"You damn slugs! Can't you move any faster?!"
"..."
The workers in the lumberyard frowned at the loud voice echoing from the podium.
A burly man standing on the podium shouted, "How do you expect to meet today's quota like this, huh? Do you think you'll get your meal?!"
"..."
The workers gritted their teeth and muttered curses as the man waved the whip in his hand.
It was none other than the overseer on the podium who arbitrarily raised the quota. Everyone thought, that, 'if meeting the quota was so urgent, then he should come down and lend a hand himself.' They felt like shouting this at any moment.
But they swallowed the words that rose to their throats and returned to their work.
Meanwhile, the overseer's curses continued.
However, it was then, "Overseer."
"...!"
A sharp female voice came from behind the overseer, causing him to flinch.
It wasn't just the overseer, the workers also shuddered slightly and wore fearful expressions.
"Ugh..."
The overseer's face, which had just been hurling insults at the workers, hardened. He swallowed dryly and cautiously turned to check behind him.
And upon confirming the figure of a woman in a green military uniform approaching, the overseer turned pale.
The woman approached the overseer with firm steps and asked, "What happened? Why haven't you reached the work quota yet?"
"Ah, well, um..."
"If you have anything to say, make your excuses!"
"...!"
'Is this how it ends?!' The overseer closed his eyes tightly and stuttered out an excuse.
"W-well, we tried our best to meet the work quota, but..."
"Tried your best?"
"Yes, but no matter how much I whip them, the workers move too sluggishly like slugs, so the work is delayed..."
At that moment,
No more words came out of the overseer's mouth.
It was because the woman in the military uniform, with an angry expression, was gripping the back of the overseer's neck.
"...Is that what you call an excuse, Overseer?"
The overseer struggled and gasped. The woman continued to look at him with an angry expression. And then something unbelievable happened.
The overseer's feet, which had been struggling, began to lift off the ground. As if lifting a heavy object was nothing, the woman took a lifting stance and lifted him by the neck.
"...!"
The workers, who had been sneaking glances at the scene, turned their eyes with a pale expression. Meanwhile, the overseer's face turned from pale to dark.
Not even a choking sound could be heard.
The legs that had been struggling desperately began to lose strength. As the pupils began to lose focus, the woman finally released the grip on the overseer's neck.
"Thud!"
"Gasp... cough!"
The overseer, who had barely regained freedom, trembled as he struggled.
The woman looked at the overseer with eyes as if she were looking at something dirty.
And then,
"Thud!"
"Ugh!"
"I'll say it again. Make sure to meet the target by today's end. If not, I'll end it this time. Understand?!"
"...!"
The overseer, curled up like a caterpillar after being kicked in the abdomen, nodded desperately.
Seeing this, the woman looked at him as if he were a bug and walked away.
The workers shivered slightly and returned to their work at that sight.
"..."
Among those workers was Alain.
While trimming branches with a planer, Alain carefully watched the unfolded events.
"...Is that what the old man meant by strength..."
Frowning, Alain muttered to himself.
'It seems the old man's words were all true.'
Seeing it with his own eyes, he had no choice but to believe it.
Five hundred years on, the world as it is now is almost unrecognizable. A world where the positions of men and women have reversed.
A world where genders have reversed, literally.
But,
That's not what's important.
"..."
If all of this is true, Alain has lost one crucial purpose. Revenge against the hero.
Thinking about that, Alain frowned and started gritting his teeth.
Even so, he had no choice but to admit it.
This world now has gone through 500 years.
The hero's traces must be completely gone by now, vanished without a single mark left behind.
He was always baffled as to why the hero's traces were nowhere in history, but that's another matter entirely.
The important thing now is that 500 years have passed.
And that means he cannot take revenge for Margarita.
"..."
The resolve that had carried him this far, along with the foe he was so intent on confronting, vanished in an instant.
Because of that loss, Alain had to struggle to suppress the anger surging inside him.
Alain is not foolish, he knows that he must acknowledge what needs to be acknowledged.
Right now, the immediate issue is finding the descendants of the demons.
Revenge against the hero or humans comes later.
And for that, he must regain his strength somehow.
And for that, he must escape from this lumberyard.
Remembering that, Alain's expression turned grim again.
Last night, he recalled what another man, who shared the same lodging with him, had said.
According to that man...
It was then, "Hey you!"
From behind him, he heard the sharp voice of a girl.
"...?"
Hearing that voice, Alain looked back at its owner with curiosity.
There was a girl in a white military uniform, her red hair fluttering as she approached.
And the girl quickly approached Alain and said,
"I'm glad! It seems you're awake!"
She said with a face full of smiles. At that sight, Alain stepped back awkwardly.
'What is this?'
'What's happening?'
No matter how much he searched his memory, Alain had no recollection related to the girl in front of him.
Yet she was approaching him with such a familiar attitude, asking about his well-being.
'Why?'
At that moment, A thought crossed Alain's mind.
It was none other than what the old man had said when he first woke up.
Back then, the old man mentioned that it was 'girls' who saved him.
If that's the case, perhaps,
"Um... Are you the one who saved me?"
"Yes, that's right!"
The girl nodded with a smile as if it was the most natural thing.
At that sight, Alain felt a sense of tension release and let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
'So that's what it was?'
Come to think of it, the girl in front of him was the one who saved him.
If that's the case, at the very least, he should express his gratitude.
"Thank you. I survived thanks to you."
"Yes, yes. It's okay, it's okay. It was something I had to do. But how did you end up collapsing in such a place?"
"Ah, that was..."