Kiblinki Saltas
When we explained that we had no harmful intentions, all but one of the spiders returned to the ceiling.
But still, wasn’t there a chance we could be lying? Wasn’t that risky for them?
(Worry not. We can use mind-reading magic.)
“Huh?”
(You considered the possibility of lying, didn’t you? Since we confirmed there was no deceit, the others withdrew. Oh, and by the way, we are a species called Kiblinki Saltas.)
“Ah, nice to meet you. My name is Lily, and this is my familiar, Talat. His species is Cocytus Tarachnatos.”
(A Tarachnatos serving a human? Hard to believe, but seeing him follow you, I have no choice but to accept it. So, what brings you to our home? Was there a subjugation request from a nearby village?)
“No, nothing like that. But I did hear that vegetables were occasionally being eaten in a nearby village. Was that your doing?”
(It seems some of our less disciplined members occasionally sneak off to snack on vegetables. Although they’re punished, they don’t seem to stop entirely.)
Wait, these spiders eat vegetables?
The Kiblinki Saltas offered to guide us to their nest, and we accepted.
The cultivated soil we had noticed earlier turned out to be their farmland.
They use nutrient-rich water from the underground lake to grow vegetables that can thrive with minimal sunlight.
However, as it takes time to grow the crops, some of them end up sneaking off to the village for a quicker snack.
I always thought spiders were carnivorous, but it seems this species is herbivorous.
Interestingly, they’re aided by worm-type monsters in tilling the soil.
These worm-like creatures consume the nutrient-rich earth and, in exchange, are protected by the Kiblinki Saltas.
In return, the worms enrich the soil, creating a perfect symbiotic relationship.
Apparently, the lack of other creatures in the cave is intentional.
The Kiblinki Saltas prevent other monsters from entering and preying on the cave’s residents, ensuring safety for all.
(We are strong when it comes to defense, but we are poor fighters in a direct confrontation. If we can avoid fighting, we have no reason to engage.)
“Wait, but how do you sustain yourselves without consuming magic stones? Monsters need to consume magic stones to survive, don’t they?”
Rumaja couldn’t hold back her surprise and posed the question.
Indeed, Talat ate magic stones as part of his diet.
And it’s widely believed that monsters originate from the “Chaos Vortex”. So how did they manage?
(We absorb mana from vegetables, grass, and tree buds. If magic stones are available, we eat those too, but we don’t need them to survive.)
“Then how do you maintain your population? Monsters are constantly born from the Chaos Vortex, aren’t they? Surely you can’t secure enough food for all of them.”
(When our numbers grow too large, we split into smaller groups, and the new group ventures off to find a new home. We are one such group that left our original land.)
This was completely different from what I thought I knew.
A monster species that doesn’t require magic stones? That was a first for me.
I had learned from the Adventurers’ Guild that monsters often fought each other, with the victor consuming the loser’s magic stone.
Could this species be one of historical significance?
Even their behavior—splitting off and moving to new lands—was unusual for monsters.
And since they had avoided detection, they must be adept at staying hidden from human territories and exploration zones.
Their intelligence also seemed remarkably high.
I wonder… could I persuade a few of them to become my tamed monsters?
What do you think about this chapter?
