“What’s wrong, my dear henchman? Cat got your tongue?”
The small wolfkin girl - who looked far too young to even be a teenager - tipped her head, sporting a serene smile that could easily melt heart and soul.
Of course, given how black liquid continued to flow out of her eyes and mouth while dark miasma clung to her back like wings of devils, the image of an innocent angel was instantly shattered, leaving only foreboding dread in its wake…
Before me was D'heeche R'osnace, the amalgamation born from beastmen’s hatred for catkins. That thought alone brought solace to my mind as I turned my gaze back to the monster who was wearing a little girl’s skin as if it was its own.
Yet, despite all the anger and contempt I held for this loathsome beast – who would go so far as to possess its very kins, leaving nothing behind but a husk – now wasn’t the time to bare my teeth.
After all, the day would come when I put an end to its evil deeds... But, for now, its wicked grasp on Folen Frontier, as well as those strange powers it showed at the town square, meant I still needed to play nice.
With a small sigh, I swallowed one last gulp before kneeling on my knee, not forgetting to tilt my head to the side in submission – a pose wildkins reserved only to their superiors.
“Oh my.” The snake whispered, before hissing out its next words. “Sssuch a nice showing of reverence you make... You know, yesterday, I actually wanted to summon you and discuss something interesting, which involves what those four little doves found in the newest dungeon. Now, though? Well, I think we have a much better topic to talk about, like how you tried to get rid of me this morning, hm~?”
A cold shiver ran down my spine as inky darkness gathered below me, swallowing my shadow whole.
Said shade then tried to travel up my clothes, as if hungering for a bigger prey. Fortunately, it failed to even cling onto the sole of my feet, just like always.
Being an unfavored isn’t always bad, especially when faced against this kind of magic, indeed…
Despite such thought, forming coherent words had never felt so difficult before, especially when my own heartbeats seemed so deafening compared to whatever sound I could say.
“You misunderstood. I would never try to harm you. The only reason I had D’a W’eenes track you was because I assumed that an open conflict between the town and the wildkins would be unwi-”
“Ah, yes, you assumed.” The snake cut off my excuse with glinting eyes. “Similar to how you assumed that you knew best. After all, despite being able to tell who gave your underlings a little push to go the distance, you still assumed that your decision mattered more than mine, no?”
“… I would never-”
“Tut-tut. I haven’t finished.”
“…”
“See? Now you no longer assume. Why? Is it because here, you realize that no ray of light can reach you, not even those two ‘pets’ of yours?”
“…”
“I have to say, you reallyyy surprise me with them. Who would have thought such aimless lambs turned out to be so... interesting? Did you hear the way countless sheep hailed them as ‘messiahs’, similar to the way catkins once called the First Eagle?”
“…”
“I was asking you a question, Mr. Joe.”
“… I did certainly hear such.”
“Good boy! I actually planned to reward you for bringing such a good investment to my attention, truth be told. All those gems and elixirs, treasures and tomes... Despite the meager funds you tried to pitch in, it was my own pocket that took a dive just to help those siblings reach their potential so fast... not to mention the way my minions kept giving me weird looks since you oh-so-insisted that said lambs find such loots in the dungeons instead of on their doorstep, no less...”
“…”
“Mary and Gary truly are this town’s blinding rays of hope, aren’t they?”
“Indee-”
“Ah ah ah! That was a rhetorical question, Mr. Joe. Can’t you even tell? I thought you got to attend an academy like those rich snobs at the capitals?”
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
“… I almost dropped out in the past, so my skills might be lacking.”
“Ahhh... That would certainly explain... Tsk, and here I thought you being an unfavored was already enough of a shame on your family, yet to hear this-”
“With all due respect, I have already told you that there’s no magic where I came from-”
“DO NOT LIE TO ME!!!”
D'heeche R'osnace’s startling scream came as a shock, almost as much as the endless rows of fang littered inside its maws.
“I may indulge you and that Nobelia brat trying to pull a fast one on me. I may tolerate you bumbling your way with words. But, don’t you DARE lie about something so RUTTIN BRAZEN... RUTTINGLY BRAZE... rutting brazenly fals? ARGHHH!!!!!!!!!”
Bulging veins exploded throughout the monster’s neck and face as its furry ears fell flat to both sides.
I braced myself, knowing what was about to happen.
And, sure enough, as an increasingly stiff tail finally came to a halt, the beast sprung forward, leaving a trail of nothing but bloodlust and destruction in its wake…
*BOOOOOOOOM*
[ | | ]
“...”
Eventually, after what felt like forever, I found the nerve to open my eyes again.
With the right hand no longer clinging to protect my head – for whatever difference it could have made – I was able to inspect my body after a few pats, confirming that everything still remained in one piece.
The same, of course, couldn’t be said for the right section of the floor I was standing on… as well as a bookcase that had been pulverized beyond recognition…
“Gulp…”
My knees felt weak.
My lungs grew heavy.
My back was drenched in cold sweat, and I could feel myself shaking like a fragile leaf.
... I could have died.
If that blow hadn’t missed me, I would have died, right then and there... and no amount of magic or miracle would have been able to bring me back...
“...”
My mind grew fuzzy.
The dark, cold, stony room seemed to close in on all sides, before morphing into that dreaded place I never wanted to see ever again.
It felt like I was back in the dungeon... back in the mercy of fate, back in the foolish delusion that an overpowered treasure would fall onto my lap, back in the daydream that life would somehow get better if I got a fresh new start in some godforsaken land, back in... back in...!!!
“... Ha... hah.”
I simply had to laugh at my own naivety.
Right now, I just wanted to faint.
I wanted to break down. To cry. To scream.
Yet, I didn’t dare to do any of that.
Not when the beast was still close by...
*Clatter*Clatter*
Sudden sounds of spoon hitting cup stirred me from my stupor. With that, I turned away from the shattered remains of a bookcase and was greeted by a sight most chilling.
D'heeche R'osnace had taken a seat on its “father” chair. In its left hand, several tea bags were dipped up and down a cup every so often. Meanwhile, its right hand continued to stir the water within with a spoon, as if rushing the beverage to its culmination.
That monster was trying to act like it wasn’t some bloodthirsty beast again.
Knowing how this would end, I could only lower my head, awaiting the inevitable...
“Would you like some tea, Mr. Joe?”
The snake’s voice began to overlap with that of its body’s original owner, creating an eerie dissonance that lingered in the air.
“No? Ah well, your loss.” Without caring about my answer, it continued. “I actually admire the First Emperor a lot, did you know that? Someone so strong and powerful, with a sharp mind that brought countless inventions to life... like this bag of tea here! Truly, he was the shining example of what humans could achieve, don’t you agree?”
“... I don’t thi-”
“Have I ever told you why I decided to forsake my wild side and embrace the enlightenment of the empire? I must have at some point, right? Every single boss from the thieves’ guild who managed to earn an audience with me always looked shocked that a wildkin could be so, eloquent, so to speak. Heh, not that I can call myself a dogkin at this point, let alone a wildkin or even a beastman...”
“...”
“Anway, it worked, didn’t it? From the bottom of the food chain, all the way to the top. Learning the ways of humans has been the best decision I’ve ever made. And, soon enough, those cursed catkins will finally get what their wretched kind deserves as well...!!!”
“...”
“You’ve been awfully quiet, Mr. Joe. Oh! Don’t tell me... You’re just jealous I get to drink this fancy tea and you’re stuck with that poison of a booze you so shamelessly advertise to clueless customers. Come now, don’t look so surprised. Did you really think that the thieves’ guild doesn’t have eyes and ears all over the dusk district? Did you actually believe that dirty little hovel of yours was somehow safe from whatever lurking within the darkness?”
“... Please, shadow lord. I have nev-”
“Shhh. Hold that thought, I need to refresh myself first.”
“...”
“Hm... This damn thing still tastes like shite... Honestly, Joe, for all of humans’ enlightening inventions, tea must be at the bottom of the barrel. Why those stuck-up highborns love flaunting this overpriced garbage around so much is truly a mystery, wouldn’t you agree?”
I badly wanted to tell the damn snake to stop with this charade.
I badly wanted to stand up, walk to the bastard and give it a bloody nose.
I badly wanted to scream out loud how stupid it was, when it didn’t even use hot water to make the tea, for crying out loud!!!
“That look on your face... You just thought that I was stupid for not using hot water, didn’t you?”
“...”
Oh.
Oh fuck...
“You just thought that just because you’re a human, you would be smarter than me, didn’t you?”
“Please, I wouldn-”
“You thought, that all wildkins are like those stupid beastmen who blindly follow you like a pack of dogs, didn’t you?”
“Ple-”
“You thought, that I am sooo rutting stupid, DIDN’T YOU!?!”
“No-”
“WRONG ANSWER! I already told you, Mr. Joe... Do not, lie, about, something so RUTTING BRAZENLY FALSE!!!”
With that, the brute was upon me, and the beating commenced...