I'm confused right now.
The atmosphere around me is chaotic and restless.
I'm standing in the garden of a house, staring blankly at the clear sky.
The aliens around me are nervously hovering, keeping their distance.
This chaotic situation is all because of the demon officer standing in front of me.
He's talking to the perverted fox woman from the other day—the one who got excited watching an elf girl being humiliated in the mirror.
And behind her is the incontinent fox girl from that time.
Apparently, this is the fox girl's home. It's a large, impressive mansion. And now, the demon officer is about to hand me over to them.
A command floods into my mind:
*—Protect these two.*
Are you serious, demon officer?
I don't know what's going on, but isn't the bodyguard the most dangerous person here?
Something similar happened before. I was ordered to protect a VIP traveling to another alien city, alongside other guards.
That mission had not only me but also a dedicated Butcher-wielder called a Rusher, plus many other alien soldiers.
Today, it's different. There are guards around the house, but they don't look like they could handle a Butcher going berserk.
And I'm fully armed, as if they're serious about this. I'm wearing a Butcher apron over my naked body, a Butcher bag on my head, and holding a Butcher knife.
I look like a complete freak.
Standing in the sunlight, I feel embarrassed when I think about how I look.
After the demon officer and the perverted fox woman finish chatting, the fox-eared man in butler-like attire behind her takes a control device.
Maybe this is the mansion of the fox clan.
The demon officer pats my shoulder and laughs before leaving. "Good luck," he seems to say.
I have no idea what's going on. What is this?
*—Enter the house.*
Sigh…
I follow them inside, feeling exasperated.
Meanwhile, the fox girl keeps glancing at me, looking terrified.
Exactly. That's the right reaction.
Even the demon officer's guards who were watching from a distance looked worried, like, "Is this really okay?" The fox butler and the guards around the house all seem uneasy.
Honestly, I'm uneasy too.
This perverted fox woman is clearly higher status. One wrong move, and I could be disposed of. I'm nervous.
Meanwhile, she's the only one staring at me up close, patting my shoulder—hey, stop touching my butt. Being touched or looked at like this in broad daylight is embarrassing.
This perverted fox woman must be incredibly powerful, fearless even of a Butcher. She's calm with me in front of her.
But that's probably overconfidence. A Butcher isn't as easy to handle as she thinks.
How many more powerful figures like her are in this city? Eventually, I'll kill all the aliens here, but I want to identify all obstacles first.
The perverted fox woman leads me through the house.
Entrance, hall, living room, kitchen, toilet. What's the point of explaining this to a Butcher? Are they expecting me to guard them voluntarily?
…Am I being tested?
Are the demon officer and the perverted fox woman testing me?
True, I've shown them I'm a bit smarter.
In front of the demon officer, I exposed Earthpint's disguise. In front of the fox woman, I cleverly humiliated the elf girl.
Are they deciding if I'm a useful Butcher?
If so, I'm really motivated.
My mind is still that of a normal human, so I have a childish desire for approval. If I exceed their expectations, maybe my treatment will improve? Maybe I'll get to eat meat every day? Or go for walks freely? Or get paid by the Minotaur manager? Or live in a private room? The possibilities are endless!
Well, probably not.
A Butcher is a biological weapon. I'm not considered a comrade. They wouldn't treat a comrade like this.
I'm more than livestock, less than a slave—a disposable tool.
Suddenly, I think of my favorite girl. Is she in a similar situation? Who is she, really?
Oh no, thinking about her is making me excited. If I get an erection in this Butcher apron with so many people around, it'll be so embarrassing.
Lost in such thoughts, I realize I've been led to a third-floor room. Excuse me.
The fox girl inside jumps in surprise, her shoulders twitching. The book in her hands falls, and her tail puffs up instantly.
The perverted fox woman talks to the fox girl briefly, then leaves me alone and walks out.
Left in the room are me and the fox girl.
Huh…? What…?!
Does that woman not care what happens to the fox girl? That's bold.
Normally, you wouldn't leave a relative alone with a Butcher. Or is the fox girl not a relative? Is she actually my offering? What's going on?
Look at the fox girl's reaction.
Poor thing… she's on the verge of tears, curled up like a rabbit, trembling. It's incredibly tempting to pounce on her, stroke her head, and force myself on her…
Wait!
The order was to protect both of them. She's a target to guard. If I attack her now, it's mission failure.
As tempting as she looks, I'm also curious how completing this mission will change my treatment.
This is a test. If I can't pass such an easy test, I'll never get my revenge. Hold back. I'm a professional.
To distract myself, I walk to the window and look outside.
This is the third floor, higher than the surrounding buildings, so I can see the city clearly.
The city is walled, unlike Fort 88, with an oriental feel. The aliens have modified the original structure of Fort 89 to resemble their homeland.
I can see the facility where I'm imprisoned. It's a large building.
Birds are flying in the sky—maybe kites or merlins. There are forests nearby.
The sky is blue, high, with fluffy white clouds and birds soaring. The sky is the same as I remember.
If only I had wings… I'd fly away and leave everything behind.
As I gaze at the scenery, my dark thoughts fade. Then, a figure catches my eye.
It's a random alien passing by, but their movements, their aura, feel familiar.
This mansion is really under threat.
And the threat is from humans.
So… the demon officer. Since I exposed the human disguise the other day, he chose me for this mission.
Exactly.
When I was human, I was in the Fox Team, a Fort scout unit, a veteran on the front lines for years.
So I recognized the movements immediately. That was a human soldier, an assassin type. Tango Team, maybe? Hopefully not my old Fox Team buddies.
The Fort's military has specialized teams: Fox Team for reconnaissance, scouting, and sniping; Tango for targeted assassinations.
There's also Alpha Team for main defense, Beta for perimeter defense, Charlie for artillery, Delta for counterattacks, Echo for engineering, and November for support fire.
They operate based on specialization. No time for proper training, so OJT turns recruits into professionals.
But this causes operational issues. Sometimes, mixed units form companies, or special forces are assembled from different teams. Tango is a special forces unit.
Maybe the recent large-scale human invasion was a distraction for Tango's infiltration?
That makes sense. The human combat I saw was inefficient, with no clear purpose.
Maybe Earthpint, whom I killed behind the butcher shop, was part of that operation?
So, this fox clan must be extremely important. If they're worth such sacrifice, killing them could turn the tide of war.
How do humans know so much about the aliens' situation?
…Abigail, maybe.
She was part of the advance infiltration team, doing espionage here for a long time.
If so, she might know the aliens' language or writing. Otherwise, how would humans know their internal affairs?
Could Abigail translate?
I'm sharp today. There are challenges, but with her, I might communicate with aliens.
Next time I see her, I'll probe that—with my Butcher lance, gently.
…My thoughts are getting perverted. Gross.
But it's not my fault. I'm forced to do this all day. It's my environment, society, my job… wait, it's an occupational hazard. I demand compensation.
As I stare at the sky, lost in silly thoughts, I hear a soft sound in the room.