At first glance, Happiness Village looked like an ordinary, quiet farming village along with pens of livestock like cows and chickens. A few women tended to beehives, although it looked more like maintenance work than harvesting. I didn't know much about beekeeping, but even with a lack of knowledge and from a distance, I noticed that those beehives had probably seen better days. The wooden housing was showing cracks and signs of rot. It would probably hold for a few more months at best. A significantly higher portion of women was working in the fields, sweating under the sun. And that was the crux of the problem: there were only women. Aside from a little boy helping to transport one of the hives, that is. They were likely putting it in a new casing, but with all the other ones around, it was only a drop in the bucket.

Honestly, I'm not sure how they could bear to work with bees without a protective suit or anything. I'd rather keep dealing with the humanoid ones, thank you very much.

"Sheesh, If I didn't know any better, I'd think this is just a bunch of monsters pretending to be a human village," I mused.

"Not the most ridiculous notion you have come up with, but clearly not the case this time. I suppose you can see the issue?" asked Alice, and I nodded in response.

I understood that the harpies needed men to repopulate after the reign of their previous, more warlike queen. But did they seriously have to kidnap the entire male population? Not even the children were spared. That single boy helping around the fields would have been gone, too, had I come a few days later. By all rights, they shouldn't even be able to get anything out of him, but apparently, some harpies were desperate enough for a husband to disregard that.

As we approached, a woman tending one of the beehives started talking to us: "Oh, travelers? And a young one, at that."

Ugh, this again? At this rate, I would develop a complex about my appearance. Being a shota wasn't the worst thing in the world, but having people keep pointing it out still kind of stung. I swear the day someone implied I was Alice's son is the day I'd see what happens when a human is sealed by Angel Halo.

"We don't really have anything to entertain travelers with. Due to a lack of manpower, we don't even have our specialty happiness honey," She continued.

"That's why we are here, actually. We were sent to investigate and, if possible, deal with the honey shortage on behalf of the Sutherland Inn," I said.

"Oh! In that case, allow me to guide you to the acting village chief. You will probably want to talk to her."

I nodded and followed her. Alice also came along quietly, seemingly not feeling the need to add anything just yet. Come to think of it, shouldn't a harpy be trying to kidnap that little boy right about now? I glanced over again, but he was still diligently helping the women. Maybe it's because I'm early; the Four Bandits side quest was supposed to come first, after all.

As we walked, I suddenly felt like I was being watched. When I turned around, I could swear a shadow blitzed across the edge of my vision in the sky. I looked around for a moment longer but didn't see anything. Well... that was going to make me paranoid for a while.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing. Let's keep going," I urged our guide.

Now, I wasn't quite expecting to be led to a lavish mansion this far in the countryside, but I sure as hell didn't anticipate being brought straight into the middle of a field. Despite being elderly and obviously not suited for work of this intensity, the former village chief's wife did her part just like the others.

"I brought some travelers that came to help us on behest of the Sutherland Inn," announced our guide.

"Let's not be hasty. We're only here to investigate the situation for now. We will decide whether to help afterward," declared Alice.

The chief wiped some sweat off her brow and gave us a friendly smile. "Of course, I can hardly ask for more than for you to hear us out."

She gestured at all the women around us, "As I'm sure you noticed, there are no men in this village. The harpies took them all, one by one; they are even taking the children now. We don't know why. They might be used as slaves or maybe just eaten."

"Oh, they aren't being eaten, at least," I said.

She looked slightly hopeful, "Are you certain?"

"Yeah, there are generally only two ways a monster would eat a human. They either swallow them whole in a single gulp or use some manner of external digestion. There aren't really any monsters that cut up or otherwise kill humans before eating; they enjoy tormenting humans with agonizing pleasure as they are slowly dissolved alive too much to kill them in advance," I explained.

I then quickly continued when I saw her horrified expression, "Err, anyway, harpies cannot use either method, so the men are probably alive. It's possible they are used as slaves, but it's far more likely they're kept for breeding purposes."

"I... I see. T-That's a... relief," she replied, still looking pale.

I didn't mention how most monsters could kill through sexual exhaustion or how some would drain all liquid from their prey since those don't count as eating. But apparently, my explanation was still too in-depth for the poor woman.

Alice gave me a look, "You seem surprisingly well acquainted with the inclinations of carnivorous monsters."

"Oh, believe me, I wish I wasn't," I replied, shuddering as I recalled some of the more gruesome loss scenes.

"You two must surely be capable adventurers if Madame Sutherland relies on you. Won't you help us with our plight? We would be forever grateful if you would root out the harpies and return our men," The chief pleaded.

"Why not do it yourself?" asked Alice. Surprisingly, her tone was more curious than accusatory. I expected her to be more antagonistic. Maybe it's because she didn't see the kidnapping attempt.

"We're just a bunch of weak women. There is no way we could fight against monsters," the woman lamented.

"Ah, I see how it is. Wallowing in your perceived helplessness, you instead send random travelers to their deaths. How despicable."

Oh, never mind, there's the antagonism right there.

"Let's leave, Luka. I see no reason to help these people."

I hesitated. It's true that I initially wanted to skip this sidequest, and Alice was giving me an easy out, but I couldn't help feeling like leaving now would be a mistake. Alice was probably still in that annoying phase of actively trying to see the evil inside humans as a coping mechanism. Leaving her with this kind of impression could end badly. And it's not like solving this mess was entirely without merit, either. I wasn't exactly eager to play the role of a diplomat, but it's a skill that would serve me well in the future, and I likely would never find an easier practice target than Queen Harpy. I'm sure I could also squeeze out some rewards, and finally, there was the self-satisfaction of doing a good deed.

"Actually, I'd like to help them," I said.

Alice looked at me in disbelief, "Are you serious? Do you want to be praised by these people so badly that you would risk your life for it?"

"That's not it. Since I want monsters and humans to coexist, I can't just overlook something like this. And I'm sure there will be a proper reward too," I looked at the chief, "Right?"

"That... we don't have much right now, but we could probably squeeze together a jar of Happiness Honey or two. I'm sure we could prepare a more suitable reward if you come back in the future too."

"I guess that will have to suffice. I'll just have to get the rest of the reward from the harpies," I mused.

"...Damn pervert."

"Oi, why is that the first thing you think of!? Are you sure you're not the one who's a pervert!? I was talking about a bunch of feathers for a pillow or something!" I shouted back against Alice's unwarranted comment.

"Oh, don't try to play innocent with me. Do you think I didn't notice you ogling that bee girl's breasts jiggling around as she was trying to catch you earlier?"

"T-Those were pretty much right in my face; I couldn't help it!"

Thankfully, our bickering was interrupted as one of the farmers yelled, "Harpy!" while pointing at a nearby tree.

In the next moment, I was alone. I was already used to Alice disappearing, but damn, these people could run fast.

"Whoops, looks like I was discovered. At least we're alone now," said the harpy cheerfully descending to meet me.

She had brown plumage and pink hair. A thin strip of blue cloth wrapped around her waist and bust, along with her own feathers were the only things preserving her modesty. It was the same harpy you'd usually expect to meet here, but she went straight for me this time.

"You're a traveler, right? I've been on stakeout for a husband for three days now. I almost thought I'd have to take that other little boy, but you look much nicer. You'll make a fine husband," she declared.

It would have been a lie if I said I wasn't tempted to just go along with it. There were far worse fates than becoming a harpy's husband. They took good care of their partners and weren't exactly bad looking either. Especially being embraced by those soft feathers would likely be...

'Argh, no, bad brain! Go sit in the corner and think about what you did!' I shouted internally, trying to distract myself from impure thoughts. 'NOT LIKE THAT!' I added when my mental image of the girl before me was suddenly even less clothed than before. Seriously, I'd only been traveling for about two and a half days; how was I already this blue-balled?

Slightly flushed from arousal and shame alike, I addressed the harpy, "Err, nice to meet you. Can we leave that stuff aside for a moment and just talk?"

She tilted her head quizzically before giggling, "Don't be silly. Everyone knows pillow talk comes after the baby-making!"

"Look, there are basically no men left here for you girls to take. I need to talk to your leader about the future of this village," I continued, resisting the urge to facepalm.

"You want to talk to the Queen? Sure!" For a moment, I felt hope swell in my heart. "We can go meet her after our wedding night; I'm sure she'll be happy to meet my husband." That hope was promptly squashed.

I groaned, my annoyance having decisively obliterated any arousal. "As flattering as being proposed to by a complete stranger is, I am afraid I'll have to decline."

She licked her lips. "Don't worry. You'll change your mind right away once we get started."

'Okay, screw this. I give up,' I thought as I took out Angel Halo. There just wasn't any talking to this birdbrain while the only thing on her mind was to mate.

"Oh, you want to play a bit first?"

I answered her with a lazy swipe of my sword, which she dodged by flying up as expected. Only it was a lot closer than I would have thought, likely due to the level difference. That might have been a chance for a clean hit if I tried seriously, but it was too late for regrets.

"You won't hit me like that," she chirped before trying to get closer to attack me. She had to hastily back off when a slash of Angel Halo came to intercept her. She repeated the process several times, only to meet the same result.

Fortunately, she had not seen the need to bring along a bow for her husband-hunting. Unable to attack from a distance, I'd effectively be out of options if she didn't need to close in for attacks. I should probably look into getting a projectile weapon later.

"Oh, come on, that's so cheep!" she whined.

"...Don't you mean cheap?"

"That's what I said! Anyway, let's see how you like this!"

She rose higher and higher into the sky and then divebombed toward me. Admittedly, at that kind of speed, it would be difficult to time a strike correctly, but why bother with that if she could just hit herself for me? I interposed Angel Halo between us. The impact would undoubtedly knock me down, but considering how light-weight harpies tend to be, she would take far more damage by impaling herself than I would. I was also hardly afraid of some insignificant injuries that I could just Meditate away... which was probably not the healthiest mindset.

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The harpy's eyes widened as she saw what I was doing and frantically flapped her wings to stop herself. She finally managed to halt only centimeters before my blade and paused to heave a sigh of relief... while still completely inside my range.

Bonk

"Ouch!" she cawed as she hit the ground.

I looked down at Angel Halo. I figured as much when this thing hit me in the face, but it really could be used as a blunt weapon if you want to, huh?

"Grr, just you wait. I'll—"

I bonked her again. I wasn't particularly fond of violence, but If I had to beat the horny out of some of these monster girls, then, by Ilias, I would.

...And I did. Not having learned her lesson, she tried threats a few more times, followed by... other attempts. Each of those was answered with another smack.

"Stop! I give up! Just don't hit me anymore!" she finally yelled, slightly teary-eyed and clutching the goose egg growing on her head with her wings. I felt somewhat bad for her, but I wanted her to remain unsealed so I couldn't use the other non-lethal method.

"Are you gonna be a good girl and behave yourself now?" I asked her. "I just need you to bring me to your queen later. I promise I'm not trying to harm you harpies," I said, and she reluctantly nodded.

"Oi, you folks can come back out now!" I shouted towards the villager's houses. A few of them hesitatingly poked out their heads, and upon seeing the harpy still sitting on the ground before me, they slowly started approaching, gathering around us.

"The traveler subjugated the harpy? Amazing..."

The awed whispers of the crowd continued for a few seconds before being cut through by a scathing voice. "No wonder the harpies had such an easy time. Just one of them sent the entire village into a panic, cowardly hiding in their houses. How pathetic." Apparently, Alice had decided that staying hidden from monsters was less important than getting a few more shots off against the villagers. It didn't seem like the harpy was about to recognize her, with her eyes nervously flitting between the large group of humans.

"You probably just watched as everyone you cared about was kidnapped. As far as I am concerned, this is what you deserve," Alice continued, making the villagers look to the ground in shame. While she wasn't exactly wrong, she was being too harsh, in my opinion. These women were unquestionably the victims in this situation, and fighting back would have only made things worse for them. However, I couldn't bring myself to say any of that.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the assembled group until one of the women glared at Alice. "Aren't you the same? Despite looking so strong, you ran away at the first sign of danger, leaving your companion alone to fight for his life! Shouldn't you take a good look at yourself before condemning others?!"

"W-What!? That's not...!" Alice sputtered indignantly, and I barely managed to hold back my laughter at how the situation turned around.

That single showcase of backbone was like a spark that lit the fire inside the villagers' hearts. "She may be a hypocrite, but she's right. We were cowards. This is our problem. We can't just solely rely on travelers."

"That's right! They kidnapped my son Mark. As a mother, I can't just idly stand by!"

A bead of nervous sweat rolled down my face. This was heading in the exact opposite direction of what I'd intended.

"As long as we have this Hero to lead us, I'm sure we'll be able to drive out those harpies!"

The harpy was startled at that declaration. "The humans are going to attack? I have to tell the Quee—" she started before letting out a squawk as I dragged her back down by one of her wings before she could fully take off.

"No, nobody is going to attack anyone!" I yelled, more than a little pissed off that the universe was trying to railroad me into doing stupid shit. Leaving aside trying to fight Queen Harpy, a single mistake while infiltrating their village would lead to me being buried under an entire pile of harpies. Which... wouldn't really be that bad, all things consi— Agh, not again! I took a deep breath, once more erasing the temptation. As lovely as harpies were, they did not make the top of my list of potential spouses.

And I would not accept substitutes.

"We're... not going to go beat up the harpies for stealing our men?" asked one of the younger women uncertainly.

I shook my head. "Assaulting a monster habitat would already be reckless under normal circumstances, but they even seem to have a Queen. I'll go and try to talk things out. I'd like to end all this without any unnecessary violence."

"Isn't that really dangerous? Can those monsters even be reasoned with?" asked one of them, sounding worried.

"No need to give me that kind of look. I'm relatively sure of my success," I reassured the women. But they still seemed somewhat put out with no way to vent their earlier enthusiasm. "You'd do well to keep hold of that determination. It's not like I'll be able to magically solve all your problems. Sure, I'll be in the most danger, but the hardest part will be up to you. There will likely be many changes in the days to come."

I turned to the harpy, who was still quietly grousing about rough treatment and ruffled feathers. "Let's go." She grumbled a bit but still did as I asked. It looked peculiar to see her flying near the ground and at a walking pace. There was likely some innate magic involved in making that feasible... or maybe not. I didn't really know shit about aviation. Other than that one silly quote, anyway.

I half expected to see Alice again only after I had finished with Queen Harpy since she'd have to be in close proximity to another monster all the way there, but she was still walking beside me.

"Do you seriously intend to waltz into a monster village in broad daylight, trying to talk them into playing nice? I have no idea where you get the confidence to keep attempting such a ridiculous plan. You might as well strap on a sign saying "Free Semen Dispenser" while you are at it."

I shrugged. "I think it's more likely to work than the alternatives. Or are you really going to tell me that something like trying to sneak in at night to defeat Queen Harpy and then send a signal to the other villagers to attack would be a better plan?"

"Normally, I would agree that your plan would be better. If only because they would treat a well-meaning idiot better than a would-be assassin. The actual rate of success would be about equally hopeless. But if you used that, there is a chance you might catch her off-guard and defeat her." She was obviously talking about my holy powers.

"I don't really know how to use it consciously and would much rather not even if I did... also, should you, of all people, really be telling me to beat up monsters?"

"I am only stating what should be obvious. Why do you not want to use those powers if you have them? Most monsters respect strength above all else. You could convince them to your line of thinking far more easily if you were to showcase yours."

I briefly considered her question. Was she merely testing me, or did she genuinely not know? Humans with access to holy energy were not exactly common, so Tamamo might have never told her about what happens to those who overuse it. Or Alice might have simply forgotten.

"For humans, that kind of power almost always comes at a price... Let's leave it at that for now, okay?" I asked, exceedingly uncomfortable with this topic.

Alice stared at me for a moment but eventually nodded. "A shame. All that effort of riling up the local populace to fight for themselves for naught."

I shot her a distrustful look. "You don't seriously expect me to believe you did that on purpose, right?"

"Hmph, believe what you want," she said and then slightly grimaced. "Though I will admit, that exact reaction was somewhat unexpected." It seemed like the villager's remarks had cut deeper than I thought.

We silently continued for a few minutes until the nervousness grew too much for me to bear. "So... is there like... any etiquette I should be aware of when dealing with a monster Queen?" Meeting new people was always a daunting prospect, and the high status only exacerbated that feeling. Alice insisting that talking things out was impossible didn't make things any easier either.

"It is considered polite for a man to drop their pants when in the presence of a Queen," Alice said in a completely neutral tone.

"...That's a joke, right?" My question was met with silence.

"Right?!" I repeated more frantically, but there was still no answer forthcoming. I didn't want to believe it, but it was just ridiculous enough to be true. Only the harpy breaking out in giggles let me know that Alice was probably just messing with me. Rude or not, I was unwilling to step past that line of no return.

I took a few breaths to calm myself and addressed Alice once more. "Right, anyway. Are you going to do anything?"

"And what exactly would you have me do?" She returned with a raised eyebrow.

"Trying to help, maybe? This isn't merely an issue on the human side, you know. There is probably a reason why the harpies felt forced to take such extreme measures. Not to mention that if the resentment from those villagers were to grow anymore, things might escalate. I'm honestly surprised they haven't called for a squad of soldiers from Iliasburg or Ilias Temple to try to exterminate the harpies. Is it not your responsibility to help in cases like these?"

Rather than dismiss my words or respond with a deluge of sarcasm as I expected, she only closed her eyes with a sigh. "Things are not that simple. Trying to help out without thought may only end up making things worse. It would be one thing if they had reached out for help, but how am I supposed to face them if I meddle in their affairs uninvited only for the situation to grow worse?"

I could sympathize with her plight. I was all too familiar with those sorts of insecurities. It was precisely because I understood that I didn't want to let her keep heading down that path. I took some time to gather my words and courage and then spoke.

"I think it's only normal to be afraid of making mistakes. The fear of inadvertently hurting others can be paralyzing, but one must never let it define their actions. The lure of doing nothing can be borderline seductive. It just seems like it would be so much easier." I slowly shook my head. "It never is. The regrets of what could have been will haunt you for the rest of your life. Each inaction becomes another weight to burden you until you're too afraid to ever do anything."

I looked Alice directly in the eyes. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not telling you to rush in blindly. Gather information and think about your course of action, but don't let it be an excuse. There are seldom perfect solutions. Often, you will have to settle for 'good enough.' And you will make mistakes. Everyone does. The best you can do is to own up to them and try to fix them. Trying to do nothing will only make things worse. And I'm afraid only helping those who ask for it won't cut it either in your case. Many high-level monsters are incredibly prideful, to the point they would sooner die than seek help. As a Monster Lord, or a good one at least, you won't even be given the mercy of being allowed a reactionary stance," I finished trying to keep the pity out of my voice.

"M-Monster Lord?!" shrieked the harpy, who I had forgotten about entirely and was now staring at Alice wide-eyed. Still, for her to be this surprised, just how much of the conversation had she zoned out for?

Alice shot me a scowl, and I at least had the grace to look sheepish at my indiscretion. She couldn't keep it up for long before she sighed again. "I will... consider your words— no, not just your words but your actions too. I will watch from afar and decide whether your speech has merit or was nothing more than hot air. Should you fail... we will probably never meet again," she said, and I thought I could hear a hint of reluctance in her tone.

She then turned to the harpy. "As for you," her eyes flashed, "you will forget everything you just heard." The next instant, she disappeared, leaving the harpy to look around in confusion. I could understand why she did it, but the technique left a bad taste in my mouth nonetheless.

"Where did your friend suddenly go?" asked the harpy, still slightly disoriented.

"She... err, probably saw something edible deeper in the forest and went to get it. No need to worry."

"Does that happen often?"

"...More than you'd ever believe." Berries, fruits, or wild vegetables, she'd go after anything edible, really. Fortunately, she at least had the decency to usually notify me in advance. If I had to constantly worry about monster attacks whenever she disappeared, I'd be a nervous wreck by now... even more so than usual, that is. We'd also agreed I should just keep walking whenever she went off to do her thing since traveling would take forever otherwise, and she could easily catch up.

"By the way, you're not going to do anything like telling the queen that I bullied you, right?" I asked her.

"O-Of course, not. Haha...ha." At my unimpressed stare, she quickly turned around and started whistling innocently. It actually sounded very pleasant, and I could feel my irritation wash away in a soothing wave. I wasn't sure if there was some magical effect involved or if it was simply my reaction to hearing something resembling actual music for the first time in over a week. But even if I wanted to keep listening, I had to clear things up with that damn songbird.

"Look, we may have gotten off on the wrong foot, but I—"

"You get off on feet?" She looked down at her talons and frowned. "That explains a lot."

I gaped slightly as my brain took a moment to process that statement, which was promptly followed by a facepalm.

"That's not... Ugh, whatever," I finished lamely, the energy for a rebuttal leaving me as I spoke. "I swear I'm just trying to do what's best for humans and harpies. Would you please not do anything to get in the way of that?"

"...Fine," the harpy acquiesced, pouting slightly. That was likely the best I'd get.

A few minutes later, Harpy Village came into view.

----------------------------------------

-In the Monster Lord's Castle-

"Please... no more..." gasped out a behemoth girl as she collapsed to her knees.

It was one of those days. Something had put Granberia in a foul mood, and now she was on a sparring spree to alleviate it, much to the dismay of the castle's other inhabitants. Some could still feel their bruises from the last time this happened. Worst of all, none present could stop her; anyone who may have been able to was currently absent. The thought 'Please come back soon, Alma Elma!' likely occurred more in those few hours than in the rest of history combined.

Granberia scowled as she turned her back toward the vanquished and went to drag her next opponent/victim out of their hiding spot. They were the strongest monsters this world had to offer short of Queen class, some of them even past the threshold needed to qualify for such a position; they were the handpicked elite stationed in the Monster Lord's Castle. And yet, a single powerless human child had more courage than the entire lot of them combined.

As the rush of combat wore off, Graberia grimaced as her mind once more wandered to her encounter in Iliasburg. That boy was the source of her current frustration. She couldn't exactly take it out on him, either. That's what led to this situation in the first place. So she took it out on the best target she had available; those cowards needed training anyway.

But no matter how much she battled, she could not erase the shame from her mind. She had never intended to take it that far. Heck, she didn't even realize it could go to that extent under the circumstances of their 'battle.' The boy was supposed to fold like paper the instant her pressure touched him, but he didn't. He kept pushing through, causing her damnable competitive spirit to flare up and making her almost kill him. She likely would have never forgiven herself had her Lord not interrupted barely in time.

She had broken not only the order of the Monster Lord but also her own code of honor. Had she not sworn to direct her blade against those who would abuse the weak? Had she not vowed to use her power to safeguard those who couldn't protect themselves? And what did she end up doing? She assaulted a city full of feeble humans. She almost murdered an innocent child. Just what kind of knight was she?

Her intent had been to secure a stronghold for a further assault against Ilias Temple. But, had she known just how immense the gap of power between herself and most humans was, she would have never bothered with Iliasburg and struck at that damnable Hero hive directly.

Even the lambasting her Lord had given her could not compare to the sheer disgust she felt towards herself. Part of her demanded to find the boy and apologize for her conduct, but the wound was too fresh. He would likely react adversely to seeing her. And if she was honest with herself, she didn't want to meet him again either, at least not yet.

She abandoned her march and instead turned to move to her private quarters, eliciting an audible sigh of relief from behind the pillar she had just stood before. What she currently needed was not to further lose herself in combat but to take a while to think. She had long since lifted all the fog clouding her warrior's heart, or so she had thought. She didn't even recognize the instant she'd strayed from her path. She could not allow her hotheadedness to guide her actions in the future.

Just as she was about to reach for the door, an alarm blared through the castle's halls, making Granberia's eye twitch. Correction: she would first need to discipline whatever imbecile just tried to reactivate Giganto Weapon, despite the near non-existent chance they would succeed, merely to avoid a little spar. Gathering her thoughts would need to come after.