On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human

There is something special about the Wyvern that makes me unable to look away from it—its eyes. I would normally freak out seeing a pair of soccer ball sized eyes, but its eyes are strangely captivating; I feel like it is looking straight into my soul.

“Hello, there.”

I didn’t have any intention to speak or whatsoever, but the moment I feel like I just saw a glimpse of its soul, I can’t help greeting it. Although I don’t know whether it can actually understand me, I have this strangely strong belief that it will understand me.

Snort.

As I am thinking that the Wyvern can’t possibly understand me, it lets out its breath from its nostrils. I feel like someone has just put a leaf blower in front of my face; I am surprised but I am fine.

“Uh… That’s nasty, boy.” I fan my face with my hand, acting like its breath is stinky even though it is not. “Someone needs to brush its teeth, it seems.”

The Wyvern stares at me silently for a couple of seconds, blinks its eyes, then looks away to the side as if it is not having my joke. I chuckle at that, and it turns its head back to me before looking at me in curiosity.

“Wait… Something is not right…” I suddenly come to a realization that the situation is not as fucked as I expected it should be. Although it is fine the way it is, I am afraid there is a catch to it. “Hey, do you like to eat human?”

I look at the Wyvern, and it looks back at me strangely. If eyes can speak, I am sure its are saying, ‘What is this retard talking about?’ right now. Nonetheless, I am glad about it.

I am a ‘quick to adapt’ individual, therefore I can readily accept the way things are going and proceed with the job I am tasked to do. Patting the gigantic raw drumstick beside me, I look at it and the Wyvern alternatingly.

“Well, I am sorry, but I don’t know how to feed you with these bars separating—”

Rattle.

Clank.

I am honestly not that surprised of the fact that the Wyvern has just lifted the bars separating us by pulling down a lever inside the cage like a host welcoming a guest.

To say that I expected it, however, would be a stretch. After all, I am still speechless looking at the scene despite knowing that I shouldn’t be surprised looking at this kind of scene—it’s a Magic world!

“Uh… Meat delivery?”

I look at the Wyvern uncertainly. I am not uncertain about the fact whether it will eat me though; I am uncertain about the fact why I am so sure the Wyvern has no single bad intention to me.

But as I said, I am quick to adapt, so I just shrug my shoulders in the next moment, and drag the meat inside the Wyvern’s cage. I don’t feel any ominous aura upon steeping my foot inside it, but it is way warmer than the outside.

As I put the meat in front of the Wyvern, I ask, “Do you want me to feed you?” Like a gentleman, it shakes its head, and I am not sure whether I should be surprised at the fact it understands me or how gentlemanly it is.

“Well, I haven’t told you my name, have I?” I put my hands on my waist, and hold my chest high. It’s instinctual, so I don’t know why I pose like that. “My name is Layland Kleinhaus, your future Demon King.”

Snort.

The Wyvern doesn’t say anything, but its brief snort is telling me that it has just made fun of me. Still, it lowers its head, and puts its face close to mine so that it can look into my unimpressed gaze.

𝒐𝑣𝐋xt.𝑐𝒐𝓂

[Genelos.]

My eyes quickly widen the moment I hear the heavy voice transmitted directly into my head. As the Wyvern faintly smirks afterwards, I conclude that the voice belongs to it.

“Is that your name—Genelos?” The Wyvern nods its head lightly, and I can’t suppress the excited on my face. “Holy shit, that’s cool! Can you say anything else? What about my race? What is my race?”

I am so excited about it, I momentarily forgot that I am not there to admire Wyverns, but to feed them. I quickly sigh upon realizing it, but Genelos doesn’t disappoint me.

[You are a human. A special human.]

“Are you saying that because I speak in a weird language or because I have a Demon King’s Mark on my hand?” My eyes light up once again at Genelos’ response, and I can’t hold myself back from asking him another question.

[You are special because you can understand me.]

“Can’t the others understand you?”

[Not just anyone can understand me.]

I frown lightly at Genelos’ response, and nod my head moments after. Silently looking at him, I realize that I want to talk more to him.

Still, I have something to do—feeding the other Wyverns. My innards are in the line, and I can’t play with Darth Valeria.

“I am going to feed the other Wyverns first, so let’s talk again when I have done my job.” I scratch my head awkwardly, and gaze at Genelos uncertainly. “If you don’t mind, that is.”

Fortunately, unlike the other savages I have met, Genelos is a kind soul. He nods his head gladly, and smiles with his eyes.

‘To think that my first friend is a Wyvern … I am a badass, aren’t I?’

I don’t know whether making a friend with a Wyvern in this world is equivalent to making a friend with a cat on Earth, but I don’t care either way. When I deem something is dope, it is dope, no matter how stupid it is for the others.

With a grin on my face, I step outside the cage, and the bars go down in the next moment. Genelos retreats into the darkness once again, probably enjoying his food.

I turn my gaze to the left corner near the door of the stable, and gaze at the remaining 9 meat lumps in determination. I want to speak with Genelos again; I am sure he can tell me many things about this world.

As I walk toward the meat, I think to myself. ‘Valeria must have given me a limited knowledge about this world for a reason. She must be telling me to figure out the rest by myself—it’s a part of training.’

Upon reaching the corner, I put my hands on the bone of the meat, and drag it behind my back toward the second cage. ‘I believe this job, though I don’t know what the real purpose is, also requires me to get to know with the Wyverns.’

I am once again sweating like crazy, but I have already arrived at the second cage at this point. I knock on the steel bars, and a pair of big, yellow eyes suddenly appear in the darkness.

From the way the eyes are looking at me, the Wyvern is clearly sizing me up and down, but I don’t feel any discomfort or fear. I look straightly into the eyes, until the Wyvern decides to show itself and snorts at me.

“Here is your meat, buddy. I am Layland Kleinhaus. May I know your name?”

[You have no right to know my name, human.]

Compared to Genelos, this Wyvern’s voice is two pitches higher; in other words, it sounds like a female. It acts like a tsundere too, so I have decided to call it Tsun-Tsun for the time being.

“Okay. I will just call you Tsun-Tsun until you tell me your name.” I nod my head, showing how proud I am with my naming sense. “Alright, open your cage for me so I can deliver you this meat.”

[Human, you dare to insult me?]

“I did not insult you, girl. I merely gave you a nickname since you don’t want to tell me your name.”

[This human… Wait, how can you…]

By how surprised she looks currently, I can tell that Tsun-Tsun has only realized it now that I understand her. Of course, like a full fledged tsundere, she just snorts in the next moment, and tells me to leave.

Since she insists that I should leave her, I go to the corner once again, and pick another lump of meat to deliver it to another Wyvern. I don’t know whether I am enjoying the job, but I am expectant toward my encounter with the next Wyvern.

…

“Meat delivery. I am Layland Kleinhaus.”

[You are a funny human. Now, get away from my vision.]

“Do you want me to feed you?”

[Hmph! You can’t even lift it. How will you feed me?]

“Should I leave it here or do you want me to bring it inside?”

[What a stupid human. Do you think I won’t eat you?]

Each Wyvern reacted differently when I told them my name, but all of them were surprised when they realized I could understand them. Some of them doesn’t like me immediately, but other than giving an empty threat, none of them were hostile toward me.

None of them has told their name yet, but I can say for sure, from the way they reacted to my ability to understand them, Genelos, my first friend, is the coolest Wyvern in the stable.

“Huh… I am completely spent, aren’t I?” I sweep the sweat off my forehead, then walk toward Genelos’ cage. I sit myself in front of it, and call out. “Genelos, I am done. Let’s talk again, buddy.”

As I am waiting for a response, the door of the stable is opened, and comes in Darth Valeria. Upon landing her gaze on me, she quirks her eyebrow in wonder.

“What are you doing sitting in front of an empty cage?”