—Northground, Central Region, Aldebaran Military Camp: Goblin Laboratory.
Gobuza, the son of a hobgoblin village chief, was dragged into a room alongside kin from other villages. It was an exceptionally large chamber inside a wooden building. Placed at its center was a mass of flesh that barely held a humanoid shape.
In front of it sat a man in a chair. He was clad in navy-blue clothing, with bright red skin, slicked-back red hair, and strangely goggling eyes.
"N-Nooo!"
An older hobgoblin boy two years his senior from the same village was dragged before the slab of flesh by brawny soldiers of the demon race. When the soldiers shoved him forward, numerous things resembling eyes and mouths tore open across the meat, biting into him.
"Gyaaaaaahhh—!"
Amidst frantic screams and the sickening sounds of wet chewing, the older boy who had been raised like family disappeared effortlessly into the belly of the flesh mass.
Burp!
Letting out a massive belch, the lump of flesh began revolving what looked like a face.
"All right, you lot are just feed so I can become a King! The least you can do is get eaten by that flesh doll and turn to shit!"
With a flick of the red-haired man's eyes, the remaining kin were hurled into the flesh mass one after another, devoured whole.
...
......
.........
"Hey, next!"
At last, it was Gobuza's turn. The slicked-back man barked the execution order, but—
"Lord Relado, it seems that's the last of the test subjects scheduled for today."
The slicked-back man, Relado, clicked his tongue.
"Put them back."
Having spat that out, Relado strode from the room without bothering to hide his sour mood.
Having narrowly escaped death, Gobuza's legs gave out entirely. Unable to walk, he was dragged away by the soldiers and tossed into a cell.
At that moment, what filled him was neither rage over the slaughter of his kin nor grief over losing companions who were like family. It was sheer relief that his own life had been spared. The realization felt so utterly mortifying and pathetic that Gobuza could only weep in muffled sobs.