I Was Transported to Another World with a Male-to-Female Ratio of 1:3000 and Made into a Breeding Pet for the Demon Lord’s Army - 115

Chapter 115: The Lonely King

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“Don’t be so afraid. My name is Kushina. I am, without a doubt, a male of the human race.”

As I stood frozen, unsure if I should sit, the man rose from his chair and gave me a gentle smile meant to reassure me. He was huge… He was at least 30 cm taller than me, and from that shadowed face came an air of calm dignity.

“I even prepared some tea for you. First, drink this and calm yourself.”

“Uh, yes, excuse me.”

I answered and carefully lowered myself into the expensive-looking chair without making a sound… The tea was delicious. He didn’t seem like a bad person.

“So, which breeding facility did you come from? Maria in the west? Or Anna in the east? No, more importantly, who was your father? He might have been an acquaintance of mine. I’ve never seen black hair like yours before, but your eyes… Don’t tell me, are you Gauss’s child? How nostalgic. He and I once plotted an escape together, and we were one step away from freedom when we were caught, and then I ended up like this…”

“Um, excuse me. Your words are kind of difficult to understand…So if you could slow down a little, it would help… Sorry.”

I was overwhelmed by Kushina-san’s sudden outpouring of words. The way he spoke so happily was endearing, but it would be much easier for me if he spoke calmly and slowly.

The language… I don’t understand the language!

“Ah, forgive me. You don’t understand the language very well, do you?”

“Please don’t apologize… It’s my fault.”

“No, the fault is mine. It’s been over ten years since I last spoke with someone of the human race… I got carried away because I was so happy to converse again.”

Kushina-san scratched his cheek in embarrassment. Now that he mentioned it, this was the first time I had ever spoken with a pure human, not a demi-human. Considering the existence of the zoo that displayed me, and his role as my predecessor—maybe humans really were treated as an endangered species in this world.

“That’s right. In that case, why don’t you ask me questions instead? That way you can take things at your own pace.”

That was a considerate suggestion. My listening skills were still weak, but if I was the one speaking, I could manage fairly well. Though, for some reason, whenever I spoke, the servants collapsed… But it should be fine.

“Well then…”

Since I had the chance, maybe I should ask something that had always been on my mind.

“You said earlier it had been 20 years since you last spoke with a human… Are humans rare?”

“…!”

The moment I asked that, his expression shifted to one of surprise, then sadness. Maybe it was painful, like being told by a child, “Humans are endangered, right?” Whether or not humans themselves caused it, perhaps it felt like an accusation, “This is all you adults’ fault!”

“…Is this your first time seeing another human?”

“Yeah.”

“I see, you didn’t even know that much. To think you were imprisoned all this time without ever meeting even your own father…”

Kushina-san’s voice trembled, and tears welled in his eyes.

“There, there… You’ve suffered a lot, haven’t you…”

Squeeze…

Before I knew it, he pulled me into an embrace, and a gentle warmth spread through my body.

“Uh… um…”

I remembered a day long ago when I was frustrated that my illness wouldn’t heal, and my father gently hugged me. My chest grew warm at the memory. Surely, Kushina-san was trying to encourage me in the same way. But since I wasn’t especially depressed right now, I wasn’t sure how to respond, and it felt a little awkward.

“I’m here now…You can feel safe.”

This was just plain awkward.

Sniffle 

“Sorry… let me get back on track and answer your earlier question. Humans are not few in this world. In fact, they’re the most numerous race here.”

“Then why am I so popular? Why does everyone come to see me? They scream and cheer, like I’m some kind of idol.”

“Hmm. I don’t really know what an ‘idol’ is, but your popularity in the demon realm is because you’re one of the few men in existence.”

“Men are rare…”

“That’s right.”

I see. I had noticed there weren’t any men around, but so that was the reason. I had just assumed men were too busy with physical labor to go to zoos. But after seeing Lammy-san’s extraordinary strength, it was clear there had to be more to it. How foolish of me.

“By the way, how rare? Like one in fifty?”

“One in three thousand. Perhaps even rarer in the demon realm.”

“Th-three thousand…?”

The number was so far beyond what I expected that I grew dizzy. With such a skewed gender ratio, it was impressive that society still functioned at all. The competition for arranged matches must have been insane. Even someone short like me could probably find a partner easily… No, with this ratio, maybe the concept of marriage didn’t exist at all.

Men must have been treated like treasures—locked away in cages and watched 24/7 to prevent harm… Wait.

Isn’t that exactly my situation?

“Then, everyone was desperately staring at me because…”

“Yes. They were evaluating you as a mating partner, indulging in fantasies. Imagining how they would ravage and consume a helpless captured human male, ignoring your tears and screams if it meant their pleasure. Many of them calmly think that way!”

For a moment, I thought this was a dream world for a man who wanted a harem—but seeing Kushina-san trembling with rage made it clear it wasn’t that simple.

“Some demons probably thought about eating your ears or fingers too… Using you every day for their amusement because we couldn’t stop them! Damn it all!”

Unlike me, who was shocked but stayed calm, Kushina-san grew more emotional with every word, his voice heating with anger. Being used as a plaything, huh… But all the women I knew had been kind to me.

Aura-san healed my illness. Lammy-san wrapped me in her tail every day and stroked me gently. Fiilia-san, whom I met recently, patiently taught me words in the mansion. Luna-san was a little rough, but even she treated me with care. Even the other servants, though sometimes odd, seemed to cherish me. They were all good people.

“Tell me, have you met the spider woman?”

“Spider woman… You mean Aura-san?”

“I don’t know her name, but be careful of her. She acts kind when examining your body, but deep down she only sees us as sexual prey. She’s no different from the rest. Don’t get too close—you never know when she’ll poison you.”

“No way, Aura-san would never do that! She always hugs me tightly, and she treasures even my clumsy drawings. She’s truly kind! I don’t care what position she holds, I won’t let you insult her!”

“There’s no way such a monster could have a pure heart!”

Crash!

The teacup slammed against the wall, scattering shards and droplets across the floor.

“Demons are evil… Their very existence is evil!”

Madness flickered in his eyes—his behavior was clearly unhinged. Yeah… It seemed that was my cue to leave. I had only come because he asked me to keep him company. I felt sorry for him, but now that conversation was impossible, there was no reason to stay.

“To defend demons… You must be under hypnosis. No, brainwashed! Damn it! To be turned into a convenient tool for demons without even knowing… How pitiful. If only I’d acted sooner, you wouldn’t have been dragged into the Demon Lord’s perverse games!”

I ignored his incomprehensible rambling and quietly took a step to leave when—

Clatter!

A sudden tremor jolted the floor beneath me, and I stumbled and collapsed.

“What… What is this…?”

My legs wouldn’t move. And I was growing… Sleepy…

Thud!

“The tea already took effect, I see… Now, let’s go home, Kento-kun. To the place we truly belong.”

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