When he was young, Carter had read a book that claimed all beings suffer, but he hadn’t taken it seriously.
Over time, he repeatedly witnessed horrific scenes—killing, then rescuing survivors, though he wasn’t sure how those who had lost the ability to move, their spirits long shattered, could go on living. Did their lives still hold any hope?
In the towns, bullying, robbery, and brawls were daily occurrences, never ceasing.
Carter never imagined that, in middle age, his spirit would be so deeply shaken. After being abruptly overwhelmed by such scenes, feelings of loss and fear began to dominate his emotions.
Before him lay familiar severed limbs and bones—some still identifiable as living humans—and a few women, recently captured, crying out in agitation.
A wave of nausea surged up his throat, and Carter quickly bowed his head, pressing a hand over his mouth.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed Aino standing expressionless, though something seemed to have caught her attention.
Following her gaze, Carter saw a woman. Her body bore no obvious mutilation, but she was covered in filth, dirt, and bloodstains. Her belly protruded noticeably, a stark contrast to her frail frame.
Despite the mud and blood caking her, her extraordinary beauty was still evident. Yet now, she was frail, her breathing labored, her state utterly pitiful.
Oddly, upon seeing the two of them, she didn’t react with surprise or collapse mentally. Instead, she appeared puzzled, even fearful.
—
“Wuwu… Finally, someone has come to save me, finally… Thank you, please take me away from this hell!”
The woman sobbed, tears streaming down her face, looking as though she’d narrowly escaped death.
But Aino stood there, eyes slightly narrowed, offering no response.
The cave fell into an eerie silence: a weeping woman sat on the ground, two figures stood motionless, surrounded by the ghastly sight of human corpses.
After a moment, the woman suddenly let out a relieved laugh.
“What, even in this wretched state, you monster won’t let me go?”
“I thought if I could endure these monsters, there might still be hope. But now, a monster among monsters has arrived, hahaha…”
Carter studied her for a long time before saying hesitantly, “Is this… a witch?”
“Hasn’t your teacher taught you to call young, good-looking witches ‘sorceresses’? You, the lackey of this monster!”
The woman cut him off rudely.
In this world, magic users exist, but many stray from the righteous path. Instead, they delve into bizarre, inhumane “magic,” signing strange contracts, occasionally killing individuals or even slaughtering entire villages for “blood sacrifices.”
They’ve essentially abandoned their humanity. These lunatics, devoid of any trace of it, have become monsters themselves.
Some, altered by contracts or magic, take on grotesque, inhuman forms and are called witches. Others in the same vein, who retain the appearance of normal women, are known as sorceresses—a distinction that has become customary across the continent.
The woman before them was a sorceress.
Carter immediately grew wary. Witches and sorceresses posed a greater threat than magical creatures. While creatures might attack out of hunger or rage, sorceresses—these madwomen—killed as if it were a game, often for “magical research” or offerings to their gods.
Yet the sorceress in front of them was clearly in poor shape.
Disheveled, she sat on the ground, relentlessly hurling verbal assaults at the pair.
“Such evil, such a thick bloody aura! How many people have you killed?”
“Wait, do you kill people to eat them? They’ve all gone into your stomach, haven’t they? And a human lackey—what’s that saying? ‘Aiding a tiger in its evildoing’?”
The sorceress seemed to have given up on herself, ceaselessly provoking them and venting her emotions.
“I know you’re anxious, but please calm down for a moment.”
After enduring her relentless tirade, Aino finally spoke, her tone unhurried.
“As long as you behave, I won’t hurt you. Otherwise, I’ll eat you.”
Her words, like a threat to a disobedient child, briefly froze the sorceress’s expression.
“You, this monster, can actually communicate normally…”
Perhaps because Aino’s demeanor defied her expectations, the woman quieted down after hearing the calm reply, falling silent as if lost in thought.
Carter then turned to tend to the wounded and sort through the spoils, while Aino began speaking with the strange blonde woman before her.
“What’s your name?”
“Alaya, a sorceress. And you, Miss Monster?”
“Aino.”
“What kind of monster are you? Can I see your true form?”
“…Maybe you’ll see it someday.”
Dragons reign at the pinnacle of this world’s hierarchy. The appearance of an ordinary adult dragon anywhere would spark a sensation; these mythical beings can even reshape nature.
For instance, where an ice dragon dwells, the land freezes over; where a fire dragon resides, mountains turn volcanic.
The renowned Gale Canyon, once the lair of the Wind Dragon King, Togax, for over a century, is perpetually swept by fierce winds and is said to harbor treasures and ruins.
If she revealed she was a dragon, it would sound absurd and invite unwanted attention.
Her current strength was far below that of the former Black Dragon King, Tananoen. If her identity leaked, she might not survive the dangers that followed.
“Oh…” Alaya looked deeply disappointed.
“Then, can you tell me how many people you’ve killed? The aura around you is so heavy—even the most dangerous witches I’ve met don’t give off such a vibe…”
Aino couldn’t fathom what this sorceress was thinking. Wasn’t she afraid of provoking her? Aino could sense Alaya’s immense trauma; she was now as weak as any ordinary person. Tearing her apart would be effortless.
“Do you keep count of how many slices of bread you’ve eaten?”
The response clearly caught Alaya off guard, her relaxed smile stiffening.
Damn… As expected of a monster. Bread, this one…
After exiting the goblin cave, Aino’s first act was to find a place for Alaya to bathe.
“Hurry up… You’re filthy,” Aino urged, her face twisted in disgust.
“Can’t help it. I’ve been used as a goblin’s plaything for who knows how long, with no chance to bathe. Maintaining this appearance is already a feat,” Alaya replied casually, shedding the scraps of “clothing” she wore.
“…”
Aino’s body stiffened slightly.
The girl’s typically blank face cracked, her mouth twitching uncontrollably.
Play… plaything?
This beautiful sorceress had truly endured such horrors, just like those women reduced to mere beasts, stripped of their humanity.
Since arriving in this world and gleaning its general state from Tananoen’s memories, Aino had resolved herself.
No matter what lay ahead—bloody scenes, bizarre phenomena, things seen only in novels or films—she was bound to encounter them here.
So, she’d prepared herself mentally long ago. As someone who’d lived in a lawful society, she’d calmly hunted magical creatures, observed lethal human conflicts, effortlessly wiped out goblins, and even faced those pitiful women Carter couldn’t bear to look at—all without flinching.
“Their suffering is normal; this world is just that cruel. It’s like this everywhere.”
“Unlike my previous life, here, this is normal. As a monster, if these things scare me, what will I do in the future?”
Aino had been constantly reinforcing this mindset within herself.
—
TL notes;
– The distinction between “女巫” (witch) and “魔女” (sorceress) is preserved to reflect their societal roles and perceptions in the story.
– “为虎作伥” is translated as “aiding a tiger in its evildoing,” capturing the idiom’s meaning of assisting a villain.
