42-44

Chapter 44: Human Supremacy 

When Milk woke up in the morning, he was surprised at how refreshed his body felt. Despite having overexerted himself the day before, he was full of energy and didn’t feel any aches or fatigue. 

“Are you awake?” 

He saw the face of the priestess, Rupica, looking down at him. When he tried to get up, she raised her hand to stop him. 

“Please lie down a little longer. I’ll be done soon.” 

With that, Rupica resumed what she had been doing gently massaging Milk’s legs. The reason for his lack of fatigue was simple: she had carefully massaged his body, restoring his energy. 

Her gentle smile and meticulous attention to Milk’s body were noticeably different from before. 

[You’re awake.] 

Just then, Ru’s voice echoed in his mind. Milk, still bewildered by Rupica’s changed demeanor, took the opportunity to ask her a question in his thoughts. 

‘Did something else happen last night?’ 

[No. She just woke up early and massaged your body until you woke. Her favorability reached 100, and she’s now in a state of submission.] 

‘Submission?’ 

[It’s a special state, different from affection. It means she’s completely dominated by the male as a female. Her loyalty to you is now higher than any other woman in the tribe.] 

‘Is that… a good thing?’ 

[Of course. It’s a good thing.] 

Milk was flustered by the unexpected development, but Ru’s reassurance put him at ease. 

Through last night’s coming-of-age ceremony with the priestess, Milk had finally become a true adult. Despite some twists and turns, he had managed to subdue Rupica and firmly establish his position as chief a perfect outcome. 

Today was Sun Day, a day of rest for Holstaurus women. All the women of the tribe gathered in front of the chief’s house to sincerely congratulate Milk on his adulthood, howling in celebration. 

After the howling ended, Rupica and Millie, who had been standing behind Milk with their heads bowed, came forward and stood on either side of him, sprinkling powder given by Rupica as a blessing. 

Even the blacksmith slaves participated in this glorious event. They didn’t fully understand Holstaurus customs, but they could tell it was a celebration, though they watched with anxious expressions. 

After the coming-of-age ceremony concluded, members of the Esta merchant group, who had gone to fetch supplies, arrived in the village. 

They, along with workers, began noisily constructing buildings. The work was expected to take three days, so they planned to stay in the village until Fire Day. After giving instructions to the workers, the construction supervisor, Valen, headed to the chief’s room where Milk was. 

“Chief, it’s Valen.” 

“Ah come in.” 

Upon hearing Milk’s voice, Valen entered and greeted him politely. As a human, her greeting was just a slight nod of the head. Milk responded in kind, nodding slightly. Valen almost frowned at his casualness, but managed to restrain herself. 

‘How arrogant for a demi-human...’ 

Although her superior, Person, had instructed her to treat Milk as an equal and valuable client, Valen had never liked demi-humans. In fact, she could be said to despise them. She saw them as barbaric, inferior, and culturally backward compared to humans. 

Valen was thoroughly steeped in the human supremacist ideology that permeated the continent. Even now, as a senior merchant, she was annoyed and frustrated to be stuck in a place like this with these smelly demi-humans. Milk’s casual attitude only added to her stress. 

‘Damn... Do these milk-producing creatures think they’re worth something? I need to get out of here as soon as possible...’ 

Despite her inner complaints, she kept a businesslike smile on her face. 

“We’re building the structures with the workers. Everything should be finished by Fire Day.” 

“Thank you. Please try to finish as quickly as possible so the blacksmiths don’t get sick. By the way, if it won’t be finished until Fire Day, does that mean the male workers will be staying here?” 

“That’s correct.” 

“Then please make sure they don’t interact with our tribe’s women. Most of our women are fertile, and if they’re unlucky, they might conceive a human child. If that happens, we’ll handle the punishment ourselves. Also, no one is to leave the designated area at night. Our warriors will be guarding the workers’ quarters, so keep that in mind.” 

“Of course. I’ll make sure of it.” 

Valen’s face twisted with displeasure as she bowed her head. She thought, ‘How dare these demi-humans make so many demands.’ 

‘Hmph... If a demi-human bears a human child, it should be an honor, but they act so high and mighty. That kid with the big cock strutting around... Is he really the chief? He’s just a brat, but he orders people around. How annoying.’ 

She vented her frustration internally, but outwardly maintained her smile. 

Valen was unaware that Ru could sense her deep-seated contempt for demi-humans, even if no one else could. 

[Milk.] 

‘Yes? What’s up?’ 

[That woman is thoroughly indoctrinated with human supremacist ideology. Her favorability toward you is dropping steadily. It’s now at –15.] 

‘What? I haven’t done anything why is she lowering her favorability on her own?’ 

[Prejudice against demi-humans is a powerful force. In your world, too, there was plenty of discrimination against those of different races, wasn’t there?] 

‘Yeah, there was.’ 

[It’s the same here. There’s no real reason just “they’re not human, so they’re inferior and deserve to be looked down on.” This ideology is widespread on this continent. Person didn’t have it, but Valen is a serious supremacist, so you need to be careful.] 

‘Why did Person leave someone like her in charge?’ 

[He probably didn’t know her ideology doesn’t affect dealings with other humans. Or maybe he wanted to give her a chance, or had other reasons. I can’t say for sure.] 

‘So she’s someone to watch out for.’ 

Milk studied Valen’s face. She was about 160 cm tall, with a sharp nose, narrow forehead, intense eyes, and thin lips that suggested stubbornness. Her figure might be considered attractive among humans, but among the well-built Holstaurus women, she didn’t stand out. 

She carried a whip for handling slaves on one hip and a small dagger on the other for self-defense. Her clothing was more masculine, but practical for travel and work. 

Her businesslike smile softened her features, but without it, she would look downright scary. 

As Milk continued to observe her, Ru notified him that Valen’s favorability had dropped further. 

[Valen’s favorability is now –20. Don’t make direct eye contact with her.] 

‘She really is prickly...’ 

Milk looked away, and Valen’s tense expression relaxed. 

‘So rude... Why is he staring? These ignorant brutes have no manners!’ 

Internally cursing him, Valen bowed her head and excused herself. 

“I’ll take my leave now.” 

‘Next time, I’ll send a subordinate. I’m never coming back to this filthy place!’ 

Outside, out of Milk’s sight, Valen shuddered with disgust and returned to the workers. 

[Her favorability is dropping at an incredible rate. It’s now –25. You’ve completed a hidden achievement and earned 20 ability points.] 

‘Was that for lowering her favorability?’ 

[Yes. It was the “Courage to Be Hated” achievement, for dropping one person’s favorability to –25. You’ve also unlocked achievements for reaching –50, –75, –100 (“mortal enemy”), “sleeping with your enemy,” and “turning an enemy into a lover.”] 

‘That’s a lot... So you’re saying I should...’ 

[Yes~ Once you’ve dropped her favorability to –100, you can “sleep with your enemy” and then turn her into a lover for maximum benefit.] 

‘You make it sound easy... But she’s a hardcore supremacist, isn’t she?’ 

[Sometimes, when a deeply held belief is shattered, a person is transformed. After the collapse, they can become a different person entirely.] 

‘That’s scary...’ 

In other words, Ru was suggesting he thoroughly break Valen’s spirit and then rebuild her as a loyal subordinate. 

[Otherwise, you’ll just continue to have a difficult relationship. It’s better to make it clear who’s in charge, cure her prejudice, gain a human wife, and secure a strong business partner all at once.] 

‘It sounds tempting, but it won’t be easy, right?’ 

[First, just get her favorability down to –100. Why not invite her for drinks tonight? I think you could reach –70 by the end of the night.] 

‘With her prejudice, a drinking session would probably get me to –90... That’s a pretty evil plan.’ 

[It’s all to help you.] 

‘Yeah, but I’m the one who has to do it!’ 

[Good luck ] 

‘Geez...’ 

Ru’s cheerful encouragement made Milk want to flick her on the forehead if she were standing in front of him. But after 17 years together, their bond was strong. 

She was like an inner mother always helping, caring, and watching over him. Sometimes gentle, sometimes strict, sometimes loving and close, sometimes like a friend she was always by his side. 

“Is anyone out there?” 

At Milk’s call, Buren entered. Today was her turn to look after him in Millie’s place. 

“You called?” 

“Could you tell the Esta group’s supervisor to come to my room tonight? Tell her I’m grateful for her help and want to have a drink together.” 

“Tonight? Understood, Chief.” 

As Buren left, Milk steeled himself for the evening. For the first time since coming to this world, he would be spending the night with a human woman. He was determined not to waste the opportunity.