Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Since We've Stepped Back, You Should Too
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We'd taken a step back, so he should too.
That's the look I shot him.
[Hulla Patina—Patina Chieftain]
Main Traits: [Herbalism (A)] [Leg Strength (B+)]
Hidden Traits: [Suspicion (F)] [Pattern Sorcery (D)]
"...Whether that's true or not. Got any proof? And you might just be wagging your tongue to toy with us. Better to make you kneel first and think it over."
Knew it. No idea if it's an original trait or one he picked up from dealing with hunters lately.
That paranoid bastard.
"If you're dead set on rejecting the cup of goodwill and chugging the cup of punishment instead."
I reopened my codex while pulling out an attribute stone with my other hand to attempt a combination.
"For now, don't kill him."
"Got it."
"Understood...!"
Stung by my words, the goat beastfolk Hulla shouted as he fired his crossbow.
"Humans! Smash at least one spot!"
Kane deflected the bolt aimed at us with a faux shield attached to his arm like an arm shield, then charged with his sheathed sword, cracking the ribs of the beastfolk who lunged at him.
No, don't kill...
"Grk...!"
Luckily, it seemed only his ribs were broken. As he clutched his torso and rolled, Luna dashed past him.
Kicking the beastfolk's head and waist from angles too fast for my eyes to follow, she twisted her body to stomp the gut of another who lunged from a different angle on the rebound.
"Water's trajectory."
Instead of the high-penetration wind arrows, I mixed brain attribute stones into aqua arrows with strong knockback, sending several beastfolk charging at Luna and Kane flying back, momentarily stunned by paralysis.
Bang—bang bang—
"Keep firing! Scrolls are expensive. They'll run out fast!"
One vanishes, so another.
That one gone? Two this time.
As I attached faux shields near Kane and Luna, I smirked at his words and tore six pages from the codex marked with aqua arrows at once.
"How many are you using?!"
"Just this many?"
I launched all six aqua arrows with perfect aim. Each one struck a beastfolk, shoving them back and bursting to spread paralysis from the brain attribute stones nearby.
We were three. They outnumbered us two-to-one, but every one got bent out of shape by Kane's sheathed sword or Luna's kicks.
"Zero, tie up the beastfolk who've completely dropped out of the fight."
"Yes!"
The real threat to our party wasn't the middling masses—it was a single clear powerhouse.
Without one of those, a little difference meant nothing.
Sharp bolts, claws, fangs, weapons—I could block at least one lethal hit, and Luna and Kane's agile movements made them hard to tag anyway.
Plus, we'd stocked up plenty on potions ahead of time.
'This is why money cheats are such an abuse.'
One leopard beastfolk blocked Hulla to the end, his foot crushed by Luna after Kane's sheathed sword swelled one eye shut and ruined his distance sense. I shoved him farther back with a magic missile.
Luna measured the gap, then exploded forward with powerful leg strength to close in on Hulla. He fired a bolt to erase her shortest path, then kicked up dirt with his hooves to blind her and retreat.
'Yeah, but I've got you.'
Kane too.
As Kane circled behind the retreating Hulla and raised his foot to kick his back, Hulla spun to block with his arm, softening the impact before counterattacking. I laid down grease under his hooves to make him slip, and Luna mounted and pinned him.
"R-release me! So you are allied with humans! Traitor to your kind!"
"Not like that. Shut your mouth."
"We tried talking it out, and who rejected it? If we'd wanted you dead, you'd all be gone already."
"You bastards... Our tribe's great warrior isn't here, so you...!"
I sneered down at Hulla as he ground his teeth.
"Not here, so what? All mouth for someone getting pushed by three."
"Human! You cheat with those scrolls...!"
"Money's a weapon too. Right? Your desperation over food proves it."
To be precise, money was my only weapon.
Once Hulla looked riled up enough for his brain to freeze, I had him tied up. Confirmed Zero had dragged over and bound the other sprawled beastfolk, then gave sips of potion to the badly wounded.
Not like we were spotless... but since I planned to swallow what mattered most to them.
Better not hated too much.
"So, shall we start talking again?"
I pulled a table and chairs from my subspace, and Zero flinched.
He even glanced away... floating sensation aside, his conscience wasn't too pricked.
"...Insane human."
I set out chairs, table, water, and fruit for Luna, Kane, and Zero from my subspace. Hulla's face went pale.
"Selling just one subspace artifact could buy our tribe five years of food..."
"Plant the seeds, and we'd be self-sufficient..."
Ignored the murmurs from behind.
I put on my recently practiced black-hearted smile and spoke.
"Calmed down? Then I'll loosen the ropes a bit."
"...Yes."
"Can't trust it. Whether that's true or not. Got any proof? And you might just be wagging your tongue to toy with us. Better to make you kneel first and think it over... Oh, you're already halfway there?"
Tied up, can't do a thing.
Gave his words right back, and his face twisted red and blue.
Should've played nice, huh? If we weren't gonna ally later, I'd be trashier about it. I'm overlooking it 'cause I'm seeing the big picture.
I gestured, and Zero—quick on action like a fresh recruit but clumsy with his hands—fumbled to untie only Hulla's hands.
"Alright, let's recap. You know if we killed you all and slipped out of Chabid, there's not much you could do, right?"
"...Yeah."
"You get we weren't talking because we're weak, so how about an apology? Honestly, you're the ones who started it."
Hulla ground his teeth at my words.
Careful not to knock one loose.
"Hoo. Uwaaaagh! Damn it."
Only after clawing his hair and bellowing did Hulla look somewhat relieved as he stared at me.
"Fine. My mistake. The hunters have worn me down lately, so seeing another human made me narrow-minded. I apologize."
Guess leading Chabid's top tribe meant he wasn't totally rotten-headed.
[Hulla Patina—Patina Chieftain]
Main Traits: [Herbalism (A)] [Leg Strength (B+)]
Hidden Traits: [Suspicion (F-)] [Pattern Sorcery (D)]
Suspicion even dipped negative—not just empty words.
I tossed him a fruit, glanced at excited Zero darting back, then propped my chin.
"...So tell me again. Is that true? You know about them?"
"Couldn't say it's a hundred percent... but probably eight or nine out of ten."
"Who are they?"
I tapped the table lightly with my free hand and smiled.
"You rejected my offer earlier, so I don't see why I'd hear you out nicely."
"That's...! Yeah, true. Not welcome from your side. But you subdued us without killing, didn't ransom me as top tribe chieftain—that's why I trust. Otherwise, we still wouldn't."
Thirsty, Hulla gulped from the water bottle in front of him and sighed.
"Not fully trusting even now. Hunters have spent years building trade... then kidnapped some."
That suspicion—easy fix, but they wouldn't spill first to outsiders.
I tossed words at Hulla in a casual tone.
"You've got a prophet, right?"
"Huh? Wh-what? What're you saying? Prophet? What's that?"
Nah. Should deny like, 'Prophet? Ridiculous.'
I burst out laughing at Hulla's obvious flinch and the other beastfolk suddenly playing dead on the ground.
"About fifteen now?"
Remembered he was two or three years older than Kane.
Hulla gaped like a land beastfolk turned aquatic. I sipped water.
"Info... couldn't leak... no, before that, no, I don't know."
"Go check. High chance the prophecy hits."
Still young, can't prophesy what he wants on demand—easy prey for hunters. But once the beastfolk prophet grows, passes adulthood rite, he'll prophesy the future Beast King born with him.
Then Chabid unites around the king, not tribes. Power swells like a flood, bursting the dam toward humans.
'Gotta lay groundwork for gains before that.'
I eyed Hulla staring like I was a ghost, had Zero untie his ankles too, then stored the table and chairs.
"Of course, we need insurance too. You'll travel with us for a bit."
Kane's the protagonist. Original had a prophet foretell him in Chabid, so that's the basis.
'But pre-adulthood rite, no savior prophecy for Kane yet—trouble.'
Safer to tote Hulla as a shield.
Shocked at my travel proposal, Hulla waved his hands.
"What?! I'm chieftain. Me gone long means big trouble."
"By the way, see what I carry? Rich noble. If you go back, rally the nation in protest—bigger or smaller than traveling together?"
"I'll go with..."
In a world where subspace artifacts are hard to snag even with big money, and I'm blasting magic scrolls.
Hulla grudgingly agreed, requested his beastfolk freed—I did, gave time to talk.
"Uh. Gotta go with that brute?"
"Such a hassle."
"Ugh... top tribe chieftain... Parents would be overwhelmed..."
Felt like I'd decided solo, so I subtly checked—reactions meh.
I'm not that dictatorial.
I nodded, accepting their words.
"Then just us. Leaving loose ends bugs me—kill 'em all?"
"Changed my mind. Traveling together's fine."
"......"
"Parents... might like acquaintance with top chieftain..."
"Right?"
Eyes fierce, but I shrugged innocently.
Better cozy up.
Who knows when they'll join hands. Huh?
* * *
Clop clop of hooves mixed with thud thud of giant sheep Mae's steps.
In Chabid's desert-grasslands, Mae beastfolk had camel-like wide hooves, not typical—quiet tread.
Less bumpy atop Mae's back, Hulla ground his teeth.
'That arrogant, infuriating human!'
Sure, his mistake, but people get emotional over their own screw-ups.
But she's too infuriating.
Smiling as she confiscates all but his clothes, parading the obvious chieftain hostage while sweet-talking it as "hired guide."
'But strong...'
Saw why that smiling, un-strong-looking face led them. 'Strongest pure power? The handsome black-haired human...
'Something shuts down arguments.'
Manipulates people, bends them to her will...
"By the way... how'd you know about the prophet?"
"Wanna know? Offer something if you do."
Even prophet stuff was top secret—few knew even in top tribe.
So some played dead to avoid misunderstandings, not knowing details.
How'd this human know?
"...What info do you want?"
See? Ends with us bending.
If a traitor leaked inside tribe...
Hulla swallowed amid subtle tension, eyed Adelian. He spoke lightly.
"I'm a seer."
"What?"
The casual bomb blew Hulla's mouth open like a clam again.