The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
The deepest part of the ruins.
Altera of the Blazing Flame and Reez were there.
In front of them were lined countless capsules.
The capsules were filled with a translucent liquid...
and inside each one was a bound, naked woman.
Her lungs were filled with liquid, but she was not drowned.
Her consciousness was clear.
Although her body was restrained, she seemed able to move her gaze, looking here and there.
“Hmm.”
Altera, operating a magical device connected to the capsules, let out a troubled sound.
Then she spoke to the demonic subordinate beside her.
“How are the readings? Any change?”
“Well… it looks like there’s been a slight increase.”
“Really?”
“But it’s only slight — not a dramatic rise… umm…”
“Do you have something to say? Go on, say it.”
“Ah, excuse me… If the magical power only increases this much, I don’t think this experiment has any meaning. The effort and the cost… both are inefficient.”
“Hmm, so that’s how it is. Hey, Reez, what do you think? Drench humans in magic essence and then extract their souls… I thought it was a pretty good idea.”
“I would agree. It’s just far too inefficient.”
“I see — too bad. I thought if it worked well we could harvest souls all at once.”
Altera puckered her lips like a child.
She looked childish, so the gesture suited her.
However...
the experiment she was conducting was nothing other than playing with human lives.
Yet Altera didn’t care at all.
If anything, she was lightly irritated that things weren’t going as she wanted.
“Ugh, they exist only to be our nourishment, so be good food for us, okay!”
With a thud, Altera kicked the capsule holding the woman.
The woman inside twisted her face in terror, but—
“Ahahaha, what a funny face! Yeah, that reaction is great. Show me more, come on, come on.”
Altera’s sadistic instincts were aroused; the woman was repeatedly subjected to fear.
Unable to endure it, the woman fainted.
“What, she already passed out? How boring.”
Even the subordinates felt a chill at such brutality.
But they never showed it.
If they did, they would become the next sacrifice.
“Altera-sama, what shall we do with this human?”
“Hmm… still alive?”
“Yes. There seems to be no disruption to vital signs.”
“Then take her to the breeding room. If she can’t function as a nursery bed, at least she should be useful in that way.”
“Understood.”
Breeding room.
Nursery bed.
Those ominous words were spoken, but the subordinates showed no change in expression as they carried the woman out with the capsule.
After watching them leave, Altera sat in a chair and leaned back deeply against the backrest.
“Ah— cultivating high-quality souls is difficult. I thought I could knock it out quickly.”
“This research just started recently. It’s only natural it’s proving difficult.”
Reez nodded in response to Altera’s grumble.
“With this, maybe it’d be better to capture a human city called Kriegland and take the soldiers’ souls. Soldiers would be better than the ordinary trash, I think.”
“Indeed, that’s true. Which is why Altera-sama was preparing both research and a campaign, wasn’t she?”
“Yep, I’m the kind of careful woman who plans everything. Eheh.”
Altera said cutely.
Seeing her boss, Reez inwardly sighed.
If Altera really were as childish as she looked, she would be easier to handle.
But Altera was different.
Cruel and cunning.
Yet quick-witted and perceptive.
She had both power and intelligence — no wonder she served as one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
(If she were a bit more foolish, it would be easier for me.)
Reez never let such true feelings show.
(Well, our goal is the same — to awaken the Demon Lord. For now our interests align, so I’ll do my best for Altera-sama.)
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