โGeat, we have no intention of attacking humans anymore.โ
โCan I believe that?! Youโve raided our village so many times!โ
Geat was furious, on the verge of throwing his bread on the ground but refrained at the last second, unable to waste food.
โThis breadโฆ you stole it from our village, didnโt you? As if accepting something like that would mean anythingโฆโ
โNo, no. How long do you think itโs been since we last raided your village? Bread would mold if it were left that long.โ
โHmmโฆ I suppose thatโs trueโฆโ
Geat seemed convinced that the bread wasnโt stolen from his village.
โThen, where did you get this bread?โ
โFollow me.โ
I led Geat to the farm within the dungeon. There, monsters were harvesting crops in the fields.
โThisโฆ this isโฆโ
โWe started farming here in the dungeon. Now we can secure our own food supply. We donโt need to take food from humans anymore.โ
Geat stared, mouth agape, at the sight.
โWh-what do you do with the crops grown here?โ
โWe store everything here in the dungeon. I turn it into meals as needed.โ
โThenโฆ then, this bread tooโฆโ
Geatโs hand holding the bread was shaking.
โWe made it ourselves. Consider it a way of making amends. Please, eat it without hesitation.โ
โWh-why would I eat bread made by monstersโฆโ
At that moment, Geatโs stomach growled. He blushed and looked down.
โYou came here to take back food because youโre hungry, right?โ
โS-shut up! Iโm a human. I wonโt take handouts from monsters!โ
โStubborn, arenโt you? Whatโs wrong with sharing bread with a hungry person?โ
Geat stared at the bread, obviously eager to eat it.
โWhy are you giving me this bread?โ
โWhy? Because I want to be a hero who shares bread with a hungry human.โ
โW-whatโฆ A monster calling itself a hero? Donโt make me laugh!โ
It was clear he despised monsters. After all, we had attacked his village multiple times.
โIsnโt the real hero the one who saves someone from starving to death?โ
โThen everything you did before was the exact opposite of that.โ
From Geatโs perspective, that was certainly true.
โYeah, thatโs why Iโve changed my ways. If that one loaf isnโt enough, Iโll give you more. Weโll repay all we took from you.โ
Geat blinked in surprise, then brought the bread to his mouth.
โAre you sure itโs okay if I eat this?โ
โOf course.โ
โYouโre not gonna ask for it back later, right?โ
โSuspicious, arenโt you? Just eat.โ
Geat gulped, then bit into the bread, devouring it hungrily. He must have been starving.
โEvilham, youโre actually giving food to a human?โ
Littleham looked at me, exasperated. I guess it was out of character for me.
โThis isโฆ amazing! The bread tastes so good!โ
Geat looked like he might cry as he enjoyed the bread. It was worth the effort making it.
When he finished, he looked at me earnestly.
โYou said earlierโฆ that youโd give me as much bread as I need, right?โ
โYeah. Itโs harvest time, so we have a decent supply of bread.โ
โIโm sorryโฆ The villagers are starving too. Could you spare a little for them?โ
Geat bowed his head to me. A huge shift from his earlier prideful refusal.
Was he swayed by the bread? Desperation must have won out.
โWe canโt give you unlimited amounts, but we can share some from our reserves.โ
โThank you. Really, thank you.โ
Tears streamed down Geatโs face. Hunger can be brutal, even for a grown man.
โBy the way, Geat, why is your village so short on food? Monsters havenโt been raiding you.โ
โWellโฆ we do farm, but we donโt own the land. The landlord demands a share of what we grow, calling it a usage fee.โ
What a ruthless person. Not that Iโm one to talk.
โDo they take that much of your crops?โ
โYeah, it wasnโt unmanageable before, but when you stole our food, we couldnโt pay the landlord for a while. Now, theyโre demanding extra.โ
Yikes. Thatโs mostly our fault.
โItโs like debt piling up. Itโs exhausting.โ
Geat said it as if blaming me. Not directly my doing, but it still hurt.
โYeah, Iโm really sorry about that.โ
โAs long as we farm there, weโre barely surviving.โ
โI seeโฆโ
The landlord might have his reasons, but taking crops from struggling people is harsh.
โHey, Geat. How about helping us with farming in our dungeon?โ
โHuh?โ
Geat looked stunned.
โIโm not saying you have to live here. But if you help us farm during the day, Iโll share food with you.โ
โB-butโฆ we have our own farmโฆโ
โIsnโt your village land barren? Youโre struggling to grow anything, right?โ
โHowโฆ how did you know thatโฆโ
That was knowledge from a game Iโd played. But no need to explain that.
โThe dungeonโs soil is rich. Youโd get much better returns working here.โ
Geat clenched his fists, looking conflicted.
โBut if I donโt deliver the crops Iโve missed, the landlordโฆโ
โIf you arenโt harvesting anything, thereโs no need to pay. Farming there will just wear you out.โ
Geat looked deeply troubled, shadows crossing his face. He couldnโt trust us right away, I suppose.
โLet me thinkโฆ and thank you for the bread.โ
โSure. Come back anytime.โ
Geat took some bread to go and left the dungeon.
โEvilham, do you think heโll come back? Wonโt it be a waste of bread if he doesnโt?โ
Littleham seemed worried.
โWho knows? Itโs up to him. Itโs not something I can decide.โ
If Geat joins as extra manpower, it would help us out. But Iโm not holding my breath.