Chapter 167 The Man with a Proposal
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Ahahaha! Look at the state of you!”
”It’s a fitting look for the fools who dare to oppose the King of the Magic Labyrinth¹.”
I wonder how long it’s been since I was strung up like this. My arms have reached their limit, and my stomach has been growling for quite some time now.
Down below, the others have been stripped bare and bound with their hands behind their backs, forced to grovel against the floor. Many of them must be famished as well, judging by the chorus of rumbling bellies.
It was at that precise moment that Heliodor and Lace Agate made their appearance. Five maids trailed behind them as they descended.
Every one of them carried a sack filled with something.
”Listen up, livestock. Rejoice—it is time for your feed.”
”What…?”
Since the King of the Magic Labyrinth vanished, bizarre things have been occurring in this room. Most notably, a toilet trench has manifested right in the center of the floor.
The trench is quite long, stretching nearly to the edge of the chamber. The maids began emptying the contents of their sacks into it.
”No…”
”Wait…”
What spilled from the sacks was a dry powder. It looked exactly like the sort of feed given to farm animals.
The toilet trench was partitioned in the middle. Another maid began filling the opposite side with water.
”Now, eat.”
”This is an act of mercy from the King of the Magic Labyrinth. Leaving even a morsel behind is strictly forbidden.”
”…Ngh!”
What…?! You expect us to eat… livestock feed… out of a toilet trench…!
Naturally, everyone was hesitant. With our hands bound, we would have to plunge our faces directly into the trench to eat. Such a degrading act… it was unthinkable.
But when no one moved to eat, the maids sprang into action. They began mercilessly slapping the backsides of those crawling naked on the ground.
”Ighee?!”
”It hurts!”
The sound of slapping hands rang through the room, and bright red handprints began to surface on the buttocks of everyone who was struck.
”The longer you refuse to eat, the more mercilessly they will strike your rears.”
”I suggest you eat before your bottoms turn entirely crimson.”
”Uugh…”
”Hiee…”
The pain must have been excruciating. The proud knights of Viorga-sama² began to crawl across the floor like inchworms toward the toilet trench. They thrust their faces into the feed and began to eat.
”Uuuuh…”
”It’s so dry… I’m so thirsty…”
The powder seemed to suck every bit of moisture from their mouths. Some were already plunging their faces into the water filling the other side of the trench.
It was a sight that defied imagination, especially compared to the meal we were served yesterday.
(Damn you… King of the Magic Labyrinth…!)
Not only did he abduct Princess Liliarette, but he subjects us to this…! This is an insult to Viorga-sama herself…!
As I seethed with such rage, a maid approached me and Guru Esrain. She set two plates at our feet, filling them with livestock feed and water respectively.
”Aren’t you lucky, little piggies? It seems the King of the Magic Labyrinth saw fit to give you feed as well.”
The chains suspending us began to lower. For the first time in an eternity, my feet touched the floor. My arms were burdened with fatigue from being hung for so long.
If even I, with all my training, found it agonizing, it must have felt like absolute torture to Guru Esrain.
However, as we touched down, the maid stuck her foot out and tripped us.
”Guh?!”
Furthermore, the maid grabbed my head as I fell, shoving my face into the plate of livestock feed.
”Mph?!”
”Oh, how filthy. Look at how the feed splattered everywhere.”
”The failure of the leader, Alvia, is the failure of her subordinates. You will all have to lick the floor clean of the feed she spilled later.”
”………!”
”Come now, pig. Eat your feed. You aren’t allowed to leave a scrap. Anything left over will be dumped on the floor.”
”The subordinates must lick Alvia’s leftovers clean within the time limit. If you don’t, your rears will be red again.”
Curse him… curse him, curse him…! I have never endured such humiliation…!
I felt as though I would lose my mind with rage, but I couldn’t risk bringing more trouble upon the others. While my face was being held down, I began to eat the feed, trying my best not to spill.
The maid then forced my face into the water dish as well. Looking next to me, I saw Guru Esrain receiving the same treatment.
”Uuu…”
”Why did it come to this…”
”Blegh… there’s no flavor…”
”The water… it’s so hard to drink…”
The sight of my subordinates swarming the trench for feed, their backsides lined up, was the very picture of livestock. Unlike yesterday, it was clear he had no intention of treating us as human beings.
When we finally finished eating, the chains began to pull us up again.
”Ngh…!”
At this rate, we would be suspended again. The one who spoke up then was Guru Esrain.
”Wa… wait…”
She wasn’t one to speak much normally, and her voice wasn’t loud. But the movement of the chains stopped.
”What is it?”
”Untie… this. My arms… are at their limit.”
As I thought, it was too harsh for Guru Esrain. She is a precious Guru of the kingdom; I must return her to Viorga-sama’s side no matter what.
”I will be suspended in her place. There should be no problem with that, right?” Alvia said.
”My, Heliodor. Did you hear that?”
”I heard, Lace Agate. The livestock has the nerve to have an ego and offer us opinions.”
”How unpleasant. Do they perhaps still think of themselves as humans?”
”But it’s true that the livestock with the big chest looks like she’s suffering.”
The two of them descended before us. Then, the long-eared Lace Agate flashed a smile.
”You… your name was Guru, right? You can use impressive sorcery³, can’t you? Can you remove those chains yourself?”
”…If I’m allowed to use sorcery, it’s possible,” Guru Esrain said.
”Hmph. But the fact that you haven’t used it until now… does that mean you understand your position a little?”
”………”
Guru Esrain didn’t answer. But it was undoubtedly an affirmation. She likely thought that if she used sorcery again, it would fuel the rage of the King of the Magic Labyrinth.
He had already said that if he saw any signs of sorcery being activated, he would release his pet, the giant spider demon monster⁶. Considering she had actually cast sorcery before, there was no telling what kind of state she might end up in.
She must have worried that her actions could cause trouble for everyone else.
”Well then, why don’t you try removing those chains yourself first? Of course, you can use sorcery.”
”Mm. Understood.”
Guru Esrain closed both eyes and began to take a deep breath.
After a moment, a red orb of light was born at her hands, permeating the chains. Then, cracks appeared in the metal, and they crumbled into pieces.
”Heh! That’s the first time I’ve seen that sorcery!”
”What kind of sorcery did you use?”
”…I applied an even load to the chains within a certain range,” Guru Esrain replied.
”Even hearing that, I don’t get it. But you can do some clever things.”
”Well, we can’t use sorcery, after all.”
……? They… can’t use sorcery…?
Guru Esrain also seemed to feel a great sense of dissonance at this. She voiced her doubt.
”Can you not use flight sorcery? It is a highly advanced and superior sorcery that even I cannot do.”
”Our power isn’t sorcery. It’s magic⁴.”
”It is a special power granted to us by our King of the Magic Labyrinth. Please do not think it is the same as something like sorcery.”
What…? Th… the King of the Magic Labyrinth… granted that power…?!
Can that man truly grant the power of flight sorcery to people…?!
”…What do you mean? The King of the Magic Labyrinth can grant the power of flight sorcery to someone who has no talent as a sorcerer?” Alvia asked.
”There’s nothing more to tell livestock.”
”If you want to know, first you must be promoted from livestock to human.”
It was then. The ceiling opened wider than it ever had before.
The sky visible through it was already dark. And from that wide-open ceiling… a giant spider demon monster dropped down.
”Kyaaaaaaaaaaa?!”
”Hieeeeeeeeeee?!”
”A… a demon monster…!”
Just like when we first encountered it, its entire body was covered in something metallic. I felt it was more appropriate to call it moving armor than a living creature.
And atop that giant spider demon monster sat that man… the King of the Magic Labyrinth.
”Hi. How is life as livestock treating you?”
”………!”
Is it truly… a pet…! To ride atop such an unfathomable demon monster…!
”Now then… regarding your treatment. For now, I’ve decided to stop the idea of disposing of you immediately.”
Seeing that the demon monster didn’t attack and hearing that they wouldn’t be killed right away, everyone seemed relieved. However, they couldn’t lower their guard in front of such a massive demon monster.
Besides, being exposed naked before a man was unsettling. Everyone here was an unmarried daughter of the nobility.
”From now on, I’m going to have you participate in a game to become humans.”
”Eh…”
”Right now, you are livestock. You’ve understood how livestock are treated today, haven’t you?”
Being unable to use your hands, crawling naked on the floor, and thrusting your face into a toilet trench to consume foul feed and water. If you aren’t fast enough, the maids slap your rear. Naturally, the beds that were available yesterday would be gone too.
We are all nobles, but unlike ordinary noble daughters, we are used to sleeping outdoors. However, we have never been treated like animals.
”If you can become humans, I might have you trained as maid candidates. If you become maids, you’ll have luxurious meals and baths every day, and you can use beds freely. Life will be much better than it is now.”
”Do you think there is anyone here who wants to serve you?!” I shouted at the King of the Magic Labyrinth.
I mustn’t let him overwhelm us. Certainly, this man possesses supernatural power.
But I cannot let our pride as White Lily Knights⁵ be stained by that…!
”Oh… is that so? Then I have no more use for you. Perhaps I should fill this room with water…”
”…Ngh.”
With our hands bound, there would be nothing we could do if water flooded in. We would have no choice but to drown.
But the one who opened her mouth here was Guru Esrain.
”I… am interested in becoming a human.”
”Guru Esrain…?! Do you intend to betray Viorga-sama?!” Alvia asked.
”I am not a White Lily Knight. My primary profession is a sorcery researcher. I am interested in the unknown power that the King of the Magic Labyrinth can grant to humans.”
The King of the Magic Labyrinth gazed at Guru Esrain with interest. His eyes lingered on her chest and groin, and I could see a flash of lust in them.
”At least one of you seems interested. Then let’s do this. Tomorrow, Heliodor and the others will show up again. Until then, I want everyone to think carefully. Out of everyone here, if you had to name one person you dislike… Someone you hate, someone you want to disappear. It doesn’t have to be someone here. Just think of someone like that.”
What… what is he saying…?
”Oh, excluding Alvia. I won’t be asking you, so you don’t need to think about it. Out of the 44 people remaining besides her, think of one person. And no consulting each other. Any questions?”
The one who spoke up was one of my subordinates.
”U-um… if we are livestock, then what is Captain Alvia…?”
”Hmm? Oh, her. She used direct violence against me. As you can see, she’s less than livestock. She’s at the very bottom here.”
Hmph… say whatever you want. I would rather be hung here than line up like cattle and thrust my face into a toilet trench.
”Unlike you all, she can’t use the toilet either. If she wets herself, the smell will fill the room… but this is the result of her own actions. She’ll be staying like that for a while.”
”………!”
Ngh…! Truth be told, I have had a strong urge to urinate for a while now. Some of my subordinates are also pressing their legs tightly together. Is it because of that livestock feed?
I had been holding my legs closed as well, but the chains began to rise again. In an instant, I was suspended in the air.
If I opened my legs, it felt as though it would all come out, so even while being hung, I squeezed my thighs together with all my strength.
”Well then, without consulting anyone, please have one name in mind. Bye now.”
With those words, the King of the Magic Labyrinth vanished from the back of the demon monster. The maids and Heliodor left the room through the hole in the ceiling, but the giant spider demon monster remained where it was.
”Hi…”
The demon monster was terrifying, but physiological needs cannot be resisted. Everyone straddled the toilet trench and began to relieve themselves. It seemed everyone had been holding it in.
”Hey…! It got on me…!”
”I can’t help it! I can’t use my hands, and I’m unstable…!”
”Kya?! Don’t fall over this way…!”
”Sorry…!”
Hearing the sounds and seeing them all in that state made the urge to go even stronger.
And then… right there in front of everyone, I ended up letting it go.
—
Summary:
The captives are subjected to extreme humiliation, forced to eat livestock feed from a toilet trench while bound and naked. Alvia and Guru Esrain receive even harsher treatment as they are force-fed while suspended. The King of the Magic Labyrinth reveals he can grant flight through ‘Magic,’ a power distinct from ‘Sorcery.’ He then proposes a sinister game where the captives must secretly name someone they wish would disappear.
—
Character Insight:
Guru Esrain shows a pragmatic and intellectually driven side, willing to endure humiliation or even ‘betray’ the group’s perceived loyalty to Viorga to investigate the King’s unknown power. Alvia, conversely, is defined by her rigid pride, which the King takes pleasure in breaking through physical discomfort and public loss of bladder control.
—
Behind the Scene:
The author uses ‘Magic’ (魔法) vs ‘Sorcery’ (魔術) as a common trope to distinguish between innate/system-based powers and studied/academic ones, highlighting the King’s ‘otherness’.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Lace Agate – Magical girl Aris with elf-like long ears, 144 cm tall, A-cup, and a white-and-blue theme. She wears a leotard-style outfit with an open-front skirt cloth. Her pale blue hair has long bangs covering her left eye, shoulder-length back, blue highlights, and a ribboned braid on the right side.
• Heliodor – The Iris version of magical girl with a yellow-green theme. Height 144cm, Bust size B. Wears a rock-style mini-skirt with belts on thighs and arms. Right eye covered by hair, back hair shoulder-length with green mesh and a ribbon-braid on the left. Transforms into the Magical Girl Heliodor, the Luminous Archer.
• Viorga – The First Princess of the Emmeld Kingdom. She is a beautiful, young woman with long golden hair and sharp blue eyes, always dressed in an elaborate crimson and gold royal gown. She is utterly ruthless, viewing all people—including the summoned Heroes and her own family—as disposable assets in her political games. Looks like Aileen Lauren from certain series.
• Liliarette – The other Princess, who sacrificed her ability to walk and her sorcery talent to save her sister, Cleonora. She is imprisoned in the East Tower and is being used as a political and monetary pawn by Viorga. C-cup, true golden hair, waist-length hair, the fringe was a slightly blunt, hair on her left side was braided to the chest.
• Esrain – One of the four Great Gurus of the Emmeld Kingdom. She is the youngest among them and is considered to be at the peak of her magical power. She has beautiful white hair in a short cut and sleepy-looking eyes. Her height is 150cm with a D-cup bust size. She has a youthful, petite facial appearance.
• Alvia – A Captain in the White Lily Knights, a private military force loyal only to Princess Viorga. A blonde woman with long, slightly frizzy hair that flicks out in places. She has a height of 171cm and an E-cup bust size. She possesses a muscular build with visible abdominal muscles and sturdy upper arms.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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