7 – Gratitude

As soon as Ritor opened the door, he narrowed his eyes. The prisoners in the room flinched at the sight of the minotaur.

The seven women were not wearing any clothes, their necks were covered with iron leashes connected by chains, and their bodies were covered with lashes.

As the minotaur approached, those women shifted back, shaking their heads and shedding tears. Even though they weren't tied up and the door to the room wasn't locked either, they didn't run away or fight back.

"Nooo!!!" One of them—a girl with wavy brown hair—screamed as the minotaur's hand approached her. "Get away from me!!!"

Ritor pulled the iron leash around the girl's neck until it broke. Everyone in the room was stunned. Without saying anything, Ritor then destroyed every leash of the captives.

Then, the minotaur carried an unconscious eighth woman from one corner of the room.

"I'll take you all the way to the village," Ritor said with his back to the women. "But, show me where the goblins keep their treasures first."

The women exchanged glances, then the wavy-haired girl replied, "But, those goblins…."

"They're dead." Ritor walks out.

Although still with trembling bodies and doubtful faces, they still followed Ritor.

"Looks like they kept their loot there." The wavy-haired girl pointed to another room on the other side.

The minotaur opened the door and found a pile of jewels and coins. It was something strange indeed. The goblins only know about stealing. They will never spend those treasures.

However, that was the nature of the goblins. They do love stealing what is valuable to others, including the women. They use them for breeding.

Yes, because they don't have a female counterpart, they use other species to produce offspring.

While Ritor stuffed the treasures into a giant sack, the women searched for anything that could cover their naked bodies. Some found rags, and some had to tear other sacks and distribute them.

"Excuse me, sir." The wavy-haired girl approached the minotaur while tying a piece of cloth around her chest. "Why are you helping us?"

Ritor glanced at the girl without stopping his activities. The horned monster wanted to reply with a question about his terrifying form. Is it so strange for a creature like him to help humans?

However, he used the words his master had prepared instead, "I'm just following Lord Vorn's orders."

"Lord Vorn?" The girl helps Ritor put the treasure into the sack. "Who's he?"

"He is my master," Ritor replied in a cold tone. "I would appreciate it if you all remembered his name."

The wavy-haired girl flashed a smile. "Okay, we promise to remember his name." Then, she looked at the other woman. "That's right, isn't it?"

Those women looked at each other again. One of them finally nodded, albeit with a stiff motion. The others then followed.

***

The sun started to set when Ritor and the women arrived at the village. The minotaur spilled most of the treasure in his sack onto the street, leaving the women shocked and confused.

"I hope you don't mind me taking some of it." The minotaur muttered.

"Ah…. I guess that's fine." The wavy-haired girl, who was already like a spokesperson for the women, responded. "I don't think it's all ours. Maybe some were stolen from other villages or adventurers who came to their lair..."

The girl had not finished speaking when Ritor turned and started walking away.

"Please, wait, sir." The wavy-haired girl tried to catch up with Ritor. "At least tell me your name."

The minotaur paused, glancing slightly at the girl. "Ritor."

The girl's lips curled into a smile again, and this time much wider. "My name is Lana. Thanks for the help, Sir Ritor."

"Give the thanks to Lord Vorn instead. He's the one that was ordering me to do this." Ritor continued on his way, still thinking he should destroy those humans.

***

{Vorn's Pov}

Szur giggled next to me. "Finally, Szur understands why you are doing this, my lord."

"Really, huh?" I looked at a wavy-haired girl hugging an old man from a distance. That man was the one who spoke to me yesterday while fixing the fence. Maybe that girl was his daughter.

Sang Mare also observed it, but he did it by peeking from behind a tree. His hideous little body will attract attention. "The villagers will thank you and may adore you. They will become your followers!"

"You're smart, Szur." I looked at one of the icons in my game UI with a smile. The icon indicated that my darkness points were starting to increase, even if it was very little. It means there are already people who worship me. It might be those women Ritor helped, or it could be just one of them.

Yes, the progress that has occurred is minimal, but I still think this is a good start. At the very least, this shows that my plan has good potential.

I will continue to order my subordinates to help humans on my behalf. They will no longer thank their god but me. I will be the figure they worship to death with.

It's fun, isn't it? Many people will look up to me.

Szur giggled again. "I'm sure Ritor will not understand this. He only thinks about fighting and destroying things."

"The important thing is that he obeys my orders." I saw the father and daughter enter the house. "He'll understand when the time comes. And in the end, he'll get what he wants. I'm sure battles against humans will be inevitable. He could fight to his heart's content."

"Szur can't wait for the night to come." The little creature rubbed its palms together. "Now I also understand why you ordered me to target a specific person, my lord."

"Let's go." I walked away. "I expected a lot from you, Szur. Don't let me down."

Szur followed me while letting out his trademark giggle. "Oh, I will do my best for you, my lord."

My mouth curls into a smile.