Chapter 63
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 063
Chapter Title: Oath on the Tail #1
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What's the point of explaining my grudge against the Erdari?
Guys who level up for free without investing a single Ether.
Guys who enjoy life on a silver platter.
My enemies!
The main culprits tanking thieves' rice prices!
Such an Erdari had emerged from behind the iron bars.
“Lord Yor, what in the world is going on? I request an explanation.”
The Erdari was even demanding one from me.
But I didn't know shit either.
One thing was crystal clear: we needed to get out of this place first.
The looks people were giving me in the gambling den had been suspicious as hell.
'They'll probably bash the guy who won big over the head with a club and rob him blind.'
It was the standard shakedown around gambling joints.
Tonight might drag on longer than I'd thought.
“Let's get out of here first.”
I'd cracked open the display case and snagged the skillbook *Subtle Touch*.
No reason to stick around this den any longer.
I grabbed the kid and the Erdari and slipped out.
Sure enough, I could feel a few guys tailing us from behind.
At this rate, the pursuers would catch up for sure.
“Bear with me a bit longer, even if it's frustrating.”
“Yor, what are you planning?”
The kid, clinging tight to the Erdari's side, stared up at me.
I wordlessly opened the Black Satchel.
Then shoved the kid and the Erdari inside.
“Eek! What're you doing?!”
“A magic pouch, I see.”
Shoving royalty into this sack.
It felt insanely irreverent, but beggars couldn't be choosers.
Tug.
I tied the mouth shut and bolted like hell.
“Fuck, that bastard's running!”
“After him!”
As I ran, the humans started sprinting too.
I darted through narrow, twisting alleys.
So many forks in the road—I finally shook the pursuers.
“Where'd that fucker go?!”
“Shit!”
Lucky break.
That was the moment I thought we could just vanish quietly.
“Found you!”
Leap.
Someone dropped down from a high spot right in front of me.
Animal ears on her head, tail on her rump.
I recognized her instantly.
“Ugh, Nimble?”
“You stole it! Hand it over!”
“Wh-what!?”
Nimble grabbed me by the collar.
“You'd better give it back while I'm asking nicely!”
Her grip was stronger than expected—hard to break free.
The problem was the pursuers showing up right after sensing the commotion.
“Heh, there he is.”
“Looks like someone's beat us to it.”
“What's with that tail? Fucking weird-looking!”
The three men drew a bow, a hammer, and a net.
Thud, whoosh!
Arrows loosed.
The silver lining? They were aimed at Nimble's throat, not mine.
“Aaagh!”
Nimble screamed as one lodged in her shoulder.
But only for a moment.
“You inferior scum dare—?!”
“A beast that talks like a person for real.”
“Pretty face too—bet she'll fetch a high price if we catch her.”
“Grab 'em both!”
Grrr.
Nimble let out a ferocious growl like an enraged beast.
“*Wolf's Form*!”
Groowl.
For some reason, Nimble transformed into a massive wolf.
A wolf bigger than your average adult.
—GRRROOOWL!
Next instant, she lunged and tangled with the three men in a flash.
“Fuck, what is this?!”
“Aaagh!”
“Grraaak.”
Wolf-Nimble slashed two throats with sharp claws, then crunched the last one's neck with fangs.
Not a fight—a one-sided hunt.
Grrrrr.
Now that blood-dripping wolf was eyeing me.
Could I win if we fought?
My hand drifted subtly to my belt, where my dagger and throwing knives hung.
—Grrrowl…!!!
That instant, wolf-Nimble bristled her fur and roared like she was pissed beyond belief.
I didn't speak animal, but it sure as hell meant "don't try anything funny."
Tension filled my lungs.
My ragged breaths—haah, haah—rang loud in my ears.
The wolf rose up on hind legs.
Then reverted to Nimble's original form, eyes rolled back white.
“You stole...”
Thud.
What the hell?
What just happened?
“Heh heh heh, whatever it was, surviving's my win.”
I rifled through the guys' mangled corpses first.
Faint whiff of 'anesthetic potion' from the arrowheads.
“Ah, so that's how it is.”
“No citizen ID for Cunning Town? Then it's 500,000 Ether per night.”
Who knew?
Turns out you needed 'citizenship' to live in Cunning Town.
Without it, everyone got hostile.
“Can't you cut me a deal?”
“Fuck off, you think Ether Torches grow on trees?”
The innkeeper scowled at my haggling.
On a whim, I flashed the ring on my left middle finger.
“How about if I show you this?”
“Oh dear, you're one of Lord Narakje's executives? You should've said so—I'd have shown some 'hospitality.'”
The guy's grimy beard and one-eyed glare softened right up.
He led me to the best room.
Spacious enough for several people, bed fluffy as new.
“Keh heh heh, just 100,000 Ether for the night.”
Even cheap!
The 'Seven Fingers' ring from the clown.
Didn't expect much, but damn, it's a gem.
“More importantly—”
Alone in the room, I pulled people out of the Black Satchel.
The kid, the Erdari, and Nimble too.
“Phaah, so stuffy!”
“The inside of a magic pouch is fascinating.”
I checked if the kid and Erdari were hurt.
Getting injured inside my satchel would've been a disaster.
Luckily, they looked fine.
The one in bad shape was Nimble.
Unconscious and groaning—shoulder wound from the arrow, probably.
“Crude anesthetic mixed with Erdari poison.”
The Erdari, veiled like a new bride, approached Nimble.
I tensed, wondering what devilry she'd pull—then her palm glowed shiiiine.
“*Grace of Healing*.”
She placed her hand on the shoulder; Nimble's expression eased right away.
She soon dozed off peacefully, snoring softly.
“This child turns into a wolf, you say? Likely kin to the Black Blood Druids.”
Black Blood Druid?
What the hell's that?
Actually, my real question was something else.
“Who the hell are you? Really family with that kid?”
“Sauriel's my family!”
The grubby kid blocked the Erdari.
Arms spread wide, protective stance.
“Really? Human and Erdari family?”
Fuck, was that even possible?
As I reeled, the Erdari named Sauriel chuckled softly.
“Lendo and Shando blood never mixes. Isaiah and I aren't blood-related.”
“So, like stepsisters?”
“Yes, something like Isaiah's nanny.”
Erdari nanny?
Still full of unknowns, but I dropped it.
'No desire to get tangled in precious royals' drama.'
Just escort them safely out of the city, claim a fat reward, done.
Rendezvous with Hammer tomorrow evening.
Hole up in this inn till then?
“Sauriel, I missed you.”
“Isaiah, how have you been these past four months apart?”
Kid's name was Isaiah, apparently.
Sauriel and Isaiah chatted forever.
Acting like real family, all chummy.
I kept my suspicions up, though.
Erdari were demons.
Not falling for it.
Sauriel chuckled at my glare.
“That look—you've crossed paths with plenty of other Shando too, huh.”
“Worst. Killed a few with my own hands.”
Bragging a bit.
To say don't fuck with me.
Sauriel stared right at me.
“But why do you smell like a familiar Shando...”
Same damn story.
Falling on deaf ears.
“Don't know why, so don't ask.”
“Fascinating. Tempted to peek into your brain...”
Fuck—?!
All Erdari dying to tour my skull.
Sauriel too, apparently.
But she just stroked sleeping Isaiah's hair and chuckled.
“The old me would've done it for sure. Back then, all I cared about was climbing the endless branches of ascension.”
“......”
“Strange, right? Erdari and human family. Even in lawless Cunning Town, I thought such bonds might be tolerated...”
Then Sauriel lay beside Isaiah and conked out.
Deep sleep, no guards up.
Even snoring.
I finally relaxed, leaning back in the chair for a nap.
'In the end, surviving another day's my win.'
But night was long.
Woke to a weird presence—Nimble, recovered, perched on my lap.
Holding my dagger to my throat.
“Why'd you save me? I tried to kill you.”
I rolled my eyes.
Erdari Sauriel and kid Isaiah hugged asleep on the bed.
Yell for help?
Squeeze.
“Speak.”
One wrong word, and Nimble'd slit my throat for sure.
I answered honestly.
“...Just... didn't want you... to die...”
“What?”
Shiver.
Nimble trembled head to toe, tail fur standing on end.
“Why didn't you want me to die?”
“You're... uh... pretty, y'know.”
...Fuck! Dying of embarrassment here.
Saying it out loud itches my nose for some reason.
Reminded me of elementary school, caught stealing supplies from the stationery shop, caned by the owner.
The girl I secretly liked watched and giggled.
My shame now was on that level.
Nimble sneered down at me.
“I'm a hideous monster, neither human nor beast. And you call me pretty?”
“...Y-yeah. Everyone'd think so.”
“No, you're lying!”
Squeeze.
Blade closer to my neck.
—“You're a thief. Thieves lie!”
One downside to my profession.
Won't believe the truth.
“Trying to sweet-talk me into dropping my guard, then stab me with a hidden weapon?”
“...No hidden weapons!”
“Something pointy in your pants!”
Nimble groped my lower half.
Soon her tail fur and ear fluff stood straight up.
“Wha—!?”
Nimble jolted back in shock.
Clang—dagger slipped and stabbed the floor.
My neck was safe.
Though my pride was shredded like kids' mud pies.
“...You really think I'm pretty?”
Lantern light caught Nimble's face—red as a beet.
Eyes shaky, tail whirring like a helicopter propeller.
Weird vibe.
“...Yeah!”
Gulp.
I swallowed dryly for no reason.
Then Nimble clutched her tail and yelled.
“Can you swear it on my broomstick tail? Mean it?”
“Yeah!”
Face burning for nothing.
“You...”
Nimble's lips twitched like she might say something, then she flung open the window and bolted.
That's when kid Isaiah tsked.
“Already over? Thought there'd at least be a kiss.”
“Nimble, was it? Shyer than expected.”
Everyone was awake?
Well, with that racket, who'd sleep?
“...Swearing on her tail. Confirms she's Black Blood Druid kin.”
Time passed, morning came.
A dead pheasant lay outside the inn room door.
Plump—roast it up, it'd be tasty.