Choro returned to the forge.
The first thing he did was approach Pokko, the captain of the village guards and his mentor.
Pokko was watching the cats’ smithing work with a mesmerized expression, but when Choro approached, he snapped out of it and cleared his throat.
“Ahem, ahem! Did you have a good talk, Hero?”
“Pokko, there’s something I’d like to discuss. With everyone.”
“Understood.”
Pokko gathered the people.
Meanwhile, Choro took another look around.
The enormous beings.
They weren’t giants, but here, it felt like they were the small ones.
‘We can’t win.’
Choro judged coldly.
If he had determined that they were winnable opponents, he would have seriously considered continuing the dimensional invasion.
He bore the weight of an entire world.
If it was to save his world, he was willing to do anything.
And conversely, if it was to save his world, he could even join hands with the Demon King.
“Hero, everyone is gathered.”
They moved to a quiet place outside the forge.
The noise of the forge had left their ears slightly ringing, but it was starting to subside.
“Everyone.”
“Please speak, Hero.”
“As you’ve just seen, the power here is beyond imagination.”
“Mm….”
No one spoke, but deep down, they all felt fear at the astonishing level of craftsmanship they had witnessed in the forge.
Such advanced and refined blacksmithing techniques.
Something they could never even dream of in their world.
“I vaguely sensed it in the battle against the Fallen Hero, but based on my estimation, their combat skills must also far surpass ours.”
“We’re outmatched in every way…”
Someone muttered.
Aside from the fairies flitting around and chattering, no one else had the confidence to win.
“Their culinary culture also seems highly advanced. I’ve never even heard of such food in my life. And the taste…”
The party’s supply officer, drooling, muttered absentmindedly.
He was responsible for cooking and providing combat support, but his praise for the food seemed endless.
“They didn’t just haphazardly grill or stir-fry ingredients over a fire. The delicate control of the heat, the precise level of doneness, the carefully measured seasonings, even the intricate knife cuts—all of it expressed profound intent in a supreme dish!”
The others stared at the supply officer, speechless.
But they couldn’t refute him either.
It was, without a doubt, the best meal they had ever eaten.
If possible, they wanted to eat it again right away.
“I asked the Demon King what his true intention was in helping us.”
“What… What did he say?”
After a brief hesitation, Choro spoke.
“He told us to serve under him.”
“Y-you, Hero!? That’s outrageous!!”
“…Not just me. All of us.”
“Huh?”
The party tilted their heads in confusion.
Then, as they grasped the meaning behind his words, their expressions stiffened.
“Are you saying…”
“In exchange for helping us restore our dimension, we must all become subordinates of the Demon King. He will provide all necessary supplies, including food and equipment.”
“When you say ‘all of us’… Do you mean just the ten of us here?”
Choro shook his head grimly.
“Our entire world.”
“Gasp!”
“T-that’s monstrous!”
Everyone recoiled at Choro’s words.
The terrifying nature of the Demon King, which they had momentarily forgotten, hit them once again, plunging them into serious contemplation.
“This is an absurd condition! We can’t possibly accept it!”
“I think differently.”
At the youngest member’s outburst, the oldest, Pokko, interjected.
“What do you mean, Captain!?”
“Think carefully. We are the ones invading someone else’s world.”
“Ah….”
“Of course, our situation is desperate, so we had no choice. But let’s be honest, Toto, do you think we can defeat them?”
“That’s…”
“It’s obvious. We can’t. To be frank, even the Fallen Hero that fought against our Hero just now—we might not have been able to defeat him even if we all worked together.”
Toto parted his lips as if to argue, but no words came out.
He wanted to deny it from the depths of his heart, but he already knew the truth.
They stood no chance.
“Instead, we should be grateful for their mercy. Who else would feed and extend a hand to those who invaded their land?”
“But it’s all a ploy to tempt us into accepting this cruel deal!”
“Even if it is, what can we do?”
Pokko scanned their faces.
Everyone looked grave.
“I believe we should accept the deal for now.”
“Captain!?”
Toto raised his voice in disbelief.
Then, the supply officer, Kkappe, spoke up.
“I agree. Attacking someone else’s land or becoming the Demon King’s subordinates to save our world—it’s not all that different. Besides, if it means getting food supplies, then considering the starving people in our world, I’d gladly sell my soul to the devil.”
With Kkappe siding with Pokko, the atmosphere started to lean in one direction.
Some still couldn’t agree.
But they couldn’t bring themselves to oppose it either.
“If it’s to save our families…”
“The Demon King’s subordinates? At this point, I don’t care whose subordinates we are. If it saves our world, we must do it.”
Choro, observing their reactions, finally spoke.
“There’s no need to decide in haste. The Demon King has given us a few days to consider. We should use this time to learn more about this place before making a final decision.”
“Will that be enough time?”
Kkappe asked worriedly.
After all, on the other side, their main force of about 600 was waiting.
Not to mention the thousands suffering from starvation.
“Hmm…”
Choro closed his eyes.
The others wore grim expressions or looked close to tears, each lost in thought.
Then,
“Choro! Where are you?”
A voice called out—Lee Kyu-seong’s.
Choro opened his eyes and turned to his comrades.
“Think it over carefully. I’ll be back shortly.”
“Understood.”
Pokko responded on their behalf.
Choro nodded at the dependable Pokko and headed toward Kyu-seong, who had called him.
“You called?”
“Ah, Choro, from what I overheard earlier, it sounds like things are really bad on the other side. Am I right?”
“Hmm, I can’t deny it.”
“How’s the food situation over there?”
“…We are severely lacking.”
Choro didn’t bother to hide it.
If showing a little vulnerability could earn the sympathy of this uncharacteristically benevolent Demon King, then perhaps he would show them mercy.
“Ah, well, I actually already asked my people to prepare some food for you. I also had them make it easy for you to eat, so it should be ready soon.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that…?”
“Your people are starving, right? Take the food I’m giving you and go back to distribute it among them.”
Choro’s mouth fell open.
He was at a loss for words.
He couldn’t process what he was hearing—was this truly real?
“Choro?”
“Ah, y-you mean… you’re really going to provide us with food?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Though honestly, I see it more as a gift than support.”
“But we haven’t even accepted your deal yet.”
“I told you, it’s a gift rather than support.”
Choro couldn’t understand.
Was this some kind of elaborate tactic?
A way to lure them in and make them serve under him?
‘But why?’
Thinking about it logically, there was no real reason.
Kyu-seong and his subordinates were already far superior in strength and technology.
Why would someone like him need to go to such lengths to entice them?
“Don’t overthink it—just take it. This isn’t the time to be picky!”
“…Thank you!”
Kyu-seong was right.
This wasn’t the time to hesitate.
Choro followed Kyu-seong to a warehouse.
Inside, he found an overwhelming amount of unfamiliar food stored in various sections.
‘This is… unbelievable!’
The sheer size of the warehouse was already impressive, but the fact that it was packed to the brim?
“Looks like everything’s ready. Great work, guys.”
A group of rabbits, looking rather proud, presented the neatly organized food.
The vegetables and other crops had been chopped into manageable sizes for easy consumption.
To Kyu-seong, it wasn’t much.
But to Choro, it was an overwhelming amount.
‘H-he’s giving us all this?!’
With this much food, the people back home could eat well for an entire month.
That thought made Choro anxious.
He wanted to send the food back immediately.
“Hmm, the problem is transporting it. And storing it properly.”
To Kyu-seong, it wasn’t a large amount.
But for the tiny humans, carrying it all at once would be difficult.
And even if they managed to transport it, could they store it properly?
“Choro, can you wait for a bit? Actually, come with me.”
“Uh? Alright.”
Choro was impatient, but he held himself back.
He wanted to carry the food away right then and there, but he couldn’t risk offending Kyu-seong.
Following him, they arrived at a spot where a black cat was lazily sleeping.
“Bell, sorry to wake you, but could I ask you for a favor?”
-Nyaa.
Bell opened his eyes slightly, then tilted his head upon seeing Choro for the first time.
-A toy?
“No, he’s a guest I just met, and I’d like to make something for him.”
Make something?
Not only was this Demon King giving them food, but now he wanted to make something for them too?
“I need to transport food, but there’s a lot of it. Could you craft a storage item with a subspace feature that suits these small folks? Preferably with refrigeration as well.”
-Normally, I’d be too lazy to do it. But since you built this amazing house and forge, I’ll make an exception.
Bell got up.
Then, without hesitation, he headed straight for the forge.
The work was fast and efficient.
Following Kyu-seong and Bell, Choro witnessed the cat’s craftsmanship, unlike anything he had ever seen.
‘Just what is this cat…?’
One shock after another.
He felt fortunate that such powerful beings were showing them mercy.
Perhaps they were just too insignificant to be considered threats.
If that was the reason they were being spared, then maybe it was actually a good thing.
Clang!
-Nyaa, done.
Bell’s words sounded almost like a curse.
On his paw sat a small metal box.
It was about the size of Choro’s upper body.
-Insert a mana stone, and it will work.
“Thanks, Bell. I’ll put it to good use.”
-If you ask nicely, I might help again. Now, I’m going back to sleep.
Bell flicked his tail and disappeared.
As Choro stood there in a daze, Kyu-seong spoke.
“Shall we start packing?”
“Packing?”
“We’ll put all the food inside that box.”
Kyu-seong inserted a mana stone into the item, tested its functionality, then returned to the warehouse.
He began carefully packing the prepared crops into the box.
The food had already been cut into convenient sizes, making it easy to store.
“Ooooh!”
Choro gasped in amazement as he watched the endless amount of food fit inside.
Soon, he joined Kyu-seong in filling the box.
“Done!”
Once the food was packed, curiosity got the better of Choro.
He opened the box and took out a piece of food.
“Incredible. A magical storage box.”
“Use it whenever you transport food from now on. It looks like it can hold even more.”
He slung the box over his back.
Fortunately, it wasn’t too heavy.
“Is it alright?”
“It’s manageable.”
It would be a lie to say it was weightless.
But thanks to his usual training, he could handle it.
With the box secured, he returned to the others with Kyu-seong.
When Choro appeared carrying a metal box, his companions looked at him with curiosity.
“Hero, what is that?”
“Kyu-seong has given us some food. Let’s head back for now.”
“…Food?”
To them, it was just a slightly large box.
Food?
‘Does he plan to make dozens of trips back and forth to transport it?’
Still, since Choro suggested returning, they nodded.
It would be safer to continue their discussion back home rather than here.
“Kyu-seong, we’ll be back soon!”
“Take your time. Distribute the food and talk with your people before coming back.”
“Thank you for your generosity.”
Choro bowed deeply.
The box nearly slipped off, but he quickly regained balance.
“Be careful.”
“Yes!”
With that, the tiny humans returned through the portal they had used to arrive.
At that moment, Kyu-seong felt like he had forgotten something.
“…What was it?”
Meanwhile, in one corner of the cat village, the self-proclaimed goddess, Verna, was sitting with the Seven Deadly Sins and Frey, chatting away.
A tea party had been set up.
-At that moment, I was so close to winning!
-Uh, uhh… Sure, let’s go with that.
Mammon wiped his cold sweat.
Ara watched the scene with amusement.
Ras sipped tea, unfazed, while Frey absentmindedly played with Verna’s wings.
-So fluffy.
-Hmph! My pride and joy!
Thus, Verna, completely forgotten by the tiny humans, enjoyed a peaceful tea time.
Cliche Novel 