.

''Ka, it's cute!''

　And then I heard Liliella's voice from behind me.

'It wasn't!　What are we going to do with her!

　Hmmm, I guess so.
　The fact that it was born near the center of the forest means that there's a high possibility that it will grow up to be a dangerous monster in the future.
　When you think about it, we should exterminate it before it's too late....

''Kyuu.''

　For some reason, I don't feel any danger from this guy.
　I mean, I've never seen such a monster before.

"Squeak!

　As I'm thinking about it, Fluffy rubs up against my feet.
　Oh, my feet got tangled up and I fell.

''Watch out!''

　Liliera-san cries out in alarm.

''No, I'm fine.''

　Fluffy presses himself against my leg.

'Do you think I'm a parent, by any chance?'

'What?　What do you mean?

Maybe it's just like birds' chicks, which have a habit of thinking of the first moving object they see as their parent. There are different kinds of demons, and they are raised from the time they are eggs and then followed.

Wow, I didn't know that was a profession.

"Ssshhh.

　Fluffy is wrapped around my leg and chewing on it sweetly.
　I'm pretty sure this is just a flirtation.

'It's not necessarily a dangerous demon, so we'll just have to wait and see for now.

Does that mean I get to keep the boy?

It's good, isn't it?　I've missed them so much. As long as you discipline him not to attack humans as a child, I think he'll be fine.

Do you really think he's going to be okay?

"Sizzle.

　As I was talking to Liliella, the mofo not only bit my leg sweetly, but started scratching it.

'What's wrong?'

　I pull off the mofo that clings to my leg and hug him to my chest.
　This time, she bit my hand sweetly.

"Hey, doesn't that mean she recognizes you as food?

What makes you think my bite is this weak?

　Haha, if it's this weak and is seriously attacking me, this guy can't survive in this forest.
　However, it might be true that he wants food.
　In other words, is biting me an appeal for food?

Yeah, just in time. Let's have dinner then.

　Looking around, I can see the occasional moving shadow in the forest.
　Apparently, the demons who thought this place was safe now that the Ancient Plant was gone had come.

''I'll have some food ready for you in a minute.

Cuong?

　With a scowling mofo in my arms, I draw my sword and run towards the forest.
　Then I cut through the shadows in the forest with every killer plant around me.
　The swarm of killer plants fall to the ground in a domino-like manner with a thumping sound.

''Kyuuuuun!

　Oops, looks like I've startled Fluffy. Sorry, sorry.
　Then the killer plant falls and I look around the forest, where I have a better view, and I see a herd of ogre bears with their bodies cut in half up and down.

'Yeah, big game. Now eat.

　I set the Fluffy Fluffy down by the corpse of the Ogre Bear.

"Cuuuuuu...

　Then, for some reason, Fluffy Fluff shook her body and began to pee her pants with a chattering sound.

''Huh?　Maybe you wanted to pee instead of eat?

I don't think so.

　You're not going to be able to do that.

Kyuun.

　I have awakened.
　I am the supreme being born on earth to be king of the world.
　The king of all beasts and the predator of all beasts.
　I knew instinctively that I was such a being.

"************

　I heard a voice.
　Not the voice of my people, but the cries of food.
　Hmm, it's my lucky day that I was able to find food the minute I was born.

　Or is that the proof that I am a born king?
　Even the heavens are willing to give up everything for me.

　I smash through the wall and go outside.
　Hmmm, a bit of a burnt smell, but not a bad breeze.

"**********

　I heard the voice again.
　I can't see it well because it's only just born, but I understand that this is the cry of its prey.

　My body trembles with the first struggle of my life.
　My body wants to fight, doesn't it?
　I'm not sure I'm trembling too much for that.

　Oops, it's still hard to move your body because you were just born.
　But there's nothing wrong with that.
　Because there's nothing my fangs can't pierce, and nothing my claws can't tear.

　Now, my first kill, be honored as my flesh and blood!

　Aggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg

　Bite me, bite me!
　Whoa!　How could you do this?
　Nothing will ever pierce my fangs!

　Then it's the claws!

　Crunchy ... crunchy ...

　Whoa!　I can't rip it open!
　You can't!　You're my biggest predator.　I'm the most powerful predator in the world.

　Mummy!
　This prey must have very hard scales and skin.
　I'm sure it has very hard scales and skin, so I'll attack it from a much thinner place!

　No matter how formidable the enemy is, he cannot be invincible.
　My instincts tell me so!

　And just as conveniently, my prey lifted me up.
　Fool!　I can't believe you're taking the enemy in.

　This is your weakness, eh?
　I followed my instincts and attacked the enemy's weak point.

　Haggling............................

　No!
　

********

　The prey is saying something to me.
　At the same time, my senses sense the presence of other prey around me.
　Hmmm, this is quite a powerful prey.
　My newborn self might have a hard time with it.

　When I was analyzing the enemy's strength, the prey was heading toward the new enemy with me still in its arms.
　What is this guy trying to do?

　That was the moment I thought to myself.
　The prey suddenly extended a long, sharp claw.
　And in an instant, he tore through the enemies that were around him.
　In just a moment, in that moment, the enemies around me disappeared.

　And I was lowered to the scene of the slaughter.
　Oh, am I going to be killed too?
　Am I going to die?

"*******

　The execution has been announced.

　Chop-chop....

　Oh, I peed my pants.