After the Fall of the Demon Race, Reincarnated as a Demon Girl - Chapter 8

“「？？？」

Age: 12-16
Probability of being a transmigrator: 27%”

Renith stared blankly at the flickering characters on the holographic screen before her.

Are you telling me this piece of meat actually has a name, is between twelve and sixteen years old, and can even be “appraised” to determine whether it’s a transmigrator?

No, no, this is utterly absurd. There must be some mistake—or maybe it’s just a sick joke.

Hah… No matter how bizarre this is, that piece of meat can’t possibly be human.

Renith couldn’t help but glance sideways at the landlady, who was cheerfully serving customers at the counter. She was a transmigrator—maybe she had used some underhanded method.

Of course, Renith would rather believe her “Appraisal” skill had malfunctioned.

Her gaze returned to her plate, where the holographic screen now displayed only a single line of text:

“「Delicious steak.」”

Her fork and knife trembled slightly in her tense grip, beads of sweat forming between her knuckles. Her thoughts drifted back to the conversation between Karlov and the landlady earlier.

[One custom set meal.]

She forced herself to stay calm, took a deep breath, and clutched her stomach with one hand while waving weakly at the landlady with the other.

“Landlady… I suddenly feel a bit sick. Can I take this to eat on the train?”

The landlady was warm and concerned, first asking about her condition. Noticing Renith’s discomfort, she didn’t press further and simply fetched a clean paper bag to pack up the meal.

“Try to eat it while it’s still warm, or it won’t taste as good.”

Renith forced a smile and nodded slowly.

“Sorry about this… It’s an old problem.”

The landlady patted her shoulder sympathetically.

“Don’t worry, it happens. Lots of people have stomach issues. If you get the chance, you should visit the capital and see a specialist.”

“Thank you. I will—I’ll be heading there in a few days.” The landlady smiled and handed her the packed food.

“Take care of yourself.”

Clutching her stomach, her face pale, Renith slowly took the paper bag. She managed a strained smile, thanked the landlady, and then trudged out of the restaurant with heavy steps.

The moment she closed the door behind her, the harsh sunlight dispelled some of the chill in her heart. She took a deep breath, exhaling the stifling air in her chest, and immediately headed for the nearest farms and ranches.

She needed to verify whether her “Appraisal” skill was truly malfunctioning.

Standing outside the cattle pen, Renith scanned the herd.

「Ordinary cow」
「Healthy cow」
「Cow in heat」

Mana levels normal, physical condition normal, not a monster…

She silently recited the results, spreading magical particles over each animal. No matter how carefully she inspected them, there was nothing unusual about these cows.

“Seems like there’s no issue… The skill works fine.”

“Then why did that piece of meat…?”

Before she could finish her thought, she sensed someone approaching. She spun around, her gaze locking onto a tall man in a crisp tailcoat, watching her with a scrutinizing expression.

“Respected Mage,” he said slowly, his tone grave.

“You might want to keep your distance. This is the territory of Baron Elberd. If he sees you toying with or disrespecting his property, it could bring you unnecessary trouble… or even grave danger. Not even your status as a mage would protect you.”

Renith narrowed her eyes, sizing him up.

Probability of being a transmigrator: 31

“Just being close is forbidden?”

“Naturally. Don’t underestimate him just because he’s a baron. As a ‘Chosen One,’ he has powerful backers. His spies are everywhere. He imprisons, tortures, kills, and sells anyone who witnesses his atrocities.”

“Sounds like you know a lot.”

The man gave a slight nod, a faint trace of sorrow flickering across his face. Then, he bent slightly and gestured for her to follow him toward a distant wooden cabin.

“Come with me, if you want the truth.”

Renith followed him into the small, lonely cabin. The interior was cramped, furnished only with a simple table and chairs, a few bowls and chopsticks, and two beds pushed close together. A thin layer of dust covered the cupboard beside the beds—it seemed no one had been here for a while.

“Apologies for the lack of hospitality. Please, make yourself comfortable.”

“Let me introduce myself. I’m Schubert, a former resident of this village and now one of Baron Elberd’s servants.”

After introducing himself, Schubert pulled out a small key and unlocked the cupboard. From inside, he retrieved a few slightly yellowed, damp sheets of paper, carefully peeling them apart before laying them flat on the table.

“Did you notice anything unusual when you entered the village?”

Renith thought for a moment before answering.

“It’s too quiet. Apart from that restaurant, everything feels… abandoned. Every house shows signs of recent habitation, the furniture is all there, but… no people.”

From the moment she’d entered the village and examined those metal carriages, Renith had been peering through the grimy windows of each house. Aside from a few occupied homes and the restaurant at the end of the road, the cabins were all like this one—empty and lifeless.

There were clear signs of life, yet no war, plague, or natural disaster had struck. So why was everything so deserted?

“It’s Baron Elberd.”

Schubert pushed the papers toward Renith. Though the edges were wrinkled and the ink slightly blurred from moisture, the writing was still legible.

[Reir, 14 years old. Disappeared April 222, Holy Maiden Calendar.]
[Korb, 24 years old. Disappeared May 222, Holy Maiden Calendar.]
[Nubolian, 39 years old. Disappeared February 223, Holy Maiden Calendar.]

…

The rest of the pages were filled with similar entries.

“This started twenty years ago, maybe even earlier. As demand for beef and lamb grew in the capital and surrounding cities, many nobles expanded their ranching territories. New nobles also came, setting up their own livestock farms.”

“The influx of nobles brought railroads. Fertile pastures, convenient transportation, and jobs offered by the aristocracy attracted refugees from the capital and nearby towns. They pooled their resources to buy lumber and built villages around the ranches and tracks.”

“Our village was one of them.”

Schubert pointed at the winding railroad tracks a hundred meters away, his thoughts drifting back over a decade.

His father had volunteered to help lay the tracks, hoping for free train rides to transport his family west. He dreamed of striking it rich and reversing their fortunes.

But his father never boarded that train—he died of exhaustion on these very grasslands.

Fortunately, the overseer, a decent man, arranged for Schubert’s family of four to board a test-run train with other villagers, bringing them to the vast western plains.

Over the next decade, the villagers pooled money to buy livestock and lumber from neighboring settlements, gradually expanding their ranching operations. They became self-sufficient and even modestly prosperous.

“Then, five years ago, Baron Elberd arrived.”

“His first words upon stepping off the train were:
[These filthy refugees are squatting on my land!]

His second words:
[Why would the gods grant such fertile land to such lowly creatures? Only in my hands can it reach its true potential!]

And his third:
[From today onward, this land belongs to me…]”

“Did no one resist?”

After sixty or seventy years of peace, the nobility had grown increasingly tyrannical and unrestrained.

“Resist?”

Schubert let out a bitter laugh, his eyes brimming with sorrow and helplessness.

“Hah… Resist?”

“At first, the village did unite and fight back. But those bastards had guns. Cold, merciless bullets shattered our illusions… How can flesh stand against metal?”

Tears welled in Schubert’s eyes before spilling over. His voice cracked.

“Those who resisted… died at the barrel of a gun. Those who surrendered… now live under Elberd’s shadow, in constant fear.”

“The strong were forced into labor—hauling lumber and stone. Those with ranching experience were made to tend livestock. The attractive but powerless became playthings for Elberd and his guards. Useless children were penned up like cattle…”

“And so… the village emptied. Became a ghost town.”

Renith listened quietly until Schubert finished and wiped away his tears. Only then did she speak.

“Then tell me… what about the meat in that restaurant? That ‘special set meal’… It wasn’t beef, was it? It was human.”

Schubert sniffled, his eyes still red. He cleared his throat and rubbed his face, trying to steady his voice.

“Sorry… I’ve cried so many times already, but thinking about it still breaks me.”

“As one of Elberd’s servants, I have access to the penned-up children. I bring them food and water regularly.”

“But every month or two, a few of them disappear. Asking the other children gets you nowhere—they don’t know anything.”

“Then, by chance, I overheard a conversation between Elberd and another man.”

Schubert leaned in. Renith straightened, listening intently.

“They’re part of a ‘Chosen Ones’ group. Their… hobby is cannibalism. They were driven out of the capital and neighboring cities for their beliefs and forced to wander west.”

“Back then, Elberd needed manpower to seize land and maintain order, so he struck a deal with them.”

“The baron provides food and money. The ‘Chosen’ provide… labor.”

“And those penned-up children… are the food.”