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 - 20

Chapter 20: And So, My Life in Another World Began

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Rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle!

“I’m exhausted in so many ways…”

Leaving behind the castle where all sorts of different races gathered, I was once again being transported under strict security inside a cage covered with cloth, just like on the way in.

“Haah… I never thought the first thing I’d see when I woke up would be an execution scene.”

As soon as I regained consciousness, I was taken to another location by Luna-san, who was beaming with an oddly cheerful smile. I had been bracing myself, fearing she might force me to eat that bland meat again, but instead, I was led to a plaza where a red-haired woman—Draco-san?—and Dalis-san were restrained on a guillotine platform.

I stood there, completely stunned, not understanding a thing, when I was suddenly seated in front of an obviously untouchable lever.

『Ken-chan. If you pull this lever, it’ll go swoosh! and then splatter! So go ahead and pull it whenever you like, okay? I’m sure the two of them will be so overwhelmed with joy at being sent off by a male that they’ll cry tears of gratitude.』

(K-Ken-chan!! No!! You must never touch that lever!! That thing is cursed!! It’s crawling with bacteria, and if you touch it, you’ll get horribly sick! So you must never touch it! Do NOT touch it! And right now, beg that woman to let you go! I don’t want to die just because of a momentary lapse in judgment! Noooooooooo!)

Just as I was panicking, wondering if I should try to save them, Dalis-san’s desperate screams suddenly echoed inside my head. The noise was so overwhelming that I instinctively covered my ears, but the voice only grew louder, pounding in my skull until I nearly lost consciousness.

(Hic! P-Please! Have mercy! Show me mercy!!)

For a split second, I considered pulling the lever. I thought that pulling the lever might at least make the noise stop, but of course, that would have been cruel, so I hurriedly saved the two of them instead. I wanted to believe it was just a staged performance, some kind of theatrical act, but judging by the way the two of them clung to me while sobbing uncontrollably, it was probably the real deal.

Maybe life was just cheap in this world. I’d better be careful not to end up on the chopping block myself.

“The execution was shocking, but that dream I had this morning was something else too… Maybe it’s because I haven’t had an outlet for, uh, certain urges in a while?”

Last night, I had a… Uhh… A stimulating dream where Aura-san attacked me. At first, she was touching and kissing me. I remembered thinking, “Wait, is this really happening!?” My heart was pounding with excitement. But then, out of nowhere, my body suddenly burst into flames. I writhed and struggled against the unbearable heat—only to find myself standing in front of a vast river.

On the opposite shore, my late grandma was happily waving at me. My pet hamster from years ago was also there, scurrying around, full of energy.

“Grandma!”

Just as I took a step into the river to run to them, my body was enveloped in a blinding light, and I gently floated upward. As my consciousness faded, I desperately flailed my arms—and then, the next thing I knew, I woke up with my head resting on Luna-san’s lap. My dreams always took the weirdest turns.

“Come to think of it, where did the dream even start? Did I properly thank Aura-san?”

Hmm… It all felt like a dream, but at the same time, it felt kind of real too. No matter how hard I tried to remember, everything after Aura-san hugged me got all hazy.

Yeah. I don’t know! Just to be safe, I should properly thank her the next time I see her. You can never say “thank you” too many times, after all.

“Still… Aura-san was really beautiful. Will I ever see her again?”

Before we parted, I got one last glimpse of her from afar. For some reason, she was clutching a handkerchief and crying her eyes out, but even through the tears, her beauty was captivating. I couldn’t look away.

Thump-thump-thump-thump!

No good. Just thinking about Aura-san made my body ache. Even when I tried to close my eyes and calm down, her gentle smile kept appearing in my mind, making me feel all restless. I wanted to see her… And yeah, maybe it was shameless, but I also wanted to do the kind of things I dreamed about with her.

Thump♡ Thump♡ Haah… So this is what they call love at first sight, huh?

My heart was pounding so hard that even breathing felt difficult.

“No, no, I need to think about something else. Having these kinds of impure thoughts about the person who saved my life is just disrespectful.”

To distract myself, I focused on what lay ahead. Thanks to Aura-san, my illness was cured. The disease that baffled every hospital I went to—the one that left me with no choice but to wait for death… She had saved me from it.

“…Five years, huh?”

It had been so long. So long that it felt like an eternity, spending those years trapped in my sick body. Thinking back, I had caused so much trouble for my family. To cover my medical expenses, my mom took on part-time jobs, something she wasn’t used to. My dad sold off the fishing gear he had spent years collecting without any hesitation. And yet, no matter what they did, my condition only worsened.

It was painful seeing more and more bandages on my mom’s hands. It was painful watching my dad’s hair thin out. It was painful seeing my family grow more and more exhausted—all for my sake. Did they resent me? Did they hate me?

Now that I’m gone… Are they relieved?

“…I want to see everyone. I want to meet them and apologize. I want us all to sit around the table together like we used to.”

The more I thought about it, the more regrets about my past world flooded my heart.

Thud!

Curled up inside the cage, I suddenly felt the carriage come to a stop.

Clank!

『Ken-chan~! It’s break time~!』

『Since we were in a hurry on the way to the Demon Lord’s Castle because of the curse, we didn’t really have time to relax. Let’s take it easy this time and have some lunch while we’re at it.』

『Oh? Lammy, what’s that you’re holding? It smells really good.』

『This is a sandwich made specifically for humans. Aura-san taught me how to make it. I’ve also prepared one for you, Luna-sama, so let’s eat together.』

The reinforced lock on the cage—sturdier than before—clicked open. I wasn’t really in the mood to move, so I just lazed around, but Luna-san grabbed both of my arms and, as usual, picked me up into her embrace.

“Whoa…”

Stepping out from beneath the cloth that had covered the cage, I was met with a breathtaking view. In the distance, creatures resembling winged dinosaurs soared through the sky, along with groups of humanoids with wings on their backs. Ahead of me, a towering volcano billowed smoke into the sky, and nearby, a lake shimmered, reflecting the fiery glow of the mountain.

Everywhere I looked, the scenery was so picturesque it felt like stepping into a painting. I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

“I want to see more…”

『Wah! Ken-chan!?』

Shaking off Luna-san’s grasp, I started walking toward a cliff with a clear, open view.

『Hey, Ken-chan! It’s dangerous, step away from the cliff and come back here~!』

A gentle voice called out to me from behind, but I ignored it, following my impulse.

“It’s beautiful…”

As I took in the vast scenery before me, I muttered a simple, dull remark that failed to capture the grandeur of the moment.

Suuuu… Haaa…

“The air is so fresh… My body… It’s really healed.”

How many years had it been since I last breathed so freely? As far as I could remember, the last time was when I went hiking with my family. That was… Before my illness took over.

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“YAHOO! …Ahh, this feels amazing!”

“Dad, what are you doing? Yelling out of nowhere is embarrassing, so stop. If something’s bothering you, just talk to me, okay?”

“You’ve got it wrong, Kento! This is a tradition when you reach the mountaintop. It clears your mind and feels great! Come on, my dear, let’s all do it together!”

“Fufu~ Your father looks like he’s having fun.”

“Ehh… It’s embarrassing though…”

“Alright, the whole family together! Ready, set—!”

“YAHOO!!!”

Why am I here?

Maybe… There was some special mission only I could accomplish. But even if I fulfilled it, there was no guarantee I could return to my original world. I didn’t know anything for sure. Then…!

Suuuu!!

“Mom!! Dad!! I got better!! I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused!!! Someday, I’ll definitely… Definitely return to our world!! I’ll make sure to give you the best filial piety ever!! I’ll return all the love you gave me a hundredfold!! So…”

I took another breath before shouting again.

“So, just wait for me a little longer!!!”

Wait for me…! …Wait… for me… …Wait…

I shouted as loudly as I could from the depths of my stomach, releasing all the lingering feelings that had been smoldering in my heart.

Snap!

“Alright! Enough with the brooding! If I have to live, I might as well be positive! I’ll enjoy this amazing world to the fullest!”

I slapped my cheeks with all my strength, firing myself up. If I didn’t know the answers, I still had to pave my way through regardless. Even if my actions ended up in vain… Even if the path ahead was full of thorns… I believed I could return to my world. I believed I could reunite with my family.

“First… I should start by repaying everyone’s kindness.”

And so, my life in another world began.

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End of Part One

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