Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: The Rabbit Pen
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It had been about an hour since Pan was captured and brought to this place they called the Rabbit Pen.
Just as that arrogant little brat had predicted, he had planned to spend the night at the hideout today. But then his old man had shown up there to drag him away.
It seemed Kelvin, that bastard, had sold out the hideout's location.
His father had tried to haul him off by force. Yvon, his big brother, had even grabbed a kitchen knife to fight back, but Pan couldn't bear to cause more trouble for his brother and the others. In the end, he had no choice but to follow his father.
Pan felt a crushing guilt knowing he'd exposed the hideout's location because of him.
Once they got home, his father had given him some fancy milk for some reason. But the kindness was so suspicious—and Nil had told him not to eat anything—so he hadn't touched the milk.
What came next was his father's curses and beatings.
He must have taken a bad hit to the head, because he blacked out right away. When he opened his eyes, he was in the gambling den.
'I've been sold.'
He knew it instinctively. But strangely, Pan didn't feel as sad as he'd expected. Maybe that cocky, mysterious kid had kept him from going home to prevent this exact fate.
But the kid's efforts had all been for nothing. Pan glanced down at his bruised abdomen, now back to its normal color, the swelling gone.
He'd quickly realized the stuff the kid gave him was medicine. The pain had started fading the moment he took it, and his stomach settled too. But he'd been too embarrassed to say thanks.
'If I'd known it would come to this, I should've apologized and thanked him properly...'
Regrets were pointless now. No matter how quickly you felt them, they always came too late.
There were three other kids captured besides him, all taller and a year or two older. Their eyes were sunken, their bodies covered in bloodstains—marks of whatever they'd been through. But Pan wasn't scared.
The crowd ogled the iron cage called the "hunting ground," snickering. A man who seemed to be running the show tossed a rope into the cage and told them to pick one kid to tie up as dog bait.
The boys hesitated, glancing at each other without moving. So the ringleader dragged in a hunting dog to intimidate them.
The beast drooled and barked madly, muzzled as it menaced the kids.
As soon as the dog appeared, the boys trembled and chose a sacrifice: Pan.
This time, Pan didn't resist. He'd fought back plenty before and knew it only meant more beatings.
Resistance—what a useless word.
Yvon had always urged him to run away from home. But blood was blood; even while cursing his father every day, Pan couldn't bring himself to give up on him.
'Ah, I should've at least made that bastard sterile...'
A bitter smile tugged at his lips.
He wasn't scared, but he felt a little... lonely.
"Tch, too docile."
A potbellied man snickered at Pan, who sat resigned with his hands bound. He jabbed a cane through the bars, prodding Pan's cheek.
Pan stared blankly at the cane pressing into his face, then—driven by spite toward this doomed fatso anyway—bit down on it. But it only riled up the crowd.
"Hahaha, now that's more like it! Squirm some more!"
"Hey, once the prey's picked, let's get on with it!"
"Hahaha, hold your horses, folks! This rabbit ain't the last of the show!"
The ringleader opened the Rabbit Pen door. Another man roughly shoved in two much smaller kids, their faces shrouded in robes, then locked it again.
The two kids stared out from under their hoods.
"...What are you guys doing here?"
The cane slipped from Pan's mouth and rolled away.
Pan was baffled.
Why were these kids here? Had they been kidnapped while wandering Sharton? What happened to the brothers they'd gone with?
How had it come to this?
Despair clouded Pan's eyes. Then he clenched his jaw and resolved himself.
'I have to get these kids out somehow.'
And he'd apologize and say thanks too. For real this time. It might be his last chance.
But the cocky kid just impassively watched the door lock, then spoke flatly.
"I wasted a precious potion saving your sorry ass from dying, and now this."
"......"
Pan was speechless for a moment. He wasn't sure what part to be shocked by first.
The fact that the medicine was some rare potion? Or that he'd been on death's door?
Either way, it didn't seem like the kid had foreseen this twist of fate.
As Pan gawked blankly, Nihil spoke again.
"What're you staring at."
"......"
Pan decided that even if he survived this, he wouldn't apologize. Just the thanks would do.
As Pan pouted and glared at Nihil, the ringleader stepped in to liven things up.
"Alright, we've got two more cute baby bunnies! Anyone wanna bet on these?"
"Why the hoods? Take 'em off!"
"Haha, sorry about that. Got carried away rushing 'em in. You, boy—pull those hoods off."
The ringleader nodded at one of the other boys in the cage—the one who'd tied Pan's hands, shaking like a leaf.
The boy flinched at being singled out again and approached the kids.
"Don't!"
Pan blocked their way.
"I'll thrash around however you want—just let these kids go!"
Pan figured he didn't know how the kids had ended up here, but he'd buy time to help them escape.
The onlookers just jeered at the would-be hero. Locked up the same as the rest, yet yapping like he was somebody.
"Move. You're in the way."
"......"
Nihil shoved Pan aside.
Pan stared incredulously at the kids clutching each other's hands. What the hell did they eat to be this fearless?
"Untie it?"
"Huh?"
"Your hands."
Nihil nodded at the rope binding Pan's wrists, as if asking if he was too helpless to undo it himself.
"What the hell are you talking about?! One of us is dog food here!"
Pan shouted, then quickly lowered his voice.
"You guys watch for an opening and run. I'll help however I can."
"Sold for a measly eighty silver, dragged all the way here, and now you say run?"
Nihil spat it out irritably.
Liannus couldn't see Nihil's hooded expression, but he imagined one eyebrow arched. The tone was as curt as ever, but tinged with wounded pride.
Liannus asked carefully.
"...Nil, you pissed about getting sold for eighty?"
"Last auction, bids hit two hundred gold."
"Last auction... the Rabbit Hole? You went up on the block there?"
"Squeaky clean for it too. Nobles were foaming at the mouth, jacking up prices. Bailed right before the sale and blew it all up."
"...Nil, talking to you kills all my tension."
"Dog breath. Told 'em to squeeze out at least one gold each, but they tanked our price to eighty silver."
"Dog... Big Bro didn't mean to, I'm sure."
Pan couldn't follow the conversation and felt lost. Sounded like they'd gotten sold on purpose. Who was Big Bro? Yvon?
"What're you whispering about? Get out here!"
The ringleader bellowed from outside the bars. The kids were supposed to fight for survival, with the loser as bait—but no brawl was breaking out.
"Hurry up and yank those hoods off the brats!"
One boy jolted at the renewed yell.
Nihil quickly scanned the semicircular cage and the spectators pressed against it. The underground space wasn't huge—just a converted warehouse.
The only stairs up and the cage entrance were guarded by two rough-looking thugs, neighborhood bully level at best.
Among the crowd, aside from Evan, there were about four aura users—likely escorts for nobles or rich upstarts slumming it incognito.
And they were probably bankrolling this dump.
'No high nobles here, judging by the caliber.'
No tigers, so foxes ruled the roost. These were rejects washed up from noble society, getting their kicks lording over the dregs.
This place aped illegal noble betting dens, but fell short in scale and setup.
The operation had to be sloppy too—no records to trace if things went south and they bolted.
Nihil picked up the cane Pan had dropped. He swung it clumsily, like a kid with his first sword. The approaching boy flinched back, and the crowd howled with laughter.
"Hahaha, baby bunny's fighting back or somethi—urk!"
The cane flew from Nihil's hand, smacking the ringleader square in the head. Fresh roars of laughter erupted. The ringleader couldn't even get mad properly amid the mockery and forced a grin.
Nihil stared at his empty hand, then walked to where the cane landed. Feigning innocence, he addressed a spectator.
"Mister, pick that up for me?"
"......"
Perfectly healthy twenty-year-old Evan suddenly felt the urge to grab the bratty little punk's jaw and stretch it, but more weapons were better. He handed over the cane without a word.
Nihil took it back and handed it to Liannus, then untied Pan's rope. The kid's amateur knot came undone with a tug.
The ringleader smirked at the sight.
"Baby bunny's so clueless he frees the prey himself. Still half-asleep, eh?"
Their game resumed.
Pan stood frozen, unsure what to do, until Nihil snapped at him to quit fidgeting and sit quietly. With a mental screw it, he flopped to the floor.
Nihil checked the other kids. Unlike Pan, freshly caught, one already had dead eyes. The other two shook nonstop, signs of brutal treatment.
Their bodies were covered in unhealed wounds, clothes soaked in blood.
Nihil approached the oldest-looking boy—probably around thirteen—who'd likely been here longest and gazed up at him.
"When'd you get here?"
"...Don't remember."
"Kids here besides us?"
"...D-dead."
"So these are all that's left alive?"
The boy nodded.
"Where do the non-prey go after selection?"
The boy didn't answer, eyes flicking to a portable iron cage shoved in one corner.
Its exterior was brown—rust at first glance, but actually crusted blood.
"Locked in there to watch the hunt?"
"I... don't wanna die."
"Yeah."
The boy stared down at the impassive Nihil, glanced around, then suddenly lunged, binding Nihil tight with a rope hidden in his clothes.
"Nil!"
Shocked, Liannus rushed over, but the other kids blocked him.
"Move!"
"S-sorry. We got no choice."
"Sorry, sorry, sorry."
The kids burst into tears.