They don't want me to try anymore.

It saw another of its kind perched on a branch, about to prey on the rabbits below, so it went over and called out:

*Gurgle gurgle!* (Rabbit, my sir!)

Its kind ignored it.

It then pressed down, bending the branch, and then, using the elasticity, flung its fellow creature to the ground with a whoosh.

He then took the opportunity to aim and pounce on the rabbit.

*Gurgle gurgle!* (Idiot, meat, mine!)

To be fair, that "idiot" comment wasn't just a random thing to say.

From birth, this fungal beast believed itself to be much smarter than its kind, and it could even understand some simple human words!

As a result, it grew into the largest fungal beast in the vicinity.

After taking a bite out of the rabbit's head, it suddenly heard footsteps ahead.

*Gurgle gurgle!* (Humans, meat, is the best!)

It abandoned the rabbit, then, along with two fungal beasts beside it, climbed up a nearby tree branch.

It knew that humans were both tender and dangerous, so it planned to use its two companions as cannon fodder before delivering the fatal blow itself.

But the next second...

The incoming sword light shattered his illusions.

The two companions were instantly cut into dozens of pieces. Although it was still alive, it was exposed to the tall female swordsman.

Oh no! Weapons! Dangerous humans!

Am I going to die?!

"Miss Luna, please wait a moment. This one is very big, and I want to keep it as a test subject."

Human, you didn't kill me?

What does "experimental subject" mean?

Hmm... I bet it's going to gurgle! (Aaaaaah!)

Richard summoned the treant, who used its branches to bind the large fungal beast tightly before him and led it out of the forest.

His plan was simple: since female fungal beasts could attract the opposite sex, and females could be transformed from males, then... if I create a female, wouldn't I be able to attract a large number of males outside the forest, and then easily clear them out by burning them?

Everyone was tired and needed to rest, so I took the opportunity to do some experiments.

Could the key factor be the temperature...?

Let's boil it in a big pot!

Even if it's cold, you should try it... Water element!

Perhaps the key is population size...

Ah, this whole process feels a bit cruel. After all, I'm not some kind of demon. I should let it eat something to recover its strength—it should be able to eat the corpses of its own kind, right?

Big, Clever Bacterium: Glug glug! (Demon! Human! Help! I never want to be a guinea pig again!)

An hour later, Richard announced his withdrawal.

Those zoologists in my previous life had been studying sex reversal for who knows how long, but when I tried to do it on short notice, it still didn't work.

But then I thought, since the female fungal beasts make themselves so brightly colored, visual appeal should work for the fungal beasts too.

Ok……

He sent Katyusha back to town to buy several buckets of paint, then squinted and smiled as he looked at the dying fungal beast in front of him.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt this time. I just wanted to let you try turning into a girl. It'll be over soon. After all, I'm not some kind of demon."

*Gurgle!* (Don't come any closer!)

Unfortunately, humans and fungi are destined to be unable to understand each other.

After a thorough examination, Richard obtained a colorful fungal beast.

He took it to the edge of the forest, and in no time, more than a dozen fungal beasts crawled over!

"Great, the plan works!"

*Gurgle gurgle!* (Hey, you guys, what are you thinking? Don't come any closer!)

As the sun began to set...

Richard finally dressed the five fungal beasts in "women's clothing," then summoned five donkeys, tied them to the back of the donkeys, and sent them into the forest.

He and his companions escorted the donkeys and then took a long detour through the forest.

Before long, a large group of very restless fungal beasts followed behind them.

Cluck cluck! (There's a female!)

*Gurgle gurgle!* (I'm male! Ah! Ahhh!)

By the time Richard and his group emerged from the forest, they were followed by nearly three hundred fungal beasts!

The rest is quite simple...

Come forth, fire elementals!

Using water elementals as a fence at the edge and fire elementals to burn the open ground, Richard wiped out a large number of fungal beasts in just a few breaths.

"Perfect!"

He clapped his hands happily, then looked at the several "cross-dressing" fungal beasts who had been instrumental in his success...

*Gurgle!* (Human, kill me!)

"Okay, let's save it for tomorrow."

*Gurgle!* (No!)

Richard couldn't understand the strange noises of the fungi, so he stuffed them all into the iron box he had bought.

Turning his head, he saw Zoe and Katyusha standing far away, having taken off their armor and coats, fanning themselves—it was almost summer, and warming oneself by a fire in the sweltering southern part of the empire was indeed a rather unbearable thing.

Then he saw Luna.

She still didn't remove her mask, but she untied the front of her nun's robe, tied the hem short, and took off her leather armor, revealing a cool shirt underneath.

The thin clothes were soaked with sweat, becoming translucent, and clung tightly to the large mound of fat that shouldn't be described but was simply too big.

Below were her long, shapely legs, a few beads of sweat sliding smoothly across her fair and delicate skin, leaving glistening marks.

Richard blinked, vaguely feeling that the figure was somewhat familiar, but...

What a sin!

Out of politeness, he immediately turned his head away, not daring to look any further, and naturally couldn't recognize anything—to be honest, recognizing someone by their chest and legs sounds pretty perverted.

However, Luna noticed this and said calmly:

"...It's alright for Richard."

Yes, they are related!

We've only known each other for a little over a day!

I understand, judging by your age... you're also older!

On the other side, Zoe immediately perked up her ears and narrowed her eyes.

Hmph, the succubus's tail is showing now!

Finally, it was Katyusha, who was a maid, who broke the deadlock. She came over with a wet towel to wipe Richard's face.

"Your Highness, it's getting dark."

"Ahem, you're right, let's head back to the city today."

In the following days, Richard and his accomplices repeated the same trick in different areas.

With the help of a few enthusiastic fungal beasts who were willing to dress in women's clothing, they lured thousands of fungal beasts from the forest to the open space and held a grand bonfire feast.

It turns out...

The roasted mushroom actually tastes a bit like mushrooms, no wonder that scholar mentioned trying it in his diary.

Of course, Richard wouldn't eat it.

That day, they went to the forest again to exterminate the bacteria, and unexpectedly discovered that one of them was particularly large. After devouring several of its companions in the flames, it transformed into the shape of a wild wolf and fled in a flash.

This must be the special case that Bishop Benjamin was referring to, right?

We can't let them escape!

Richard and his friends immediately gave chase, but...

I got lost in the woods.

"Uh……"

Richard scratched his head sheepishly, then released the falcon to search for its way in the high sky.

Fortunately, they discovered a village nearby.