Messenger of the Empire

I finally caught up with Ram.

Standing beside her were two men—one young, the other elderly—both spinning with dizziness.

"Meal, baa♪ Meal, baa♪"

Ram watched the fallen men, drooling with anticipation. Looking only at this scene, she appeared to be nothing but a Monster.

"Hey, stop that. You’ll get an upset stomach if you eat those," I warned.

Since they had been hiding, I assumed they were enemies, but I didn't recognize either of them. If they weren't characters from the Original Game, they were likely just low-ranking lackeys who didn't amount to much. I had no qualms about taking them down, but Ram actually consuming them was a problem.

"Not allowed, baa?"

Ram let out a pitiful bleat. I sighed.

"If you go hunt a Monster instead, I’ll grill the meat for you."

"Understood, baa! I'll bring one back right away!"

Ram took off, bolting toward the horizon. Once she was gone, I took the precaution of restraining the two unconscious men.

"Ngh... that was horrible..."

The younger man was the first to stir. Our gazes met the moment his eyes opened.

"Are you awake?" I asked.

"Y-you! Did you set that Monster on us!?"

"If I did, what of it?"

I was starting to feel like the villain here. In a way, I was a victim of their stalking too, but...

"D-don't tell me you intend to eliminate us? Do you think the other Single Digits will stay silent if you do such a thing?"

The Single Digits—if I recalled correctly, they were the Empire's top generals. Several had appeared in the Original Game. The man known as the First Rank was particularly notorious; he was so powerful that the protagonists couldn't defeat him through strength alone. They had only won because the Mastermind intervened, providing a lucky opening. It would certainly be troublesome if someone like him got involved now.

But—.

"The Single Digits aren't so idle that they'd come to save the likes of you, right?"

"Y-you... who do you think I am...?"

"Who are you? I don't know you."

I wasn't joking; I really had no idea. However, given his haughty attitude, he was probably the son of some noble.

"Kuh... to think you don't know Lark of the Ninth Rank, one of the Imperial Single Digits!"

Was that really something he should be shouting at the top of his lungs? If they were on a Stealth mission, shouldn't he be keeping his mouth shut? I suspected he was just a fraud, desperately using the name of the Single Digits to talk his way out of this. After all, it was absurd to think that one of the elite warriors of the great Empire could be so easily defeated by Ram.

"Well, whether you’re the real deal or a fake doesn't matter much to me. If you were real, I’d consider sending you back to the Empire, but unfortunately, I don’t have that kind of time."

"In that case, we are of course free to go—"

"Maybe I'll just make you Ram's lunch."

"Are you a Demon!?" the man shrieked.

When I remained silent, his confidence withered into visible anxiety.

"I-it's a joke, right? H-hey, Gale! How long are you going to stay asleep? We’re going to be eaten!"

In reality, I had no intention of letting Ram develop a taste for human flesh—that would be a nightmare to manage later—but it served as an excellent threat. The man called Gale finally woke up.

"W-what happened? That White Devil from before..."

"That doesn't matter! At this rate, we're going to be eaten!"

"Hahaha, surely you jest? Laying a hand on us is the same as defying the Emperor himself. I cannot imagine anyone foolish enough to make an enemy of the Empire."

"True," I countered. "I have no desire to oppose the Empire itself."

"Indeed. Then, be a good lad and let us—"

"I suppose the only way to ensure no evidence is left behind is to let Ram eat you down to the bones."

Gale turned pale at my words.

"See? I told you! He’s serious!"

"B-but the White Devil isn't even here..."

"I brought meat, baa! It's time for a barbecue, baa!"

Ram suddenly dropped from the sky, a giant boar clamped in her jaws. Her soft body must have had incredible elasticity, given her jumping power.

"I-it's here! The White Comet Devil!"

"Meh? What's a comet, baa? Is it delicious, baa?"

"You could try eating it, Ram. It sounds like something you'd like," I teased.

"Yay!! ...Wait, are you planning to eat me, baa!?"

"You're the one who said you wanted to eat," I said in an exasperated tone as I began preparing the boar.

"By the way, what should I do with this meat, baa? If you aren't going to eat them, I'll go throw them away, baa."

"That's fine, but first, I want to hear exactly what you were doing stalking us."

"We were just passing by—"

"Ram, you hungry?"

"Is it okay, baa!?"

"I’ll talk! I’ll talk! Just get that thing away from me!"

Ram's presence was a highly effective interrogation tool. I made a mental note to use this tactic again.

"Then tell me. Why were you hiding and following us?"

"...By order of the Emperor. We were sent to investigate a person named Yuri and, if he showed promise, recruit him into the Single Digits."

I see. Thinking about it calmly, that makes sense. Even if my father and his cohorts—the Masterminds—were plotting something in the Kingdom of Inraku, they couldn't easily touch me if I became a citizen of another nation. It wasn't exactly independence, but it was a solid way to avoid being held liable for my family's crimes.

"So, if I'm 'qualified,' does that mean I can move to the Empire along with my territory?"

"No. Only you."

"...Then it's out of the question."

If it had just been me, I might have agreed instantly. But now, I had people who had worked tirelessly alongside me to reconstruct our lands. I couldn't even fathom the idea of abandoning them.

"I-in that case, I will handle the negotiations! Just release me!" Gale pleaded desperately.

Lark’s face twisted in fury. "Hey, Gale! Are you seriously planning to abandon me!?"

"Hmph! A Ninth Rank is easily replaced. It’s only logical that someone of the Sixth Rank like myself should be the one to survive!"

So Gale is pretending to be the Sixth Rank now? Or perhaps the Empire just promotes people based on age. Either way, the sight of them trying to betray each other was pathetic.

"Sigh... forget it. If you promise not to interfere with us, you can go—"

I didn't have the heart to harm people who were essentially just commoners with a fixation on strength, and listening to them was becoming a chore.

"R-really!? That is a blessing. I shall be sure to tell the Emperor that you are a Monster Tamer of great mercy."

"Do you really think you can return home? After bringing shame upon the Single Digits?"

"Eh?"

There had only been the presences of Lark and Gale a moment ago, yet a new voice rang out from nowhere. Suddenly, a Dagger was thrust into Lark's stomach.

"Gah!?"

"Who's there!?"

Lark collapsed. From behind him, a small rabbit doll emerged, its tiny hands gripping the hilt of the Dagger.

"Third Rank, Luna the Puppeteer."

Despite the lack of words, the sheer abnormality of the scene made me catch my breath. Then—.

"Rabbit meat, baa!! This looks delicious, baa!!"

Ram opened her massive maw and swallowed the rabbit doll whole.

"H-hey, that was a doll..."

"It didn't taste very good, baa. It was a dud, baa..."

"W-well, as long as you're okay, Ram. More importantly..."

I rushed over to Lark, worried about the stab wound. To my surprise, there wasn't a single drop of blood, nor even a scratch on his stomach.

"The Attack of the Third Rank (the Puppeteer) carves away the Magic Power directly from within the body," Gale explained helpfully. "There are no physical wounds, but the victim suffers severe mental damage."

I see. If it was only a loss of Magic Power, he would eventually recover with sleep. I decided it was safe to leave him be. Besides, there was no point worrying about an enemy that Ram had already "disposed" of.

As I turned to leave, I felt a tug on my sleeve.

"D-don't eat Luna's doll..."

The voice was on the verge of tears. Standing there was a silver-haired girl in black gothic lolita clothes. Her skin had a faint bluish tint, and she looked, for all the world, like a living doll.