Chapter 347
Chapter 347
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 347
Chapter Title: Side Story 31. Beasts (3)
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“Can't you hear the elder's order to stop right there!”
A hearty laugh echoed through the valley.
Baren and Secret whipped their heads around simultaneously.
Atop the cliffs rising on either side, a dozen or so ruffians were positioned.
“W-Who are you people?”
Baren hesitated.
The mysterious gang was made up entirely of humans.
Their outfits were so uniform, like they had been stamped out from a printing plate, suggesting some kind of organization.
The crossbows slung across their backs and the blood-dyed red coats they wore exuded an ominous aura.
A man wearing goggles shouted in a mocking tone.
“That's none of your business, you pig. Fire!”
At the same time, two of the ruffians took aim with their crossbows.
With the twang of released strings, two bolts shot toward Baren and Secret.
It was a bolt from the blue in broad daylight, but upon seeing it, Baren inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
'Phew, this is no problem.'
Fortunately, his dynamic vision was intact.
The were-lion's keen senses easily tracked the bolts' trajectories.
He could deflect the one aimed at him and lightly shove Secret out of the way for hers.
Baren confidently reached out with his arm, then tilted his head.
“Hm?”
Something was off.
His body wasn't moving as he thought.
His mind had already seized the bolt long ago, yet his arm still hung in front of his thigh.
It seemed his human flesh couldn't keep up with the were-lion's senses.
Hm.
This won't block it.
Baren's face drained of color as he belatedly sensed the crisis.
“Gaaargh!”
Death was closing in.
The arrowhead, several times larger than usual, looked like it could take down a whale.
Baren realized that bolt was aimed squarely at his heart.
As he imagined his gruesome end...
Boom!
Suddenly, the bolts exploded one after another, unfurling a massive net.
“Guh!”
“...!”
It happened in an instant.
The net spread like a claw, enveloping Baren and Secret.
Confirming they were subdued, the ruffians vanished from sight.
“Th-This is...”
“This isn't good.”
Secret muttered.
No matter how they struggled, the net only tightened further.
Given how weightless it felt, it was probably a specially made item like Caribolo's Snare.
“Got 'em! Two right off the bat—talk about good luck today!”
“Heh heh heh, the boss is gonna love this.”
The ruffians descended from the cliffs and surrounded the two.
They even high-fived each other, laughing uproariously in delight.
What the hell are these guys?
They're not your average bandits.
Baren rolled his eyes, trying to assess the situation.
Secret, who had been lying face-down in the position he'd been caught, spoke up.
“Hey there, gentlemen bandits.”
“What, fox? You know us?”
“Of course. You're the local bosses of the north, aren't you? I didn't realize you'd expanded your territory all the way to Alcallo Valley.”
Secret nodded.
He seemed to know who these ruffians were.
They apparently liked the title of “local bosses,” as they fell silent and listened attentively.
“Name's Secret. I'm here gathering materials to lift the lingering curse of Varka Tergeung in the north. If it's money you want, I'll give you everything I've got. Just let me through to the ingredients deeper in the valley, yeah?”
“Hoh... I've heard of that hairy curse scholar still kicking around up north. That was you, huh?”
The goggle-wearing man shrugged.
The others began murmuring.
After a moment's thought, the man turned and walked away.
“Alright. Let me talk it over with the crew.”
“Appreciate it. Hope we can reach a peaceful agreement.”
“Whoa, this is going smoothly.”
Baren marveled at how fluidly the conversation was proceeding.
It really hit home that Secret was a famous figure in the north.
Even a ragtag band of mountain bandits knew his name.
Soon, the man finished his discussion and stood before Secret.
“Talk's over. Just as I expected.”
Baren swallowed hard.
His bright tone suggested there might be some hope.
The man lit a cigarette and scratched his head.
“Full refusal. Any lingering hope you had ends here.”
“I figured as much. Still can't let go of the hatred, huh?”
“Yeah. We hate fur. With a passion.”
“Wh-What...!”
It was an absurd reason.
As Baren moved to argue in Secret's stead, who had resigned himself...
Crack!
The man tossed his cigarette and kicked Secret in the gut.
“You cheeky little shit! A beast like you trying to negotiate with humans?!”
“Kyak!”
It was over in a flash.
Secret's small body spun wildly within the net.
He face-planted into the ground and retched.
“Professor!”
“Cough... Stay calm, Baren... This is my fault for talking nonsense.”
Secret tried to calm him.
He seemed to have taken a harder hit to the stomach than expected.
Bloody saliva dripped from his gaping maw.
“The situation's dire, but... as long as we don't lose hope and will to live, there has to be a way to get out alive... Man, it's been ages since I was tied up like this.”
“Is that really the time to say that?! Please, stop this!”
Baren shouted desperately, but it fell on deaf ears.
The ruffians were efficiently binding Secret with practiced motions.
Their hands moved without hesitation—clearly professionals.
Unable to bear it, Baren yelled again.
“I said stop it!”
“Shit, you scared me!”
His voice boomed through the valley.
The startled ruffians turned their attention to Baren.
One who suddenly looked at his face frowned.
“Hold up. This guy's human.”
“What? Not a fat were-dog?!”
“I thought he was a were-hog.”
The ruffians' eyes went wide.
They had assumed Baren was a beastkin for sure.
They'd been fooled by his bizarre build.
“Damn, what now? Kill him?”
“Too good a frame to waste... No people around. We can figure out a use if we take him.”
“Agreed. Smart guy could even be a warrior.”
Learning Baren was human, the ruffians huddled for an emergency meeting.
Baren struggled again to shake off the net, but to no avail.
The thin fibers only tightened harder the more he strained.
First, I need to save Professor Secret.
Baren pleaded in a trembling voice.
“If... if you need me, I'll go with you. Just release the professor. He's bleeding from the mouth—he might have internal injuries...”
“Ugh, you've been annoying us this whole time!”
But the negotiations failed again.
One of the women snapped and swung her club in irritation.
Thwack!
Thud!
By the time the dull thuds echoed five times or so, Baren dropped his head.
“Urk...”
“Tch, shoulda shut up sooner.”
After that, things proceeded smoothly.
After a show of hands, the ruffians voted 8:2 to take Baren along.
The goggle-wearing man drew his sword from his belt.
“Hey, big guy. Don't move if you don't wanna die.”
“Ugh... uuuugh...”
Baren groaned.
Blood dripped from where he'd been clubbed.
While the man held his throat at swordpoint, the others untangled the net binding him.
“You don't wanna take my words as a joke. This here's a famed blade that can rip through were-bear hide.”
“Secret... Professor...”
“Figures a big scaredy-cat like you can't do shit.”
The goggle man sneered.
The blade at his throat gleamed sharply.
It was a sword that brought pride every time he looked at it—one that had claimed three-digit numbers of beastkin lives.
Finally, the net fell away from Baren's body.
“Good. Now get up nice and easy and walk.”
The man said.
But Baren just stood there motionless.
His head was so dazed from the beatings.
The man chuckled dryly and raised his sword again.
Then, the unmoving Baren charged at him.
“Grrr...”
“Knew you'd try that, you dumb shit!”
It was just as he'd anticipated.
The man thrust without hesitation.
Given the guy's torso size and thick clothes, stabbing would work better than slashing.
Shunk!
The blade sank straight into Baren's abdomen.
He felt the sensation of flesh parting along the hilt.
'Guess I'll just finish him off.'
The man twisted the blade with a wicked grin.
And then... he froze.
“Huh?”
The blade was lodged in Baren's gut, utterly stuck.
It was a first for this sword.
A blade that could slice through the thickest hides like tofu.
The man scowled.
“Goddamn, what kind of freak body is this...”
As he turned to say something to his comrades...
Crack!
Baren's fist, dropping like a meteor, smashed into the man's face.
“Guh...!”
His vision went black.
The man's head snapped back as if grabbed by the hair, slamming into the ground.
It just had to land on a sharp rock—his life's greatest misfortune.
His skull shattered, spilling its contents.
Crunch!
A gruesome sound rang out.
“Holy shit, Randolph!”
“Urp...!”
The ruffians cried out in shock.
The man's face was caved in enough to use as a bowl.
Five or six pearly white teeth were embedded in Baren's fist.
“Grrrr...”
Baren growled.
The ruffians froze at the spine-chilling low frequency.
It wasn't on par with his were-lion days, but it was effective enough.
His wandering gaze locked onto one spot.
Secret was slumped over a woman's shoulder, being carried away.
“M-Monster!”
It was the one who'd clubbed Baren.
She bolted as their eyes met.
Baren staggered after her like a drunkard.
Ruffians toppled with every swing of his arms.
“Eek!”
“This bastard! What kinda strength...!”
“Grab him! Don't kill—capture!”
But if asked whether the situation had improved, the answer was no.
The stunned ruffians were regaining their senses one by one.
They opted for ranged attacks instead of closing in.
Ruffians who had coated their bolts with paralyzing poison fired their crossbows in unison.
Thwack-thwack-thwack!
In an instant, seven bolts sprouted from Baren's back.
“...Professor.”
The paralytic took effect quickly.
Even as he faded, Baren tried to manifest his aura, but the power trapped in his human body wouldn't awaken.
Thud.
He dropped to one knee and collapsed.
“You dare kill Randolph... Take him to HQ. This pig bastard—I'll show him hell personally.”
Five minutes after Baren fell, the ruffians cautiously approached.
Binding him used up all their remaining ropes and nets.
The burly men carrying him cursed.
“Damn it, why's this guy so heavy? Body made of stone or what?”
“Huff... huff... At this weight, he's practically a real werewolf.”
It took five of them.
Having subdued Baren, the ruffians headed deep into the valley.
A lump that had fallen from Secret's foot midway soared into the sky, but no one noticed.
“Ugh...”
Baren groaned and opened his eyes.
He had no idea how much time had passed.
He remembered swinging his fist, but nothing after.
“Where... is this...”
He slowly looked around.
Arm-thick iron bars enclosed him on all sides.
The red light shining from above evoked a slaughterhouse.
Where am I? Their lair?
Secret was nowhere in sight.
As Baren clutched his throbbing head...
“Awake, huh.”
“Wha...”
“First time I've seen a human dragged in. Did you smash someone's skull or something?”
A raspy voice echoed from nearby.
Baren turned toward the sound and stiffened.
In the cage right next to his, over a dozen beastkin lay shackled and sprawled.