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Whims can sometimes turn me into a demon.
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“By the way, Lars, what happened to you? You were covered in wounds and unconscious.”
“Lord Lars, it’s been a while. Master healed your wounds and restored your MP.”
“Gon-san, long time no see! Once again, I was helped by Linos-san
 Thank you.”
“What on earth happened?”
“I was practicing transformation into a human, you see.”
“Transformation?”
It seemed that Lars, like Ferris, was trying to acquire the skill of “transformation.” However, his MP would quickly run out in his current state. He had apparently fainted due to having zero MP.
“But why were you covered in wounds?”
“Well, uh
 hehe
”
It turns out that Lars had asked his long-absent sister for tips on human transformation. Ferris had also been teaching him various techniques, but Lars still struggled to do it well. Getting frustrated, Ferris ended up resorting to physical violence. In other words, she gave him a beating.
“Sis went too far!”
“It’s your fault for not being able to do it!”
“Alright, alright, no fighting! Fu-chan, you too.”
“
Please stop calling me that.”
Since Lars was also hungry, I decided to let Ferris and him have all the lunch while we ate the emergency rations. It probably wouldn’t be enough. As a makeshift solution, I grilled some orc meat from the Infinite Storage. Both of them devoured it enthusiastically, commenting on how delicious it was.
“Hey, that’s mine!”
“It’s fine! I haven’t eaten anything today!”
While enjoying such a heartwarming exchange, the short mealtime passed by.
“
Thank you very much! It was truly delicious!”
“You’ve eaten enough, so go home already!”
“Lars, sorry about that. I have to hurry. We’ll do this again sometime, and next time, I’ll bring even more!”
“Thank you! I’m looking forward to it!”
Lars flapped his large wings and soared into the sky.
“Linos-san, once I’m done with my transformation I’ll come visit you
”
“Yeah, sure. Come to my place anytime. But remember, Ferris will be there too, okay?”
“Yes! Big sis will be fine!”
With a joyful expression, Lars flew away.
“All right, I’ll guide you to the foot of the mountain.”
“Yeah. Ferris, I’m counting on you.”
I boarded Illymo once again and we set our sights on the Lunoa Forest.
Thanks to Ferris’s guidance, the treacherous path disappeared along the way. We had Illymo descend to the ground and decided to travel on foot. With that, we were able to make considerable progress and reached the Lunoa Forest before dusk.
“Illymo, thanks for your help. I appreciate it.”
“I’m still completely fine, you know?”
She said something reliable. For now, we stopped our journey here for today and set up a teleportation barrier to return to the mansion. As we returned we saw Rico and Peyris busily moving around in the kitchen.
“Then, we’ll help too!”
Ferris and Luala headed towards the kitchen. In the dining room, I noticed Fairy fluttering around. When I beckoned her, she happily flew over.
“Thank you for taking care of the house while we were gone.”
“It’s fine because Ganeja-san was here!”
“That’s good to hear. By the way, today, I encountered some of your companions.”
“Companions
?”
“Some Fairy Dragons attacked me.”
Fairy froze with a shocked expression.
“Don’t worry. I managed to capture all of them and they’re restrained. They’re not seriously injured. Do you want to meet your old companions, Fairy?”
“
I don’t want to.”
“Understood. I’ll make sure they don’t meet you. You can stay in this house as long as you want.”
“Yeah!”
Fairy happily fluttered her wings on my chest.
I teleported back to the Fairy Dragon’s barrier and haphazardly tossed the emergency rations and ingredients inside.
“Oi, it’s food.”
“When will we be able to get out of here?”
“Don’t know. Once my job is done.”
“I’d prefer a place with warm and beautiful water, where flowers are in full bloom.”
“I have an idea.”
“Then take me there!”
“It’s called heaven.”
“
”
“Don’t complain about your situation when you’re still prisoners. Be grateful that you’re getting food. Spend the night cooling your heads here.”
With those words, I returned to the mansion. The barriers I set up maintained a constant temperature. They wouldn’t freeze to death, that’s for sure.
Excitedly, we all reported what happened today and enjoyed delicious dishes. Then, I took a leisurely bath. Mei seemed a bit tired lately. It seems she has been doing a lot of physical work in Niza. Her shoulders and arms were swollen. As a result, I naturally ended up sleeping with Rico at night. I’m a bit worried about the next time I sleep with Mei, but when that time comes, I’ll gather my courage and face it.
Even though we’re on the verge of entering a war, our mansion remains peaceful. Thanks to this place, we can somehow manage to deal with our overwhelming workload.
And in the morning, as usual, I received a lunch basket from Rico, and we boarded the teleportation barrier. It seems Ferris and Luala helped as well because there were four baskets today. They happily packed what they wanted to eat. However, considering that we are going to launch a war, I couldn’t help but feel that these two lack a sense of urgency.
Walking through the Lunoa Forest on foot would take about five days, so we decided to fly using Illymo. It would be a burden for her, but it would save us a considerable distance.
“Illymo, I’m counting on you today. Ferris, don’t fall behind. Keep up with all your might.”
“Understood!”
Illymo’s full-speed flight was faster than I expected. I was worried if Ferris could keep up, but she managed to stay with us. As we were about to continue, something caught my eye.
It was a flock of Golden Birds.
“Illymo, wait!”
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
Both Illymo and Ferris were surprised. Ignoring them, I focused on the flock of Golden Birds. There were about 300 of them. The intense flavor, the juicy meat
 the deliciousness of that meat flooded my mouth. I
 wanted to eat them.
“First, descend to the ground,” I said.
If those birds spot us and become wary, they’ll escape. This is a situation that requires extreme caution.
“Master
?”
Everyone had gloomy expressions, but I didn’t have time to worry about that. My mind was occupied with how to hunt down the Golden Birds. The previous strategy wouldn’t work. It would take too long. To catch them all

“I know, let’s use that!”
I set up the teleportation barrier and moved away. Then, I immediately returned.
“Master, what is this
?”
“We’re going to use this.”
I had brought the captive Fairy Dragons with me.
“Hey, Fairy Dragons! I have an urgent mission for you. Savor the honor of being involved in a highly important operation,” I declared.
Hmm? Why do they seem frightened? Is it just my imagination?
“Your mission, gentlemen, is to capture the Golden Birds located in the northeast. Once you reach the sky, you’ll immediately spot them. Their feathers and beaks are golden, making them incredibly easy to find. I want you to capture them alive. However, be aware that they are incredibly fast. That’s where your agility comes in. Overwhelm them with your speed, capturing them before they can escape. I will set up barriers over a wide area to confine them, but it will be troublesome if they sense an attack. They can escape at the speed of light. If you can capture them without killing a single one within a short time, your future treatment will change. I have high expectations. That is all.”
“But why such a sudden
”
“I didn’t hear anything. Did you say something? You
 don’t seem have a name, do you? I see
 I will name you Sadakichi from today onwards. Sadakichi, you will be the leader and lead the operation. Throw the captured Golden Birds into this purple barrier. It’s simple. Put the Golden Birds into this barrier while they are captured. I will ensure that you can get out.”
I immediately set up the capture barrier covering several dozen-kilometer radius. It was designed to absorb impact if they collided with it. This way, the Golden Birds wouldn’t die, and they couldn’t escape beyond the barrier.
“Now, I will release your barriers. Oh, I almost forgot, if any of you attempts to escape, you will all become monster food. And
 released. Go.”
The dragons looked dumbfounded but flew cautiously outside the forest. In an instant, the purple barrier was filled with Golden Birds. For a moment, the Golden Birds seemed stunned, unable to escape and desperately squawking.
“Kyaaa! Kieeeeeeek! Kikikieeeeee!”
“Oh! That takes me back! That squawking sound is synonymous with Golden Birds. However, with this many, it’s too noisy to bear.”
For now, I added a function to prevent their voices from leaking outside.
“That squawking sound of the Golden Birds is said to break the spirit of hunters,” Gon commented.
I ignored Gon’s comments. The Fairy Dragons quickly captured the Golden Birds.
“
39, 40, 41. Good, everyone of them is here. You all did an excellent job.”
“Th-thank you very much.”
“These fellows seem to be quite useful.”
With an incredibly sinister smile, I stood there.