#32: 32 — An Ordinary Recruit's Monster Life (WN)

I returned to the cliffside base hidden by foliage—the place where, without a doubt, I had spent the longest time since taking on this form.

Though I had only been away briefly, why did this place feel so strangely dear to me?

I set down my load, concealed myself as usual to observe the elves, and used my telescopic vision to watch the river.

Just then, the elf women were playing at the river, but it seemed I had arrived a little late, for they immediately began preparing to leave.

The timing couldn’t be helped.

Resolving to give up cleanly, I moved to another surveillance point.

Unfortunately, the gears were not aligning that day, and none of the known spots produced a single elf.

Time passed until night fell.

With the river free for use, I washed my body, drew water, and caught some fish.

Heading to my cooking area, I butchered the game I had hunted earlier and roasted the meat in hearty slabs.

I grilled the fish as well.

Then I realized something.

(Damn. I left all the salt at the other base)

I had left it all behind so it wouldn’t hinder my movement.

That was a careless mistake.

Once again, I realized I needed a proper container for salt.

While at it, I wanted a larger vessel for water, containers for food, and tableware or at least substitutes.

Shaking my head at this growing list of desires, I tried to regain composure.

(Still, there’s a little electricity available…)

I pictured what electrical appliances I should retrieve.

In the end, I failed to regain composure, and spent the entire night lost in daydreams until morning came.

Nibbling on leftover meat from yesterday, I checked the sun’s position and resumed surveillance.

I thought the timing was perfect, though I ended up waiting half an hour.

Today’s plan was to enjoy “today’s Number 6” before placing my belongings at the main base, then heading to the shopping mall to gather supplies.

For the foreseeable future, I expected to be busy traveling back and forth between the main base and the city, so I committed fully to this surveillance duty.

As always, Number 6 was being toyed with by those increasingly troublesome brats.

(Really though, how do they keep coming up with prank after prank?)

Since she was dealing with children, Number 6 couldn’t bring herself to scold them harshly, so as usual she ended up enduring it.

Recently, the brats had escalated—pretending to fall just to grope her chest, burying their faces in it, doing whatever they pleased.

But today, they showed a new level of coordination.

First, one caught a fish and proudly showed it to Number 6 before tossing it high into the air.

When Number 6 raised her arms to catch it, the second brat yanked her panties down from behind.

The third brat crouched, pretending to return the underwear, only to shove her butt forward, forcing Number 6’s hands into the water.

Then, as she flailed, the third brat darted past, snatching her undergarments and sprinting away.

By the time they held their prize aloft, Number 6 was completely naked.

It was a total victory for the trio of perverted brats.

The girls watched them with cold, disapproving eyes.

Their future promised to be… entertaining.

(But really, humans and elves aren’t so different after all…)

I recalled the one pervert who always seemed to be in every class, feeling nostalgic for childhood.

In the end, the brats who got caught received a smack on the head, though they likely learned nothing.

I could only hope they continued their daily training.

Having seen enough, I moved out.

My destination: the shopping mall in Eilqueel.

I stopped at the main base along the way to lighten my load and free up carrying capacity.

Now that my body was used to running, I figured I could reach it before midnight.

(Might as well go for a new record!)

It was just a phrase born of impulse, but my stamina and energy were brimming—no, overflowing.

A firm conviction whispered, “I can do this now,” and I broke into a full sprint.

That night—I hadn’t expected to arrive so soon.

Reaching Eilqueel, I collapsed the moment I did.

Somewhere along the way, I had become stubborn, forcing myself to run at full speed.

Let me say it plainly.

I was exhausted.

(No more. I’m resting! Actually, I’m sleeping!)

I staggered toward the shopping mall, dragging myself to the bedding I had made earlier.

The same clumsy pile of blankets awaited me, unchanged, as if to say “welcome back.”

“…I’m home.”

I whispered softly, collapsing onto it.

The stacked mats bore my weight.

As I closed my eyes to rest, a sound reached my ears.

(…Footsteps. So it’s not my imagination)

It had been some time since I last cleaned this place.

It wouldn’t be strange if new goblins had spawned here.

I sighed deeply and forced myself up.

I drank water and ate the rest of the meat I had brought.

First, I needed to confirm what the intruder was.

There was always the chance it wasn’t goblins.

I gauged the distance to the unknown footsteps.

(A little far? No need to camouflage yet)

I slipped from my bedding and closed the distance while checking the sound—only to find a creature I hadn’t expected.

A massive, fur-covered beast standing on two legs—a bear.

But not just any bear.

(If I recall… that’s a “Grand Bear,” isn’t it?)

Seeing the horned creature, nearly six meters tall, triggered memories of a book I had once read.

If memory served, it was an extremely dangerous monster that could even prey on ogres.

Frankly, I didn’t feel I could lose, so I decided to ignore it.

If it attacked, I would simply kill it. Otherwise, I could return to my bedding.

With that beast around, goblins wouldn’t dare nest here, so it was effectively a watchdog. Letting it live was no problem.

Back at my bedding, I blocked the entrance with furniture just in case, and fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke up, stretched, and rose.

Having minimized my luggage, I had run out of food with last night’s dinner, so I skipped breakfast.

I began combing the shopping mall for supplies.

I gathered items like water tanks, dishes, and containers—daily goods that might prove useful.

Only those in good condition, so I started with the stock in the backroom, squeezing through narrow spaces in a treasure-hunt-like search.

After gathering the essentials, my eyes drifted to the electronics section.

Touching my chin, I thought.

(Might be worth seeing what’s here, if only to narrow candidates. Exclude high-consumption devices… refrigerators are out too. Then—)

I picked up a hair dryer.

Obviously useless.

I tried imagining convenient, energy-saving appliances, but having been a dependent living at home, nothing came to mind.

“So, I’ll just wander a bit more.”

I decided, and browsed the store.

That was when I noticed a large television.

(Ahh, I always wanted to watch movies on a screen this big…)

Entertainment was tempting, but beyond electricity, it wasn’t even clear if the device would work.

There was also the matter of whether data discs could still be read.

The thought of rewatching old favorites, or discovering new films I’d never seen, was extremely alluring—but there was no guarantee the discs survived, let alone were intact.

The reward would be immense, but there were too many obstacles.

For now, I left it as a tentative candidate.

Other appliances, however, seemed less appealing.

Washing machines, refrigerators, microwaves—either unnecessary or impractical.

A vacuum cleaner had no use, and air conditioning consumed too much power.

At most, a fan might be feasible.

(That makes entertainment the best option… then how about music?)

That seemed reasonable.

It required far less than movies.

Just as I narrowed down the possibilities, something caught my eye.

“A video camera…?”

My ugly voice, “gaggaaoo,” echoed as I said it aloud, and a struggle unlike anything before erupted inside me.