Chapter 20: Reunion with the Spider Princess (2)
If "what if" becomes "as expected," what should one say?
The mercenary immediately flipped over the body of the oldest harpy, who was screaming with a vicious expression. Using her cloaca, he inserted his arm up to the forearm—not in a sexual way, but like a veterinarian, forcibly stimulating her egg sac.
"…This is insane..."
Dane's mouth hung open as he watched the unimaginable scene, and I too stared in shock. The mercenary wasn't particularly aroused but was mechanically stimulating the harpy's lower abdomen, where her egg sac was, to induce oviposition.
"Screee... Screeeee!"
Even a monster with low intelligence would feel humiliated being forcibly stimulated to lay eggs in front of a crowd.
The eldest harpy, her face buried in her wing feathers, endured the humiliation and pain of this forced act. The other two younger harpies trembled in fear as they watched.
"We've caught it. I'll pull it out soon."
"Did you hear that? They said it will begin laying eggs soon!"
The crowd erupted into cheers at the announcement. Shortly after, the mercenary inserted his other arm, using both to reach into the harpy's cloaca.
"Alright, got it!"
"Screee! Screeeeee!"
Amid the harpy's desperate cries, the mercenary forcefully expanded her cloaca and finally pulled out a large egg from within.
"Wooooooo!"
When the egg, drenched in the harpy's bodily fluids, was revealed, the auctioneer accepted it and held it high to display to the audience.
"And here it is! Freshly laid harpy eggs—starting at just 500,000 gold!"
**'500,000 gold?!'**
To me, 500,000 gold was an astronomical amount of money.
And that was just the starting bid—within moments, the price soared past 700,000 gold.
"Wow…"
While 700,000 gold was a large sum, it wasn't entirely unattainable. However, it was undoubtedly an excessive price to pay for a single harpy.
"1,000,000 gold! But I want to see if the others can lay eggs too."
"Yes, we have a bid of 1,000,000 gold. Does anyone else wish to verify whether the other two harpies can also lay eggs?"
The audience roared in agreement, their enthusiasm sickening enough to make Dane and I shake our heads in disgust.
"How is this… not illegal?"
"It's not illegal."
Strictly speaking, harpies are classified as monsters.
Though they resemble humans, their low intelligence and simplistic, animalistic biology categorize them as monsters. If they were to attack humans violently, extermination orders would be issued against them.
Thus, no matter what was done to these monsters, there were no legal consequences.
"But Dane, something's been bothering me..."
"The person in the fourth row, farthest left?"
"Yeah. They look familiar, don't they?"
"Yeah, they do. Weren't they one of our training barracks seniors?"
Aside from that person, a few other former members of the Magic Knight Order were scattered throughout the venue, performing security duties.
**'Damn… Has the Magic Knight Order fallen this far?'**
These weren't actual knights but trainees who had dropped out and joined private knight companies instead.
"Working in a place like this… Do they have no pride?"
"Exactly. They might as well have joined the Holy Knight Order."
For Dane to compare them unfavorably to the Holy Knight Order was no small insult.
**'Let's check the layout.'**
As a precaution against potential clashes, I scanned the area, noting the positions of the other knights and mercenaries. Meanwhile, the auction continued to heat up.
"And now, the fifth item! A warrior from the centaur clan, the last survivor of the Grasswind Tribe! Who among you will contract this valiant warrior with no place left to return to?"
**'These bastards… They're meticulous.'**
For transactions that might otherwise cross legal lines, they had devised a way to skirt the law by presenting the merchandise as having voluntarily entered into mercenary contracts.
If a centaur warrior claimed to have sold themselves as a mercenary to serve a master, there was no legal ground to intervene.
"Ban. This is…"
"It's legal."
It seemed the law was always more advantageous to villains.
Good people didn't need to skirt the law, so they didn't bother to understand its intricacies. But villains, balancing on the edges of legality, exploited it to its fullest.
**'This is bad.'**
At this rate, the Magic Knight Order wouldn't have any justification to raid this slave market.
The operation was hidden in a dangerous, dimly lit area, but that could easily be excused as a necessary security measure. As long as they claimed to sell monsters discreetly to avoid public discomfort, their activities would be overlooked.
No matter how brutally harpies or other monsters were treated, no legal action could be taken against them.
After all, the kingdom's laws were designed to protect humans, demi-humans, and other intelligent races, but not monsters.
"And now, the final item of the night!"
The auctioneer's voice cracked, but his announcement still echoed powerfully across the venue.
"The item everyone has been waiting for!"
Unlike the previous rounds, this time, the product was presented first. A steel cage was brought onto the stage, and the auctioneer deliberately built suspense, letting the audience's anticipation mount.
"As you all know, there exists a dangerous place called the Spider Forest."
**'Spider Forest…?'**
"Until now, no one has successfully entered the Spider Forest and survived."
The auctioneer gestured dramatically toward the knights stationed around the venue.
"However! Recently, through their efforts and valor, these individuals have successfully conquered the Spider Forest, eliminating all the colossal spiders that once ruled it and bringing back the spoils of war!"
Upon hearing this, I instinctively rose from my seat.
'No way…!'
"This noble specimen, caught only with the combined efforts of these veteran knights, is being auctioned for the first time in history!"
The auctioneer, with tears streaming down his face as if overwhelmed by emotion, continued his grand proclamation.
"To obtain this product, countless knights laid down their lives, many becoming food for the spiders. Yet, we succeeded in conquering it!"
At the auctioneer's dramatic signal, mercenaries pulled back the curtain that concealed a large iron cage.
"And now, behold... the Arachne!"
* * *
"Ah!"
I gasped unconsciously, though my voice was lost in the collective exclamations of the audience.
Inside the cage was someone familiar to me—the Arachne Princess.
Her spider legs, specifically two of the joints, were twisted, rendering her unable to stand properly. She cowered against the edge of the cage, trembling with fear.
Despite her current condition, I immediately recognized her as the same Arachne Princess I had encountered during my training.
'So, that's what happened!'
While I was captured and later escaped with the help of Erin and the other trainee knights, countless giant spiders were defeated. This must have left a gap in the Spider Forest's defenses.
The operators of this slave auction, whether by coincidence or meticulous research, seized that opportunity and launched their raid, successfully subjugating the forest.
"Kririk…"
Terrified, she tried to retreat to the farthest corner of the cage, but in the small space, there was nowhere for her to hide.
"Although we regrettably failed to capture the queen, we managed to secure this young Arachne specimen!"
"She's hiding in the cage, and it's hard to see her properly. I'd like a closer look."
At the words of an elderly gentleman, the auctioneer gestured to a mercenary. One of them entered the cage, intending to drag the Arachne Princess out.
"Kirik…"
"Get out here, you damn spider!"
Crack!
"Kiiiiiik!"
When she hesitated to emerge, trembling with fear, the mercenary lost patience and kicked one of her already-injured legs with his leather boot. Screaming in pain, the Arachne Princess scrambled out of the cage.
Now, the attention of nearly 200 spectators was entirely focused on her.
"She is still a young specimen. Furthermore, her aggression is low, and her carapace is soft, making her suitable even for recreational purposes."
To emphasize his point, the mercenaries prodded her chest with long wooden sticks, driving her to a corner.
"Additionally, Arachne venom has aphrodisiac effects. Properly extracted, it can be used to create potent stimulants or aphrodisiacs."
Several alchemists among the audience had their eyes gleaming with interest.
"If supplied with the right mates, she is at a prime age for reproduction, boasting high fertility. You could easily create an army of spiders in no time!"
At this, the eyes of some collectors and nobles lit up with greed.
"Such a perfect product starts at the modest price of 10 million! Let's begin the bidding!"
"15 million!"
"20 million!"
As the shouts of bidders, driven by their desires, echoed through the room, I stood still, silently watching the Arachne Princess.
Her damaged legs wobbled, barely holding her weight, and she crouched low to the ground. The sight filled me with a mix of emotions—anger, sympathy, and guilt.
Was it pity for her pitiful situation, being separated from her family and sold alone?
Or perhaps it was the memory of her reaching out to me desperately during my escape, a moment that still weighed on my conscience?
"Ban, let's leave."
"..."
Dane placed a hand on my shoulder, seemingly having concluded there was nothing more to be gained here. I agreed with his judgment.
Returning to the training grounds to report that these individuals operated just within the bounds of the law was our duty as trainee knights.
But...
"Kirik..."
From within the darkness, amidst the crowd of people, she found me.
Just as she had back then, when she extended her hand toward me while I was fleeing from the Arachne Queen and the giant spiders.
The princess was reaching out to me once more.
"...Damn it."
How could I leave after seeing this?
"Ban?"
"Dane. Can you head back on your own?"
"What? What are you planning to—"
"It's nothing major."
I quietly retrieved an unmarked, unofficial mana saber from my belongings.
"I'm just going to act like a knight for the first time in a while."
For my Spider Princess.
A Special Thank You!:
I want to extend my deepest gratitude to [Fitzgibbon], for supporting me on Patreon!