The Maiden Called Hero or Monster - Bonus Chapter 01

 - Bonus Chapter 01 -

 The hero continued wandering aimlessly through a dimly lit forest. Relying on only the few traces seemingly left behind by people, she continued along an unpaved path.
    
    Trees shielded the sky, leaving her with no idea of the time of day. It wasn't night yet, that much was certain, but no sunlight shone through the trees.
    The ground was muddy, covered with moss, and the tall trees scattered all around numbed her sense of direction.
    She could occasionally hear the chirping of birds, and the howls of unknown beasts from her surroundings, unable to sense any signs of humans that may be nearby.
    Her abdomen was stained a crimson red, and her clothes were soaked with sweat. Mud filled her shoes, and she felt sick just from walking around.
    Her wounds had been healed, but her body was exhausted; her head was pained, leaving her dizzy. She was starving and wanted to wash her body down.
    Even if by some chance an Inn awaited her at the end of the forest, it would be of no use to her, as she had not a single coin to her name.
    
   Was it going to be the Outside-Inn today? She felt as if she was going around in circles. If someone happened to walk by, she decided she would ask them for directions.

    When the hero felt her physical strength had reached its limit, she heard a strange sound from nearby. It was a striking sound that rang at regular intervals, the cause of which could not be discerned by only hearing it. But what could be deduced was that it was nothing metallic, as the sound was much too dull.

    "...I wonder if it's a demon."

    The eyes of the hero ran over the surrounding bushes in alarm. Some demons would bash their weapons against their shields as a means of intimidation. But unfortunately for the hero, she currently had no weapons to utilize.
    All she had were her clothes, stained with blood. If she were to be taken by surprise, things could get troublesome.
   The hero slowly approached the source of the sound preparing herself for anything. Thinking that if the need arose, she could take their weapon and retaliate.
    She drew closer and closer to the strange sound. The intervals between strikes seemed to be growing shorter, and she could feel herself growing more impatient along with the hastened rate of the strikes.
    
    "It's coming from the side of that tree. Now, let's see what the hell it is."

    Out of the corner of her eye, she found a large tree that seemed to be quite aged, along with a dull thud which emanated from its side.
    As she approached the large tree from the bushes, she noticed two human figures. One was a middle-aged man who was leaning against the large tree, his eyes were closed as if he were asleep. Next to him a large amount of baggage sprawled about, it was likely that he was a merchant of some sort.
    However, when she looked closely, she could see the man's face was severely blackened and infested with maggots.
    He must have run out of energy in the middle of his journey. It was not uncommon for people to fall ill and collapse during their travels.
   The other was a dark-haired girl who wore a dingy cloth. It was safe to say she was about six or seven years old. With only one look at her pale cheeks, thin body, and shabby appearance, it was easy to discern she was a pauper.
   With a stone in each hand the girl was frantically hammering away next to the man's corpse. The hero had no idea what she was trying to do, but the girl didn't seem to be aware of her presence. But the hero decided to call out to her anyway.

    "Hey, what the hell are you doing? Is this some sort of ritual to mourn the dead?"

    "............"

    The girl did not respond. She would not even look at her. It was like she was entranced, hitting the stone over and over again.
    Her fingers seemed to get caught between the stones occasionally, smearing the stones in red, yet she did not stop. She repeated the same action with her thin hands, never growing tired.
    

    Maybe she couldn't understand human speech? If that was the case, talking to her would be akin to talking to a wild animal.
    
    "Hey, do you understand what I'm saying? I asked what you're doing."

    "Cook this."

    The hero asked the girl with a firm tone of voice, and this time she got a response. Unlike animals, she at least could understand speech.
    The hero figured out what she was trying to do. The girl was trying to start a fire. But unfortunately, no matter how many years passed, she would never be able to start one. Striking flint against each other would not start a fire. If one were to imitate her, they would be met with the same results. One cannot do what just isn't possible.

    "You wouldn't be able to start a fire that way even if you kept at it for a hundred years. That stone needs to strike steel to create sparks. Though, there's quite a few ways to start a fire aside from that."

    "......I see. Too bad."

    The girl looked sad as she disappointedly dropped her shoulders and threw the two stones away as if they were trash. Then, she took out a rusty knife from the man's luggage and swung it at the corpse.   

    "Wait, wait a minute! I don't know what you have against him, but he's already dead."

    The Hero hurriedly called out for her to stop.
   

      "I wanted to cook it before I ate it. Eating raw food makes me sick to my stomach. But since making fire doesn't seem possible, I'm going to eat it like this. I feel like I'm going to starve to death."

    "... You, you're going to eat a human?"

    "I want to eat meat. I tried eating the grass, but it tasted so bad I couldn't eat it. There's food back home but, it's not mine to eat. I even looked through this man's luggage, but there he didn't have any food either. So, I thought I'd have some of the meat that fell here."

    The girl's stupid answer gave her a headache, but the hero decided to persuade her to stop. Even if it was someone else's problem, the hero didn't want to see a child scavenging for human flesh. She could not just simply overlook it now that it was right in front of her.

    "Don't do something stupid. Even if you're hungry, there are some things you shouldn't eat. Humans aren't supposed to eat humans."

    "...... Do you want to take my food?"

    The girl turned and responded in a low-pitched voice unsuiting her appearance. The brain of the hero issued a strong warning: Don't be fooled by her appearance. If you're not careful, she'll come at you — it told her to never let her guard down.
   And the reason for it was that the eyes of the girl were terribly threatening. Drool dripped from her half-opened mouth, and in her hand, she held a rusted knife. The hero guessed all she had in her head was her desire to eat. Needless to say, if you got in her way, she would eat you alive. If there weren't a girl in front of her, she would say those were the eyes of a starved wolf.

    "I don't eat people, and I don't want to. However, I can't let you eat a human. I can't overlook you becoming a demon. Because I'm a hero."

    "...... I see. But I think that you're going to take all the meat for yourself...  That you're going to take the meat away from me."

    "What?──"

    "Last time, they ate all the dead rabbits I brought home. Everyone ate meat, but all I got was bones. It was the meat I found, it's not fair."

    The girl wobbled to her feet, lowered her hips, and pounced towards the hero. Her movements were rough and full of gaps, but her killing intent was real, and comparable to that of a demon. Aside from the knife, if she were to bite down on you, she wouldn't let go until she was killed.

    "You brat!"

    The hero knocked away the knife and grabbed the girl by her throat. Even though she had just awoken, her strength had not diminished to the point where such a sloppy attack would touch her.

    "──Tsu!!"

    The girl was in agony, flailing her hands and feet about in a desperate display of resistance. The hero had no intention of killing her, but she could see her coming at her the moment she let go. 

    The hero brought her face closer to the girls in an attempt to frighten her.

    "You've got spirit, but you're still naive. ──Listen up, you nasty little glutton. I'll let you go if you promise not to attack me. But if you can't compromise, then I'll choke you."

     "—Tch!!"

    The girl bared her teeth and shook her head. She seemed ready to attack. She has completely mistaken the hero as a thief out to steal her food. And her anger of being deprived of her food seems to outweigh her fear of being killed.

    "You've got some nerve. Even if it's a brat, I'm not afraid to kill a demon when I have to. Think carefully."

    But the girl still shook her head. Her mouth was twisted with a smile, but only slightly. Was it perhaps her way of saying to get on with it? It was a look entirely unbefitting someone of her age.

    "You've got a lot of guts for a brat as gluttonous as you. I'm impressed."

    The hero worried while holding the girl's throat. It probably wasn't a good idea to kill her. But if she let her go, she was certain she would attack her again. She didn't know what to do. She made the mistake of checking out what was going on. If she had known, she would have just walked right past. It was her own fault she got into such a mess. 

   After pondering for a while, the hero decided to propose a compromise.

    "Then let's do this. You're dying for meat, and I can't let you eat human flesh. So, I'll get you some other meat."

    "......Other meat?"

    "I'll hunt down any animals I can find in the area, and you can eat them. How about that?"

    "..........."

    When the hero confirmed, the girl finally quieted down and nodded. The turbidity in her eyes had become somewhat lighter, and it seemed she was coming back to reason. Though the amount of drool coming out of her mouth had increased, and strange sounds could be heard from within her stomach.
    

    The hero, growing tired, let out an involuntary sigh.

-

    "There we go."

    The hero used the girl's rusty knife to kill any unfortunate hares and birds nearby. Among the luggage left by the man, there were utensils that could be used for cooking, so she felt free to use them.
    Shaving off the hair and skin as she saw fit, the hero removed their organs, and cut the dripping red meat into appropriate cuts with a knife, put them on a skewer, and stuck them into the ground.
    Then, combining the branches from the tree she scavenged, the hero used magic to start a fire and set the meat to roast. A savory smell whetting the appetite began to waft around the area.
    The girl sat and watched her work but said she was at the limit of her patience. Despite being only half-cooked, she reached her hand reached out, and the hero showed no hesitation in smacking it away.
    While holding her hand, she made the saddest face the hero had ever seen. It was the face of a young child whose most precious toy had been taken away.

    "Wait a little longer for it to cook. If you eat it half-cooked, you'll be sick to your stomach."

    ""I want to eat it right now, even if it breaks my stomach."

    "Geez, if your appetite's that strong, then put this in your mouth. It looks the most cooked."

    The hero handed girl an iron skewer with a small piece of meat on it. And with a big smile on her face, the girl devoured it. She did not swallow it right away; instead, choosing to chew it well and savor the juices. After she finished it after some time passed, a blissful expression appeared on her face.
    The hero couldn't help but blurt out, as she had never seen anyone eat something so thoroughly before.

    "You look like you've just eaten something delicious. Even though I didn't add any seasoning. You really must've been starving."

    "It's because it's delicious. Hey, is this one already done?"

    "You can eat them once they're slightly charred. Don't worry, I'll only need one."
    
    When the hero urged her to eat more and more, the girl grabbed the iron skewers with both hands and started eating again. Her mouth was full of a meaty gravy, and she continued tossing them into her mouth one after the other without worry.
    The hero was also growing hungry. So, she grabbed an iron skewer close at hand and bit into the meat. The meat had a wild taste to it. She would have liked some spices to remedy the taste and smell, but that was not a luxury they had in the woods.
    Within the next thirty minutes, the girl had finished eating all the meat. The hero only ate one piece, but she had no complaints as she felt full just watching the girl eat.

    "Hey, what's your name? In honor of your tremendous appetite, I'll ask you."

    "My name is Shera. I live in a village by this forest."

    The girl who introduced herself as Shera was carefully licking the oil from her hands. The murkiness had completely disappeared from her eyes as if she was satisfied now that her stomach was full.

    "Do you have any family in your village?"

    "They're there, but they said they didn't want me. So, they tried to sell me, but they couldn't since I looked like I was going to die soon. Now they call me useless at home, and hardly give me any food either."

    Even though the Demon King was dead, the world seemed to be the same as before. It hadn't changed at all from the time when the heroes were around. The hero was sure she would hear many more stories like this in the future.
    The hero could understand why people did not want to buy Shera. Looking at her body and complexion, it was apparent that she wasn't going to last long.
    However, she felt somewhat uncomfortable with Shera's matter-of-fact explanation of her situation. If she was as old as she looked, she would have expected her to cry and scream more.

    "How old, are you? I think you're a lot more mature than you look."

"Maybe I'm about six years old? I don't really remember, because my age doesn't matter. All that matters is what I can find to eat."

    Shera said this while looking back at the man's corpse. The sight of her licking her lips gave the hero a bad feeling, so she put her in check.

   
    "Stop turning your appetite towards humans. Fix that ridiculous habit while you still can."

    "Can't I just try a bite? I'm curious to see what it tastes like, come on, just a bite?"

    "Absolutely not. Besides, it doesn't taste good, so don't try it."

    "Have you eaten a human before?"

    "Of course not. Don't ask me stupid questions."

    "Then, how do you know it tastes bad if you've never had it?"

    ".....Well, that's because... you see... it just seems unpleasant no matter how you look at it."

    Does it really taste bad? How would I know? But I can't just eat it and check. If you were to develop an appetite for humans, you'd be no better than a demon.

    "I don't care how it tastes. If you eat a human, you'll turn into a demon. So, you absolutely can't!"

    She was at a loss for words, but the hero strongly refuted.

    "How can eating a human turn you into a demon?"

    "Because that's how it works."

    "Then, do animals that eat humans also become demons?"

    Shera asked the hero a series of questions. She had no intention of pressuring her, but instead, showed a genuine curiosity.
    If an animal eats a human, does it become a demon? Probably not. Even if a wolf ate the corpse of the man, it would be quite natural. It is the natural order of things.
    However, only a demon would target humans and eat them willingly. The only ones who have ever done this would be those with a horrible smell of rot, even if they were originally human. And to these demons, the hero of course, killed them all and will continue to do so.

    "It's the ones who are willing to eat humans that become demons. Whether they are animals or humans!"

    "So, why is it okay for us to eat other animals? I happily ate the rabbit and the bird, but I didn't become a demon."

    "..... Why're you asking?"
    
    "Are people the only ones who are special? Why is that?"
    
    The hero was at a loss for an answer. She could only say that it's because that's just the way it is. That did not mean it was okay to eat them, but people could not live without them. It was the same for other animals.
    Are humans the only ones allowed to eat other animals? Who is to judge whether it is permissible or not? This was a difficult question for the hero, and she was no priest, as she has never seen nor believed in god.

    ──But there is one thing she can say.

    "Humans aren't supposed to eat humans. I'm a hero, so I'm sure of it. But you'll have to wait until you're older to figure out the complicated stuff for yourself!"

    "Humans, shouldn't eat humans..."

    "That's right. I'm a hero, so it's absolute, absolute!"

    "I see"

    When the hero answered with pride, Shera backed down. But then her gaze turns to the man's corpse yet again. She did not seem to understand at all.
    

    The hero glares at Shera.

    "You're going to sneak a bite after I'm gone, aren't you? It's written all over your face."

    "Really?"

    Shera started to touch her face. Her little face was covered in grease from the meat.

    "That's how much it shows on your face..... Well, here's what we'll do. If you promise not to eat humans in the future, I'll get more meat for you and show you how to make a fire. How about that?"

    "Can I really have more meat?"

    Shera was biting at the hook.

    "That's right."

    "What happens if I break that promise?"

    "Nothing is going to happen. All that will happen is you'll become someone who can't keep a promise. However, if you can't keep your promises, you won't be able to eat a delicious meal."

    The hero spoke randomly, but Shera listened earnestly. After pondering for a while, Shera nodded deeply.
    
    "I understand. I'll never eat a human, I promise."

    "It's a promise you made to a hero. If you break it, I'll know right away."

    "I absolutely won't break it."

    "Okay, well, let's look for something to hunt again, and this time, an even bigger animal than before. Then after that, we'll figure out how to start a fire."

    The hero strolled around aimlessly, looking for her prey. She couldn't find much, but she finally succeeded in killing a large boar.
    She pulled out a tinderbox from the man's luggage and showed her how to light a fire using flint and steel, gradually increasing the size of the fire using sawdust and crushed dead leaves. This is something the hero learned a long time ago from a fellow hero. It's one of the essential pieces of knowledge for traveling. The hero had no idea if Shera would be able to make use of it in the future, but she promised to teach her, and she was going to. She keeps her promises.

    "It's going to be pretty tough eating all this."

    "Can I eat it all?"

    "You should learn to moderate how much you eat..."

    After taking the time to take apart the boar, the hero taught her how to preserve it for longer, and also taught her how to judge whether meat is rotten or not. Shera seemed to have planned to eat the whole boar right then and there, but that would be impossible.
    The hero didn't think such knowledge would solve the root of her problem, but it was enough for the time, as Shera was happy just to be able to eat meat again the next day.
    The last thing the hero wanted to do was bury the man's body. It was also to serve as a thank you for him letting her use his tools without permission. By the way, Shera had also helped in this endeavor.
    By the time they finished their work, it was getting dark. The forest was already a place where sunlight did not shine, and now it was getting even darker.

    "With that, there's nothing left I can teach you. All that's left for you is to keep your word."

    "Thank you."

    As the hero carefully put the rest of the boar meat away in a bag, Shera expressed her gratitude. She felt like her heart was not in it as much when eating, but she summed it up to it just being because of her personality.

    "By the way, is there a town around here? I mean, I'd have to make some money somehow to survive."

    "If you go straight here, there is a big river. The villagers said that there was a big town called Arte downstream."

    "Thanks for letting me know. Uh, can you get back to the village by yourself? I can walk you back if you want."

    The hero asked, and Shera nodded and said that she'd be fine.

    "I'm fine. I know this area well."

    "I see. Well, I hope you'll do as well as you can. Remember, don't eat rotten meat."

  

    The hero waved her hand and left, and Shera stood there, saying nothing in particular.

    

    Having found the river, she walked alongside the stream and let her thoughts wander. 

    Would Shera be able to live safely after this? Her life seemed to be quite difficult. Her family called her useless, and it was clear she wasn't getting enough to eat at home either. The hero did not want to kill her, so she hoped she would pass on her own quickly. When poverty is at its peak, the bonds between parents and their children can quickly whittle away.
    It would be difficult for Shera to continue hunting in the forest. With her physique, she would have to scavenge the corpses of dead animals or forage for berries and mushrooms. There were probably many dangerous animals in the forest, and bandits might be hiding in these woods as well. 

    Good luck does not last forever. Tomorrow she might be the one that gets eaten.

    Despite the hero knowing that, there was nothing she could do about it. There are many children like Shera, and she could not help them all. The hero was no god. It wouldn't be possible for her to grant salvation to those who sought it.

    ... After all, there is only one thing a hero can do. Kill, kill and kill all the demons. That is the only reason why a hero exists.

    "Really, this world is as disgusting as ever."

    The hero let out a sigh.

    "Hey."

    "--!!"

    Someone suddenly called out to her from behind, and the hero hurriedly turned around. Standing there, was Shera, tilting her head in wonder.
    The hero was focused on her thoughts while remaining alert; but even so, if Shera wanted to kill her, she would have a knife sticking out of her back. The hero did not mean to let her guard down, but not even she could feel her coming.
    

    "I forgot to ask you earlier, and I was hoping you could tell me something."

    "Don't come at me from behind like that. I almost hit you seriously."

    "I'm sorry."

       She had not a shred of guilt in her heart. The two had only known each other a short time, but the hero could tell as much.

    "...... So, what did you want to ask?"

    "Can I eat demons?"

    "............What?"

    "Is it okay to eat demons?"

    "Do you want to eat demons?"

    The hero confirmed in bewilderment. The gluttonous girl in front of her did not seem to be joking. She had a serious look in her eyes. Her appetite must be a kind of talent. Though, the hero had no idea how it would help her.
    

    "I want to try one so badly."

    Is it okay to eat demons? Could they be eaten in the first place? She had never thought of such a stupid thing, nor had she ever wanted to try eating one. There is no reason why they shouldn't be eaten, as long as they're not human. Many of them look like animals or insects in appearance, but they are not the kind of creatures you want to work up an appetite for. For her, it made her want to kill them.

    "Well, it doesn't matter since they're not human. But, I'm sure you'll be sick to your stomach. Their insides are rotten."

    "Okay, I'll try one when I find one next time. By the way, what do demons look like?"

    Shera, who doesn't seem to understand at all, asked the hero more questions.

    "You'll know with one look. They're not human, they're different. And just so you know, if you see one, run away as fast as you can. Unless you want to die."

    "Thank you for all your help. See you then."

    Shera's mouth twisted in amusement, and she walked through the forest happily clanging her tinderbox.

    It appeared that Shera could somehow suppress her own presence. She must have learned it naturally from her many trips in and out of the forest. If this was true, the hero didn't think she would die for some time; though, the hero didn't think she would ever be able to satisfy her hunger.
    

    The hero watched Shera leave and sat with a complicated look on her face. But after a while, unable to take it anymore, stopped stifling her laughter.

    "... Kuku, hahahaha, I've never seen anyone stupid enough to want to eat a demon before. Either humans are getting stronger, or demons are getting weaker. Either way, I can't afford to lose to that gluttonous girl. I have to kill them all before she eats them all."

    The hero stood up vigorously, smiled fearlessly, and glared at her surroundings. Four people were looking at her. They were bandits looking for travelers. They might look like people, but she mustn't hesitate.

    "I have no mercy for those who have fallen to demons. I will kill all of you who reek of rot. Oh, I won't eat you, so you all can die with peace of mind."

    "Hey, this girl, she's about to use magic!"

    "Oh, shit! Kill her now!"

    "You're too late, you idiots."

    The hero bared her teeth and held out her hand. A blinding white light shone from her hand, and the thieves came running with their weapons at the ready.
    With a flash of a white light, four screams echoed throughout the forest. She may have overdone it a bit. A few of them even managed to survive, albeit, dying. It seemed she was not in her best shape due to having just woken up. Usually, one shot would have been able to reduce them to bits.

    "You're not dead yet? That's really annoying."

    "P-Please, someone help... "

    "Don't speak like a human. It hurts my ears."

    The bandit cried and begged for his life, but the hero ignored him and stomped his face in and killed the rest of them with magic. She doesn't negotiate with demons. She made that decision a long time ago.

    
    After washing off the dirt from her body in a nearby river, the hero decided to lie down in the shallows and gaze at the starry sky.
    

    I wonder what kind of people will be in this town. What kind of demons will be there, and what'll happen to me there?

    After thinking about many things, the hero decided to close her eyes slowly.
    

    The last thing the hero thought about was how she probably looked like a drowned body then, which was not of importance.

 

 

-----

    This will be my first and probably only novel translation I attempt to do, so bear with me. After reading both the web novel and the light novel for this work, I remembered there was no complete English translation. So, I thought I'd try and provide one for others to enjoy.
    All I ask is that if you have any suggestions, tips or notice any misspellings or grammatical errors, let me know. With that said, the original web novel is about 39 chapters which were condensed into 11 chapters in the light novel, so these chapters are about to be long as hell. So, after the first actual chapter I'll be able to gauge just how long it'll take and give reasonable estimates as to when new ones will come out.
    
    So until next time o7